RIP Joaquin Rivera, 1946-2009

POSTED: Friday, December 4, 2009, 6:45 PM

Filed Under: In Memoriam | Music

Joaquin Rivera

Edardo Gonzalez was still feeling raw and drained when we spoke several days after respected folk musician and community activist Joaquin Rivera died in triage while waiting for medical care and was then robbed by three homeless men. Last night Gonzales spoke as best he could about his long time friend and music partner, compadre and inspiration.

"I keep thinking, this is just like Joaquin," said Edgardo Gonzalez,"if he had to die, he was going to do something with it." While Joaquin was best known as a musician, Gonzalez was referring to his activism. Rivera, a counselor at Olney High School, was a longtime advocate of bilingual education and active in the return of the Puerto Rican island of Vieques from the U.S. Navy. "The political marches he took part in, people don't know about that," Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez swore he was cried out, but still choked with emotion. The very day that Rivera passed away he had been at the Gonzalez home. "I thought he seemed fine while he was here, having fun, but my wife said he was acting a little different," says Gonzalez. Playing music together was a long time habit for these men; Gonzalez played bass in Rivera's Los Pleneros del Batey, his band that played traditional Puerto Rican folk music.

But now, Gonzalez reflects on the way Rivera died. A man with insurance ' neglected despite asking for medical attention ' has brought international attention to the U.S. health care debate, according to the reactions Gonzalez has received. The world is watching. If he had to go, Joaquin Rivera would be pleased to have it be one last eloquent plea for justice.

At 6 p.m. tonight ' far north of the barrio ' there will be a viewing at the Givnish Home (10975 Academy Rd.), chosen for its large capacity. "People are flying in from Puerto Rico, Florida, Boston, all over," says Gonzalez. As the viewing starts off Joaquin's band will remember him in the heart of the barrio, starting this afternoon with a jam at Centro Musical (464 W Lehigh Ave.), where all the musicians hang. Gradually the music will move over to Taller Puertorrique'o (2721 North 5th St), where Gonzalez chairs the board and Executive Director Dr. Carmen Febo-San Miguel issued the statement, "We have lost a friend, a committed and tireless fighter for Puerto Rican rights and culture and a generous soul." A long-planned art opening on Taller's second floor gallery by well-known Puerto Rican painter To'o Martorell, will now be dedicated to the memory of Rivera.

Tomorrow morning there is another viewing at the church at St. Ambrose (600 West Venango), starting at 9 a.m. After that will be the funeral mass. "It will be a simple service with lots of singing, people standing up to speak about Joaquin," according to Gonzalez. Following the service he says, "Every Latino group in the city will be taking part," playing for Rivera as mourners walk down Venango to the Greemount Cemetery at Front and Luzerne streets. It will be a traffic stopping spectacle.

Gonzalez tells us there will be many more tributes and fond remembrances of Rivera who was so devoted to celebrating and sharing the heritage of his homeland. He also promises that all the holiday gigs that wouldn't be the same without some traditional songs will feature Los Pleneros, playing to honor Rivera. Check back here for updates.

If you want to find Gonzalez during any of these funeral events, he'll be easy to spot. "I kept thinking, 'What'll I wear? Guayabera?'" Gonzalez said, referring to the typical performing garb for pleneros. But Gonzalez settled on something that mixes the honor of formality with a nod to Rivera's tastes and sense of humor. Look for the man in a traditional black suit with the Ron Ca'a rum t-shirt peeping through, a final toast with Rivera's favorite tipple.

Tongiht, Viewing, 6 p.m., John F. Givnish Funeral Home, 10975 Academy Rd.

Sat., Dec. 5, Viewing, 9 a.m., Funeral Mass, 10 a.m., St. Ambrose, 600 W. Venango St.

Rafael "Papo" Zapata

Posted 2009-12-04 15:48:17

Thank you for this compassionate and subtle reflection of my dear friend, Joaquin Rivera. In addition to being a true cultural worker and everyday warrior for justice, I will remember him for his generous spirit. As you note, the tragic circumstances of his passing, raise larger questions of social justice, to which individuals and institutions will be held to account. Joaquin will be missed dearly, especially during the holiday season. But he will never be forgotten. Siempre, Rafael "Papo" Zapata

Joe Garcia

Posted 2009-12-11 14:19:09

NATIONAL CONGRESS FOR PUERTO RICAN RIGHTS For Immediate Release Contact: 215-669-4755 December 9, 2009 MEDIA ADVISORY MEDIA ADVISORY MEDIA ADVISORY MEDIA ADVISORY THE NATIONAL CONGRESS FOR PUERTO RICAN RIGHTS (NCPRR) PA. CHAPTER TO HOST "PARRANDA PARA LA JUSTICIA" IN MEMORY OF JOAQUIN RIVERA JOIN US, BRING AN INSTRUMENT, COMMEMORATE THIS GREAT LATION LEADER AND ONE OF OUR FOUNDING FATHERS SATURDAY, December 12, 2009 from 1:00pm - 2:30 pm SAVE THE DATE WHO: National Congress For Puerto Rican Rights and Friends of Joaquin Rivera WHERE: ARIA Health/Frankford Hospital Campus 4900 North Frankford Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19124 WHEN: Saturday, December 12, 2009 CONTACT: Joe Garcia @ 215-669-4755 In 1981, Puerto Rican activists from around the country founded the National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights (NCPRR). For more than 20 years the NCPRR engaged in grassroots campaigns in many cities, including a march In Washington DC. Recently, a group of former activists of the National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights and newer activists from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York, Florida, Connecticut and New Jersey among others, have reconstituted the NCPRR in the firm belief that there is still a need for this voice locally and nationally. Our main goal is to continue to develop a national political network that raises issues and supports causes of interest to the Puerto Rican community, specifically but also to all Latinos generally.

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