Love Letter to Barbès, Brooklyn
Action “Support the arts” is supporting Barbès bar in Brooklyn, New York!
Discover our entire “Art is essential” collection supporting artists in the US and in Europe.
Artist Love (with Orpheus Prod.) decided in 2021 to launch an action to support artists who couldn’t perform due to Covid restrictions. Together we created this collection “Art is essential” with new poetry in English and in French gifted by Nejda. A lot of people gifted time and worked for free for this project, so we could lower the prices of our Medium Tote Bags to $40.-.
Orpheus chose artists and cultural spots to distribute the proceeds from the sales, and Barbès Bar in Brooklyn, NY, was chosen by Nejda as one of them. This bar is a very special place for music and nightlife lovers, one of the best jazz clubs in the country, so Brooklyn, so French, so World, so everything we love…!
Check out their website www.barbesbrooklyn.com. Live music is coming back…. but they still need your support! You can be part of it by purchasing one of these Barbès Tote Bags in Black, in Grey or in Wine color.
This is why I fell in love with Barbès bar.
I arrived in New York in February, in the middle of a snowstorm and a lifestorm. As you may know, I come from a very multicultural family, and part of my soul has a Slavic heritage. While the winter was raging outside, there was a warm place, filled with friends, music, dance, singing, laughter and love, shining in the dark. This was at 376 9th St, on the corner of 6th ave, in Brooklyn. There was a “Slavic Soul Party” going on. Barbès bar took me in. Friendship and music healed my soul. This bar became one of my favourite places in Brooklyn and in the world. I wrote the poem “Barbès saved my Slavic soul” for this precious place and of course I wanted them to be a part of our “Support the arts” action. Thank you guys for everything you do!
Barbès saved my Slavic soul
For Rob, Rachel and Ana, for Barbès and for Brooklyn
Time stopped.
I ran to Madrid’s sunny streets,
to Montpellier’s sunny seaside,
to Sofia’s sunny friends
and landed in New York
in the midst of a snowstorm.
I had gone through an earthquake.
And another one.
And one more.
My heart had broken into pieces
that were still trembling
on the hard floor of my ribs.
I was trying to catch my breath.
My head was spinning.
My song had gone silent.
The snow was numbing the pain
through a meaningless white curtain.
I was in an empty house
petting an unfriendly cat.
And Rob said :
« There is soul in Brooklyn. »
I said :
« I know. »
He said :
« No. There is Slavic soul in Brooklyn ».
I said :
« Where ? »
He said :
« Follow me. »
I was feverish. I was tired. I was hungry. I was late.
But I went.
I pushed the door.
And Barbès took me in.
Keep loving, keep singing, keep dancing, keep meeting new hearts and new friends !
Poetry and art will always hold your hand and soothe your soul.
Love, Nejda
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