Musician Rick Reyes may have been born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, but his heart and his music lie in Puerto Rico. Which is one reason he’s created the Puerto Rican songbook project: It’s his way of sharing a piece of Puerto Rico with the world.

Reyes, who refers to his Connecticut hometown as “Bridgeportorico,” moved back to Puerto Rico when he was a young child. He lived there until he was 13, at which point he and his family moved back to the States.

It was a tough time to move, Reyes recalls, and it was music, and Puerto Rican in particular, that helped him through the transition. “When you move any place as a child…it’s a big transition in your life,” Reyes says. “I was taken aback by leaving friends behind, starting again new.”

“I used to always write my thoughts and feelings as a little kid,” he continues. “My outlet became to write more. I picked up guitar. Things became songs.”

These songs eventually turned into a music career, which in turn evolved into a dedication to spread the sounds of Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rican songbook project began with an arts grant in 2016 that placed Reyes as artist in residence at the Bijou Theater in Bridgeport. The grant enabled Reyes to perform once a month with various Latin-centric groups, as well as develop the project.

While not the sole focus of Reyes’ concerts—he performs regularly with Cosmic Jibaros, the Pasofino Social Club, and Novela Sin Tiempo—the Puerto Rican songbook project is meant to be a Puerto Rican musical travel guide of sorts, featuring songs from the 1920s to the ‘90s and highlighting the contributions of Puerto Rican composers. Reyes, who is a member of the Nest Arts Factory in Bridgeport, has also developed a few workshops on the topic.

Reyes is pleased with the feedback he’s getting on these performances so far. (You can catch the next one April 22 at the Bijou). “It’s had such an impact in the community,” Reyes says. “It’s a community that needed to realize their roots. It’s a very healing show for folks.”

That healing seems apt given that’s what music initially did for the young Reyes newly transplanted in America. “When I started writing music, it was not with the intent of following any particular genre but to let me emotions out,” he says. “It was the only way I could express what I was feeling. Like many artists you paint your soul, you sculpt your emotions.”

Rick Reyes – musician
Bridgeport, Connecticut
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Top images courtesy Rick Reyes

The post Rick Reyes’ Love Songs to Puerto Rico appeared first on Take Magazine.

It may be chilly in Bridgeport, Connecticut, this time of year, but at The Bananaland it always feels like a tropical getaway. This banana-themed marketing and design agency in Connecticut’s Park City will give your small business a makeover and have way too much fun doing it. The team of “specialist concierges”—Marcella Kovac, the outspoken civic-involvement advocate; Laurie Kovac, the cat-loving photography enthusiast; and Jordan Rabidou, the coding homesteader—are not only incredibly talented at what they do, but they’re also some of the most passionate people you’ll ever meet. The affection they have for their stomping grounds emanates through how they do business. They’ll curate your brand to perfection taking your vision and goals and sprinkling their own ideas and expertise into the mix, banana style.

Marcella Kovac

Laurie Kovac

Jordan Rabidou

The seven-year-old vacation of a company was founded on the notion that good design is born from crazy ideas. Their impeccable work and service has made for very happy clients, in turn filling a niche in the up-and-coming city. The Bananaland provides branding, website design, a strong social media presence, and everything in between. “We have so much fun in what we’re doing. We don’t want to be taken too seriously and we don’t want this to be like ‘work work,’” says Jordan. How can you have a bad time working in an office with pineapple wallpaper, tropical plants, and assorted banana paraphernalia strewn about?! It goes without saying, seasonal depression is not a thing here.

The magic of The Bananaland lies in the three co-owners’ unshakeable passion for the city they live in. Disclaimer: If you don’t want to be persuaded to move to Bridgeport, don’t talk to them. “Marcella and I moved here nine years ago, and we saw so much potential in the city,” says Jordan. “There’s so much rich diversity, and an art scene that’s coming out from underground and flourishing, and we are just so happy to be a part of it,” Marcella adds. Their love for their city is infectious and so well-spoken, making them the unofficial marketing department of Bridgeport.

This is why starting one badass company wasn’t enough. Four years ago, Marcella and Jordan founded B:Hive Bridgeport, a place where local business owners, freelancers, and creatives can go to foster positive energy, enthusiasm, and an infallible sense of community in a co-workspace. “Collaborating with other people and creatives is what we’re all about,” Marcella declares. The cleverly casual atmosphere of B:Hive allows for friendly connections, business growth, potlucks—nothing fuels entrepreneurship like home-cooked goodies, that’s a fact—and serves as a catalyst for a reinvention of the city. “We try to act as a partner to the city and try to show everyone how wonderful it is. Our goal is to change the stigma around Bridgeport and show how cool it is if you look below the surface,” says Jordan.

Not a small business or instagram model seeking to expertly curate your aesthetic? No problem, The Bananaland doors are always open and Marcella, Jordan, and Laurie would love to meet you! Grab your boarding pass, The Bananaland is going to take you on your dream vacation—and you don’t even have to leave New England.

The Bananaland – marketing and design company
Bridgeport, Connecticut
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All photography by Victoria Gloria Photography

The post Heading to the Bananaland appeared first on Take Magazine.