11/08/2024
The Combat Hippies, a male group from Puerto Rico known for their bold explorations of trauma, resilience, and identity, delivered an emotionally stirring performance in AMAL. Teo Castellanos, the company’s artistic director, worked with writer/performers Anthony Torres, Hipólito Arriaga, and Angel R. Rodriguez Sr. Drawing on their experiences as veterans of war and descendants of diverse Latine communities, the group wove together a narrative both deeply personal and universally resonant. Through a blend of spoken word, music, and movement, AMAL (“hope” in Arabic) became a powerful meditation on healing, displacement, and the complexities of identity for those caught between the scars of war and the struggles of migration.
Imbued with the weight of lived experience, the troupe offered a rare and intimate look at the psychological toll of combat, especially as men of color navigating both military service and the sociopolitical realities of Latinx communities. What makes AMAL truly impactful was its seamless integration of cultural references, from bomba y plena rhythms to Afro-Latine spirituality, and even the use of Arabic motifs. This reflected the global intersections of the group’s narrative, which heightened the sense of ritual and catharsis, turning the performance into a communal experience of grief, hope, and reconciliation.
This celebration of community stretched over weeks and connected Latine and Latin American performance.
