Festival

Ghetto Hors d’Oeuvres

Ghetto Hors D’oeuvres is a festival where rappers, musicians, and poets break barriers to collaboratively create an ode to New York City’s streets. Served with hors d'oeuvres throughout the evening, the audience bears witness as a diverse group of NYC artists decipher their block and breakdown the rock that is the foundation and cornerstone of the city. Performances are followed by a live DJ set, conversation and dancing.

Previous Festival Participants:

Elisabet Velasquez, Roya Marsh, Nick E Finn, Amber West, Paula Ramirez, Mariana goycoechea, Kleaver Cruz, Jerome Geyer, Keomi Tarver, 7 Perception, Candace Williams, Sarah Serrano, Rick Villar, Olander ‘Big O’ Wilson, Rah Crawford, Joaquin Esquillin, Well Dressed Villains, Mariela Regalado, Sergio Rosario, Jani Rose, Artem Yatsunov, D-Bird, Corey Humble, Carmen Bardeguez-Brown, Chrissy Malvasi, Eric Acevedo, Joannesta, Albert ‘Taino Image’ Areizaga, Nessa, Bay Bryan, Sarah ‘Little Sheba’ Serrano, Joel Daniels, Robert Parker, Tony Award-winning poet: Lemon Andersen.

Ghetto Hors D'oeuvres 2025: Baldwin 101

An Intro to Black Queer Literary Legacy—Live & Unfiltered

Thursday, July 17th at 7:30pm
Friday, July 18th at 7:30pm
Saturday, July 19th at 7:30pm

This year’s theme: Baldwin 101

GET YOUR TICKETS HERE!

Part lecture, part live lit, part celebration—Baldwin 101 is a poetic syllabus come to life.

Following the Baldwin Centennial of 2024 and in response to rising cultural backlash against DEI and critical race theory, this new edition of Ghetto HD steps boldly into Baldwin’s 101st year with a night that blends performance, pedagogy, and protest. Inspired by the viral HilmanTok movement—where Black creators reimagined culture as course content—Baldwin 101 invites audiences to experience what an Intro to Queer Black Literary Theory class might look like in a world that needs it more than ever. Through poetry, spoken word, and staged excerpts, a cast of mostly queer Black and brown writers embody and expand the legacy of James Baldwin, asking: What does it mean to study Baldwin out loud?

Come for the syllabus. Stay for the revolution.

Co-Curator/Director: Modesto Flako Jimenez Co-Curator: Joel Francois
Production Manager: Emily Rondon

Produced by Oye Group & Presented by JACK

PAST GHETTO HORS D’OEUVRES

This year we brought back Ghetto Hors D’Oeuvres after five years! Check out the artists that performed and celebrated the 50th anniversary of NYC!

Artists that Performed: ERIC ACEVEDO, NICK E FINN, J TOM, MODESTO FLAKO JIMENEZ, LAUR, MELIKI HURD, ROYA MARSH, SAIDU TEJAN THOMAS JR., DAVID HONG, JOEL FRANCOIS

PERFORMERS
1. Paula Ramirez - Gentrified Jasmine Iced Tea (video)
2. Keomi Tarver - Black Girl Stay 3. Nick E. Finn Morning Announcements (video)
4. Jerome G. - Forty One Questions for Mr. Amadou Diallo (video)
5. Mariana - Then There Were More Guns (video)
6. 7 Perception - Peace To The Gods
7. Paula Ramirez - Rumors at the Zoo
8. 7 Perception - Black Woman
9. Keomi Tarver - Black Wombyn (video)

Second Act
10. Elisabet Velasquez & Keomi Tarver Dancing - Elephant
11. Jerome G. - Thrown Back (video)
12. Elisabet Velasquez - Amends
13. Nick E. Finn - Morning Announcements part.2 (video)
14. Jerome G. 2 - Hammers in Holsters
15. Paula Ramirez - On Light and Darkness: A Timeline
16. Hendi - National Anthem (video)
17. Roya Marsh - Closing

A recap of the activities, events, and performances that took place in Maria Hernandez Park (Bushwick, Brooklyn) on July 30, 2017. Ghetto Hors D'oeuvres: CLIMATE was a community festival by Oye Group, directed by Modesto Flako Jimenez, and produced by The Bushwick Starr and the NYC Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment as part of their Off-Broadway in the Boros series. Film and Edit by Sean O'Neill and Brittney Yates

PERFORMERS: Artem Yatsunov, Candace Williams, Carmen Bardeguez Brown, D Brid, Elizabeth Velazquez, Eric Acevedo, Jani Rose, Jo Annesta, Lemon Anderson, Mariela Regalado, Nessa, Rob Parker, and Sergio Rosario.