Hispanic Heritage Month: David Soto
National Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15 to October 15, a time to recognize the contributions, achievements, and culture of Americans who descend from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. NYCHA employee David Soto lives, breathes, and sings his Puerto Rican culture and Lower East Side community, working to celebrate and showcase it as often as possible. (Watch a feature about Mr. Soto for News12 The Bronx’s Hispanic Heritage Month coverage here: https://youtu.be/hGXABf57z2A.)
“I grew up as the child of community organizers – I literally grew up hanging out at the Nuyorican Poets Café with my mom; I was always surrounded by artists, poets, actors,” Mr. Soto said. “I got a lot of my ability and skills to be creative and do a lot with little resources from the people I grew up around, which has helped me in my role at NYCHA, understanding the limitations we have with funding and being able to create partnerships and find creative ways to get people excited about our initiatives.”
He began his career at NYCHA as the center director for Campos Community Center, a role he held for 10 years. Then he moved on to Resident Engagement, where he worked for five years. In that arena, he did a lot of work organizing and supporting the young residents as part of their participation in the South Bronx Youth Leadership Committee. He worked in the Office of Safety & Security through the COVID pandemic, and in December 2021, he joined the Employee Engagement Department.
“Working in Employee Engagement is the perfect transition, because I come into work to find ways to celebrate my colleagues and celebrate the work we do,” Mr. Soto said. “I get to work with an amazing team, brainstorming what these [employee engagement] programs look like from the ground up. It feels good coming to work knowing my job is something that will make other people happy.”
Mr. Soto’s work outside of NYCHA can also be described as celebrating and making other people happy: he is a singer/songwriter, community organizer, festival host, and entertainment business owner – and this year, he added gallery owner to his extensive resume.
He is the founder and organizer of the New Village Music Festival held annually in Tompkins Square Park in Manhattan. The 12th annual event was held on September 2 and featured live music performances, dancing, visual and performing artists, and free musical workshops.
“I thought it would be a one-time thing, so it’s hard to believe I’ve been doing this for 12 years,” Mr. Soto said. “It celebrates diversity through music and promotes activism through the arts. I love connecting people of diverse backgrounds through this work; we had free workshops every hour on African, Brazilian, and Latin percussion.”
Mr. Soto has been a singer/songwriter since an early age, performing professionally under the name DaSo, mixing bilingual music that has hip hop, Bomba, plena, reggaeton, and R&B influences. He also founded DASO Entertainment, his company that produces music, videos, short films, and more.
Earlier this year, Mr. Soto opened Piragua Art Space, located at 367 E. 10th St. in the Lower East Side. He had started the Piragua brand a few years ago as an online clothing store to explore visual arts celebrating his culture. He was approached by a realtor with a space whose landlord wanted to rent to someone that would “uplift the community and add something essential to it.” He was excited to have the opportunity to give back to, and celebrate, the community he was raised in.
“Piragüeros sell the ices from their carts, and they were one of the first entrepreneurial experiences our ancestors had coming from Puerto Rico, getting their little truck, getting a block of ice, and being able to provide for their families,” Mr. Soto said. “With Piragua Art Space, I’m celebrating our ancestors’ entrepreneurial spirit. This is a space where people can express themselves: it’s a gallery and community art space, a rehearsal space for artists; we’ll have live intimate performances, a comedy night, and eventually also a recording space. It’s a multipurpose space that adds value and celebrates the legacy of community organizing in this community.”
Piragua Art Space is open Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Mr. Soto is assisted by an intern who opens the space while he’s in the office. Though it’s a lot of work being a dedicated NYCHA employee, musician, and curator, Mr. Soto said the busy days are worth it – he is inspired by the hard work of piragüeros whose shaved ice treats make people smile, the same way his work brings people together and puts smiles on their faces.