Playing at ArtRage: www.artragegallery.org
FRIDAY, May 13, 2011 7pm Free to the Public
THE FENCE (LA BARDA) 2010
Directed by Rory Kennedy
In Oct. 2006, the U.S. government decided to build a 700-mile fence along its troubled 2000-mile-plus border with Mexico. Three years, 19 construction companies, 350 engineers, thousands of construction workers, tens of thousands of tons of metal and $3 billion later, was it all worth it? Rory Kennedy (HBO’s Emmy®-winning “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib”) follows her subjects through private ranches, protected wilderness, bustling border towns and scrub deserts for a revealing, often surprising look at the controversial southern U.S. border barrier. As many as 500,000 undocumented immigrants are estimated to cross into the U.S. every year. In the aftermath of 9/11, the Bush administration responded to the enormous political pressure to close what was seen as a dangerous open door with a seemingly simple, some say simplistic, solution: a fence dividing the United States from its neighbor to the south.
HBO Documentary Films presents THE FENCE (LA BARDA); a Moxie Firecracker production; directed and narrated by Rory Kennedy; producers, Rory Kennedy, Liz Garbus and Keven McAlester; writer, Mark Bailey; associate producer, Lauren Barker; editor, Sari Gilman; cinematographer, Nick Doob. For HBO: senior producer, Nancy Abraham; executive producer, Sheila Nevins. Sponsoring Organizations: The Justice for Immigrants Campaign of the Syracuse Catholic Diocese, Workers’ Center of Central New York, Nosotros, Your Latino Voice, A.N.S.W.E.R. Coaliton, Syracuse Peace Council, Detention Task Force, La Casita Cultural Center Project, LULAC.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
FEMALE CHICANO VOCALISTS
We have discussed a couple of female Chicano vocalists: Linda Rondstat, Selena….I thought I would look for a contemporary vocalist and found Lysa Flores, and Eastside LA native. Newsweek is quoted as naming Flores among, “20 young Latinos to watch in the new millennium.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R39HRnzhsDM
Do you like her style?
QUEBRADITA
Of all the contemporary music we have heard from Mexico, I like the quebradita music and dance the best.
An audio file of the music:
http://www.songarea.com/mc/2/quebradita.html
http://www.songarea.com/mc/3/quebradita.html
These are the best videos of the dance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eZg_pxXz5Y
http://tu.tv/videos/como-bailar-quebradita
One article referred to quebradita as folklorico music. Do you think it can be expressed as folklorico?
MORE ON BORDER AND FILMS
While the USA is futilely trying to suppress immigrants from crossing our southern borders, there are many illegals living and prospering on our soil. The INS conveniently looks the other way and does nothing about the Mexicans that are already living within our boundaries. And the reason that they do this is that Mexicans provide a service to our economy – cheap labor. And they do the jobs that most American will not do (because they are beneath us). It is not true that they are taking jobs away from Americans. They are taking the jobs that Americans do not want to do. They are itinerant farm workers, they clean out sewers; things that Americans would not do.
I recently found out that there is a little known film made in 2004 on this subject. It was released in only parts of the USA. It is a comedy about what would happen to California if all the Mexicans suddenly disappeared. Who would pick the fruit? Who would do the dishes? Who would take care of the lawns? I have not seen it yet bit I intend to!
SELENA
I recently re-watched the film about Selena, the popular Chicano singer, played by Jennifer Lopez (although of Puerto Rican ethnicity, I thought she did a great job portraying Selena). The part of the film that related to our class was when we talked about Chicanos and the need to keep their culture alive. This theme was central to the plot of the movie. Selena was born in the USA of Mexican immigrants who wanted to keep their culture alive. Her father saw the music industry as a way to earn a living in the USA. He insisted that his children learn to play instruments and Selena was a good singer, so they formed a band. Selena’s father insisted that the children learn Spanish and to play to the Chicano people in the USA. At first the children didn’t like the idea because they thought of themselves as American, but the father persevered. Unfortunately, Selena met with very untimely death, but while she lived she was extremely popular and her father was very proud of his family.
SOCIAL MOVEMENT ISSUES
A pause to comment on border problems; the problems of the Mexicans / USA border are so complex I hesitate to bring it up, but it also hard to ignore. We try so hard and spend so much money on trying to keep Mexicans out of the USA. A wall…what were they thinking? The border is 2,000 miles long! Reminiscences of the China Wall…the Berlin Wall? And do I even want to get into the violence and killing on the border?
First of all, the history of the border is confusing. Years ago, the Mexican/USA border was hundreds of miles north of where it is now. In 1848, due to war with the USA and a treaty that followed, Mexico lost 55% of its land. What is now California, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma where all Mexico. So you might say, they are just trying to come home!
Another issue is the wonderful NAFTA program imposed upon the Mexican people! It was supposed to create an economic boon but has had the opposite effect, causing an economic depression among the Mexican peoples (websites do not discuss or admit to this problem). So if we have caused Mexican people to be without work, how can we morally or ethically suppress peoples from trying to earn a living and feed their families?
Maybe we could enter into another type of trade agreement. We could trade people. A lot of American and Canadian citizens are leaving their countries to move to Mexico. In Mexico, there are springing up English speaking communities for those who have moved south.
http://puertobahiavillas.com/video.html?gclid=CIys6pe-1agCFQbCKgodgDb7AQ
What do you think?!?
Friday, May 6, 2011
Hey i found this really great article about mexican music in general and about norteno and tejano and banda and everything . check it out
http://latinmusic.about.com
good bands they suggest are:
los tigres del norte
conjunto primavera
los kumbia kings... many more
http://latinmusic.about.com
good bands they suggest are:
los tigres del norte
conjunto primavera
los kumbia kings... many more
Zapatistas speak out about the drug wars
May 3, 2011
Human Rights News
Zapatistas Join Drug War Protest
As momentum builds for the May 8 protest against violence and impunity in
Mexico, the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) announced its
support for the movement started by poet Javier Sicilia.
In a communiqué dated April 28, the EZLN leadership declared it would
wholeheartedly support the struggle by conducting a silent march of
Zapatista base communities in the Chiapas highland city of San Cristobal
de las Casas on May 7.
In a pronouncement signed by the Zapatistas' legendary Sub-comandante
Marcos, the EZLN said it would terminate the march with readings of
statements in Spanish and indigenous languages.
The Zapatistas sharply condemned the Mexican government's anti-organized
crime strategy as a "psychotic military campaign by Felipe Calderon
Hinojosa" that has turned into a "totalitarian argument" for spreading
fear across the nation.
In response to Sicilia's earlier call to place name plaques of victims of
violence in public plazas, the Zapatista statement mentioned the names of
15 people killed in the Ciudad Juarez neighborhood of Villas de Salvarcar
in 2010 and the 40 children who perished in the notorious ABC day care
center fire in Hermosillo, Sonora, in 2009.
The EZLN also urged its supporters in Mexico and throughout the world to
support the movement launched by Sicilia and supporters last month, which
arose after the poet's son and companions were murdered in Cuernavaca,
Morelos, by an apparent organized crime group.
Until this year, the Zapatistas had been largely silent on the so-called
drug war that's ravaged Mexico during the past few years.
Backed by prominent public figures like Eduardo Gallo, former president of
Mexico United against Delinquency, and Malu Garcia, persecuted activist
with the anti-femicide group Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa of Ciudad
Juarez, Sicilia and friends plan to begin a silent march from Cuernavaca
on May 5 and then arrive in Mexico City for a massive rally the following
Sunday.
In the heart of the Mexican capital, the activists are expected to call
for the signing of a national reconstruction pact at an undetermined time
in Ciudad Juarez.
In addition to the main protest in Mexico City, similar events are
expected to take place May 8 in more than 40 Mexican cities and at least
20 foreign ones.
Father Alejandro Solalinde, well-known Oaxaca migrant advocate, called the
May 8 mobilization the best chance Mexico has had to "remake a country
that's going to the pits and put an end to violence, corruption and
impunity."
Additional source: Proceso, April 30, 2011. Article by Jose Gil Olmos.
Frontera NorteSur: on-line, U.S.-Mexico border news
Center for Latin American and Border Studies
New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Human Rights News
Zapatistas Join Drug War Protest
As momentum builds for the May 8 protest against violence and impunity in
Mexico, the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) announced its
support for the movement started by poet Javier Sicilia.
In a communiqué dated April 28, the EZLN leadership declared it would
wholeheartedly support the struggle by conducting a silent march of
Zapatista base communities in the Chiapas highland city of San Cristobal
de las Casas on May 7.
In a pronouncement signed by the Zapatistas' legendary Sub-comandante
Marcos, the EZLN said it would terminate the march with readings of
statements in Spanish and indigenous languages.
The Zapatistas sharply condemned the Mexican government's anti-organized
crime strategy as a "psychotic military campaign by Felipe Calderon
Hinojosa" that has turned into a "totalitarian argument" for spreading
fear across the nation.
In response to Sicilia's earlier call to place name plaques of victims of
violence in public plazas, the Zapatista statement mentioned the names of
15 people killed in the Ciudad Juarez neighborhood of Villas de Salvarcar
in 2010 and the 40 children who perished in the notorious ABC day care
center fire in Hermosillo, Sonora, in 2009.
The EZLN also urged its supporters in Mexico and throughout the world to
support the movement launched by Sicilia and supporters last month, which
arose after the poet's son and companions were murdered in Cuernavaca,
Morelos, by an apparent organized crime group.
Until this year, the Zapatistas had been largely silent on the so-called
drug war that's ravaged Mexico during the past few years.
Backed by prominent public figures like Eduardo Gallo, former president of
Mexico United against Delinquency, and Malu Garcia, persecuted activist
with the anti-femicide group Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa of Ciudad
Juarez, Sicilia and friends plan to begin a silent march from Cuernavaca
on May 5 and then arrive in Mexico City for a massive rally the following
Sunday.
In the heart of the Mexican capital, the activists are expected to call
for the signing of a national reconstruction pact at an undetermined time
in Ciudad Juarez.
In addition to the main protest in Mexico City, similar events are
expected to take place May 8 in more than 40 Mexican cities and at least
20 foreign ones.
Father Alejandro Solalinde, well-known Oaxaca migrant advocate, called the
May 8 mobilization the best chance Mexico has had to "remake a country
that's going to the pits and put an end to violence, corruption and
impunity."
Additional source: Proceso, April 30, 2011. Article by Jose Gil Olmos.
Frontera NorteSur: on-line, U.S.-Mexico border news
Center for Latin American and Border Studies
New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Thursday, May 5, 2011
After I was introduced to "nortek" music in this course I was amazed by their very unique sound. Their music is almost like a bridge in between generations as well as a bridge in between american culture and Mexican culture.
Celso Pina is another intrepid entrepreneurship of sound. He mixes different sounds and styles of music. His utilizes an accordion to create new era sound mixed with cumbias and other traditional styles of music .
Check this videos out:
Rolando Villazon
In class, we have mainly discussed traditional music from Mexico, but never really went into the classical side. Rolando Villazon was born in Mexico City, where he spent many years studying music. He then travelled to the United States to study at prestigious university and most recently has spent his time in France. Villazon has become "one of the music world's most critically acclaimed and beloved stars and as one of the leading tenors of our day". Below is his website that includes a more detailed biography as well as several of his recordings.
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