NYCMosaico

Wednesda Nov. 29th - Raza @ Cielo

2006-11-28T01:15:00.000-05:00

NYRemezcla Launch Party December 6th @ 205 Club!!

2006-11-21T11:03:00.000-05:00

SI*SE @ SOBs Thursday & Friday Nov. 9th & 10th

2006-11-09T01:12:00.000-05:00

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 9
SOB's Latin Alternative Concerts & KCRW.COM
Presents:
SI*SE

Doors: 7:00PM
Show: 9:00PM
Admission:
$18 Advanced / $22 Day of Show
______________________________

Formed in 2000 by singer Carol C and programmer/DJ U.F.LOW, Si*Sé bring together the atmospheric vibes of electronica with the crackle of live instruments. The results are electric: "It's about mixing stuff up that's not usually mixed together," says Carol C. "We're a band from New York City and we try and combine all of its musical traditions including hip-hop beats, Latin rhythms and down-tempo electronic music because that's what we hear everyday of our lives. It's a prelude to the future." Their music is a romantic stroll through the global barrio. Singing in both Spanish and English, stunning vocalist Carol C (whose family hails from the Dominican Republic) is at once sexy, smooth, soulful and completely unique. Programmer/producer/keyboardist Cliff Cristofaro aka U.F.LOW is a b-boy minimalist armed with a single MPC drum machine. But theirs is more than a beauty and beats story: Two viola players (Jeannie Oliver and Olivia Martinez), crack percussionist Neil Ochoa, spirited bassist Morgan Phillips, and live drummer Ryan Farley add an eclectic live punch to songs that range from deep drum 'n' bass to futuristic Latin ritmos and beyond.

Una XoXa BN LOCA!

2006-11-04T09:52:00.000-05:00

OJO:
NEXT XOXA MONDAY ROCK ME AMATEUR! WILL BE ON SUNDAY NOV 12th WITH DJ BN LOCO!!!!

XoXa Presents....

Rock Me Amateur! at Baraza

Directamente de México DF: Sonic 360 Recording Artist

BN LOCO spinning electronica-dub-trip hop

and resident DJs Claruxxx and Lechuga spinning latin rock-funk-electro-pop en español

Gratis!

9pm-4am SUNDAY November 12

Baraza 133 Ave C between 8th and 9th Sts

www.nyremezcla.com

www.myspace.com/bnloco

Kinky @ Bowery Ballroom + AFTERPARTY

2006-11-02T11:55:00.000-05:00

KINKY
Live
Sunday, Nov 05, 2006
@
THE BOWERY BALLROOM

Doors Open:
7:00 PM EST
$14
at The Bowery Ballroom
6 Delancey, NY, NY 10002
phone: 212.533.2111

Buy tickets : www.ticketweb.com

www.kinkymusic.com
www.myspace.com/kinky

....and the AFTERPARTY:

www.nacotheque.com
www.myspace.com/nacotheque

Susana Baca will be at S.O.B's Wed. Nov 1st - Showtime 8pm

2006-10-31T14:55:00.000-05:00

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 01
S.O.B.'s Latin Concerts
Presents

AFRO-PERUVIAN MUSIC
SUSANA BACA

With Special Guest
Piers Faccini
Doors: 6:30PM
Show: 8:00PM

Susana Baca will be at S.O.B's Wed. Nov 1st - Showtime 8pm

Her music is a mixture of traditional and contemporary. Her backing band features indigenous Peruvian instruments such as the cajón ("wooden box", whose origins lie in an upturned fruit crate), guapeo (clay pot), and quijada (jawbone of a burro), as well as acoustic guitar and double bass. Although many of her songs are based on traditional forms such as the lando or vals, she also incorporates elements of Cuban and Brazilian music. Her songs are poetic (with lyrics composed by some of Latin America's premier poets, with whom she collaborates), rich with evocative imagery, and her voice is delicate yet soulful. In 2002, Baca won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Folk Album, for her "Lamento Negro" CD. Despite the peacefulness of her music, it is influenced by a history of political activism that is rooted in her personal development as a woman and the awareness of societal oppression in Peru and around the world.

Her latest recording, "Travesias" was recorded with a diverse group of music collaborators like Gilberto Gil, Marc Ribot and produced by Craig Street (of Cassandra Wilson and Norah Jones fame). The CD contains a variety of songs from various parts of the world including France (Maxime Le Forestier's Né Quelque Part), the United Kingdom (Damien Rice's Volcano), Haiti, Brazil, and Peru.

S.O.B's
204 Varick St. @ W. Houston
www.sobs.com
212-243-4940
1 Train to Houston

Windows to the guts of the soul

2006-10-31T00:20:00.000-05:00

Sylvia Bofill's new play, Windows, centers around three women - mother, daughter, and grandaughter- seamlessly jumping around in time (past and present tenses are disjointed), memories (dreams and unfulfilled goals abound), and tone (funny, touching, morbid). The women reminisce about Puerto Rico and even get nostalgic about the island, but never in an overtly exaggerated way: this is not a "Latino" play or a play about Puerto Rican identity. The characters happen to be Puerto Rican, and hints of Puerto Rican history and its nostalgia serves as an analogy between mother-daughter bonds and its burdens. The acting is superb, especially Mercedes Herrero as Camila, a middle-aged widowed journalist who lives with regret and with the (self-created?)torment of her repressive mother Angelina (Carmen de Lavallade) and her detached daughter (Milena Pérez Joglar).

Bofill, a Puerto Rican playwright and director in her early thirties who graduated from Columbia's MFA program, is ingeniously creative when directing: for much of the play, Camila's bed becomes the center piece of the stage, alternating between almost a floating ship where characters and lovers interact or a haven or escape zone where an angst-ridden Camila sleeps and sleeps refusing to wake up. If I have failed to describe the plot of Windows is because its just eso: about relationships, about families, about contemplating life and maybe doing something about it.
Muy recomendable, very enjoyable.

Written and Directed by Sylvia Bofill

October 19th-November 5th, Wednesday-Saturday @ 8 PM, Sunday @ 3PM
Location: The Workshop Theater, 312 W. 36th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues)
Tickets are $20. www.intar.org to purchase tickets or call 212-279-4200.
OJO: LAST WEEK!

La noche después

2006-10-30T23:54:00.000-05:00

Zemmoa, Perla, Tino, La Prohibida.
streets of NYC 5:00am
foto: javier romero.

Viernes Stereosexual de Desmadre!

2006-10-24T23:05:00.000-04:00

6pm :Book Launch at the International Center of Photography:

Flesh Life: Sex in Mexico City

Photographs by Joseph Rodríguez, Introduction by Ruben Martínéz
Essay by Trisha Ziff, Afterword by Pedro Meyer

Friday, October 27, 2006
Book Signing, 6:00–7:30 pm
International Center of Photography
1133 Ave of the Americas at 43rd Street

After Party, 8:30 pm
Voodoo Lounge at Lucky Cheng’s
24 First Avenue between 1st and 2nd Streets

"From Nezahualcoyotl, the largest working-class suburb on earth, to La Condesa, Mexico City’s hipster hangout, putas and putos stroll the streets, cruising for johns and surviving on their wit, borne out of true desperation. These men, women, and everyone in between, are sex-workers in a country where extra-marital sex is considered a mortal sin, and, confoundingly, where they ply their trade without official reprisal. In Mexico, macho husbands consort with other men, and virgencitas are anything but. Joseph Rodríguez and Rubén Martínez confront these contradictions head-on in Flesh Life: Sex in Mexico City.

Y LA FIESTA MÁS DESMADROSA:
Flashion Victims featuring La Prohibida (España) y La Zemmoa (México)

Only the producers of Fresa Salvaje and Nacotheque parties could've have concocted this explosive mix with the US debut of Mexico City's famous tranny performer Zemmoa with legendary Madrileña drag queen La Prohibida, all at The Delancey for a mere $10. have Both artists will be singing their own material (no lip syncing!) to be followed by DJs Papichulo, Marcelo Cunning, and Amylulita, spinning Spanish-sung pop music for sweaty dancing and guzzle-drinking fun all night long!

The Delancey (downstairs), 168 Delancey Street, NYC
$10 / 21+ with ID

Directions: F train to Delancey Street station or J train to Essex Street station

Last minute change of venue for tonight's party!

2006-10-20T20:14:00.000-04:00

We are moving the Alex Lug performance over to Boys Room because of a problem with the venue. The scheduled DJs will NOT be spinning, it will be the regular Boys Room peeps.

THE MACACO SHOW IS CANCELLED!!!

2006-10-20T19:10:00.000-04:00

N.B.: THIS SHOW HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL SPRING 2007!!! we are as bummed as you are.

We are more than excited to be sponsoring SOB's presentation of Spain's über-cool Barcelona-based, globally-influenced Macaco.

Named "Best Spanish Artist" by MTV Europe, Macaco will be presenting their new album Ingravitto in a rare NYC performance at SOB's on Sunday, October 29th. "The Album builds on a base of rumba Catalana with staccato rapping, singing, jungle beats, scratching, rock, reggae and pop, adding blasts of African-Brazilian percussion, and its 14 tracks are sung in Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, and English."

Sound a bit like another artist that begins with M? Yesss, fans of Manu Chao will definitely dig Macaco. We have yet to see them live (and can't wait!!!!), but have heard that the show is amaaaaazing.

For more info, visit Macaco or www.sobs.com

Show starts at 8pm, Doors at 7.
Tickets cost $25 in advance, and $30 day of.

Ahi nos vidrios!!!

Art for Change fundraiser TONITE!!!

2006-10-20T10:23:00.000-04:00

Come out and support our friends from Carlitos Cafe/Art for Change:

Aterciopelados' new album + Alex Lug

2006-10-20T01:51:00.000-04:00

We're teaming up with our dear friends from Nacotheque (friends?!?! hell, we're family by now...) for a special one-off TONIGHT (Friday 10/20) in the East Village at a lovely spot called Mundial.

An exclusive sneak peak at Aterciopelados' new album OYE (out in stores next Tuesday, but we have some copies to give away....)

PLUS....

...straight from Mexico Shitty: ALEX LUG ( myspace.com/alexlug)

AND... Marcelo Cunning, Amylulita, and claruxxx on the ones and twos.

things get kickin at 11pm. 505 east 12th st., btwn A & B.

es FREE, cabrones!!!

Friends of Santa Marta Fundraising Fiesta

2006-10-18T12:04:00.000-04:00

"Dancing, Drinking, and Diversión all in support of some hardworking University Students in El Salvador. These students are the first from their community, Santa Marta, to graduate high school and attend college. Santa Marta is a strong, vibrant, inspiring community that values education and social justice. These students are struggling to further their education while still contributing to the Santa Marta community. A local Salvadoran NGO, Doctors for Global Health (DGH), and others have set up a scholarship fund and a cooperative-living house for the students, but funds for these projects are running low! Help them continue their courageous efforts!

"Learn more at the party or see www.dghonline.org/nl15/ed_salvador.html and www.santamartagoestocollege.com for further details."

Suggested donation of $10-$20. One free drink with admission. Wine/beer for $3.

El Taller Latino Americano
2710 Broadway, 3rd Floor, @ 104th St, New York, NY
Saturday, October 21, 9:00pm

RSVP to friendsofsantamarta@yahoo.com if you're going to the party.

Super Héroes mañana

2006-10-18T10:40:00.000-04:00

?Qué hace la Mujer Maravilla, Cat Woman o Batman en su tiempo libre, cuando no están actuando en películas o haciendo acto de presencia en covenciones de comic book freaks? Pues trabajar, como el resto de los mortales. Para los que se perdieron la exhibición en el Queens Museum of Art, los super héroes aún están salvando vidas por Nueva York, y en la Y Gallery en Jackson Heights los puedes apreciar del 19 de octubre al 12 de noviembre en una nueva exhibición curada por Cecilia Jurado.
La fotógrafa mexicana Dulce Pinzón ya ha llamado la atención de medios como The New York Times, y es que su último trabajo, "The Real Story of the Superheroes", tiene que ser visto. Son 15 fotografías de héroes populares, de personajes Anglos y Latinoamericanos desde el Chapulín, hasta Wonder Woman y Blue Demon, realizando hazañas increíbles como trabajo en construcción, abriendo la puerta de un taxi, cuidando niños en un apartamento del Upper East Side, cocinando en un trendy restaurante de Williamsburg. Lo más fascinante de la obra de Pinzón es como cada fotografía está cuidadosamente compuesta y como ha logrado capturar al inmigrante en acción, en su trabajo de día a día, a la vez dejándonos ver las repercusiones sociales, económicas, que tienen en la vida de Nueva York y en la de sus familias allá en México. Reconocerás a los super héroes y como immigrante, desplazado, o simplemente solidario, te verás retratado en ellos.

Mañana, 19 de octubre, opening del show de 6pm-9pm

The Real Story of the Super Heroes

Y Gallery
32–70 85 Street (Corner of Northern Boulevard), Jackson Heights, NY 11372
7 Train to 82nd Street

Tropicália: The Emergence of a Brazilian Counterculture

2006-10-15T18:39:00.000-04:00

Tropicália: The Emergence of a Brazilian Counterculture
Thursday, October 19, 2006—7pm
The New School—Swayduck Auditorium65 Fifth Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets.
Admission: $5.00. Free for Bronx Museum members

Carlos Basualdo, Philadelphia Museum of Art
Claudia Calirman, Parsons-The New School
Christopher Dunn, Tulane University

The panel will address pivotal issues that inform the Tropicália exhibition including the clash between the progressive agenda set forth in the 1950s by Brazilian president Kubitscheck, the repressive period initiated by the 1964 military coup, the search for an inclusive Pan-American aesthetics, and the Tropicalists’ embracing of the idea of “antropofagia" (cultural cannibalism) as proposed by poet Oswald de Andrade's 1928 manifesto. Dunn, author of Brutality Garden—the most thorough assessment of the era published in the US—will discuss characteristics that distinguish the period from previous eras. Basualdo will present an overview of Tropicália. Brazilian art historian Calirman and composer Lindsay, who lived in Brazil during the Tropicália period, will join the discussion and discuss the influence of the Tropicália movement in their formative years.

Nacotheque! Tonite! Riki RazoN!

2006-10-14T18:47:00.000-04:00

Butterfly Boy: Memories of a Chicano Mariposa

2006-10-06T10:06:00.000-04:00

Chicano writer Rigoberto Gonzalez, author of Butterfly Boy: Memories of a Chicano Mariposa will be at the Barnes and Noble on 6th ave and 22nd Street TODAY (October 6th) at 7pm, presenting is autobiographical book and signing copies.

For more information on Gonzalez, click here, and on his book, click here.

**********************

El escritor mexicano Rigoberto Gonzalez, autor del libro Butterfly Boy: Memories of a Chicano Mariposa va a estar en el Barnes and Noble de la 6ta avenida con 22 street el viernes Octubre 6 del 2006 a las 7:00 p.m., presentando su libro autobiográfico y firmando copias.

Para mas informacion sobre Gonzalez, haz click aqui, y sobre su libro aqui.

Columbia University students and immigrant rights supporters to protest Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minuteman Project.

2006-10-04T18:54:00.000-04:00

Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minuteman Project, has been invited by the Columbia University College Republicans to speak Wednesday, October 4, about the so-called "threat posed by illegal immigration." In response, several student organizations, along with social justice organizations around the city, have called for an emergency protest. The Minutemen are not simply another side of the immigration debate - they are a far-right, racist vigilante group that terrorizes the immigrant community. To counter the anti-immigrant bigotry of the event, protesters -- who will be dressed in white -- will advance the slogan, "Full rights for all immigrants!"

When: Wednesday, October 4 at 7:15pm

Where: Outside Roone Aldridge Auditorium

Columbia University (115th St. and Broadway)

The protest has been initiated by the Chicano Caucus, the Mexican-American Association at Columbia University, along with several other organizations including: The Black Students Organization, Asian American Alliance, Students for Economic and Environmental Justice, the International Socialist Organization, the Columbia College Democrats, and the ANSWER Coalition.

Rock Me Amateur! Y Curumin!

2006-10-01T23:49:00.000-04:00

TONITE! The return of the plastic doll....its only been two weeks but it seems longer! NYCMosaico's own XoXa presents: Rock Me Amateur @ Baraza, the best (perhaps only??) latin alternative night in the city.

Free Free Free come have some of Jessica's killer mojitos and caipirinhas while DJ Claruxxx and moi spin hot rock en español, alternative, funk, electronic, pop latin...ven a escuchar y bailar Manu Chao, Soda Stereo, Los Amigos Invisibles, Plastilina Mosh, Kinky, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Aterciopelados, Los Prisioneros, Ojos de Brujo, Brazilian Girls, Os Mutantes, Cõntrol Machete, Super Elegantes, Cafe Tacvba, Circo, Enanitos Verdes, Julieta Venegas, Chetes, Nortec Collective, Macaco, Liquits, Super Aquello, ok ok y pondremos cumbia, salsa y DJ Lechuga sin querer queriendo meterá un poco de reggaeton. because you know you can't resist Calle 13.
who parties on the weekend?

XoXa Mondays: In XoXa we trust. NYCMosaico.com fuck yeah.

Baraza: Avenue C between 8th and 9ths Sts. Gratis. 10pm onwards.

BUT before, Don't miss Curumin performing live at Joe's Pub. Last timethe Brazilian funkster was supposed to play in New York, the US government didn't give him a visa, so now he's finally playing. Can't wait! In classic Joe's Pub style, he'll be performing two sets, one at 9pm and one at 11pm.

Hutz. Midway. Thursdays. Oktober. Awesome.

2006-09-28T11:35:00.000-04:00

Ladytron y Cansei de Ser Sexy @ Webster Hall TODAY and TOMORROW

2006-09-27T11:22:00.000-04:00

Wed. Sep 27 and Thurs. Sep 28, 8pm Ladytron and Cansei de Ser Sexy @ Webster Hall 125 East 11th St

Cuanto: $25

¡Destrúyanlo todo! ¡La perfecta girl/girl-boy/boy band de guitarras post-punketas, pulsaciones de synthpop, melodías de uneasy-listening y letras inquietantes, regresa a Nueva York! Te causaran cierta incomodidad emocional, pero las voces de Mira Aroyo y Helena Marnie en rolas como "Destroy Everything You Touch", "Soft Power" e "Internacional Dateline", son tan hermosas como amenazantes. Pasa unas horas aqui: www.ladytron.com

Además para que tu noche este completa, desde Sao Paulo, Brasil la banda electro Cansei de Ser Sexy. ¡¿Qué mas quieres?! Su sitio: www.csshurts.com

El maispeis: www.myspace.com/canseidesersexy

and the show here: http://www.websterhall.com

Nuevas fotos en la NYCMosaico Foto Galeria!

2006-09-26T01:08:00.000-04:00

New photos, including: Nueva York Book launch party; Brazilian Girls CD release party above, left, and Fresa Salvaje's Mexican Day Independence Party at La Esquina...y mucho mucho más!

Next Nacotheque: Saturday, September 30th

2006-09-25T04:15:00.000-04:00

le conspiration: RAPTURE - October 3rd

2006-09-25T03:03:00.000-04:00

Every year the folks from le conspiration emerge from the woodwork with a musically delicious mix of bands and DJs. This year, the theme is RAPTURE (definition: ecstatic joy or delight; joyful ecstasy) and the location is SOB's.

SCR y la Old School Orquesta are in town from Huesca, Spain, and NYC's own Violent Sex and Loss of Inertia will be performing as well, along with Opposit Ends, Conundrum One, and DJ's Shoe and Joralien.

8pm at SOB's (Houston and Varick, take 1 train to Houston). Click on (and print out) ticket at left to get in for free!!!

October 7=muuuucha muuuusica!

2006-09-21T02:32:00.000-04:00

Are we the only ones who've noticed that there's a helluva lot pasando el 7 de octubre when it comes to the espanish-speaking musical persuasion? Whether you're a rrrrrocker, funkster, or hipster with pop tendencies, there's a little something for everyone.... do read on.

Mosaico is very excited to be sponsoring Maria Daniela y su Sonido Lasser's return to Nueva York... this time to the East River Bar at 97 South 6th Street in Williamsburg. And if this Fresa Salvaje fete is anything like the past ones they've thrown (and we're sure it will be!), we're all in for a treat. If you're not already familiar with the catchy, tongue-in-cheak pop travails of Miss Mary Danny (and if you've been to ANY Fresa Salvaje, Nacotheque, or XoXa Monday party you should be), check her out on her espeis and memorize those lyrics NOW! "Esta noche quiero bailar....!"

Meanwhile... in Manhattan....

Los Amigos Invisibles will be playing what seems to be their bi-annual Irving Plaza show, this time accompanied by Tortured Soul and Nickodemus (Turntables on the Hudson). Los Amigos have a new album, Superpop Venezuela, which we're most definitely digging, and, well, sus shows nunca fallan.

Tickets are $23 in advance, $25 day of show, and are available at Irving Plaza and SOB's box offices, as well as on ticketmaster and all that business. Doors are at 9pm.

And meanwhile, uptown...

You thought their career was over, but oh no, argentine rockeros Los Enanitos Verdes are still touring, and they're coming to BB Kings on the 7th! This show is somehow in affiliation with Alternafest, so the rock alternativo finalists Pistolera and The Ladrones will be opening and battling it out to the bitter end.

Show doesn't start till 11:30pm, and doors open at 11pm. Tickets are $30.

La Severa Matacera does NYC

2006-09-21T02:06:00.000-04:00

Colombian ska band La Severa Matacera is taking NYC by storm this weekend with three shows (+1 jam) in a row in Manjatan and Qüins.

TONITE (Thursday, Sept. 21) catch 'em at Midway at DUBta's weekly East Village dancefest and tomorrow and Saturday night at the tiny but lovely Terraza Cafe in Elmhurst.

Show at Midway starts at 11:30pm, and the Terraza shows are at 9pm (Friday night with Momposonica and Saturday night with Clubber Lang... each show is $12, including one drink).

THEN, if you're aching for more, come check out the jam session on the 24th at 11pm at Terraza.

El Gran Silencio es la PURA SABROSURA!!!

2006-09-14T19:11:00.000-04:00

El Gran Silencio's latest album Comunicaflow is a fun record and delivers what we’ve come to expect, but nothing beats seeing these guys live. De la tierra del cabrito llegan estos batos con su hip-hop norteño y cumbia ragamuffin ESTE DOMINGO A LAS 9PM. !A bailar!

¿Quieren una probadita? Go here: www.myspace.com/elgransilencio

For further info:

www.sobs.com

Mas y mas y mas el jueves

2006-09-13T18:21:00.000-04:00

So Thursday (TOMORROW, the 14th) is THE night to go out. In addition to the nails, Brazilian Girls, and Nacothequing (listed BELOW), here are some other options for your after-work (and then after that) enjoyment:

The Jackson Heights Film and Food Festival kicks off at Natives on Northern Blvd. with food, film, music y mas.

Detalles:

* 7:00 p.m. Reception - Signature dishes from four of the top neighborhood restaurants - Music by DJ Dubta - One Free Drink
* 8:00 p.m. - Four Fantastic International Short Films
* 9:10 p.m. - Discussion with Film Directors
* 9:40 p.m. - After party - Live Music from Bandera Spanish Rock Band - DJ Dubta - Award winning Habitat 7 Photo Exhibit on display - and Two Free Drinks

Admission is just $10, and you can pay at the door or get your tix online at www.7iae.org.

y luego....

(and following DJ DUBta on his nite around town)...

Brooklyn boys Green Supreme will be playing at DUBta's weekly party at Midway (25 Avenue B in the East Village). Party starts at 11:30pm, and los supremos verdes go on around midnight. FREE FREE FREE!

Meanwhile, uptown...

Anivel & Company kick off a brand new weekly party featuring Soulsa for the first installment of Alternative People Thursdays.

"These events consist of an eclectic selection of music and live performances out of the mainstream. If you are edgy, laidback and are looking for something different come check out our party we are the "Alternative". Dress Code is Laid back but you must present your self in good taste. If you love quality music and ambiance this is the party for you. Mixing Spanish Rock, House, Reggae, World Music, Classic Salsa & Merengue , Alternative Rock, Hip Hop, R&B, 80s , Disco, Funk , Brazilian Music, and a lot more..."

Jueves: Brazilian Girls with wacky nails en la disco

2006-09-13T13:16:00.000-04:00

We're tired of hearing how "Fall is in the air". Make the following your Thursday night and keep stretching the summer foreva.
Your evening will start at the reception of what might be El Museo del Barrio's most kitschy, short-lived (and corporate?) exhibit to date: Frutézia Fresh Style At Your Fingertips, showcasing award-winning nail art designs from across the country (including Snake's Lace, by Nancy Smoyer, left). What better excuse than an art show to get free nail art designs by local nail technicians, and gratis "finger foods" will be served as well.

Reception: Thursday, September 14th, 6:30-9pm
Nail Exhibit at El Museo: ends this Saturday September 16th!

After you've got yourself a ghetto fabulous manicure with multicolored flowers, head down to South Street Seaport's Spiegeltent to dance your ass off to the Brazilian Girls' CD Release Party for their spankin’ new Talk To La Bomb. Our umbilical cord is still attached to the first album but we're starting to dig new songs Jique, Last Call and Sexy Asshole (another clever song title that will make for a indulgently perfect sing along, just like Pussy ).
Ojo! This ain't free, tix cost $30 and with write ups in the New York Times, Flavorpill and the like, we wouldn't be surprised if it sells out. But a Brazilian Girls fete at Spiegeltent is sure to be soooo worth it (remember, thre traveling vaudeville circus space Spiegeltent ends its NYC run in a few weeks!).

Brazilian Girls CD launch party: 10:30pm ; $30
Spiegeltent: Pier 17 at South Street Seaport (yes, just go around the pier, its facing the Brooklyn Bridge). Subway: By Subway: 2, 3, 4, 5, J, Z, or M to Fulton Street; A and C to Broadway-Nassau. Walk east on Fulton Street to the East River.

We hope your nails are still in place, because you now need to head to the East Village for a special Nacotheque at new venue Route 85A, FREE as always, with regular hosts Marcelo Cunning, Amylulita and NYCMosaico representin' with DJ Lechuga and Ric from Mute Records.

Nacotheque: Route 85A, 85 Avenue A between 5th and 6th sts.
Nos Vemos por ahi!

HOY! Documental at NYU

2006-09-12T14:39:00.000-04:00

Academy Award nominated, La casa de mi abuela (My Grandmother’s House). In Spanish with English subtitles. Showing: Tuesday, September 12, 7:15 p.m.

From the KJCC press release:

"This documentary looks into the peculiar relationship between an impulsive and irreverent six-year-old and a 75-year-old traditional grandmother.

"Filmmaker Adán Allaga and series curator Marta Sánchez will be present to introduce the film and for Q&A after the screening."

The first in a series of Tuesday-night documentaries that runs through November 14.

RADIO: Moctezuma's Revenge (TODAY!)

2006-09-12T08:53:00.000-04:00

Bat is back! After a bit over a year of sabbatical, Estaten Ailan's very own rock (y otra música) en español radio DJ Bat has returned with his show Moctezuma's Revenge, this time at a new hour, so you can listen along (and watch el dj in action on the station's voyeuristic DJ cam) from 1-4pm every Tuesday. If you're on the island (Staten, that is) or in parts of Brooklyn, tune in the old school way by turning your dial to 88.9 FM, and for the rest of you, go to www.wsia.fm to listen on the intergüeb.

Nacotheque TONITE!!!

2006-09-09T12:46:00.000-04:00

Local events at Local Project

2006-09-09T12:38:00.000-04:00

Our friends over at Local Project have a great new show opening up TODAY (Saturday, September 9), as well as photography classes starting up soon.

Graphic Interventions

"When graphic art becomes unconscious, when chance does not exist,
a new literature is born, free of letters."

-German Tagle
-Carla Torres

Opening reception September 9th, from 6 to 10 PM

This series of works comprise two parallel books that tell their own truths. United by their theatricality and their epoch, they tell stories in which magic and the extraordinary occur. The artists' approach to plasticity is virtually inverted. While one creates a world of fantasies and visions, the other destroys them, thus feeding a cyclical nourishing between both works. Only here in the cycle of creation, destruction and recreation, the certainty of things is abandoned to the aesthetic of the simple, imaginary and unpredictable. The freedom of focusing the world through graphic interventions lends the works the theatrical character of a scene where everyday actions become rituals and nostalgia traps time in her
sentimental grasp.

The show will be on view by apointment from
September 9th through
September 23rd 2006

***********************************************

and if you'd like to sharpen up your photography skills:

El Taller de fotografia Project Luz de Local Project inicia sus clases
de septiembre, no se necesitan conocimientos previos de fotografía.
Se dictaran clases de fotografia basica, digital, photoshop y proyecto
personal. Los talleres seran lunes, martes y miercoles a las 5 y 7 pm.

Como parte del curso se realizaran visitas a museos, espacios de arte y
estudios de artistas, al final del curso se realizara una muestra en la
galeria de Local Project.

Sesión informativa: Lunes 11, martes 12 y miercoles 13 de setiembre en
Local Project de 6 a 8pm hs.

Info: 718 729 0945 sol@localproject.org

Loisaida Cortos

2006-09-09T10:46:00.000-04:00

Loisaida Cortos is back in its 4th year bigger than ever, this time with a two day program (Ellie and the gang can't have enough pre-parties, launch parties, post-parties!!)

TODAY! Saturday September 9th:
LAUNCH PARTY-Art, Photography and Live Music
Time: 3pm - 7pm
Event Price *FREE*
Venue: La Plaza Cultural Community Garden (south-west garden) Address: 9th Street & Avenue C
After Party: BARAZA-133 Ave. C, b/t 8th and 9th street Nearest Subway: L to 1st Ave./F to 2nd Ave.

TOMORROW Sept 10th:
Loisaida Cortos Film Festival featuring: Latino Short Film Screenings
STARTS 7PM SHARP!
Time: 7pm - 10pm
Event Price *FREE*
Also at La Plaza Cultural Community Garden
and the After Party continues at BARAZA

Loisaida Cortos Latino Film Festival presents every year new short
films, photography and music by Latino artists from all over the world.
LCLFF celebrates the limitless range of latino art.

Loisaida Cortos Latino Film Festival presenta cada año nuevos
cortometrajes, fotografía y música de artistas iberoamericanos de todo
el mundo. LCLFF celebra la variedad ilimitada del arte iberoamericano.

Nature, Culture, and Urban Space Opening TONITE!

2006-09-08T14:36:00.000-04:00

Nature, Culture and Urban Space
Photography Show featuring photographs by Sebastian Mejia
214 East 21st Street(between 2nd & 3rd)
School of Visual Arts
A visual investigation of the interaction of nature in the city.
TONITE, 7pm.

All welcome!

LatinBeat at Lincoln Center, Sept. 8-24

2006-09-06T15:24:00.000-04:00

From the FilmLinc website:

"Presenting 26 films from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, and Venezuela, Latinbeat opens with El Aura, the latest film by recently deceased (Argentine) director Fabián Bielinsky (Nine Queens). The series features a salute to director Alfonso Cuarón that includes, among others, his best-known works Y tu mamá también, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, as well as a sidebar celebrating 40 years of the Brazilian music and cultural movement known as Tropicália. All films in LatinBeat are New York premieres in their original language with English subtitles."

The festival will showcase some of our favorite modern classics of Latin American cinema, like Nueve Reinas and Y tu mamá también -- plus a couple of interesting Cuarón oddities: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Cuarón’s first film, Sólo con tu pareja. We like the looks of these films as well: Derecho de familia, Al otro lado, and Revolución: Cinco Miradas.

Nublu: Brooklyn this Sunday

2006-09-02T23:32:00.000-04:00

(As if you don't have enough sitios 2 parti at tumoro!)

Sunday, September 3 Nublu: Brooklyn with Kudu, Love Trio, Forro in the Dark, I Led 3 Lives, Karina, and the Nublu Orchestra conducted by Butch Morrisand DJs Probus, Justin Carter, Hardedge and In Flagrantion the banks of the Gowanus Canal, outside of Issue Project Room

(400 Carroll St. btw Bond and Nevin, Brooklyn)2p - 9p $10 in advance / no tickets at the door Nublu transports the larger part of its Avenue C family to Brooklyn for an outdoor Labor Day party right on the Gowanus Canal.

Kudu blows up the stage with their big bass. Love Trio – featuring Jesse Murphy from Brazilian Girls, Ilhan Ersahin from Wax Poetic and Kenny Wollesen – powers through driving, dubby dance-jazz. Forro in the Dark, whose November album will feature David Byrne, Bebel Gilberto, and Miho Hatori, bounces everyone into the water with their modern Brazilian dance music. I Led 3 Lives, featuring legendary bass player Juini Booth, meanders mysteriously; Karina, once a vocalist for Thievery Corporation, turns the whole thing into a Brazilian playground; and Butch Morris leads the Nublu Orchestra in a jaw-dropping session of conducted improvisation. DJs Probus, Justin Carter, Hardedge, and In Flagranti drop sounds both hard and soft before after and in between bands. It's going to be a very nice day.

ocio cosmopolatino September 2-15

2006-09-02T21:46:00.000-04:00

Here's a copy of our latest newsletter.... not as pretty as the real thing, so if you want the real deal, be sure to email us at info@nycmosaico.com to be added to our mailing list.....

Que onda cosmopolatinos,

Guelcome to the special weekend installation of the newsletter. Sorry we've been silent for a little while--we miss you too!!! But happy September and happy long weekend!! For those of you in town, we've got some exciting events coming up, and for those of you not here, well, you'll miss them, but there are more n more coming your way.

Tomorrow (Sunday) night, Sweet Electra from Mexico will be playing at Galapagos Art Space, along with local/Colombian group Monareta, plus guest DJs Marcelo Cunning and Selector MONObIcHi.

Monday night is our (every-other) weekly fiesta, now dubbed Rock Me Amateur (aka XoXa Mondays), featuring the lovely DJs of Nacotheque along with residents Lechuga and claruxxx.

And then Nacotheque will be in Williamsburg next Saturday, with a performance by Puerto Rican group Psiconautas + the Kinky record release party + guest DJ Papichulo. Click here for details on all these
NYCMosaico-sponsored events.

Also, the Mexico Now Festival kicked off yesterday, and we're just giving that a big fat recommendation because they're doing a lot of cool things, and we're trying to attend all of them. You should too. Now onto the rest of our event picks for
the next couple of weeks....

Saludos,
NYCMosaico.com estaff
NYCMosaico.com: ocio
cosmopolatino
info@nycmosaico.com

ARTES
(OJO: we are combining the ARTE and CULTURA sections to create a new section called ARTES)

-September 1 – 24: *Citizen*Ship*: An Immigrant Rights Fantasia in 10 Short Acts @ various locations
New York City based circus-theater Circus Amok are traveling around the boroughs to address contemporary issues of social justice. They will perform 17 acts in 59 minutes full of acrobatic artistry, political satire, and good old-fashioned
circus fun, and it’s gratis!. For more information, visit www.circusamok.org

-September 1 – 8: Gardel El musical @ Repertorio Español
Witness the successful musical performance directed by Lynnette Salas. Puerto Rican actor and singer Miguel Ramos, with a cast of 9 dancers, celebrate the life story of Argentinian tango legend Carlos Gardel in 18 musical numbers.
Click here for more information.

-September 7-November 2: Lola Alvarez
Bravo exhibit @ Aperture Foundation
Recognized as Mexico's first female photographer, Lola Alvarez Bravo worked as a photojournalist, commercial photographer, and portraitist, documenting the people and landscapes of her native country. This exhibit features photographs from her extensive career and is the first major representation of her work in over a
decade. Click here for more information.

MÚSICA

-September 10, 7pm: Los Super Elegantes @ Starbucks Salon
LA-based hipster group Los Super Elegantes is part rock n roll, part performance art. They put on a thoroughly entertaining show and are coming back to NYC next week to play at the Starbucks Salon, a temporary SoHo art/music
enclave set up by the evil (?) coffee giant. For more info, visit www.lossuperelegantes.com
and www.starbuckssalon.com.

-September 14, 10pm: Brazilian Girls record release party @ SpiegelTent
One of our (and everyone else's) favorite local groups, Brazilian Girls, have a new album coming up called Talk to La Bomb, and they're holding their release party at one of our favorite places in NYC: SpiegelTent (which is only here till October--check it out while you can!). Click
here for a preview of the album,
and go to www.braziliangirls.info and www.spiegelworld.com for more
info.

-September 15 (& 16): José González @ Webster Hall
Argentino/sueco indie singer José González developed a huge following before his album Veneer was even released. If you missed him at Joe's Pub earlier this year, now's your chance to check him out on a much bigger
stage, opening for Zero 7, feat. Sia. (He'll also be at the Starbucks Salon on Sept. 14.) For more info, visit http://www.jose-gonzalez.com
or www.bowerypresents.com.

CINE

-NOW-at least September 7: Quinceañera @ Landmark Sunshine Cinemas
In this great, little film, a struggling Mexican-American family living in Los Angeles is torn apart when their soon-to-be quinceañera, Magdalena, becomes pregnant. A winner at Sundance.
Showing at 11:05am, 1:00pm, 2:55pm, 5:00pm, 7:00pm, 9:05pm, 11:10pm.
Click here for more info.

-NOW-October: Viva Pedro @ Quad Cinema
Come see these outrageous, classic films from Pedro Almodovar, Spain's most reveredfilmmaker this side of Luis Buñuel. Now on: All About My Mother
(Transvestites and Penelope Cruz!) and starting the 8th: Talk to Her (A sick
nurse and the dirtiest silent film ever!). Find descriptions of the films (these 2 are just the beginning!) here and times and other info at www.quadcinema.com.

-September 4 & 5: La Tropical @ BAM
"Set at the famous Havana club of the title, this documentary pulsates
with life as it explores the dance world of Cuba. Photographer-turned-director Turnley shoots in beautiful black and white, highlighting the contrast between his subjects' economic poverty and their brilliant footwork." Click here for times and tickets.

NYCMosaico-sponsored events coming your way SOON!

2006-09-02T16:29:00.000-04:00

Heads up, chicuelos, we're proud to be involved in a bunch of fun fiestas n concerts taking place in the very near future. We'll see you there!!

First of all, tomorrow (SUNDAY) night:

Sweet Electra and Monareta are playing at Galapagos Art Space with guest DJs Marcelo Cunning and Selector MONObIcHi. Things get started around 9pm, the damage is $7, and it's going to be pretty fuckin' fun. Take the L to Bedford Avenue and walk south one block to N. 6th and then turn right and head towards the water. (scroll down for an interview with Sweet Electra and click here for more info.

Then Monday night:

The lovely DJs behing Nacotheque, Marcelo Cunning and Amylulita will be joining your usual DJ-ettes Lechuga and claruxxx at Baraza for a special Labor-day celebration of Rock Me Amateur/XoXa Mondays. As usual, things get started at 10pm, it's FREE FREE FREE, and we'll have loads of rock, pop, electro and more en espanol... Baraza's at 133 Avenue C, btwn East 8th and 9th streets.

and THEN, next Saturday, September 9th:

Nacotheque is having a special Saturday night one-off at the Lucky Cat in Williamsburg, with lots of special stuff happening... OK, listos? It's the Kinky Reina record-release party (w/ CDs, stickers, y mas.... and we're really digging the new album over here at Mosaico) + Psiconautas from Puerto Rico will be performing, and in addition to resident DJs/hosts Marcelo Cunning and Amylulita, DJ Papichulo will be on the decks for your listening and culo-shaking enjoyment.

It's FREE FREE FREE, and the Lucky Cat is at 245 Grand St. btwn Driggs and Roebling in Williamsburg (take the L to Bedford or the J/Z to Marcy Ave.)

Sigh. That's a lot, we know, but it's all wonderful. Ahi nos vidrios.

Interview with Giovanni Escalera of Sweet Electra (in English)

2006-09-01T12:34:00.000-04:00

by Oscar León Bernal

The very first time I heard anything by Sweet Electra, a project founded by Giovanni Escalera in Guadalajara, Mexico, was at a listening station in the Mexico City record shop Mix Up. Back then, Sweet Electra formed part of the electronic project and record label Nopal Beat. Their record, Lying to be Sweet, had a sound composed of house, jazz, bossa, and acid cabaret—an electronic sound based on vintage Latin rhythms from the 50s and 60s—and I immediately took it home with me.

While acid cabaret gave unity to the Nopal Beat project, Sweet Electra’s style was sprinkled with delicate sounds and female voices singing lyrics in Portuguese, Spanish and English. Some time later I went to see Sweet Electra and God is My Name, also from the Nopal Beat collective at Joe’s Pub in Manhattan and I realized that the band was undergoing a period of restructuring.

Their most recent production is called Cama and Sweet Electra is now made up of Nardiz Cooke on vocals, Diego Alcazar on drums and percussion and Giovanni Escalera on guitar, voice and programming. Their sound leans towards rock this time around and as Giovanni Escalera told us, this record took 2 years to make, as he wanted to come up with songs with varying intensities in order to explore what Sweet Electra would sound like playing rock.

I spoke to Giovanni over e-mail recently, and this was our exchange.

OLB: When we last saw you guys in 2004 here in New York, you told us you were really getting into bands like Le Tigre and that after Lying to Be Sweet, you decided not to continue as part of the Nopal Beat collective. Did you make this decision because you wanted to explore different sounds? Back to rock, maybe?

GE: Yes, as a matter of fact, this sound is the result of having new members in the band, because Nardiz gives us that rock sound I was already searching for in some of the demos of what would become our second album. At that time, I was really getting into bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Le Tigre, Flaming Lips, The Bravery, TV On The Radio. Etc. All I needed was a stronger voice. What we like to do is dive right into what is being created at the time and compare it to prior bands that might have influenced the sound, like Missing Persons with The Sounds, Yeah Yeah Yeahs with Siouxie and the Banshees or Interpol with the Psychedelic Furs etc. That helps me have a wider spectrum in which to experiment as a musician with what has influenced me because nowadays you can hardly think of anything as brand new, rather, what’s interesting is to know what you can do with all the musical and visual information that exists today.

OLB: ..and continuing from the last question, will we be able to hear some of the Drum and Bass, House and Down Tempo rhythms, or even the elements of Acid Cabaret you guys used in the last album on this new record?

GE: Not really. We are detached now from the sounds in Lying to be Sweet. Some songs, like “Shadow”, which is our first single, are something like a neutral point between Cama and Lying to be Sweet, or “Danzonera”, an instrumental track similar to “Kum-v-e”, but also songs such as “Warrior”, a cover of an 80s track by Dangerous Rhythm, or “Ser” which explore sounds closer to Brit-pop. This is a more thought out album than Lying to be Sweet, and I like that very much.

Cama is the result of several musical processes that had great influence over my work and changed the way I approached composition. People like Cecilia Bastida (ex-Tijuana No!) collaborated with us on “Sentir”. Sakiko Yocko and I met by chance at a bar and the very next day we were already working on a song called “KIRA KIRA=brillo”, and this had a very peculiar process since I don’t speak Japanese and she speaks very little Spanish. Nardiz Cook, who is now the lead vocalist of the group, recorded the rest of the tracks in Mexico City.

OLB: Lastly, something which might have a different meaning for you since you live in Mexico but, what is your opinion about classifications and the marketing of music, particularly music from Latin America? I am referring to the fact than for example, Sigur Ros is not promoted as an Icelandic band for Icelandic-Americans, Air is not marketed as a French band for French-Americans, yet Latin American projects are often lumped together despite of their differences under the category of “Latin”. I think that is a big limitation, but what do you think?

GE: I think it all depends on one’s work because it would be absurd for people not to buy a particular album because it’s Latin, or African, etc. We are in a global moment in which where something comes from is not as important as what they convey, be it in graphic arts, design, etc. Although this varies as you say, in Mexico the music business is problematic because what labels look for is a marketable product, not quality, and all they want to do is sell records and that’s it. What is important for us as Latinos is to not limit ourselves to a single market. It has been surprising for me to read reviews of our work in Europe, Japan or Australia. That is the reason I like to work in several languages and I can tell you right now, I have no idea how to read or speak Japanese for example, but ultimately this does not matter because what is important is how we can communicate through music.

Sweet Electra will be performing with Album from Monterrey on Friday, September 1st. in association with the Mexico Now Festival on Friday, September 1st. At:

Joe’s Pub
425 Lafayette Street between East 4th and Astor Place.
9:30
$15.00

..and

Sweet Electra with Monareta and guest djs Marcelo Cunning and Selector Monobichi in an event presented by Monoluna Productions and sponsored by NYCMosaico.com, Nacotheque, No Violence Music and Rock en Rebelión at

Galapagos Art Space
70 North 6th Street
between Kent and Wythe
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 11211
9:00
$7.00

Entrevista con Giovanni Escalera de Sweet Electra (en español)

2006-08-31T14:29:00.000-04:00

por Oscar León Bernal

La primera vez que escuché a Sweet Electra, proyecto fundado en Guadalajara por Giovanni Escalera fue en el listening station de un Mix Up de la Ciudad de México. En esos días Sweet Electra formaba parte del colectivo y sello discográfico Nopal Beat. El disco con un sonido se inclinaba al house, el jazz, al bossa y al acid cabaret—un estilo electrónico basado en ritmos latinos de los 50s y 60s—era Lying to Be Sweet y lo lleve de inmediato. El sonido acid cabaret—que le daba unidad al colectivo Nopal Beat—estaba condimentado con sonoridades delicadas y voces femeninas que cantaban en portugués, español o ingles. Tiempo después asistí a un concierto de Sweet Electra y God is my Name en el Joe’s Pub de Manhattan y me di cuenta de que la banda se encontraba en un momento de reestructuración.

Su nuevo material se llama Cama y la alineación de Sweet Electra esta compuesta ahora por Nardiz Cooke en vocales, Diego Alcazar en bateria y percusión y Giovanni Escalera en guitarra, programación y voz. El sonido del disco es mas rockero y como Giovanni Escalera dijo que tomo un proceso de 2 años de trabajo en el cuál se preocupo más por lograr canciones con diferentes intensidades para explorar como sonaría Sweet Electra tocando rock.

Recientemente me comunique con Giovanni via e-mail y este fue nuestro intercambio.

OLB: Cuando los vimos en Nueva York en el 2004 recuerdo que nos comentaron que les gustaban mucho bandas como Le Tigre y después de Lying to be Sweet ustedes decidieron no continuar dentro del colectivo Nopal Beat, ¿esto sucede porque buscan explorar otros sonidos no necesariamente electrónicos? ¿De vuelta al rock, quizás?

GE: Si, de hecho en parte ésta nueva alineación, ya que la voz de Nardiz le dá ese sonido mas rocker que estaba buscando dentro de las primeras maquetas del nuevo material, desde ese momento ya estaban conquistándome bandas como Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Le Tigre, Flaming Lips, The Bravery, TV On The Radio, etc. Entonces justo después de armar las maquetas, lo que necesitaba era una voz con más fuerza. Me gusta mucho ir al fondo de lo que se está produciendo actualmente y compararlo con sus posibles influencias, como Missing Persons con The Sounds, Yeah Yeah Yeahs con Siouxie and the Banshees o Interpol con the Psychedelic Furs etc. Eso me hace tener una amplia gama de lo que quiero hacer yo como músico y mis influencias ya que ahora nadie descubre el hilo negro... creo yo, lo interesante es saber que harás con toda la información musical y visual que existe hoy en día.

OLB: ...y retomando un poco lo de la pregunta anterior, ¿podremos encontrar los ritmos de Drum and Bass, House y Down Tempo, o incluso los elementos del Acid Cabaret y del jazz de su trabajo anterior en el nuevo material?

GE: No del todo estamos desprendidos de nuestro sonido del Lying to be Sweet, hay canciones como “Shadow” que es nuestro primer sencillo que es algo neutral entre Cama y Lying to be Sweet, así como “Danzonera” que es una canción instrumental que bien podría ser la continuación de “Kum-v-e pero” también tenemos canciones como “Warrior” que es una canción original de Dangerous Rhythm del año 1980 o “Ser”, que son canciones que exploran sonidos mas allegados al brit pop. Creo que es un disco más pensado y trabajado que Lying to be Sweet y tiene un proceso muy diferente en cuanto a la producción y eso me gusto mucho.

Cama es el resultado de varios procesos musicales que influyeron en mi y fueron cambiando durante el proceso de composición de los temas. Colabora Cecilia Bastida (ex-Tijuana No!) en “Sentir”. Sakiko Yocko apareció casualmente en un bar y al siguiente día estábamos grabando en estudio la canción que lleva como titulo “KIRA KIRA=brillo”, teniendo un proceso de composición un tanto peculiar ya que ella hablaba poco español y yo nada de japonés. Nardiz Cooke quién ahora es la parte vocal del grupo, grabó los últimos temas del disco en la ciudad de México.

OLB: ¿Por último, algo que quizás no tenga el mismo significado estando en México que acá en Estados Unidos, pero que opinan acerca de las clasificaciones y el marketing de la música, particularmente de música que proviene de América Latina? A lo que me refiero es que ni a Sigur Ros ni a Air, por ejemplo, se les promueve en un mercado específicamente islandés-americano o francés-americano, pero a los proyectos de América Latina se les tiende a encasillar y muchas veces sin tener mucho en común bajo la categoría de Latino. A mi me parece que esto es una gran limitante pero no se que opinen ustedes al respecto?

GE: Yo creo que todo depende del trabajo que desempeñas, seria absurdo si la gente no compra un disco porque es latinoamericano, africano, etc., estamos en un momento global donde no importa tanto la procedencia de las cosas si no lo que dicen, ya sea un artista plástico, diseñador, etc., aunque esto en México como dices cambia y lo veo como un problema ya que en cuestión de disqueras se busca mas un producto vendible que la calidad musical, es casi un lema que las disqueras se dedican a vender discos y nada más, no es mas que un negocio, es importante que nosotros como latinos no nos limitemos a un solo mercado, a mi me ha sorprendido ver reseñas de nosotros en Europa, Japón ó Australia. Por lo mismo es que yo trabajo con idiomas en mis canciones, puedo decirte que no tengo idea de como se escribe o se lee el japonés por ejemplo, pero eso al final no importa, lo importante es lo que transmites musicalmente.

Sweet Electra estará tocando con Album de Monterrey el viernes, 1 de septiembre como parte del Mexico Now Festival en:

Joe’s Pub
425 Lafayette Street entre East 4th y Astor Place.
9:30pm
$15.00

...y

Sweet Electra con Monareta y djs Marcelo Cunning y Selector Monobichi en un evento presentado por Monoluna Productions y auspiciado por NYCMosaico.com, Nacotheque, No Violence Music y Rock en Rebelión en:

Galapagos Art Space
70 North 6th Street
entre Kent y Wythe
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 11211
9:00
$7.00

Bienvenidos al Salon

2006-08-31T12:19:00.000-04:00

El monstruo Estarboks, nuestro adorado tormento, siempre tan anti-corporacion nunca pierden una oportunidad de acaparar nuestros "taste buds" (eggnog latte!), nuestros oidos (Akeela and the Bee soundtrack) y ahora nuestras salidas. Del 8 al 17 de septiembre, la compania ha organizado "Starbucks Salon", en Soho, 10 dias de DJs, exhibiciones de arte, visuales y claro cafe Starbucks, todo gratis . Los Super Elegantes se estaran presentando el domingo 10 de septiembre a las 7pm y Jose Gonzalez el sabado 16 a las 4pm (esa misma noche se presenta en Webster Hall). Pero quedense hasta las 9pm porque Darryl "DMC" McDaniels de Run DMC (si, Run DMC) tocara temas de su nuevo album Checks, Thugs, Rock n'Roll. yeaaaah.

El Starbucks Salon estara situado en 76 Green Street entre Spring y Broome. Linea de metro:R,N, W a Prince St.

¡Marcha! Rally in DC for Immigrants' Rights

2006-08-31T11:59:00.000-04:00

Check out this information on an immigrant-rights rally in D.C. for next Thursday, September 7.

¡Marcha en Washington para apoyar a los inmigrantes! (El 7 de septiembre.)

La cara de El inmigrante

2006-08-30T12:59:00.000-04:00

Read Cine Editor Jeremy Goren's review of the great documentary El inmigrante, about the murder of Mexican immigrant Eusebio de Haro, on his immigration-issues blog, Open Veins.

Andrés López!!!

2006-08-26T17:12:00.000-04:00

We're usually last minute but we had to start planning on getting tickets for this. On October 15th at 7:00pm, Manjátan's Town Hall theatre will be invaded by a man who has moved the masses and created a stir in Latin America. His name is Andrés López (note to Issel: not AMLO jejeje!), the Colombian stand-up comedian who has become hugely popular with his routine and DVD "La Pelota de Letras" . We'll let Christian, an Andrés Fanatic, explain:

If you are thirty something, born and raised in South America, you probably remember the rubber-made pelota de letras: one of my favorite toys. It shared the toys baúl with Hulk, Disco Chino and the Donald Duck-headed Hippity Hop and traveled with me to the beach where it was lost and found several times. (I had the girly pinkish red but a more masculine greenish light blue was also available.)
Pionero of Colombian Stand Up Comedy Andrés López has come up with his own version: La Pelota de Letras Tricolor; a hilarious show and ingenious sociological approach on Colombian and Latin-American generations from our grandparents to our children. It is a must-see for those who understand Spanish and were raised in Latin America or by Latin-Americans, regardless of age.
Be aware of the effect it could have on your already severe "being-thirty-something" crisis as it might remind you of your buenos tiempos! But do not hesitate to take your ma and pa as they will love it too.
A DVD with the show can be purchased at http://www.lapelotadeletras.com/, although you might want to join the half million people who have seen it ¡en vivo!

Off the road, Andrés shares his humor at Maíz-peis and he posts all of his fan mail in his own blog.

Baloncesto Fever

2006-08-26T16:27:00.000-04:00

Here in New York, Sharapova and Federer and strutting their mini skirts and headbands at the US Open, but anyone care about basketball? Around the world they do. If you thought sneaking out from the office at lunchtime to watch the World Cup was risqué, consider the FIBA World Championship in Japan, which started August 19 and ends September 3rd. Games are at wild times such as midnight, 4:00am or 7:00am, which makes for a fun breakfast especially on a Sunday. If only the collective enthusiasm was as big as with soccer. So far, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Panamá, and Brazil already got eliminated, but we can still cheer for Argentina and Spain (which will likely battle each other for the title)! Schedule for the next few days during quarterfinals:
Sun Aug 27
12midnight - USA vs Australia
4:00am - France vs Angola
7:00am - Greece vs China

Tues Aug 29
5:30am - Argentina vs Turkey
8:30am - Spain vs Luthuania
Any good bars to watch the games? Let us know.

NYPD finally releases statements regarding Julio "Zapaton" Ortega's tragic death

2006-08-24T17:57:00.001-04:00

...and the NY Post has an article on it. Check it out here. There are basically no new developments, but we do get some (ridiculous) statements from the drunk off-duty cop who killed Zapaton on March 28th, quickly fleeing the scene of the crime.

"The side-view mirror was like that when I got out of the club," the East Harlem housing officer added.

"Serious, I didn't hit nobody," he said. "All I know is, I didn't hit anybody."

A seemingly clueless Colon didn't even know he was about to be arrested.

"How does it look? Am I in trouble?" he asked an officer about a half hour after the pre-dawn crash March 28. "What's going to happen?"

y luego:

Later at the 20th Precinct, Colon refused to say if he had been driving the car, where he was going and whether he had been drinking during formal questioning - but at the scene cops saw that he had "blood shot eyes, slurred speech and alcohol on his breath."

Yep, you're definitely in trouble, buddy. Colon has been suspended from the police force and faces a maximum of 15 years in prison. No word on when the trial is going to be, but we'll keep you posted if we hear anything (and do let us know as well, porfa).

Zapaton, you remain in our thoughts and hearts. QEPD.

LINKS:
-To read the full article click HERE
-For more information about Julio Ortega and how you can help ensure Colon gets tried as he should, visit Mano a Mano (and click on the photo of Julio/where it says "Justice for Julio Ortega"--top right-hand corner)
-and Mexicanos Unidos for additional information and articles on the tragedy
-Zapaton (Ortega)'s photos are currently on view at the Propia Vision/Our Vision exhibit at the Queens Museum of Art.

Immigration Dialogues in the Next Week

2006-08-23T16:43:00.000-04:00

Below are both the English- and Spanish-language press releases from the NYCPP. These folks do some very interesting organizing and advocating around the city. Definitely worth at least a look -- particularly since, despite the huge effect that immigrants have on the New York City area -- the House has yet to announce plans to hold any "hearings" here.
_______________________

Dialogue on Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Join us for an update and discussion on the status of the immigration bills
in Congress; how global trade policy impacts immigration in the US; and how
you can get involved in fighting for immigrant rights at the local level.

Queens
Saturday, August 26th
5:30 PM
Community Church
81-10 35th Avenue (Corner of 81st Street)
7 Train to 82nd Street

Washington Heights
Sunday, August 27th
4:30 PM
Isabella Geriatric Center
515 Audubon Avenue (Corner of 190)
1 Train to 191 Street or Bus 101 to 190 Street

South Bronx
Wednesday, August 30th
6:00 PM
Rafael Hernandez School P.S./ I.S. 218
1220 Gerard Avenue (Corner of 167 Street)
4 or D Train to 167 Street

For more information and to reserve your seat please call:
Bronx & Washington Heights: Sussie Lozada 212-388-2149
Queens: Luz Rodriguez 212-388-2119

The New York Civic Participation Project (NYCPP) is a Project of La Fuente, a
Tri-state Worker and Community Fund, Inc. and a collaboration of SEIU Local
32BJ, AFSCME DC 37, Make the Road By Walking, the National Employment Law
Project, Laborers Local 79, and UNITE HERE Local 100.

---------------------------------------

Dialogo sobre la Reforma Migratoria

Venga e infórmese sobre las propuestas migratorias en el Congreso. Además,
entérese de cómo la política de la economía global impacta la inmigración
hacia los Estados Unidos, y de cómo usted se puede unir a la lucha por los
derechos de los inmigrantes a nivel local.

Queens
Sábado, Agosto 26th
5:30 PM
Iglesia Comunitaria
81-10 35th Avenue (Esquina Calle 81)
Tren 7 a la Calle 82

Washington Heights
Domingo, Agosto 27th
4:30 PM
Isabella Geriatric Center
515 Audubon Avenue (Esquina calle 190)
Tren 1 a la Calle 191 o Bus 101 a la Calle 190

South Bronx
Miércoles, Agosto 30th
6:00 PM
Escuela Rafael Hernandez P.S.218
1220 Gerard Avenue (Esquina Calle 167)
Tren 4 o D a la Calle 167

Para más información y para reservar su lugar por favor llame a:
Bronx & Washington Heights: Sussie Lozada 212-388-2149
Queens: Luz Rodriguez 212-388-2119

El Proyecto de Participación Cívica de Nueva York (NYCPP) es un Proyecto de
La Fuente, un Fondo tri-estatal comunitario-laboral, Inc. Y una colaboración
de SEIU Local 32BJ, District Council 37, Se Hace el Camino al Andar, National
Employment Law Project, Laborers Local 79, and UNITE HERE Local 100.

Llegan las Princesas

2006-08-23T15:29:00.000-04:00

Por Carlos Paván

¿Cómo hacen para no tener miedo y hacer esto todos los días? Eso es más o menos lo que me quedo después de ver Princesas, la última peli de Fernando León de Aranoa, el mismo detrás de Los Lunes al Sol.

Princesas va de dos prostitutas baratas que se conocen para luego intercambiar inquietudes y convertirse en amigas. Durante las tardes hablan de la familia, las tetas de silicona y especialmente se imaginan como es el otro lado, el lado de las chicas normales, esas que tienen trabajos de secretarias y novios con perilla, las chicas-princesas.

Caye (Candela Peña) es la española, de clase media, con una familia rarísima, y Zulema (Micalela Nevarez, que ganó un Goya por este papel) es dominicana y la más guapa del barrio. Mucho del sabor de esta peli sale de las conversaciones de estas dos personas tan diferentes. Es una historia sencilla, con mucho diálogo divertido y que mantiene cierto pulso y momentos totalmente agridulces. Puntos también para el director por hacer otra peli modesta sobre gente normal y trabajadora. ¡Ah! y el soundtrack entero es de Manu Chao y tiene dos canciones nuevas (aunque suenen a refrito Manu Chao style).

Princesas abre hoy en el IFC Center de Manhattan.

ROCK ME AMATEUR/XoXa Mondays @ Baraza TONITE!

2006-08-21T01:07:00.000-04:00

XoXa is baaaackkkk!!! After having survived a birthday party, (wo)manning the NYCMosaico booth at the LAMC, braving the elements at the gazillion concerts these past three weeks, our favorite plastic doll is ready (and with friends) for another edition of XoXa Mondays: Rock Me Amateur. DJs Lechuga and claruxxx tienen mucha música nueva que aún no ha salido a la venta, incluyendo BRAND NEW Los Amigos Invisibles, Zoé, Los Abandoned, Kinky, Chetes, Muchachito Bombo Infierno, etc.... para su deleite musical.

Monday August 21 @ Baraza:
Avenue C between 8 and 9 Streets, East Village
10pm
GRATIS

NYCMosaico fotogaleria!

2006-08-19T19:01:00.000-04:00

Check out our GALLERY folks!!

So we couldn't bear with the thought of keeping all our fabulous photos from you, and have set up a temporary fotogaleria/blog at the above link until we have the new site up and running.
(photo of Manu Chao, left, by Maria-Laura Steverlynck)

We have a lot of great pictures from the last few weeks' events. Such as....

NYCMosaico 2 year anniversary party @ Baraza
Molotov, Zoe, & Delux @ Webster Hall
+the afterparty hosted by Nacotheque @ Niagara
Latin Alternative Music Conference '06 pics galore:
-Puck Building (where the conference took place)
-Indie Showcase @ Mercury Lounge
-Acoustic Writers Showcase @ SOB's
-MTV Tr3s Showcase @ Bowery Ballroom
-Los Amigos Invisibles + Belanova @ Celebrate Brooklyn!
-Cerati @ SummerStage
-Instituto Mexicano del Sonido + Calle 13 @ SummerStage
-LAMC closing party @ Virgin Megastore, feat. Plastilina Mosh
indyGESTANDO @ Teatro La Tea
Latin Lovers Ball @ Crash Mansion
Manu Chao @ Celebrate Brooklyn!
+the afterparty @ SpiegelTent, feat. DJs Hutz, DUBta, & boroboro
Los Amigos Invisibles @ El Museo del Barrio
Green Supreme EP release party @ La Casa

enjoy!! comment away to your hearts' content, and send any pics you may want us to post to info@nycmosaico.com

Manu Chao concert review in the Voice

2006-08-16T13:53:00.000-04:00

There's a review of last week's Manu Chao concert in this week's Village Voice called "Pogoing Among the Bongos". Check it out here and let us know what you think.

TONITE: Immigrant BeatZ, RUB a DUBta

2006-08-16T13:27:00.000-04:00

DJ DUBta is spinning his crazy mix of all things worldly, eclectic, and danceable TONITE at Midway in the East Village.

FREE admission + $2 shots & $3 beer

Midway is located at 25 Avenue B, btwn E. 2nd & 3rd Sts.
F to 1st Ave; click HERE for map.

POLKA MADRE!!!

2006-08-15T14:13:00.001-04:00

Polka Madre is the best name for a band ever. And for lovers of the accordion and Mexico (like your editora claire here), we couldn't think of a more apt and heavenly moniker (Full name: Polka Madre y la Comezón). Lucky for us, these tecla-loving defeños are touring the US of A, and hit Nueva York this weekend.

OJO: Nacotheque is currently on sabbatical (kinda like Mosaico... seems like it's that time of year), so the Friday night show listed on their MySpace page is not happening, but Polka Madre will be playing two shows on Saturday afternoon from 3-6pm at ABC NO RIO (in the LES... 156 Rivington, btwn. Clinton and Suffolk... along with The Bayonettes, Nuclear Family, and Social Cirkle) and at 10:30pm at the fabulous and absolutely crazy Rubulad party (at 195 Morgan Ave. in Brooklyn)*.

*more details on the Rubulad fete coming soon... they're super-secretive about it, and we used to get their emails, but that was when we were nymosaico.com... alas. But take it from us, these events are, well, poca madre.

Polka Madre y La Comezon on MySpace

**special shout-out to Josué for letting us know about this band**

RUBULAD UPDATE:

Rubulad Presents, on August 19, 2006
- at 3rd Ward: 195 Morgan Avenue –
Delirium Summer: A Fever Dream

With live shows by:
Extra Action Marching Band
Circus Contraption
Uncle Jimmy’s Dirty Basement
Polka Madre Y La Comezon

With DJs
Small Change
Ursula 1000
and friends

Plus
Ice Cream-a-licious Lounge with whipped cream and secret surprise performers by The Danger (formerly Complacent)
G. Scopitronic’s Non-Stop Film Fest
Projections by Mighty Robot Audio / Visual Squad
Light Circus by Norm Francouer
Sweets by Brownie Points
Aerial Feats by Asta

In the Yard:
Bradford Reed and his Pencilina
Sitar and tabla by Mustafa Bhagat and David Freeman
Delicious Barbecue
Roving circus madness
And oh, so much more

10 pm doors; 10:30 show; 10 beans

Dress summer surfer circus

The 3rd Ward space is located at 195 Morgan Avenue - just a short walk from the Grand Street or Morgan Avenue stops on the L train.

From the Morgan Avenue L stop simply follow the address numbers to 195.

From the Grand Street L stop walk down Grand Street to Morgan Avenue, turn right on Morgan and follow the address numbers.

MAP

3rd Ward space has lots of space and air and plumbing. We recommend you come early and not miss the performers; we’re proud to present them to you. We do not recommend you bring your own alcohol as we’re guests in someone else’s space and they’ll probably remove it from you. They have decent prices anyway. We are extremely thankful to the 3rd Ward for adopting this event.

**and thanks to America for forwarding us the email**

Los Amigos Invisibles @ El Museo del Barrio TONITE!!!

2006-08-10T10:41:00.000-04:00

(Photo by Rodrigo Jimenez)

It's not summer in New York without an outdoor Amigos Invisibles show. And sure, the funkiest Venezuelans this side of the Caribbean did just play a free show at Celebrate Brooklyn last Friday, pero ni modos, we can't get enough of these chamos.

Festivities begin at either 6 or 6:30pm (according to the El Museo and band's websites, respectively).

Expect plenty of sudor, random old Museo devotees, and the usual Amigos crowd (fan #1 Danny Baez, and well, us....)

El Museo del Barrio is located at:

the Heckscher Building
1230 Fifth Avenue (@ 104th Street)
Tel: 212.831.7272
Email: info@elmuseo.org

take the 6 to 103rd street and walk west

Last Reviews from the 2006 New York International Latino Film Festival

2006-08-09T16:01:00.000-04:00

By Eunice Martinez

Quinceañera (now in theaters) and Meninas (now at Brazilian Film Fest. of NY)

In Latin culture, when a girl turns 15 her family throws her a large party in which she is formally welcomed to adult society as a young woman. Having raised a female child to this age is a point of immense pride for the parents, and for the quinceañera the future should seem full of exciting promise. Not so in the feature film Quinceañera, where a struggling Mexican-American family living in Los Angeles is torn apart when their soon-to-be quinceañera, Magdalena (Emily Ríos), becomes pregnant. Her evangelical father throws her out of the home, and Magdalena moves into her great-uncle Tomas’s (Chalo González) tiny, ramshackle house, where he lives with her gay cousin, Carlos (Jesse García). Magdalena rather matter-of-factly decides that she will keep her baby because she believes she can raise a newborn, continue going to school, and earn a living. Complicating matters further, Carlos becomes involved with the gay white couple who now owns Tomas’ s house.

Writers/directors Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland keep Magdalena’s parents on the periphery during her exile from her home, barely touching on how they are reacting to the sea of change that has occurred in their lives. [SPOILER ALERT:] After her gullible father easily accepts the “pristine” way in which Magdalena became pregnant (because incredibly what seems to matter is the method, not the actual result), her parents proudly present her to adult society as an impregnated, unwed young woman. Glatzer and Westmoreland infuse Magdalena’s difficult future with the support of Carlos and her parents, giving this film its feel-good ending.

For the four Brazilian teenage girls profiled in the documentary film Meninas—the youngest of whom is 13—there is no formal introduction to society to contemplate. These young girls live in Favela de Rocinha, considered to be the largest, most dangerously violent slum in Latin America. The camerawork in this film does an excellent job of underscoring the decrepit, cramped conditions of their individual homes and neighborhoods. Each girl speaks to the camera, sharing her juvenile thoughts and feelings about the circumstances surrounding her pregnancy and what she perceives her life will be like once her child is born. One girl actually believes that her baby will be “like [her] doll, but alive.” As the profiles unfold, the girls and their families make clear that the bleak poverty they live in is compounded by the unborn child each of the girls carries. According to the statistic quoted in the film, one out of every 10 high school girls in Brazil will be pregnant by the age of 15. These girls face little-to-no religious or social pressure to either abstain before becoming pregnant or to abort afterwards. There is one profiled teen whose mother wanted her to do better and sorrowfully laments the burden her young daughter has imposed on her already-difficult life—hers is the only voice of reasoned forethought in the entire film. With almost no hope for a better life for any of these girls or their offspring, this film’s realism offers only sobering food for thought and gives one little to smile about.

After having won two awards at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, Quinceañera is receiving the Hollywood white-glove promotional treatment. It has yet to be seen if Meninas will see the light of day beyond the festival circuit. It is disturbing to note that, despite the promise of familial support, Quinceañera’s lead female (fictional) character experiences in the USA the same tragic event as her real-life peers in the poorest ghetto of Brazil—the impending birth of a baby to an ill-equipped teenage mother and the loss of so much personal potential.

La Bruja: A Witch from the Bronx
Documentary
Director: Felix Rodríguez
50 minutes

For those of you who are unaware of who La Bruja (the witch) is in the documentary film La Bruja: A Witch from the Bronx, she is Caridad de la Luz, an aspiring, talented Puerto Rican poet who is trying to gain a foothold in the entertainment industry, in addition to raising two children and having a husband. You’ll need that major bit of information before seeing the film in order to make sense of how director Felix Rodríguez has chosen to start the film. Rodríguez first profiles Caridad de la Luz on a personal level--explaining to the viewer that she is a mother, wife, daughter, etc. For someone who has never heard of La Bruja, that is not enough of a hook to keep you engaged in the story the film is trying to tell. Basically, the question Rodríguez needs to answer right from the first frame of the film is what makes La Bruja so special, what kind of talent is it that sets her apart from any one else? The answer to that is her raw talent for poetry combined with her exuberant personality. Unfortunately, only late in the film does it offer snippets of the actual work La Bruja does, leaving the viewer with a dissatisfying glimpse of her strong poetic power.

De Nadie (Belonging to No One)
Documentary
Director: Tim Dirdamal
82 minutes

It is no surprise that extreme poverty propels the Mexican poor to join the upward stream of immigration into the U.S.A.—the mecca of the North. What may surprise many and what De Nadie makes disturbingly clear is that the flow of desperate human beings begins in the impoverished countries of Central America. Searching for a substantive livelihood that their native countries cannot provide, thousands of men, women, and children begin their treacherous treks in countries farther south and then must cross through Mexico’s 4,000+ kilometers of land. Many of them choose to hitch rides on las bestias de hierro (the iron beasts), Mexico’s network of railways—the fastest, and arguably one of the most dangerous, ways for immigrants to travel. If they make it onto a moving train without losing an extremity, they can then become prey to corrupt Mexican law enforcement, immigration officials, and the Mara Salvatrucha, a particularly savage Salvadoran gang that roves in large groups and attacks with guns and machetes.

In De Nadie, director Tim Dirdamal speaks to Central American immigrants during short stretches of their journey through Mexico and gleans from them in graphic and emotional detail the perils they face. According to the statistics the film provides, Mexico has 32 immigrant shelters and each year deports more than 200,000 Central Americans. Despite the brutal filter Mexico poses, thousands each year continue to repeatedly push northward until they either make it or die.

Dirdamal’s film raises the unenviable dichotomy that Mexico is demanding human rights for its own immigrants to the U.S.A. while it perpetrates the horrendous abuse of Central American immigrants within its own borders. Similarly, De Nadie’s story provides its own dichotomy in the U.S. immigration discussion, giving ample fodder to both pro and con arguments.

Welcome Back to the Barrio
Feature film
Director: Jaime Mariscal
Cast: Carmen Cenko, Ramses Jiménez, Tony Ramírez, Tony Zurita Jr.
90 minutes

Those of us who live or have lived in barrios know that the odds against getting out and making it are prohibitively high. Hopes of that type of success are nurtured and admired by some while ridiculed by others. During his two-week return home to Chicago from his idyllic college town, Christian (Tony Ramírez) unwittingly steps between those forces and immediately begins to lose control over himself and those around him.

Angel (Ramses Jiménez), Christian’s trigger-happy, childhood friend, is elated to have Christian back and without hesitation immerses him in his live-for-the-moment lifestyle of drugs and women. Christian’s mother (Carmen Cenko) does everything she can to stem “the evil” she sees her eldest son slipping into, including a pathetically ineffectual attempt to keep Christian from leaving her home with the hated Angel: She beats her grown son with a belt and chases after the car in which he and Angel speed away from the house. Having escaped, Christian awkwardly joins in Angel’s hangouts until a series of events force him to choose between being a hood or a “choirboy”.

Welcome Back to the Barrio does occasionally suffer from stiff performances and a typically pat Hollywood ending, but it succeeds in its accurate portrayal of how easy it is to get sucked back into the negative aspects of life in the barrio.

Green Supreme EP release party Saturday 8/12!!!

2006-08-09T15:16:00.000-04:00

Los chicos de Green Supreme have a brand spankin' new EP out and it's sounding (and looking--great graphic design, guys!) perty damn good.

They'll be celebrating with friends Harmony of Chaos, R-Tronika, and Emma La Reina.

Things get going at 9pm and there was talk of free beer (but you didn't hear it here...)

Hot Muslos!

2006-08-08T23:54:00.000-04:00

If you are still suffering from post-World Cup withdrawal, do we have the drug for you!!! The Fútbol Club Barcelona, current European Champs and team for Ronaldinho, Márquez, Messi, etc, is currently in NYC, making fools out of our local team the NY Red Bulls (yes, there's such a thing as a local soccer team, it used to be called the Cosmos and was recently bought by the hyperdrink.)

The "goodwill" match takes place on Saturday at the Giants Stadium (not sure if there are still tix left), and we're thrilled to have found a local club of Barça freaks, la Penya Barcelonista , who live for this stuff. They get together at soccer heaven Nevada Smiths in the East Village. Gotta love culés (Barça fans)!

Schedule of the action:
Tomorrow, AUGUST 10, 2006
WHAT: Nike rally for fans to welcome Barça to NYC. All players
are expected to participate in this informal practice session in front
of the fans. The event will last about an hour.
WHEN & WHERE: 3:30p at Sara D. Roosevelt Park in Lower Manhattan
(Stanton Street between Chrystie & Forsyth Streets). GRATIS and open to the public,
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: Walk south one block on Chrystie Street
from the F or V train at E Houston Street.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 2006
WHAT: New York Red Bulls vs. FC Barcelona.
WHEN & WHERE: 7:30p at Meadowlands Sports Complex (Giants
Stadium) in East Rutherford, NJ.
TRANSPORTATION: It seems you gotta drive.

Check it out:
Penya Barcelonista New York Nevada Smiths
FCbarcelonaNYC.com

MANU CHAO AFTERPARTY!!!!

2006-08-07T03:21:00.000-04:00

...since you knew someone had to be throwing one, and this will undoubtedly be the best... see you there!

4th Annual Brazilian Film Festival of New York opens August 6

2006-08-05T11:18:00.000-04:00

Here's some info from their press release:

"From August 6th to 13th, 2006, the festival will once again offer New Yorkers a versatile programming schedule comprised of more than 20 of the most relevant Brazilian film productions. Most of them are either N.Y. or U.S. premieres. Festival attendees will also have the opportunities to attend panel discussions with directors, producers and actors and enjoy Brazilian musical events featuring local and international talent. The films will be competing for the Crystal Lens Awards - Best Public Choice for feature film chosen by the public. From August 7–13, screenings will be held at Tribeca Cinemas (54 Varick Street at Laight Street).

"This year brings the premiere of full length features such as the acclaimed Lost and Found (Achados e perdidos) by Jose Joffily, Angels of Sun (Anjos do sol) by Rudi Lagemann, Teen Mothers (Meninas) by Sandra Werneck, Women of Brazil (Mulheres do Brasil) by Malu de Martino, Underground Games (Jogo Subterraneo) by Roberto Gervitz, Brasilia 18% by Nelson Pereira Dos Santos and Blood and Wines (Veias en Vinhos Uma historia brasilera) by Joao Batista.

"Actors, producers and directors such as the legendaries directors Nelson Pereira Do Santos and Ruy Guerra and the new talents Roberto Gervitz, Jose Joffily, Eliza Tolomelli, Toni Venturi – Director, Malu de Martino, Sandra Werneck, Lirio Ferreira, Jos� Araripe, Concei��o Senna, and Jo�o Batista will be on hand in New York to present their films and to participate in the different discussion panels that endeavor to deepen the relationship between filmmakers and the viewing public.

"Tickets for The 4th Brazilian Film Festival of New York are available at the Tribeca Cinemas box office (54 Varick Street, at Laight Street) and online (www.tribecacinemas.com).

Ticket prices are $12 for adults, $8 for seniors and students. VIP Pass: $120. Admission to all screenings, panels, and Galas. Free access to the Festival’s Lounge in Tribeca Cinemas. Complimentary beer."

Turntables on The Hudson-This Fri!! Tonight

2006-08-04T15:33:00.000-04:00

w/Sujinho,Cassiano,Nickodemus,Paula Pedrosa and More

On the Pier
In the Boat !!Sujinho, Cassiano, and Paula Podrosa
DJ's Nico & Mariano + Nappy Gino on percussion
WOWWW!!
BRRRAPP!!!
Its Hot Outside!! Come hang with us By the Water.

In the Boat !!
Sujinho, Cassiano, and Paula Podrosa
On the Pier Dj's Nickodemus, Mariano, and Nappy G on percussion I'm very excited to go for a summer time round Three on this one. Come Early Leave late Rain or shine ( the whole place can be covered to keep out the elements )

DA LINKS!!!!
Dj Nickodemus
Dj Cassiano
Turntables on the Hudson
NOOOSSSSAAAAAA!!!!
Have you seen the New ZUZUKA Video !!!
Sujinho
New Music !!!!!!!!!

$10 (or reply for guestlist)sorry for the short heads up.
All takes place at the Frying Pan @ Pier 63/ 24th Street & the Hudson River NYC!!! 21 & over with ID/ 11PM - 4AM
email: dadirtbox@gmail.com
phone: 917-543-1580

Quinceañera

2006-08-04T12:56:00.000-04:00

Acclaimed film-festival darling Quinceañera gets its theatrical release in NYC starting today! Stephen Holmes writes in today's New York Times:

“Quinceañera, a portrait of a Mexican-American family in Los Angeles, is as smart and warmhearted an exploration of an upwardly mobile immigrant culture as American independent cinema has produced. Set in Echo Park, a working-class Latino neighborhood in the early throes of gentrification, it has a wonderfully organic feel for the fluid interaction of cultures and generations in the Southern California melting pot."

Plus, the film deals with teenage pregnancy, homosexuality, and issues of social class. I'm going to see it today at either Landmark's Sunshine Cinema, Clearview Chelsea Cinemas, or Lincoln Plaza Cinemas. You should, too.

Blogueando el LAMC... #3

2006-08-03T10:32:00.000-04:00

Pre-LAMC: Zoé y la banda civilizada

Despite the popularity of bands like Sub-Division, Porter, Sweet Electra, Los Fancy Free or Da Punto Beat, some people in the United States still think that singers with hits dedicated to abstinence, and record covers that look like tequila advertisements best represent Mexican alternative music…fortunately, such is not the case. Two days before the start of the Latin Alternative Music Conference in New York, we had the opportunity to see Zoé, (¡Zoe!) one of Mexico’s most popular bands, present material from their latest release Memo Rex Commander y el Corazón Atómico de la vía láctea (Noiselab). From this album Zoé played Memo Rex, Via lactea, Vinyl y Nunca pero también varios temas de los discos anteriores, Zoé, Rocanlover y el EP The Room. ¿Ahora, que sucede cuando el line-up incluye a una banda de happy-punk californiano (Delux), una banda indie-psicodélica (Zoé) y el headliner es Molotov? Well, we had to put up with people who only wanted to hear Molotov scream !Puto, Puto, Puto! over and over…and over. A bit frustrating. Delux is fun and what Molotov does it does well..pero yo la verdad solo fui a ver a Zoé y no me la pase gritando Asteroide, Asteroide cabroneeees..well, maybe I did. Zoe’s lead singer León thanked their public and kindly made a hand gesture indicating those who did not enjoy their set to wait (¡gueee….s!).

What happened after Zoé left the stage was quite interesting. While corporate sponsorship is problematic for a number of reasons, what can happen when beer companies assume the reggeaton formula can apply anywhere Spanish is spoken can be disastrous. What took place when girls in very tight silver clothing took the stage to promote the consumption of the beer that sponsored the concert was, to put it mildly, a clash between a Miami-based hegemonic and essentialist conception of what is Latin y un publico predominantemente chilango, gañan y ansioso de mentar madres se puso medio punk y no se dejo disciplinar por el corporate sponsorship de la bala de aluminio. What might work with “Latin” crowds does not translate well to Molotov fans, nor indie kids and I can just picture the moderator at the next marketing focus group trying to figure out why.

At the after party, integrantes de Zoé mezclaron buenisimas rolas de Iggy Pop, The Bravery, Chicks on Speed and the Velvet Underground (just as they would in Mexico) y Marcelo Cunning de Nacoteque deleito a los desvelados con un set que incluyo a Daniela Romo, Banda el Mexicano y Café Tacvba. ¡Eso es muy New York, ese es el espíritu indie!

LAMC Indie-Showcase

Claruxxx already gave us a detailed account of last night’s LAMC indie-showcase and I must admit, fui uno de los flojos que se fueron a dormir temprano. But this showcase was a lot more exciting than last year’s…and this is why:

Monareta: See, this is what happens when musicians approach eclecticism intelligently rather than internalizing the fusion by numbers Miami approach to tourism…I mean music. Ritmos colombianos y energía punkie con músicos invitados y la tecnología japonesa de Korg. ¡Que rico, que elegante! FUN!

Pistolera: Bien se dijo ya en este blog…Pistolera killed it! They sounded great and proved they can rock an indie show or a block party donde el rock urbano, la cumbia y el pasito duranguense eran los ritmos de preferencia (Festival del Sol last Sunday)….Suel-ta-loo!

Superaquello: Sweet post-pop indie que me recuerda a lo mas divertido de los catálogos de Elefant Y Static. Música Hermosa y elegante…listening to them made me hopeful…ahhhhh!

-Oscar lb

Blogueando el LAMC... #2

2006-08-03T03:31:00.001-04:00

I'm feeling mighty proud to be a New Yorker right now, at least when it comes to Latin Alternative music (and most things, but hey...) NYC represented big time--and repped quite well, might I add--at the first official event of this year's Latin Alternative Music Conference. I just caught the tail end of Candela Soul, but it seemd like a bit too much sensory overload (o sea--waaay too much going on at once) for my delicate taste.

Monareta played a pretty good set, but didn't get the crowd as prendido as during the Cinco de Mayo show with Nortec. Things weren't as tight as they can be with them, but we dug the new songs, and can't get enough of the "Oye Raimundo..." track. They showed much love for Colombia and Brooklyn, and I enjoyed myself thoroughly.

Pistolera, however, killed it... and not just because they were looking hot as shit (Sandra in a blue and yellow dress she'd made--!!--, a very pregnant Ani in all white, and Inca B sporting a new 'do), but because they just get better and better every time I see them. Their set was so tight and together, and tthey seemed like they'd been together for decades instead of just over a year. Can't wait to hear their album they're busy recording now. If you can't wait that long, check 'em out tonight (August 3rd) as they battle Bullet Society (how ironic, no?) in the Alternafest final rounds at Arka Lounge (4488 Broadway 192nd St.) at 12:30 (as in midnight and a half).

Spigga was okay in my opinion and had a huge bunch of fans, but I must admit I'm not completely convinced. They're good musicians, can play some serious funk music, and definitely know what they're doing, yet it's not my thang. Oh well. But I love Gio ;).

The scene stealers of the night (along with Pistolera), were Puerto Rico's Superaquello. Fucking amazing. Can't even really describe what it was that was so great except that they've got some serious talent and some serious creativity + originality. Can't wait to see them again on Friday at indyGESTANDO and then trying to emulate them as much as possible. Or something.

Other NYC greats Contramano were the last to take the stage, but by no means the least. Unfortunately (as it tends to work out), a bunch of flojos missed a great set because they went home to sleep. The boys put on a great show--replete with singer Pablo's endearing wackiness--and the tracks off their new album Unsatisfecho are sounding excellent. But it was their closing track, "Disposable Song," that really blew me (and I think everyone else) away, as Eugeni went wild on the timbales and drums, and Pablo alternated between guitar and electric cello with such ease that it really seemed like at least 5 people were in the band instead of 3. We'll have a limited # of copies of Unsatisfecho at our booth at the Puck Building for those interested in bringing some Contramano goodness to your personal stereo (and you should ALL be interested in doing that!)

All in all, the Indie Showcase was a huge success... hope this is a sign of more good things to come in the next few days.

Over and out (and off to sleep/nap before Day 2),
claruxxx

FIESTAS!!!

2006-08-03T03:13:00.000-04:00

Here's a brief li'l chronological update of more partays happening this week (in addition to the ones already listed below). So much to do, so little time to do it in. *Sigh*, sometimes we wish we had body doubles like Andy Warhol did (and our dear XoXita now does...)

TONIGHT!!! (Aug 3rd)

Everyone's favorite gypsy punk front man, schizophrenic DJ, and promotor of all things discoradicaltransglobal, Hutz (of Gogol Bordello), is spinning at a li'l spot called Midway (25 Ave. B, btwn 2nd & 3rd Streets) at 11pm. You don't need us to tell you it's gonna be good.

Then FRIDAY, in addition to the fabulous indyGestando partay and Mexican Dubwiser's shindig at Nublu, Nacotheque is hosting it's weekly pachanga in a new spot. Head on over to Hanger Bar at 217 E. 3rd St. (betw. Ave B & C) for a typically awesome Nacotheque night with hosts Amylulita and Marcelo Cunning, plus special guest diyeis... direct from Colombia... Simon y Simon de BombaStereo and local colombianos Andres and Camilo from La Monareta.

Party goes from 11pm-4am y es freeee, cabrones!

And on Saturday:

Originally from Colombia, once from New York, and now residing in Miami for some inexplicable reason (jeje), los parceros de Skampida are back in town and playing Elmhurst (Qüins) mini (but awesome) venue and former hangoutTerraza Cafe. 40-19 Gleane St. (take the 7 train to 82nd St), 10pm, $10.

That's all for now, but keep checking back because there will surely be more to come....

WIN WIN WIN!!!! GANA GANA GANA!!!!!

2006-08-03T03:05:00.000-04:00

For those of you not wrapped up in the Latin Alternative fever (or even those of you who are), we've got a special giveaway treat for you. We've got FOUR (count 'em, FOUR) pairs of tickets to the Marc Anthony, Marco Antonio Solis, and Laura Pausini concert at Madison Square Garden next Wednesday, August 9th to give away. We know this isn't really our thang, pero c'mon, how can you NOT love Marco Antonio? Even if it's only for his amazing (read: dated) hairdo?

OK, to win, email us the lyrics of your favorite song by one of these artists to prove you're a true fan, and really deserve some NYCMosaico love.

Blogueando el LAMC.... #1

2006-08-02T11:42:00.000-04:00

It's beginning to feel a lot like LAMC.... it's Wednesday, and the conferencia hasn't even started, but this blogerette is already tired and icing my swollen knuckles (Molotov moshpit injury--yeah, I know, I'm a bit too old for that, but hey...), and things seem to be in full swing. With plenty of pre-LAMC action to offer, folks arrived in NY (and we NYC-ers emerged from our respective boroughs) for the NYCMosaico 2 year anniversary (what what!) party on Monday and then the (awesome) Delux/Zoe/Molotov show at Güebster Hall last night ...and the official afterparty put on by los de Nacotheque.

Last night's show was a success, albeit a kinda weird combo, I must admit. It was cool to see Delux on a big stage after seeing them play the LAMC indie showcase at Mercury last year... almost exactly a year ago, de hecho! Boys were energetic as ever and the drummer Damian changed his look (he's blond now). Zoe was excelente, especially after listening to their (incredible) new album Memo Rex Commander y el Corazon Atomico de la Via Lactea on repeat for the last week or so (yep, I can't stop... it's a fucking addiction). The majority of the crowd unfortunately wasn't there to see them, so some folks were being culeros, but a solid Zoe fan base was in tow, belting out the lyrics to every track (present company absolutely included). Molotov were solid as well... nothing new there, especially since they're touring for Con Todo Respecto for the second time (weird!) There were a couple fuck you's to el gobierno mexicano (one time while a guy from the audience was kissing and bowing down to his Mexican flag on stage... a kinda bizarre contrast) and Bush, but nothing too outspoken with regards to the recent elections in Mexico. They played my favorite track "Mas Vale Cholo" and skipped "Rastamandita", and everyone was so beat from the moshpit and the ridiculous heat that people didn't even cheer when the band left the stage for the first time. Of course they came back to play, but it was kinda weird. We all looked like we'd just gone swimming fully clothed and we officially smelled like ass due to the pervasive sudor comunitario. Gotta love it.

Next stop: hidration. Then onto Niagara in the East Village for the official afterparty. Memory Man (aka Zoe guitarista) was spinning along with Nacotheque resident Marcelo Cunning. The space was small, but extremely packed, and it was a good time. Members from Zoe, Sexy Lucy, Cabeza de Gallo, Spigga, Delux, R-tronika, y mas were presente, along with a bunch of familiar faces from last year's conference. Musical selection was eclectic (rock en ingles y español, cumbia, electro-pop, straight up pop....) and excellent, although I'm not sure how kosher it was for Marcelito to play not one, but TWO, Zoe songs when the actual band was there. What's the protocol on that? But anyway, fiesta was a success. Nos echaron a todos a las 4, with a farewell ranchera in the background and Marcelo llamandonos unos pinches borrachos. Aah, the week has begun. As has the LAMC blog. Keep checking back. Pictures coming soon.

On tonite's agenda: LAMC indie showcase featuring plenty of local talent (Monareta, Pistolera, Contramano, and Candela Soul) + Spigga from LA and a personal favorite of mine, Superaquello, straight from Puerto Rico. Come show some love (and let us know your opinions). Show starts at 8pm... more details here.

NYCMosaico Survival Guide to the LAMC

2006-07-31T14:33:00.000-04:00

Download the NYCMosaico Survival Guide to the LAMC for info about all the LAMC events, where to eat, the afterparties, etc. etc.

It's the beginning of a crazy week, folks...

2006-07-31T13:15:00.000-04:00

...and we're excited to be involved in a bunch of cool events... read on...

it's our BIRTHDAY!!! come celebrate tonight at Baraza.... NYCMosaico estaff will be on the decks, we'll have birthday cake, 2-for-1 drinks from 9-10pm, t-shirt giveaways and mooooore!

official Molotov/Zoe afterparty sponsored by Nacotheque and feat. Memory Man from Zoe

the 7th annual Latin Alternative Music Conference!! ...at the Puck Building... w/ shows all over the city (some open to conference attendees only... some for the general public). Click on flyer above for more info.

indyGESTANDO feat. Edgardo Castro, El Medio, Aullido, objet petit a, MiMa, Superaquello, and Skampida. .....a 'Spanic Attack binge.... buy tickets in advance because space is limited and it's gonna sell out (click on the image above para mas info...)

THE party to go to this week... feat. DJs Ursula 1000 and Gil Cerezo from Kinky. PLUS live performance by colombianos Sexy Lucy, record release party for Brazilian hipster group Cansei de Ser Sexy, go-go dancers in American Apparel gear, Jose Cuervo open bar from 11pm-midnight, y mas y mas y mas. $5 w/ LAMC badge, $10 w/o.

Bend it like Kaká

2006-07-31T01:52:00.000-04:00

....and like Márquez, and like Messi, and like El Tín....

Freedom Rivera (left, with sunglasses) is a Peruvian surfer from Queens and founder of Y Tu Mamá También, a coed fútbol team that gets together every Saturday afternoon to kick some soccer ass in Central Park. If you've always wanted to play but have no experience, if you're intimidated by little leaguers who run really fast, and if you're ready to be friends with 20 other multiculti soccer fans (from Ecuador, Israel, Italy, Argentina and more) who love each other so much, they organize outings outside the field, downing pints at the Beer Garden or dancing Maldita Vecindad at La Oveja Negra or buying group tickets for Manu Chao concert...if you're ready for this complete social experience, you're ready to join YTMT. Email Freedom first to let her know you're interested in signing up, just show up, look for the orange shirts, and run for the ball.

Location : Central Park between 97th st and 5th Ave. Take the 6 train to 96th.
Time: 5:30 every saturday.
Website: www.geocities.com/ytumamatambien_2004
ytumamatambien_2004@yahoo.com

Your plans for Tuesday night...

2006-07-30T00:19:00.000-04:00

First stop, Peruvian photographer Cecilia Jurado's Welcome to My Dollhouse opening reception (from 6-9pm)... traigan muñecas para contribuir a su proyecto!!!

466 Greenwich St.
1 block below Canal St. A, C, E, 1 Trains to Canal street, walk two blocks to the west.

mydollhouseinny@yahoo.com

THEN:

Molotov, Zoe, and Delux are playing at Webster Hall. It's going to be great. We can't stop listening to Zoe's latest (new) release, and Molotov are just classics.

And after the party it's the afterparty...

and the official Zoe/Molotov afterparty is being thrown by none other than nuestros amigos nacos...

(OJO: there's been a change in venue!!! read on para detalles...)

NACOTHEQUE presents...
OFFICIAL AFTER PARTY for ZOE
tuesday, August 1st

GUEST DJ SETS BY ZOE (Memory Man)
RESIDENT DJS: Marcelo Cunning & Amylulita

NIAGARA (downstairs)
112 Ave A (corner of 7th Street) - East Village
21+ w/ ID
FREE

Jarittos Drink Special til product lasts!

FREE Zoe giveaways all night!

INFO:
Nacotheque.com
Zoetheband.com

Pistolera update

2006-07-30T00:13:00.000-04:00

Pistolera has some HOT new pics up on their MySpace page... AND they happen to be playing tomorrow (today, technically) at Asociacion Tepeyac's Feria del Sol street fair/festival (Sunday, July 30th, on 14th St.).

Definitely worth checking out!!!

LAMC Registration--LAST DAY!

2006-07-28T17:52:00.000-04:00

Today is the LAST day you can register online for the LAMC!!! Remember that if you're a musician or band, you don't have to pay $299... enter IND99 in the promo code box when signing up, and you pay just $99.

www.LatinAlternative.com

Nacotheque CANCELLED!

2006-07-28T17:23:00.000-04:00

THIS JUST IN: tonight's Nacotheque has been cancelled!!

Be sure to check out La Monareta at the Mercury Lounge next Thursday though.

2006-07-28T16:21:00.000-04:00

Guassup rrrrockers,

Summer's in full swing and we hope you're enjoying it as much as we are. For those of you in Asstoria y alrededores who didn't have power last week, our most heartfelt condolences... (it was HOT! Make sure you get your $$ from ConEd!!!) We're feeling you at the moment, because nymosaico.com is down as we work on a brand new version of Mosaico, coming your way soon. In the meantime, we'll be maintaining a blog here at www.nycmosaico.com, with all the important info (just not as pretty... for now), so keep checking back.

OJO: This is going to be a pretty long newsletter 'cause there's a LOT going on! Asi que prepárense, and read on for a special Mosaico celebration, a Latin Alternative music invasion, the chance to WIN tickets, plenty of partays, festivals, y mucho, pero mucho más!

First off is the exciting announcement that Mosaico is turning TWO on August 1st, and we're (naturally) celebratin'. The party is actually the night before--Monday, July 31st--at where else but Baraza. Mosaico estaff will be DJing, and there will be cake, 2 for 1 drinks from 9-10pm, t-shirt giveaways, and XoXa will be bringing a new friend. We'd love to have you come celebrate with us, because Mosaico wouldn't exist if it weren't for all y'all. Aww. But it's true. Festivities start at 9pm and continue on into the night...

Nacotheque will be hosting the official afterparty for the Molotov/Zoe show at Kion Tuesday night, featuring verrry special guest DJ Memory Man (from Zoe), along with regulars/hosts Marcelo Cunning and Amylulita. OJO: there's also a Nacotheque tonight featuring a special Colombian connection.... los miembros de las bandas La Monareta y BombaStereo (who you've got to check out!!!) son los guest DJs de la noche.

But that's just the beginning. Wednesday marks the beginning of the 7th annual Latin Alternative Music Conference, bringing the likes of Cerati, Belanova, Mexican Institute of Sound, Plastilina Mosh, The Pinker Tones, Calle 13, Superaquello, Chetes, and more to our lovely city (not to mention locals Monareta, Pistolera, Contramano, Los Amigos Invisibles, and Candela Soul!!!) Today is the LAST DAY you can register online for the conference. Remember, if you're a band or independent musician, you can register for $99 instead of $299. To register online at this incredible discounted rate, just go to www.LatinAlternative.com and register using the "IND99" discounted registration code.Just use the code IND99 when registering. Also, be sure to stop by the NYCMosaico booth at the Puck Building if you're attending the conference, and check out our survival guide to the conference (pdf file) for all the dirt on the after-parties, where to eat, and everything ELSE that's going on. AND we'll be blogging the whole thing right here, for all of y'all to follow along at home.

But we'll tell you right now the two parties you won't want to miss: indyGESTANDO on Friday night, brought to you by the lovely folks of 'Spanic Attack and featuring Superaquello, MiMa, Skampida, and MORE! Then Saturday night is the Latin Lovers Ball at Crash Mansion, aka THE official unofficial afterparty of the LAMC. Colombian band Sexy Lucy will perform, and Ursula 1000 + Gil (from Kinky) will be your DJs for the night. Plus go-go dancers, drink specials, and much much more. Trust us, you'll want to be there.

And now onto everything else.... (take a deep breath!)

See you out and about,
NYCMosaico estaff

To Reggaetón or not to Reggaetón

2006-04-14T16:29:00.000-04:00

Mosaico estaff tackle the reggaeton craze. Andrew dice "Esa música es la perdición de nuestra raza!" while Nuria says: "Tranquilos muchachos. It's ok, you can dance to reggaetón and still be cool".

We'll start with the CON: Andrew Herrera, Mr. Anti-Reggaeton:

I was shocked when I heard that my favorite Spanish radio station in Chicago, Viva 103.1 had switched from a fun Latin rock and pop format to an all-reggaeton station called “La Kalle.” But this change didn’t just happen in Chicago. Univision, which owns several stations in major Hispanic markets in the U.S., launched “La Kalle” in Chicago, San Francisco, Miami, New York, and several other cities. And Spanish Broadcasting Systems switched its only Latin pop and rock station, 96.3 FM in Los Angeles, to an all reggaeton/hip-hop, aka “Hurban,” format as well. Clear Channel also switched its all-Latin rock station in Houston to the Hurban format. This dramatic change in the landscape of Latin radio bothers me because it was stations like Viva 103.1 in Chicago that back in 1999 introduced me to whole new world in music. A world that I felt I had totally missed out on. And now it seems like La Kalle and reggaeton are going to make sure no one else discovers the broad range of Latin music ever again.

Growing up in Queens, I never really identified with Spanish-speaking radio because my only choices were radio stations that primarily played salsa and merengue to cater to the large Puerto Rican and Dominican population in New York. It was only through Latin rock/pop radio stations and family reunions in Ecuador that I discovered bands such as Soda Stereo, La Union, and Hombres G. I could not believe that I had totally missed out on years and years of great music because of my limited radio options in New York. The decision by many radio broadcasting companies to switch their Spanish station to an all-reggaeton format offers no variety or choice to listeners and simply one option. Another generation will miss out on so many different bands and types of music because market research statistics conclude that the urban latino market is the hot growth area. In my opinion, the lack of variety and content is what has held back Latin media. TV and radio stations have historically catered to a specific Hispanic demographic, but growing up, I failed to identify with Latin media options. Now, seven years after discovering Viva 103.1, I feel like I’m back where I started: listening to all salsa and merengue 24 hours a day. Except it’s worse. It’s reggaeton. Rompe Rompe Rompe!!

Honestly, my beef isn’t with reggaeton artists; it’s with the big corporations who don’t care to understand the diverse Hispanic-American market, but rather distribute Hispanic entertainment as a one-size-fits-all package. For them, reggaeton is the easy answer. Sadly, this limits cultural awareness for Hispanic-Americans searching for pieces of Latin culture that they can relate to and embrace individually.

Other things I can’t figure out: does reggaeton even have the library of music to support 24 hours of radio play? Is it really the voice of the urban Hispanic-American community? Is it the next hip-hop? Despite the genre’s current dominance over the airwaves and the Latin music scene, I truly feel this high speed train well slow down soon. The millions of dollars currently spent on reggaeton will have to be spent somewhere else. Hopefully on more than just one genre of Latin music.

...and in the other corner, defending the PROs of reggaeton is Ms. Nuria Net:

Latinos love to diss reggaeton. “Ugh it’s so tacky.” “Eso no va a durar mucho, it’s just a fad.” “This is an embarrassment to Latinos”. Me cansé de escuchar eso. So lately, I have found myself in the unlikely position of defending reggaetón for what it’s worth to me: a good dose of nostalgia from growing up in Puerto Rico and appreciating a music genre that strikes a chord with millions of people. And yes, I can still consider myself a Café Tacvba freak and say I have no problems with reggaetón.

Growing up in the happily sheltered urbanizaciones of San Juan, my earliest memory of reggaetón was at the “disco parties” that we started having in 5th grade. Then, in our 6th grade talent show in Mater Salvatoris elementary school, seven other girls from Missis Lizette’s class and I knotted up our shirts in the front and got down to Vico C’s “La Inglesa” in front of the rest of the students. I don’t remember the Spanish nuns protesting. The song was about a girl from England who at first says she can’t dance to this exotic, almost tribalistic “nonsense,” but later succumbs to the Spanish rap’s irresistible beats, belting out “U-u a-a- tu ritmo me fascina, u-u-a-a tu ritmo me enloqueceee.” Vico gave MC Hammer a run for his money back then. __PAGEBREAK__A few years later, high school came into our lives, and Vico C’s mild-mannered rap en español gave way to “underground” (pronounce after me: “ondelgraund”). At the schools’ Welcome parties (dances each school had at the beginning of the school year) we kids from Catholic school would do the butterfly and culeos to DJ Nelson and Alberto Stylee, Ivy Queen, and Wiso G. I had no idea who these people were or what they were saying (dembow? yales?), we just knew it had become prohibido (moms chaperoning at parties would usually run up to the DJ and make him change songs) and that it was a blast to dance to.

As we and our hormones got older, the more we liked to culear, and you could even find a few girls down the hall with cassettes of the Playero 47 compilation. In college, my friends and I would reminisce about our high school years singing out loud to Vico C and the rest. Then one summer when I went back home, everyone was wearing these red shirts with the picture of a guy with an afro and glasses that read “Tego”. El Abayarde had arrived.

Tego Calderón remixed El Gran Combo’s “Ojitos Chinos” which made it palatable to our parents and El Nuevo Dia newspaper. His wore his ‘fro with pride and limited his bling to a few gold teeth. He had released several hip hop albums, but this time, circa 2002, Tego had recorded a few reggaeton tracks, which made him an instant hit. Now it was cool to listen to “underground”. The streets of New York rumbled with “Dominicana,” and suddenly Daddy Yankee was spilling his Gasolina everywhere and going down Fifth Avenue on the Puerto Rican Day Parade.

In the past few years the term “Latino” has started to take root among Hispanic youth in this country, and with mass media outlets such as TV, radio and print platforms that are vying to cater to this emergent market, there’s a newfound consciousness that we are all part of a bigger identity beyond being Puerto Rican, Chicano, Mexican or Salvadoreño. Reggaetón came into mainstream consciousness just in time to become the anthem of Latinos from Eastlos to Bruglin but also from Cartagena, to Guayaquil and Buenos Aires.

Reggaeton ain’t pretty. The genre’s nene lindo and biggest seller, Daddy Yankee, might have been in the game foreva, but his lyrics sure don’t speak for themselves(and word in the -where else- street say he doesn't even write his only lyrics). Get ready for “Rompe”’s poetry (FYI “Rompe” is his latest hit, #1 on the Billboard charts for the past few months):
Nanananana... (Hey!)
Nananana... (Hey!)
Nananana... (Hey!)
Nanananana... (Hey!)
[…] ¿Que pasa, socio?
¿Que es la que hay?
Viste, buey...
Pensaste que esto es un mamey
No vo'a dar break
Que el se guille de "Scarface"
Get out my way
Usted no vende ni en eBay
No das pa' na' Conmigo 'ta Frito-Lay
Chequea el swing
Que se le pega a to'a las nenas mas que un g-string
Yo soy la pesadilla de todos los dream team
Ya se te acabo el magazine
Conmigo no te la guilles, pa', de listerín
Daddy te...
Rompe, rompe, rompe! (Bien guilla'o!)
Rompe, rompe, rompe! (Ese cuerpo ella lo!) […]

Wow, that was powerful, especially when he rhymes “g-string” and “listerín”. But is anyone paying attention the lyrics? As with Hector y Tito back in the day, most of us can’t make sense of what the guy is saying and we don’t care.

Just like others love to quote Juan Gabriel, Pimpinela and Flans in their hipster, retro kinda way, so even the fresitísimos comemierdas San Juaneros have a special place in their heart for Ivy Queen’s early 90’s hit song “Muchos quieren tumbarme y les dijo mira no no no que no van a poder, porque saben que yo soy la queen la nena del reggé.” And so will all of us born and raised in the US or recently displaced will cherish our Gasolina and our Pobre Diablas in the future. And it will unite us in sing-along joy at parties and as we walk down the streets, whether in Portland or Kansas City. In the meantime we’ll just shake our nalgas to its beats.

Reggaeton is loud, repetitive, corta venas and obnoxious like any good telenovela or taco de cecina. It puts our brown faces and manicured eyebrows and decrepit Spanish on MTV and that makes us proud, that makes us smile. We can make fun of it, claim we are above it, but you can’t resist it.

This brings me to the next best thing to come out of the island: the guys from Calle 13. These are artists and musicians who don’t come from the town of Carolina or grew up in the drug infested projects of San Juan. René Perez, El Residente, has a masters in visual arts and knack for tattooing bits from paintings by Basquiat and Matisse in his arms. The other group member, Eduardo Cabra, El Visitante, studied accounting and was part of a rock band, Bayanga, before teaming up with his half brother in this “proyect”. Cosmopolatinos: what’s not to love, right?

They are clearly not of reggaeton pedigree, but they’re not fresitas either. They are using the popular medium, mixing it with hip hop, a bit of rock and in your face lyrics to sing about middle class Puerto Rican reality, which no one really sings about. Their obsession with sex makes their cannon au par with the rest of reggaetón, but with a good injection of self-awareness that Hector El Father and the rest are clearly missing. Making fun of blanquitas who claim they hate that dirty music but who move their booties when the lights go out at Kudetá in El Viejo San Juan, who know every single word of Voltio’s “Chulin Culin cunfly”, Calle 13 diss left and right, also making fun of rappers, rockeritos, and the purists cantautores who are still trying to copy Silvio Rodriguez at Café Seda en la Calle San Sebastián. Without claiming to be above the gold chain obsessed plebeyos who take reggaetón seriously, they have even managed to become more commercial and massified that pure reggaetoneros, appealing to a wider cross section of puertorros: the rockeros, the reggaetoneros, los surfers, los cacos, even the Governor. Even though they compare girls’ assess with avocado butter, it’s a far cry from the “fuleteame-el-tanque” aesthetics of reggaetón. They are the Molotov of reggaeton, if you will, and their witty humor will is already translating beyond the island to other parts of the continent. Hopefully it's only the beginning of a trend of witty pop music, like Miranda!'s success in Argentina.

Reggaetón has been around for more than fifteen years, so it’s not going anywhere. It might fade here, but these people have hustled foreva, recording at home studios and not relying on radio or mass media to make it big. After the craziness fades, they’ll still be pumping recycled beats at fiestas patronales in Naranjito. Latinos in this country are starting to record their own versions of reggaetón or other versions of Spanish hip hop too. So mi gente, no tapen el cielo con la mano, and give in to the crumpin’ beats.

I leave you with the sage words of Calle 13’s “Atrevete-te-te”:
Cambia esa cara de seria
Esa cara de intelectual, de enciclopedia
Que te voy a inyectar con la bacteria
Pa' que des vuelta como machina de feria
Señorita intelectual, ya se que tienes
El área abdominal que va a explotar
Como fiesta patronal, que va a explotar
Como palestino... Yo se que a ti te gusta el pop-rock latino
Pero es que el reggaeton se te mete por los intestinos
Por debajo de la falda como un submarino
Y te saca lo de indio taino

2005-08-07T20:04:00.000-04:00

Blogeando el LAMC 2005

Entry #9: Mosaico Musica RESUMEN

Before reading the epic that follows, here's a quick sum-up of what Montrol Kachete and Clarux, your two faithful LAMCorrespondents, have to say about the Latin Alternative Music Conference:

WHY WE HEART THE LAMC:

-participants demonstrated true geographic and musical diversity, not to mention a wide range of fame, from R-Tronika to Aterciopelados
-one of the very few outlets trying to create actual community, foment actual existence for Lat Alt music, and only one that reaches out to US citizens
-provides free shows to people not familiar with Lat Alt. at the Virgin Megastore, Celebrate Bklyn, Summer Stage
-down to earth!
-love for the bands, charging them less to register
-attracted people from all over, and people really enthusiastic about the music
-tip-top organization: ran smoothly throughout
-cool goodie bags
-overall good taste in music ;)
-reached out to all sorts of media, from the NYTimes to NYMosaico
-got NYC involved…. the week was officially named "Latin ALternative" week by the Latin Media Commission (holla!)

IF WE HAD OUR WAY...

-they'd define "Latin Alternative" at the beginning
-there'd be a Brazilian representation
-big bands would participate on panels in addition to performing (Café Tacvba, Vicentico, Cerati, Gustavo Santaolalla, even Celso Piña)
-other folks we'd like to see on the panels: Nic Harcourt from KCRW, Jon Pareles, Juan de Dios Balbi, Claire Frisbie (ahem!), ethnomusicologists, Maria Madrigal, Gilberto Gil/Caetano Veloso (Latin Alternative before there was a Latin Alternative), Josh Kun, Monika Fabian (aHEM!), Eric Zolov...
-website/indie publications panel
-have an actual, real battle of the bands with judges and crowd that determines winners, etc.
-adjust overlap of shows/panels--space them out more, factoring in travel
-pick a different hotel--the Roosevelt was way outta the way
-there'd be more outreach to local folks, incorporate the local scene
-sponsor events year-round… make the LAMC more than a once a year type of thang
-stay in New York—no need to go back to LA, and don’t ever go to Miami!!

MOSAICO LAMC AWARDS:

Most over-exposed and inaccurate excuse for a Latin Alternative genre: reggaeton

INDIE SHOW-DOWN revelation: Santos de Los Angeles

ACOUSTIC SHOWCASE
left us wanting more: Ana Laan
left us asking wtf?: Coral

BOWERY SHOWCASE
huh?: Catupecu Machu
why not? Nortec Collective or Liquits or Superaquello (from P.R.)

LAMC overall
huh? Coheed and Cambria
ooorale!!!: Plastilina Mosh

Best CDs we picked up: Kuyata-Zito sampler AND La Monareta demo

Most likely to impersonate a drag queen: Fofe from Circo

Best abs: Bebe

Best Latin American Ali G look alike: Dante Spinetta

Cutest guitarist: Circo’s AND Camila from Pacha

Fashion police needs to be called on: Natalia Lafourcade AND Andrea Echeverri

Mr. Congeniality: Josh Norek AND Giovanny Blanco

Missing in Action: Tomas Cookman, Martires del Compas, and Moenia (also: Contramano and Skampida)

Latin band from most obscure location: Palo Viejo

Entry #8: Closing Night PARTAY

The description of the closing night party on the LAMC guebsite said something like “what happens at the closing night party, stays at the closing night party.” This naturally conjured images of I dunno, JD Natasha booty dancing with los de Delux, or Ruth from MTV swinging from chandeliers while Josh Norek dished on what it’s really like to work with Andrea Echeverri (in Spanish, freestyling… or something). Sadly, there was none of that. There was basically no scandal at ALL! I slipped on some spilled margarita or something, and fell for all of two seconds, but that’s about as scandalous as it got.

We were excited, however, that the NYMosaico tees were the style of the night: both Bill Bragin of Joe’s Pub and Giovanny Blanco were sporting theirs, and it was nice to see others in something other than a t-shirt and jeans. Let’s see, que mas? They gave away a guitar (from Gibson?) but the first 5 winners or so didn’t hear their names. And I finally talked to Dante Spinetta, but it was a bit of a let down, because he doesn’t talk like he sings. Dammit! No body rolls or funky dancing either. What a let down!

Basically the Puck Building space was entirely too big for the fiesta. DJ Larry, Toy, and the Mexican Dubweiser (and the rest of the Sistema Local Crew and extended family) tried their best to get people movin’, but despite the hot tunes (and they were hot!), people were either too rigid to begin with, or just entirely too pooped to keep on partying. Had it been in a dark, smokey basement and not a large ballroom-type room, things would’ve been a lot better (and more scandalous, undoubtedly).

…luckily the DJ posse was thinking the same thing, and took the party to 6s and 8s on Christie (where they’d thrown a party only nights earlier), and basically took over the basement. Toy, Larry, and el Dubweiser mexicano manned the decks, while Blanquito Man, Itagui (from Locos Por Juana), and that rainbow skirt chick took turns freestyling over the music. Dante, Ruth, the dudes from Santos de Los Angeles, Locos Por Juana, Circo, y mas, were all presente, and I was happy as a clam because they played one of my favorite songs ever, “Cumbia Sobre el Rio” with two of the song’s performers (Toy and Blanquito Man) actually there. Granted, my man Celso Pina and the rest of Control Machete were absent, but that was definitely a hot moment. Not a bad end to the conferencia… time to rest up for next year!

Signing off,
CLARUX

Entry #7: A day in Central Park
by Clarux

FIRST STOP: Latinas in the Music Industry Panel

The Latinas in the Music Industry panel was probably the most buzzed about panel at the LAMC—word was it was gonna be packed, so get there early! Well, a little word to the LAMC organizers: don’t schedule a hot panel (or any panel, for that matter) for a morning (well, I guess it was at noon…) after a huge night of partying, and on the Upper East Side, at that! My alarm did not cooperate with me that morning, so I rushed uptown, only to arrive at least halfway through it. But the room at the Central Park arsenal was by no means packed. I slid in and found a seat no problem, only to be followed by at least 15 other people in the following half hour or so. Everyone showed up with their sunglasses on, hair still wet from the shower, the bounce somewhat missing in their step.

But the panel was good! The women chosen represented a wide range of professions and ages, and were all extremely good speakers with different anecdotes and experiences to share. They touched upon everything from how to use your femininity to your advantage, to motherhood, to the overly sexualized culture of the entertainment industry, to why women in the music industry are so frequently single (*sigh*).

Andrea Echeverri spoke poetically in Spanish and made a point to mention Milagros (claro!), and urged women to love themselves and their beauty, etc. etc., frequently drawing applause from the audience. A bit schmaltzy, but I admit she was very cool to see and it was so great to have such an experienced, talented, and well-respected musician on the panel, along with members of the media (Ruth from MTV….) and your staple label execs (who were all very cool in their own right). Also, major props to Jordan Levine from the Miami Herald, who consistently had good questions (and a great presence in general) at all the panels. Stick her on a media-themed panel next year, guys!!

Unfortunately, this panel too turned reggaeton oh so quickly, discussing the derogatory portrayal of women in the genre. Though this panel was not specifically Latin Alt-themed, I feel like that should be more of the focus, considering the nature (and name!) of the conferencia. I had my hand raised to bring things back to Lat. Alt., but we ran out of time, and I didn’t get my chance. Pero en serio, what about folks like Ely Guerra? Her look for Sweet & Sour, Hot & Spicy was overtly sexual (with a map of her body, delineating which parts should be licked, bitten, caressed, etc.), but was it wrong?
But all in all, the vibe and discussion and moderation (by Chelina Vargas [formerly?] of Cookman International and The Red Zone, her weekly Lat. Alt. radio show in LA that she’s working to syndicate nationally) were all excellent. It’s just too bad more people couldn’t roll out of bed in time to take it all in themselves.

SECOND STOP: Summer Stage

From the arsenal, we quickly hurried over to Summer Stage (after hunting all over the UES for an egg and cheese on a roll—virtually impossible to find after noon there, though a diner on Lex and 73rd or so satisfied our craving!) The line to see Bebe, Coheed & Cambria, and Aterciopelados was LONG, surprisingly packed with adolescent white kids with lip piercings, carefully thought out hair, and spiked wrist cuffs. Huh? After first thinking que los Aterciopelados’s fan base had really expanded since I last saw them (maybe Andrea’s show at Celebrate Brooklyn last year roped in some new fans?!?), I soon realized that was a Coheed & Cambria shirt they were all sporting. Once again, Summer Stage managed to put together a bizarre, eclectic line-up (remember the Ely Guerra and Aventura show two years back?), but it’s all good.

Spanish pop star Bebe started the show (after the winners of a Starbucks battle of the bands did their thang), and she did a great job of keeping the mixed audience captivated, as the emo kids pretended to dance flamenco and bopped around. Carrying an enormous Spanish fan and speaking in broken English between sets, Bebe bounded back and forth across the stage, making her way through the tracks on her Pafuera Telarañas release that has garnered her so much attention in her native España. She took off her top early in the set, wearing only a bikini top and revealing her extremely (overly?) buff body, but the most impressive costume change came for her last song, when she donned a blonde wig in a tribute to George W. Bush. Half the audience had no idea what the fuck was going on, but the rest of us laughed hysterically and whistled in disbelief mientras cantó “Mi papá tiene una silla eléctrica”. It was great, and she clearly has some huevos to have done that during her first US performance. NYMosaico gives a big thumbs up to Bebe. Unfortunately, la tia “doesn’t do” interviews, or we’d have more info on her for all y’all. Check out her album though. It’s good.

So then it was Coheed and Cambria time, but we didn’t realize this. Your two editoras in chief and die-hard Aterciopelados (not Andrea, but Aterciopelados!) fans pushed and shoved our way to the front para apoyar in the sea of 15-year-olds who were clearly there to see Coheed. But even though the Summer Stage schedule seemed to have billed Coheed as the headliners, they were really going second (as it should be!), so we quickly got OUT of the mosh pit, and hung out by the port-a-potties as the frat boys and punk girls sang along to every word the poofy-haired Coheed singer (who’s Puerto Rican… hence the LAMC connection, I guess) sang. It’s so funny how metida you can get in a certain musical genre, because this all seemed SO foreign to me, although we must’ve all looked the same during the Atercio set. Word has it that Coheed approached LAMC to participate, though they didn’t really seem to fit en mi opinión. But the real chisme is that the organizers booked them without having ever heard them (or seen them at least)!! Craziness! Pero ni modos, it was an interesting combo, and while most of their crowd left after their set, some folks stuck around for Aterciopelados and seemed to like them a lot.

And let me just say that Aterciopelados were GREAT! I’ve seen them multiple times before, but they were on fire this time!!! Andrea was kinda cheezily dressed as per her new mama-look, but the heart and peace sign were on a jean skirt this time instead of a mumu. But the band rocked out with material new and old, not overdoing the new tetica stuff, and doing revamped versions of some classics. The crowd went absolutely WILD during Baracunatana, and two of my favorite moments were when Andrea free-styled (pretty damn well!) during their tabla-infused performance of El Album and then the reggae version of Rompecabeza, which was entirely too hot. I left the concert high on music, sin voz, with just enough time to head home, shower, and make my way to the closing night party.

Entry #6: Celebrate Brooklyn, SOB's, and the Delancey after-party

Clarux: OK, moving onto Friday night’s activities. Just to preface this, I need to inform the folks at home that I have a certain thang for bands from Monterrey, so my take on this show will automatically be biased (um, hello, why don't I live in Monterrey?!?! although los Kinkys have relocated to LA, they later informed us). The sound SUCKED at the bandshell, but the crowd was a pretty decent size (and featured mi novio Gael Garcia Bernal among others), so the vibe was good. I (purposefully) missed JD Natasha as I was slurping down a Mojito Margarita (I kid you not—a mojito AND a margarita in one!!! Quite the bomb of a drink for a mere $7 at Tacos Nuevo Mexico on 5th Ave and 12th St. So worth it. Between that and Los Bukis blaring on the jukebox, it was hard to drag me outta there). So I showed up con mis cuates during the PMosh set. And lo and behold--Jonaz was sporting his spiffy Manjatan Mosaico tee (sin mangas, claro!)!!!! This was clearly the start of a great night...

Montrol: Yeah, I got there a couple songs into the PMosh set too, and I have to tell you that I thought it was rather disappointing, but it’s not my boys’ fault. I think that the sound was terrible during their set and I just don’t think it was loud enough, and I was in the front, against the gate! PMosh’s music lends itself better in a smaller venue. When Manu Chao played Summer Stage in 2001, I was kinda skeptical that he would pull it off, but he sped up his songs and made them more dancehall reggaer, which was better for the summertime vibra. I think PMosh should’ve played more of their jumpier faster tracks.
C: True, but what about during tracks like “Te Lo Juro Por Madonna?” We were going ca-razy over where I was. Granted, the Park Slope yuppies were giving me and my crew some curious looks, pero toda la banda mexicana and I were gettin’ DOWN!

M: You know why? Because you guys were hearing the song on the album. Because when you listen to that song on the album, you fucking rock out. Especially “Mr. PMOSH”—“Mr. PMOSH” should have been way harder core, because that’s their signature song, and since they left it for last, I don’t think people grasped the magnitude of it. I mean, that’s the song that put them on the map, commercially.

C: Agreed, although it was kinda cool to see that they’d beefed up their act for more of a full on show (rather than the two-man performance they’d originally put on). I guess Walter was in tow for their last NYC gig last November (at Joe’s Pub), but he was more mascot than band member then. (NYMosaico hearts Gualter by the way…) But anyway, the dude with the cowboy hat who walked around with the signs was a nice touch (though I couldn’t read what they said from where I was standing/bouncing). And the keyboard jamming with Rosso, Walter, and that other dude was priceless.

M: Think back to their show at Joe’s Pub, though; no one was rocking out there either. I guess that’s a quality to their music… people just don’t dance to it like at a Cafeta show, or a Gran Silencio show, or even a Maldita show.

C: But I don’t think you can even compare Plastilina to those bands—PMosh are much more bizarre, much harder to swallow. They’re part performance art, part joke, part who knows what. Yet, that being said, they are extremely successful and almost mainstream despite their weirdness. And for the record, we were rocking out at Joe’s Pub.

M: But you gotta get their jokes and you gotta understand their humor. That’s an attracting point of them—just how irreverent they are. The puns they do on English and Spanish.

C: Totally, but all things told, and considering their obscurity and irreverence, I don’t think it was a bad show. People liked it, whether they “got” it or not. And on a different note, maybe it’s just me, but I feel like Kinky should’ve opened for PMosh. PMosh has more clout in my book.

M: True, but I think it was done in a much more schedule-permitting way, and not a plato fuerte, seniority way. But in a way, I think that people would have left after Kinky because everyone would have been exhausted.

C: Mmm, quizas, quizas (quizas). So what did you think about los Kinkys? I know you’re not the devout fan I’ve been over the years (though I don’t like Atlas, for the record).

M: They were really good for what they are. They’re great musicians, they’re great performers…. I don’t know, this might be really kinda snobby, but I definitely give more props to a band that can really put on a show, that can make their music sound better live than on an album so they’re not a studio band. So that was definitely awesome. And it was like a homecoming of sorts, because this is where they got their big break, so this was kinda rad too. I know you don’t agree with me, but they were definitely a lot better after the encore.

C: Wait, what makes you think I disagree with you?

M: Because you told me that that night. You were like, NO, they were great the whole night. Es como que se prendieron after the encore.

C: Oh, okay. I guess it was because I definitely had fun the whole show, and I’m so glad we found that dude passing out the wristbands to get into the front part. The energy up there was great! …but I couldn’t hear Gilcito’s vocals for a lot of it.

M: That was the whole show. It was just really rad to see the guitarist…. He was like having orgasms, he was so into it—it was fucking hilarious, but it was rad. And then, my one critique—their percussionist, he was going crazy, he was OD-ing. He was starting to sound like that song “Snap” you know “I Got the Power.” He was very C&C Music Factory-esque. It was obvious someone had given him carte blanche to do his thing, but someone should have taken it back. And he looks like a young George Bush. I’m sorry, Mr. Percussionist, but it’s true. And I wasn’t the only one who thought this. And the bassist: HOT! He was glistening Mexican-ness. It was sexy. But not because I’ve seen him up close, but because the whole urban cowboy meets locomotive toro, that was fucking rad.

C: Oh woah, hold up. This is where we differ! I love Omar (percusionista), no matter how crazy he goes on the drums! I’m ignoring your offensive analogies. The drums add a Brazilian/Caribbean flava to their otherwise Mexican/etc sound. I like. And he does NOT look like George Bush!!! (see gallery!) W does not look that good! Speaking of Omar’s appearance, dude had been looking kinda gaunt and sickly during his last couple visits to the Big Apple, but while still scrawny, he seems healthy again. Excellent.

But on to other band members… I know I’m disagreeing with most of the female population at that show, but the cowboy just doesn’t do it for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some glistening Mexican-ness, but he wasn’t quite it! (I found it in the audience, hiding behind a baseball cap and plastic-rimmed glasses, surrounded by models and obnoxious adoring fans like me… but you can’t mistake those lips. Sigh, Gael….) Y los otros Kinkys aren’t too bad tampoco, but Cesar needs to pull his pants up!! The concept of the look is indeed cool, pero no se—he’s all yours, Montrol! The cigarette in the mouth thang just ain’t sexy. Sorry. But he’s definitely full of energy and otherwise GREAT, as always (and it was his birthday that night…).

M: My only thing is that they should have attended the conference and not just performed. Guassup wit dat?

C: Yeah, they were pretty much the only band who didn’t at least make a cameo at conference.

M: What about Catupecu Machu?

C: Hell, they could’ve been sitting next to me during the radio panel and I wouldn’t have known. (Poor Catupecu! I’m going to do some thorough Catupecuresearch pretty soon so I can educmacate myself on these guys).

M: Y JD Natasha?

C: Is it Jay-Dee or Jota-De???? I don’t know. I don’t really care either. I wasn’t impressed with her Mr. P-MOSH duet, and I dunno, the young Miami rockera thing… mmm, not buying it (damn, I’m harsh! I discriminate by height and location!) She’s like a cross between Avril Lavigne and Ashlee Simpson, but also speaks Spanish. Not too intriguing to me.

M: Why did it seem like PMosh had everyone else’s stuff on their stage? Didn’t it seem like they were performing in a storage locker?

C: Yeah, we couldn’t even see Walter on drums--what’s up with that?

and on to SOB's:

M: Speaking of sucky sound, how about Palo Viejo getting the worst sound system at SOB’s?

C: Yeah, what happened to SOB’s being the prestigious world music venue? Now you can’t even hear the music and the bottles on the bar rattle with the beat of the bass. Time to fix that, Larry! Yet minus the technical suckiness, they still managed to host a whole bunch of LAMC-related shows. But back to Palo Viejo—what did you think?

M: Palo Viejo has enormous potential. Their musicians didn’t start learning how to play after receiving their instruments as gifts last Christmas, that’s for sure. But they still have some edges to smooth. They’re still a little rough around the edges.

C: True dat. Their sound was kind of all over the place, which I liked, but I don’t know how I feel about merengue ska as a new genre combo. Although they were able to please both the after-work salsa crowd still lingering at SOB’s and the LAMC-ers. Not an easy combination!

M: But their wheels need to be oiled a little better…

C: Yeah, but I definitely liked them. I didn’t know what to expect from a Lat Alt band from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, so that was cool in and of itself. I mean, who even knew there was an escena down there? It’s proof that the genre’s growing, I think! But yeah, they’re still perfecting their sound, although I’d say they’re definitely a band to watch. I liked your No Doubt meets Si*Se analogy you made that night. Right on target!

M: Gracias. But they were stiff, and the lead singer could rock out even more, even in her appearance. It kinda irked me that she tried to keep her hair together, and then would thrash her hair and her neck. There was too much going on with her hands and her ear…… Kudos to her though, because this was their first NYC show, and they pleased the crowd, they weren’t working with the best sound equipment, but they were certainly entertaining, and they showed immense potential for growth.

C: I did catch a gushing “I’m proud to be Dominican right now!” comment from the audience (the lead singer is Dominican—by way of Louisiana!), so people clearly liked ‘em.

M: Oh yeah. But you know how we chatted with Paul, the guitarist, at the Bowery and he told us that they can’t convince their saxophonist to play Perico Ripiao because he’s classically trained, and it seems like it’s beneath him? Not to make some unfair comparisons, but the Contramano boys are all classically trained musicians. I don’t think you have to give up one for the other. In fact, it shows versatility.

C: Speaking of which, where were the Contramano boys during this whole conferencia? The LAMC organizers missed out big time not showcasing them, although the Virgin Megastore clearly knows guat is up, and slipped them into the in-store performances of their own accord.

Anyway, post-Palo Viejo, we peaced out and headed to the Delancey, missing Libido, Circo, and PMosh (again!! You’d think these bands would’ve had it with playing NYC by now!)

M: I left the Delancey shortly after getting there because everyone there, present company excluded, seemed to cagar flan, they were so cool. Starting with trying to get into the place. One of the biggest buzzkills to a fun club/concert experience are rude and/or dismissive doorpeople and security guards. They are first people you see and they, to a certain extent, set the tone for your experience. That being said, there was poor organization out front when I got there. Lines on both sides of the club, no logic to who was let inside, lots of people leaving, and the people handling the situation were unnecessarily nasty. This is noteworthy, mind you, because no other LAMC-sponsored or -affliated events, that I attended or even heard about, had such troubles at the door. These people, who are either working folks who could careless who Kinky or the LAMC are just trying to get through the night and go home or, they are folks who gain a little stature and forget what it's all about: fun, baile, and musica.

When the four of us arrived (and three of us were Mosaico btw, not just the one that was let in first), a person went out their way, in the middle of all the madness, to let them in. By the time, I was beckoned to the door this person looked at me as if I grown another arm and used it to kill their puppy. Be it a club problem, a promoter problem, whatever, ultimately it was a problem. I, for one have no need to go to a club to presumir. Nor do I need to be validated by people who at the end of the afterparty and the conference are just like me no better, no worse. One thing though if I'm trying to establish myself in a social sort-of occupation, like a PR rep or a promoter, then my social skills have got to be top-notch. You have to make everyone feel as if their presence is valued always. You never know who’s who and only being nice to those who can do something for you is a sucky thing not just professionally but just in life. But anyhow as I was saying the vibra was just way too stuffy, way too cool for school for my taste. Too many pseudo models. And another thing Clarux, what’s up with Gael dissing you at Celebrate Brooklyn? Guassup with that? He needs to not play himself. Who does he think he is? Guassup with that?

C: Wait, why bring that up now? Yeah, he’s definitely not that cool, and is no longer mi novio, though the man is indeed hot. To give him some credit though, people were bugging him like crazy and I was just one of the many. He did continue onto the Delancey, though, where he was continued to be mobbed. Our sources tell us, however, that he hasn’t moved to NYC (dang!), but was just in town for a bit. He’s living back in el DF these days.

M: Los maravillosos Tacubos have never, ever been rude to their fans, thankyouverymuch.

(DISCLAIMER: We here at mosaico musica do have our pets, but it doesn’t mean that we aren’t open to new bands, new propositions, new music, and creative people in any way shape or form, so none of this thinking we’re biased, we call a spade a spade, always. These are our opinions, and comments and replies are welcome in the forum.)

C: Speak for yourself, Montrol, I can be biased, and a spade isn’t always a spade, but whatever…. And Gael is not a Tacubo, though it’d be really hot if he were.

M: That would be hot!

C: ANYWAY, back to the Delancey… I thought the party was great, even though the crowd was a bit different from what we’d experienced at the rest of the LAMC events, but I just think that’s because it wasn’t pure conferencers. El parche colombiano was presente, along with Gael/Kinky model-type groupies, the LAMC-ers, random folks who just happened to be there that night, and others. There was a frat-party-ish birthday party going on on the roof, which added an interesting mix to the crowd, but guatever.

Mosaico buddy and Halloween party veteran Pana Jay got things going on the decks, but the party really kicked into gear when Gil and Carlos (singer and guitarist, respectively) of Kinky took over in the DJ booth. This was Carlos’s first gig as a DJ, but we wouldn’t have known. They spun an eclectic mix of, well, everything, segueing from Flans into the Clash and more—excelente!!! The whole band was in tow, which was cool, although Ulysses was thoroughly preoccupied by whom NYMosaico believes to have been a Celebrate Brooklyn employee. Oh so scandalous! The only let-down about the party was that los Plastilinos didn’t show as was originally planned. I would’ve loved to have checked out their set. Apparently they were off to Cancun early Saturday morning (los pobres), so a third gig of the night wasn’t quite in the stars for them. Oh well.

Colombian electronica trio Delux Club performed downstairs around 2am, and despite horrible sound conditions (the theme of the night, I swear!) and malfunctioning amps, they were way too cool! I mean, I know I’ve commented that they should’ve been part of the LAMC, but I actually think they’re too hip for that, almost. The keyboardist looks like he’s straight outta the 70s, and the frontman is one of the only people who can pull off the pencil-thin mustache no problem. The dudes blend keyboards, guitar, and this cool looping/motion controlled machine thang with quirky vocals in English and Spanish. We were dancing the whole time. This latest album of theirs is produced by velvety-one Hector Buitrago… I’d looove to head down to Colombia and check out the
escena there. Between Hector and Richard Blair y otros, so much great electronic music (and just music in general) is coming out of that country!

The party was promptly broken up at 4am, and folks continued on to the after-after-

after party (which apparently lasted right up until the Summer Stage show on Saturday!!!! How very rockstar!), but NYMosaico was pooped as hell, and hopped the F train home to try to squeeze in a few hours of sleep before the next day’s string of activities. Ah, the LAMC lifestyle…

Entry #5: The Panels

Montrol: Friday, the LAMC's second (or technically third, I guess, although I think Wednesday day nothing much happened) full day of panels convened at the Puck Building on Ho. Clarux, por favor, if you can kindly take the stand and swear to share all the detalles of these (meaningless) dialogos entre los mismos de siempre. How's that for neutral reporting? Ha. __PAGEBREAK__
Clarux: HA! Well, being a LAMC newbie, I must admit I was excited to see what they had to offer. But this little energizer bunny's pilas were getting run-down and I was unable to attend many of the panels. On Thursay, I really wanted to check out the marketing one, but la chamba called, and I had to start the LAMC day later than I'd wanted to. I sat in on the Hurban (cringe.... worst name for a music genre ever!) panel, but had to quickly move on as Mr. Wu-Tang Latino's inarticulateness was unbearable. But he sure knows how to promote his label--there was WTL shit all over the place outside the Puck Building. Blah.

But Friday I was determined to get my panel on. Unfortunately, I found myself at home typing up an earlier installment of this blog during the Breaking Virgin Ground panel, I walked in at the end of the ringtones etc. panel, which supposedly was really cool. But I made it to the radio panel, which I was really glad about since NYMosaico has its roots in Latin Alternative radio. It was pretty good, thanks in particular to the AWESOME Gustavo Fernandez from Delanuca Records. I found myself nodding along to everything the man had to say hasta aplaudir a few times, from his comments on Lat. Alt. music itself ("like in any genre, there's a lot of shitty music out there") to the need to expand the scope of the genre's audience and look towards the anglo market, etc etc. The man swore like a sailor and was intelligent as hell—everything I aspire to! I was almost as nervous to talk to him as I was to Dante Spinetta, but I took a deep breath and schmoozed away along with the rest.

But ANYWAY, back to the topic at hand. While I wouldn't call the panels meaningless, I really would have liked to have heard a bit more about Latin Alternative music and NEW ideas, rather than reggaeton, reggaeton, reggaeton. I mean, Jesus, yes, the genre has exploded in the US, yes it's in Spanish, but NO, we do not need to harp on it, panel after friggin panel. This is not the RMC, but the LAMC. YA! Kike Posada from Boom! Magazine was pretty good too. But why wasn't Chelina Vargas on the panel? I know she moderated the Latinas in the Music Industry one, but she's taking her show (The Red Zone) and syndicating it nationally--that's HUGE. I would have liked to have heard what she had to say.

You didn't miss too much, Mo... Though Nuria and I were interviewed by that chick who was wearing the unforgettable rainbow pants on Thursdaysome TV show or somethin' ("¿Como te la esta pasando en la LAMC?" blah blah blah... she gave us a CD too... everyone's a musician at the LAMC!) y lo mismo para some new cable access show los de AlternaLatino are doing.... It was fun, I guess, but not really.

M: But that's precisely why I call them meaningless because they were only discussing the market/commercial sides of the Latin Alternative industry. I would've liked panels on aesthetics, compositions, the different corrientes within Latin Alternative music, and as for reaching out to the Anglo market, how about first reaching out to the US Latino market, even the Latin American market to a certain extent? As it stands now the only way to get introduced to this music is if you have a concrete connection to Latin America, like if you've done some sort of cultural exchange or lived there for a period of time. Much of the music industry money funds the Estefan shit and all that other synthetic Kike Santander Miami crap. What about introducing truly independent and alternative forms of Latinidad such as (and I don't mean to self-promote) like us rather than promoting the same-ol' same-ol'. I mean really, what is Method Man and the Beatnuts doing on the compilation album? Aterciopelados as alternative? They're becoming our unmarried Sonny and Cher, they're so old.

No disrespect though. The LAMC folks did a commendable job at bring more diversity this year. Their organization was stellar. And if anything just by creating a venue to chat with an admired musico and/or meet other up-and-coming ones es eso si fue where the LAMC shined.

And for the record, the rainbow pants were a skirt and to tell you the truth I'm not entirely convinced that there wasn't a Latin American circus missing its tent that shit was so fucking ridiculous. And because this is Montrol, I must let it slip that from what I heard homegirl was in heat. Varios me contaron que she was a little too inviting and friendly if you get me drift.

C: Word, I concur on the rainbow girl's horniness, but I'm just going to leave it at that, because this ain't quite page 6 yet.... And there was plenty of worthy ass to be gotten at the conference. Haha.

M: Ay no manches, que par de bochincheras. Pero ni mocos..... I mean hey we didn't do it, we're just reporting it, que no?

C: Que si! I disagree, however, on some of the who to market Latin Alternative music to, but that's for a whole other discussion. Another point where we differ is that I DO think it's important that the panels target and deal with the industry stuff, because they determine most of what goes on, for better or for worse, although I think they definitely should mix it up with some creative/artistic stuff. But honestly, bands aren't coming to the conference to learn about how to write a better song, they come to possibly get that song played on the radio, or to get a record deal, or a show in another city. Who knows.

M: I do see your point. My biggest qualm with that is that there isn't a balance. It transforms music making and its value into how much money it can make something which we'd both agree shouldn't be the meta. And yeah, Ivy Queen performed way back when, but seriously reggaeton is about as alternative as merengue these days. The local radio stations are constantly playing their music.

C: Exactly! One of my big confusions/problems with the LAMC--which I guess is a reflection of the music industry in general is precisely that: the huge separation between lo artistico/concert aspect and the white-haired dudes behind the desks who decide what's going on/panel aspect. It was awesome that Andrea Echeverri was on the Latinas in the Industry panel, but that's the only place I saw that interaction. I mean, it would have been cool if there were panels that, say, the members of Kinky were interested in attending or at least participating in and on the flipside, performances that your jaded A&R reps are super-excited to check out. That being said, Mr. Illya Kuryaki and Toy from Control Machete were both presente at the Hurban thing, but I feel like that's an exception. Maybe Dante's trying to figure out how to break into the US market with a reggaeton mix of Coolo. But I guess all of this is a matter of time, and one day Café Tacuba will be fighting over seats to listen to Dante and me debate the importance of fashion in the Latin Alternative genre (Josh/Tomas, are you reading this?!?)

M: It seems that we're asking for some more cultura, that which transcends the monetary enrichment? As far as hitting the Anglo market, it seems that even though the word 'crossover' has become passé it seems as if many of the panels and the intentions behind the conference still aim towards mainstream acceptance/$$$. I think that it's a outdated way of thinking. I mean fuck, folks don't want to raza to physically 'crossover,' yet bien que se aprovechan of the labor. And if you think about a similar analogy can be made for Latin Alternative songs like Kinky's "Mas y Mas" making it to that car company's ad and Plastilina Mosh's "Monster Mash" as a background to many an MTV program. Yet zero that their videos and talents get air time on the channel. If anything, Lat Alt bands are going to gain a coolness in a Nic Harcourt KCRW kinda-way through underground/ indie buzz and self-discovery.

C: TOTALLY! They need to not look to other Latin musical genres/acts for comparison but rather to more indie/underground/non-mainstream anglo bands. Because really, a band like Circo is a lot more like, say, the Postal Service than Shakira. Maybe if Kinky and PMosh were marketed/viewed as purely rock bands or alternative bands or guatever (minus the Latin, because that clearly throws radio programmers and the like off), then their songs could get the recognition they deserve.

Which reminds me, about the compilation. It seemed totally random to me, with new and old songs, major and unknown artists, genre-jumping all the while. Apparently it's just whatever the mysterious Tomas Cookman (where WAS he, btw?!?! I'm starting to think he's just Josh Norek's alter ego or something... I mean really, have you ever seen them in the same room? Or even seen Tomas? He's like the Wizard of Oz or something), but it's definitely enjoyable to listen to, and they put some tracks in there by some folks that should have had a greater presence at the conference (like DeLux Club from Colombia... while they rocked the after after party, they should have played the party, know what I'm sayin'?). Next year I'm going to make my own LAMC compilation to give out to folks to let them know who I think they should be listening to. And Ivy Queen won't be on there though Dante Spinetta might be! (...let's see how many times I can mention him in this blog.)

M: That'd be rad, Clarux. But I guess in a way that's what we try to do here in good ol' Mosaico, que no? Like I would've love to learn more about Los Abandoned, I'm truly diggin their Selena cover. But we are just going to agree to disagree on Spinetta, Circo, y otros, C.

C: Agreed. I’ll happily disagree with you any day! You know, although I was really excited to check out a lot of the bands this year, I feel like many of them have done the LAMC (and NYC) circuit more than once before. I would have liked to have seen someone like Liquits or Vaquero or some band I've never heard of playing full sets (as opposed to the mere two songs folks like Ana Laan and Sara Valenzuela were granted). Or even a reggaeton artist if that was the theme of the conference (although I'm not really suggesting that). OK, after some quick LAMC research, Liquits played before... actually, I knew that... I wrote that in my review of their album. But I guess my beef has more to do with the lack of really good new bands than anything else, and that's not LAMC's fault. But I'm sure they're out there. Flipping through the Banda Elastica mag we got with our LAMC bags, I spotted a bunch of really interesting-sounding bands I'd never heard of before. And this is not to say the bands who performed weren't good, they were. But I'm going off on a tangent. A tangent that leads me to Friday night. How about Celebrate Brooklyn?!?
M: One more thing before we move on, Latin Alternative music seems to also be used as an all-encompassing clearinghouse term for pop, r&b and hip hop that either was five-to-ten years too late or for groups trying to break into the mainstream latino and/or anglo markets. In order words there should be more clearer distinctions for the more conventional sounding groups or maybe not. I just don't like the idea of music groups being lumped under Latin alternative because it's too lame to fit into another genre. Me entiendes?

C: Nena, don't even get me started on that one. I could write a fucking thesis on this topic. Actually, I think they should start out the conference each year with a panel entitled "What is Latin Alternative music?" because that always seems to be the unanswered question at the end of it. I don't know if we can answer that here. Let's recap Celebrate Brooklyn first...

Entry #4: Full-on Bowery REVIU!

Clarux: So here we are back in action, somewhat recovered from the deluge of shows, invasion of Latin American rockstars and industry execs to our fair city.... My voice is slightly recovered, though my body is still exhausted and resisting work as much as possible, longing for the surreal Puck Building/concert-hopping alternate universe our friends at the LAMC created for us.

So let's backtrack a couple days Ms. Montrol, to the Bowery Ballroom, where we saw many of the same artists we'd just seen at the SOBs' "acoustic" showcase play longer sets at a show open to the public. Que tranzas, MK? What'd you think?

Montrol Kachete: The biggest revelation of the Bowery show was how queer Circo is. I don't know if it was the Ricky Martinesque performance moves or his constant allusions to eating vagina-shaped fruit... quite a bizarre treat. [see gallery for photographic proof]

C: Yeah, they were definitely the revelation of the night in GENERAL to me. I mean, I'd heard one or two of their tracks, but I'd never SEEN them before let alone gotten an accurate feel of who they are. And they're GREAT! The singer's voice is amazing. I'd say more than Ricky Martin, he was oh-so Freddy Mercury, but kinda chubby and calvo. And the guy had a huge dragon (though it totally looked like a ninja turtle from far away, as Nuria so aptly noted) tattooed on his bald head. Huh, what? Quite the contrast to eensy weensy Natalia Lafourcade who had every man in the place absolutely drooling (um, gross, she's a kid!!)

M: Great isn't the word I'd use to describe them. Pero Natalia isn't that young either. She's about our age, give or take a year. But I know what you mean, there's something extra skeevy (word?) about thirty-forty-fifty(!) year-old men going gaa gaa over her. Natalia y laforquetina's performance was pretty good. Her stage presence and engagement with the band and the audience were lackluster though. And I still say that the title track "Casa" is totally the Tacubos' "El Baile y el Salon." Meme Del Real's indelible disco-scented prints all over the place. I wish he'd taught lil' Natalia to dress herself better. I tell ya... the Pippi Longstocking outfit with the Veronica Castro high heels... um, not so much.

C: Yeah, she looked like a 7-year-old playing dress up with her mom's clothes from the 80s (not to mention blush and eyeshadow). I mean, the girl's cute, but I just can't take her for a rockera EVER, not unless she were to grow like a foot or two. Her uber-tall bassist (or is it the guitarist?) doesn't help the height contrast though. O sea, Ely and Julieta are petite too, but Natalia's taking it a bit too far, y'know? I like to think these women have lived through stuff, but Natalia still strikes me as a fresa with a gueetar who went wild at Urban Outfitters, y ya. But I admit, I thought she was good. Much better than last year at Celebrate Brooklyn when Control Machete opened for her (again, huh, what?) But I wouldn't go so far as to compare her to Bjork as Jon Pareles and others have done, though the Meme influence has definitely improved her repertoire.

M: Ouch! C'mon she's more than that. She had her first hit at 19. She composes most if not all of her music. I'm not sure she's trying to be a rockera. And since when does clothing make you a rockera? Ely Guerra dresses like a sexpot most of the time. What about that fugly outfit Venegas wore to the VMALAS last year? And these days Andrea looks more like a Care Bear than a rockera. I will take a stand. I am pro-Natalia. I think she follows a lineage set forth by other strong defeñas, namely Frida Kahlo. Granted a little more life experience is needed but she's pretty friggin’ rad right now. I mean think about it, aren't her gringa counterparts Hilary Duff and Lindsay Lohan?

C: Ha! I'm not saying clothes make the rockera, just that I don't look at her and think powerful woman, though that's not necessarily what she's trying to convey. Guatever. Not sure where I'm going with that, and I'm not ANTI-Natalia, I'm just not absolutely gaga over her, and can't take her seriously because she's short. Height discrimination? TOTALLY (though I take Ruben or whatever he's calling himself these days oh so seriously even though he's short... Natalia just hasn't proven herself to me yet). And while she might not physically be able to kick Hilary or Lindsay's asses, she does so tenfold in terms of talent and coolness. I think the Kahlo comparison is a bit of a stretch though. Enough Lafourcade banter, though. What about Catupecu Machu?

M: I do it with reason. Have you read Kahlo's diary? Very vivid. Not unlike Natalia's style and tangent. Both are imaginative. Is she at the height of the genius that is Frida Kahlo. Hell no. Will she ever get there? Ni puta idea. I just think she's way cooler and creative and imaginative than "rockeras" like La Guzman or others who need to wave their poontangs around to get noticed.

Catupecu Machupichupicachu? Zzzzzzzzz. I was way too interested in the shananigans downstairs. You?

C: OK, yes, Natalia and Alejandra Guzman aren't even worth comparing pa' na'. And I guess I have to listen to Natalia's lyrics before I can comment further. But again, for the record, I'm not anti, I'm just not completely sold. But I am looking forward to hearing what she sounds like five years from now after her heart's been broken a few times and who knows what else.

And about Catupecu, yeah, totally listened from downstairs, and didn't hear the one song I think I might possibly know by them. I was too busy trying to figure out what to say to Dante Spinetta. Instead I went and inspected dude from Circo's tatuaje. Poor Catupecu, I don't think ANYONE was up there.

But for the record tambien, I'm one of the only folks who can pronounce their name. Word. So showcase in general, what'd you think? Why those 5 bands? Why that order?

M: Before concluding, can I just say that Dante Spinetta looked like he was ready for a MiGente page, maybe even member of the month. Decked out in white uptowns, baggy jeans, etcetera is he not the Argentine Eminem?

Sorry I just had to get that off my chest. Anyway, were there five bands? Natalia is promoting that new album [Casa]. I'm sure the others could use the exposure. But the selection and the order was very al azar. Or at least it seemed that way. It seemed like seniority decided the line-up... or maybe the fact that Natalia was at SOBs beforehand factored in... je ne se pas, mon aime. Onto the afterhour activities? Or do we 'keep it in the closet' as mi adorado Michael Yakson sings. Did I tell you we share the same birthday?

C: Woah, my memory --or counting skills--are shot (though, YES, I know you and the gloved one share a birhtday... August 29th, two months before mine)! There were four... For those following along at home, it was Javier Garcia, followed by Circo, Natalia y la Forquetina, and Catupecu Machu.

Mr. Garcia, Ms. Lafourcade, and Circo all played at SOB's and all have new albums out. Again, no clue about Catupecu, los pobres. Apparently Javier Garcia's set was killer, though I wasn't all that impressed at SOB's (only observation there: he's half Cuban, half Irish, and has a Spanish accent! Woah! Guess I shouldn't be talking though). If I'd done it, Circo would have headlined, Catupecu would have opened (don't care if they've been around forever, no one knows who they are!), Javier would have gone second, and Natalia would have been second to last. But the selection was random, I guess.

Wait, there WERE supposed to be five bands!! Spain's Martires del Compas (supposedly the "new" Ojos de Brujo, but nowhere near as cool or talented or anything as ODB) were a no-show. Funny, no one mentioned that at all. I guess Martires are that forgetful.

Entry #3: while watching Natalia y laforquetina at Bowery Ballroom…

Montrol Kachete: Hey Claru, what’s up with the LAMC logo? It’s like the Latin Target.
Clarux: Dude, that’s what the guy at the pasta place asked me. But I have nothing witty to reply back. Ni puta idea.
MK: A nipple? Bull’s eye? The top of Sketch’s head?
C: The third. Actually I think it’s a nipple’s bull’s eye. But my mind just might be in the gutter because of Xoxa.
MK: And what’s up with all the middle-agers?
C: One word: Pedophiles!
MK: Viagra Convention latinoamerica?!?
C: No mames, they’re just the only people who can afford this biznez. Everyone under 30 [here] is either in a band or connected (ahem, ahem) or saved their pennies all year for the pass.
MK: Simon carnala…

Entry #2

Hey hey ho ho, Montrol Kachete is on the goooooo ‘Sup kids?

The LAMC is in full-steam and you’d be insane not to check out any of the events. Yours truly got her first taste of this party mix at last night’s acoustic showcase at SOBs.

I got to SOBs in time to catch the tail-end of Ana Laan’s performance, after having missed Natalia y laforquetina and some other cats. While the sound quality was quite chafa, Mrs. Jorge Drexler (yeah, Jorge Drexler is Mr. Ana Laan! Ca-razy!), was doing this two turntables and a microphone thing. No, she wasn’t spinning, she was in between the two turntables and was doing an echoing sort-of singing that everyone dug, though it was un poco tripi.

The Aterciopelados were next with Andrea’s ode to her three-year-old daughter Milagros “Amorcito” and then “El Album.” Andrea has such a sweet supple voice. Kinda like Haagen Daz Dulce de leche.

It was a bummer that the performances were coated in all the industry chitter chatter going on all over the place. Oh guel, I guess that’s what happens when it’s PR reps and label types instead of fans attending a show…

After the velvety Colombians were done, Monterrey’s funnest duo closed up. Plastilina Mosh with their Walter in tow, played un poquito de to’, that Barretta 1988 song, a funktified Peligroso Pop, and that loungey jazzy feeling song on Hola Chicuelos. (See moblog y galeria for p-mosh fotos)

The host for both the SOBs showcase and the Bowery Ballroom show which started directly after was Viva Malpache’s frontman Giovanny. Apparently he’s Dominican and is living in LA. No’mbe as my stepfather says: ‘esta mas perdido que un par de brassieres en las rodillas.’ Guau Dominicanos en LA. That’s like Eskimos in Staten Island.

Entry #1: 8/5/05, 12 noon

So registration came first, and this LAMC virgin was pleased to spot a bunch of familiar caritas representando da NYC at da LAMC (apparently we had a poor turnout in years past). Organizer Josh Norek described his relationship with NYC as like one with an ex-girlfriend, saying that "people were taking the festival for granted, until we left for LA. Now that New York has accepted us back, people appreciate it more, and there's a really good turnout." (not direct quote at all, but you get the gist--Josh, correct us if we're totally off! left the tape recorder at home ayer....)

I also bumped into friends of Mosaico in town from Chicago, LA, Miami, and DC, proving that the conferencia is indeed a national thang... Not to mention international... we spotted Dante Spinetta listening in on the Hurban conference yesterday and at SOBs and Bowery Ballroom last night, and were dying to run up to him and shout, "MI NOMBRE ES CULERO CONNOR...!!!" but didn't quite have the energia in us at the moment. Another face from my high school days was Ruth from MTV who is now bleach blonde and living in Miami, doing this and that related to music.

Mas gente internacional: DeLux from Tijuana, DeLux Club from Colombia (one of Hector Buitrago from Aterciopelados' new projects--electronica that is damn good! Mosaico got a copy of their album--that has a chick in bra and panties pouring milk on herself--if that's not hot, i dunno what is--oh, and the music is GREAT! They're playing tonight at the Delancey at the Prospect Park after party... be there!), Hector himself, con Andrea Echeverri claro. Los Kinkys y Plastilina Mosh representing for Monterrey, Toy from Control Machete who's looking older these days (and with longer dreads), who got some love during the Hurban panel ayer for being one of the first DJs to play reggaeton o algo asi (but is that really true? no lo creo... as much love as I have for the man)... and yeah, lots n lots more.

The LA front is muito strong, as was to be anticipated, as well as Miami, as far as the industria goes, but there are folks from surprising places, like the band Palo Viejo who's here from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Awesome! (Check 'em out tonight at SOB's, along with Circo, Libido, and Plastilina Mosh.)

Pero bueno, onto the events... my apologies, chamacos, as this is long overdue. But so much has been going on that this daily blog update thang hasn't been quite the reality. Ms. Montrol will be joining me soon for some back n forth commentary that will surely prove oh so entertaining.

Ze Indie Show-Down

Eventwise, things got started with the Indie Show-Down at Mercury Lounge Wednesday night, with an exhausting (but good!) line-up of seven bands. Each group played about 4 songs, but it still went on forEVER and many folks left before it was over.

NYMosaico showed up after the first set, where hometown vaqueros The Cuban Cowboys started things off. Frontman Jorge was sweaty and happy under his straw hat, and people were talking about them (in a good way) in the bar en route to the stage, so that makes us happy.

Next up were Miami rockeros Soniko, who, well, rocked out, with what one observer commented was a stolen riff from the White Stripes. I'm not pointing fingers, just passing along what I heard. But as MC Giovanni commented, they are proof that Miami can rock, although their sound is nothing too innovative, despite the boys being solid musicians for sure. I was just wondering how los chicos can maintain their long locks in Miami with all the humidity and whatnot, but we'll save that for another column... The shout-out to Mosaico was much-appreciated (gracias Toto y chicos!). Arriba Soniko y Fabrika!

Santos de Los Angeles followed, and were exactly how I would imagine a straight-up LA-band in the best way possible. Clad in button-up shirts and ties, gelled hair, the band's made up of 8 extremely energetic dudes, and led by frontman "Santos" (also a member of Yerba Tribe, winners of last year's LAMC battle of the bands). Santos had on a three-piece sute, fedora (was it a fedora? maybe a different type of hat), multiple rosaries, and revealed a tattoo of himself (?!?!?!) on his shoulder despues de quitarse the jacket and vest. But anyway, enough estilo (oh, one last thing: they had un chingo de velas de la virgen prendidas at the front of the stage). The band was GREAT, playing a mix of ska, cumbia, mambo, rock with a bizarre religious-sexual theme--sort of a Maldita Vecindad meets Mighty Mighty Bosstones meets Chingo Bling with a truly chicano flava. One of the highlights was their cover of La Sonora Dinamita's "Amor de Mis Amores." People were dancing, and the crowd loved them. We caught up with trompetista/bailador/guitarrista/no se que mas Israel at La Esquina taqueria on Kenmare yesterday, who informed us that the band really just got started a few months ago, and we couldn't be more excited because they were SO GOOD. You can catch 'em tonight (Friday) at Carlitos Cafe in El Barrio.

Next came Popvert, runners up in the Battle of the Bands (which is not really a batalla de verdad, pa' que sepan--winners had been selected by Mr. Tomas Cookman himself beforehand). Now, Popvert was good--don't get me wrong--playing a sort of indie/new wave type of rock/pop, but much of the head bopping was accompanied by a raised eyebrow or furrowed brow as folks wondered the same thing I was asking myself: does a Latino guitarrist (Marthin Chan from Volumen Cero) and an Estar Guars playera qualify a band as Latin Alternative? Not too sure about that one...

The confusion quickly ended, though, as hometown (and NYMosaico) favorites Pacha took the stage after a bit of a lengthy set-up (as per usual, pero bueno, they sounded good). Mr. MC informed them right before getting on stage that they'd won the battle of bands, so they were absolutely brimming with energy and excitement, which translated directly into their performance. Bassist Camila pumped her fist into the air like crazy, Maya's smile was even bigger than usual, and singer Johanna's stage presence was ten times more powerful than before, and they played like the winners of such a competition should. Can you tell I'm happy for them? Oh, and I have to comment on their style, because I notice these things... one word: mamasitas!! Not only did they sound like rockstars, they looked the part too. Chevere. This is what Kinky won a few years back, and look where they are now. Go Pacha!

Next up were Orixa from San Francisco, who supposedly have been the opening band of choice for any major act passing through the Bay Area for years n years now. They rocked out with a sort of a Rage Against the Machine type of vibe, all wearing some sort of red and black combination. "Hoodia Honey" (official dancer and Latina Jew--and friend of Orixa) Alanna Perez was in the front row shakin and gyrating as she is wont to do (wearing a pretty rad "I [heart] MY HAIR" wifebeater), and was even invited on stage for a dance/shake-off with energetic (and compact!) lead singer Rowan Jimenez. Rawk. Those not familiar with the Hoodios may have been kinda confused, but it was cool all the same.

Tijuana punks DeLux (not to be confused with the Colombian electronica group DeLux Club mentioned above) closed up the night, and despite the ever-thinning crowd, expelled so much raw energy that everyone who was there, as tired as we all were, was unable to keep from moving. Not much description of their music is necessary--it's punk. In Spanish. Estilo early Green Day. What amazed me was how they were able to sing the songs (in Spanish) with a British accent. You know how all punk vocals kind of emulate the Sex Pistols and even dudes from the South or California sound pseudo-British? Well these guys do the same thing, but in Spanish. Amazing. Also amazing were their guitar tricks.... Sponsored by Gibson (like earlier act Soniko), they had a good 6 or 7 guitars onstage, and do this thing where they swing them around 360 degrees. Can't even describe it, but it's pretty damn cool. We caught up with Damian y Alex from DeLux at the Bowery Ballroom last night y los chicos son super buena onda (though Damian swears his favorite band is Mana.... hmmm...) They're big fans of Xoxa, our mascot, and caught them getting down with some pretty impressive dance moves with the ladies. They'll be playing tonight at D'Antigua in Queens.

So that was the indie showcase. Props to los de LAMC for a geographically and musically-diverse lineup!

More coming soon on the panels, Acoustic Showcase, and show at Bowery Ballroom.... Feel free to post any comments in the forum, or email us at info@nymosaico.com Fotos en el moblog proximamente.

Over and out,
Clarux, blogger extraordinaire