... thinking about the immigration raids.
de que me sirve el dinero
si estoy como prisionero
dentro de esta gran nación
cuando me acuerdo hasta lloro
que aunque la jaula sea de oro
no deja de ser prisión
**
what use to me is money
if i'm like a prisoner
within this great big country
to remember it i almost cry
even if the cage is golden
it doesn't cease to be a prison
la jaula de oro : versión julieta venegas (original, los tigres del norte)
Friday, August 29, 2008
Not so fabuloso - "Matador" peddles Nissans
It's not a new strategy: big company purchases the rights to a popular song in order to sell a product. Nissan is no exception and is currently running a series of commercials in both Spanish and English set to some of our favorite tunes, such as Julieta Venegas' "Eres Para Mi" and Marc Anthony's "Dímelo." The most disappointing, though, is that Los Fabulosos Cadillacs have also sold a song to Nissan. The kicker is that the song they sold is “Matador,” a song about a freedom fighter living under a (U.S. backed) dictatorship. I saw Los Fabulosos in concert about ten years ago. One of the band members was wearing a Madres de la Plaza de Mayo t-shirt. These days, instead of demanding justice for los desaparecidos, “Matador” is out peddling the 2008 Altima to television watchers.
In memory of the true spirit of “Matador,” I leave you with these lyrics from the song:
Viento de libertad sangre combativa
en los bolsillos del pueblo la vieja herida
de pronto el día se me hace de noche
Murmullos, corridas aquel golpe en la puerta,
Llegó la fuerza policial
Mira hermano en que terminaste
por pelear por un mundo mejor
Que suenan, son balas, me alcanzan,
me atrapan, resiste, Victor Jara no calla…
In memory of the true spirit of “Matador,” I leave you with these lyrics from the song:
Viento de libertad sangre combativa
en los bolsillos del pueblo la vieja herida
de pronto el día se me hace de noche
Murmullos, corridas aquel golpe en la puerta,
Llegó la fuerza policial
Mira hermano en que terminaste
por pelear por un mundo mejor
Que suenan, son balas, me alcanzan,
me atrapan, resiste, Victor Jara no calla…
Thursday, August 28, 2008
la jaula
on monday this week, the u.s. immigration and customs enforcement agency terrorized a small town in mississippi with the biggest workplace raid in u.s. history.
¡a la mierda, reaccionarios!
july 2008. protest against the minutemen, sf city hall.
august 2008. protest against raids & deportations, sf i.c.e. building.
a la mierda : ska-p
but don't worry, guys. we will get this land back. palestinian-style! and ahead of schedule!!
¡a la mierda, reaccionarios!
july 2008. protest against the minutemen, sf city hall.
august 2008. protest against raids & deportations, sf i.c.e. building.
a la mierda : ska-p
but don't worry, guys. we will get this land back. palestinian-style! and ahead of schedule!!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
What do Alejandra Guzmán and tamales de mole have in common? - New York
I find myself in New York a lot these days and last night went to see Alejandra Guzmán at the Nokia theater in the commercial madness known as Times Square. 
The show opened with a mini-documentary about none other than Alejandra Guzmán while the real Ale G. hung out towards the darkened back of the stage under a black hooded robe. Um, yeah. As you can imagine, once the show started and the robe came off it was one gran espectáculo. There was something different for every song, everything from huge silver balloons that floated out from backstage during “Hacer el amor con otro,” to an acoustic set played on guitars with amazingly intricate sound holes, to an on-stage lap dance performed on a (male) audience member who had been strapped to a chair. The lap dance was, of course, executed by Alejandra as she sang “soy la diosa de la seducción.” Alas. To Guzmán’s credit, she can sing and she definitely can perform. She can even strum some chords and bang a cymbal while signing, which she did before tossing the battered drum stick (which I am now in possession of) into the crowd.
I must say that at first I couldn’t believe I was actually seeing Alejandra Guzmán on stage. My disbelief was not due to fan fever but rather to the fact that I have been watching Alejandra Guzmán perform(ed) in drag shows from San Francisco to Guadalajara for the last ten years.
So when she came on stage last night at Nokia, I had to really struggle to come to terms with the fact that 1) I was not in a gay club and 2) Alejandra was not in drag. She might as well have been though. As I studied her inches-thick make-up, square frame, gold sparkly chonies, and her chichis bouncing around in her bra I began to feel the lines between drag show and live concert show growing wavy all around me. As if to reassure me that I was not in the twilight zone, two bear couples appeared in front of me. They held each other’s hands and waists as they belted out all of Ale’s top hits along with her. Everything, they seemed to say, is as it should be.
P.S. What do tamales de mole have to do with all of this? If you’re ever on la 5a Avenida in Burklin (also known as Brooklyn) near Sunset Park, pop into any Mexican restaurant there. You will not only find tamales de mole, but also quesadillas de huitlacoche and lots of other regional yumminess whipped up by the ex-residents of Puebla, Tlaxcala, and of course, México, D.F.
The show opened with a mini-documentary about none other than Alejandra Guzmán while the real Ale G. hung out towards the darkened back of the stage under a black hooded robe. Um, yeah. As you can imagine, once the show started and the robe came off it was one gran espectáculo. There was something different for every song, everything from huge silver balloons that floated out from backstage during “Hacer el amor con otro,” to an acoustic set played on guitars with amazingly intricate sound holes, to an on-stage lap dance performed on a (male) audience member who had been strapped to a chair. The lap dance was, of course, executed by Alejandra as she sang “soy la diosa de la seducción.” Alas. To Guzmán’s credit, she can sing and she definitely can perform. She can even strum some chords and bang a cymbal while signing, which she did before tossing the battered drum stick (which I am now in possession of) into the crowd.I must say that at first I couldn’t believe I was actually seeing Alejandra Guzmán on stage. My disbelief was not due to fan fever but rather to the fact that I have been watching Alejandra Guzmán perform(ed) in drag shows from San Francisco to Guadalajara for the last ten years.
So when she came on stage last night at Nokia, I had to really struggle to come to terms with the fact that 1) I was not in a gay club and 2) Alejandra was not in drag. She might as well have been though. As I studied her inches-thick make-up, square frame, gold sparkly chonies, and her chichis bouncing around in her bra I began to feel the lines between drag show and live concert show growing wavy all around me. As if to reassure me that I was not in the twilight zone, two bear couples appeared in front of me. They held each other’s hands and waists as they belted out all of Ale’s top hits along with her. Everything, they seemed to say, is as it should be.P.S. What do tamales de mole have to do with all of this? If you’re ever on la 5a Avenida in Burklin (also known as Brooklyn) near Sunset Park, pop into any Mexican restaurant there. You will not only find tamales de mole, but also quesadillas de huitlacoche and lots of other regional yumminess whipped up by the ex-residents of Puebla, Tlaxcala, and of course, México, D.F.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
will the real rebeldes please stand up?
eso, pachuquita! such ridiculousness, that rbd :(
anyways, here's to the freedom fighters de verdad ... past, present, & future!!
1963, baltimore. students jailed for protesting a segregated theater.
i ain't scared of your jails
cause i want my freedom
cause i want my freedom
cause i want my freedom
i ain't scared of your jails
cause i want my freedom
cause i want my freedom now
**
for an excellent archive of civil rights movement photographs, documents, and testimonies see: www.crmvet.org
anyways, here's to the freedom fighters de verdad ... past, present, & future!!
1963, baltimore. students jailed for protesting a segregated theater.
i ain't scared of your jails
cause i want my freedom
cause i want my freedom
cause i want my freedom
i ain't scared of your jails
cause i want my freedom
cause i want my freedom now
**
for an excellent archive of civil rights movement photographs, documents, and testimonies see: www.crmvet.org
Saturday, August 23, 2008
No, RBD, I will not march for you!
So the Mexi pop band Rebelde, or RBD, has announced they are breaking up. For those that may not know Rebelde they are kind of like the Backstreet Boys of Mexico, a manufactured pop group that has become very successful. I didn't like the Backstreet Boys, and I don't like Rebelde.
So this band decides to break up after 4 years together (yes, only 4), and they will of course have a farewell tour and a final album, not counting the reunion tours, best of cd's (only together for 4 years people!) that will surely follow. This is not to say they do not have a following. They have a huge following and can sell out concerts in parts of Eastern Europe where other Rock en Espanol groups would only have a cult following. There are countless blogs, fan clubs, and people in other countries adore Mexico for the pure fact that it gave birth to RBD.
So instead of RBD using their widespread influence over young people to mobilize them for a cause like stopping the ICE raids in the US, the stop to violence against Indigenous People in Latin America, or even to stop global warming (the safest cause around), what does RBD ask of their fans.......to have mobilizations all over the world today, Saturday August 23rd, demanding that RBD doesn't break up.
Yes. You heard right. In a time when millions of families are being separated by borders, ICE, wars, and famine RBD is asking people to march for six privileged already rich individuals to be able to stay together so they can get more famous. How selfish can you possibly be to ask that of people, especially when you are the one who announced the break up! Its like asking for a moment of silence for yourself. Its just wrong.
While I don't believe in RBD, I do believe in the power of music to move people, otherwise we would not be doing this blog. Which is why fans all over the world have responded with planned actions in Mexico, Brasil, US, Panama, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Spain, Colombia, Peru, Romania (!!), and Republica Dominicana.
So, no RBD, I will not march for you. I will save my marching, my chants, my outrage, my organizing skills, and my sense of justice for Elvira Arellano, who was deported after taking sanctuary in a church for over a year; for Leonard Peltier, who has been in prison for over 30 years for defending Indian land and sovereignty; and for people like Jose Morales, who at 79 years of age was evicted from his home for 43 years and is now homeless.
No, RBD, I will not march for you.........
So this band decides to break up after 4 years together (yes, only 4), and they will of course have a farewell tour and a final album, not counting the reunion tours, best of cd's (only together for 4 years people!) that will surely follow. This is not to say they do not have a following. They have a huge following and can sell out concerts in parts of Eastern Europe where other Rock en Espanol groups would only have a cult following. There are countless blogs, fan clubs, and people in other countries adore Mexico for the pure fact that it gave birth to RBD.
So instead of RBD using their widespread influence over young people to mobilize them for a cause like stopping the ICE raids in the US, the stop to violence against Indigenous People in Latin America, or even to stop global warming (the safest cause around), what does RBD ask of their fans.......to have mobilizations all over the world today, Saturday August 23rd, demanding that RBD doesn't break up.
Yes. You heard right. In a time when millions of families are being separated by borders, ICE, wars, and famine RBD is asking people to march for six privileged already rich individuals to be able to stay together so they can get more famous. How selfish can you possibly be to ask that of people, especially when you are the one who announced the break up! Its like asking for a moment of silence for yourself. Its just wrong.
While I don't believe in RBD, I do believe in the power of music to move people, otherwise we would not be doing this blog. Which is why fans all over the world have responded with planned actions in Mexico, Brasil, US, Panama, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Spain, Colombia, Peru, Romania (!!), and Republica Dominicana.
So, no RBD, I will not march for you. I will save my marching, my chants, my outrage, my organizing skills, and my sense of justice for Elvira Arellano, who was deported after taking sanctuary in a church for over a year; for Leonard Peltier, who has been in prison for over 30 years for defending Indian land and sovereignty; and for people like Jose Morales, who at 79 years of age was evicted from his home for 43 years and is now homeless.
No, RBD, I will not march for you.........
Thursday, August 21, 2008
oh mi corazón
the hillsides ring with “free the people”
or can i hear the echo from the days of ’39?
with trenches full of poets,
the ragged army, fixing bayonets
to fight the other line...
spanish bombs (joe strummer & mick jones), versión tijuana no!:
or can i hear the echo from the days of ’39?
with trenches full of poets,
the ragged army, fixing bayonets
to fight the other line...
spanish bombs (joe strummer & mick jones), versión tijuana no!:
Monday, August 18, 2008
¡no seas así, mercedes sosa!
ugh. for anyone who hasn't heard, mercedes sosa has scheduled several performances in israel for the end of october. this ignores the palestinian call for boycott, divestment, & sanctions. it also lends her legitimacy to the apartheid israeli state, and rejects an important opportunity for explicit solidarity with the palestinian people.
mercedes sosa is legendary. in the early years of the argentine dictatorship she was defiant, singing songs that celebrated the struggles of workers and students, songs that bravely called out the regime for what it was. the people loved her ardently; the dictatorship banned her from radio & tv. in 1978 she was arrested by soldiers during a performance in la plata, singing about agrarian reform. eventually she was forced out of argentina like many others, only able to return years later when the dictatorship was just about to fall.
i saw her perform in 1995 at zellerbach. i cried when i heard her voice. she was so striking, this round little woman on an almost empty stage, singing about political repression and exile to a room full of exiles. the hall was filled with people from argentina and chile, older than me, who had listened to her music during the dirty war years. longing for their lands and people, they had taken refuge in her singing. the years had passed and now she was singing for them again:
quién dijo que todo está perdido
yo vengo a ofrecer mi corazón
tanta sangre que se llevó el río
yo vengo a ofrecer mi corazón
**
who says all is lost
i come to offer my heart
so much blood carried away by the river
i come to offer my heart
it was beautiful, the camaraderie & cariño in the hall that evening among exiles; and the echo of collective sorrow was like nothing i had ever seen.
now occupied palestine is full of soldiers and checkpoints, mass arrests and political assassination, detention centers and torture. ¿te suena familiar, mercedes? how then not to take the side of the palestinians? how not to loudly oppose the israeli state, the bulldozing of homes, the destruction of families, the blatant theft of land and resources?
i can't listen to her singing now. and i'm reminded of this song, si se calla el cantor (if the singer keeps quiet). it's a song she performs often, written by her compatriota, horacio guarany.
qué ha de ser de la vida si el que canta
no levanta su voz en las tribunas
por el que sufre, por el que no hay
ninguna razón que lo condene a andar sin manta
...
que no calle el cantor porque el silencio
cobarde apaña la maldad que oprime
**
what must life be if he who sings
does not raise his voice on the stand
for the one that suffers, for the one
condemned for no reason to go without
...
may the singer not keep quiet because cowardly silence
provides cover for the evil that oppresses
si se calla el cantor, versión horacio guarany & soledad pastorutti:
mercedes sosa is legendary. in the early years of the argentine dictatorship she was defiant, singing songs that celebrated the struggles of workers and students, songs that bravely called out the regime for what it was. the people loved her ardently; the dictatorship banned her from radio & tv. in 1978 she was arrested by soldiers during a performance in la plata, singing about agrarian reform. eventually she was forced out of argentina like many others, only able to return years later when the dictatorship was just about to fall.
i saw her perform in 1995 at zellerbach. i cried when i heard her voice. she was so striking, this round little woman on an almost empty stage, singing about political repression and exile to a room full of exiles. the hall was filled with people from argentina and chile, older than me, who had listened to her music during the dirty war years. longing for their lands and people, they had taken refuge in her singing. the years had passed and now she was singing for them again:
quién dijo que todo está perdido
yo vengo a ofrecer mi corazón
tanta sangre que se llevó el río
yo vengo a ofrecer mi corazón
**
who says all is lost
i come to offer my heart
so much blood carried away by the river
i come to offer my heart
it was beautiful, the camaraderie & cariño in the hall that evening among exiles; and the echo of collective sorrow was like nothing i had ever seen.
now occupied palestine is full of soldiers and checkpoints, mass arrests and political assassination, detention centers and torture. ¿te suena familiar, mercedes? how then not to take the side of the palestinians? how not to loudly oppose the israeli state, the bulldozing of homes, the destruction of families, the blatant theft of land and resources?
i can't listen to her singing now. and i'm reminded of this song, si se calla el cantor (if the singer keeps quiet). it's a song she performs often, written by her compatriota, horacio guarany.
qué ha de ser de la vida si el que canta
no levanta su voz en las tribunas
por el que sufre, por el que no hay
ninguna razón que lo condene a andar sin manta
...
que no calle el cantor porque el silencio
cobarde apaña la maldad que oprime
**
what must life be if he who sings
does not raise his voice on the stand
for the one that suffers, for the one
condemned for no reason to go without
...
may the singer not keep quiet because cowardly silence
provides cover for the evil that oppresses
si se calla el cantor, versión horacio guarany & soledad pastorutti:
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
¡¿rock en francés?!
jeje, so funny. les sales majestés. so not en español.
but definitely sin fronteras! enjoy...
but definitely sin fronteras! enjoy...
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
En el umbral del mundo
Recently I made a mix tape—I mean iTunes playlist—for a friend of mine who was transitioning to a new job. I spent a lot of time combing through my collection to pull together songs that captured everything I thought there was to be reminded of in order to have a healthy transition—how to look back and take lessons without getting stuck, how to look forward without fear. Basically, how to live in the moment, and well, feel excited about the wide-open future.
This is the track list for the CD I eventually made. If you are in need of some inspiration/grounding/good old rockera fun (see Charly García’s “No te sobra una moneda” recorded by Los Enanitos Verdes), I suggest these songs.
Enjoy!
Me Voy Al Mundo - El Barrio (Toda una Decada, Disc 1)
Dormir Soñando - El Gran Silencio (Libres y Locos)
Oleada - Coti Sorokin con Julieta Venegas (there’s also the Julieta-only version on Sí, but I like this one better ‘cuz it has clave.)
El Viento A Favor - Enrique Bunbury (Canciones 1996/2006)
Tren Al Sur - Los Prisioneros (Ni por razón, ni por la fuerza)
No Estuvo Tan Mal - Los Enanitos Verdes (Amores Lejanos)
tengo todo - Café Tacuba (Si No)
¿No Te Sobra Una Moneda? - Los Enanitos Verdes (Guerra Gaucha)
727 - La Gusana Ciega
Hombre Al Agua - Soda Stereo (Canción Animal)
Día Cero - La Ley (Historias e Histeria)
Creo - Los Enanitos Verdes (Big Bang)
Fuera de Mi - La Ley (MTV Unplugged)
Amnesis - Quetzal (Die Cowboy Die)
Que Tengas Suertecita - Enrique Bunbury (El Viaje a Ninguna Parte)
Lucha De Gigantes - Nacha Pop (Amores Perros Soundtrack)
La Gusana Ciega playing "727" last year in Mexicali
This is the track list for the CD I eventually made. If you are in need of some inspiration/grounding/good old rockera fun (see Charly García’s “No te sobra una moneda” recorded by Los Enanitos Verdes), I suggest these songs.
Enjoy!
Me Voy Al Mundo - El Barrio (Toda una Decada, Disc 1)
Dormir Soñando - El Gran Silencio (Libres y Locos)
Oleada - Coti Sorokin con Julieta Venegas (there’s also the Julieta-only version on Sí, but I like this one better ‘cuz it has clave.)
El Viento A Favor - Enrique Bunbury (Canciones 1996/2006)
Tren Al Sur - Los Prisioneros (Ni por razón, ni por la fuerza)
No Estuvo Tan Mal - Los Enanitos Verdes (Amores Lejanos)
tengo todo - Café Tacuba (Si No)
¿No Te Sobra Una Moneda? - Los Enanitos Verdes (Guerra Gaucha)
727 - La Gusana Ciega
Hombre Al Agua - Soda Stereo (Canción Animal)
Día Cero - La Ley (Historias e Histeria)
Creo - Los Enanitos Verdes (Big Bang)
Fuera de Mi - La Ley (MTV Unplugged)
Amnesis - Quetzal (Die Cowboy Die)
Que Tengas Suertecita - Enrique Bunbury (El Viaje a Ninguna Parte)
Lucha De Gigantes - Nacha Pop (Amores Perros Soundtrack)
La Gusana Ciega playing "727" last year in Mexicali
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