Tuesday, March 31, 2009

lumumba

leili sent me a link to this documentary, death colonial style : the execution of patrice lumumba, which is a dissection of events leading up to the assassination of lumumba, the pan-africanist anti-colonial leader and first democratically elected prime minister of the congo. the coup d'etat that deposed him just 10 weeks into office & his subsequent execution were orchestrated covertly by belgium & the united states. incredibly this documentary contains interviews with a few of the actual asesinos de mierda who took part. i'm the last person to have any kind of faith in any international "justice" system, still i was kind of taken aback. i mean how are these guys just sitting there?! there's a belgian asshole that still has lumumba's teeth as a souvenir. it's disgusting. pinches imperialistas. que se chingen.

**

these lines are translated from patrice lumumba's speech on 30 june 1960, congolese independence day. it is said this speech sealed his fate, classified him permanently as an enemy of the imperialists...

Men and women of the Congo, Victorious fighters for independence, today victorious, I greet you in the name of the Congolese Government...

We are proud of this struggle, of tears, of fire, and of blood, to the depths of our being, for it was a noble and just struggle, and indispensable to put an end to the humiliating slavery which was
imposed upon us by force. This was our fate for eighty years of a colonial regime; our wounds are too fresh and too painful still for us to drive them from our memory. We have known harassing work, exacted in exchange for salaries which did not permit us to eat enough to drive away hunger, or to clothe ourselves, or to house ourselves decently, or to raise our children as creatures dear to us...

We have seen our lands seized in the name of allegedly legal laws which in fact recognized only that might is right. We have seen that the law was not the same for a white and for a black, accommodating for the first, cruel and inhuman for the other. We have witnessed atrocious sufferings of those condemned for their political opinions or religious beliefs; exiled in their own country, their fate truly worse than death itself. We have seen that in the towns there were magnificent houses for the whites and crumbling shanties for the blacks, that a black was not admitted in the motion-picture houses, in the restaurants, in the stores of the Europeans; that a black traveled in the holds, at the feet of the whites in their luxury cabins. Who will ever forget the massacres where so many of our brothers perished, the cells into which those who refused to submit to a regime of oppression and exploitation were thrown? All that, my brothers, we have endured...

But we, whom the vote of your elected representatives have given the right to direct our dear country, we who have suffered in our body and in our heart from colonial oppression, we tell you very loud, all that is henceforth ended. The Republic of the Congo has been proclaimed, and our country is now in the hands of its own children. Together, my brothers, my sisters, we are going to begin a new struggle, a sublime struggle, which will lead our country to peace, prosperity, and greatness. Together, we are going to establish social justice and make sure everyone has just remuneration for his labor. We are going to show the world what the black man can do when he works in freedom, and we are going to make of the Congo the center of the sun's radiance for all of Africa...





**

y éstas, leilita, son para ti... dedicadas con mucho cariño :)


patrice lumumba : yuri buenaventura




vive patrice lumumba : vicky longomba

Sunday, March 29, 2009

diablos blancos

jajaja. did you hear lula's recent remarks? from friday's financial times:

Speaking in Brasília at a joint press conference with Gordon Brown, the UK prime minister, Mr Lula da Silva told reporters: "This crisis was caused by the irrational behaviour of white people with blue eyes, who before the crisis appeared to know everything and now demonstrate that they know nothing."

He added: "I do not know any black or indigenous bankers so I can only say [it is wrong] that this part of mankind which is victimised more than any other should pay for the crisis."

Mr Brown appeared to distance himself from Mr Lula da Silva's remarks. "I'm not going to attribute blame to any individuals," he said.

eric said lula's probably tired of being the most right of the latin american left so it was time to say something clever & inflammatory. jeje, maybe so. in any case, that's some hugo chavez-quality comedic style. i like it. and anyway, he's right. as the argentinos were singing in their popular demonstrations about the economic crisis when i was there last december... ¡¡¡¡que pague el patrón!!!!



mafalda by quino :)


las casitas del barrio alto
: la pozze latina (original victor jara)



¿por qué los ricos? : los prisioneros

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

The class-war goes boy band

Thanks to the FMLN victory in El Salvador, Ali Primera has finally made an appearance on the blog. We all know how La Cumbiambera loves those family acts, so here are all four of Primera’s oh-so-glamorous sons covering one of his many wonderful songs addressing economic injustice. Te presento a Servando y Florentino con sus hermanos Sandino y JuanSimón.



And here is the original Primera version.



P.S. Like all treasured Latin American songs, “Las Casas de Cartón” has been covered by an array of artists from various countries including Los Guaraguaos of the Primeras' own Venezuela, Javier Alvarez of Spain, and, of course, Mexico’s Los Bukis.

Monday, March 23, 2009

malas vidas

cada día se la traga mi corazón...

hmm... little manu chao is so much easier to appreciate than big manu chao, que no? here is mano negra, featuring a little manu chao circa 1992. oh man, que rola! good for all times.

mala vida : mano negra



and did you know there is a gypsy-punk version? ahh, gogol bordello. i didn't know they covered this song, but look here it is. something undeniably delightful about hearing them yell gitana mía over and over again into the mic...

mala vida
: gogol bordello


Saturday, March 21, 2009

¡bienvenida primavera!

looks like rain...

parece que va a llover : kumbia all-starz



ay, put a shirt on, young man, que parece que va a llover ;)

Monday, March 16, 2009

dále, salvadoreño

alí primera sings to el salvador (nicaragua, 1983)...

dále que la marcha es lenta
pero sigue siendo marcha
dále que empujando al sol
se acerca la madrugada

...

dále salvadoreño, dále
que no hay pájaro pequeño, dále
que después de alzar el vuelo, dále
se detenga en su volar...


**

go on, the march is slow
but it's still a march
go on, pushing at the sun
brings closer the dawn
...

go on, salvadoreño, go on
there is no little bird
which after it takes flight
stops in mid-air...


alí primera : el sombero azul





gracias, mariana y liliana :)

Sunday, March 15, 2009

victory to the fmln!

oh my goodness, i just almost cannot believe it. ¡ganó el frente! a half hour ago the right-wing arena candidate conceded defeat to mauricio funes, and the frente farabundo martí para la liberación nacional (fmln) in el salvador's presidential elections.



foto : reuters

¡¡¡felicitaciones!!! so many people have waited so long to see arena finally fall, and today they showed up to the polls in record numbers. people are celebrating in the streets of el salvador right now :)

¡¡adelante, américa latina!!

years ago my friend diego said to me: you know, memory, like blood, is inherited. he was telling me about his mother and grandmother and their participation in the popular mobilizations in colombia for land reform & workers rights in the 1930s & 40s, and explaining his own concientización in the legacy of those same fights in the 60s. because we fight not just our own fights but also those of our parents and grandparents which are also ours...here is the story of farabundo martí (after whom the fmln is named)...


Thursday, March 12, 2009

u.s. out of (fill in the blank)!!!

despite their elaborate electoral fraud machine, decades of u.s. military intervention on their behalf, and 20 years of successfully buying/stealing the salvadoran presidency, the pro-ruling class anti-communist arena party is behind in the polling for this sunday's presidential elections in el salvador. last weekend the fmln manifestación in the capital supporting their candidate, mauricio funes, drew 250,000 people.

for sure, the fmln candidate this time around is no schafik handel (comunista! guerrillero! palestino!). the late beloved leader of the salvadoran communist party & former comandante in the armed struggle was the fmln's candidate last time around, and the united states used the occasion to threaten salvadorans that if they elected him that would be like electing a terrorist (ahh, so familiar, no?) and they could expect to be dealt with accordingly. as i said funes is no handel, but of course the republicans are at it again.

46 congressional republicans last week signed a letter, main sections of which ran in the country's most circulated daily el diario de hoy. it said this:

tenemos graves preocupaciones de que una victoria electoral del fmln podría propiciar vínculos entre el salvador y los regímenes en venezuela, irán, cuba y otros estados que promueven el terrorismo, así como con otros regímenes no democráticos y con organizaciones terroristas...

we have grave worries that an electoral victory by the fmln could facilitate ties between el salvador & regimes in venezuela, iran, cuba and other states that promote terrorism, and with other non-democratic regimes and terrorist organizations.


cispes (the comittee in solidarity with the people of el salvador) is reporting that speeches have also started on the floor of the u.s. house of representatives, which specifically reference the remittances that salvadorans in the u.s. send home:

rep. dan burton stated, “those monies that are coming from here to there i am confident will be cut, and i hope the people of el salvador are aware of that because it will have a tremendous impact on individuals and their economy.”

bueno, funes is a former journalist who is on the moderate side of things politically. still, a victory for the fmln would break arena's stranglehold on the presidency and tip the balance of forces in central america (and latin america generally) just that much more to the left. and who knows, the organized popular forces in latin america have recently been known to push a leftist president or two a little more to the left ...

an fmln win is far from guaranteed though. in addition to unlimited funds courtesy of the salvadoran oligarchy, control of the electoral commission, and ready access to anti-fmln rhetoric by u.s. politicians, arena of course has a deep history of political violence. yeni, from sf cispes, is in el salvador right now and sent out a communication which reported the assassination of two young fmln activists last night in
san salvador...

¡abajo los derechistas!
¡todo el poder al pueblo!
u.s. out of everywhere!!!!!!!


vamos a la lucha : los torogoces de morazan







Monday, March 9, 2009

Feliz Dia Internacional de la Mujer!

¡Bueno, mejor tarde que nunca!
Disculpen por no haber hecho esto ayer, pero tengo una gripa super feroz. Quiero dedicar “Violencia Machista” por Ska-P a todas las mujeres que son abusadas fisicamente, mentalmente, economicamente, y sexualmente por sus parejas, sus familias, sus comunidadades, o algun gobierno. ¡Como dice la canción, ARMATE!

Well, better late than never!
Sorry for not posting this yesterday, but I have a super fierce flu. I want to dedicate “Violencia Machista” by Ska-P to all the women that are abused physically, mentally, economically, and sexually by their partners, families, communities, or some government. As the song says, ARM YOURSELF!





Letra a "Violencia Machista" de SKA-P

Toda la vida aguantando un infierno conyugal
Su boca huele a ginebra y su cuerpo huele mal
Sigues pasando los días evadiendo la realidad
El miedo brilla en tus ojos, hoy te ha vuelto a golpear

No merece la pena, mujer, tu pasividad
No merece la pena, mujer, debes de actuar
No merece la pena, mujer, tu pasividad
No merece la pena, mujer, ármate

Violencia machista, violencia machista
Violencia machista, violencia machista

Como cada día, una nueva vejación
Como cada noche, una nueva violación
Palabras de amenaza que se pueden consumar
El miedo te enmudece, ya no puedes aguantarlo más

No, ni una más, no te dejes humillar
Abandónale, que se pudra en soledad
Ven, sal de ahí, date una oportunidad
Rompe de una vez las cadenas, vuelve a la libertad

Violencia machista, violencia machista
Violencia machista, violencia machista

Fuiste a denunciarlo y aquí no ha pasado "na"
Nadie mueve un dedo en esta puta sociedad
Llorando te preguntas hasta cuándo va a durar
Conoces a ese cerdo y sabes que pronto se vengará

No, ni una más, no te dejes humillar
Abandónale, que se pudra en soledad
Ven, sal de ahí, date una oportunidad
Rompe de una vez las cadenas, vuelve a la libertad

Violencia machista, violencia machista
Violencia machista, violencia machista

Al día siguiente la audiencia subió
en todos los reality shows
Víctima de una terrible agresión su larga agonía acabó
Mientras la ley no te quiera
escuchar y siga dormido ese juez
Mientras el mundo no quiera cambiar, autodefensa mujer.

Defiénte, defiénte
Defiénte, defiénte

Si estás en la misma situación
Defiénte
Si ya no queda otra solución
Defiénte
Si alguien te trata de imponer
Defiénte
Enséñale tus dientes mujer

Sunday, March 8, 2009

¡feliz día internacional de la mujer!

miren compañeros, la verdad es que no se puede hacer la revolución sin la participación de las mujeres... / look, comrades, the truth is you can't make the revolution without women...

: el zenzontle pregunta por arlen





foto: zapatista women (selva lacandona, chiapas). gracias,
oriana eliçabe.


las roqueras would like to wish you a happy international women's day! and dedicate songs...

from la cumbiambera:

Written in response to the Argentine economic crisis earlier this decade, this song is an homage to women who handle business. So to all of us women who are forces to be reckoned with, Rock-n-roll, sisters.

mujer maravilla : los enanitos verdes




from diabólica:

this song is about arlen siu, one of the first female sandinista martyrs in the fight against the somoza dictatorship in nicaragua. a student militant, cultural worker, and guerrillera, she died in combat in 1972 at 20 years of age. ¡presente!

el zenzontle pregunta por arlen
: norma helena gadea & carlos mejía godoy




Friday, March 6, 2009

serrat cancels in israel!!!!!!!!

hurray!!! joan manuel serrat cancels plans to sing in israel, because of "the israeli army's attack on palestine":

Cuando se le preguntó sobre los rumores que indicaban la posibilidad de cantar en Israel, se mostró sorprendido. “¿Quién dice que yo voy a ir a Israel? Hubo negociaciones para hacer unas actuaciones en mayo, pero estas conversaciones hace más de un mes que fueron suspendidas a raíz del ataque del ejército israelí a Palestina”

: from la gaceta, in a report on his show in tucumán


he suggests that the cancellation happened awhile ago (ie, before the open letter to him), but this is the first account of him addressing it publicly directly. whatever. at least someone is doing the right thing here. i mean, the left thing! ¡éso!


¡que viva la resistencia del pueblo! ¡que viva palestina libre!


joan manuel serrat : nanas de cebolla *



* the lyrics to this song come from miguel hernández, a spanish
republican poet who was jailed for his anti-fascist ideas during the franco dictatorship. the words are a bittersweet love poem to his wife & baby, written from his incarceration. the video above combines serrat's version of the poem with archival filmed footage from 1930s spain.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Futbol for the People...y Maldita Vecindad

Ya pronto viene el verano...

red star, hammer & sickle



image : ezln flag



estrella roja :
panteón rococo




llevo en mi playera una estrella roja

igual no creo que sea una moda
tome la bandera que tu abandonaste
sali a la calle y tu te quedaste...

**

i wear on my shirt a red star
anyway i know it's not the fashion
i took up the flag that you abandoned
i took to the streets & you stayed behind...




jaja ;) that image is from toothpaste for dinner.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

don't think twice

i gave her my heart but she wanted my soul
but don't think twice, it's all right

i passed by a man singing these lines the other day, which reminded me that i really like this dylan song...

don't think twice, it's all right : bob dylan



apparently lots of other people also like it; there are a zillion covers. here's a particularly nice one by joan baez.

don't think twice, it's all right : joan baez