When we asked Walter Mercado for his forecast on the possibility of a collaboration between Calle 13 and Rita Indiana Hernández, the stars said yes. We had music in mind (can you imagine the epicness of a chorus going "Si tú le da', yo le doy/Tú sabes, tú sabes, tú sabes que estás que estilla"?), but when at the end of his prediction Walter's face twitched, and through a quarter-of-an-inch orifice in his mouth (the only thing he can manage right now) he told us, "A Residente y a Rita les deseo paz, y mucho, pero mucho cine," we thought he was just high on Botox. It turns out that the trio is actually going all silver-screeny on us: Rita Indiana has just been hired to pen a script for an upcoming Calle 13 movie, along with Puerto Rican Noelia Quintero, who directed the "La hora de volvé" video. Talk about random.
According to Diario Libre, a Dominican daily, they're expected to hand in a script before the summer. Regarding the plot, Quintero told us that "the guys [from Calle 13] picked a couple of premises, when it came to the characters, and we'll be developing the script in full." The team will be using the editing skills of Gab Coss, who worked on both Quintero's La motora roja tiene que aparecer and on Rita Indiana's music video.
Mind you, Hernández already has among other things, a novel (La estrategia de Chochueca), a play (Puentes) and three bands (Casifull, Miti Miti and Los Misterios; four if you count Los Niños Envueltos), so adding the screenwriting credit to her resumé should be a piece of arepa. As a matter of fact, she just called the copyright office, because she's legally slapping her name on the terms Multitasker, Renaissance Woman and Todóloga. And even if we're bigger fans of her music than her writing, given her recent track record we're holding high expectations for this project.
We can't wait to see what an on-screen slap in the face by el reggaeton del futuro feels like. Walter says he wishes he could feel anything in his face again.
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Cuba-Rican artist Sofía Maldonado has explored her concept of the Up-Uptown Latina Manhattanite in a mural on 42nd Street, and we don't know whether to laugh or cry. Her vision of the Harlem/Washington Heights women is as much a fetishist cliché as it is an artistically poor attempt at realism: It includes morenas with too-tiny tank tops holding their saggy breasts and a redhead with the Heights version of the Snooki poof (and the Snooki attire). Unsurprisingly, protesters are expected to rally in front of the piece today at 6:00 p.m.
The whole thing is a 92-foot sign that reads "step backward for Latinas and black women," and reeks of romanticizing. Because according to Maldonado, a white hipster in skinny jeans who went to Pratt, we should celebrate the sartorial manifestations of poverty and exclusion that minority women engage in. "Inspired by my heritage, it illustrates a female aesthetic that is not usually represented in media or fashion advertising in Times Square. It recognizes the beauty of underground cultures such as reggaeton, hip-hop and dancehall and incorporates trends such as nail art and Latina fashion," the 26-year-old artist said.
And that, right there, is some noble savage crap. There is beauty in those subcultures, but Maldonado has somehow managed to only bring out their ugly side. A part of the women that inhabit northern Manhattan and certain parts of Brooklyn and the Bronx do, indeed, walk around with sass to boot in form-fitting, precariously covering clothes, with their nails and their hair did. But what does Maldonado mean when she says that this isn't usually represented in media? It's called the Latina stereotype, and it's everywhere. Everywhere. And it's a product of exclusion, and doesn't celebrate the true workhorses of the Latino community, the men and women who are making it beyond the Hispanic glass ceiling, but on their own terms.
And besides, the whole mural is so 2000's, both in scope and execution.
Sofía, you should have lived up to the cut of your jeans, and said that you were doing this ironically.
Read more after the jump.
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Acclaimed band Cafe Tacuba has pleased audiences around the world for a long time in their 20 year career. Now the Mexican rock group is taking another big step: Cafe Tacuba is going to the big screen.
This new documentary Seguir Siendo: Cafe Tacuba, directed by Ernesto Contreras and José Manuel Cravioto started as a short film of their voyage to Japan, and then extended itself into one and a half hours of the Mexican rockers on tour and on their daily activities. Joselo Rangel, Cafe Tacuba's guitarist, says that this film will be a big event since it shows new aspects of the band fans have never seen before.
The world premiere of Seguir Siendo: Cafe Tacuba took place March 14th at the Guadalajara Film Festival. We're certainly anxious to see this film and see what secrets it holds about one of the greatest Latin rock bands of all time.
After the jump, check out the official poster for Seguir Siendo:Cafe Tacuba and a video interview with director Ernesto Contreras.
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Enrique Bunbury just released a new album called Las Consecuencias, and he's taking it on the road.
The Spaniard has announced more than 20 tour dates across the United States, starting April 24th in El Paso, Texas and ending June 8th in Tucson Arizona.
According to the rock god himself, Las Consecuencias is the darkest and most down tempo he has ever recorded. Indeed, we've been blasting it in the Remezcla Headquarterz and we've fallen under a mysterious, acoustic, Bunburesque spell. We even started wearing aviator glasses indoors. The album includes the popular song "Frente a Frente", a cover of that classic 1981 Jeannette song with Miren Iza, from the Spanish band Tulsa.
Find out the locations and dates for Bunbury's tour and watch his new video after the jump.
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In case you missed it in all the media sound bites, there's a new "richest person in the world" and he is MEXICAN! Move over Billy Gates and Mr. Buffet, Forbes just released their “World’s Billionaires 2010” list, naming Carlos Slim Helu the new champion of wealth.
The Mexican tycoon whose holding include American Movil (AMX) is worth $53.5 billion, can you even visualize it? While it’s still not as much as the American National debt, El Tio Carlos could buy the country and sell it to the Chinese at profit.
The big picture here is, if he could do it...then every Carlos, Maria and Anita could do it TOO. Before you start sending your wish list, give me a second to re-address my letter to Oprah, cuz now I got my Tio Carlos! ...READ MORE
The ever chameleonic Rubén Albarrán, from Café Tacuba, has decided to shake up more than his stage name this time. The singer, formerly known as Anónimo et al, introduced his new project at the Jardín Borda, as part of the Festival Tamoanchán de Morelos. As expected, the band doesn't have a permanent name, but for now, the funky Los ZopiRockets will do. Apart from Tacuba's ¡Pinche Juan!, aka Cosme, other band members include mad violinist and Cafeta collaborator Alejandro Flores, as well as Chilean artists Juan Pablo and Rodrigo “El Chino”.
Albarrán claims that his latest work was inspired by the sound of folkloric tunes and the memory of endlessly listening to his mother's albums. He claims that although he had composed such covers before, this was something he felt he had to do. That attitude reminds us of Café Tacuba, an honest and refreshing band when it comes to their music.
I know that Café Tacuba fans must be feeling somewhat nervous, seeing Albarrán part aside and do his own thing, but remember that it's for a greater good, in the name of pretty interesting music. Besides, who knows? Maybe Los ZopiRockets will become the next Café Tacuba.
Videos after the jump.
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Nothing's more endearing than realizing the man of your physical dreams is also in touch with his feelings, and has no qualms with expressing them freely. Take Billy Mendez, for example (not to be confused with the lead singer of Mexican band Motel). The Uruguay-born artist sings and writes from the heart, and fortunately for our vain selves, isn't bad on the eyes.
Billy used to dream of stardom from a young age, which is why he decided to head to Florida. There, he started writing for local artists in Miami and in New York, his hometown. Although he's currently unsigned, he's managed to start recording his first solo album, and hopes to one day share a stage with Shakira. Although most of the songs are ballads, it also features some pop, R&B and more Latino sounds.
Billy has chosen the mushy-wushy "Miradas" as his first single, check out the music video after the jump.
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It’s that time of year… as college students around the country pack their bags for Panama City and Cancun, music nerds all over embark on an alternative spring break of their own and head to …TEXAS!
Das right… it’s South by Southwest (SXSW and you say it "South By") time, and Remezcla is Lonestar State-bound to take in five days of non-stop musica, and report back with our findings.
South by South-Whaaa?
Part conference, part festival, SXSW isn’t just industry schmoozing for the jaded and snobby (though there’s plenty of that)–it’s any music lover’s wet dream; a five day party like no other …with quite the soundtrack. The streets of downtown Austin are closed off, making way for the crazy mix of bands, fans, press, groupies, bloggers, label execs, and wannabes to mingle and roam freely from party to showcase to BBQ to party to showcase… catering nicely to impromptu street performances, not to mention quality people watching.
SXSW is where many bands “get discovered,” and while previously it was all about getting signed by a label, now it’s more about catching the attention of bloggers, brands, and tastemakers, and just creating general buzzzzzzz. Traditionally an indie-rock (en inglés) affair, SXSW has gotten progressively more eclectic over the years, and 2010 offers up a verrrry long list of Latin American, Spanish, Brazilian, and US-based Latino acts that we couldn’t catch anywhere else.
Media outlets and brands dominate the daytime fun at “South By,” with afternoon open-bar parties and BBQs with more free music than anyone could possible keep track of. The official showcases take priority at night, giving you the opportunity to catch the next big thing (and plenty of already big things) in a small club setting that you couldn’t ever get at Coachella, Lollapalooza, or the like. Post showcases, afterparties take over, with DJs (and more bands) galore until the wee hours of the morning (or till the Austin po-lice shut things down…). Sleep is optional, but recommended.
SXSW 2010
This year, we're very pumped about having our second annual Official Remezcla.com Showcase, this time in conjunction with BMI! More details about our Showcase here and make sure to follow all the action in our Remezcla SXSW 2010 Guide.
See you in Austin or follow our adventures online!
Image: N.A.S.A. at the Filter party at SXSW '09
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As a native of Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic, I always prayed for two things when it came to public transportation: One, the demise of the unholy mess known as AMET, the transportation authority that requires a -40 IQ of its traffic conductors. And two, that Enrique Peñalosa, the Colombian urban planning mastermind, would somehow get to be our mayor. Peñalosa is often canonized for his outstanding overhaul of Bogota's public transportation system, and one of his go-to strategies was the cost-friendly dedicated bus lane system called Transmilenio.
My prayers have been half-answered. The AMET is still the lion pack of Santo Domingo's concrete jungle, but a Peñalosa-influenced system is now making its way to my current home, New York City: The Department Of Transportation announced yesterday that the Transitway, a dedicated bus lane system will soon be in place on a 34th St crosstown route. According to Streetsblog, the plan "adds full separation from traffic, with two-way bus service operating on one side of the street." It also includes a pedestrian plaza between Fifth and Sixth avenues, and it's projected to "improve [bus speeds] 35 percent, cutting river-to-river travel time to 20 minutes."
Color me shocked. Is America The Mighty actually importing ideas from its southern neighbors? For a nation that aims to see itself as a green think tank, it must be humbling to be fishing for ideas in Colombia, of all places. If anything, even I would have expected the ideas to come from (fingers crossed) future world superpower Brazil.
But wait! The dedicated bus lane idea did come from Brazil, after all: Peñalosa's direct inspiration hails from the fast-flowing streets of Curitiba, Brazil's own green think tank. The city's URBS lines have offered dedicated express lines since the early 90's, and the tube-shaped street-level stations work the same way a subway platform would, enabling pre-boarding payment and line transfers. I remember being marveled at the nearly seamless and comparatively inexpensive system when I visited South Brazil, and became a full-on devotee when I made use of its Mexican offspring, the Mexico City Metrobus.
But I'm confused now. Does this mean that America could partially downgrade to developing status (after all, Saint Peñalosa opted for Transmilenio after the subway option was deemed to expensive), or that Brazil, Mexico and Colombia are getting closer to development? There might be a silver lining to the economic downturn in the urban planning sector: This might just be the decade of truly, not-just-for-show cost-effective solutions, regardless of their origin. All I know is that somewhere in the world, Julia Sweig is having a laugh.
VIA: Fast Company
Image: DOT
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As we all know another earthquake shook the earth once again, but this time it was in South America, unfortunately in Chile. Chile is located under the "Circle of Fire" one of the most seismic zones in the world, and although it was not as damaged as Haiti our Chilean brothers and sisters need our help. Communications are down and highways have been greatly damaged. Many stand without roofs and rescue teams are still working to find people in between what has been destroyed.
Wondering what can be done? You can from right here, and this Thursday is your chance. Tomorrow, March 4th, Puro Chile, an organization located in downtown Manhattan along with Nesst are hosting a benefit party that will support local Chilean non-profit organizations that are channeling assistance to communities on the ground.
At this event, art and wine auctions will take place. Fine arts artists and performers from Chile will be present, among them Jorge Tacla, Sebastian Errazuriz and jazz musician Claudia Nuñez performing. Don't miss this opportunity to help Chile and also have a charming and entertaining night.
Puro Chile is located at 221 Centre Street (across of Grand Street) and the event will be from 6pm to 10pm. You can also RSVP at info@puro-chile.com ...READ MORE
Your complete guide to Latin music at SXSW Music Festival and Conference 2010.
Check out the lineup and listen and download…
I don’t know which one of you marrrditas…
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