El Grupo Ecos Borincanos: Keeping Jibaro Music Alive!

El Grupo Ecos Borincanos played at this past weekend's Puerto Rican Festival in Rochester, NY; next, Market Street Park, Auburn New York, 6 pm!

Here's a clip of their rendition of Preciosa.

Do American Indians Look "Hispanic" or Do "Hispanics" Look American Indian?

srikrishnajay...

- There is a problem in the U.S. with the label Hispanic.
- The problem is people are redefining the term.
- The correct term for the label Hispanic; refers to those peoples of origin of Southern Europe. [Hispania]
- Here are some facts that can help you understand.
Hispanic is a term that goes back to the time of Romans [The true Latinos].
- Hispanic is someone of, from, or pertaining to the historical region of Hispania.
- Hispania is the name that Romans used to call the southern part of Europe, what is now "modern" Spain.
- From Hispania you get España.
- The Romans used the term Hispanus in Latin to refer those from Hispania (Spain).
- Hispanus is Latin for the Castilian (Spanish) word Hispano.
- In todays days now the term has changed and people are misusing this label, specially the U.S. Who considers "Hispanic " anyone who lives in the United States of "Latin America" Origin and can be of any Race, Black/African descent, White/Caucasian, Asian and/or Amerindian/Native American.
- The term of Hispanic in the United States is obviously wrong and Idiotic.

Puerto Rico in the '40s

This lovely photo montage captures what my parents shared w/me and my siblings through stories, song and traditions about life on the island in the '40s. It's quite emotional for those of us of the Great Migration.

Also, I suspect many of our fellow Latino migrants--especially today's abused immigrant workers--can relate as well.

Mercedes Sosa, R.I.P.

Argentine folk singer Mercedes Sosa, the "voice of Latin America" whose music inspired opponents of South America's brutal military regimes and led to her forced exile in Europe, died today. She was 74.

Watch the video for a glimpse into what made 'La Negra' beloved by the people and hated by the powerful.



Links:
Calló la voz y la vida de Mercedes Sosa - http://bit.ly/LaNegra
Argentine folk singer Mercedes Sosa dies aged 74 - http://bit.ly/LaNegra2
Mercedes Sosa - wikipedia

Who is Latino? The Flores Test

Who is Latino? is a question on the minds of many.

Here's one way of figuring whether you are or are not Latino:

Watch 'Emigrante Latino' by the Salvadorean group 'Los Hermanos Flores', and if you're not deeply moved by the music, images and the words, you're NOT Latino.

If you have Latin American family heritage--in whole or in part--and you feel deep empathy, a connection, to the people in the song, then you ARE Latino.

Are you Latino?

Justice Sotomayor Throws 1st Pitch at Yankee Stadium

WH Celebrates the 'Puerto Rican girl from the Bronx' -- Justice Sonia Sotomayor

Related:
'Puerto Rican girl from the Bronx' now Justice Sotomayor - Orlando Sentinel
Justice Sotomayor celebrated at the White House - Newsday
Sotomayor grateful to nation for unlikely rise - WCAX Vermont
UFW President Gets Invite To White House For Sotomayor - KERO23 Bakersfield
Obama lauds Sotomayor’s confirmation at White House reception - WashingtonTV

Shakira's She Wolf

Click here for the video.

She Wolf is pure eroticism featuring Shakira's dance beat and signature curves. It's a shocking, mesmerizing, and some would say disturbing, exhibition. Many of her fans will love it. Others will be disappointed.

I'm a big Shakira fan. IMO, few artists -- commercial or otherwise -- command sound, image, rhythm and motion to evoke a feeling or idea as masterfully as she does. However, the risk for Shakira is that her performances may become too much about her -- her image, sexiness, curves, psyche.

Q: At night, the woman (i..e, Shakira's character) is at her animalistic peak when caged. A contradiction, no?

A: While most are shocked to see this side of her, the video goes with the lyrics. She is not signing about going to church. She is singing about having a moment when your sensuality wants to be known. The lyrics state that her partner is clearly taking advantage of her, and ignoring her sexuality. If you look at her other videos she clearly follows ... the tone of what her songs state. I have been a fan since I was 12, and though this one is different, I can acknowledge the fact that the sexiest parts of the video are when she is in the cage. Thus directly illustrating the point of the "She wolf," being locked in the cage. Stephanie C.

Delilah Tollinchi - Latina Funk Rocker

The following was excerpted from Delilah's bio written by friend Jada Gomez:

Delilah Tollinchi is a New York City singer/songwriter with a gutsy blend of rock/blues soul, enhanced with a bit of Latin flavor. Delilah's strong spirit fuels her powerful voice and high octane live show.

Born and raised in the South Bronx, Delilah hails from a family with deep musical roots. Her father is a musician, and her uncle, Julio Colon, is the leader and singer/songwriter for Plena Luna. Actress Christina Souza is Delilah's sister.

Delilah's passion for songwriting was inspired by her granduncle Chiquitin Garcia, the famous songwriter for Puerto Rico's legendary group El Gran Combo.

discodivadelilah (15 images) - Photobucket

Latino Conan O'Brien -- Conando!

Spoofing the telenovela genre funny man, Tonight Show host, and new Angeleno, Conan O'Brien, unveiled a new Spanish speaking character -- a Latino alter ego, Conando.

The interest around the Latino blogosphere is not in Conan's comedic talents, but in identifying the Latina actor that plays the bride rescued by Conando. For example, blogger Matt Reyes of Twitteros asks, "Who's the hot bride?

Sotomayor Day 3: Wise Latina By TKO (w/an Assist From Pat Buchanan)

TKO! Game-over...Sonia Sotomayor wins. Now we'll just have wait for the vote to make it official.

Why am I so sure it's over?

Simple. The Republican's only line of attack against Sotomayor -- a veteran jurist deemed highly qualified by the American Bar Association and previously vetted and confirmed by both Republicans and Democrats -- is the anthesis of her race-baiting, facists and patronizing prosecutors inspired by the leader of the Republicans Rush Limbaugh and former Republican presidential candidate Patrick Buchanan.

Watch Cenk and Maddow rip the Buchanan for his unapologetic white supremacist campaign against Sotomayor.

It's simply beyond laughable to believe that Sotomayor is the racist, and Buchanan, the true believer in civil rights.

IMO, Their ugly strategy has backfired!

Watch how a number of Republicans will seek to distant themselves from the ugly racists of their party will now vote for Sotomayor.

Sotomayor's Opening Statement

Judge Sonia Sotomayor delivers her opening statement during the first day of her confirmation hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Once confirmed, Sotomayor would be the first Latino and third woman to serve on the United State Supreme Court.

A Little Guajira Invented the Cappuccino!

Who invented the Cappuccino?

Capuchin friar Marco d'Aviano (circa 1683) is given credited, but I'm not so sure.

Supposedly, sacks of Turkish coffee were captured when the Romans repelled the Muslim invaders. However, the soldiers found straight up espresso was too bitter for their palate. Friar d'Aviano's heavenly brainstorm was to add frothy milk and sweetner to the black brew. Thus was borne the Cappuccino -- and the metrosexual Romano!

Far fetched? I think so.

Los Romanos reigned for centuries as the baddest of Europe -- a ruthless and fearsome killing machine, but to drink coffee these lords of war needed sugar and frothy milk? Hmmmm. (On 2nd thought, perhaps it's true. After all, while some men drank Scotch, Rum, Vodka and Tequila, Romans preferred syrupy and fruity concoctions, e.g., Amaretto, Sambuca and Cianti.)

A more plausible story? How about a little Guajira Cubana -- Carrie's abuelita -- as creator of the Cappuccino! Y Por Que No?

Watch the video!

George Lopez on The View

Hip Hop & Latino Social Resistance (Why We Are NOT HisPANIC!)

"The characters in the film exemplified to us the true definition of a revolutionary leader. As filmmakers and immigrants from Latin America we were inspired by their commitment to justice and their unwillingness to compromise the truth in the face of poverty, racism and repressive military regimes." -- Vee Bravo & Loira Limbal

Chronicling the emergence of hip hop in Brazil, Chile, and Cuba, Estilo Hip Hop examines the regional politics that underscore the growth of hip hop's global appeal.

Against a backdrop of breathtaking landscapes are three hip hop enthusiasts, Guerrillero Okulto, Eli Efi and Magia., who all believe the music can change the world. As Estilo Hip Hop delves into their lives, the film explores the movements they lead in hip hop and the personal price they must pay because of their political stances.

Estilo Hip Hop will have its broadcast premiere on the PBS WORLD series Global Voices, Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 10 PM (check local listings).

Estilo Hip Hop Trailer

National Puerto Rican Day Parade 2009 -- Video

Video from the 2009 National Puerto Rican Day Parade w/promos for the 2010 Central American Games in Mayaguez and cued to music. 7:04 minutes

Links:
National Puerto Rican Day Parade website
Puerto Rican Day Parade info and facts

Taino Music & Photo Video

Awarak Wakia Tribe of Ponce, Puerto Rico presented in music and photos.

Latino Films @ Tribeca Film Fest '09

Entre Nos
Shortly after she totes her two children from Colombia to reunite with her husband in Queens, New York, Mariana's (Paola Mendoza) life is devastatingly turned around when he abandons her to fend for herself in a hard-knock new country.

Mariana desperately searches for work against the unwieldy city landscape, but she and her kids can't help their treacherous slide into homelessness. Struggling to build a network of allies, like Preet (Sarita Choudury) a single working mother, to help provide for her family, Mariana resourcefully navigates a surprising avenue for making some money—the city's recycling.

With the help of her 10-year-old son, who must come of age early to keep his family together, and her young daughter's charm, the family joins forces to face the odds together.

Primary Cast: Paola Mendoza, Sebastian Villada Lopez, Laura Montana Cortez, Andres Munar, Sarita Choudhury, Anthony Chisholm
Director: Paola Mendoza, Gloria La Morte
Screenwriters: Gloria La Morte, Paola Mendoza
Producers: Joseph La Morte, Michael Skolnik
Executive Producers: Bob Alexander, Ryan Harrington
Director of Photography: Bradford Young
Editor: Gloria La Morte
Original Score: Gil Talmi

Garapa
Director José Padilha (Bus 174) follows up his Golden Bear-winning Elite Squad (TFF '08) with this austere, unflinching examination of the realities of chronic hunger for three Brazilian families.

Rosa, Robertina, and Lucia live in variously urbanized areas of Brazil, but all share the daily struggle with acute undernourishment, which forces them to feed their children garapa, a cheap mixture of sugar and water effective at staving off hunger pangs but devoid of nutritional value.

This is a degree of poverty relegated to statistics, too often stripped of its human face and of the lived experience of such profound deprivation.

Director: José Padilha
Producers: José Padilha, Marcos Prado
Executive Producers: James D'Arcy, Mariana Bentes
Director of Photography: Marcela Bourseau
Editor: Felipe Lacerda
Sound: Yan Saldanha
Sound Mixer: Rodrigo Noronha

The Lost Son of Havana
Filmmaker Jonathan Hock (Through the Fire, TFF '05) accompanies Tiant on his long-awaited return to his homeland after a 46-year exile. Hock shows a conflicted man. By most accounts Tiant has led a great life, but he now finds himself filled with thoughts of guilt for those left behind who toiled in poverty and watched his heroics from afar.

Hock's film is not simply the story of a baseball star, but a representation of how 50 years of Cuban-American relations (or lack thereof) have affected so many living on opposite sides of that 90-mile divide.

Primary Cast: Luis Tiant, Carlton Fisk, Carl Yastrzemski, Peter Gammons, The Tiant Family of Havana
Director: Jonathan Hock
Screenwriter: Jonathan Hock
Producer: Kris Meyer
Co-Producers: Philip Aromando, Victor J. Melfa, Jr.
Executive Producers: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly
Director of Photography: Alastair Christopher
Editors: Steven Pilgrim, John Walter
Narrated by: Chris Cooper

Nueva York
Multiple stories of Latino life in the Big Apple interweave to show us what it takes to make it and how Latinos live together and support each other in the big city. From the well-established to the newly arrived, Latinos are connected to each other in so many ways.

Primary Cast: Javier Kato, Israel Hernandez, Julissa Roman, Laura Gomez, Carolina Ravassa, Arturo Del Puerto, Gary Cruz
Director: Manolo Celi
Screenwriter: Manolo Celi
Producers: Heather Murphy, Manolo Celi
Director of Photography: Sherman Johnson
Assistant Director: Fergal O'Gorman
Production Manager: Yiya Garcia
Art Directors: Ivette Mederos, Cory Allen

Oda a La Piña
This musical parody, an homage to the poem that forged Cuban cultural identity, centers on a cabaret dancer who suddenly loses her rhythm.

Primary Cast: Limara Menezes, Mario Guerra Ferrera, Jose Antonio Rodriguez, Veronica Diaz, Jose Antonip de la Nuez
Director: Laimir Fano
Screenwriter: Laimir Fano
Producer: Andre Leao
Director of Photography: Alvaro Rodriguez
Editor: Aldo Alvarez
Sound: Marco Toledo

Only When I Dance
Tears stream down young Isabela's innocent face as the slender, gazelle-like girl is told she needs to slim down even more if she wants to turn her passion into her career. Like Isabela, Irlan's strictly regimented days leave him no time to be an average teenager.

Isabela and Irlan are ballet dancers. And though they have the talent, they don't look like all the others.

Ballet has long been the rarified and elitist domain of the white upper class, but these two black high schoolers from Rio de Janeiro's working-class favelas are determined to succeed in this physically and emotionally demanding discipline.

Director Beadie Finzi's inspiring documentary trails the dancers and their tough-love mentor from Brazil to New York on one critical, competition-fueled year in their lives.

> P-Star Rising
In the early '80s, Jesse Diaz was a rising star in the hip-hop world. Now he's a broke single father living in a Harlem shelter with two children to support. But Jesse finally finds a shot at redemption in his nine-year-old daughter Priscilla, a precocious and immensely talented rapper.
With older daughter Solsky the family's quiet cheerleader, Jesse and Priscilla look to parlay "P-Star's" talent into victory for the whole family. And that means long rehearsals, late nights, and home schooling for the growing girl. But as Priscilla's star really begins to rise, it'll tax all the relationships in her life and test Jesse in ways he never expected.

Primary Cast: Priscilla Star Diaz, Jesse Diaz, Solsky Diaz
Director: Gabriel Noble
Producer: Marjan Tehrani
Editor: David Abelson
Executive Producers: Ryan Harrington, Bob Alexander
Director of Photography: Gabriel Noble
Composers: Ion Furjanic & B.Satz All-Stars

Rudo y Cursi
Gael García Bernal (Tato, aka Cursi) and Diego Luna (Beto, aka Rudo) reunite on-screen as a pair of thick headed stepbrothers who work all day on their family's banana ranch and get their kicks playing on a local soccer team. But when a slickly dressed, smooth-tongued recruiter, played hilariously by Guillermo Francella, eyes them for the big leagues, their small-town brotherly rivalry explodes onto the professional playing field.

Colorful and full of energy, the film lightheartedly explores the brothers' sky-rocket ride to fame and all its dirty emissions. But in good times and bad, blood proves thicker than water—endorsement deals, supermodels, and penalty shots aside.

Primary Cast: Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Guillermo Francella, Dolores Heredia, Adriana Paz, Jessica Mas
Director: Carlos Cuarón
Screenwriter: Carlos Cuarón
Producer: Alfonso Cuarón, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Guillermo del Toro, Frida Torresblanco

Which Way Home
Of the thousands of Latin American migrants traveling through Mexico with the hope of reaching the United States, approximately five percent are unaccompanied children. Director Rebecca Cammisa (Sister Helen) follows several such children on their grueling but ever-hopeful journey north.

Kevin and Fito have fled their small town in search of greater opportunities in America. José set out for the States but was quickly apprehended and now languishes in the bureaucratic process of deportation back to Honduras.

These are just a few of the true stories of young children undertaking the brutal odyssey from Latin America to the United States, never letting their dire circumstances overtake their youthful exuberance.

Director: Rebecca Cammisa
Executive Producers: Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich, Russell Smith, Bristol Baughan, Jack Turner, Bette Cerf Hill, Sheila Nevins
Editors: Pax Wassermann, Madeleine Gavin
Directors of Photography: Lorenzo Hagerman, Eric Goethals, Rebecca Cammisa
Composers: James Lavino, Alberto Iglesias
Supervising Producer: Sara Bernstein

We Are All Latino

Emerging Latino filmmakers, Adam Schlachter, Anthony Nardolillo, Carlos Gallardo, Fanny Veliz, Iris Almaraz, Katrina Elias, Ruben Obregon, and Shawna Baca on their passion, being Latino and making films.

Something's Moving

Survivors of a U.S. boarding school for the Lakota are breaking the chain of trauma in order to heal their spirits, their community and the country.

Take Action with the Dakota-Lakota-Nakota Human Rights Advocacy Coalition

Related:
The Porto Rican Indians of the Carlisle School