tag:camilolandau.com,2005:/blogs/camilo-s-blogCamilo's Blog2017-02-05T07:41:13-08:00Camilo Landaufalsetag:camilolandau.com,2005:Post/42562002016-06-29T15:02:12-07:002020-06-03T03:30:11-07:00Music, Art, and Culture of CubaI'll be leading a delegation to Cuba through the Ministry of Culture for an exchange with Cuban artists, musicians, and cultural figures. Let me know if you are interested in joining! This is my tentative itinerary: <p><strong>Monday, December 26: </strong><br><em>Depart U.S. and head to our destination </em><br>Our adventure begins as we board our flight and head to Havana, Cuba. Depending on flight availability, we may have a stopover here in the US or abroad. If it is an overnight stopover, we will check into a hotel, in order to be as well rested as possible for the continuation of our flight to Havana.<br><br><strong>Tuesday, December 27: Arrive in Havana, Cuba </strong><br>Today we will continue our journey to Havana, Cuba. Upon arrival we will check into our hotel, enjoy a welcome dinner as a group, and take some time to rest-up for the exciting days ahead.<br><br><strong>Wednesday, December 28th: Havana Lecture on Cuba’s Colonial History. </strong><br>Our first full day in Havana starts with a walking tour to get a feel for the city and capture the rhythm of Old Havana. In the afternoon we will travel to Guanabacoa across the river. We will have lunch at an urban farm on a ruined rooftop. Then we will visit the Museum of Afro-Cuban culture, which has an international reputation due to its extensive collection related to Afro-Cuban religions. This is key to understanding Cuban culture. In the evening we will visit a local Babalao, a high priest in the Yoruba religion who will bless our journey and introduce us to this important aspect of Cuban culture; we will also go to an open air café to listen to Cuban music. <br><br><strong>Thursday, December 29: Havana - Guanabacoa - Havana </strong><br><em>Afro-Cuban Religions. </em><br>In the morning we will go on a tour of the Museo de Bellas Artes with a Cuban art history expert. You will be surprised to see some of the “controversial” pieces displayed in this National museum. We will have lunch along the Malecon at the Soviet-themed restaurant “Nazdarovie,” then visit Kcho. Kcho’s gallery and cultural center provides free internet access and hosts Kcho’s private collection of Wilfredo Lam artwork as well as a gallery of Kcho’s art. It also has a techno-art center and community theater. Kcho’s gallery security guard goose takes car of Kcho’s car when he is not using it. Kcho uses the money from selling his artwork to invest on community projects such as converting empty lots into playgrounds. We will then have dinner at the home of famous Cuban artist Fuster, who has converted his house and whole neighborhood into a living mosaic art piece.<br><br><strong>Friday, December 30: Las Terrazas </strong><br><em>Day trip to Las Terrazas. </em><br>We will head out to the Sierra del Rosaio United Nations designated biosphere in Pinar del Rio. We will start out at the visitors center for a welcome cocktail and brief history of how the once deforested area was transformed into a flourishing tropical reserve. We will then visit the Las Terrazas community (a utopian village) and have a farm to table lunch at the eco-restaurant, El Romero influenced by the slow food movement in the US. Walking distance are two art galleries including hand-made paper and painter Ariel and world-renowned painter Take a short drive to beautiful Soroa and tour a small organic medicinal plant farm run by a mother and son and enjoy fresh fruit juice from the farm ($1). Then just a few kilometers down the road taste locally grown food made from traditional recipes handed down from Haitian slaves and taste homemade cordials and learn about the local Afro-Cuban traditions. Dinner here is not included but will be $10 for home-made traditional afro-Haitian food and drinks.<br><br><strong>Saturday, December 31: Santa Clara – Zulueta - Remedios </strong><br>Travel to Santa Clara to view the monument to Che Guevara. We will have lunch on a small family farm. Travel to Remedios and celebrate New Year’s Eve with Parrandas in Zulueta, a traditional carnaval celebration to ring in the New Year complete with homemade fireworks. Stay in Remedios.<br><br><strong>Sunday, Jan 1: Day Trip – Cayo Las Brujas – beach time </strong><br>Spend the day at the beach on a small island key off the Northern coast of Cuba in the Caribbean sea, decompress, reflect, and recharge. <br><br><br><strong>Monday, Jan 2: Santa Isabel de las Lajas – Cienfuegos</strong><br><em>The legacy of Benny More.</em> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNkesiVWX-k<br>We will honor the great Cuban singer Benny More by placing flowers on his grave site, visiting the Benny More Museum, and Casino Congo, a temple of the Palo Monte religion, where Benny More was himself initiated, and talk to townspeople (many of them relatives of More) about this local hero in Santa Isabel de Las Lajas, and then off to the city of Cienfuegos. We will visit the Maroya Cultural Center to view beautiful handicrafts, meet local artists and hear a lecture from a local art expert. In the evening we will listen to the group Los Naranjos, a son band that has been active for six decades. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiZMZmrGv8s<br><br><strong>Tuesday, Jan 3: Cienfuegos - Bay of Pigs - Havana </strong><br>Today we cross the island to Playa Girón to see the museum that documents the Bay of Pigs invasion. We will have a long lunch at Caleta Buena, a beautiful spot with snorkeling and swimming in a protected lagoon full of tropical fish and coral. Then back to Havana and more music.<br><br><strong>Wednesday Jan 4</strong>: <strong>La Colmenita</strong><br>Free morning, with options including Visit the Museum of the Revolution, Casa de Las Americas, or shopping. Then La Colmenita, as well as the studios of local artists. La Colmenita is a children’s musical theater group whose purpose is to convey a message of peace, humanity and forgiveness. The children in the troupe are UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors, and are required to demonstrate these values in both their performance and their daily lives. <br><br><strong>Thursday Jan 5: Havana - San Francisco </strong><br>Bid “adios” to Cuba and board our return flight for the U.S.<br><br>NOTE: Itinerary is subject to change!<br><br>If you are interested please fill out this form:<br><br><a contents="http://goo.gl/forms/LexnC96bJpJY8Csi1" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://goo.gl/forms/LexnC96bJpJY8Csi1" target="_blank">http://goo.gl/forms/LexnC96bJpJY8Csi1<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/28021/06026a4447ff5b9381652016777a86a52119f54b/original/cuba-del.jpg?1467414417" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></a></p>Camilo Landautag:camilolandau.com,2005:Post/24267342014-01-18T20:11:55-08:002023-12-10T10:10:10-08:00Camilo's Robot Ninja NewsMy latest posts can be found at <a contents="tinyletter.com/RobotNinjaNews" data-link-label="" data-link-type="" href="http://tinyletter.com/RobotNinjaNews" target="_blank">tinyletter.com/RobotNinjaNews</a>Camilo Landautag:camilolandau.com,2005:Post/19841152012-11-09T08:38:00-08:002017-01-13T06:15:18-08:00Exhibit at SFMOMA examines important global and local issuesSix Lines of Flight, a new exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, probingly examines many of the underlying conflicts of modern life from the perspective of modern artist collectives based in six cities around the world. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://eltecolote.org/content/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/sfmomaflight-698x450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img src="//eltecolote.org/content/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/sfmomaflight-698x450.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="450" width="698" /></a></div> Subtitled “Shifting Geographies in Contemporary Art,” the new show is based on the premise that “contemporary art is no longer defined by a few primary cities but is instead shaped by an interconnected constellation of diverse communities,” a notion that decentralizes the artists perspective in a refreshing and interesting way and immediately broadens the scope of work to thoughtfully examine the pressing issues of our times. Rather than a pretentious, cerebral exhibit of skill or boundary pushing for its own sake, viewers of Six Lines of Flight are treated to creatively posed insight from the perspective of working modern artists from six cosmopolitan yet underrepresented cities in within the contemporary art landscape. Collectives of artists from Ho Chi Minh City, Cali, Colombia, and Tangier are among the six lines of flight featured in this exciting new exhibit that is thoroughly accessible to those who feel that discussions on contemporary art often leave out the rest of us. Bravo to SFMOMA for taking a chance on a refreshingly different kind of art show. Six Lines of Flight will be showing at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art through December 31, 2012. The museum is located at 151 3rd Street, between Mission and Howard streets, in San Francisco. More information at http://www.sfmoma.orgCamilo Landautag:camilolandau.com,2005:Post/752432012-11-09T00:38:00-08:002023-12-10T10:05:10-08:00Exhibit at SFMOMA examines important global and local issuesSix Lines of Flight, a new exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, probingly examines many of the underlying conflicts of modern life from the perspective of modern artist collectives based in six cities around the world. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://eltecolote.org/content/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/sfmomaflight-698x450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img src="//eltecolote.org/content/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/sfmomaflight-698x450.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="450" width="698" /></a></div> Subtitled “Shifting Geographies in Contemporary Art,” the new show is based on the premise that “contemporary art is no longer defined by a few primary cities but is instead shaped by an interconnected constellation of diverse communities,” a notion that decentralizes the artists perspective in a refreshing and interesting way and immediately broadens the scope of work to thoughtfully examine the pressing issues of our times. Rather than a pretentious, cerebral exhibit of skill or boundary pushing for its own sake, viewers of Six Lines of Flight are treated to creatively posed insight from the perspective of working modern artists from six cosmopolitan yet underrepresented cities in within the contemporary art landscape. Collectives of artists from Ho Chi Minh City, Cali, Colombia, and Tangier are among the six lines of flight featured in this exciting new exhibit that is thoroughly accessible to those who feel that discussions on contemporary art often leave out the rest of us. Bravo to SFMOMA for taking a chance on a refreshingly different kind of art show. Six Lines of Flight will be showing at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art through December 31, 2012. The museum is located at 151 3rd Street, between Mission and Howard streets, in San Francisco. More information at http://www.sfmoma.orgCamilo Landautag:camilolandau.com,2005:Post/1877082012-07-09T09:00:00-07:002012-07-09T09:00:00-07:00(No title)<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/383880200/san-francisco-son-jarocho-festival/widget/video.html" frameborder="0"> </iframe>Camilo Landautag:camilolandau.com,2005:Post/938112011-02-28T01:56:00-08:002021-10-16T11:11:31-07:00Reviews of Carne Cruda - Oakland's TIght<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nc-ObO7mnk4/TWviyL2c28I/AAAAAAAAACY/RaOiOlQ_tK8/s1600/CarneCruda_OaklandsTight1400-1.jpg"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-nc-ObO7mnk4/TWviyL2c28I/AAAAAAAAACY/RaOiOlQ_tK8/s400/CarneCruda_OaklandsTight1400-1.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578801915231001538" style=" margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" /></a><br>I found a couple of reviews of Carne Cruda's "Oakland's Tight" album, something that I poured an incredible amount of effort into. I'm glad that some people liked it:<br><br><a href="http://www.examiner.com/music-in-los-angeles/schwindy-s-indie-music-spotlight-carne-cruda-review">http://www.examiner.com/music-in-los-angeles/schwindy-s-indie-music-spotlight-carne-cruda-review</a><br><br>Carne Cruda catches the attention before you even hear the music. Just have a look at that cover of Oakland's Tight (Round Whirled Records, 2010). And if you think that's interesting, you should see the inside cover photo which shows all the band members in luchador masks, kind of like a less formal version of Rob Zombie's El Superbeasto.<br><br>Then you put the album on and you are greeted by the title track, which is a fusion of ska, jazz, and funk and sings the praises of Oakland. Now, maybe you're wondering how anyone could write an entire song praising Oakland. I can't say. I've never been there. All I know is that it's not a bad thing to be proud of your hometown. Oh, and does your town boast artists like MC Hammer and Too Short? Then perhaps you shouldn't be so quick to criticize Oakland.<br><br><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nc-ObO7mnk4/TWviyL2c28I/AAAAAAAAACY/RaOiOlQ_tK8/s1600/CarneCruda_OaklandsTight1400-1.jpg"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/-nc-ObO7mnk4/TWviyL2c28I/AAAAAAAAACY/RaOiOlQ_tK8/s400/CarneCruda_OaklandsTight1400-1.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578801915231001538" style=" margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" /></a><br><br>The jazz and funk are still present in "Spirit of Carnaval," but as you would imagine, the song also has some heavy South American flavor. The vocals of Dandara Backen are the perfect compliment to the melody, which is sure to get you moving.<br>The band performs a cover of "Ring of Fire" on this album, which is probably unlike any cover of the song that you have ever heard. Unless you've heard another version of this tune that sounds like Latin ska with shamisen. Yes, you read that correctly. Latin ska with a Japanese twist.<br><br>And then there is "Quitate La Mascara." Now I would probably like this song anyway because I have a thing for songs about luchadors (the classic garage song "The Crusher," "Viva del Santo" by Southern Culture on the Skids). But this song is more than a song about a luchador. It's a song about what can happen when a band decides it doesn't want to follow any formula. This song is one part rockabilly (the intro), one part garage (the sax, particularly at the end of the song), one big part Latin funk, and all madness. It's brilliant. <br><br>By now, loyal reader, you know that I enjoy bands that don't sound like 40 other artists. If you are like me, you should add Oakland's Tight to your collection. I doubt you have anything quite like this album. <br><br><br><br>AND ANOTHER ONE at FabrikaLink.com<br><br><a href="http://www.fabrikalink.com/index.php/music/cd-reviews/939-carne-cruda-oaklands-tight">http://www.fabrikalink.com/index.php/music/cd-reviews/939-carne-cruda-oaklands-tight</a><br><br>Carne Cruda - Oakland's Tight <br>August 09, 2010 <br><br>East Oakland was the place of birth for this peculiar band called Carne Cruda. A band that came together from the mixture of salsa bands, funk groups, cumbia conjuntos, jazz combos, rock power trios along with the fire of the hyphy, norteno and banda beats. Quite a mix huh?<br><br>Collaborating with Grammy nominated producer Greg Landau (former guitarist that shared the stage with none other than Silvio Rodríguez, Mercedes Sosa and Pablo Milanés) to create their new album “Oakland’s Tight”. This ambitious and visionary project seeks to shake everyone’s booty, no matter what your genre preference is, literally. I can guarantee that at some point or another you are going to like what you hear. This 12 song album brings is tunes that will take is to Mexico, Brazil, to some sexy island in the Caribbean (remember that when you hear Anachro-Syndicalism). My personal metaphor for this band? A bouncing ball that is all over the place but with a certain charm and interesting twist to it.<br><br><br>Although I am not a huge fan of norteno or banda beats, I do appreciate the risk and ambition that they had to bring us such experimental latin sounds. The production of the album is a clear A+, not to mention the incredible musicianship. Because the members of this band have been part of many other bands, they were able to bring big time guest artist to be part of the album like Omar Sosa (Cuban free-jazz pianist), Dandha da Hora (from the funksters SambaDá). Among my favorite tunes is Ring of Fire, a Johnny Cash all time classic with a Brazilian twist to it. The reason why I enjoy so much this tune is that to me it is amazing how this band’s creativity can extend to bring an oldie, mix it not only with new beats but also put a Brazilian hint to it! Simply BAD-ASS!<br><br><br>This band can make it big time, not only for their huge variety but the amazing creativity they have… oh yeah and I absolutely LOVE the lucha libre mask look on them! <br><br><br><br>By Claudia CamargoCamilo Landautag:camilolandau.com,2005:Post/851242010-09-21T03:46:00-07:002017-01-13T06:15:18-08:00Songs from La Mission CD Release Party<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V0ZeOfIHnh0/TJjvoo1ux5I/AAAAAAAAACI/cdEXOic7XCA/s1600/LA_MISSION0_PARTY02.jpg"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/_V0ZeOfIHnh0/TJjvoo1ux5I/AAAAAAAAACI/cdEXOic7XCA/s400/LA_MISSION0_PARTY02.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519424824779130770" style=" margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 269px; height: 400px;" /></a><br><br>We will be throwing a big CD Release Party and Lowrider Car Show for the release of Songs from La Mission on Halloween, October 31st, 2010. This will be a great San Francisco Halloween event. $20 gets you a free CD with entrance, La MiSSion Band will be rocking live, and then Salsa dancing with Mambo Street, plus lowrider cars and more.<br><br><a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=103816053015816">http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=103816053015816</a> is the facebook event link, see you there.Camilo Landautag:camilolandau.com,2005:Post/848512010-09-15T06:18:00-07:002017-02-01T12:26:57-08:00Film PremierI composed the music for a new documentary film for the Freedom Archives, the film is called "COINTELPRO 101" and it will premier Sunday, October 10th at 4pm and 7pm at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts in San Francisco. Here is the trailer:<br><br><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/hRBm5eiBQIs&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1">
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true">
<param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always">
<embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/hRBm5eiBQIs&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br><br>I composed all the music for this film, there will be a discussion afterwards with special guests as well.<br><br><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V0ZeOfIHnh0/TJEqyzUHssI/AAAAAAAAAB4/D9UPA1KfN7Y/s1600/41570_142115325824718_2718_n.jpg"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/_V0ZeOfIHnh0/TJEqyzUHssI/AAAAAAAAAB4/D9UPA1KfN7Y/s400/41570_142115325824718_2718_n.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517238070761992898" style=" margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 290px;" /></a><br><br>More information about this film can be found at: <a href="http://www.freedomarchives.org/Cointelpro.html">http://www.freedomarchives.org/Cointelpro.html</a>Camilo Landautag:camilolandau.com,2005:Post/837272010-08-27T05:23:00-07:002022-05-22T21:55:28-07:00Songs from La Mission<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V0ZeOfIHnh0/THgRsaQpKEI/AAAAAAAAABw/1yFNOiQBeqY/s1600/LaMissionFrontCovwer-600.jpg"><img src="//1.bp.blogspot.com/_V0ZeOfIHnh0/THgRsaQpKEI/AAAAAAAAABw/1yFNOiQBeqY/s320/LaMissionFrontCovwer-600.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510173598748846146" style=" margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 296px; height: 320px;" /></a><br>Our record label <a href="http://www.roundwhirledrecords.com">Round Whirled Records</a> just put out a new CD, <a href="http://www.itunes.com/lamission">Songs from La Mission</a>, and it's selling like hotcakes. The CD has 12 new Latin-oldies style lowrider classics perfect for cruisin' the low-lows. We've heard lots of comments like "how come I never heard that Mary Wells B-side?" and "is that Carlos Santana or Ralphie Pagan playing guitar in that one scene.." Well, they are all original songs, except for our version of William Devaugn's "Just Be Thankful," that we recorded for the movie La Mission. That is me playing guitar. Hope you enjoy it.<br><br><a href="http://www.roundwhirledrecords.com/lamission.cfm">http://www.roundwhirledrecords.com/lamission.cfm</a>Camilo Landautag:camilolandau.com,2005:Post/826762010-08-09T08:51:00-07:002023-12-10T10:09:46-08:00Songs from La MissionWe just put up the <a href="http://www.roundwhirledrecords.com/lamission.cfm">Songs from La Mission</a> CD on the Round Whirled Records website, if you want to hear the music we did for the movie La Mission starring Benjamin Bratt you can here them here: <a href="http://www.roundwhirledrecords.com/lamission.cfm">http://www.roundwhirledrecords.com/lamission.cfm</a><br><br><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V0ZeOfIHnh0/TGCGxwppI3I/AAAAAAAAABg/BLxH_wXN3rs/s1600/LaMissionFrontCovwer.jpg"><img src="//3.bp.blogspot.com/_V0ZeOfIHnh0/TGCGxwppI3I/AAAAAAAAABg/BLxH_wXN3rs/s320/LaMissionFrontCovwer.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503546934078022514" style=" margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 296px; height: 320px;" /></a>Camilo Landautag:camilolandau.com,2005:Post/686122010-04-16T03:23:00-07:002017-02-01T12:07:47-08:00Liberation Theologian Francisco Herrera Uses Songs to Promote Social JusticeNew album Honor Migrante crosses physical and musical borders<br><br><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V0ZeOfIHnh0/S8id03GkRnI/AAAAAAAAABQ/zBZ18fkQclg/s1600/fjherrera2.jpg"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/_V0ZeOfIHnh0/S8id03GkRnI/AAAAAAAAABQ/zBZ18fkQclg/s320/fjherrera2.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460788079656978034" style=" margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" /></a><br><br><br>Growing up in the border town of Calexico, Francisco Herrera always straddled two worlds. “My siblings and cousins and I used to sing rancheras and some mariachi at family parties, and when we got a little older we started some garage rock bands,” he recalls of his early musical exploits. But as he became more involved in the church and in particular with the Latin American school of Liberation Theology, Herrera began exploring ways to use music to further his goals of social justice. <br><br>Herrera traveled extensively throughout Latin America working with community organizations even as he finished his four years at seminary school, all the while toting his guitar and whipping it out for events, actions, and church meetings. “Reflection, meditation, prayer, all those things are important. But they’re important so you can play a role here to make social change. De ahí nacen all those misas that have a social message.” He deftly weaves between English and Spanish as he explains the philosophy of Liberation Theology as he sits under portraits of his two heroes, Che Guevara and Monseñor Oscar Romero, the Salvadoran archbishop who was assassinated in 1980. <br><br>Francisco Herrera’s new album, Honor Migrante, is full of songs that reflect his passion for social justice. The themes range from immigrant rights to globalization, and the music itself crosses genre borders from traditional-sounding norteño and corrido tunes to post-modern electro-cumbia and Latin Rock wet with soulful vocals, wailing electric guitars, and a ripping Fender-Rhodes solo. All these sounds are melded smoothly together by veteran super-producer Greg Landau (Maldita Vecindad, Susana Baca) who met Herrera in the late 1980s on the Nueva Cancion circuit. <br><br>Francisco Herrera will be presenting the songs from Honor Migrante with an all-star band at an annual event called Premio Mujer 2010, an award ceremony to honor notable women in the community. Premio Mujer 2010 will be presented at the Events Center at Saint Mary’s Cathedral, 1111 Gough Street in San Francisco on May 22nd at 6pm. More information at: <a href="http://www.franciscoherreramusic.com">http://www.franciscoherreramusic.com</a><br><br><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/hBdJNvY-hd4&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b">
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true">
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always">
<embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/hBdJNvY-hd4&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Camilo Landautag:camilolandau.com,2005:Post/684632010-04-15T04:43:00-07:002017-02-01T12:07:36-08:00New Product: RMV420 Rack Mound Vaporizer and some DUBI went over to <a href="http://www.megasonicsound.com/">Megasonic Studios</a> in Oakland to check out the new product, RMV420 Rack Mounted Vaporizer, now shipping from <a href="http://www.model42.com">Model42</a>, so we set up a little Dub station to try it out. I don't partake myself, but you can see that the unit lends itself to the rack dub gear. We set up the Korg Mono Synth into the Roland Space Echo into the MU-TRON for some crazy dubiness. <br><br><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/H-kAMx74OMA&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b">
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true">
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always">
<embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/H-kAMx74OMA&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Camilo Landautag:camilolandau.com,2005:Post/633512010-04-15T00:45:00-07:002010-04-15T00:45:00-07:00Oakland Singer Discovers Musical Roots in New OrleansNew album by CHELLE! and Friends brings Louisiana spirit to the Bay Area<br><br>Oakland, CA<br><br>Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Michelle Jacques always chose French as her elective language in school. “I never knew what attracted me to the French language, and I never knew why The Bay never quite felt like home until I started my research.” In 2008 Jaques, also known as “Chelle” to her many listeners, fans, and students, was awarded a City of Oakland Individual Artist Grant to travel to New Orleans “to research my people. Creole people. New Orleans music, culture, language, and people.”<br><br>This research ultimately sprouted the heartfelt new album “Voodoville” by her group, CHELLE! and Friends, which will celebrate with a CD release party and concert Sunday, April 18th at Coda Jazz Supper Club in San Francisco. <br>“There are lots of New Orleans natives in the Bay Area, and we want to reach out to them,” proclaims Chelle. “Join in the celebration! It’s not just a celebration of the new CD, it’s a celebration of New Orleans – of the music, of the people, of the culture.” <br><br>It was Chelle’s quest for her own identity that began that journey. “I wanted to know who I was. I knew there was more to me. I wanted to know the history of my family.” Chelle’s mother had worked as a young woman in the French Quarter and her father was a trumpet player from New Orleans. “I grew up with the music,” she explains, “but my research has helped me understand how creative New Orleans people are, and all about the history, the Creole language, and the culture.”<br><br>Chelle will debut the culmination of her work with her group CHELLE! and Friends, a unique blend of talented instrumentalists and well-versed a cappella style singers, whose vast experience ranges from Al Green and Zap Mama to Bobby McFerrin’s Voicestra. The album “Voodooville” is out April 18th on Jenpet Records, and the CD release party at Coda Jazz Supper Club is not to be missed, so laissez le bon temps rouler!<br><br><a href="http://www.chellemusic.com">http://www.chellemusic.com</a>Camilo Landautag:camilolandau.com,2005:Post/553202010-04-15T00:40:00-07:002010-04-15T00:40:00-07:00SF Weekly ArticleSaw this great article in the SF Weekly, enjoy! <a href="http://www.goodfeather.com">Goodfeather</a> will be playing at the Red Devil Lounge, 1695 Polk at Clay in San Francisco, on Wednesday, April 21st at 8pm with Bright Blues and Red Penny One.<br><br><a href="http://www.sfweekly.com/events/goodfeather-1936367">http://www.sfweekly.com/events/goodfeather-1936367</a><br><br>Song Stories<br><br>By Hiya Swanhuyser<br><br>Warm, honest vocals à la Jack Johnson, a honeyed acoustic guitar, and philosophical lyrics characterize the songs of Goodfeather. Fans of Dave Matthews, this is the up-and-coming artist you dream of: the folky, Indian John Mayer; the one-man Bay Area ALO. Goodfeather is about positivity, an occasional reggae beat layered on his own elastic strumming, and most of all about finding redemption. His own story is a rather irresistible cinematic journey: Born in Wasilla, Alaska (we’re guessing he was never a Palin voter — too young), he lived in foster homes until he emancipated himself at 16 to go be a heavy metal dude in Los Angeles, where he picked up guitar skills and some bad habits. Enter stage left an uncle, with whom he traveled the country, getting a grip on his culture and his approach. Then when beloved troubadour Floyd Red Crow Westerman passed on a few years back, Goodfeather picked up a guitar again in Oakland — he knew some of Westerman’s great old songs, and people wanted very much to hear them. They liked Goodfeather’s original songs, too. “Basically,” he explains on his Web site, “the (Native American) community instantly plugged me in.” An eponymous album produced by Greg Landau soon followed; hear the results tonight.<br><br>Bright Blues and Red Penny One.Camilo Landautag:camilolandau.com,2005:Post/669652010-04-08T02:58:00-07:002017-02-01T12:05:19-08:00Interview with Francisco HerreraI interviewed <a href="http://www.franciscoherreramusic.com">Francisco Herrera</a> about his new album, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/pelotita-blanca/id340120604?i=340120875&uo=6" target="itunes_store">Honor Migrante</a>, out now on Round Whirled Records. The video is on YouTube, enjoy.<br><br><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/hBdJNvY-hd4&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b">
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true">
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always">
<embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/hBdJNvY-hd4&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Camilo Landautag:camilolandau.com,2005:Post/648112010-03-29T02:24:00-07:002017-02-01T12:02:42-08:00The Spirit of CarnavalIn February Carne Cruda went down to San Diego with Dandara Bracken / De Bahia a Bahia. My cousin Nicole Landau shot this video while we were there. Enjoy!<br><br><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/u5heI06y7nU&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b">
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true">
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always">
<embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/u5heI06y7nU&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Camilo Landautag:camilolandau.com,2005:Post/645772010-03-27T13:15:00-07:002023-12-10T10:10:06-08:00New PuppyThere's a new puppy in the family, she's half Chihuaha and half Yorkshire Terrier, or Chorkie for short. Here is a video of her trying to get my other dog RockXena the Warrior Princess to play with her.<br><br><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/G3wz9RGsXfU&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b">
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true">
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always">
<embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/G3wz9RGsXfU&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Camilo Landautag:camilolandau.com,2005:Post/601322010-02-12T11:44:00-08:002017-02-01T11:56:40-08:00San Diego Brazilian CarnavalHeading down to Carnaval San Diego this Saturday to play with De Bahia a Bahia featuring Carne Cruda and Dandara. It's gonna be a blast! Here's a preview:<br><br><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/lL14xL64F8o&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b">
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true">
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always">
<embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/lL14xL64F8o&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Camilo Landautag:camilolandau.com,2005:Post/570722010-02-07T07:16:00-08:002010-02-07T07:16:00-08:00Native Singer Dons Baseball Cap in Lieu of FeathersWhen Native American singer and activist Floyd Red Crow Westerman passed away in 2007, Jeremy Goodfeather’s Hunka (adopoted) mother asked him to play a few songs at the Oakland memorial, a request that launched an unexpected series of events for the San Francisco resident. “I had established myself as a community member within the Native circle, but people had no idea I could sing,” recalls Goodfeather, who’s debut album is out now on Round Whirled Records. “When they heard me playing Floyd’s songs, and some of my own, Native Americans are so politically involved that they began asking me to play shows and perform in public. Basically, the community instantly plugged me in.”<br><br>Another community member suggested that Jeremy Goodfeather apply for the Native American Cultural Equity grant through the San Francisco Arts Commission, culminating in his collaboration with four-time Grammy®-nomminated record producer and San Francisco native Greg Landau, who produced his touching and profound 12-song album, simply titled “Goodfeather.” <br><br>“With all this support from the Native community, I feel like I just wandered into music again,” Goodfeather modestly proclaims. But in reality the road to discovering his true inner songwriter was a long and arduous one; sharing the conservative hometown of Wasilla, Alaska with Sarah Palin left it’s mark on the songwriter as well. His father was a Mohawk from New York State and his mother was a mexicana from Texas, tracing her roots to before it was part of US, it’s own country, or part of Mexico. When his family dissolved, young Jeremy became a ward of the state, living between extended family and foster homes until he finally emancipated himself at 16.<br><br>“I wanted to be a rock star, so I moved to LA and joined a bunch of heavy alt-metal bands.” But after struggling with drug and alcohol abuse and the LA lifestyle, Jeremy realized that he didn’t have anything to say and called it quits. “I stopped writing music, hung up my guitar, and just traveled around with my uncle for a few years. I learned about what it is to be native, ideals, values, belief systems. That also includes political views, because as Native Americans we have no separation between church and state, political parties, and all that. It’s all the same to us. <br><br>“My whole world view changed during that period traveling around with my uncle. I learned who I was, or at least who I wanted to be. But I was just doing all that for myself, so I could find a way to live that worked for me. It wasn’t about the music.” The song “Wonderful Teacher,” track 10 on Goodfeather’s new album, is dedicated to his uncle, who passed away. <br><br>But the lessons live on in Jeremy’s songs. “When I write, I have no agenda of portraying any particular thing. It’s a reversal of me, me, me, self, self, self, and a move toward interdependence, interconnectedness, and symbiotics. The truth.” In his song “Dance Into the Light” he describes that relationship:<br><br>And everything is beautiful/<br>And everything is good/<br>From an insect to the space shuttle/<br>To this strung-up piece of wood <br><br>“We’re all part of the same system. Everything depends on everything else. If essentially we’re all related, we should respect one another. It’s real simple. You wouldn’t chop off your own foot.”<br><br>While Goodfeather’s songs stem organically from this basic philosophy, he is wary of classifying his music as “Native American.” After all, music is music. “I’ve been on stage with performers wearing fake feathers, loin clothes, just doing it up. I don’t carry that external image, and the Native community seems to really appreciate it. It’s Hollywood that pushes the image, but Native people are hungry for something more authentic. Now I’ve wandered into this area where the Native community has asked me to represent it, and when I go on as ‘the Native American act’ many people are surprised that the music actually has substance.” <br><br>And the substance is there. Each song has a story, a deeper message inspired by his connection with his community. “Many people might not know it,” Goodfeather explains, “but there is a large Native American population right here in the Bay Area. They were lured here off of the reservations with the promise of jobs in the 1960s.” It’s this very community that has encouraged Goodfeather’s creative spirit and pushed him to the forefront of the Native American music scene, armed not with the cliché feathers and hackneyed songs about the four directions, but with his everyday construction worker’s baseball cap and something real to sing about. <br><br>“I struggle against the stereotypes because they’re limiting,” Goodfeather asserts. “’Oh, you’re the Native artist, we’ll put you between the magician and the marionettes.’ You end up being treated like a novelty act.” But when you hear Jeremy belting out his heartfelt lyrics while he strums his “strung-up piece of wood” also known as a guitar, it’s clear that the vibrations causing the air to transmit sound are modern-day continuations of something set in motion ages ago, and that those vibrations are being transmitted throughout the universe for all to feel and hear. <br><br>Find out more about Jeremy Goodfeather at <a href="http://www.goodfeather.com">http://www.goodfeather.com</a>. His new album, Goodfeather, is available on iTunes and <a href="http://www.roundwhirledrecords.com">http://www.roundwhirledrecords.com</a>.Camilo Landautag:camilolandau.com,2005:Post/595262010-01-29T15:49:00-08:002017-02-01T11:55:37-08:00Music for The Oak Park Story documentaryI've been working as the Music Supervisor and Composer for a short documentary called "The Oak Park Story" directed by my old teacher from high school Valerie Soe. She was my teacher in the Film and Video department at School of the Arts in San Francisco. In fact, she just blogged about it here:<br><br><a href="http://theoakparkstory.wordpress.com/2010/01/29/la-musica-de-the-oak-park-story/">http://theoakparkstory.wordpress.com/2010/01/29/la-musica-de-the-oak-park-story/</a><br><br>I'm also working on the score to another documentary called CoInTelPro 101 for The Freedom Archives about the FBI's program to undermine leftist organizations. Here's the trailer with my intro music:<br><br><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/hRBm5eiBQIs&hl=en_US&fs=1&">
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true">
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always">
<embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/hRBm5eiBQIs&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Camilo Landautag:camilolandau.com,2005:Post/594072010-01-28T10:03:00-08:002017-02-01T11:55:29-08:00Birthday HamboThis weekend is Doug Engelbart's 85th Birthday and what he wants to do for his birthday party is dance the Hambo. If you don't know who Doug Engelbart is, you can read this <a href="http://engelbartbook.com/">book</a> about his hypothesis of augmenting human intelligence using technology and collaboration. <br><br>So I borrowed an accordion and started practicing. The Hambo is a Swedish folk dance. The amazing <a href="http://www.carnecruda.com/carnaval.cfm">Dandara Backen</a> will lead the dance instruction portion, Eric Matsumo will play bass, and I'll play accordion. Here's how far I've gotten so far:<br><br><br><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/jeV-ZEv43gI&hl=en_US&fs=1&">
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true">
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always">
<embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/jeV-ZEv43gI&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Camilo Landautag:camilolandau.com,2005:Post/591772010-01-25T02:33:00-08:002010-01-25T02:33:00-08:00Review: Circular Colectivo by Maldita Vecindad y Los Hijos del Quinto PatioGigantic Mexican rockstars Maldita Vecindad are back with their first album in over ten years, and diehard Maldita fans need not worry: it rocks. <br><br>The long awaited release is now out in Mexico and was recently picked up by Tomas Cookman's Nacional Records for release in the US and on iTunes, et all. The Mexican ska-sters churn out their signature high-energy ska with smart, politically conscience lyrics and tons of cool touches that make the record sparkle.<br><br>"El Paiz de No Pasa Nada" sets the pace for the album with the classic Maldita sound, reminiscent of their biggest hit "Pachuco," the driving snare drum and quick, tight guitar skanks pushing the rest forward. The poetic lyrics about the craziness of modern life come swirling through degenerative delays while Sax adds his signiture horn lines behind the rocking number. Follow it directly with "Quinto Patio Ska" and the Maldita sound is all there. Rocking guitar lines set it all up, and the energy comes right through. <br><br> A very cool intro to "Expedientes Marcianos" features dialogue from an old Mexican wrestling movie, with "Santo llamando al Blue Demon" setting up the interplanetary tale of underground resistance. The "alien" theme is continued on the next tune, "Sur del Sur," the coro "Voy a cruzarme hoy" set to a jumping Palo de Mayo rhythm and of course breaking down to the compulsory punk-ska sections. The outro has lead singer Roco spewing a tribute to all the countries of Latin America in a fast-paced montuno that inspires a renewed look at Bolivar's vision of a unified Latin America through the eyes of modern globalization. <br><br>"Pura Diversion," the story of the Fút Callejero, is the unofficial theme song of the FIFA Cup of Nations, and my vote is to make it official. Once again Maldita aims at rocking down global capitalism, this time through the good times enjoyed on the soccer field. Fútbol is the one place where the poor man can beat the rich one, el juego del barrio. By the way, "fútbol negocio no es de nosotros, sin comerciales, pura diversion," puts the essence of soccer into just a few poignant words indicative of the band's political outlook.<br><br>Overall the sound of the album is solid. The energy and excitement of this raw rock band is not lost in the pristine production and sharp sonic sculpting that Circular Colectivo boasts. All the swirling delays and effects just add to the passion behind Roco's vocals, the bright sparkle of Pato's guitars, and the driving force of the drums. The carefully crafted lyrics and thoughtfulness of the compositions don't detract from the rockingness of the songs. And the songs are not just shallow, pop-punk radio targeted schlock; Maldita has something to say, and not just lyrically. If McCluhan's thesis is correct and the medium really is the message, these guys are doing it right. It's the whole package, the music, the guests, the poetry, all coming together to deliver a powerhouse listening experience.<br><br>Veteran fans, rejoice. Newcomers, take notice. Maldita is back and rocking hard.Camilo Landautag:camilolandau.com,2005:Post/588232010-01-19T23:52:00-08:002010-01-19T23:52:00-08:00Review: Africa by Philip MontalbanPhilip Montalban continues in the tradition Afro-Nicaraguan music with this cool album of Soca, Palo de Mayo, and Reggae from the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua. Singing in Spanish, English, and Misquito (a semi-indiginous language from the Misquito coast of Central America) Philip sings his songs of life from a struggling region of the world. <br><br>Originally from Bilwí (Puerto Cabesas in Spanish) on the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua, Philip Montalban is half Misquito indian and half Afro-Nicaraguan. In the semi-autonomous Atlantic Coast Region of Nicaragua live a people whose heritage is mixed, stemming from the co-mingling of escaped African slaves, black caribbean immigrants, Moravian missionaries, Native Americans, Victorian British traders, Garifunas, Dutch, English and Spanish pirates, and of course the dominant culture of the politically defined nation of Nicaragua. In Bluefields and the rest of la costa region, Nicaraguans from Managua and beyond are known as "paniaman" (translation: Spanish [speaking] men) in the very caribbean-sounding dialect of English that is commonly spoken, and since the official language is Spanish the costeños live an existence increasingly influenced by the dominant hegemonic culture of Nicaragua.<br><br>Coming this rich and diverse cultural background it makes sense how Montalban here explores the musics of his region and beyond. Having got his start in the 1980's revolutionary Afro-Nicaraguan reggae band "Soul Vibrations," who rose to the position of Official Band of the First Lady under the Sandinista government, Montalban is aware and proud of his African yet uniquely Nicaraguan heritage. Here in "Africa" he delves deeper into the true position he holds as a cultural liaison between Latin and caribbean music. Fluent in English, Spanish, and Misquito, he let's them all loose here among the various rhythms deployed. Palo de Mayo, a style specific to the Bluefields region of Nicaragua, gets it's roots from the Maypole dance brought over by the British who set up trade posts along the Atlantic coast. The soca that is so popular in Nicaragua and throughout the Caribbean is well represented here, as is Montalban's own favorite, Afro-Nicaraguan reggae as only he can play it. In fact, no International Reggae enthusiast can have a complete collection without this shining example of authentic Nicaraguan Reggae performed by one of the genre's groundbreaking founders Philip Montalban.Camilo Landautag:camilolandau.com,2005:Post/579052010-01-13T07:45:00-08:002023-12-10T10:08:27-08:00On Tour in NJ, NYC, DCJust got back from a mini-tour with The Cuban Cowboys, it was rocking! We flew into Nueva Jersey on a Wednesday in January, and we played that night in a little Hoboken bar called Maxwell's. Maxwell's gets it's name because the whole surrounding area was once dominated by the Maxwell's Coffee factory, now converted to luxury condos where we stayed a few nights. The band that opened the show was Del Exilio, a band who's inspiration also comes from the Cuban-American experience. While the show was the least attended of the four, it did rock hard, and it was a great way to get the band warmed up for the rest of the tour.<br><br>Thursday from Hoboken we headed the short distance over to Jersey City, where we recorded an in-studio performance on WFMU 91.1 FM radio, with host Rob Weisberg. The show is called Transpacific Sound Paradise, and our set complete with interviews can be heard at http://www.wfmu.org/tsp as soon as it get up there. Later that night we met up with Kelly, la compañera de Raul Navarete, who took us to all her favorite spots on the Lower-East Side of Manhattan. We went to Congee Village for tasty Chinese food, then back to Kelly's apartment with a view and on to Gonzales y Gonzales where a live Salsa band was rocking. After that we headed to Brooklyn where supposedly Antibalas was playing at The Knitting Factory but we discovered that they had cancelled at the last minute. Instead we went to Rose, which was a chill little Brooklyn spot. We met up with Ezra Gale and Brian Lazarus, buddies of ours who had lived in the Bay for a time, and there was a very cool afrobeat-jazz-funk-experimental-electronica band playing for free. Didn't catch their name. We caught a cab back to the Lower-East-Side and crashed out at Kelly's.<br><br>Friday was the showcase gig that we came for. Trouble Worldwide (Alex Casazza's booking agency) and Barbes Records put on this showcase for the APAP conference. Chicha Libre, a sort of hipster Cumbia band from Brooklyn, warmed up the stage nicely for us to step up and deliver a compact, rocking set. This was the key gig for APAP so since we rocked it pretty hard we should be working a good amount this upcoming year. After our set was the ridiculously high-energy band Slavic Soul Party, on stage with like 10 horns, accordion, standing percussion, and a big Scottish guy in a kilt rocking the tuba. Afterwards we were talking to Olivier from Barbes Records and Chicha Libre, he sounded enthusiastic about the band since he had seen The Cuban Cowboys with the old East Coast band, and it was clear that we killed them. They gave us their CD "Sonido Amazonico" and also their side project "Las Rubias del Norte" which we listened to on the drive to DC. I gave them all Carne Cruda CDs in return. <br><br>We headed back to Kelly's for some late-night chillin' and had to head out in the morning to SIR to return the Toca Percussion gear that Javier had hooked up for the tour through his endorsement with that company. There we met Ayla and The Cowboy and hit the road for Washington DC.<br><br>After a pit stop at the Walt Whitman Rest Area on the New Jersey Turnpike, we got in to Washington DC where we had our show at the Kennedy Center. The Millennium Stage there has music 365 days a year for free, broadcast live on the Internet and archived on the Kennedy Center website at: http://kennedy-center.org/explorer/videos/?id=M4091<br><br>After the show, which we rocked, Jorge's friend from his high-school days took us out to dinner at a Chinese restaurant on New Hampshire and M, with lots of pictures of politicians up on the wall. He is now a lawyer in the Justice Department, and he showed us where to find some nightlife, which we found but ultimately decided to take it easy for the night. In the morning I got up and wanted to go check for some coffee in Georgetown, where Scully lived, and I found a spot called Baked and Wired. Heading back on the New Jersey Turnpike it was the Woodrow Wilson Rest Area this time, and back in Hoboken before sundown. Headed out to meet Kelly again and picked up some kick-ass donuts just as the spot was closing, and they hooked us up with a bunch extra. Kelly cooked a nice meal and had also invited over some local New York musicians including Gabo Tomasini, the percussionist from the band Bio Ritmo. We went over to Oliva, near Katz' famous deli where a very cool Cuban son quartet was playing. After a bit we headed to catch the Plan B band at a bourgie spot called Flute Champagne Speakeasy. By the time we got there they were on their last song, but it sounded good with a seven-piece horn section. From there we caught the PATH train back to Hoboken where on our walk home we hit up a 24-hour bagel spot. Up early and to the airport we were back in the Yay by 4pm. Another triumphant return.Camilo Landautag:camilolandau.com,2005:Post/577732009-08-07T03:11:00-07:002017-02-01T11:53:26-08:00This song saved my life<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/3zu6D_vuojs&hl=en&fs=1&">
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true">
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always">
<embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/3zu6D_vuojs&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> <br><br><p><br> I was about 17, and my sister Mali and I went to Nicaragua to visit my cousin Nicole, we stayed at her mom Gloria's house near la caretera sur. We began planning a trip to Bluefields, on the Atlantic Coast, to visit the town and check out the scene... my cousin has family there, etc. <br></p>
<p> <br>There are two ways to get to Bluefields from Managua, or at least at the time there were: a rickety old "Snoopy" prop plane, or the legendary Bluefields Express. Since I had grown up listening to this song, "The Bluefields Express," and also because we didn't have much money, we opted for this option. <br><br></p>
<p><br> Well, the Blufields Express starts out as a bus ride - all night. The bus (an old American school bus with seats built for children and rather cramped, and painted of course rasta colors with playboy and Jesus stickers) leaves around 10 pm from the bus station in Managua. A tucan was tied by one leg to the rail on the inside of the bus, and the people in front of us were smoking and drinking all night. At period stops street venders approached the windows selling plates of chicken, platanos fritos and of course gallo pinto, which no nicaraguan meal can be without. Huge baskets of wares for market were strapped to the roof of the bus, and various other livestock also rode in the passenger compartment with the humans (us). <br><br></p>
<p><br> And it rained. The whole time. I think it always does. And the roads are not paved. So when we hit the huge potholes the whole bus would lurch and jump. All night. <br><br></p>
<p><br>At dawn we arrived at Rama, at the top of the river. We waited to get the tickets for the next leg of the journey, which was a ride in the <i>lancha</i> up the river. Of course it still rained, so the speedboat captain gave us one of those blue tarps to hold over our heads, all of us lined up in the boat four to a row and holding the tarp to prevent the rain from soaking us any further. <br></p>
<p><br> After about two hours of this ride up the river, we arrived in Bluefields around 8am. That was the Bluefields Express. <br><br></p>
<p><br>My cousin Nicole's aunt met us at the dock in Bluefields, and as we walked through the town she told us that the plane from Managua that we would have taken never arrived. It had crashed, probably due to a faulty altimeter, and all 16 passengers aboard had died, as well as the pilot and crew. As we walked through the small rural town of Bluefields we passed the houses of families mourning their losses, family members who had opted for that plane to return home to Bluefields and never made it. <br><br></p>
<p><br> I always somehow credit the song, "The Bluefields Express" for saving our lives that day. Because the Express was a romantic journey sung about in creole english, the singer calling for the listener to "come take a ride," I wanted to. He persuaded me and I am thankful. </p>
<p><br> And that's how the song "The Bluefields Express" saved my life. </p></span>Camilo Landau