Vecinos
By Mark Nelson
In this local documentary of community artists in Chicago’s historic Pilsen neighborhood, Nelson captures the creativity and imagination of grass root artists engaged with their surroundings and the diversity of styles and philosophies of these “vecinos” (neighbors).
Featuring:
Hector Duarte Currently Featured in Sanctuary: Flight of the Majestic Monarch
Diana Solis Opening Reception of 6/26 at Oxála Fine Art Gallery
Antonio Martinez Currently Featured in “Contrasts” at Prospectus Art Gallery
Esperanza Gama
Tim Arroyo
Liliana Perez – Reynolds
Interview with Author Sandra Cisneros
An intimate conversation with Author Sandra Cisneros
May 2010
by Amor Montes de Oca
Sandra Cisneros talks about growing up in Chicago, comments on the disparity between Chicago neighborhoods, the public institutions and books that nourished her creativity and writing career, her family dynamic and art, culture and literature today.
Special thanks to Sandra Cisneros for her kind generosity.
VideoPostcard: The Harlem Quartet
The Harlem Quartet at the GR N’Namdi Gallery
Chicago, IL
May 2010
VideoPostcard By Amor Montes de Oca
The Chicago Chamber Musicians celebrate A Night of Tango
By JL Arvia
The Chicago Chamber Musicians celebrate A Night of Tango!
More than 180 patrons attended A Night of Tango!–the 23rd annual gala hosted by The Chicago Chamber Musicians (CCM) on April 19, 2010 at the Union League Club of Chicago. The Honorable Gustavo Martino, the Argentine Consul General of Chicago and his wife Jennifer Irwin acted as Honorary Co-Chairs alongside Gala Co-Chairs Louise K. Smith, Armando Susmano and Richard Thoroe, who addressed the guests with introductions, the history of tango, and the benefit’s goals, respectively.
Among the evening’s highlights was a performance by The Chicago Chamber Musicians of tango-inspired works by Stravinsky, Martinu, Piazzolla and Barber. The concert included music by bandoneón player Evan Orman and tango dancing by Jorge Niedas and Dinah Grossman.
Six Points
An intersection of art and sports. Six Points is featuring exclusive Mr. Cartoon limited – edition screen print for t-shirt designs during the month of May.
The famed Mexican-American graffiti/tattoo artist graced Chicago on May 1, leaving his mark on the wall of the brand new Six Points, a creative collaborative space between Nike and Saint Alfred – Awing his admirers.
Check out his designs at Six Points and Please Believe. It is World Cup Season.
Six Points
1529 N Milwaukee
Noche de Poesia y Jazz A Tribute to Mario Benedetti
Photos Courtesy of Nanett König-Toro
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Recorded by Chicago Amplified on April 30
Noche de Poesia y Jazz A Tribute to Mario Benedetti was presented by Revista Contratiempo and Arte y Vida Chicago 4/30/10
Poetas de Chicago
Beatriz Badikian, Jorge García de la Fe, Juana Goergen, Jesús Guerrero, Ignacio Guevara, Elizabeth Narváez Luna, Verónica Lucuy Lalandia, Olivia Maciel, Jorge Montiel, Bernardo Navia, Rafael Franco Steeves, Marco Polo Soto, Fernando Olszanski, Johanny Vázquez Paz , y más…
En esta noche de poesía y jazz en el Green Dolphin Street, más de quince poetas locales originarios de México, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Uruguay y Argentina, y reunidos por el taller de creación literaria de contratiempo, presentan un tributo a Mario Benedetti, la legendaria figura literaria uruguaya, fallecido el año pasado, seguido de un set de jazz de Darwin Noguera y CALJE.
Special thanks to Ratio Nation for their assistance in producing the event and Macondo Coffee and Empanadas for their delicious contribution. Thank you!
Brazilian chanteuse CéU in Chicago
ALL IMAGES © Eric Padilla
All rights reserved
CéU Vagarosa Tour
Presented by Arte y Vida Chicago and Ratio Nation
Green Dolphin 4/23
Canteca de Macao/ New Year, New Moves
Canteca de Macao/ New Year, New Moves
By Angela Evans
“Nnnnn nenene ne ne ne ne…” a metal guitar riff pulsed forcefully against the backdrop of a blue-lit stage, filling the space of Green Dolphin with anticipation. One by one, the members of Canteca de Macao took their positions on stage as the crowd cheered enthusiastically. Once all members of the band were in place, the band burst into “Musica,” (literally) the first track on their third studio release, “Agua Pa’la Tierra.”
Madrid’s Canteca de Macao is an impressive 9-piece band that began playing together in the fall of 2003. They signed with Warner Music Spain in 2007. The only stipulation Canteca had was for the label to allow them to release their albums on the Internet for free, just as they had done before with their self-produced album “Cachai?” Warner agreed, releasing their second album “Camino de la Vida Entera” that year.
The band is comprised of: Ana Saboya, vocals and composition; Isidoro Lora-Tamayo (“Chiki”), composition, vocals and guitar; Alvaro Melgar, guitar; Danilo Montoya, flautist; Juan Tomas Martinez, percussion and vocals; Pablo Carretero, bassist; Javier Rodriguez de Zuloga (“Zulo”), juggler; Rodrigo Diaz, vocals/chorus.
Canteca’s stage presence exuded vivacity, filling the space with their music. It surrounded and swirled throughout the crowd of about 150 people, as they moved their bodies to the colorful rhythms and melodies. The stage was decorated with various types of foliage, vines and small flowers wrapped around the microphone stands. Each musician’s personality contributed their own unique flavor to the band’s sound, which is a fusion of flamenco, rock, reggae, jazz and hip-hop, with additional inspiration drawn from other traditional forms of Spanish music.
“We drink from many different fountains, and from a lot of pure musical styles and then mix them…every kind of music we approach.” Ana explains of the band’s musical vision.
It was after Ana and Chiki met that they began writing and playing music together, the first original members, so to speak. People gradually joined the mix through multiple conversations that usually went something like, “I have a friend who plays…” As far as any formal decision to begin playing shows together for an audience, Canteca asserts that it just kind of happened.
Watching Canteca de Macao’s live show makes it easy to understand why it did “just happen.” Ana chose the name of the band because of its vocal pattern. “Canteca de Macao,” she explains, “is like dyslexia.” However, Canteca de Macao performs as the complete opposite of dyslexia, but rather as a harmonious, cohesive musical family.
Each musician plays off of one another’s artistry with ease and whimsy. Canteca catered good-naturedly to their crowd at the Green Dolphin by offering little jokes and anecdotes in both English and Spanish. Passion on full display, they poured themselves into their performance. They enjoyed taking turns in the spotlight at given moments throughout the show, as well as sitting close together in intimate fashion for a couple quieter, acoustic- inspired songs. Closer to the end of their set, Canteca clowned around a bit, much to the audience’s pleasure.
Ana, dressed in a black top hat, tank and skirt, edged with bright red, festive ruffles, theatrically played the kazoo. Chiki comically balanced his guitar in his mouth- the head of his guitar protruding from its shaky base between his teeth, teetering its body to and fro until it would remain upright no longer.
Once Canteca graciously took their bows and made their exit, the crowd pleaded for an encore with shouts and roaring applause. The band did not allow the pleas to continue for long before they congenially possessed the stage for three more songs.
It is clear the band is grateful for how far they’ve come.
It is very difficult to live as a musician in Spain— one of the worst occupations you could have financially. Ana informed that this is the greatest hurdle in their musical journey. “To get money, to continue doing this, to have your own apartment, to live alone- I don’t know. To live with and for music, that’s the biggest obstacolo.”
“We’ve had it quite easy, but it’s still really difficult in Spain to make a living off of music and to live on your own. Most people our age live with their parents,” Zulo adds.
Madrid has been good to them. It is their hometown, after all. Many fans travel to coastal Spanish cities since there are no beaches or water near Madrid. The fans that travel to other places outside of Spain, including Latin America, have spread their love for Canteca’s music with the people they encounter. Word of mouth has carried the band forward since their inception. Canteca attributes the spread of their popularity primarily through this means, saying that they hear similar stories from fans everywhere.
Since Canteca insists on releasing their albums for free download on the website, knowing that this will not help increase their record sales- they count on their shows to produce the bulk of the band’s income. Initially, each member had a side gig when the band was starting out. But now everyone is devoted to playing together full time.
The night before Canteca left for the US, they were presented with their very first award by an association called “La Noche en Vivo,” which named them as their favorite band to play in Madrid. Since this was their very first award, Zulo said nobody knew what to say besides, “Thanks! Thanks!”
Ana adds that she picked up the microphone and said, “Well, Chiki, what do you have to say?” They laugh at this. She said she didn’t know what she was saying, but it went something like that. They also mentioned how there were all these photographers there taking pictures of them while each member of the band going a different direction because they didn’t know where to go after they got on the stage. Ana says they’re going to remember it.
The award was a first, and so is their involvement with the 2010 Flamenco Festival. Participating in the festival made possible their first visit to the United States, which the band was really excited about. (Including a show in New York after Chicago, and before they return to Spain.) Their first stop on US territory was for a meet and greet at Zocalo in Chicago for World Music Thursday. Ana explained that she wasn’t sure if they were eating breakfast or dinner (referencing the 8 hour time difference), and likened the band to ghosts.
Chiki mentions that he feels there is a lot of good music coming out of the US, that people have an appetite for it here. To see how the American crowd would respond to Canteca’s music was of particular interest to him. Chiki says that by coming to a show, people will know what it’s really about.
“We’ve grown up on stage doing the show,” Ana says. They want people to truly experience the music when they play. “To absorb everything and feel the energy and preserve that energy. And try to get to that point where language is irrelevant and where music takes a hold of you fully- and you can communicate with people just through music without lyrics or anything. You can know what someone’s feeling just through what they’re playing.”
Is there anything the band is particularly surprised about? “Everything,” said Chiki. “We were playing for fun and now we live off this, we have our third album out, we got an award, we’re in the states— we couldn’t expect any of this a few years ago.”
Zulo recounts going to this big musical festival in Spain every year called Pina Rock. It is the biggest musical festival there is, and they would go to see the different bands and performances. Zulo remembers telling Chiki one year, “Hey, Chiki- imagine being on that stage.” Chiki replied, “One day, one day we’ll be there.”
“And it was just the following year, we were on that stage. We were joking about it just one year before,” Zulo said.
Ana adds, “We dreams always, but to make it true is the thing.”
Prohibido El Cante
A lecture/demonstration presented by Catalina Maria Johnson and illustrated musically by Chicago´s own flamenco trio Idilio, on the cultural and musical elements of flamenco. The presentation will be framed in the imagery of the book ‘Prohibido el cante’ – “Singing not permitted”, which takes its title from a sign that could be read in many taverns during Franco’s regime in Spain, and gathers 200 photographs by 70 international authors.
Catalina Maria Johnson, Ph.D., is a writer and host/producer of radio programs for public radio.
Idilio (singer/dancer Chiara Mangiameli, guitarist Diego Alonso, and percussionist Kassandra Kocoshis) performs original contemporary flamenco music as well as innovative interpretations of traditional flamenco songs.
Part 1
http://www.vimeo.com/12080102Concha Jareño – Chicago
By: Amor Montes de Oca
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CONCHA JAREÑO
By: Angela Evans
She tells magical stories through the art of flamenco music and dance. The 32 year-old Concha Jareno, of Madrid, visited the Instituto Cervantes during the Flamenco Festival.
Lucky for Chicago, this was her second time here (the first was 10 years ago). She felt her performances were warmly embraced both times around. When you are a financially struggling performer, this appreciation is necessary to feel that what you are doing is worth the duress- art to persevere for.
This is the most difficult struggle Concha faces to live her passion for dancing. She cannot experience financial stability or security. She cannot employ dedicated musicians to commit solely to her visions. She must rely on grants and sponsor.
Without the financial provision required to bring a performance to life, Concha worries about where the money is going to come from- impeding on her creativity and devotion to these projects sometimes. She thinks the projects would see a much more efficient and timely fruition as well, if finances were not an issue.
Concha began dancing at the tender age of 9 years old, and hasn’t stopped dancing since. She loves all forms of dance, particularly citing neo-contemporary and sonata aside from flamenco endeavors. Her family thought she was crazy to want to pursue this full time, but they supported her wholeheartedly.
Concha asserts that she always feels the need to tell a story. Her main methods being: her expression of dance through music; as well as telling the story of things that happen or occur to her. She will soon begin choreographing a presentation she has written.
She performed in Chicago this time around with only a trio of musicians, while her band normally consists of about 7-8 members. They perform everywhere and made mention of a stop to Holland prior to their time spent in Chicago, in which Concha also conducted a flamenco dance workshop with Chicago flamenco performers Idilio.
Instituto Cervantes hosted Concha Jareno’s main performance, which was a colorful, theatrical musical experience- complete with costume changes and different group members having their turn in the spotlight.
****
The stage of the auditorium at Instituto Cervantes was bare of anything more than its performers and instruments, eliciting complete attention from the audience. The lighting was dim, the auditorium filled almost to capacity. A sense of hushed anticipation permeated the air.
The performance lasted nearly an hour and a half complete with four costume changes and somewhere around 20 songs. The band was comprised of a singer/ guitarist, flautist, another guitarist and their lovely dancer- Concha Jareno.
The band was dressed all in black, while Concha’s costumes were more elaborate featuring two pieces outfits: a black jacket and skirt ensemble- a similarly styled cream set, a white shirt underneath a black vest and skirt punctuated with blue accents and boots, and finally a brilliant orange floral dress. Each of her costumes accessorized in a complimentary fashion, the smaller details not going untouched.
The guitars and melodies of the songs were rich and varied. A song might easily begin softly with delicate strumming from the guitars, escalating into a more intense sound as the clapping and foot taps thudded louder, driving the flautist towards speedier winds. A harmonica was even introduced to the mix in the latter half of the performance, and a fan to accentuate Concha’s dancing.
The songs illustrated a range of stories and emotions: soft ballads; moodier, dramatic essences of romance; languid melodies of melancholy and more upbeat, joyful compositions. The crowd participated by chiming in their own “ole’s” and claps along with the band.
The musicians closed the show on an energetic note. While Concha’s dress was sunnier than her other outfits, her dancing was also bouncier and more playful. The stage lighting was brighter, enhancing this sentiment. In her last number, she simulated picking oranges then sashayed and swayed her hips in flirty demure as she exited the stage.
The lights went out and the group was met with an enthusiastic standing ovation. The members gathered together in a small half circle, front and center of the stage as the lights went back on. Each musician gave their own good-humored, flamenco performance much to the crowd’s amusement.
They then harmoniously sang and waved their goodbyes as they disappeared behind the curtains, bidding the audience- and Chicago- a flamenco-spirited goodnight.
