Mestizaje

Saw this movie for the first time a few months ago, and it was perfect. I love Toshiro Mifune, I love samurai films-particularly those of Kurosawa-I love Charles Bronson, and I love when Westerns can be connected to the samurai ideal, like with The Magnificent Seven , plus I love how friggin' diverse Red Sun  is. ( Google Images ) Now to the music... (again, all songs I discovered this year) 21. Los Caminantes - "Entre mas lejos me vaya" It ain't the suits, if you're wondering, the hair--the video, in all--that drew me to this song. I can't put my finger on why it touched me so, but.. I love this song. I sing it loudly at a local Mexican bar when it comes on. 22. Chencha Berrinches - "Esperando la muerte" I have been looking for Chencha songs since I heard, and fell in love with, " Murcielaga ", which I'd heard on a compilation. Thanks to YouTube, there are now a few more songs, but this one I loved ...

I am currently wearing this hat *the list is rather long, so I'm making it a two-parter. Remember, these are songs I discovered this year, not just songs I listened to all year long. 1. Spinetta - "Bajan" I wish I could remember how I found this song, but I can remember how it made me feel because I still feel the same when I listen to it: his voice is so beautiful and I feel like I am in mourning, despite the beauty. 2. Los Jaivas - "Si tu no estas" It's no secret the love I have for Los Jaivas; one of their songs inspired a tattoo, and many of their songs inspire great hope and nostalgia in me. This song, "Si tu no estas", I find sweet, mesmerizing, and melancholy. 3. Los Tres - "Quien es la que viene alli" Again, I do not remember how I encountered this beauty, but it is cute. I love the guitar, the harmonies, and it is easy to sing along to. - Los Tres - "La torre de Babel" Everything, plus the message.. 5. Goran Brego...

Some dueling musicians and their instruments from movies, inspired by watching the 1977 Scott Joplin bio-pic starring Billy Dee Williams as the great composer himself. I loves me some ragtime, I really do: dueling pianists from the Scott Joplin movie from the one everyone should know, Deliverance , banjo vs guitar: from Crossroads , guitar duel, or Ralph Macchio vs Steve Vai: oh sweet sweet guitar and finally, another piano duel, perhaps my favorite from The Legend of 1900 , with Jelly Roll Morton against the titular character, 1900: gimme a fuckin' cigarette, will ya

musica y futbol -two views of the beautiful game- I'm going to let the lyrics speak for themselves: LA POLLA RECORDS (Spain) -Gol en el Campo- Gol en el campo, paz en la tierra // goal on the field, peace in the land que bonito es el futbol, que pasiones despierta // how beautiful is football, what passion it awakes defiende tu colores, sudar la camiseta // defend your colors, sweat for the shirt que bonito es el futbol para los que gobiernan //how beautiful is football for those who govern estan pegando el palo sin partido de vuelta // they are hitting the post without a return leg Gol en el campo, paz en la tierra Justicia corrompida arbitra la contienda // corrupted justice arbitrates contention patron enloquecido despide libremente // crazed patron takes leave freely y roban la pelota por la extrema derecha // and robs the ball for the extreme right atentos al remate que directa a puerta // look out for the rebound that goes straight at goal Gol en el campo, paz en la tierra Qu...

the importance and thoughts of futbol/soccer/football in song -of RAYO VALLECANO & SKA-P- I had some idea of Rayo Vallecano due to two songs by Ska-P, a Spanish ska-punk band that hails from a barrio of Madrid, called Vallecas. Rayo Vallecano is the team that belongs to that area, one that has a history of fluctuating between the first and second divisions of the Liga. Ska-P are known for their political messages; they do not back down from stating their thoughts on the death penalty , abuse of children by priests , abuse of power by politicians and government , and are f ervently against the long-standing Spanish tradition of bullfighting ; they sing for a united world, without borders , with tolerance. While they have been around since 1994, what they sing about is still very relevant. "COMO UN RAYO" Of the two songs in this post, this is the first I heard, and of the two, it is a sweet lyric of being proud of your team. Son las doce ya, esto va a comenzar // It's a...

the importance and thoughts of futbol/soccer/football in song -of MARADONA- if you didn't know the importance of the great Diego Maradona to Argentinians--and, I think it is safe to say, many who have seen the man in action--then here are three songs inspired by the man himself. LOS PIOJOS -Marado- this song is akin to a national anthem: it begins with a beautiful spoken introduction, told like a reverent tale about a legendary hero Dicen que escapo de un sueno // They say he escaped from a dream en casi su mejor gambeta // in what was almost his best dribble que ni los suenos respeta // that not even dreams respect tan lleno va de coraje // who goes so full of courage sin demasiado ropaje // without too much clothing y sin ninguna careta // and without a single mask Dicen que escapo este mozo // They say that this young man escaped del sueno de los sin jeta // from the dream of those without (jeta) que a los poderosos reta // that the powerful challenges y ataca a los mas villanos...

a quick list of songs I heard that turn out to be directly inspired by songs from other countries with a different language. THE CLASH "JIMMY JAZZ" I first heard Kortatu's "Jimmy Jazz" from their self-titled album. Kortatu is from Basque Spain, and were active from 1984-1988, during the height of rock radical vasco , a Spanish Basque music movement inspired by The Clash, The Sex Pistols, and The Rolling Stones, among others. Here's The Clash: Here's KORTATU taking on "Jimmy Jazz", with basic word-for-word translation in the images "THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN" I actually heard "The Magnificent Seven" years ago, in high school, probably because I was doing a basic search for music from one of my all-time favorite movies "The Magnificent Seven". Later I heard Molotov's "Aguela" and made the connection between the bass of "The Magnificent Seven" and "Aguela". It turns out that Molotov's...

*I will post the original song first, followed by the tribute/remake* a quick list of some of my favorite songs that happen to be remakes or have origins that I love "JUANITO ALIMANA/JULITO MARANA" WILLIE COLON -JUANITO ALIMANA VOLTIO -JULITO MARANA (Puerto Rico; reggaeton; active 2003-present) "DEJENME SI ESTOY LLORANDO" LOS ANGELES NEGROS (Chile; active 1967-present; ballads, romantic, pop) EL GRAN SILENCIO (Mexico; active 1992-present; rock, cumbia, rap, ska) "EL CONDOR PASA" DANIEL ALOMIA ROBLES (Peru; wrote this song in 1913 for the zarzuela ; this video has the music and links to the lyrics, but is not the original original, of course) KOFRE (USA; ska; active about ten years according to their website) "CALLE LUNA, CALLE SOL" WILLIE COLON (USA; salsa; active 1967-present) SOL D'MENTA (Puerto Rico; rock, metal; active 1994-present) "CALAVERAS Y DIABLITOS" LOS FABULOSOS CADILLACS (Argentina; ska, reggae, rock; active 1985-...

*I will post first the tribute/remake version, then the original* a quick list of the songs I heard and loved, then discovered they were remakes of great originals, by country ARGENTINA "YIRA, YIRA" LOS PIOJOS (rock icons in their own right; active 1988-2009) CARLOS GARDEL (national icon, singer, actor b. 1887/1890- d.1935) MEXICO "LOS AGACHADOS" MALDITA VECINDAD Y LOS HIJOS DEL QUINTO PATIO (rock icons, active 1985-present) GERMAN VALDES, or TIN TAN (pachuco era icon, movie star, singer b. 1915- d. 1973) "CALABACITAS TIERNAS" JAGUARES (rock icons, active under this name from 1996-present, before were Caifanes) TIN TAN (from the 1949 movie "Calabacitas Tiernas") VENEZUELA "PERDONEME TIO JUAN" LOS GUARAGUAO (began in 1973 while Ali Primera was still alive; currently active; continuing the torch of Ali Primera and the nueva cancion style) ALI PRIMERA (b. 1941- d. 1985; musician, composer, poet, and activist) ENGLAND (I just like t...

Cumbia comes from Colombia, its roots planted in indigenous as well as African beats. ( 1 , 2 ) This traditional cumbia is played with percussion instruments, and of course with time cumbia, like with other Latin music genres, added such instruments as the accordion, horns, and the electric bass. The way I know how to dance cumbia, to most cumbia styles that developed since its inception, is to its beat that to me is the common denominator between different countries and styles taking up cumbia and adding to their own music. It's 1-2-3-(4), with the 4th beat as a pause, and more commonly discernible by the bass. Here's a how-to for basic steps, then put those moves with these ladies, and that's how I've (seen it) done. Different styles of cumbia: LOS PIBES CHORROS -ANDREA ( cumbia villera from Argentina) (I was going to link to Carlos Tevez dancing/singing cumbia, but as it's a form of torture, I couldn't unleash it on unsuspecting people) ANICETO MOLINA -EL...

The songs I wasn't as obsessed over as those from the Spain and Argentina editions, but that when I heard them I couldn't stop thinking about them or would suddenly pop into my thoughts until I played it to calm it down and satisfy it. Oh and obviously these aren't from Spain and Argentina. Edition. (Also, these are songs that were new to me, as of last year) I couldn't think of a way to organize this, but then I realized that my musical choices don't need no stinkin' organizashun! Ahem. NATACHA ATLAS - "Man's World" LOS SKARNALES - " Demasiado Tarde " I went to see Maldita Vecindad in concert, and Huecco and Los Skarnales were the opening bands. Huecco gave great concert, but Los Skarnales really killed it. They pay homage to the pachuco, zoot suit, pinstripe suit days, with extremely danceable ska, and the lead singer injects his monologues with language from those days, while pulling a comb out of his back pocket to slick back his ...