Latina.com Blog

I don’t think I need to oversell this one, really. But I can remind you, in case you haven’t been counting the days, like yours truly, for the DVD release of possibly the most intelligent (notice how I didn’t simplify it and say “best”) superhero pic of all time, The Dark Knight. Maybe it’s the fact that we live in a world that seems increasingly chaotic–recall one of Heath’s best lines: “You know the thing about chaos, Harvey? It’s fair…”– that draws me to this psychological thriller. Perhaps it’s because I’m trying to understand the balance of what is perceived as good and evil and grasp the fact that maybe, just maybe, they aren’t as clearly defined anymore. As Cuban actor Nestor Carbonell, who plays Gotham’s mayor, told me during a recent interview: “The Joker is just a human being with a dark past, like that psychopath you see in the news–except with make-up.” He’s right. Just the other day I read about a bus driver getting stabbed to death in Brooklyn because he wouldn’t give this guy a free bus transfer. If that’s not something one of The Joker’s thugs would do, I don’t know what is. One thing’s for sure, Heath’s posthumous Best Supporting Oscar will be extremely well deserved in February.R.I.P.

Friday’s concert was so amazing that I’m still in Brazil-mode. I think I even worked off a few lbs from all that samba-ing at the BAM (thanks Miranda for coming with!). I know those of you outside the NYC area weren’t able to experience it (and I caught some slack for it), so today I bring you a little (tangible) piece of Rio, courtesy of Verge Records, which, coincidentally, also helps expand music programs in underserved communities. A Filial is a five-member rap crew from Rio de Janeiro’s Santa Teresa ‘hood (you know the colorful steps in Snoop Dogg and Pharell’s “Beautiful” vid?). Seriously, when I visited Rio for the first time last month, I wanted to move into a little pink and purple house halfway up those steps.

Anyway, A Filial are totally awesome. Influenced by everything from Chicago house and musica popular brasileira to fifties-era samba and the Beastie Boys, the group’s U.S. debut is called $1,99 to represent the Brazilian equivalent of the American 99 cent store (ah, the nostalgia). “Our first tape was made using a Playstation, a karaoke set, a $10 mic, a toy that made music, and a used cassette,” founding MC Edu Lopes explains. That may be true, but their sound instantly transports you to the trendiest lounge in Ipanema.

Just for kicks (speaking of which, check out my hot white-and-neon-orange Converse sneakers from local designer Farm!) here’s a pic of me chilling in my fave spot in Rio. I dream of going back soon. Very soon.

I know it sucks for all those outside of the NYC area who can’t physically make it to the only event that matters tonight, but I just had to blog about this today because there might be a chance you could go. In which case, let nothing stop you.

The good folks at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) present Red Hot + Rio 2: The Next Generation of Samba Soul, an all-star concert event (we’re talking Bebel Gilberto, CéU, and José González here, among others) in recognition of World AIDS Day (which was actually December 1). Part of the proceeds will go to non-prof BrazilFoundation’s AIDS-related projects. The latter invests in sustainable and humanitarian causes throughout Brazil, while the Red Hot org, to date, has raised over 7 million dollars towards AIDS awareness/relief around the world. So there. You can party and change the world. Can you imagine a better way to spend your Friday night?

BAM will present two performances of Red Hot + Rio 2 at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House (30 Lafayette Avenue) on December 4 & 5 at 8pm–so tonight is actually your last chance to go (as I will). Tickets, priced at $25, 45, and 65, can still be purchased by calling BAM Ticket Services at 718.636.4100 or online at BAM.org.

A bit about each of my fave artists:

CéU - The first international artist to be featured in Starbucks’ Hear Music CD series, CéU reached #1 on Billboard’s World Music chart with her self-titled CD. The São Paolo-based singer blends samba, folk, and soul music and scored a Latin Grammy nomination in 2006 for Best New Artist.

Bebel Gilberto (pictured above)- Born into Brazilian musical royalty, Gilberto is the daughter of singer Miucha Gilberto and renowned musician João Gilberto. Her soulful, restrained blend of Brazilian and international music has earned her multiple Grammy noms. Bebel (I think I may name my daughter that, btw) released her third solo album, Momento in ‘07.

José González - Born in Sweden of Argentinean parents, González makes music that is a combination of softness and passion, a folk style grounded in his early classical guitar training and darkened by his later forays into Sweden’s hard core metal scene. His second CD In Our Nature was released in 2007 as well.

I love contradictions. Can’t stand simplicity. Don’t ask me why. I just do. Hence, why I enjoyed a little indie flick called The Matador, now showing in select theaters in New York, Arizona, California, and, starting tomorrow, Florida. At a basic level, the pic follows David Fandila’s quest to become one of the few (there have been 12 to date) bullfighters in history to complete 100 corridas in a single season. It’s a journey that takes the Granada-born fighter from his native Spain to Peru, confronting the obvious physical danger that each fight poses–at one point El Fandi suffers from a twisted ankle and a deep gore to his abdomen– his own fear of failure, and the harsh criticism of those who see bullfighting as just plain slaughter (I won’t reveal where I stand, but suffice it to say, I can’t stand blood). So, if you’re with PETA, this may not be the film for you. But on a deeper level, it’s a love story–of a people honoring their traditions, of a family who stands by their unlikely hero through thick and thin, and the fighter’s contradictory love for the beast he must simultaneously glorify and destroy. That said, it’s easy to see why Stephen Higgins and Nina Gilden Seavey’s flick was extremely well received at this year’s SXSW festival.

Latina recently had the chance to speak to El Fandi in person while he was in NYC on promo. The extremely press-shy torero, who somehow manages to have a long-distance GF (sombreros off to him!) revealed what he took away from watching himself in the documentary: “I learned that sometimes you have to get outside of yourself to realize how to be better, both in your everyday technique and also to appreciate how much you’ve grown.” Spoken like a true fighter.

I’ll be the first to admit that all that Christmas tunage does get old. I’m no Grinchetta, either, but this weekend alone, I heard “(There’s No Place Like) Home For The Holidays” by Karen Carpenter at the nail salon, the laundromat, AND the grocery store. Now, I love Karen’s voice as much as the next person, but the repetitiveness of it all prompted me to update my own tired holiday collection. I’m not saying you should get rid of Mariah, Christina, and Gloria, I’m just saying pop in something fresh, like the new Los Lonely Boys’ Christmas Spirit album, which was recorded by our Grammy-winning boys in Willie Nelson’s very own studio in Austin. It’s even got two new jingles. And for those of you who just can’t get enough of the classics, it’s got plenty of those, too. Now if only I could find someone to sip hot apple cider with as we watch Love Actually for the 400th time…

If Alex Haley told you, “That’s one hell of a story…you must write a book,” I’m guessing you would seriously consider it. The man does know a thing or two about epic writing, after all. And if Maya Angelou signed up to be your fairy godmother and write your foreword, my bet is you’d actually get it done—and fast.

And that’s precisely what political scientist and ethnologist Carlos Moore did. Through his new memoir, Pichón: Race and Revolution in Castro’s Cuba (Lawrence Hill Books, $26.95), the son of Jamaican immigrants tells the story of a childhood on the island marred by poverty, racial prejudice, and social exclusion which then becomes a youth filled with a profound consciousness about the black experience both in Cuba and abroad, and, ultimately, an adulthood defined by political activism that would ripple across continents.

When Moore was first called a pichón as a child, he had no idea what it meant. He later learned that it was the most derogatory term for blacks. And just as Fidel Castro claimed in 1959 that the revolution would usher in a new era where classism and racism would be eradicated, Moore realized that the struggle for equality was far from over. He would spend years in prison and in exile (34 years to be exact) for speaking out against Castro. And his fight continues. As Gloria Estefan recently told me, “As long as the Castro brothers are there, it’s an impossibility to see them do anything that will drastically change what they want to do on the island…life for the Cubans doesn’t get any better.” Needless to say, Pichón is just as relevant and poignant today as it would have been nearly 50 years ago.

Love him or hate him, you’ll always have something to say about Daddy Yankee, who famously (or infamously, depending on whom you ask) vouched for John McCain for president. I caught up with DY at Macy’s in New York shortly after the election as he launched his new cologne and we chatted for two seconds before tween girls and grown women with babies impatiently waiting in line for an autograph gave me the “move it or lose it” look. His candidate may not have won the presidential election, but for Raymond Ayala it was business as usual. He’s not a businessman, after all, he’s a business, man.

So it only makes sense that Maya Entertainment release his semi-autobiographical movie, Talento de Barrio on BD-Live. The latter is a newly developed Blu-ray feature that enables users to access content via their internet-connected Blu-ray player. Some of the web-enabled features on the disc include up-to-date concert schedules, links for purchasing songs, and music video downloads. In addition, both the standard DVD and the Blu-ray versions have optiona to either fully dub the film in English, or watch it in Spanish with English subtitles, so you won’t miss any of the cursing (and there’s a lot of it) in either language.

If box office numbers are any indication—the movie broke records in Puerto Rico with 96,000 people heading out to theaters its opening weekend alone—then you should order your copy ASAP. The flick is like Eminem’s 8 Mile transplanted to Caguas, Puerto Rico, so don’t expect any Oscar-worthy performances, but do expect to be entertained. I don’t think Yankee aims for much else here, anyway. The reason he made this movie, in his own words, is because “growing up, I always wanted to identify with a movie. I had seen Menace II Society and Boyz N the Hood, but as Latinos we’ve never had someone really tell our story in our language.”

Man, if Harvey Milk (1930-1978) were still around, what would he have to say about Prop 8? “My name is Harvey Milk and I’m here to recruit you,” is most likely what he would start off with, as he did with every single one of his speeches.

There are several reasons you should watch Milk, the new Gus Van Sant flick which opens today about New York-born gay rights activist Harvey Bernard Milk (played by Sean Penn). For one, he’s an important part of history. In 1977, Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man voted into major public office in America. Secondly, his victory wasn’t just one for gay citizens; it was also one for seniors and minorities and union workers who knew what it meant to struggle.

Not only did Milk understand basic human rights—he knew how to fight for them. By doing so, he gave people one of the most fundamental things any great leader can: hope. Of course, he made enemies along the way, including fellow supervisor Dan White (played brilliantly by Josh Brolin), who shot Milk to death on November 27, 1978. That night, 30,000 people marched from the Castro district to City Hall in a peaceful candlelight vigil.

If you still need more convincing, here are some other reasons to watch the biopic, which many (including yours truly) are predicting will be nominated for at least one major Oscar (Best Actor for Penn, for starters). There’s also Diego Luna, who plays Jack Lira, one of Milk’s lovers (his most memorable one at that). Brolin, who, generally rocks in pretty much every role he tackles. And James Franco, who’s just really nice to look at.

Here’s your daily dose of Recessionomics. Just because you can’t go somewhere doesn’t mean you can’t go somewhere. For as long as I can remember, Buenos Aires and Barcelona have been at the top of my list of places to visit, for obvious reasons. The vino, the nightlife, and of course, the architecture. Well, Gaudi’s masterpieces will have to wait, but I’ve found a way to visit BA for under $30! At least until I can make it there in the flesh (hopefully in 2009).

Taschen has just released Living in Argentina, a wonderful coffee table book with pics by Ricardo Labougle that lets you peek inside some of the country’s most beautiful interiors—homes, apartments, ranches, restaurants, and even the magnificent Teatro Colon, an opera house dating back to 1908 that is among the world’s best and is currently being renovated. Apparently, the acoustics inside this place were so perfect back in the day, legends like Margot Fonteyn and Maria Callas flocked to perform there. So close you can almost hear them…

At least I’ll always have SP. Certain bands from the 90’s will forever be a part of my iPod’s simply titled ROCK playlist and Smashing Pumpkins is definitely one of them. And it’s not just because the Chicago band, formed in 1988, makes some of the coolest, most densely layered music since ever, it’s also because they have an interesting backstory. Throughout the course of their 20-year-career, there’s been some drama, to say the least. They broke up in 2000 due to the usual–internal fighting and drugs–but, thank the grunge gods, they reunited in 2007. And since their 1991 debut, the brilliant Gish, they’ve sold over 30 million albums. More multiplatinum awesomeness followed. This you probably know. But what most folks don’t know is that the seminal band’s current bassist is a Latina called Ginger Reyes! The Mexican-Peruvian Pumpkin, who played in the pop-punk band Halo Friendlies for ten years and is also known as Ginger Sling, joins the band’s current line-up of main singer-songwriter and lead guitarist Billy Corgan, drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, Jeff Schroeder (guitar), and Lisa Harriton (keyboards). You know Corgan had to pick a bad-ass chica to resurrect SP!

The Pumpkins’ new two-DVD set titled If All Goes Wrong, contains a 105-minute documentary featuring interviews with band members, fans, journalists and fellow musicians who reveal the fears, excitement, determination, exhaustion and tension inherent in Corgan’s newly revitalized musical unit. The second disc is a high-def full concert filmed in late July and early August of 2007 over five of the 11 sold-out nights at the famed Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco. As a bonus, there’s an interview with none other than Pete Townsend of The Who. Needless to say, today’s pick rocks my world. Oh and Ginger is my new girl crush.

Buy it here.