Every Day is Magic: Ada Limón
In her 2015 collection, Bright Dead Things, a National Book Award finalist for poetry, Ada Limón writes of moving to Kentucky: “Confession: I did not want to live here.” It’s perhaps not a surprising sentiment coming from a coastally oriented person who was raised in Northern California, attended college in Seattle, and then spent over a decade in New York City.
But Limón and her husband, Lucas, have been in Lexington for seven years now and the effects of settling into this place are noticeable in her new book, The Carrying (Milkweed, Aug.). It’s a phenomenally lively and attentive collection replete with the trappings of living a little closer to nature. While Bright Dead Things is marked by a preponderance of light, such as images of fireflies and neon signs, The Carrying features numerous appearances by various trees, birds, and beetles. Limón also demonstrates a greater willingness to be explicit in naming colors, particularly green. “It’s crazy green, the whole book,” she says. “Lexington is the greenest place I’ve ever lived.” Similarly, where in Bright Dead Things, Limón tells a lot of stories and anecdotes, in The Carrying she is very present in her thoughts and experiences.
As it turns out, these shifts in focus have another, altogether unexpected source. While putting Bright Dead Things together, Limón was diagnosed with chronic vestibular neuronitis, which can cause bouts of vertigo. “If I’m really having vertigo, it’s pretty intense and I really have to focus,”
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Dan Navarro discusses growth in music career starting with his time at UCLA
“Dan Navarro, a UCLA alumnus, returned to campus in 2005 for a guest appearance after kicking off his music career.
At the end of the class, students formed a line that stretched to the back door of the lecture hall waiting to talk to him, said Peter Rutenberg, Navarro’s longtime friend.
Over the course of his career, Navarro and his late music partner, Eric Lowen, have written songs for Pat Benatar, The Bangles, TKA, Jackson Browne and The Temptations. In addition to singing and songwriting, Navarro has also been the voice of various characters in television shows and movies, including “American Dad!” and “Family Guy.” He started his music career as a student at UCLA, ultimately pursuing music full time. Navarro held a concert at Fiddlers Crossing and performed Saturday at the venue in Tehachapi, California…”
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Eastside record label still spinning out the music
“Hector Gonzalez straps a five-string bass guitar over his belly inside a music studio on a dreary stretch of Monterey Park. He plays as a smooth, prerecorded tenor joins a funky accordion through his headphones.
Trying to bite a bullet, or sometimes count to 10,
For the sake of argument, let’s just pretend
We both agree to disagree.
Gonzalez is helping a silky-voiced old bandmate record a nostalgic-sounding soul album. But in a larger sense, the 59-year-old music producer is trying to keep alive a legacy he inherited 18 years ago.
Gonzalez is the head of Rampart Records, which earned a measure of fame in the 1960s as the originator of the “West Coast Eastside Sound” — and whose founder dreamed of its becoming a Mexican American Motown…”
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Students express artistry with original makeup looks on social media platforms
“Linda Casillas used to wake up at 4 a.m. every day just to do her makeup in high school.
“I would wear a full face – fake eyelashes, contour, colorful eye shadow,” the third-year art history student said.
Now, Casillas says she usually keeps her makeup neutral, but still expresses her artistry through her Instagram page, which features bright color palettes and themed designs – including an outline of Royce Hall adorning her eye, rimmed with yellow and blue eye shadow at the bottom.
The first inkling of her passion arose in middle school, she said, when she began watching online tutorials and, being particularly insecure about her eyebrows, playing with makeup. Later in high school, Casillas joined a dance team and started investing more time into her craft, helping her teammates with their makeup and sharing her work on Instagram…”
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Underrepresented Spanish-speaking women share perspectives in film festival
“…Immigration, sexuality and maternity will be explored from a woman’s point of view in this year’s annual Latin American, Latinx and Iberian Film Festival.
Founded in 2012 by assistant adjunct professor Adrián Collado and hosted by UCLA’s Department of Spanish and Portuguese, this year’s iteration of the annual festival will run from Monday through Thursday featuring films directed by women from Spain, Latin America and Mexico. Some screenings will be accompanied by live Q&As with cast and crew. One of the festival’s goals is to provide a platform for underrepresented women in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries to share their perspectives on social issues, said Spanish and Portuguese professor Elizabeth Warren…”
The Woman who Invented Barro Negro (Black Pottery)
“The barro negro (black pottery) tradition in Oaxaca, Mexico, dates to the early 1950s, although its predecessor, the grey, utilitarian cántaro of San Bartolo Coyotepec has a tradition going back a couple of thousand years. The most common pottery form in the area, known as the cántaro, had been used for carrying and storing water, mezcal, milk and other liquids, for generations. Then in the early 1950s, a humble, personable woman named Doña Rosa Real, together with her husband Juventino Nieto, by chance developed an innovation to its appearance and functionality; if the pot, before firing, was rubbed with a piece of clear quartz, and then baked for only eight or nine hours rather than the traditional 13 or 14 hours, the result would be a shiny, black cántaro, purely decorative and unable to retain liquids without discoloration and filtration. Between the 1950s and the early 1960s, everyone else in the village continued to produce their grey functional pottery, while Doña Rosa and family toiled away with what became known as barro negro (black pottery). She developed a following of foreigners who collected Latin American folk art, including the likes of Nelson Rockefeller.
More travelers began to travel to Oaxaca and visit San Bartolo Coyotepec. The market for barro negro thereby increased substantially. Virtually every potter in the village began burnishing his pieces with quartz, and removing them from the kiln “prematurely,” out of economic necessity and a burgeoning tourist market…”
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UCLA diversity report shows general trend toward increased representation in TV
“Women and people of color continue to be left out of Hollywood, but the 2019 Hollywood Diversity Report details the proportional representation that is slowly and steadily underway.
Released Feb. 21 by UCLA’s Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, the report is the sixth in an annual series and examines gender and racial diversity in the film and television industries. Zeroing in on 1,316 television shows from the 2016 to 2017 season and 2017’s top 200 theatrical films, the report shows an increase in gender and racial diversity in categories such as directors and digital scripted show leads.
“We think that information has begun to slowly sink in in Hollywood, and that’s one of the reasons we think we’re starting to see more diversity in Hollywood,” said Darnell Hunt, dean of social sciences and an author of the report. “Even though we have a long way to go, at least things seem to be moving in the right direction, particularly in television.”
[RELATED: Researchers study underrepresentation in film, TV]…”
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Erica Lopez: Mexican American Home Movies, Being ‘Seen,’ and Gauging Class in Amateur Films
“I met Erica Lopez at the AMIA (Association of Moving Image Archivists) conference in Pittsburgh, PA. It was November of 2016.
It was a really weird situation because the actual conference was amazing. Some of the best panels I’ve ever experienced at AMIA. But we were all so goddamn numb because of the election results that we were somewhere between zombie, “Is this real life?” and wanting to go to sleep forever or the next 4 years (whichever came first).
But I met Erica Lopez and it was just remarkable. She’s an incredible woman and a real asset to the archiving and preservation field.
Erica got in touch with me just before she graduated and told me what her thesis was going to be about and I was floored…”
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Cowboys and Indians: The Great Diversion
“Gustavo Aguilar and Juan Cabrera, Mexican day laborers, are confronted by an angry protest against illegal immigration, which results in an enlightenment of grammar and ideas….”
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Grammys showcased growing Latino clout. Wins? Not so much.
“…From the first Latino-focused act to open the Grammys to the first solo female artist to win Best Rap Album, Latino artists made their mark onstage Sunday, even though nominations weren’t fully representative of the Latin music boom that has taken place over the last year.
The 61st Grammy Awards kicked off with the Cuban-American singer Camila Cabello recreating a Latino-esque “block party.” She also paid tribute to her grandmother and her Cuban heritage with her hit single “Havana,” which was nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance…”
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Angela Aguilar: Meet This Week’s Billboard Latin Artist On the Rise
“…Angela Aguilar attends the 19th annual Latin Grammy Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Nov. 15, 2018 in Las Vegas.
Starting a musical career at an early age is not easy. But growing up within a family of successful musicians can teach you a lot about how to develop a successful career. Therefore, Ángela Aguilar, daughter of Pepe Aguilar and granddaughter of Antonio Aguilar and Flor Silvestre (legends of Mexican music), decided to continue her legacy and keep her musical heritage alive.
Ángela Aguilar released her first album, Primero Soy Mexicana, in early 2018, produced by her father, Pepe, and featuring 11 popular ranchera songs. The album was nominated for Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album at the 19th Annual Latin Grammy Awards and, also, she received a nomination for best new artist…”
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Authors consider own backgrounds in portrayals of refugee and immigrant experiences
“…In the early 1990s, writer Viet Thanh Nguyen read a book about the Mexican-American border he found timely: “Across the Wire: Life and Hard Times on the Mexican Border,” by Luís Alberto Urrea. Twenty years later, the two authors will join forces to discuss refugees and immigrants.
The two hail from drastically different cultural backgrounds – Nguyen is a refugee from Vietnam while Urrea, who grew up in Tijuana, has an American mother and Mexican father. Their conversation Thursday in Royce Hall will detail both their personal histories and the influences behind their writing. They are both known for writing about these topics, from Urrea’s “Into the Beautiful North” and Nguyen’s “The Sympathizer;” they also know each other, as they first met when they were finalists for the 2016 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. Their desire to humanize the immigrant and refugee experiences grounds both writers, though the contrasting pathways that preceded their works lead to different writing styles, Urrea said.
“We both have a serious intent and we are always representing (immigrants and refugees),” Urrea said. “It’s important for us to make a stand for our people, particularly in this environment now.”
Urrea saw the arts as a way of understanding where he fit in. His background made him feel isolated at times from both Latinos and Americans, he said, so he pursued poetry, songwriting, drawing and theater. During his senior year of college, his father died violently in Mexico. Urrea didn’t have any way to process it other than writing about it, he said. His bilingual skills and firsthand understanding of the American-Mexican border gave him an opportunity to share new stories of immigrants…”
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Latin Albums Are Now More Popular Than Country Albums in the U.S.
“…Latin artists were responsible for eight of the 10 most viewed videos on the planet in 2018. But Latin music’s striking display of streaming power was not limited strictly to video, according to a new year-end report from BuzzAngle, a data company which tracks music consumption.
The genre accounted for 9.4 percent of all album listening in the U.S. in 2018 — measured by combining physical and digital sales, song downloads (10 downloads is equal to one album) and on-demand streams (1,500 to one). This is notable: The growth means Latin albums are now more popular here than their counterparts in country music, which took up 8.7 percent of all album consumption. (Last year, country’s share of album-listening exceeded Latin music’s, 8.1 percent to 7.5 percent.) Latin artists are off to a strong start in 2019 as well, as fans continue to stream X100Pre, the captivating Christmas Eve release from Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny…”
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Latinos Won Big Victories At The Golden Globes Last Night But Our History At The Show Is Too Short
“The 2019 Golden Globes have come and gone, and the two things that we learned from the 3-hour long show is that a) Latinos in Hollywood are still very much underrepresented and b) if it wasn’t for Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma” the whole show would have been a much dire situation for Latinos. Cuarón’s film did take home two top-notch awards including Best Motion Picture: Foreign Language, and Best Director.
We didn’t have the Latino representation we had hoped for, it got us to thinking about the Golden Globes of yesteryear. Here are some of those memorable moments of past Latino winners following the new class of Latino Golden Globes winners…”
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Other Voices, Other Worlds
“…Anthology of Latino speculative fiction co-edited by a UCSB scholar wins an American Book Award…”
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Media Life Magazine: How Hispanic culture is changing America
“…Last month, Univision Deportes Network beat every other cable sports network in primetime among the key demos of adults 18-49 and 18-34. It finished ahead of Fox Sports 1 and NBC Sports Network, which is an accomplishment of itself. But it also beat cable sports’ big dogs, ESPN and ESPN2.
UDN carried the Copa America Centenario in June, which explains the big ratings, while the other networks were in a rare summertime lull between major events like NASCAR and the Tour de France. But still, a Spanish-language network beating a bunch of English-language ones in the major sports demos?
A few years ago, that would have been unthinkable. In fact, five years ago, UDN didn’t even exist. The rapid rise of UDN, and the growing popularity of soccer in general, speaks to the continued mainstreaming of Hispanic culture…”
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Mariachi de Uclatán performance to celebrate life and honor dead
“…The majority of UCLA is gearing up for the night of Oct. 31 with jack-o’-lanterns and cobwebs, but members of Mariachi de Uclatán will spend the evening making music and decorating altars with flowers and photographs.
For its upcoming Día de los Muertos performance Wednesday night, the student mariachi band ensemble will play a number of songs dedicated to remembering late musicians, as well as loved ones who have passed away. Its show at UCLA’s Fowler Museum, an installment of the Fowler Out Loud concert series, will feature musicians and dancers in traditional face paint resembling skeletons and altars that are constructed as a gateway to the afterlife. Even though students will pay homage to the dead, the spirit of the show is that of joyful remembrance rather than sorrowful mourning, said Elisa Quiñonez, a fourth-year history student and a co-musical director of Mariachi de Uclatán…”
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Taylor Swift makes AMA history, while Cardi B and Camila Cabello win big
Shawn Mendes won Favorite Artist Adult Contemporary for the second consecutive year. Camila Cabello – who was nominated in five categories – won four, including Favorite Music Video, for the Latin-infused “Havana.”
Cabello was crowned New Artist of the Year, beating out Cardi B and her chart-topping numbers, “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves),” “Girls Like You” and “I Like It.” Cardi B, however, earned awards for Favorite Artist Rap/Hip Hop and Favorite Song Rap/Hip Hop, and shared Favorite Song Soul/R&B – an impressive clapback toward rap rival Nicki Minaj, who earned no nominations. Cardi B was No. 1 on the nominee leaderboard, tied with Drake for eight..”
Incoming student rises above personal adversity in debut song “Broken Wings”
“…Izzy Escobar flies with broken wings every day.
The incoming first-year musical theater student released her debut song “Broken Wings” on June 25, stemming from her experience of abuse from a stepparent, which she turned into inspiration for her music at a young age. The four-minute pop song, accompanied by an original music video, celebrates overcoming difficult situations in life and ultimately learning to let go and grow from them, Escobar said…”
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California college students can take free online course from any state institution
“…The California State University system is more broadly promoting an initiative that will allow its residential students to access online courses at any of its 23 campuses through a new database launched this week, Inside Higher Education reported. Students will be able to take one free online course each semester…”
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Don Quixote rides anew (on a bicycle!) in Cal Shakes world premiere
“…Brandishing a bedpan as a helmet and reclaimed auto parts as a coat of armor, a bedraggled “Quixote Nuevo” charges on stage at Cal Shakes atop a rickety bicycle instead of a steed.
Octavio Solis’ cheeky new re-imagining of Cervantes’ Don Quixote mythology, exuberantly directed by KJ Sanchez, throbs with wit and poignancy in its world premiere at California Shakespeare Theater in Orinda. Letting acclaimed playwright Solis (“El Paso Blue,” “Santos and Santos”) rub elbows with Shakespeare on the docket is part of Cal Shakes’ mission to redefine the classics in a more inclusive and relevant way that speaks to the soul and politics of life in America today…”
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