Sunday, February 26, 2012

Free Texas Tornados concert to celebrate the opening of Texas Music Roadtrip exhibit




The Texas Tornados will headline a FREE, outdoor concert on The Lone Star Plaza of The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum on March 17 at 1 p.m. The concert marks the opening of the new, special exhibit, Texas Music Roadtrip.

About the concert: Texas Music Roadtrip Opening Day Festivities
Saturday, March 17, 1 - 5 p.m.
Celebrate the opening of the special exhibit with FREE Family activities and live music! Legendary Texas band, The Texas Tornados will perform a FREE concert on the Lone Star Plaza. Regular exhibit admission prices apply.

About the exhibit: Texas Music Roadtrip
March 17 - October 14, 2012
Take a journey through Texas and a century of music with Texas Music Roadtrip. This special exhibition explores the people and places that put Texas music on the map.
From the explosion of '30s jazz in Dallas's Deep Ellum, to the emergence of '50s Rock and Roll in the Panhandle, to the rise of zydeco, tejano, and country rock — Texas Music Roadtrip takes you past the musical landmarks that compose the Texas landscape.

More info: http://www.thestoryoftexas.com/the_museum/texas-music-roadtrip.html

Friday, February 24, 2012

Vallejo Brothers, Gina Chavez with special guest, Michael Ramos perform at Continental Club March 1st

Cine Las Americas presents a Sneak Preview of 'Chico & Rita'; NOMINEE FOR 2012 ACADEMY AWARD, BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM


Cine Las Americas presents a Sneak Preview of: CHICO & RITA

A film by Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal

Animation/Music/Romance, Spain/UK, 2010, 94 minutes

In Spanish with English subtitles

WHEN: Wednesday, Feb. 29 - 8 PM

WHERE: Regal Metropolitan 901 Little Texas Ln

Tickets are $10.

Tickets are available on-line at www.cinelasamericas.org, and at the theater one hour before the screening.

Discounts for AFS members are available on-line and at the door. Student discounts are also available at the door.

Proceeds from this sneak preview benefit Cine Las Americas programs..

ABOUT THE FILM:

CHICO & RITA

A film by Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal

Spain/UK, 2010, Animation/Music/Romance
94 min. 35mm, Color
In Spanish with English Subtitles

NOMINEE FOR 2012 ACADEMY AWARD, BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

WINNER! BEST ANIMATED FEATURE EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS - GOYA AWARDS

CRITICS PICK! ALMOST UNIMAGINABLY RICH AND RESONANT!
"A reminder not only of the aesthetic vitality of hand-drawn, two-dimensional animation, but also of the form's ability to provide entertainment and enlightenment for adults." - AO Scott. NY TIMES

CHICO & RITA opens theatrically in Austin on Friday, March 2 at Regal Arbor Cinemas

Oscar®-winning director Fernando Trueba (Belle Epoque, Calle 54) and Spain's legendary illustrator Javier Mariscal celebrate their passion for the music and culture of Cuba with an epic story of love, passion, and heartbreak.

Cuba, 1948. Chico is a young piano player with big dreams. Rita is a beautiful singer with an extraordinary voice. Music and desire unite them as they chase their dreams and each other from Havana to New York to Paris, Hollywood and Las Vegas.

With an original soundtrack by legendary Cuban pianist and five-time Grammy®-winning composer Bebo Valdés, Chico & Rita captures a defining moment in the evolution of history and jazz, and features the music of (and animated cameos by) Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Cole Porter, Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, Tito Puente, Chano Pozo, and others.

"A sincerely delightful film! In much the same way that The Artist (Dir. Michel Hazanavicius) stylistically and engagingly captures the waning of Hollywood's silent film era, Chico & Rita brings to life the arts and sensibilities of Caribbean jazz artists at home and abroad prior to the Cuban Revolution. The film is lovingly but not blindly nostalgic, and is not only a tribute to musical genius that can be appreciated both by those familiar with its inspirations and those who are not, but also a cinematographic achievement embedded with homages to film and cultural history... all while inventing its own visual form. In short: this film will sweep you off your feet if you let it, and Chico and Rita and their friends will be in your heart long after you've left the theater."

- Jean Lauer, Film Program Associate, Cine Las Americas

EN ESPAÑOL:

El director ganador del Oscar® Ferbabdo Tureba (BELLE EPOQUE, CALLE 54), y el legendario ilustrador español Javier Mariscal, celebran su pasión por la música y la cultura de Cuba con una épica historia de amor, pasión, y desencuentro.

Cuba, 1948. Chico es un joven pianista con sueños de grandeza. Rita es una hermosa cantante poseedora de una voz extraordinaria. La música y el deseo los unen mientras persiguen sus sueños, y se buscan entre sí, desde la Habana hasta Nueva York, París, Hollywood y Las Vegas.

Con una banda sonora original creada por el legendario pianista cubano y cinco veces ganador del Grammy®, Bebo Valdés, CHICO Y RITA captura un momento decisivo en la evolución de la historia del Jazz, y presenta la música (y actuación especial como personajes animados), de Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Cole Porter, Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, Tito Puente, y Chano Pozo, entre otros.

"¡Una película sinceramente deliciosa! De forma muy similar a la que la película EL ARTISTA (Dir. Michel Hazanavicius) captura de manera atractiva y estilística el ocaso de la era silente de Hollywood, CHICO Y RITA recrea vividamente el arte y la sensibilidad de los músicos de Jazz caribeños en su lugar de origen y en el extranjero, justo antes de la revolución Cubana. La película es cariñosa, pero no ciegamente nostálgica, y no sólo es un tributo al genio musical que puede apreciar cualquier persona, mas es también un logro cinematográfico plagado de homenajes a la historia del cine y de la cultura... todo mientras propone e inventa su propio estilo visual. En pocas palabras, CHICO Y RITA y sus amigos permanecerán en su corazón mucho tiempo después de que abandone el cine."

- Jean Lauer, Film Program Associate, Cine Las Americas

ABOUT THE DIRECTORS:
FERNANDO TRUEBA is a multi-award-winning writer, director and producer, with a career spanning more than three decades in film, television, documentaries, theater and music. Belle Epoque, starring ingénue Penelope Cruz, won both the Oscar and BAFTA for Foreign Language Film. Trueba enjoyed a brief flirtation with Hollywood with romantic comedy Two Much, starring Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith and Daryl Hannah, but he returned to his native Spain with films such as La niña de tus ojos (The Girl of Your Dreams), also starring Cruz, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and netted seven Goya awards. Trueba's Latin jazz documentary Calle 54 saw the birth of his collaboration and friendship with Javier Mariscal. Trueba's previous film El Baile de la Victoria (The Dancer and the Thief) was Spain's submission to the 2010 Academy Awards, and received 10 Goya nominations.

JAVIER MARISCAL is an artist and designer, working in multiple fields including illustration, graphics, comic-books, paintings, animation, interiors, product design, furniture and web design. In 1979, he created the Bar Cel Ona (bar, sky, wave) logo for his adoptive city of Barcelona, a powerful and accessible piece of graphic communication that won him instant acclaim. His popularity increased when his merchandise-friendly Cobi was chosen as the official mascot of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Twipsy, chosen as the mascot of the Hanover 2000 Expo, became the star of its own animated TV series. The Valencian-born designer opened Estudio Mariscal in Barcelona in 1989, winning multiple commissions across a range of disciplines, and expanding to a full-time team of 40. Mariscal was the subject of a major retrospective at London's Design Museum in 2009, and the exhibition "Mariscal A La Pedrera" which opened in September 2010 at Pedrera in Barcelona.

A G-Kids Release

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'Act of Valor', 'Gone' Films Not Screened for Press Open February 24th



On February 24, Americans will have the opportunity to see a group of active-duty Navy SEALs at work in a powerful story of contemporary global anti-terrorism in the film Act of Valor. Inspired by real life missions, Act of Valor combines stunning combat sequences, up-to-the minute battlefield technology and heart-pumping emotion in the ultimate action adventure. The film takes audiences deep into the secretive world of the most elite, highly trained group of warriors in the modern world.







No stranger to riveting dramatic performances on film, actor Sam Upton stars alongside Amanda Seyfried and Jennifer Carpenter in the new suspense thriller GONE (in theatres everywhere on February 24th/SUMMIT Films).

In GONE, ‘Jill Parrish’ (Seyfried) comes home from a night shift to discover that her sister ‘Molly’ has been abducted – having escaped from a kidnapping the year before, she is convinced that the same serial killer has come back and taken
'Molly.’ The town’s police unit comprised of Sam Upton, Jennifer Carpenter and Daniel Sunjata think that ‘Jill’ is out of her mind and are unwilling to use their resources to help her. Afraid that ‘Molly’ will be dead by sundown, she sets out alone on a heart-pounding chase to find the killer, expose his secrets and save her sister, all while Upton’s character is on the move to find her before she hurts herself or anyone else.

Rampart opens in Austin Theaters February 24th



Liz Lopez Rating C

Oren Moverman director of ‘Rampart,’ co-wrote the crime/drama screenplay with James Ellroy. The premiere for the film was at the Toronto International Film Festival and then it screened at the Donostia-San Sebastian International Film Festival in Spain, both in September 2011. After a limited release in the USA earlier this month, ‘Rampart’ opens in Austin theaters on February 24th, 2012.

Set in 1999, Dave Brown (two-time Academy Award® nominee Woody Harrelson) is a cop assigned to the scandal rocked the LAPD’s Rampart division. The script does not focus on the specific scandal, but actions by this fictional character does bring more unwanted notoriety to who the LAPD. Brown is the son of a veteran cop, who apparently followed in his father’s footsteps in more ways than one. He has a confidante and mentor retired from the force, Hartshorn (Ned Beatty), who “takes care of him” and receives “appreciation” for his help in yellow envelopes. In their conversations, Hartshorn mentions the father and their history together.

There is not much new to describe the character Officer Dave Brown, as it is one we have often seen before in other stories about men like this: stubborn; refuse to take responsibility for their actions or to change; are in positions of authority and power yet knowingly abuse it and others around him. This character is also self-destructive-abusing tobacco, alcohol, pharmaceuticals with no prescription, sex and more. He is clueless as to how he destroyed two sister’s lives and the daughters they bore him.

Despite the suspicion for roughing up a suspect, murder and other charges, he drinks on the job and drives a patrol car. Do you wonder who and what else he knows? At the end of the film, does the viewer even care?

The excellent cast with great performances include Woody Harrelson, Ned Beatty, Francis Capra, Ben Foster, Anne Heche, Ice Cube, Brie Larson, Audra McDonald, Cynthia Nixon, Sigourney Weaver, Robert Wisdom, Robin Wright, Steve Buscemi, Jon Bernthal, Jon Foster, Stella Schnabel, Sammy Boyarksy and many, many more Latino actors (or cast as Latinos) as this film is set in Echo Park.

It is too bad so many excellent veteran, established and younger generation cast members are in one film with a script that can leave the viewer feeling left high and dry after investing 107 minutes watching it.

It is rated R by the MPAA for pervasive language, sexual content and some violence. What description is this, “some violence,” considering the repeated beatings, shootings, assaults and how Brown treats women?? There is plenty of violence in this film, not just “some.”

Liz

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Wanderlust opens in Theaters on February 24th


Liz Lopez Rating C-

From all the trailers that have been shown on television to date for ‘Wanderlust,’ it is very obvious there is plenty of nudity in the film because the story contains a clothing optional community. I know that. What I did not expect to see so much of was the full frontal nudity on a few occasions. I must have lost track of the time, but full frontal scenes of men and women garnered a stronger rating than an R, but in 2012 this film is rated R by the MPAA for sexual content, graphic nudity, language and drug use.

‘Wanderlust’ is directed by David Wain, who co-wrote the script with Ken Marino, both of which produced alongside Judd Apatow and Paul Rudd. Wain directed ‘Role Models’ (2008) that starred Paul Rudd, Ken Marino, Joe Lo Truglio, Kerri Kenney-Silver and return to work with Wain on the ‘Wanderlust’ production. Richard Vane is the Executive Producer for this raunchy comedy that follows a couple who leave New York after their losses. Not having a job and income can make people act and think in different ways as never before in their lifetime.

George (Paul Rudd) and Linda (Jennifer Aniston) hit hard times in Manhattan shortly after purchasing a studio loft from a realtor, Shari (Linda Lavin). No longer able to pay their mortgage or other needs, they hit the road to Atlanta to stay with George’s brother Rick (Ken Marino) and sister in law, Marissa (Michaela Watkins). The scenes with Rick have been relayed several times in trailers, but I really enjoyed the lines given to veteran actor Lavin, TV star from the ‘Alice’ series. She can deliver comedic lines well!

George and Linda have a hard time adjusting to their new life in Atlanta, especially after their overnight stay at the Elysium community, founded by Carvin (Alan Alda) and many friends in the early 1970s. Over the last four decades, Carvin has a vast array of characters stay and embrace the lifestyle of few rules, including share everything and shed the clothes if you want.

To escape Rick’s rants and Marissa’s unhappiness in their marriage despite all the expensive trappings, stressed out George and Linda return to join the Elysium community for a couple of weeks. Seth (Justin Theroux) and Eva (Malin Akerman) are ready to share George and Linda, but the new couple is apprehensive at first. One of the funniest scenes I enjoyed in this film is Paul Rudd talking to himself in the mirror as he is about to take a giant step forward in his life with Eva. I am amazed at the range of things Rudd said and does, so for that few minutes, I was rolling in my chair with laughter. I wish I could say that about the whole film, but no.

Some of the other characters at the Elysium community include Karen (Kathryn Hahn), Almond (Lauren Ambrose), Wayne (Joe Lo Truglio), Kathy (Kerri Kenney-Silver) and many others who have let time pass them by. They are certainly not ready for developers to come through and take over the property they have helped Carvin care for and maintain so many years. Seth shows his true colors about the community after he thinks he has won over Linda’s heart and soul.

As for this romantic comedy, it is predictable and it ends with George and Linda resolving their differences and sudden money and success lands in their lap. Happy endings are fine, but this is old and tasteless overall.

‘COMIN’ AT YA 3D!’opens in Austin at Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar, Village and Lake Creek on Friday, February 24th



Liz Lopez Rating A
I grew up watching Westerns in South Texas with my family, including my older siblings and my Spanish speaking grandmother who loved family time watching ‘Gunsmoke’ with James Arness as Marshall Matt Dillon and ‘Rawhide’ with Clint Eastwood. It did not matter that she did not understand the language, but the actions, expressions and tone provided by each character garnered her interest and kept her heading back to the television set weekly. She provided her own title in Spanish for each program and everyone in the family knew exactly which program it was she asked for. As I recently viewed ‘COMIN' AT YA! 3D,’ it brought back so many of those childhood memories and I felt entertained despite the simplicity of the script.

‘COMIN’ AT YA 3D!’ returns for its 30th Anniversary as the first fully restored classic 3D film in stunning high-definition utilizing state-of-the-art RealD 3D® technology. After the restoration in 2011, it is being distributed by Drafthouse Films and released exclusively in Texas theaters on February 24th. Actor/Producer/writer/ Tony Anthony and Italian genre film veteran Ferdinando Baldi (director) realized the first-ever 3D spaghetti-western in 1981, armed with exclusively developed, cutting-edge 3D technology. The indie broke box office records and is the first classic 3D film to get a state-of-the-art digital restoration.

Tony Anthony’s original story became the screenplay by Wolf Lowenthal, Lloyd Battista and Gene Quintano (along with Esteban Cuenca Sevilla and Ramón Plana Castell who are uncredited). This tale is about a gang of ruthless bandits who raided towns of the women, who are in effect human traffickers as they enslaved them, then paraded them for sale to the highest bidder. When the two brothers leading the gang kidnapped a newlywed bride, Abilene (Victoria Abril), from her husband’s arms in the church, her husband becomes a vengeful gunslinger determined to rescue his true love. The cast includes H. H. Hart (Tony Anthony), Pike (Gene Quintano), Polk (Ricardo Palacios), Lewis Gordon, Luis Barboo, Charly Bravo, Joaquin Gómez and many, many more cast members that are not credited in the roles of the abducted women, gang members and the patrons who were in the black market of buying women.

This 3D movie gave me the feeling I had the first time I saw a movie at the IMAX Theater in Austin, in that the flying fists, flaming arrows and other things appear as if they are in your face and about to ffel it yourself. It was just plain fun and I felt like a kid enjoying the experience with no one to mock me for the 90 minutes of the film. It was what I enjoyed as a kid, but decades later it was available in 3D, which I missed. It is not too late to catch this fun film now with a restoration that will certainly entertain those of us who still do not mind a little cheesiness in our films from time to time.

The film will be opening in Austin at Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar, Village and Lake Creek on Friday, February 24th.

Lila Downs, Songstress Without Borders, Kicks off Celebrations for Esperanza Peace and Justice Center’s 25th Anniversary



Before she won a Grammy and before she became an international sensation, the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center in San Antonio introduced the enigmatic singer Lila Downs to San Antonians with two free concerts that enthralled thousands of fans.

Now the singer-songwriter-activist who intones passion and angst in everything from corridos, cumbias, ballads and even hip-hop is returning to San Antonio to launch celebrations for Esperanza’s 25th anniversary in a concert Sunday, March 11 at Trinity University’s Laurie Auditorium.

The event - Dueña de las fronteras, Woman without Borders – also coincides with the Mexican-American singer’s release of a powerful new album, Sins and Miracles (Pecados y Milagros), compositions exploring religion, evil and redemption against the backdrop of a Mexico wracked by drug violence.

It is fitting that Downs, a fervent vocalist and lifetime activist, would honor Esperanza’s longstanding social justice achievements in 25 years of serving the community.

“Lila represents so much. She is what Esperanza is all about. She sings and talks about immigration, about poor people, women, women who are being killed, not just in Juarez but around the world,” said Esperanza director Graciela Sanchez. “People leave her concerts in love with her. She makes you think.”

Downs, the daughter of a Mixtec Indian singer and a Minnesota professor, says the new album explores themes inspired by events in Mexico as well as the recent adoption of a son with her partner and artistic director Paul Cohen.

“The reality of the country is a problem for the identity of Mexicans as human beings; we’re more than the headlines,” Downs, who lives in Mexico, told reporters recently as she began her U.S. tour to promote her new album.

It is the third time Esperanza sponsors Downs. The center first brought her to San Antonio in October 2004 in a free outdoor concert at Guadalupe Plaza and then again at Sunken Gardens in 2009. Esperanza asked the community to choose an artist they would like to have for their 25th anniversary and Downs was voted one of the top names. Downs, who was born in Oaxaca and resides in Mexico, readily agreed.

“She is the sort of artist we always support,” Sanchez said of Downs, whose haunting melodies in the 2002 movie Frida, in which she also had a small part, helped the film win an Academy award for best original score. In 2005, she won a Latin Grammy for her album One Blood about immigration and human rights, issues close to Esperanza’s heart and mission.

Although this concert isn’t free, Esperanza is making tickets available at reasonable prices, from $12 to $27 a seat. To help underwrite the event, those interested can meet the artist at an after-party fundraiser.

For more information about this convivio with Downs, contact Susana Segura at the Esperanza at (210) 228-0201

BREAKMAN & POPPIN Dance Competition to be held at RUTA MAYA on Saturday, February 25th



BREAKMAN & POPPIN: RUTA MAYA 3601 South Congress Avenue

Saturday, February 25th, 2012
1:00pm until 9:00pm

JESSE AKA RECON T.C.A & MARIO HK present:

2vs2 Dance Contest.
Prize $600 - Teams consist of 1 BBOY and 1 ALL STYLE DANCERS (other than a bboy!) including - but not limited to: LOCKERS, POPPERS, HIP HOP OR HOUSE, KRUMPERS, WACKERS - NEW STYLES - You name it.

Great sounds from 2 DJ's: Chorizo FUNK and JJ LOPEZ

GUEST JUDGES:
JESSE GERM R.A.D
ENEMY H-TOWN
DANCIN QUEEN S.W.A.T

ALSO Judge: Omar JVT - 7 to SMOKE. Prize $200

LIVE ART BY SLOKE1.COM

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Films Opening in Theaters on February 24th



Friday, February 24th The Millennium Theater presents Tyler Perry's 'Good Deeds'
1156 Hargrave, Austin, Texas 78702
Group reservations available for 8:00pm show on Wednesday and Thursday.
Call (512) 475-6932 or visit www.MYEC.net

Rated PG-13

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MIDNIGHT IN PARIS expands to TINSELTOWN 20 (Pflugerville) on 2/25/2012 [This is subject to change]

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Gigposter Screenprinting Workshop in Austin on Mar 10 & 11; Advanced screenprinting workshop with Squeegeeville's Andy MacDougall



Sharpen your printing knowledge and skill as you complete a multicolor poster run project in this special 2 day class. Taking place the weekend before Flatstock 33 at SXSW, participants will get a chance to work on a variety of printing press set-ups including hand vacuum table, parallel lift one arm, semi automatic, textile carousel. Learn advanced techniques while producing your multicolor print run. We will cover separations, films, rubycutting and other hand techniques, screenmaking, multi-color setup & registration, split fountain & fine detail/halftone printing. This is a hands-on screenprinting course, working in one of Austin's top screenprinting studios.

As this is an advanced class, participants should have some basic knowledge and experience with screenprinting, plus some art preparation/separation skills. All materials are provided, and participants will complete a multicolored print run of approx 50 posters, plus receive a copy of the best selling instruction book 'Screenprinting Today, the Basics'.

Cost is $300.00 Class size is limited. API members and GP premium members receive 10% off. A deposit is required to hold your spot. For information and to sign up, contact:

Jonathan Rebolloso
jonathan@coronadostudio.com
512 636 5932

You can pay the $150 Deposit by cash, check, or credit card by bringing it to our office or over the phone. Checks made out to Coronado Studio.
Our office is located at:
6601 Felix Avenue
Austin, Texas, 78741

SXSW Music Gear Expo Announces List of Exhibitors from March 14th thru 17th in Exhibit Hall 5 of the Austin Convention Center

South by Southwest (SXSW) Music presents the SXSW Music Gear Expo, now in its third year. This expanded event will include manufacturers from top companies showcasing their guitars, drums, amps, pedals, keyboards, software, and countless other accessories needed by amateurs and professionals alike. With over 2,000 bands playing at SXSW, some of the finest musicians in the world will have the opportunity to give some of the best equipment a test run.

The first ever SXSW Showcasing Artists Gear Giveaway will take place in the Music Gear Expo Saturday, March 17 at 3:00 p.m. SXSW showcasing bands are invited to sign up in the Expo starting Wednesday, March 14. Participating gear providers are Taylor Guitars, Klipsch, MXL Microphones, Bullet Cable, Propellerhead, ScreaminFX Pedals, Pro Audio Stash, Cengage and RUNNUR with more to be announced.

This year, the Music Gear Expo Store, presented by Austin music retailer Strait Music, will be selling instruments manufactured by Expo exhibitors as well as useful accessories like drum heads, cables, and strings on site. Strait Music will also have trained technicians on hand for any emergency guitar repairs. The official Music Gear Expo Lounge, presented by Klipsch, is a comfortable meeting and networking space complete with wifi and free Miller Lite during the daily Happy Hours.

The Music Gear Expo will run for four days, Wednesday, March 14 - Saturday, March 17, 2012 in the Austin Convention Center, Exhibit Hall 5 and is the perfect opportunity to try out a full spectrum of equipment. The show is open to SXSW registrants from all three conferences (Music, Film and Interactive) including producers, sound engineers, media, and SXSW showcasing bands, plus the public will also be invited to attend this free event.

For more information, please go to http://sxsw.com/music/expos/gear

Participating manufacturers so far include:

Amplified Parts - For the musician who is not an electronic technician and who wants to create their own sound or tone by modifying their existing amplifier or guitar.

Anvil/Calzone Cases - Making high quality instrument cases since the birth of rock & roll.

Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau - Unveils its custom designed vintage airstream trailer that will be used to promote Austin to visitors and spread the gospel of the Live Music Capital of World.

Behringer and Bugera - Loudspeakers, amplifiers, mixers, microphones, headphones, wireless systems, musical instruments and more.

Bullet Cables - Expert sound disguised as cool stuff: The line that runs between your gear.

Casio Electronic Musical Instruments (EMI) - Committed to providing musical instruments with features which help foster music education, music-making and professional performances.

Cengage Learning - Provides self-paced music education solutions for creative professionals and hobbyists.

Dubspot - The premier music school for musicians and DJs in New York City and online. Dubspot will be offering clinics in the Gear Expo classroom during Music Gear Expo hours.

Fingerprint Audio - Hand-made, quality microphones and accessories. Also represents Rupert Neve Designs, one of the world's most experienced and knowledgeable audio design teams.

Gator Cases - Taking the worry out of transporting every type of gear.

Jam in the Van - A professional mobile sound studio built into an old Winnebago.

Klipsch - Earphones and speakers offering the ultimate sound experience. Sponsor of the Gear Expo Lounge.

KMC Music - Proudly featuring Ovation, Takamine and Charvel Guitars and Gretsch Drums.

Logitech - Ultimate Ears Custom Stage Earphones have been used by the world’s best musicians to perform on stage.

Miselu Inc - Aligning music creation with the technology. Debuting a mobile Android-based musical keyboard with a multi-touch screen that reproduces the “real sound” of a classic musical instrument.

MXL Microphones and Mogami Cables - Condenser, ribbon, and dynamic microphone solutions. Mogami Cable is unmatched for accuracy, flexibility and quality.

P3 Amplifiers - Custom made guitar amplifiers and speaker enclosures using the finest components available.

Pete Schmidt Accessories - Fine leather guitar and bass straps.

Pro Audio Stash - Specializing in rack mount enclosures and accessories.

Propellerhead - Renowned, innovative music software technology.

Rockitships - Eco-friendly, cost-effective and luxurious transportation for the everyday touring musician.

Runnur - Cool, stylish, compact, lightweight sash/strap for festivals, production work, travel and more.

Santa Cruz Guitars - Sophisticated, handmade acoustic guitars. Celebrating 35 years in business.

ScreaminFX - New guitar pedal company building high quality pedals using solid all analog design techniques.

Strait Music - Austin's one-stop music shop and Austin's only full-line music store. Strait Music will run the Gear Expo Store in the Music Gear Expo.

Taylor Guitars - One of the leading manufacturers of acoustic, acoustic/electric and electric guitars.

Ultimate Ears - Earphones for music lovers of all types.

For more information on every aspect of SXSW, please go to http://www.sxsw.com.

SXSW Music is sponsored by Miller Lite, Sonicbids, Chevrolet, IFC, Pepsi, Doritos, Monster Energy, Freecreditscore.com, Esurance, AT&T, Dell and the Austin Chronicle.

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Juanes viene al Festival de Musica SXSW el 16 de marzo en Austin, Texas

JUANES goza del reconocimiento de la crítica y de un éxito sin precedentes a nivel global, lo que lo han convertido en el músico hispanoparlante más importante del planeta.

El diario The Los Angeles Times lo nombró "la figura individual más relevante de la década dentro de la música latina", mientras que la revista Rolling Stones se refirió a él como "una superestrella latinoamericana y una de las estrellas de rock más grandes del mundo".

Extraordinario guitarrista y compositor dotado de intensa expresividad, Juanes es hoy un activista social líder, frecuentemente comparado con artistas como Bono y Bruce Springsteen por su firme creencia en el poder de la música como factor de cambio social.

Nacido en Medellín, Colombia, el 9 de agosto de 1972, Juanes fue atrapado en las redes de la música desde temprana edad, influenciado por sonidos encontrados, desde la música arrabalera y los tangos de Carlos Gardel, hasta Soda Stereo, pasando por Led Zeppelin, Silvio Rodríguez y Jimi Hendrix.
Durante 8 años fue cantante, guitarrista y principal compositor del grupo de Rock Ekhymosis (1987-1999) con el que produjo cinco álbumes.

Sus composiciones reflejan estrictamente vivencias personales y su temática va desde el amor hasta el humor y el doble sentido , donde se destaca además el mensaje de alto contenido social y de paz que inquieta al cantautor Juanes y que se opone a la violencia generada por la continua lucha en su natal Colombia, así como por todos los conflictos que marcan la faz de la tierra, y destaca el amor de la familia y el respeto por la humanidad como el camino que nos llevará más allá del encono.
Millones de seguidores de este poético rockero han adoptado sus composiciones como verdaderos himnos dedicados al orgullo latino, la esperanza por la paz, y la fuerza del amor.

Nombrado recientemente una de las 100 personas más influyentes del mundo por la revista Time, Juanes ha dedicado gran cantidad de tiempo a su labor como activista global, y su trabajo en este sentido va mucho más allá de las apasionadas letras de sus canciones. Lo anterior puede comprobarse al constatar la gran cantidad de causas filantrópicas a las que apoya continuamente. Así, el trabajo de su propia fundación "Mi Sangre" ha sido reconocido a nivel internacional como uno de los más activos en contra de la utilización de las minas personales, tanto en Colombia como en el resto del mundo.
Además de dicha labor en pro de la erradicación de estos mortíferos dispositivos bélicos, la Fundación Mi Sangre proporciona asistencia y rehabilitación a las personas lesionadas por minas terrestres en todo Colombia. La cruzada de Juanes en favor de estas víctimas lo llevó a ser el primer artista en dar un concierto en la sala principal del parlamento de la Unión Europea, evento que trajo consigo una donación de dos y medio millones de Euros.
Asimismo, organizó el muy exitoso recital benéfico Colombia sin minas en Los Ángeles, recolectó fondos para la creación del Parque de la Paz en Medellín, con juegos especialmente adaptados para los individuos con capacidades diferentes, y fungió como orador de honor durante la Cumbre de Cartagena para un mundo libre de minas. Al expandir de esta manera su misión, la Fundación Mi Sangre trabaja actualmente en el área del desarrollo de la niñez temprana a través de toda América Latina.



Además de todos estos esfuerzos específicos realizados mediante esta organización, Juanes se ha ganado el reconocimiento internacional por su papel como cofundador y principal promotor de los históricos conciertos "Paz sin Fronteras", mismos que buscan unir a los ciudadanos comunes sin distingo de nacionalidades o ideologías e impulsar la utilización de las resoluciones no violentas para dirimir conflictos.
Organizado en tan sólo una semana en 2008 como respuesta a las crecientes tensiones entre Colombia y Venezuela, el primer concierto Paz sin Fronteras unió a más de 200 mil espectadores (así como a millones de televidentes) que se dieron cita en la frontera entre ambas naciones para demandar un esfuerzo por mantener la paz en la región.

El segundo de estos conciertos se llevó a cabo en La Habana el 20 de septiembre de 2009, para hacerlo coincidir con el Día Internacional de la Paz de las Naciones Unidas. Allí, un millón 200 mil jóvenes atiborraron la Plaza de la Revolución en una impresionante manifestación de unidad y de esperanza en formar "una sola familia cubana". El evento recibió una extensa cobertura mediática alrededor del mundo, y la cadena CNN lo calificó como "un enorme éxito… en el que Juanes se ganó el cariño de todo el pueblo cubano"; por su parte, The Economist declaró ese día como un "parteaguas en la relación entre Estados Unidos y Cuba".
En reconocimiento a tan destacada labor filantrópica, el presidente colombiano nombró a Juanes "el Embajador más importante de Colombia". El compositor también fue distinguido en 2005 por Sir Paul McCartney durante el concierto de gala Adopt-a-Minefield, y poco después se le designó Caballero de la Orden de las Artes y las Letras de la República Francesa. Asimismo, la Organización de Estados Americanos lo nombró en 2008 como el personaje humanitario del año, y en fecha reciente se le otorgó en Colombia el prestigioso Premio Nacional de la Paz, en un voto conjunto del Programa para el Desarrollo de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas (UNDP) y representantes de los medios de comunicación colombianos.
Finalmente, Juanes se ha presentado dos veces en vivo como parte del Concierto de Entrega de los Premios Nobel de la Paz en Oslo, y en 2009 encabezó junto con Alicia Keys el programa artístico de la Clinton Global Initiative en Nueva York.
Obviamente, todos estos mensajes de altruismo no serían efectivos si el mensajero no tuviese un gran arrastre popular. A este respecto, no es arriesgado afirmar que Juanes es una de las figuras más importantes del rock latino, tanto por el número de álbumes vendidos como por la enorme cantidad de conciertos con localidades agotadas que ofrece. En su carrera ha celebrado mas 800 conciertos en America, Europa y Asia.
Hasta la fecha, los fans de Juanes han adquirido más de 12 millones de sus discos a nivel mundial, a lo largo de una carrera que abarca sólo cuatro entregas. Ha obtenido nada más y nada menos que diecisiete premios LATIN GRAMMY, todo un récord, siempre encabezando la categoría en la que participa. En 2008, Juanes volvió a arrasar en la entrega de estos galardones —con cinco de cinco—, incluyendo los reconocimientos a mejor álbum y canción del año. De igual manera, en 2009 ganó el premio GRAMMY al mejor álbum pop latino.
Juanes ha ganado además 18 Premios MTV y 16 Premios Lo Nuestro entre otros reconocimientos internacionales.
Adicionalmente, Juanes se encuentra de manera frecuente en los primeros lugares de las listas de popularidad de los Estados Unidos, Europa y toda Latinoamérica. Su disco más reciente, titulado La vida… es un ratico fue el álbum latino más vendido en iTunes durante todo 2008, y "Me enamora", su primer sencillo, se mantuvo por cinco meses (20 semanas) como el #1 de la lista "Hot Latin Songs" de Billboard. Esto representó la permanencia más larga en el primer lugar de cualquier canción latina durante los últimos tres años. En todas sus grabaciones Juanes toca la guitarra.
La canción "Camisa Negra" del álbum MI Sangre, fue #1 en mas de 43 países
Juanes ha grabado duetos con Nelly Furtado, Black Eye Peas, Tonny Bennet, Miguel Bosé, Raphael y Colbie Caillat.
Recientemente grabó con la leyenda del Jazz, Herbbie Hancock una nueva versión de "La Tierra" canción escrita por Juanes en 1996 y considerada por muchos el segundo himno nacional de Colombia.
En el 2010 Juanes recibió el premio NAFTRA a la Excelencia Categoría Grabación Musical y el Premio Presidente BMI por su larga trayectoria de éxitos como compositor.
Actualmente Juanes se encuentra escribiendo y preproduciendo los temas para su próximo que saldrá al mercado en el último trimestre del 2010. Juanes producirá su nuevo álbum con Stephen Lipson en Londres, Miami y Medellín.
Más allá del sólido respaldo de sus seguidores, las estaciones radiofónicas y sus compañeros de profesión, la música de Juanes ha recibido grandes elogios de la crítica especializada:
"…canciones inolvidables en discos que retan, inspiran y cautivan…
uno de los artistas más influyentes de la década… capaz de vender millones al tiempo que compone música inteligente, que invita a la reflexión"-NPR

"El cantante y compositor más candente de América Latina…
un poeta con guitarra eléctrica" - New York Times
"Un héroe cultural con gran imaginación musical y un don para las letras poéticas: un John Lennon latino" – Amazon
"El más grande e importante artista latinoamericano
en este inicio del siglo XXI" – All Music
MOSTRAR MENOS

12th Annual Texas Film Hall of Fame at the ACL Moody Theater on March 8th; Honorees are Barry Corbin, Douglas McGrath, Meat Loaf and Danny Trejo



For full event updates, visit www.austinfilm.org/tfhof

Bomba Estereo from Bogota Colombia at SXSW; Showcases at Red 7 Patio on March 14th and with Juanes at the ACL Moody Theater on March 16th


Bomba Estereo was created from the influence of late 90’s Colombian bands such as Sidestepper and Bloque de Búsqueda, which explored the fusion of folklore and tropical Colombian rhythms with contemporary sounds such as rock, electronic, and dub, among others.

Simon Mejia, founder and director of Bomba, had already experimented with this audible universe in a project lead by Héctor Buitrago from the band Los Aterciopelados, who in 2003 summoned Djs and producers to make a compilation that would fuse tropical music with electronic beats, from samples.

The result of this project, known as Entrecasa, was the album Colombiabeat, where Simon participated with the band A.M.770 and the song “Ritmika”, which was precisely selected as the promotional single.

BIO

After eight years of career, Bomba Estereo consolidated themselves as the independent band from Colombia with the most international projection.

In 2010 alone, the band performed at more than forty cites in Europe, Asia, Latin America and the U.S. and executed overall sixty performances that lead them to obtain the recognition for the “The Best Band in the World,” an award granted by the Culture Channel and Global Music MTV3.

These accomplishments are the result of the continuous work of Simon Mejia, who began his musical process back in 2003 with the band A.M. 770 – Simon Hernandez, Diego Cadavid, Javier Fonseca,- a project that he would later propel by himself and relaunch as Bomba Estereo in 2006 with their first album called “Vol. 1”

For this production, Simon searched for different lead singers seeking to include their collaborations in some of the songs.

He then met Liliana Saumet, fomer lead singer of Mister Gomes en Bombay, who participated in “Huepaje”, the promotional single of the record. Now with “Vol. 1” out, the sound of the single would shape the music of Bomba Estereo into a version originally sang by M.C. Al Roc from Asilo 38 over the track “Corinto”, which Li Saumet would later give the final touch transforming it into the famous hit “Fuego”.

When “Vol. 1” was finished, Simon flew to New York to the most well known event of Latin alternative music: the Latin Alternative Music Conference – LAMC-, where he signed a digital distribution deal of the album with the independent label, Nacional Records, whose main offices are located in Los Angeles, California and catalog includes enormously successful bands like Manu Chao, Los Aterciopelados, Los Amigos Invisibles, Los Fabulosos Cadilacs, and Maldita Vecindad, among others.

At the LAMC, Simon sealed online distribution deals of the record in portals such as Itunes and Amazon. Back in Bogota, Felipe Alvarez, label manager of Polen Records, raised an interest in the band and signed a label agreement with them, making Polen Records the official label for Bomba Estereo.

Simon continued working with Liliana in live performances and writing new material along with Diego Cadavid in percussion. This line up would later create the songs of the second album “Estalla” –Blow Up-.

“Blow Up”, produced by Simon Mejia and Julian Salazar in “El Muelle” studios of Polen Records, was launched in September of 2008 in Bogota, Colombia and has been successfully played all over the world ever since.

From Estalla! to Blow Up!

In Bomba Estereo’s second album, the band invited new musicians: Kike Egurrolla in the drums and Julian Salazar in the guitar. The audience and local specialized press received the album with positive remarks and enormous exposition.

With the launch of “Estalla”, the relation with Nacional Records consolidated even more. The American label decided to release the physical format of the album in the U.S. with the name “Blow Up” and to be launched in July 2009 in New York, where it got excellent press reviews.

Thanks to the support of Polen Records in Colombia and Nacional Records in the U.S., Bomba Estereo managed to enter the international circuit performing in promotional tours in over ten countries, some of them far away form the Colombian territory like Japan, and some others more familiarized with latin sounds such as Brazil and the U.S.

Bomba Estereo was then nominated by the Latin MTV Awards for Best New Artist and was reviewed by newspapers like the New York Times and The Chicago Tribune.

Without a doubt, the single that propelled the musical career of the band was “Fuego”, which was used by McDonalds in their international advertising campaign and in the videogame FIFA 2010.

Early 2010, the band went to the top 10 latin sales through Itunes, just before the international tour of 2010 kicked off, which from March until December, led them to perform in more than 40 cities in Latin America, Asia, Europe, and the U.S. Among the most renowned presentations, the band performed at Sonar in Spain, reviewed for its avant garde sound by Spanish media; sold out concert at the Prospect Park in New York, one of the most important stages in New Yorker's summer; and a show in Expo Shangai in China as representatives for Colombia.

The secod semester of 2010, Bomba Estereo achieved two other international goals: First, the recording of a version of “Pump up the Jam” of Technotronic for the Levi’s Pioneer Sessions. This popular branding initiative invited artists from various countries to create new versions of songs that inspired their sound.

The other international achievement was winning the contest of the Culture Channel and Global Music of MTV for “The Best Band in the World” among 25 other bands from the U.S., England, France, Denmark, Australia, Argentina, Japan, Korea, China, and New Zeland. The award consisted of the recording of a concert for their fans in New York in July.

Back in their country, the career of Bomba Estereo blew up in Colombia, setting a precedent by selling out two dates in a row in the Metro Theatre in Bogota with the band “Systema Solar”. Then followed performances in Europe and Brazil.

Bomba Estereo also won the award for Best Shock Artist in the Shock Music Awards in 2010 as an acknowledgment to their career and their achievements, both national and international. They moved on to perform in the World music Expo – WOMEX- in Copenhague, Denmark in October, an event characterized as an annual appointment for musicians, producers, labels, etc. grouping all products and services of the music industry. During the long history of WOMEX, official records show that the only Colombian artists ever invited have been La 33, Cimarron, Los Aterciopelados, Monica Giraldo, and Petrona Martinez.

After returning to Colombia in November 2010, Bomba Estereo launched the video clip for the song “feelin’”, a visual experiment created by 15 Colombian movie and TV directors. The band then went back on the road to perform their last six international dates of the year in France.

Bomba Estereo ended the year focusing in the composition of the new album and began 2011 with performances in the Colombian Llanos orientales, Peru and two of the most important music festivals in the world: Coachella and Lollapalooza. They also performed in the most important festival in Latin America: Vive Latino in Mexico.

Bomba Estereo is without a doubt the most accomplished independent band to achieve goals by non commercial means.

PRESS REVIEWS

“Bomba Estéreo’s set at the Bowery Ballroom... was kaleidoscopic and danceable.”
-JON PARELES / NY TIMES

“Bomba Estereo... is turning plenty of heads with its song "Fuego," the exhilarating lead single from its debut album... playfully referring to both Colombia's burgeoning dance culture and traditional attire in the same breath.”
-BILLBOARD

“Acostumbrados a que el Sónar nos ofrezca nuevos talentos anglosajones y asiáticos, contemplar cómo una formación colombiana se hace reina del Village y por extensión de la tarde del sábado, resultó estimulante y recordó que el festival no olvida la tradición. Así lo entendió el público, que con la alegría esculpida en el rostro decidió dislocarse bailando con la propuesta de Bomba Estéreo, un mejunje a base de cumbia, ritmos populares como la champeta, psicodelia y un toque de electrónica. Fue el de los colombianos uno de los conciertos estrellas de un Sónar que en sí mismo se erige en estrella”.
-EL PAÍS, ESPAÑA

“Bomba Estéreo is a funky underground talent revealing a genre-busting, linguistics- defying release with “Blow Up”... Lead vocalist Liliana Saumet’s sultry style is a hybridization of Nelly Furtado with the precision and attitude of M.I.A.”
-URB

“[Bomba Estereo’s] album, ‘Blow Up’, quickly threw them on a global map filled with excellent cumbia, champeta, and reggaeton groups. Thus far, they are one of the best.”

-HUFFINGTON POST

“The Bogotá group live up to their explosive moniker with an infectiously danceable sound that often expands into fairly trippy territory.”
-LA WEEKLY

“Nacional Records is famous for taking on unique Latin acts, but Bomba Estereo just may take the cake.”
-KEXP (SEATTLE)

“Natural sounds mix with tensely urban ones on the band’s new CD, “Blow Up”... singer Liliana Saumet delivers the songs in a curt style that carries the force of ace rap.”
-NY DAILY NEWS

“Juggling hip-hop, club beats and dancehall, [‘Blow Up’] is restless and spirited, carefully weaving pop into old world styles. The sort of album that hits right loud and intimate.”
-SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER

“Love the loping cumbia funk of Bomba Estereo's ‘Blow Up’... Yummy groove, excellent for sweat-greased summer booty. Did anyone ever think cumbia would be so cool?”
-MIAMI HERALD

“Colombia's Bomba Estereo is Joan Jett & the Blackhearts doing cumbia. Very hot!”
-MARCO WERMAN (PRI’s “THE WORLD”)

“Pardon the cheesy pun, but Bomba Estereo is blowing shit up... After letting the creative juices simmer abroad, 2009 is the year they finally take over the States.”
-MIAMI NEW TIMES

“Saumet's vocals hold everything together, preventing Bomba Estéreo from sounding like yet another combo wanly mixing tropical styles with club beats. She has a forceful, full-throated attack; she can rap with rhythmic ingenuity, nonchalantly juggling American hip-hop, reggaeton, and dancehall, but she can also sing passionately, nailing melodies with impressive pitch control and emotional snap.”
-CHICAGO READER

Surge Film Festival and Love Unlimited Film Festival both to be held at La Pena Gallery in downtown Austin starting February 20th with Free Screenings




The film festival is free and open to the public at La Pena Gallery in downtown Austin (corner of 3rd and Congress). Popcorn provided.

For more information on the screenings, call 512.477.6007

The Surge Films are at 6pm 'Nostalgia for the Light'/'Nostalgia de la Luz' [Chile] and another film at 8pm on the 20th; screenings from 7-10pm on the 21st; screenings from 4:30pm to 8pm on the 22nd and 6pm and 7:30 pm on the 23rd.

The Love Unlimited Films are starting at 4:30 pm each day (25th/26th), with an awards ceremony at 7:45pm, hosted at Tazia Brown.

Free Screening of the documentary 'Precious Knowledge' February 23rd 6pm at La Pena Gallery in downtown Austin



La Pena Gallery is located at 227 Congress Ave, Austin TX 78701
512.477.6007

For more information on the film, visit http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1855315/

'Precious Knowledge' is a co-production of Dos Vatos Productions, the Independent Television Service (ITVS), Arizona Public Media, and Latino Public Broadcasting, with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).

The film had an Arizona premiere in March 2011 and was screened during the Rocky Moutain Woman's Film Festival in November 2011. http://rmwfilmfest.org/films/precious-knowledge

'Precious Knowledge' screened in Providence, RI [Documentary Screenings] on Sunday, January 15, 2012

In Wayne State University it screened February 17th at: El Salón de Nuestra Cultura, General Lectures Building, Room 150, 5045 Anthony Wayne Dr., Detroit, MI 48202.
Before the screening, Wayne State University Assistant Professor of English John Leary lead a panel discussion.

Jovita's Restaurant continues with 'The Sound is Brown' Music Series on Thursdays



Braulio y Fuzzion, a local based music group, will be performing on Thursday, February 23rd at Jovitas Restaurant, 1619 South 1st St, Austin, 78704 from 8pm to 11pm.
www.braulioyfuzzion.com



Austin Tejano Music Coalition [ATMC] meetings are held twice a month on Tuesdays. The next meeting of the Austin Tejano Music Coalition will be held on Tuesday, Feb 21st, 2012 at Parque Zaragoza Multipurpose Room at 6:30pm.

Join in, say hello and find out how you can help the ATMC promote the advancement of Tejano music and culture through unification, education, communication and public awareness.
FOLLOW ON:
TWITTER: AustinTejanoMC
FACEBOOK: Austin Tejano Music Coalition
SEE OUR NEW YOUTUBE CHANNEL
www.AustinTejanoMusic.org

Parque Zaragoza Neighborhood Park
2608 Gonzales Street, Austin, TX
512)974-6700 · ci.austin.tx.us

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Austin premiere of SongTasting® an intimate evening of music, food, and wine featuring Myrna + The Bulldog



The Austin premiere of SongTasting® an intimate evening of music, food, and wine featuring Myrna + The Bulldog (aka, Austin-based singer/songwriters Myrna Cabello & Daniel Cook.)

Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012 | Doors open at 6pm. | Performance starts at 6:30pm.

Ventana del Soul | 1834 E. Oltorf Street | Austin, Texas 78741

$25.00 (price includes food, beverage, and performance)
Tickets sold in advance at www.songtasting.com

Part concert, part conversation, part wine tasting—a SongTasting® is an eclectic event featuring Myrna + The Bulldog performing songs from their combined musical “vintages.” The inaugural sommelier for the premiere is Sam Hovland of East End Wines (see links below). Hovland will pair specially selected wines that reflect the spirit of the evening’s music. The premiere SongTasting® is the first of a series. Additional performances are planned for March 15, and April 19, 2012.

SongTasting® was conceived by Cabello and Cook after realizing that doing gigs in Austin bars didn’t quite fit their style and more importantly, that of their fans. They decided to take the time to actively think of new and innovative ways to embrace and grow their audience.

“When I started thinking about our core fans I noticed that they were aged 35 and up, usually with kids and nine-to-five careers,” Cabello said. “They didn’t want to go out to a bar at midnight. The next thing I noticed was that our audiences paid attention to lyrics—they wanted to talk about the songs and find out how they came about.” Working with that knowledge, Cabello and Cook conceptualized and hosted several test performances in their home and then for invited audiences in larger venues throughout 2009 and 2010. The enthusiastic response inspired them to create a full-length performance accented with video and conversation. Not as formal as a traditional concert, and a far cry from the boisterous club scene, a SongTasting® is more akin to a listening room experience. Each performance creates an atmosphere that celebrates music and invites audiences inside the creative process, while experiencing the pleasure found in a nice glass of wine.

While non-alcoholic beverages will be available, SongTasting® is recommended for adult audiences. Ventana del Soul's Chef Rene will prepare the evening’s tasty hors d'oeuvres.

For more information and to order tickets online go to: http://www.songtasting.com

For more information about East End Wines: http://eastendwinesatx.com/

East End Wines Finds Its Sweet Spot:
http://www.austin360.com/food-drink/beer-wine-spirits/east-end-wines-finds-its-sweet-spot-942199.html?srcTrk=RTR_85127

For more information about Ventana del Soul: www.ventanadelsoul.org

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

'Casa de Mi Padre' from Pantelion Films will screen as part of the SXSW Film Festival Special Events Films


Casa de mi Padre
Director: Matt Piedmont, Screenwriter: Andrew Steele
Will Ferrell plays a Mexican rancher who must defend his father's home against the country's most infamous drug lord.

Cast: Will Ferrell, Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Genesis Rodriguez, Pedro
Armendáriz Jr., Nick Offerman, EFREN RAMIREZ, ADRIAN MARTINEZ

Armando Alvarez (Will Ferrell) has lived and worked on his father's ranch in Mexico his entire life. As the ranch faces financial strains, Armando's younger brother Raul (Diego Luna) shows up with his new fiancée, Sonia (Genesis Rodriguez) and pledges to settle all his father's debts. It seems that Raul's success as an international businessman means the ranch's troubles are over, but when Armando falls for Sonia, and Raul's business dealings turn out to be less than legit, the Alvarez family finds themselves in a full-out war with Mexico's most feared drug lord, the mighty Onza (Gael Garcia Bernal).

Director(s): Matt Piedmont

Executive Producer(s): Kevin Messick, Jessica Elbaum

Producer(s): Adam Mckay, Emilio Diez Barroso, Darlene Caamano Loquet, Andrew Steele

Screenwriter(s): Andrew Steele

Cinematographer: Ramsey Nickel

Editor(s): David Trachtenberg

Production Designer: Kevin Kavanaugh

Music: Beacon Street Studios

Additional Credits: Costume Designers: Tracy Field, Mary Lou Lim, UPM: Scott Lumpkin, 1st Asst Director: Eric Hays, 2nd Asst Director: Hope Garrison

Matt Piedmont is an Emmy Award winning writer, producer and director. At 21, he moved to NYC, where he landed a job as a writer for "Saturday Night Live", a position he held for six years. Matt's short film “Brick Novax’s Diary” won the Sundance Film Festival grand jury prize in 2011.

Bomba Estereo from Colombia returns to Austin for SXSW Music Festival

Music Conference Update
Hailing from Bogota, Colombia, Bomba Estereo throw dance parties for worldwide audiences with their 'psychedelic cumbia' sound. The band returns to Austin for a special SXSW Interview conducted by John Norris on Saturday, March 17 at the SXSW Music Conference in the Austin Convention Center.

Juanes Performance and Interview at SXSW Music Festival

SXSW Music Festival announced that Latin Music superstar Juanes will perform a special showcase at this year’s festival.

With five solo albums to his credit and multi-platinum sales of over 15 million albums, Juanes is the world’s leading all-Spanish language rock artist. Named Latin Music’s “Star of The Decade” by Billboard, Juanes is both a GRAMMY and 17-time LATIN GRAMMY winner who has garnered more Top-5 hits (17) on the “Latin Pop Airplay” chart than any other artist since his chart bow in 2001. Juanes is also frequently recognized as one of the Spanish-speaking world’s leading social media voices with an online following of over 7 ½ million fans.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Bob Bullock Museum commemorates sesquicentennial of the Civil War with a multi-part lecture series, Civil War 150: Texas and Texans in the Civil War



Civil War 150: Texas and Texans in the Civil War
Select Sundays in February, March, and April, 2:30 p.m.
Texas Spirit Theater FREE program

This year, the Museum will commemorate the sesquicentennial of the Civil War with a multi-part lecture series, Civil War 150: Texas and Texans in the Civil War, that will bring together leading Civil War scholars from across the state to discuss the variety of roles Texas played throughout the war, as well as examine the importance of Texas and Texans in this defining moment in American history from the perspective of women, African Americans, Tejanos, and American Indians.

Each lecture will be followed by a moderated discussion that places Texas’s participation in the war efforts both at home and on the battlefield into the larger context of one of the most pivotal events in the country’s history.

February 5: A Trying Time for All: Texas Indians During the Civil War, Charles Grear, Prairie View A&M University

February 12: “Days of Weariness and Nights of Sorrow”: Texas Women in the Civil War, Vicki Betts, University of Texas, Tyler

March 18: Between Two Worlds: Tejanos and the Civil War, Alexander Mendoza, University of North Texas

April 1: Juneteenth in Texas, Dwight Watson, Texas State University

Each speaker has provided a list of recommended readings for their topic. Learn more about these selections by visiting TheStoryofTexas.com.

The program is free, but seating is limited. Call (512) 936-4649 for reservations.
http://www.thestoryoftexas.com/education/adults.html#civilwar150

New York City is host to THE BIG BAND CONCERT & CD RELEASE EVENT FOR THE MUSIC OF CAL MASSEY: A TRIBUTE



**From South Austin to Harlem, NYC, there is support for creative work**
FOR THOSE FOLKS IN THE NYC, HERE IS A HISTORIC EVENT:

Fred Ho/Big Red Media, Inc., Joseph Yoon/Spectrum Music, Ltd., Ben Barson and Scientific Soul Sessions In collaboration with Celebrity Chef Marcus Samuelsson and the Red Rooster Restaurant are proud to present:

THE BIG BAND CONCERT & CD RELEASE EVENT FOR THE MUSIC OF CAL MASSEY: A TRIBUTE and
SPECIAL CELEBRATION OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Wednesday, February 22, 2012

2 sets at 7:30pm or 9:30pm

Red Rooster, 310 Lenox Avenue, Harlem, NYC [between 125th and 126th Streets, Harlem, NY 2/3 train to 125th Street]
http://marcussamuelsson.com/news/red-rooster-harlem-celebrates-cal-massey-with-a-concert-from-fred-ho

Tickets: $25 with advance reservation; $30 at the door; $10 bar standing only.
All paid admittance guarantees one free compact disc per customer.
RESERVATIONS ARE STRONGLY URGED: 212.792.9001 and say: “Cal Massey special concert.”
Both the 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. concerts will be held in Red Rooster Harlem’s downstairs venue.
Tickets will be available for purchase at www.redroosterharlem.com .
A special Red Rooster 3-course dinner will also be available during the show for an additional $55.
Doors will open half an hour prior to each performance.

Who was Cal Massey and why was his music both great and revolutionary?

Composer, trumpeter, band leader, Calvin (“Cal”) Massey (b. 1927 d. 1971) was one of American music’s greatest composers, mentoring and influencing some of the leading musicians of his era, including Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, Archie Shepp, and so many others.

Mr. Massey died at a young age of 44 from years of bad health, part of the “dues paying” of great artists who create within the traditions of African American creative music (aka “jazz”), and Mr. Massey was one of its giants. His compositions have been recorded extensively by the aforementioned artists, and by many others, but his greatest work, The Black Liberation Movement Suite, commissioned by Eldridge Cleaver of the Black Panther Party in 1969, has had only 4 of the 9 movements recorded, all by Archie Shepp. Mr. Massey’s lack of mainstream “official” recognition was in large part due to his fierce independence and his radical political stances. The Suite, co-composed with his long-time musical partner, Romulus Franceschini (an Italian American gifted composer-arranger who could easily traverse European concert music and African American musical idioms, and who was a socialist), is one of the undiscovered gems of American 20th century music, and was finally fully recorded by Fred Ho and Quincy Saul (members of Scientific Soul Sessions) in 2011.

The recording, THE MUSIC OF CAL MASSEY: A TRIBUTE, brings together today’s generation of vanguard musicians to honor Massey’s opus, The Black Liberation Movement Suite, and three other Massey works arranged by Fred Ho. Performed by a chamber big band (4 saxes, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, 2 strings and 3 piece rhythm section, with conducting by Fred Ho), having a celebration release concert and party is of special historic significance being at the Red Rooster, as Mr. Massey frequently performed at the original Red Rooster.

Red Salmon Arts presents a presentation and book signing with Christina L. Sisk




Christina L. Sisk, author of Mexico, Nation in Transit: Contemporary Representations of Mexican Migration to the United States, will conduct a presentation and book signing at 7pm Friday February 24, 2012 at
Resistencia Bookstore: casa de Red Salmon Arts
1801-A South First St., Austin
512-416-8885
salmonrojo.tumblr.com

Christina L. Sisk is an assistant professor in the Department of Hispanic Studies at the University of Houston. Her areas of interest are U.S. Latina/o Studies, U.S.-Mexico Border Studies, Mexican Literary and Cultural Studies, and Latin American Cinema. She is particularly interested in bridging the gaps between Latin American and U.S. Latina/o Studies. She is the author of Mexico, Nation in Transit: Contemporary Representations of Mexican Migration to the United States (University of Arizona Press, Fall 2011), and she has published articles in Latinos Studies, Aztlán, and A Contracorriente.


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Thursday, February 9, 2012

Esquina Tango hosts Charanga Cakewalk concert in Austin February 10th; Charanga Cakewalk will be part of the SXSW 2012 Music Showcases in March


The Esquina Tango Cultural Society of Austin is a non-profit organization that has been striving to build a community in East Austin, and beyond, through a variety of artistic ways in the intimate venue nestled among the homes to the city’s Hispanic families. The emphasis is on Latino heritage and promotes an understanding of the Latino culture through the creative arts- music, dance, film and more.

On Friday, February 10th, 2012, Esquina Tango presents a special concert with Austin based Charanga Cakewalk, fronted by Michael Ramos, from 9 pm to 1 am. Ramos is a spectacular musician, composer, producer and scores music for various films and is a top recording session player on the scene in Austin. He incorporates elements of varied genres, cumbia, Latin percussion and traditional Mexican grooves into dynamic cutting-edge electronica. He has two CDs, ‘Loteria De La Cumbia Lounge,’ (2004) and ‘Chicano Zen,’ (2006) both of which incorporate electronica and traditional instrumentation. Michael's latest release, entitled ‘El Brown Recluse’ was available for purchase in August 2011, when Michael Ramos and Charanga Cakewalk performed an Original Live Score at the Paramount Theater for a film by Gabriel García Moreno, ‘El Tren Fantasma.’

‘El Brown Recluse’ features Yayo Serka on drums and percussion, Max Baca on bajo sexto, and David Garza, Ceci Bastida and Sahara Smith. The Austin Chronicle describes them as: “Latin rhythms, bending, zapping, and shape-shifting to create a blazingly distinctive sound.”

The SXSW website lists Charanga Cakewalk as part of the music showcases next month and the details for date and time are pending. www.sxsw.com

EsquinaTango is at 209 Pedernales St., Austin Tx 78702 and for more information, visit www.esquinatangoaustin.com

Chilean Kali Mutsa to release 'Ambrolina' (SHOCK music) on March 13, 2012; On Tour to the U.S. in March during SXSW 2012


Altered States of the Altiplano: Kali Mutsa’s Electro Gypsy Cumbia Bumps Bolder than Bollywood

Like Venus rising from the waves, the cat-eyed whirlwind of a woman rose from the magical earth and rarified air of myth-filled Chilean valley nearly a century ago. Daughter of Roma wanderers, protégée of the last remnants of the Incan aristocracy, holder of a secret dream, she gyrated across silver screens and dusty stages, chanting freedom and seduction with a polychrome wink.

They called her Kali Mutsa, and she sang the revolution.

Now after decades in mysterious seclusion, the ancient legend and Dayglo-hot maven has returned with unrelenting beats, brilliant Bollywood flourishes, and wry instinct for the perfect pastiche. Whispering in your ear in Romany, dancing to glitchy electronics and booming tubas, Kali turns a hundred years of Chilean history into dancefloor-riffling songs with a sensual twist that make other pop divas pale in comparison.

“I sing the dream of a land where there are no slaves and no one is belittled,” Kali cries as she spins and shimmies, “where we can speak all languages, where we can speak with animals, and where nature and tradition are expressed with total madness and creativity!”

Hear her roar for the first time in the U.S. at SXSW, on tour, and on the cheeky Ambrolina (SHOCK music; Release March 13, 2012), a Technicolor window into the wildest reaches of Chile’s living, panting past and electric future, recorded after Kali sprang back on the scene.

Born in 1920 to Gitano parents, part of the unheralded Gypsy migration to northern Chile’s quiet hinterlands, Kali found herself orphaned at a tender age in an island of lush jungle amid the daunting high passes and salt flats, the peculiar valley of Pachacutí.

“It’s a jungle in the middle of the desert. It can be invisible, or invincible,” Kali croons. “It’s a place where a lot of myths are made flesh. You can see birds talking and rivers made of wine and things you only hear about in the rest of Chile. But here you live the myths.”

Kali, raised by an Aymara chief and his princess wife, soon wove myths of her own. Beautiful and just feral enough, she was discovered by an enigmatic movie man and Amazonian explorer Sandoje Catiri, who came to the valley thanks to a generous shaman who saved Catiri’s life by feeding him with his own magical flesh. She was a belly dancer, a circus girl, the belle of small-town stages in windswept corners of Chile. Soon Kali was the darling of the talkies and the ravishing poster girl for liberty, leading her people in revolution.

Then her voice fell suddenly silent.

Until last year, when she reemerged, cloaked in the body of sultry Chilean actress and television star, Celine Reymond. Long a devotee of Romany music and language, a huge Bollywoodophile, she loved singing Gypsy songs, but wanted to imagine something fresh, to take the roots and run with them.

“In Chile, indie music is really, really big, and everyone does music. Every Chilean also writes poetry, something the world doesn’t know about us,” Reymond explains. “We love the word; that’s in our blood. But no one is into Gypsy music.”

To get her Gypsy fix, Reymond found herself channeling the mythical Kali Mutsa—and with her, a fantastical tale encompassing all of Chilean history. She teamed up with producer and musician Cristóbal Montes (Sandoje Catiri’s current incarnation), who madly, lovingly mixed cumbia, Chilean roots, wry techno beats, and evocative atmospherics for a digital carnival with serious Andean power. Kali’s voice purrs and twitters, while Montes’ tracks hit smart and hard, packing a musical punch that can stand up to the brilliant back-story.

Under Kali’s guidance, Reymond and Montes wrote hymns to the indigenous Altiplano equivalent of Hermes, the divine messenger Tunupa, guardian of nature. Kali sings eerie songs to the elusive San Cipriano, the patron saint of love magic and white witchcraft. She salutes intrepid llama-herding ladies, promoting their defiant calls for unionization and respect (“El Camello”). She weeps for her kidnapped son, whose wings took him out of their blessed valley and into the clutches of a dubious circus promoter (“Ton King Dom”).

The myths and wild tales, like the diverse, multilayered music, free the duo to take on new, sharp, bright perspectives, to talk about things in Chile that have been lost, forgotten, neglected, or hijacked like Kali’s handsome winged son or the breath of a mysterious valley.

“It’s another way to see reality,” Reymond says.

“Everything began with myth and not with history,” Kali reflects. “You have to drink the desert air from the Altiplano to keep your memory.”

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

JOHN LEGUIZAMO TOURS TEXAS AND FLORIDA; 2012 Tour Kicks off in Austin TEXAS starting February 9th at the Paramount Theater for three days

Emmy Award winner John Leguizamo, known for his many film roles -- as the voice of Sid in all three 'Ice Age' films, Baz Lurhmann’s 'Romeo + Juliet' and 'Moulin Rouge!,' 'To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar,' 'Carlito’s Way,' 'Executive Decision,' and the current 'One For The Money' starring Katherine Heigl – continues his US tour. Next stop for Ghetto Klown include Texas and Florida.

The venues include Paramount Theatre in Austin February 9-11 at 8pm; American Bank Center Selena Auditorium in Corpus Christi on February 14; The Majestic Theatre in Dallas February 16-18; The McAllen Civic Auditorium in McAllen on February 21; the Worthan Center Cullen Theatre in Houston February 23-25, The Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre in Orlando March 6, The David A. Stratz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa March 8, and the Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater in Miami March 9-11.

The New York Times says that Leguizamo on stage is “irresistible. He has the energy of a 12-year old who has just downed a Red Bull and a jumbo package of Twinkies.” Variety says he is hyper-talented with “Dead-on and deliciously cruel impersonations.”
The Los Angeles Times says he is “a nuclear performer, ricocheting around the stage as though he had been shot out of a pistol!”

John says, “I love that all my peoples are showing up to witness the latest chapter of my life on stage; I want to keep this show open until I’ve messed up my 10 year old son enough for him to be my understudy.” Conceived and performed by Leguizamo and directed by Academy Award winner Fisher Stevens, “Ghetto Klown” is presented by WestBeth Entertainment.

Tickets now on sale; ticket information can be found at ghettoklown.com, www.twitter.com/ghettoklown ; or www.facebook.com/ghettoklown ; .

Leguizamo, who has appeared in more than fifty films and was also seen on Nickelodeon series “The Brothers Garcia,” as well as on “ER” and “Miami Vice,” is also one of the nation’s most accomplished stage performers. “Ghetto Klown” is the next chapter in John Leguizamo’s popular personal and professional story. It is his fifth one-man play, his third on Broadway, and follows in the uninhibited tradition of his “Mambo Mouth,” “Spic-O-Rama,” “Freak,” and “Sexaholix … a Love Story.”

In Leguizamo’s trademark style, the piece explodes with energy, heating up the stage with vivid accounts of the colorful characters that populate his life. He takes audiences from his adolescent memories in Queens to the early days of his acting career and on to the sets of major motion pictures and his roles opposite some of Hollywood's biggest stars.

Leguizamo recently completed sensational engagements in London and Los Angeles, where LAist.com said, “The guy just possesses the stage with a spirit and an energy like no one else’s in the game today.” He performs in five cities in Texas in Feb 2012.

On Broadway, New York Magazine said he is “a 4,000 watt bulb of energy.”
Broadway World said he is “screamingly funny.”
The New York Daily News said, “He hits the stage like a gale force Hispanic hurricane.”
And What’s on Stage.com warned that “at 47, he is still dangerously handsome, break dancing and body popping across the stage, firing off Hollywood impressions with gusto. Steven Seagal and Brian De Palma should watch their backs.”

“Ghetto Klown” was showcased in earlier incarnations in cities including Philadelphia, New Haven, Santa Fe, Louisville, La Jolla, Berkeley, Toronto, and at Montreal’s Just for Laughs Festival.

WESTBETH ENTERTAINMENT, Arnold Engelman—President, is a producing organization that has successfully and consistently produced critically acclaimed, financially successful, groundbreaking entertainment for 30 years. From Billy Connolly to Eddie Izzard, John Leguizamo to The Jim Henson Company, Lewis Black to The Family Guy, WestBeth has been the creative catalyst, partner and producer of some of the most innovative productions in North America. Productions include Eddie Izzard’s Dress To Kill, Circle, Sexie, and Stripped—a 35 city US Tour, and his 2010 US Arena tour, Billy Connolly’s Too Old To Die Young tour in America and Canada, Lewis Black’s Nothing Sacred show at New York’s Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, as well as Lewis’ Dual Citizenship Tour in Canada, Tommy Tiernan US dates, Dylan Moran US dates, Christopher Titus’ NEVERLUTION, Shaun Majumder’s Canada Tour, and Billy Connolly Live in Seattle, Boston, Chicago and his 2010 Canada tour ‘The Man Live’. Most recent productions include John Leguizamo’s Ghetto Klown on Broadway, Los Angeles and London, Eddie Izzard’s Stripped to on the Shore at the Shoreline Amphitheater and Stripped to the Bowl at Hollywood Bowl and Henson Alternative’s Stuffed And Unstrung tour. www.westbethent.com

Calendar Listing for “Ghetto Klown” U.S. Tour
Visit ghettoklown.com,
www.twitter.com/ghettoklown or www.facebook.com/ghettoklown


Thursday - Saturday - February 9-11 (all start at 8pm)
Austin - The Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701
$29.50, $39.50 & $49.50
Phone: 512-474-1221
Online: www.austintheatre.org ;


Tuesday, February 14
Corpus Christi - American Bank Center Selena Auditorium,
1901 N. Shoreline Blvd., Corpus Christi, TX 78401
$29.50, $39.50, $49.50; limited premium seating $75 includes a meet-n-greet with John
Phone: 800-745-3000
Online: Ticketmaster.com

Thursday - Saturday – February 16-18
Dallas - The Majestic Theatre, 1925 Elm Street, Dallas TX 75201
$29.50, $39.50, $49.50; limited premium seating $75 includes a meet-n-greet with John
Tickets: AT&T Performing Arts Center
Phone: 800-745-3000
Online: Ticketmaster.com
In person: Margot & Bill Winspear Opera House, 2403 Flora Street, Dallas TX 75201

Tuesday, February 21
McAllen - The McAllen Civic Auditorium, 1300 S. 10th St, McAllen TX 78501
$29.75, $39.75 & $49.75
Phone: 956-681-3800
Online: Ticketmaster.com

Thursday - Saturday - Feb 23-25
Houston - Wortham Center Cullen Theatre, 501 Texas Ave. Houston TX 77002
$29.50, $39.50 & $49.50
Phone 713-222-5400 M-F 10 am-5 pm
Online www.explorehouston.org/ticketing
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Tuesday, March 6
Orlando - Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre, 401 W. Livingston St. Orlando, FL 32801
$29.50, $39.50 & $49.50
Phone 800-745-3000
Online: Ticketmaster.com

Thursday, March 8
Tampa- The David A. Stratz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts,
1010 North W.C. MacInnes Place Tampa, Florida 33602
$29.50, $39.50 & $49.50
Phone 813-229-7827
Online: www.strazcenter.org

Friday-Sunday, March 9-11
Miami- The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theatre,
1700 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139
$29.50, $39.50 & $49.50 premium seating also available.
Phone: 800-745-3000
Online: www.livenation.com