Fight SB1070 With Music; Poets; Su Teatro Summer

Ry Cooder Donates Proceeds to MALDEF from Sale of “Quicksand” Created in Response to SB 1070

LOS ANGELES, CA – Ry Cooder created his new single Quicksand in response to anti-immigrant law SB 1070 and the ongoing Arizona immigration battle. SB 1070 requires police to demand "papers' from people they stop who they suspect are "unlawfully present" in the U.S. As described by Cooder, Quicksand is a slow-burning rocker that tells the story of six would-be immigrants making their way from Mexico to the Arizona border. Ry Cooder's Quicksand went on sale exclusively on iTunes, and Cooder has pledged to donate all proceeds from the song to MALDEF.

Thomas A. Saenz, MALDEF President and General Counsel, stated that Defeating Arizona's SB 1070 - and the potential copycat laws that have since been announced by unscrupulous legislators around the nation - will require a broad national community effort to reinforce the constitutional principles and values that characterize our nation. Our heartfelt thanks to Ry Cooder for being a leader in that necessary community effort.

Cooder produced the 1996 album Buena Vista Social Club, followed by solo projects with Ibrahim Ferrer and Manuel Galban, of Los Zafiros. Quicksand features Cooder's son Joachim on drums, with backup vocals by Lucina Rodgriguez and Fabiola Trujillo of the Mexican roots band Los Cenzontles. The artwork for the single features the piece Nuthin' To See Here, Keep On Movin'! by frequent collaborator Vincent Valdez.

The Devil’s Highway has been used by migrants traveling on foot for over 100 years, says Cooder of the journey depicted in the song. You should try it sometime. Out there, temperatures can get above 130 degrees. If you fall down, you have religious hallucinations, then you die, cooking from the inside out. If you get lucky, you might make it to Yuma, but then what?

You can find a link to Ry Cooder’s page featuring “Quicksand” here.

To show your support for Ry Cooder and MALDEF, visit the iTunes store to purchase Ry Cooder’s Quicksand here.

Founded in 1968, MALDEF is the nation’s leading Latino legal civil rights organization. Often described as the law firm of the Latino community, MALDEF promotes social change through advocacy, communications, community education, and litigation in the areas of education, employment, immigrant rights, and political access. For more information on MALDEF, please visit: www.maldef.org.

Demetria Martinez and Martín Espada Read at National Hispanic Cultural Center

July 10, Wells Fargo Auditorium, NHCC, Albuquerque, 7:30 PM, free.

Click on the image for a better view of the details.

Su Teatro Celebrates Summer

Su Teatro celebrates summer with several cool events including Guillermo Gómez Peña, La Carpa de los Rasquachis, events in collaboration with the Biennial of the Americas, and a production of the Shadow Theater play The Life and Times of Ol' Alfred. And don't forget the annual Chicano Music Festival. Check out all the happenings at Su Teatro's web page.

Tony Garcia, Su Teatro's Executive Artistic Director, sends along this message about his search for a couple of Chicano blues bands to showcase at the Festival.

Do You Chicanos Sing the Blues?

In the tradition of the great Randy Garibay and Dr. Loco, Su Teatro is looking for Chicano bands that can sing the blues. What is Chicano blues? Well, this is the beginning of our conversation.

Corridos are the blues. Boleros are the blues. Barbacoa Blues is Chicano blues. There are songs and there are fragments. The sax middle of Angel Baby is Chicano blues (not the entire song but that section absolutely is) or Chicanos singing Jr. Walker's What Does it Take?

What is not Chicano blues? Anybody playing Brick House. Anyone playing disco. Funk is not blues; the blues are raw. I am looking for hot, painful vocals and bending guitar notes all from a Chicano perspective. If this is you, let me know. I will be bringing two bands together for the August 6 Chicano Blues night at the Chicano Music Festival. I won't be paying much, but as Gil Scott-Heron says, "there is the I ain't got me no money and I ain't got me no woman blues, which is the double blues." We are offering the maybe "I get me a little money blues." email me your ideas and let me know.

TONY GARCIA
EXECUTIVE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
tony@suteatro.org

_________________

Speaking of musica - I'll see some of you at Part 2 of the Colorado All-Star New Mexico and Tejano Music Festival at the Edelweiss Club, featuring Next In Line of Commerce City, Richard Baca & Sierra Gold from Pueblo, and The Rick Garcia Band. That's tonight - hope you don't miss it; Part 1 was a blast (here's a link.) And then, I may bump into some of you at the driveway party Saturday night. Sounds like a great weekend.

Later.

Cuarta Página Reading Series – Latino Writers Collective

guest column by Xánath Caraza

The Latino Writers Collective (LWC), Kansas City, MO, has been very active at the end of winter this year. As part of the Cuarta Página Reading Series, and in an attempt to contrast the long winter in Kansas City, the LWC has brought color, empowerment, poetry, fiction, and exquisite discussions through the presentations and words of Fred Arroyo and Demetria Martínez.

In chronological order, first, the LWC, in partnership with Kansas City’s Riverfront Reading Series, invited Fred Arroyo for the evening of February 26, 2010 at the Writers Place. Fred Arroyo is a professor at Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa. His novel, The Region of Lost Names (University of Arizona Press, 2008) was a finalist for the 2008 Premio Aztlán and a finalist for the 2008 One Brown Book, One Nation Reading Program. Arroyo read exerpts of his novel and his new short story A Case of Consolation.

The Writers Place had a full house the evening of the event. An exquisite Q&A session followed Arroyo’s reading to finalize the night with a book signing session. The next day, February 27, the LWC met with Arroyo again at the Writers Place for a friendly potluck and discussion session. LWC members were enthusiastic with their questions about habits needed to develop as a writer. Arroyo, a renaissance man himself, very graciously shared his own experiences in becoming a writer with LWC members.

“Inspiration is always welcome but developing your own rituals as a writer is an important part of becoming one” in Arroyo’s words. Miguel Morales, a LWC member, asked Arroyo about telling stories that have already been told many times in the past by others. What Arroyo shared with the LWC was that even while some of the experiences of Latinos are similar and may have been written before, Latino authors have to keep telling these stories because each author adds freshness and insight out of the unique experience and perspective of the author.
LWC members always enrich and grow as writers from the opportunity to exchange experiences with and listen to established authors such as Fred Arroyo and Demetria Martínez.

LWC’s next Cuarta Página event was the evening of March 3rd in collaboration with the wonderful Kansas City Library Team. LWC thanks Henry Fortunato, Director of Public Affairs, Kansas City Public Library, and Margaret Clark, a member of the Public Affairs Department, for their valued support and participation with the LWC to bring Kansas City the opportunity to listen to Demetria Martínez.

Demetria Martínez, a Chicana de mucho corazón, activist, writer, journalist, and poeta is a living example of the statement that words are power. Martínez is the author of Confessions of a Berlitz-Tape Chicana (University of Oklahoma Press, 2005), (Ballentine, 1994), Mother Tongue (Ballentine, 1994), Breathing between the Lines: Poems (University of Arizona Press, 1997), and The Devil’s Workshop (University of Arizona Press, 2002). She also writes a biweekly column for the National Catholic Reporter, Kansas City, Mo.

Through her writing, Demetria Martínez has explored feminism, identity, and the creative process in and of itself. For example, in her essay “Confessions of a Berlitz-Tape Chicana”, she explores language and cultural awareness of the diverse experiences of Latinas with Spanish and English.

I love how she starts her essay, “We’re everywhere, and it’s time to come out of the closet: I speak of the tongue-tied generation, buyers of books with titles like Master Spanish in Ten Minutes a Day while You Nap. We’re the Chicanas with cassettes in our glove compartments; commuting to work, we lip phrases for directing an Argentine cabbie to a hotel or ordering tapas at a bar in Spain.” (2005)

During the Q&A session, Martínez explored questions of witnessing life’s events and translating these events into creative words. Demonstrating the importance of selecting words, Martínez has said that “As witnesses of events, many times words are all that we have left”. As adults, our minds are full of childhood songs, family recipes, colors, feelings, and fragrances which we translate into words. These words have an impact in our listeners, whether we are aware of it or not. Finally, I want to add that I personally call Martínez la sacerdotisa de las palabras, the priestess of words.

The LWC is motivated to continue writing after these two incredible events. On behalf of the Latino Writers Collective, I cannot thank both Arroyo and Martínez enough for their seasoned experiences and willingness to share with the LWC y con esto me despido.
Keep on writing; words are power!
Ciao, chao.

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Fred Arroyo y Demetria Martínez:
En la serie de lecturas Cuarta Página del Latino Writers Collective, Kansas City, Mo.
por Xánath Caraza

El Latino Writers Collective (LWC), Kansas City, MO, ha estado muy activo al final del invierno de este año. Como parte de la serie de lecturas Cuarta Página y en un intento para contrastar el largo invierno en la Ciudad de Kansas, el LWC ha traído color, fuerza, poesía, ficción y discusiones exquisitas a través de las presentaciones y palabras de Fred Arroyo y Demetria Martínez.

En orden cronológico, primero, el LWC, en colaboración con Kansas City’s Riverfront Reading Series, invitó a Fred Arroyo la noche del 26 de febrero de 2010 al Writer’s Place. Fred Arroyo es profesor en Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa. Su novela, The Region of Lost Names (University of Arizona Press, 2008) fue finalista para el Premio Aztlán 2008 y finalista para el 2008 One Brown Book, One Nation Reading Program. Arroyo leyó partes de su novela, y su reciente cuento A Case of Consolation.

El Writers Place tuvo casa llena en la noche del evento. Una sesión exquisita de preguntas y respuestas siguió a la lectura de Arroyo para finalizar la noche con una sesión para firmar sus libros. Al día siguiente, el 27 de febrero, el LWC se reunió con Arroyo una vez más para una amistosa comida informal y una sesión para discusión. Los miembros del LWC estuvieron entusiasmados con sus preguntas acerca de los hábitos que un escritor necesita desarrollar. Arroyo, un hombre por sí mismo renacentista, amablemente compartió su propia experiencia al convertirse en escritor con los miembros de LWC.

“La inspiración siempre es bienvenida pero desarrollar tus propios rituales como escritor es un parte importante para convertirse en uno” en las palabras de Arroyo. Miguel Morales, un miembro del LWC, preguntó a Arroyo acerca del hecho de contar historias que han sido contadas muchas veces antes en el pasado por otros. Lo que Arroyo compartió con el LWC fue que aunque algunas de las historias de latinos son similares y hayan sido escritas antes, los autores latinos tienen que seguir contando estas historias porque cada autor agrega frescura y reflexión a su experiencia y perspectiva única.

Los miembros del LWC siempre se han enriquecido y crecido como escritores por las oportunidades de intercambio de experiencias y las posibilidades para escuchar a escritores establecidos como Fred Arroyo y Demetria Martínez.

El siguiente evento del LWC para Cuarta Página fue la noche del 3 de marzo de 2010, en colaboración con el maravilloso equipo de la biblioteca de la Ciudad de Kansas. El LWC agradece a Henry Fortunato, el director de asuntos públicos de la biblioteca pública de la Ciudad de Kansas, y a Margaret Clark, un miembro del departamento de asuntos públicos, por su valioso apoyo y participación con el LWC por brindar a la Ciudad de Kansas la oportunidad de escuchar a Demetria Martínez.

Demetria Martínez, una chicana de mucho corazón, activista, escritora, periodista y poeta es un ejemplo vivo de que las palabras son poder. Martínez es la autora de (University of Oklahoma Press, 2005), Confessions of a Berlitz-Tape ChicanaMother Tongue (Ballentine, 1994), Breathing between the Lines: Poems (University of Arizona Press, 1997) y The Devil’s Workshop (University of Arizona Press, 2002). También escribe una columna quincenal para el National Catholic Reporter, Kansas City, Mo.

A través de su escritura, Demetria Martínez ha explorado el feminismo, la identidad y el proceso creativo en sí mismo. Por ejemplo, en su ensayo “Confessions of a Berlitz-Tape Chicana”, explora el lenguaje y la adquisición de conciencia cultural provocadas por las experiencias diversas de las latinas con el español e inglés.

Me encanta cómo empieza su ensayo, “We’re everywhere, and it’s time to come out of the closet: I speak of the tongue-tied generation, buyers of books with titles like Master Spanish in Ten Minutes a Day while You Nap. We’re the Chicanas with cassettes in our glove compartments; commuting to work, we lip phrases for directing an Argentine cabbie to a hotel or ordering tapas at a bar in Spain.” (2005)

Durante la sesión de preguntas y respuestas, Martínez exploró el hecho de ser testigos de eventos de la vida y traducirlos a palabras creativas. Para demostrar la importancia de la selección de palabras, Martínez ha dicho que “como testigos de eventos, muchas veces las palabras son todo lo que queda”. Como adultos, nuestras mentes están llenas de canciones de niñez, recetas familiares, colores, sentimientos y fragancias que traducimos a palabras. Estas palabras tienen un impacto en nuestro público, estemos o no conscientes de ello. Finalmente, quiero agregar que personalmente llamo a Martínez la sacerdotisa de las palabras, the priestess of words.

El LWC está motivado para continuar escribiendo después de estos dos eventos increíbles. De parte del Latino Writers Collective, no puedo acabar de agradecer tanto a Arroyo como a Martínez por sus experiencias sazonadas y deseos de compartirlas con el LWC y con esto me despido.
Sigan escribiendo.
¡Las palabras son poder!
Ciao, chao.

Demetria Martínez: Walking the Walk

DEMETRIA MARTINEZ

La Bloga readers were encouraged to buy and be moved by Demetria's phenomenal book, Confessions of A Berlitz Tape Chicana. The reasons why are here. Social activist, journalist, esayist and port, we were lucky to catch up with her recently, and this is our conversation.....


Your life is very much bound up in social action. How would you describe to role of the writer, of the poet as it relates to the body politic?

Poets are citizens first, lucky enough to be literate, and therefore part of a global elite. That brings with it a special responsibility, and that is to help bring forth voices that are silenced. Our gift--the imagination-- allows us, if we choose, to write out of a place of empathy for those who are suffer--often as a result of our nation's own policies (NAFTA for example) and those of massive corporations.

We are also compelled to imagine a world that is healed, made whole. What would that look like? I think the poet Martin Espada is a good model of poet as prophet--denouncing evil, and proclaiming a new vision. Personally, I draw great energy from my work on behalf of women immigrants, great energy from activists who carry on despite it all. And so they appear in my work--I'm writing a collection of short stories about three women activists living in Albuquerque. We need to draw close to such visionaries--the activists, the community organizers--or our work can grow stale.

Obviously what happened to me 20 years ago solidified my commitment to immigrant issues: I was charged with conspiracy to transport Salvadoran refugees into the U.S.--and faced a possible 25 years in prison. In fact, I was accompanying church workers who were transporting refugees as part of the Sanctuary Movement---I did this as a reporter. I was acquitted on First Amendment grounds. The whole affair gave me the opportunity to speak around the country--not only about reporters' rights, but about the U.S. subsidizing of El Salvador's death squads. So a blessing emerged from the pain and fear.

Speaking of body...Your work also seems to return to female presence. Who are sources of inspiration for you? How do you feel being a woman informs your work.

Grace Paley, the great short story writer who passed away last year, is my role model. She wrote about the every day lives of women. And she was an activist. Some writers teach one how to write. But, if you're lucky, you will encounter that person who teaches you not only how to write but how to live. Grace was one of those people.

In 'Confessions' you're very opposed to the 'romance' people people associate with mental illness, especially your own bipolar issue. Can you talk about that external projection of others, about your own response to it.

It's important to tell the brutal truth about bipolar disorder. Manic states very quickly turn into irritability, anger, paranoia and worse. The great American novel that you started to write on a napkin at a coffee house is illegible; when you regain your wits, you're lucky if you can remember what the great idea was all about. Harmony and balance make production possible--and for the long haul. The only side effect I've had from my medicine is mental health. It feels great to be alive, to write, to be involved in the world.

How do you feel your own spirituality today is reconciled with the Catholicism of your youth?

I center myself every day,, sometimes several times a day, with prayer, something as simple as a Hail Mary. And I recently attending a novena, a praying of the rosary, that my parish held for peace and disarmament. It's important as a writer and an activist to learn to cultivate silence. Catholicism gives me the tools for that. Obviously I disagree with many of the church doctrines (women priests, gay rights, etc). But that will change.

What 's been on your plate recently in terms of your writing?

I've finished my first children's book, co-authored with a friend, Rosalee Montoya-Read. What a joy it was to collaborate! Writing is so solitary. And I continue work on a collection of short stories, the working title of which is What Saves Us.

Where would you like to see yourself ten years from now?

I'd like to become a terrific gardener (I've just started my first one recently). I'd like to learn more about traditional remedios. And soup, I love making soup but there is much room for improvement. Somewhere in there I'd like to write a novella, and a book of poetry in Spanish.

Tell us something not in the official bio.

I missed my calling as a doctor. My poor friends are always getting diagnosed (even if they feel fine) and offered unsolicited advice on how to improve their health. Chile cures colds and flu. In Boston once, I couldn't get any chile and I felt a cold coming on. So I ordered a bowl of clam chowder, a large side of Jalapenos and tabasco sauce. I mixed it all together and I was well in twelve hours.

Lisa Alvarado