Month: May 2013

Via RecreaActiva Guadalajara

Every Sunday for the past 9 years Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico has closed its main traffic arteries to cars and hosts the ViaRecreactiva – pedestrians, bicycles, skateboards and rollerblades, runners cover 64 kms. of cityscape.  Along the way are activities for children of all ages like arts workshops, chess, sports games as well as shopping in neighboring stores, cafes and dining, and the presence of social service organizations and the Universities.  Its been a huge success, and versions exist throughout Latin America – notably in Bogota, Colombia and Santiago de Chile as well as Mexico City.  Participants enjoy the opportunity to exercise safely with their families and friends and to see their beautiful city in a fun stressfree manner.

This video was made for the municipality of Guadalupe, Zacatecas, where leaders are developing a parallel event.

Thanks to Luis de la Cruz

Luis Díaz BLUES

Luis Díaz, Mexican Blues artist manages to capture the essence of the blues, writing and singing in his native español about themes close to home. He says that when he began 30 years ago Mexican rockers and blues singers were in imitative mode, singing in English and copying these USA & England born forms. With experience and knowledge he and others like the great retired group Real de Catorce began to use Spanish with songs written about social and personal issues close to home, which is what the blues is essentially all about.

With 2 CD´s now distributed you can see Luis around Mexico including the AGUASBLUES Fest in Aguascalientes, the largest venue for this music annually.

Yo, en una Cantina? Part 3

In this segment we begin the day after, with the usual suspects drinking and socializing in the 15 Letras.  2 great songs, dancing and music.

Yo, en una Cantina, Part 2

h The brawl moves outside where the Profe makes a final play for La Boquita.

The segment begins with a tragic song and concludes with a brawl.

Yo, en una Cantina? Part 1

This theatre piece by Compañia Artistica Torrena was featured in the 2013 Festival Cultural Zacatecas.  It was written by Gricelda Torres in the historic cantina Las 15 Letras, and features this cantina in a starring role.  The characters and action refer to the 1940´s golden age of Mexican cinema, in which actors came from the world of theatre, of cabaret, musical comedy and lower forms of performing arts, and characters – much like film noir in the USA – were musicians, drunks, sad women hiding behind happy faces, all sorts of politicians and mafiosos.

The 15 Letras Cantina has been open and run by the same family since 1906.  Women have only been permitted to enter within the past 10 years, a change which was resented by some old-timers fearing their space would be invaded, but for the most part it has been a happy transition.   In 3 parts.