I rather be lonely than happy with somebody else

Do you ever hear your stories in songs? In lyrics and instruments i hear poetry, imagination, emotions, stories and truths.  Musicians are often times the truest of poets. When it comes down to things, you can always look towards music to explain to you the complexities of life or love. You find music to soothe something inside of you bc it sings what you feel in beautiful ways. Why do you think we relate so much to songs, era’s,  and artists? I believe music captures our humanity in deeper ways than what me might acknowledge. Music makes me dance, it makes me groove. It helps me move  forward.

I’ve been sitting still lately and listening to music to find my truths and sentimientos. But usually I’m dancing a lot to music. Calle 13 is one of my favorite groups right now because they make the political danceable. Pero mas que heco, tambien cuentan historias de la gente. Their documentary travels through Peru, Venezuela, y otros paises de Latino America. Ellos son de Puerto Rico. El accento es sexy. Calle 13 makes me enjoy myself while dancing. It feels silly. And its a good thing that music can do that.

For now I hope that music can help me figure things out for myself. There’s many components that make up Ana. Many, many ways that i exist and feel. As i sort through my own chaos i’m gonna let music take over this ride to help define my emotions. The video below is Billy Holiday’s version, and i picked it because of the little notecards that are drawn. Reminds me of myself and my friend Zoe. My favorite way that “Love me or Leave me” is sung and played on piano is by Miss Nina Simone with her magical god-given talent. This  piece defines how i feel about someone I love. I am standing at the crossroads and I am asking him to Love me or Leave me, I realized there’s no one else for me but him. This song also helps me understand that if our love is lost, I will still have myself, and I will learn how to forgive myself. I will have my writing, my paint, and my brushes, this is how I intend to be independently blue.

“Love me or Leave me or Let me be Lonely
You won’t believe me, I love you only
I’d rather be lonely,
Then happy with somebody else”

Galeano on a party bus!

I arrived at 3PM to stand in line to see Eduardo Galeano speak till 7:30PM. The first 7 women that arrived brought books to read, notebooks to write in, & cameras to document with. Everyone i met was a geek at heart and we were all proud to be fans of Galeano. We discussed L.A. apartheid, Gealeano’s femininity vs masculinity in writing, and a world-wide peace march. Mayra, the woman wearing green is an international organizer from Bolivia but lives in New Zealand. She is part of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence, and they are organizing a trans-continental march from October 2 thru January 2, 2010.  Please support a world peace march, follow the links. 

While we stood in line, we self-organized a waiting list that went up to 50 something. We originally offered to volunteer to set-up tables, but all we got was a smirk. Turns out that they over-booked the event anyways. There were seats for 235 people but allowed 400 RSVP’s to be made. It did not matter that we stood in line so early, we were never going to get in. The organizers were punks about it too, at one point they wanted to throw the cops on us and denied the validity of our list. Even though as Galeano fans, we were peaceful and beyond it all. 

After all the madness of trying to get in and finding alternative routes to sneaking, my friend and i decided we had done everything we could. So instead, we went to go dance, on the streets! The Downtown Art Walk was happening and this is what we found …

We walked across the street and found some beautiful art curted by The New Latin Theater Company on Spring St. The artists were refreshing. 

Then we skipped around to other galleries and spaces and found more music,more artists, more fun, and a party bus. By the end of the night, we wondered if Galeano would have rather hung out with us and enjoyed the art walk instead. 

 

Lo Tiene Todo!

My girlfriend Hazel, turned me on to MALUCA, an artist from NYC, raised in a Dominican household, whose father DJ’ed through the 60’s and 70’s. I went to check out her performance in L.A., twice! “Tigeraso” is what happens when you mix it all together … 

Isn’t she hott? Her outfits declare it, her moves scream it, her rhythm has u sweatin’.  She’s definitely about to hit the starz, bc she’s outta this world!

LA REINA … makes the news

Street Inc.’s LA Reina, a take from L.A.’s Spanish founding name, El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles, made the news by both IndyMedia Los Angeles and Santa Monica College’s, The Corsair. Indy Media’s coverage featured LA Reina as a production that included artists, dj’s, photographers, graff writers, vendors, and multi-media artists coming together to celebrate our Los Angeles, the people’s L.A. The Corsair however, drew on classic stereotypes that people of color in the media so often become; gang-bangers, with the potential to shoot and  cause bloodshed while “invading the art world“.

4/11/09 - Guests at LA Reina (photo by IndyMedia)

Street Inc. producers were very excited about including artists not just from South Central, but throughout the neighrborhood of Los Angeles. Street Inc. wanted to make sure that this was a true celebration of who we are as a people in the movement and in this city. A creative way this was accomplished was by hitting up

Photograph by Hyobin Hwang

The Southern California Library (not the Los Angeles public library) to use their archives of L.A. history, art, culture, fashion, music, and social movement for promotional purposes. Leading up to LA Reina, we also asked guests to share their photographs of the Los Angeles they love. On the day of the event we filled digital screens with over 200 photographs submitted by the public.

But according to Scott O’Malley of SMC’s student newspaper, “Street Biz Inc.” (wrongly cited) threw an “art fair” (it was an event production) that was filled with reefer smelling, highly tensioned, illegal immigrant raging, potentially violent party goers. Sadly, it shows once again the ways in which media and their “journalists” become stuck on reproducing racists notions of who we are as people of color, even when coming together to create a space that is safe and celebratory.

Hmmm…. hmmm….

Well let me finish by noting who did attend the party. Street Inc. chooses to work with hot artists and hot DJ’s. Mixing and playing music for LA Reina was DJ Rani D., Lady Diplomat, Papalotl, and Dahi; out on the scenes through out L.A. from Highland Park to South Central and everywhere in between. Also featured were live performances by the Inner City Dwellers, March 4th, and Wose Kofi.

ICD members RHIPS and VDAH being gangsta!

Art was curated by Stephanie Calderon of “The Collective” and by Sonji Mariposa, curator for the Eagle Rock/Highland Park Monthly Art Walk at Juanitas Lounge. The artists partaking in the exhibition included Maximillion Espinoza, Brian Carroll, Malie Huffman, Natalie Bixon, Linda Roberts, Michael Hubbard, Nori Sepina, Sandra Luna, Eddie Baldono, Hazel Shakti, Raquel Chavez, and Issac Ramirez aka Dazer 169 .

And just to add, Street Inc. also has hot guests, we don’t gang bang, but we are gangsta, gangsta! We are teachers, social workers, lawyers, students, poets, musicians, photographers, and community organizers amongst a wealth of other party-goers. We are Cumbia dancing, funk jiving, hip-hop nodding, “One Love” gangsta’s celebrating our city and each other. I will agree though, we are raw, we are genuine,  and we make it happen.

So Mr. O’Malley, for your next homework assignment,  interview some guests to get their perspective, put some context to your quotes, research your sources and citations, and enjoy the atmosphere.

Btw, please check out the audio and news clip by IndyMedia. Thanks IndyMedia, for proving the benefits of independent news to community 🙂

Peace!

4/11/09 - Lovely Guests on Dancefloor... nope, no tension here, just smiles and laughs 🙂 (photo by IndyMedia)

4/11/09 - Senor Fish: No cheap vodka or flying bottles here either... (photo by IndyMedia)