Author: scenebygina
Writer. Public Relations. NYC. Colombia.
BED BUGS ARE DISGUSTING.
Learn about their evolution in the video below.
Fordham professor Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, discusses the evolution of bedbugs and why pesticide-resistant bedbugs hold very big implications for the health and welfare of the city.
Read more about his work here: http://bit.ly/LSKLWr
Monastic Life At The Top Of The Charts
Via NPR MUSIC:
When the sisters of Benedictines of Mary, Queen of the Apostles aren’t hard at work on the monastery grounds, they’re topping the charts with albums of sacred music. The group’sAngels and Saints at Ephesus topped the Billboard classical charts, and now it’s releasing its latest, Lent at Ephesus. Mother Cecilia, prioress of the abbey in rural Missouri and the group’s arranger, tells NPR’s Renee Montagne, “We’re not fabricating anything; this is just music we’re pulling from our life, our everyday life.”
“We’re hard workers,” Mother Cecilia says. “We really follow the rules of St. Benedict very closely — his ora et labora, which is ‘pray and work.’ And we have a small farm. We have a cow to milk twice a day, rain or shine, whether it’s 100 degrees or 20 below. And then, of course, the processing of the milk; we make all sorts of dairy products for our table. And, of course, the recreation and our meal times fill up the day.”
Read more & listen to some of the music here.
Free download: SIERRA LEONE’S REFUGEE ALL STARS
Grab a free download from the terrific “Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars” here.
SIERRA LEONE’S REFUGEE ALL STARS will play @ Apollo Theater for “AFRICA NOW!”
Presented in partnership with World Music Institute
Saturday, April 5th, 2014
253 W 125th St, New York, NY 10027
$25, $35, $45 / 8:00 PM /
www.cumbancha.com – http://sierraleonesrefugeeallstars.com/– https://www.apollotheater.org/all/details/127-africa-now
Africa’s most inspirational band, “Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars,” celebrates ten years together with its finest album to date. Libation’s “around-the-campfire” intimacy, honest soulfulness, and technical prowess reveal how far the group has come while remaining true to its roots. Produced by Chris Velan and mixed by Iestyn Polson, known for his work with David Gray,Patti Smith, and David Bowie, Libation embodies the contagious joy, optimism in the face of struggle and love for their fellow man that has earned the All Stars a devoted following across the globe.
US & Canada Release Date: March 18, 2014
After a 10-year adventure that has taken them from the squalor of refugee camps to the world’s biggest stages, Africa’s most inspirational band continues to ascend with what will surely be hailed as their best album yet. For these beautiful recordings,Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars go full circle to the acoustic, “around the campfire” sound that appeared on their first album, much of which was recorded in the refugee camps during their years in exile from Sierra Leone. Back then, the group was in a very different frame of mind, had yet to tour the world, and were still raw in their sound. Over the years they have evolved to become one of Africa’s most recognized bands with fans across the globe. Libation‘s acoustic intimacy, toe-tapping rhythms, catchy melodies, honest soulfulness, socially conscious lyrics and musical dexterity reveal how far the group has come while remaining true to its roots.
It’s a family reunion as well, as they join forces again with Chris Velan, the producer of their debut album Living Like a Refugee. The new album, which will be released in the US and Canada on March 18, was recorded amidst the Green Mountains of Vermont and mixed in London by renowned British producer Iestyn Polson, known for his work with David Gray, Patti Smith, David Bowie and others.
The album takes its title, Libation, from the ritual pouring of a liquid that is common in African cultures. A libation is poured as an offering to a god or spirit, to honor the ancestors, and in memory of loved ones who have died. Often, when a libation is poured it is an invocation for sacred spirits to be present at a special event such as the welcoming of people into the community, for a wedding, birth or funeral or the coronation of a king or other ruler. After the tracking of the album was finished, for example, the members of the band celebrated the occasion by pouring a libation, both as a celebration and to remember the numerous beloved members of the band who have passed away over the last ten years and could not take part in the session. The title offers a celebration of ten years together, a chance to remember those who have joined the ancestors and hope for many years of success ahead.
** Thanks to Ryan from Press Junkie PR for the press release!
Las Cafeteras: this band is SO great. Catch them if you can.
Voted LA’s ‘Best Latin Alternative Band,’
Las Cafeteras comes to the East Coast to
do more than just play music.
Los Angeles, CA (February 6, 2014) – After a successful 3-month Northwest and Midwest Tour this past fall that had them open for groups like Juanes, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Las Cafeteras hit the road again.
This time, Las Cafeteras are going to different parts of the country and will be engaging communities in the East Coast (Boston, New York, Philadelphia), Texas (Austin), Florida (Miami), and Northern California. Along with their performances, Las Cafeteras will also be having cultural exchanges with universities, museums, and immigrant rights organizations with the purpose of sharing stories from their respective cities.
Las Cafeteras’ musician David Flores says, “we believe that we are all the same because we are all different and we want to use our tour as a platform to inspire people across the country to share their story through poetry, storytelling and art.”
We’re ALL Connected Tour 2014
2.20.14 Club Europa New York, NY
2.21.14 Location TBA Boston, MA
2.22.14 Boston College Boston, MA
2.24.14 The Legendary Dobbs Philadelphia, PA
2.25.14 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA
3.5.14 DeAnza College Cupertino, CA
3.7.14 Fulton 55 Club Fresno, CA
3.13 & 3.14.14 UC Berkeley Berkeley, CA
4.1.14 Hispanicize Miami, FL
4.3 & 4.4.14 University of Texas Austin, TX
*Thanks to Digital Girl PR for the press release!
Film on gentrification to be shown at Fordham University
Fordham University will screen “El Barrio Tours (Gentrification in East Harlem),” a documentary about gentrification and blurring of the line between East Harlem (often called ‘El Barrio’) and the Upper East Side, on Tuesday, Feb. 11, at 7:30 p.m. at its Lincoln Center campus. Room location and RSVP here.
The guest speaker will be Mark Naison, Ph.D., professor of history and African American history at Fordham.
The film is the brainchild of East Harlem’s Andrew J. Padilla, who is a Fordham alumnus (2011). Though his roots in “El Barrio” go back to when his grandfather first moved to East Harlem 60 years ago, the filmmaker says it’s getting increasingly difficult to live there due the higher cost of living gentrification brings with it.
Read more about the film and Padilla via DNAInfo.
See a trailer for the documentary below:
Celebrate ‘Carnival’ at El Museo del Barrio in Harlem
Grab your máscaras and join us as we celebrate the joyful Caribbean and Latin American tradition of Carnaval with music, storytelling, dance workshops, and art-making for all ages. It all takes place on Saturday, Feb. 15, from noon to 4 p.m. at El Museo del Barrio in Harlem.
Details here.
Unexpected pairing: Colombian carnival & Ronzo’s street art
Colombia’s carnival, held in my parents’ hometown of Barranquilla, is upon us. For what to expect, check out these posts I wrote for Sounds and Colours.
Though I couldn’t fit a trip to “carnavales” in this year’s schedule, I keep up with the news via barranquilladecarnaval.com. This latest bit of news is worth sharing as it brings one of Europe’s most graffiti artists to Barranquilla. A mix of folkloric tradition with a specialist in guerilla urban street art? Unexpected, but very cool.
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Barranquilla, Colombia — Well-known London-based urban artist, Ronzo, will exchange knowledge with a group of artists from the port city of Barranquilla, Colombia.
Sponsored by beer-brand Club Colombia, the event will bring Ronzo together with more than 30 artisans working with the Carnival of Barranquilla — the number two most popular carnival in South America.
The aim of the exchange is for folk artists learn more about the diverse cultural expressions of graffiti, in aspects such as creativity, colors, languages and textures. Thereafter, the learning acquired by craftsmen is to serve as inspiration for the design and construction of the Club Colombia float, which will be used in the annual carnival’s biggest event — La Battala de Flores parade on March 1.
Ronzo, who refers to himself as ‘vandal extraordinaire,’ will also share his knowledge and skills with students of the Universidad del Atlántico.
Ronzo is contemplating painting a mural donated to the city of Barranquilla.
Ronzo born in Munich, Germany, and settled in London in 2000 after completing his studies in design at the School of Art in Hamburg.
It was in London where he cemented his style and became popular worldwide, leaving his creations on paper, streets, and buildings. His work is not immune to underlying social and political messages. In 2009, he installed “Crunchy, the official mascot of the global financial meltdown” in London.
Ronzo’s creations include illustrations, murals, outdoor installations, and sculptures. His work, in constant evolution, has been positioned in the streets, video games, galleries and cinematography.
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I’m excited to see this float! I’ll have my cousins snap a photo for me. And even though it never tastes the same here in the States, I’ll buy a six-pack of Club Colombia to celebrate.
I wonder if it’s Ronzo’s first time at Carnival. If so, he will most definitely have fun. That’s a given! Extranjeros are always received with open arms in mi bella Barranquilla. I hope he gets to visit Santa Marta, Taganga, and Cartagena, where I remember seeing cool street art.
Follow news about the carnival at the Carnival site. Learn more about Ronzo at his site or on Twitter.
On Grammy Winners, La Santa Cecilia
Raka Rich freestyles over Drake & Jay Z’s ‘Pound Cake’
Los Rakas may be on tour with J-Boog, but they keep gifting fans with tracks every so often. This new one features Raka Rich dropping cocky lyrics over a remix of Drake and Jay Z’s ‘Pound Cake.’
“Ahora estoy llenando estadios…” (Now, I’m filling stadiums.)
— Raka Rich on the track.
The “bilingual East Bay-flava’d banger,” produced by one of my favorites architects in the game — Nima Fadavi, is where the genre is going to keep going, folks. Get on it.
And it’s not just Spanish. Hip-hop is global game, and this is good thing for those who are sick of the same 10 artists we keep getting shoved down on throats on all mediums. (And, yes, I’m aware Jay Z and Drake are two of the 10, but that’s what makes this track special. Raka Rich, along with Shark Sinatra, Sin Que, and D.A.Go give this track a different flavor for sure.)
Also check out a new BASS-tastic track by Brazil/Brooklyn’s Zuzuka Poderosa. “Baile Crunk,” produced by Burt Fox, is just as hot as the hook proclaims:
Rio De Janeiro, Tennessee & H-town,
Rio de Janeiro, Atlanta, Miami…
periMENTAL 