Words by me here —> I don’t do SXSW. It comes at a bad time of year for me (it’s the time of year I break down from awful winter and go island hopping.) But my friend Natalia Linares, who works in the business of music, does. Check out her latest post on this ever-growing conference:
Salute to Chief Boima and Dutty Artz for this post that laid out a lot of things I’ve been thinking about the last 5 years I’ve been to Austin for SXSW. I urge you all to mediate on this and figure out how we can continue to build space with each other both in our communities and at gargantuan event$ happening nationally.
So… I grew up in New Jersey, the land of a million 24-hour diners. In fact, the first time I left the state and noticed a dearth of them, I was surprised in a bad way. What do you mean we just got off the plane and we can’t find hot food because it’s 11 p.m. and everything is closed? What? One can’t order breakfast past 11 a.m. here?
New Jersey is the diner capital of the world, according to Clifton, N.J.’s Michael Gabriele, the author of “The History of Diners in New Jersey.”
He calls the Garden State “the diner capital of the world” with good reason. According to the state website, New Jersey currently operates 570 diners, more than any other state. (Read more about diners and Gabrielle’s book here.)
So what’s so great about them?
Diners are comfort food or late night food epitomized. There are what seems like a 1000 things on the menu, breakfast is always available, and they’re fairly cheap (and very fast!) Nine times out of 10, they’re owned by Greek families (and passed on for generations). They have a certain type of waitress (the type to call you honey or darling) and, usually, a Hispanic bus boy who works quick, quick, quick!
The intersection of these diverse folks and the diner world are cleverly documented by one of my favorite news photojournalists, Oresti Tsonopoulos, in an audio and photo slideshow for “Borough Buzz.” It features a New York diner ( Cozy Soup ‘n’ Burger in Greenwich Village) , but being a neighboring state, it reminded me of New Jersey.
When I was a newspaper journalist in the early to late-aughts, I always preferred photo slideshows to videos (even though I shot and produced videos myself) because there is something poignant about observing the detail in a striking still photo portrait of a person and their voice telling you a story.
The slideshow contains audio in English, Spanish and Greek, obviously, but you can read English subtitles by selecting the closed caption feature on the video. (link to Borough Buzz)
This re-working of Pink Floyd’s legendary album is dope! (Listen to a sampler here.) It’s also work-friendly, as I like to say. You know, the kind of music you can listen to at work without it taking your concentration away. Great for background.
Now is your chance to see this album performed on tour as Easy Star All-Stars will head out on tour of a special anniversary edition of this classic album. Put out by Easy Star, the leading independent reggae label, the re-issue will boast new artwork, an in-depth liner note booklet, and two bonus tracks, including a new version of the song “Breathe” featuring additional vocals by Eric Rachmany of Rebelution, Metric Man, and Ruff Scott of the Easy Star All-Stars.
The huge success of Dub Side of the Moon (2003) spawned a popular series of reggae tribute albums by the band including Radiodread (2006), Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band (2009), and Easy Star’s Thrillah (2012). The Easy Star All-Stars have also released an original EP (Until That Day, 2008), an original album (First Light, 2011), and a remix of Dub Side called Dubber Side Of The Moon (2010). They have toured worldwide over the past decade, playing in over 30 countries on 6 continents.
This spring the band hits the road for the Dub Side Of The Moon Anniversary Tour performing the album live in its entirety alongside classic material from the band’s career including original songs and tracks from the other tribute albums. Select shows will also include new animated visuals that were debuted at live shows in November 2013.
The tour features a number of great pairings as well, including five co-headlining shows with John Brown’s Body (including the third teaming up for 4/20 weekend at Brooklyn Bowl), two shows with Ted Sirota’s Heavyweight Dub, and four shows with Rochester’s celebrated Thunder Body. Don’t miss them!
Photo left via Miranda’s site; Photo right: Roz Baron
It seems Tony-winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (of ‘In the Heights‘ fame) is a Fordham fan. At the photo on the left, the Wesleyan alumnus wears a Fordham sweatshirt in a group photo. At right, he poses with two Fordham alumnae in their Fordham t-shirts. (The one on the right is Roz Baron, an alumna of Fordham College at Lincoln Center.)
Baron, a blogger, tells me the photo on the right was taken this past weekend (Feb. 23) at a special screening of West Side Story at the United Palace Theatre in Northern Manhattan (Washington Heights, of course!), where Miranda introduced the film and interviewed Oscar, Tony, Grammy, and Emmy-winning superstar, Rita Moreno. (She played the fiery Anita. Watch the great scene in which she performs “America” below.)
This forum coincides with Fordham Theatre Program’s Mainstage production:
We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as Southwest Africa, From the German Sudwestafrika, Between the Years 1884-1915
by Jackie Sibblies Drury | Directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh
Performance Schedule
Wednesday through Friday, February 19 to 21, at 8 p.m.
Thursday through Saturday, February 27 to March 1, at 8 p.m.
Yes, yes, snow can be quite pretty (especially when falling) but it also gets dangerous, and most of all, UGLY. I shot these in my neighborhood of Jersey City (the Heights) and New York City on Feb. 14. Bleergh. Hurry up, Spring!
UGLY: Blockheads, usually packed with margarita-drinking revelers all summer long, it’s a sore site in the winter.
Well of course snow looks PRETTY on a nice looking midtown street.
Again, something about snow on trees: PRETTY.
Dear slush on corners: you are UGLY.
Snow-covered garbage: UGLY.
Why, even on the roads cabs drive on? Slush: UGLY.
PRETTY tree with snow.
PRETTY ice, but UGLY result if you’re not careful.
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!
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
Fordham Universitywill 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.
periMENTAL 