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Keeping you in the loop – 9.30.09 – MUNDIAL EDITION

Saludos to everyone,
 
Hope this email finds everyone of you healthy & happy!
To all of the new subscribers to the Afrotaino Productions newsletter mailing list, Welcome!
Just so you know, this email will generally pop into your inbox every other week or so, providing & sharing information on upcoming events & fiestas that take place in Philadelphia (and sometimes elsewhere), for all of you Afro-Latin, Caribbean, and World music/art/culture lovers & visitors. There are plenty of vibrant and fun happenings coming up: Listening parties, performances, bands, community events, promotional music & ticket giveaways!
So pay close attention and read good! Let’s start with…
————————————————————————————————————
 
10.1.09. Thursday/jueves: MUNDIAL: A NIGHT OF FUNKY WORLD SOUNDS!
Afrotaino Productions & Garces Restaurant Group invite you to MUNDIAL, a new lounge/dance party in the plush, lavishly-decorated lounge below Chifa Restaurant (the Chinese-Peruvian cuisine conception of Chef Jose Garces). While Chef Garces is busy competing for the American Iron Chef title (This season on the Food Network! Check your local listings), we’ll keep the fire burning bi-weekly with DJs Juanderfull, Joey Blanco, & Rahsaan playing everything from bossa nova & cumbia beats to Congolese rumba to gypsy funk and more..(and the vibe continues @ Chifa Lounge on the Thursday nights when MUNDIAL is off! Check out the B-Side! LA MAQUINA DEL TIEMPO/THE TIME MACHINE, with Grammy-winning Producer & DJ Aaron Levinson spinning Classic Salsa from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Peru, Japan, NYC and beyond!)
 
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE: We’re also celebrating the record release of PACHA MASSIVE’s sophomore album, “If You Want It” (Nacional Records, available now in stores/Amazon/I-Tunes). The band blends their electronica/reggae/triphop beats with their laidback bilingual lyrics & flow, sprinkled with Dominican/New Yorker estilo. Join us for this listening party, and look for free giveaways from Nacional Records & ITunes!
 
MUNDIAL w/ Pacha Massive Listening Party
Free Admission
Drink specials & Late Night Food Menu
Music starts 10PM
21 and over/ID Required
Chifa Lounge
(downstairs Chifa Restaurant)
707 Chestnut St.
Philadelphia
———————————————————————————————————–
 
10.5.09. Monday/lunes: OS MUTANTES!
 
Though rarely heard outside their Brazilian homeland (especially during their brief career), Os Mutantes were one of the most dynamic, talented, radical bands of the psychedelic era — quite an accomplishment during a period when most every rock band spent quality time exploring the outer limits of pop music. A trio of brash musical experimentalists, the group fiddled with distortion, feedback, musique concrète, and studio tricks of all kinds to create a lighthearted, playful version of extreme Brazilian pop. If The Mamas & The Papas and The Who were a garage band from Rio de Janeiro, you’d have just un chin of Os Mutantes. Come witness history in the making as they perform songs off their new album, which also happens to be their first album in 30 years. Also performing that night as opener will be DeLeon.
 
***Want a chance to win a pair of tickets to this show? Tune into Y-Rock Internacional on XPN this Saturday 3-7PM EST with your host Ramon “El Rock” Martinez, and he will be giving away tickets to a lucky listener and a guest! Visit www.xpn.org/yrock-on-xpn/home to connect!
 
Os Mutantes
w/ DeLeon
Tickets: $27 – $39
Doors open 6PM; Show starts 7:30PM
World Cafe Live (downstairs)
3025 Walnut St., Philadelphia
 
————————————————————————————————————-
 
10.9.09. Friday/viernes: MAPP 1st Annual Cocktail Reception & Awards Ceremony!
 
Brett Mapp, a proud Philadelphian, has founded M.A.P.P. (Making A Progressive Philadelphia), a grassroots-to-medium scale community assistance initiative, whose mission is to fund thoughtful, committed citizens who can positively transform the City of Philadelphia, neighborhood by neighborhood, through the use of micro-grants. They are launching with a cocktail reception fundraiser (with a helpful recession-friendly ‘give-what-you-can’ approach) at the famed Isaiah Zagar-mosaic-laden space, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, on South Street. In tune with their mission, MAPP is honoring two of Philadelphia’s community project leaders who have toiled hard to bring relief to those in need. Join us as we honor Sister Mary Scullion (Exec. Director and President, Project H.O.M.E.) and Anne Mahlum (Founder, President, Back on My Feet), as well as kick off an excellent effort for an excellent cause. Afterwards, dance the night away with Afrotaino Productions’ DJ Rahsaan.
 
For more information, visit www.phillymapp.com
 
Making A Progressive Philadelphia (MAPP) 1st Annual Cocktail Reception & Awards Ceremony
Doors open 6PM SHARP
**Donations will be accepted at the door
Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens
1020-1022 South Street, Philadelphia
————————————————————————————————————
 
10.11.09. Sunday/domingo: PUBLIC PRIVACY!
 
Philly-based Latino visual/photo artist Bernardo Morillo explains his inspiration behind his latest work, Public Privacy.
 
“In the fast pace of urban life, social interactions have transformed into transactional interactions. Systems of mass transportation are set in place to bring the workforce to the workplace. Simultaneously, places of commerce feed on the flow of commuters. Privacy becomes a valued commodity. Traffic, noise, pollution and everyday business allow us all to be alone together. Eye contact is avoided. Even the architecture conveys an impenetrable air of solitude. As a photographer I take this as an opportunity to study the gestures of people in the privacy of their public moments and to explore elements of architecture and design, all within the context of mass transportation and commerce within urban communities.”
 
Bernardo shares some more insight to his process. “Some of my photographs were taken with a half-frame camera which allowed me to expose the 35mm film frame with two images, one on each half frame. The relationship between these images immediately creates a narrative, telling a story in the manner of a moving picture sequence. They underline the immediacy of the instant by capturing two moments in close chronological order. I also use traditional 35mm cameras. The series of photographs with two exposures per frame in combination with the full frame image creates an interesting visual cadence. Movement, action, time, and the relationship of juxtaposed images are an inherent part of this body of work. Gesture, architecture and elements of design in mass transportation and commerce observed in an urban environment: these are the common threads that bring together the photographs in this body of work.”

Public Privacy: photographs by Bernard Morillo Exhibit & Artist Opening Reception
Free Admission
2-4PM
Pagus Gallery
619 W. Washington St.
Norristown, PA
Exhibit on display 10.10.09. – 11.7.09.
 
————————————————————————————————————
 
10.11.09. Sunday/domingo: MIXED!
 
Philly-based photographer/avant-garde model/bartender/all-round Jersey Girl Heather Raquel Phillips brings new light to the term ‘mixed media’.
Phillips explores the complications of racial identity in the photo project entitled Mixed. This exhibition is a portrait series of people who are unique in their composite ancestral backgrounds, while sharing the collective experience of being bi-racial/multi-ethnic in a so-called “post-racial” America. To view this series of photographs is to encounter Phillips’ subjects eye-to-eye. It is an activity that is at times both tender and confrontational, as each person’s expression of identity comes across via inescapable gazes. 
 
Mixed Exhibit & Artist Opening Reception
Free Admission
6PM-8PM
Sage Projects
333 South St., Philadelphia
Exhibit on display 10.4.09 – 10.25.09
 
————————————————————————————————————
 
10.13.09. Tuesday/martes: ALEX*CUBA!
 
Singer-songwriter Alex*Cuba hails from Artemisa, Cuba (1 hour west of Havana) and resides in Smithers, B.C. (14 hours north of Vancouver). Musically, he lives everywhere in between. His trademark sugarcane-sweet melodies, pop-soul hooks and rock chords subtly subvert commonly held notions of what Cuban music is. Alex is on the vanguard, crafting a cross-cultural sound that mirrors his geographical journey. Not tied to tradicion, this Cuban-Canadian prefers his vintage Gibson over el cencerro (cowbell) anytime. Opening act is Brownout! (also known as the Latin Funk alter-ego of Prince’s band, Grupo Fantasma). This is gonna be fun!

Alex*Cuba w/ Brownout!
Show starts 9PM SHARP
Tickets: $16-18
World Cafe Live (upstairs)
3025 Walnut St., Philadelphia
————————————————————————————————————-
 
10.14.09. Wednesday/miercoles: FORRO IN THE DARK!
 
For those who don’t already know, forró is the hip-swiveling, dancefloor-filling, rural party music of Brazil’s northeastern states. And Forró in the Dark is the collective of four New York-based Brazilian ex-pats –Mauro Refosco (zabumba drum and vocals) Davi Vieira (percussion and vocals) Guilherme Monteiro (guitar and vocals) and Jorge Continentino (pifano flute, sax and vocals) – who are updating this traditional sound for the 21st century. This band leaves the audience drenched and wanting more everytime. Opening DJ set by DJ Rahsaan of the Afrotaino Soundsystem. Ya tu sabes!
 
Forro in the Dark w/ DJ Rahsaan
Show starts 8PM SHARP
Tickets: $13-15
World Cafe Live (upstairs)
3025 Walnut St., Philadelphia
————————————————————————————————————-
 
That’s it for now, but keep in mind there are new photos & music highlights added regularly on our myspace & facebook profiles.

Don’t forget: there’s more to come this Fall! So sit tight, and stay tuned!

Suave,
Rahsaan Lucas
Marangeli Mejia-Rabell
Partners,
Afrotaino Productions
www.myspace.com/afrotainoproductions
www.facebook.com/afrotainoproductions
afrotainoprod@gmail.com
 
*also check out our vision for a better future:
www.myspace.com/thesiembraproject

(Need visibility & media exposure for your artists/label/brand? Want multicultural marketing solutions for your corporation/community organization/small business? Interested in sponsorship/collaborative opportunities?
Need talent for your festival/nightclub/campaign? Trying to find the heartbeat of a market, regional/nationwide?

Afrotaino Productions is your answer.)

Keeping you in the loop 9.17.09

Hello groovy people!
 
It feels like a million days have passed since we’ve last shared info! We’ve been quite busy with our fall/winter ‘09 planning and chicos, we have got some excellent stuff lined up for you and your networks!
So let’s just jump into it, shall we? Let’s start with…
 
9.18.09. Friday/viernes: PERSPECTIVAS SEASON FINALE!
 
Afrotaino Productions would like to thank all of you who have kept the heartbeat of Afro-Latino cinema alive this past summer by attending our 2nd season of our Perspectivas film series! We enjoyed reading & hearing all the positive feedback regarding the films showcased this time around: Sleep Dealer, Bachata: Musica del Pueblo, & La Clave…and we are absolutely confident that you all will be blown away by our incredible final feature presentation – CELIA, THE QUEEN! 

PLEASE NOTE WE ARE SCREENING THE FULL FEATURE NOT THE ONE HOUR SPECIAL INCLUDED AS PART OF THE VOCES SERIES ON PBS.


This touching documentary pays tribute to the work of a stellar performer who brought the sound of salsa to the whole world. As a teenager in 1940s Havana, Celia Cruz found her audience in the local canteens. But her real start came when, pressed by her family, she entered and won a local radio contest. A few years later she was signed by one of Cuba’s most popular orchestras, and her sultry, gravelly voice became Cuba’s most adored. Her trademark cry Azucar! became known across Latin America. And when she fled Castro’s Cuba in 1960 and eventually arrived in the United States, she started a second even more successful career fueled by her partnerships with salsa greats Tito Puente, Willie Colon and Johnny Pacheco. Ironically, while she became known as the voice of Cuba around the world, her once beloved music was banned in her home country. Up until the time Celia died in 2003, she was still performing. She even made a turn in a video for Wyclef Jean’s remake of Guantanamera, the song she made famous. 
 

When she passed, she was mourned everywhere from England to Argentina. Directors Jose Cardona and Mario de Varona use archival footage of both Celia and her loving husband, Pedro Knight, to tell the inspiring story of a little girl from Havana who became an international diva. Fans from David Byrne to Andy Garcia weigh in on this fabulous woman’s influence on their lives, and an intriguing segment explores the cult-like status that Celia’s music enjoys in Japan. Foremost though is the presentation of Celia as the warm, strong, free pirit who adored her fans and earned without question her title “the Queen.” -Genna Terranova, Tribeca Film Guide
 
Immediately following the film, we have a scorching-hot musical tribute from Danny Rodriguez & The Mambo Machine!
So bring your dancing shoes!
 
Proceeds from CELIA, THE QUEEN go to AMLA (Artistas y Musicos Latinos Americanos) to support their efforts to provide music education to our community. For more information on AMLA, please visit www.amla.org 
 
PERSPECTIVAS presents CELIA, THE QUEEN
Doors open 7PM SHARP! (Networking reception begins 6:30PM)
$30 general admission (Available at IHouse’s Box Office and Centro Musical). 
In advance at TICKETWEB or 1/2 hour before showtime at The Ibrahim Theater Box Office.
I-House memberships & discounts valid!
International House, 3701 Chestnut St., Philadelphia
——————————————————————
 
9.27.09. Sunday/domingo: THE 47TH ANNUAL PHILADELPHIA PUERTO RICAN DAY PARADE!
 
Claro, familia! The day has returned when the Parkway will swell with sounds, smells, & sights of la cultura boricua! Philadelphia’s Puerto Rican Day Parade is the “Crown Jewel” of the Puerto Rican Festival. It will be televised in Philadelphia by WPVI-TV Channel 6 (ABC affiliate), with your hosts  Diego Castellanos (of the esteemed program, Puerto Rican Panorama) & Wally Kennedy. The televised portion of the parade allows an additional 60,000 viewers to tune in for a display of cultural pride. Youth groups, community organizations, schools, corporate sponsors and many others across the tri-state area participate in making this parade a showcase of Puerto Rican and Latino culture. This year’s theme is El Vejigante!
Our very own DJ Rahsaan of Afrotaino Productions is the Official DJ for the Philadelphia Puerto Rican Day Parade! Oiste!?
Bring your banderas & wave them high! 
 
47th Annual Philadelphia Puerto Rican Day Parade
Parade kicks off 1PM!
FREE/gratis!
John F. Kennedy Parkway (leading to Philadelphia Art Museum)
Downtown Center City-Philadelphia
—————————————————————–
 
Stay tuned, buena gente: There’s plenty to come this season…like…MUNDIAL: a collabo b/w Jose Garces Restaurant Group & DJs Juan-derfull, Joey Blanco, & Rahsaan! Hispanic Bar Association Annual Celebration! Pacha Massive Record Release & Listening Party! Forro in the Dark! The Return of DISCOTECA! APM’s Gift of Love Holiday Benefit Concert & Celebration! Braziladelphia! Latin Grammys 2009! and much much more…
 
Suave,
Rahsaan Lucas
Marangeli Mejia-Rabell
Partners,
Afrotaino Productions
www.myspace.com/afrotainoproductions
afrotainoprod@gmail.com
 
*also check out our vision for a better future:
www.myspace.com/thesiembraproject

(Need visibility & media exposure for your artists/label/brand? Want multicultural marketing solutions for your corporation/community organization/small business? Interested in sponsorship/collaborative opportunities?
Need talent for your festival/nightclub/campaign? Trying to find the heartbeat of a market, regional/nationwide?

Afrotaino Productions is your answer.)

WHYY airing Latino series VOCES featuring Celia Cruz, Tito Puente and more!

WHYY will be airing the public television series VOCES, curated by Latino Public Broadcasting, on Sundays at 6PM staring on September 6th with the debut film CELIA THE QUEEN, a riveting look at the legendary singer.   In addition to being available on TV, VOCES is also available for free online viewing at http://www.voces.tv.  The WHYY schedule is below: 

 

 

 

VOCES – 2009 Series Lineup - WHYY

 

Sunday, September 6 at 6PM

Celia the Queen by Joe Cardona

Celia the Queen is a loving look at the amazing life and legacy of a woman whose voice symbolized the soul of a nation and captured the hearts of fans worldwide. Erupting onto the Cuban music scene as the lead singer for La Sonora Matancera, Celia Cruz broke down barriers of racism and sexism. With the powerful weapon of her voice and the warm tolerance of her heart, Celia soon became all things to all people. The film shows the diversity of the people whose lives she touched, from stars like Quincy Jones, Andy Garcia, and Wyclef Jean to ordinary people all over the world who loved not only her music but her incredible spirit.  A co-presentation with National Black Programming Consortium.

 

Sunday, September 13 at 6PM

Antonia Pantoja: ¡Presente! by Lillian Jimenez

Antonia Pantoja: ¡Presente! tells the story of educator/organizer Antonia Pantoja, founder of the New York-based advocacy organization, Aspira.  A passionate, indomitable leader, Pantoja worked with Puerto Rican “immigrant-citizens” to fight against second-class citizenship and to secure a bilingual voice.  Through passionate personal testimony, never-before-seen home movies, archival footage, and the work of visual artist Juan Sanchez, the feisty Antonia Pantoja guides us through the Puerto Rican community’s struggles and triumphs.

 

Sunday, September 20, 2009 at 6PM

Bracero Stories by Patrick Mullins

Bracero Stories explores the personal experiences of five former “guest workers” in the controversial U.S.-Mexican bracero program, which granted temporary work contracts to several million Mexican laborers between 1942 and 1964. Their stories are interwoven and illustrated with archival materials, creating a composite narrative of the “bracero” experience.  Interviews with other participants in the program assess its effectiveness and lasting impact. These discussions mirror and inform current debates about immigration and the role of imported labor in our economic development. 

 

Sunday, September 27, 2009 at 6PM

The Golden Age by Phil Tuckett

The Golden Age documents a season in the life of the Golden Age League, a soccer league in Corona Park, Queens, New York. Not just any soccer league, the highly competitive Golden Age League is made up of middle-aged former World Cup players from mostly Central and South America. With muscles creaking, hairlines receding, and waistlines expanding, these incredibly skilled players compete at a level never before documented. During the week, these men are window washers, traders, and electricians — but the weekend is theirs, and the passion for the game remains.

 

Sunday, October 4, 1009 at 6PM

Special Circumstances by Marianne Teleki

At 16, Héctor Salgado was arrested and tortured by Pinochet’s forces. By 20, Héctor was without a country, living in exile in the U.S. Special Circumstances follows Héctor as he returns to Chile almost 30 years later, camera in hand, to confront the perpetrators and his former captors, looking for answers and justice. In the process, the film takes an unflinching look at U.S. foreign policy in Latin America in the ’70s and the legacy of Pinochet with which Chile still struggles today.

 

Sunday, October 11, 2009 at 6PM

Tito Puente: The King of Latin Music by George Rivera

Of all the musicians who have contributed to the popularity of Latin music, none is more recognized than the man known simply as “The King,” Tito Puente.  His family, friends and colleagues all pay homage here: Bill Cosby, Marc Anthony, Armand Assante, Geraldo Rivera, Jimmy Smits, Paquito D’Rivera and many more. The life of this influential bandleader, percussionist and composer – and one of the most charismatic performers of all time – is recalled through archival footage and interviews as well as excerpts from one of his last concerts.

 

 Sunday, October 18, 2009 at 6PM

Soy Andina by Mitch Teplitsky

Soy Andina tells the story of two women raised in different worlds: an immigrant folk dancer from the Andes, and a modern dancer from Queens, NY, who return to Peru to reconnect with their culture.  After 15 years in New York, Nelida Silva returns to fulfill a lifelong dream and host the fiesta patronal — a celebration of dance, music, and rituals from Incan times. Meanwhile Cynthia Paniagua, a dancer raised in Queens, embarks on her own journey, determined to “quench a burning desire to know the real Peru, to unearth the mystery of the dances.”  Soy Andina is an exuberant cross-cultural road trip, yet its theme is universal: a yearning for roots and connection in turbulent times.

  

Sunday, October 25, 2009 at 6PM

Dream Havana by Gary Marks

In August 1994, more than 30,000 Cubans attempted to leave the island by sea. Two writers, friends since adolescence, are faced with a choice: continue struggling with the hardships of the island or brave the open water on a homemade raft. Ernesto Santana chooses Cuba; Jorge Mota, chooses the sea. This is the story of their struggles, their successes and the friendship that binds them across the distance, from Chicago to Havana.

 

Perspectivas presents Celia, The Queen – A fundraiser for AMLA

Friday, September 18 at 7pm

Celia, The Queen

dir. Joe Cardona and Mario de Varona, US, 2008, video, 96 mins, color

 

This touching documentary pays tribute to the work of a stellar performer who brought the sound of salsa to the whole world. As a teenager in 1940s Havana, Celia Cruz found her audience in the local canteens. But her real start came when, pressed by her family, she entered and won a local radio contest. A few years later she was signed by one of Cuba’s most popular orchestras, and her sultry, gravelly voice became Cuba’s most adored. Her trademark cry Azucar! became known across Latin America. And when she fled Castro’s Cuba in 1960 and eventually arrived in the United States, she started a second even more successful career fueled by her partnerships with salsa greats Tito Puente, Willie Colon and Johnny Pacheco. Ironically, while she became known as the voice of Cuba around the world, her once beloved music was banned in her home country. Up until the time Celia ied in 2003, she was still performing. She even made a turn in a video for Wyclef Jean’s remake of Guantanamera, the song she made famous.

 

When she passed, she was mourned everywhere from England to Argentina. Directors Jose Cardona and Mario de Varona use archival footage of both Celia and her loving husband, Pedro Knight, to tell the inspiring story of a little girl from Havana who became an international diva. Fans from David Byrne to Andy Garcia weigh in on this fabulous woman’s influence on their lives, and an intriguing segment explores the cult-like status that Celia’s music enjoys in Japan. Foremost though is the presentation of Celia as the warm, strong, free pirit who adored her fans and earned without question her title “the Queen.” -Genna Terranova, Tribeca Film Guide

 

Proceeds from Celia, The Queen benefit AMLA – Artistas y Musicos Latino Americanos.

 

$30 general admission (Available at IHouse’s Box Office and Centro Musical). All IHouse member discounts will be honored.

In advance at TICKETWEB or 1/2 hour before showtime at The Ibrahim Theater Box Office.

For further information on this series and other Afrotaino Productions events, visit www.myspace.com/afrotainoproductions.

Bambula – Friday, September 4th @ Mis Viejos Restaurant

Join the Rojas Family and local musicians for a Bombazo featuring NYC-based group:

BÁMBULA

Friday, September 4th
8:00pm
Mis Viejos Restaurant
2700 N. Mascher Street (corner of Lehigh Ave.)
Philadelphia, PA 19133

BÁMBULA is an intergenerational, predominantly female, Afro-Puerto Rican musical group based in the city of New York dedicated to the preservation of Puerto Rico’s oldest living African musical and cultural tradition. Founded in 2006 under the musical direction of Norka H. Nadal, affectionally called “La Flaka”. The group members are a mix of educators, activists, professionals and full time musicians dedicated to the empowering of Puerto Rico’s musical legacy, Bomba. BÁMBULA performs Bomba from the Western part of the island, specifically the town of Mayagüez where it is said that all of Puerto Rico’s Bomba originates. The group also pays homage to the traditions of Santurce and other Puerto Rican towns where Bomba is played. Bambula contains originally composed songs as well as songs that have been handed down by prior generations within the Nadal family.

For more on BÁMBULA go to: http://www.myspace.com/bambularaiz

This event is sponsored by the Swarthmore College Intercultural Center, Afrotaino Productions, and La Familia Rojas.