Ray Ricky Rivera finally premiered his new video for his song “Boom Box Bounce” to a full house at The Little Temple last Sunday. If you missed it, check out the video and his bio below.

In this song and video, Ray has captured the playful side of a day in LA. Together with the director and camera man they give us a beautiful visual document of his neighborhood. This video shows Ray in his elements;
hip hop, projects, music, LA.

Enjoy!

The Boom Box Bounce
by Ray Ricky Rivera
Director: Manuel Huerta
Camera: Jerry Henry
Triumphant Records LLC., 2010
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The LA-Artist Documentary Project is dedicated to people working creatively in and around Los Angeles. The ongoing, collaborative project aims to document LA’s artistic diversity by producing a range of informative films alongside an online archive of ArtCards that bring voice to the city’s varied and eclectic creative framework.

The project, as a whole, is looking to lay bare Los Angeles’ artistic diversity, processes, influences and draw attention to everyday artistic talents. They plan to do so with a series of 12 episodic films which engage these topics, and through the ArtCard postal service project.

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This Sunday, December 20th, after all your Christmas shopping madness, come down to Eastside Luv in Boyle Heights at 8:00 p.m.  Relax, order yourself a beer or wine and allow four distinctive writers to entertain you with some new literature.

Books and Beers is attempting to create a venue for independent writers. An outlet where man/woman can read with no holds barred on subject matter or language. It’s only proper to hold such an event at a bar. (more…)

Click on the image to view slideshow.

Not really in the Artwalk “mood” last night, I took a long stroll along Broadway and got some pictures of a few things that caught my eye. One of those things was the Gary Leonard studio. You know the dude from the LA Weekly, “Take My Picture Gary Leonard” photo column. I’ve been a fan of this guy for years. I walked inside and met the fella. Very cool dude. They had complimentary MGD, but like I said, I was not in the mood. I saw the exhibit, said thanks and walked on.

It was the best walk I’d had in a long time. Crisp cold air swept the lonely street. The old theaters of the Golden Era followed me with their eyes and studied my gait, slow and methodical. I snapped a few shots and continued. Every block had at least three people waiting for a bus. No one spoke. No one looked up to see me. Anonymous worker bees heading home.

Below are the images I captured from that stroll or you can click on the image to the right to see the slideshow.

When I made it back to the Artpark, I did manage to get some people in my frame. But mostly I just let the camera hang on my neck and I chilled. (more…)

Olmeca completed his second CD titled “La Contra Cultura/ Counter Culture” and celebrated the release at Self Help Graphics last Friday December 4th with a packed house of loyal fans. Perfomances by Pachamama (I missed them), Las Ramonas and MC76 also blessed the stage.

I picked up a copy of the CD and It’s been bumping in my car since. His music reminds me of what I felt like when I was in my first Chicano Studies class. Reminds me of when I first heard Public Enemy, Rage Against the Machine and Aztlan Underground. It’s a sense of pride mixed with anger. Like when I first heard Richard Montoya scream, “I’m confused and full of rage!”
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An American officer provides the clash in New Mexico culture.

It’s opening night for “Palestine, New Mexico” at the Mark Taper Forum and the scripted action rolls out on stage. Voices begin to reveal the themes of war, religion, country, race, a soldier’s mysterious death, and the purity of tribal blood lines. All played out on a beautiful set of red mountains blue heavens. It’s a tale of an American officer who comes to a fictitious tribal town to explain to the chief that his son’s death might be part of a military cover up. It’s also a story of two tribes divided by the Jewish roots that connect them.

When the conquistadores came from Spain to the new land they brought with them Jewish slaves. The dark skin slaves that eventually broke away from their masters were able to live among the natives and naturally inter-breed. An interesting story I had never heard.
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Things to do Thursday, Friday and Saturday!

You might bump into the Eastsider Writer if you are at the follwing events this weekend. I’m starting my weekend on Thursday at the opening night of Culture Clash’s new play “Palestine New Mexico” at the Taper. On Friday I will be at the Olmeca CD Release Party for his new album “La Contra Cultura/Counter Culture” at Self Help Graphics. Then, on Saturday, I will be celebrating art at the Arts District Open Studio Tour. Check all the details below. Ready, set, go! Aytewatcho!

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PALESTINE, NEW MEXICO
Written by Richard Montoya for Culture Clash
Directed by Lisa Peterson

STARTS: Thursday, December 3rd
ENDS: Sunday, January 24th
TIME: varies depending date
LOCATION: Mark Taper Forum
LINK: www.centertheatergroup.org

RUMORS, SECRETS, SAND AND BLOOD.  U.S. Army Captain Catherine Siler journeys to the  New Mexico reservation home of Private First Class Raymond Birdsong on a search  for answers.  The questionable circumstances surrounding Ray’s death in  Afghanistan create a crisis of conscience for the captain giving her no choice  but to re-examine her own life along the way.

Culture Clash, L.A.’s premiere Chicano performance  group, returns  with a World Premiere play about America’s constantly shifting  political  landscape exploring loss, identity and the notion of occupied  homelands.

Palestine, New Mexico promises to be an inherently theatrical work  that mixes humor and cold fact to  unforgettable and galvanizing effect. (more…)

This December take time to smell the atole. Sit back and take in the aroma of pan dulce and canela. Put the world on hold and enjoy the ambiente.

I know, there’s the whole shopping business that needs to get done, and I know you have to work to pay the bills. All I’m saying is give yourself some chill time.

When you do get to the shopping take a look at Eastsider Writer’s December Feature: The Urban Xic Mercadito (www.urbanxic.com), a concept developed by both Felicia Montes of Mujeres de Maiz/In Lak Ech and Joel “Rage” Garcia a local artist. The mercadito was born from both of their roots in trade and inspired by similar efforts they’d seen in current models of cultural tianguis/markets.

“The focus was to make art/products by LA artists accessible to other communities outside of LA,” said Garcia, a formally trained graphic designer who keeps himself busy with many other projects that support community and immigrant causes. He is also the silent artist behind many CD covers and poster designs that we have become familiar with; including Slowrider, MC76 and Olmeca. (more…)