Tu eres de Los? – December 16, 2010. Los Angeles, CA – “The most lavish and last built of Broadway’s great movie palaces, the Los Angeles was designed by legendary theatre architect S. Charles Lee. It was constructed in 1931 at an estimated cost of more than one million dollars.” – L.A. Conservancy website

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…)

What a line up: Culture Clash, Ollin, Zack de la Rocha, Marisela Norte, Dolores Huerta! That’s what I kept thinking as I explained to a friend of mine what kind of show we were heading to. We were on our way to the long anticipated, Culture Clash 25 at Royce Hall, presented by UCLA Live.

“It’s not a play, it’s a celebration of CC’s 25 years,” I told him as we jumped on the 10 west. I imagined it was gonna be like their CC Anthology: 15th Anniversary Celebration. Bits and pieces of all their shows presented to remind us of their older work and to display morsels of shows you might have never seen.

All of a sudden my thoughts go to: mother fucken traffic!! That was the worst part of the night. I hate being late to shows so I planned in advance and left my house at 6pm for an 8pm curtain. But looking at the lava flow of red lights I was a little worried that we would still be late.

I love Royce Hall and felt I shared pride in having Culture Clash perform there. Pero the pinche drive during Halloween eve rush hour. Fuggedaboudit! (more…)