Posts Tagged ‘Culture’
The fuss about Dubai: JLo
5:11 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Celebrities|Culture|society|World · 1 Comment
22 Mar 2006
Now that the Dubai port controversy is finally over, there’s a one more reason to talk about the UAE: JLo is going to give a “rare” concert there:
Jennifer Lopez, a well-known American actress, Latin Pop singer, fashion designer, and dancer, will exclusively perform live in concert at the Dubai Autodrome on April 27.
This will be her first ever concert in the Middle East region.
While Dubai is considered by many one of the more progressive parts of the Middle East, one has to wonder what people in the region make of JLo and her visit. Curious about that, I found one web site, Waleg.com, which has a comment string open about the JLo concert. The first comment reads:
all american singers are turning arabs like them, i hate them, athum kofaar. Dubai should kick jen out. she trying to seduce arab guys with her look. inah ilah wa inah ragoon.
Another commenter says:
Don’t you think that we have worst than JLO in the arab world now, Arab guys have enough to be distracted and seduced in their own countries.
While a few people chatting online cannot accurately reflect the mentality of an entire nation, I do wonder if John Q Public in Dubai — the non-expat community — believes that JLo and artists like her are contaminating the moral fabric of their culture with her wicked Western ways.
Dubai recently banned a concert by metal band Saxon (scary name!), citing their song, Crusader, as anti-Muslim.
Via / Trade Arabia and Waleg.com
Is Puerto Rico (Latin) America?
12:43 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Culture|Puerto Rico · 203 Comments
9 Feb 2006
Cuaderno Latinoamericano, an interesting blog out of New Orleans, raises the question of whether Puerto Ricans feel more American or Latin American, with regard to a comment made by Filiberto Ojeda’s widow after his assassination:
She says that puertoricans identify more with Latin America, than the United States. On the other hand, many people don’t consider Puerto Rico as part of Latin America at all…But even many puertoricans don’t consider themselves latin americans. I guess I’m wondering how you guys view Puerto Rico or puertoricans, do you think they would fall under Latin Americans, Americans or do we have a special class all by ourselves?
I love to see when Latino culture makes itself present in American society. I know food isn’t the most important aspect of culture but it is the most delicious. First it was salsa outselling ketchup, and now it’s the use of the tortilla. The tortilla for some of us anyways, is something that we eat on a daily basis. Nowadays the tortilla can be found across all cultures here in the states.
The tortilla, which has been a staple in Mexican homes for thousands of years, is swimming in the mainstream now. Sales were estimated to be more than $5.3 billion in 2004, up 20 percent from 2002. “The fastest growth part is the non-Hispanic market,” said Rudy Guerra Jr., president of Dallas-based Rudy’s Tortillas and a third-generation tortilla maker.
“It’s not just a Hispanic food now.”
Via / Hispanic Business
“I’m lovin’ it”…What?
6 Dec 2005
I hardly watch any television channels besides ESPN and Comedy Network but the other day I happened to catch a commercial on Univision that just goes to show the overcommercialization of everything. It started off as your typical McDonalds commercial with their annoying catch phrase “i’m lovin’ it” then it went into a dream sequence with Mexica (Aztec) warriors playing Tlachtli, a game similar to today’s basketball.
Now, what do the Mexica or Aztecs, whatever your preference is, have to do with McDonalds? Last time I checked there were no McDonalds back in those days. No matter how much Wal-mart tries to convince itself that its alright to build one of their superstores next to Teotihuacán it is NOT. No matter how much McDonalds tries to sell its burgers to Latinos it is NOT ok for them use our cultural heritage as a vehicle to make them richer and make us fatter.
Next thing you know the Virgencita de Guadalupe, the dearest of symbols to many Latinos will end up in a McDonalds commercial.
First-ever “teatro dominicano” opens in NY
6:00 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Arts|Dominicans|Entertainment|New York|New York City · 1 Comment
17 Oct 2005
The influence of the Dominican community in New York City cannot be denied. Over half of all Dominicanos in the U.S. live in the state of New York, and the face of New York City has changed as la isla dominicana has come to transplant itself on la isla de Manhattan over the past several decades.
Surprising it is, then, that only now is the first all-Dominicano theatre, Teatro Estudio Internacional, opening its doors in New York City. Not en el barrio, but on Broadway.
La nueva sala teatral de Teatro Estudio Internacional, único Teatro Dominicano en la ciudad de Nueva York, llevará el nombre de la gran actriz dominicana Ilka Tanya Payán. Dicha sala será nombrada el 20 de octubre a las 7:00 pm en una ceremonia presidida por el Comisionado de los Asuntos de Emigración de la Alcaldía, Guillermo Linares.
I think the fact that the theatre will be based in the heart of the “mainstream” theatre district is a great step towards getting Americans to take a closer look at Latino theatre, and at Dominican theatre in particular, which according to some has never existed as a serious movement in New York the way it should — until now.
The premiere party for the Teatro Estudio Internacional gets started this Thursday, October 20th at 7:00 pm at the Times Square Arts Center (between 8th and 9th Avenues).
For an overview of Dominican theatre en New York, check out this article on Latinartmuseum.com. For more information about Teatro Estudio International, visit their web site: http://teatroestudiointernacional.com/.
Via / Iblnews.com
Lo Que Hay: Events for the week of October 17, 2005
3:56 pm By Maegan La Mala · Cities|Events|Los Angeles|Miami|Music|New York City · 1 Comment
17 Oct 2005
A new feature of VivirLatino, “Lo Que Hay” will feature events from across the country that we think will interest our VL readers.
To submit an event, please use our contact form.
OPENING THIS WEEK / THIS WEEK ONLY
Houston
Gloria Estefan Book Signing
When: Thursday, October 20, 5pm
Where: Barnes and Noble, 7627 Westheimer @ Voss
Cost: Free
Los Angeles
Latino Film Festival
When: October 22 – October 30
Where: Varies by event
Cost: $8 per film
Latino Book & Family Festival
When: Saturday, October 22 10am-6pm & Sunday, October 23 10am-5pm
Where: Fairplex in Pomona, CA
Cost: Free
Miami
Pianist Sets World Record
When: Thursday, October 20, 11am-11pm
Where: Manuel Artime Theater, Miami Beach
Cost: Purchase at entrance, part of proceeds go to Katrina victims: 11am-3pm $25, 3pm-7pm $35, 7pm-11pm $50
New York
Forging a New Path: Contemporary Latino Authors Featuring Angie Cruz
When: Tuesday, October 18, 6:00 p.m.
Where: Queens Library, Jackson Heights Branch, 35-51 81st Street, 718-899-2500; by train: 7 to 82nd Street; by bus: Q19B, Q32, Q33.
Cost: Free
Ballet to be saved…by Latinos
2:20 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Culture · Comments Off
21 Sep 2005
According to an article in The New York Times, it’s not just the reggaeton craze that Latinos are responsible for fomenting these days. American ballet, in a state of oblivion for the past 20 years or so, is beginning to see a revitalization at the hands (feet) of Latino dancers. Many are Cuban, a result of Castro’s long-time funding of the arts and ballet academies in particular, but dancers from all over Latin America are taking American ballet by storm:
“It used to be the Russians,” Kevin McKenzie, the artistic director of American Ballet Theater, said in a phone interview last week. “Now it’s the Latin community.”
Nearly half of the principal dancers at Ballet Theater and at the Boston Ballet are from Latin America or Spain. Four of the 12 foreign dancers at the New York City Ballet are from Latin America or Spain; one is from Puerto Rico. Principal dancers from Latin America and Spain now outnumber those from former Soviet-bloc countries at the Boston Ballet and the Royal Ballet, and are neck and neck at the San Francisco Ballet. At the Washington Ballet almost 20 percent of the dancers are from Latin America or Puerto Rico.
So Exotic, So Romantic!
20 Sep 2005
Once again, my morning began with yet another ridiculous article on “the way Latinos are” found in Nashville-area newspaper. As the Latino population grows, this seems to be becoming a trend. Some classic quotes from the article, so eloquently titled “Hot, hot, hot!”:
…The formal manners and sultry climates of these locales add to their mystique and romance…
South Americans take exquisite care of their appearance, Scokin said, such as languidly spending the entire day [getting] ready for a dinner with their husband.
…Her must-have details for an evening of 1950s South American glamour include mojitos, Argentinean asado, flamenco girls, a tango performance, and the live Orkesta Mondo Pingus so guests can heat up the room with the sexy salsa, rumba, conga and cha cha cha.
That last one groups everything from Argentine cuisine to Cuban cocktails to traditional dance from southern Spain together. It’s all the same to these journalists. It must be fun for them to romanticize who Latinos are. It’s much cooler than actually learning something.
Who are these people and where do they get this stuff?
Hola!
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