Today I uploaded 2 videos created by my friend and BFC partner Pablo Papas (aka Paul Martinez). They are sequels to the popular SCARY MOVIE/DIABLO video we have up.

Pablo and I have been friends for over 10 years. While reflecting on how we started this blog, it suddenly occurred to me that while I will scream from the rooftops how TALENTED Pablo is, I’ve never written a post on the matter. Aside from being an animator, Pablo is also a painter, a sculptor and a writer! These days, his work is showing in galleries and he’s becoming known on the Chicano art scene.

It takes a lot of focus, passion and courage to be an artist. My dad was one who always should’ve but never really did…

I’m so proud that Pablo is who he is. A man, an artist and a storyteller. EVERYONE has a story, maybe one day he’ll tell you his! For now just enjoy the animation

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Otto “Tito” Sturcke is an amazing talent and proof that creativity is a mindset as much as it is a God given gift. Tito not only creates such realistic pieces of artwork, he art directs, acts and finds time to give us a delightful feature that we are sure you’ll find interesting and humorous!

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BFC: Where and how did it all begin for you?
I was born and raised in the Northeast San Fernando Valley, specifically, Sun Valley but with so many relatives in the area, I felt like I also grew up in the surrounding communities of Pacoima, Arleta, Sylmar, and San Fernando.

I grew up with 6 sisters and 1 brother competing for bathrooms and elbow space in a house that still bewilders me to think we fit so many people in it!  Keep in mind it felt like we always had some relatives staying in from Mexico at all times.   My dad worked in construction for thirty-some-odd years here in the states, but before that, he worked the fields in central California shacking up (and I mean literally in a shack) with 15 other farmworkers for a few years.  Papa was a no nonsense tough guy who was a champion boxer and champion basketball player, who also served in the Mexican Navy, and was determined to pass those genes along.  If you didn’t work hard with your hands, it wasn’t work at all.  My parents didn’t know much about the world of art and with the exception of the local butcher’s hand out calendar depicting Helguera’s romantically embracing Aztec lovers, we didn’t have much art hanging around.  I do recall this one sculpture I truly abhorred that was placed in the living room.  It was a dark lanky figure with a HUGE afro sitting crossed legged wearing what looked like diapers to me.  Where the hell we got it from is beyond me.  Nope, as far as I could tell, if I was going to be an artist, I was going to have some serious odds.

BFC: Your career started at an early age, but almost stopped before it began. What happened?
I knew at a very young age I wanted to be an artist.  Proudly won my first art award in 2nd grade, but I remember being passionate about art even before that.  Believe it or not I remember my first self-taught lesson.  I must have been 4 or 5 because I hadn’t even entered kindergarden.  My brother and sister came home with their books and I remember opening one and noticed sets of arrows that stated which direction your pencil should go if you wanted to draw numbers.  The arrows where filed one after the other pointing downward if you wanted to draw a number one.  The arrows pointed up and around and down diagonally to the left, then abruptly to the right to draw a two,…and so on.  Well, I was smart enough to follow the arrows but not smart enough to grab a piece of scratch paper.  Instead I grabbed a very large blue crayon and proceeded to the masonry wall on the side of the house.  The blocks were just calling to be drawn on.  So I began with one, then two, then I can’t remember how far along I got, but I know it was in the double digits before I heard the shrill coarse yell my father let out when he was seriously pissed!  Man, did I get it bad that day!  Did it stop me?  Obviously not.

BFC: Your portraits are amazing pieces of art. Can you tell us a little about your process and what do you look to convey or achieve with or through your art work?
I remember going to a Lowrider show in the mid 80’s and being mesmerized by the guys whipping their airbrushes around like nobody’s business and the money just kept piling up in their pockets.  “I want some of that!”, I told myself.  If they weren’t painting t-shirts they were painting on cars and I couldn’t believe what a person could do with just one brush.  I figured if one brush could do all that, I just had to learn!  And if I inherited anything from my dad it was the will do something at will.  I went and did the research, got myself an airbrush and taught myself how to use it!

Being self-taught can be a real bitch!  Didn’t have enough money for supplies, let alone art classes.  I do remember saving up the quarter I would get from each bag of oranges I would sell at Sun Valley Park.  I wised up and stuck around the kissing couples rolling on the ground until each couple bought two bags just to shoo me away.  Still quarters only go so far and at 14 I lied about my age to go work at a framing factory to get some money under the table.  I finally got my first airbrush!  It was the “tank” of airbrushes, not much finesse but I worked that son of a gun, despite all the backyard bonfires of the failed painting attempts.  I started making money in high school painting t-shirts and for a long time didn’t know how to use anything else but the airbrush.  I started getting flack at shows by other artists because they said I wasn’t a “real” artist, just an “airbrush artist”.  I was determined to learn and teach them otherwise but it would take years as I joined the Marines and ended up fighting in Desert Storm.

After 6 years I came back with a vengeance and with enough money to start taking art workshops.  It was like ending up in “Neverland” and discovering a whole new world you didn’t want to grow out of.  I learned about every medium and about artists I never dreamed of,….life was good.

I don’t use the airbrush as much anymore, I found a love for all types of applications with so many different mediums.  Much of the work I do now is done by crushing pastels to a fine powder and applying it like makeup on my portrait subjects, sealing each layer as I go along.  I then work it up by using thin watercolor or acrylic glazes.  This stage can be painstaking as I work with fine brushes before I continue to apply oil glazes if I choose.  Sometimes depending on the mood or subject matter, I skip straight to the oils.  I found that with time I don’t really have a solid step-by-step approach or any one certain “recipe” for my paintings.  I’m allowing myself a little more freedom to let the painting sort of choose it’s own direction.  Planning a painting is still a great part of the process but I’m discovering more freedom with each painting, giving me more motivation to learn even more.

Some paintings depending on the size, and I do enjoy working in many different sizes, have taken up to 3 years to paint.  Glazing in certain mediums means you have to have the patience to let the medium dry thoroughly before applying the next layer.  This is how many of the old masterclass painters would paint, and I find it’s a process I enjoy well enough to continue to learn about through each painting.  I find that I can spend 10 hours easily on a painting without rest in some instances.  There’s a certain place the mind goes to that beckons one to continue.

For years now I’ve been painting Latino Icons.  I grew up watching movies with Cantinflas, Maria Felix, Dolores Del Rio, and Pedro Infante.  There are countless others of course, but I just loved those silver screen stars that my parents introduced me to when I was young.  So many kids don’t know about these great icons and I felt that I had to paint them to sort of keep their spirits alive.
If anything, I want to leave a lasting impression with my art.  If you are awed by the technical patience of the paintings, I’m flattered.  But like most Chicano, Mexican American, Latino artists, I want to leave an experience behind.  A remnant of our history and culture, of the proud legacy we carry and hope to pass on to the next generations.

BFC: You also work in the entertainment industry… What type of work do you do? We also noticed you’ve art directed award winning films. What is the difference between creating concept images and art directing a film?
A good friend of mine and phenomenal artist, Mike Butkus, has been working in the entertainment business for 20 years now, introducing me to an entirely different art machine.  You have to be fast, creative, willing to work long hours on a moments notice, and have thick skin.  Basically, when it comes to concept and commercial work, you’re a taxi for hire.  But working as a concept artists lends you to learn a lot about what markets work and don’t work, you get to see the dealings behind the giant marketing machines that promote toys, movies, video games, and so on.  I believe I’ve become a better artist for it, and it’s afforded me to work on my fine art without stressing about where the next batch of frijoles are coming from!  Mike and I are now working on our own personal properties including “Ghettoteria”, a sort of “South Park” meets “Fat Albert”, meets “Family Guy”.  But we also have great kids properties like the “Wick Kids”, and “Fairchild” we hope to license in the near future.

Concept art tends be just that, concept drawings that will eventually, through passage of the executives, move on to become the final art or finished poster that will hopefully translate well to your audience.  So far I’ve worked on at least 200 projects that some thankfully have been very successful.  I’m currently working on art directing the poster for “Narnia 3, The Dawn Treader”.  You might be familiar with the “Blind Side” poster I conceived through sketches.  Eventually they took two of my sketches and took them to the photo shoot with Sandra Bullock that then became the final poster.

The process usually begins with a phone call to see if you’re available to work on a certain project.  Then there’s the confidentiality agreement you have to sign, making sure the art doesn’t leak out and the discussion over how the agency or studio wants to market the project.  If the studio is at a loss for ideas they generally hire you to come up with your own and this is started off by handing over “thumbnail” sketches or rough small but clear indications of what you intend to “tighten” up.  The thumbnails that are approved move to the next stage of tightening up the drawings and getting likeness of the actors if the project you’re working on is a film.  Much of the time the agency or studio will send you “scrap”, reference that will help you see the project through.  These sketches may go through a lot of revisions before the final is decided, and much of what is drawn never sees the light of day, and many times we are unrecognized, unsung heroes so to speak.

Art Directing film is quite different.  In the mid 90’s I was fortunate to learn a lot about art directing through academy award winner Eugenio Zanetti.  His credits as a production designer include, “Zapata-El sueño del Héroe”, “Restoration”, “Tall Tale”, and “Soapdish” with Robert Downey Jr..  On a film set, a movie relies much on three people: the director, the director of photography (camera man), and the production designer/art director.  The art directors job is to create the artistic impression of the film.  If I were art directing “Halloween 47″, I might not want to put everyone in pink or want to put flowers in the masked guys hair,…although, I guess that could be creepy.  An art director oversees the artistic production of the film, working closely with the Set Designer, Set Dressers, Construction Crew, Make Up, etc.  The job is big enough they’ve granted it an Oscar category since early on.  It takes a lot of preparation and sit downs with the production heads to get a clear understanding of what the film should artistically portray.

BFC: Of the numerous films you’ve worked on, “Alondra Smiles – A Quinceanera Story” was a popular film, what was it like to work on the film and what was your contribution?
Other than being the Art Director for “Alondra” I also had the role of playing the dress designer, Andre.  My dear friend and the very talented Conchita Nora Villa who was amazing to work with, directed the film.  She’s definitely proven herself as a remarkable director, writer, and producer, which is not easily done all at one time!

Working on “Alondra” had some challenges in that independent films tend to struggle to find the means to make the film.  The budget was not huge but the story was, and it was through the amazing efforts of the Villa family that the film came to fruition by spending their hard earned money.  I’m glad to have been of help in creating “Alondra’, especially because the atmosphere on the set was extremely positive.  I think a lot of that came through in the film.  Everyone really put in their best, becoming one big happy film family.  I expect you won’t be seeing the last of Conchita!

BFC: Your artwork has given you tremendous opportunities; from creating beautiful art to acting in front of the camera… What do you believe are the common elements/approach that enables you to work in the art, TV and film industry?
Well, firstly, thank you for that wonderful compliment.  I happen to think that the common element that ties me to these different artistic venues is the willingness to adapt and create.  I approach each project with excitement though they may seem daunting at times.  Yeah, I’ll kick and scream through much of them, thinking I should be better, I could be better, or I could have done this or that differently, but I am who I am as an artist today, and expect I’ll be better tomorrow.

I never think myself knowledgeable enough not to learn more than I already know.  Hope that made sense!  I expect I’ll be 93 and still nudging the person next me for answers.  As a kid, I annoyed the heck out of my brother and sisters because I couldn’t stop asking “why?”.  I was the “WHY?” kid, and I believe it’s that tenacity to learn about these different artistic venues that has lent me to live a little dream.  Heck, AND I married the love of my life.  Yeah, the art life is good.

Papa thinks differently about art and artist now.  He still ponders on the fact that one could actually make money by drawing.  I guess I could always show him the pencil blister on my finger if it’ll make him think I work even harder.

BFC: What are your plans for the future? Where do you see your artwork taking you in the future?
I see myself leaning more towards the fine art in the near future.  It’s what really makes me tick, and there are a lot of paintings in my head I’d like to get out.  I see my artwork expanding in even more subjects and mediums but never wavering far from the culture I truly cherish.

Saludos,
Otto “Tito” Sturcke

Visit Tito’s web site: www.sturckestudio.com

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PM04/10

We met Francisco at NALIP a few years ago, the soft spoken Columbia University grad won us over and we could not be happier to share his good news. Here’s the trailer and Press Release from his peeps:

FOR PRESS & MEDIA CONTACT:
Joselyn Ramirez
626.975.0697
jospublicity@gmail.com

Of the 2717 short film submissions received this year, the Festival has selected 47, among them “Cookie” by emerging independent writer-director, Francisco Ordoñez.

Ordoñez, whose previous short film – his Columbia University thesis, “St. Paul” – won numerous festivals around the country, is in good company as this year’s line-up boasts 21 world premieres, a record number for the Festival. The selection also includes films directed by Kirsten Dunst and Domenica Scorsese, as well as performances by Anthony Hopkins, Vincent D’Onofrio, Lukas Haas, Brian Geraghty, David Thewlis, Sam Rockwell and Jesse Eisenberg, and this year’s Short Film Oscar Winner, “New Tenants.”

“With one of our strongest shorts programs yet, and a record number of World and North American premieres from both returning and new filmmakers, we are confident that this year’s line-up will provide a memorable cinematic experience for our audiences,” said Maggie Kim, Tribeca Film Festival Shorts Programmer.

2010 marks the first year where audiences will have the opportunity to experience the Festival from their homes through a new online venture: Tribeca Film Festival Virtual (TFF Virtual).

“Cookie” is one of only 18 short films included in the The Tribeca Film Festival Virtual program allowing audiences across the nation who won’t be in New York to, not only see “Cookie,” but other shorts, feature films, live red carpet events, panels, and Q&A Sessions.

Link to The Tribeca Film Festival Virtual page: www.tribecafilm.com/virtual

“Cookie,” is written and directed by Ordoñez. The realistic and gritty short film has been praised for the way it seamlessly transitions between humor and moments of gripping suspense. The story revolves around an interaction between three young men and a streetwalker who leaves one of them believing that he’s been the victim of a pickpocket. When he convinces the other two boys to return to reclaim his wallet, events spiral out of control.

“There’s nothing like showing your work in your hometown and at a festival like Tribeca,” said Ordoñez. “I’m honored that the Festival has recognized our film, and continues to recognize work from new directors that is challenging and strives to push the envelope of what commercial filmmaking can be.”

“Cookie” will screen at Tribeca from April 23rd – May 2nd.

Angel and I were graciously invited to the 2010 National Latino of Independent Producers (NALIP) conference and it was as inspiring and informing as in previous years. The seminars, panels, accommodations and wealth of talent made for another impressive conference. However, as the qualities of the presentations have remained impressively consistent through the years, I noticed a change in this year’s conference – my perspective!

On the panel: Alexis Garcia WME, Christy Haubegger CAA, Brandon Brito – Tribeca Productions, David Ortiz – One Race Films

This year as I sat in an opening seminar, a panel of agents brought up a question that changed my whole outlook on NALIP. The question was asked, “I wonder what the recently taken census numbers are going to show on Latino/Hispanic demographics?”

It took me a few minutes to grasp the question, perhaps because the notion seems too distant or foreign, but with certainly, Latinos are going to be the majority in the U.S. In the near future, the U.S. will be another country heavily influenced by a Spanish speaking culture!

Certainly, Latinos will have an economic and political power in the U.S., if they don’t already. In addition, does this mean that media, from television to motion picture to the Internet are next in line?

The impression I received from the NALIP professionals is a definite yes! Yes, because looking at the contemporary work by Guillermo Del Toro, Roberto Orci, Franc Reyes and many others, it is becoming apparent that Latinos are gaining much more power and influence in the film industry.

Well, if it hasn’t hit you yet with excitement, let me touch on why this is an exciting time. As Latinos become an economic powerhouse and an influence in broadcast media, then it stands to follow, that Latinos will control their own image, stories, and direction that may open up many more positive opportunities for all Latinos!

In the coming months, we look to bring more interviews from the professionals we met at NALIP to give examples of how and why having more Latinos in the broadcast industries will influence a nation!

As for the change in my perception, I used to think NALIP was a conference for aspiring media-makers, but now I see NALIP as a means to reflect the true beauty of Latino Culture…. and that makes this an exciting time for us all.

PM04/10

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edad

Elias Irizarry Rosado is a photographer you’ll want to get to know, or at least know his work. It would be ridiculous to say his photos say a thousand words because after you read Elias’s story, you’ll see that his photos say so much more. They truly speak to your soul.
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BFC: Where were you born and raised?

I was born in Jacobi hospital in the Bronx. If you get shot above Southern Boulevard the ambulance takes you to Jacobi. My mother always reminds me about rushing to Jacobi after her water broke during a lechon in my grandmother’s backyard. That’s where I was raised; Grandma’s house was the center of the family when I was a kid.


BFC: What was it like growing up the South Bronx?

People have a lot negative things to say about the Bronx and some of them are right but I love it, there’s no place like it. The Bronx was like one big Puerto Rican explosion when I was a kid, we were everywhere and we did everything. Growing up in the Bronx during the 80’s was rough. I learned how to look, listen and shut up very young. There were many distractions back then so I had to be focused in order to stay out of trouble and sometimes trouble just looked for you. Listening to my elders was necessary for my survival, it was either that or learn the hard way like the Puerto Rican refrain “Coje consejo, llegar a viejo”.

The thing that most sticks out to me about growing up in the Bronx was when crack arrived. So many families fell victim to drug abuse and my family was not exempt. My mother struggled with drug addiction for most of my life so I had to learn to depend on myself from a very young age. My father was incarcerated when I was a couple of months old. He was in and out of prison for most of my adolescent life, he would only last a couple of months on the street before going back in. He was a very handsome strong man who didn’t take shit from anyone, kinda looked like Al Pacino in Carlito’s Way with the leather trench. He was also a heroine addict but you would never know it, a real classy dude that you didn’t wanna mess with. He finally came out when I was 14 but by that time he had already contracted HIV and had been positive for a while and back then that was a death sentence. My dad died from AIDS-related complications in the winter of 91. Life without a father was nothing new back then. It seemed like everyone had a father locked up or dead. My parents like so many others were casualties of the war waged on our community.

Making these photos constantly reminds me of my past. But life continues without regard for my own struggles growing up. It’s for this reason that today I photograph, to use the voice I’ve been given to those who like me then, are still living in a struggle today. I’m thankful for life’s lessons. Those years shaped my future in so many ways.


BFC: What was the culture in your home growing up and how did your parents influence your formative years?

Like many boricua families we took great pride in being Puerto Rican. Music and food were a big part of our lives and still is. My great grandmother Maria Teresa held everything together. She taught me how to cook, iron clothes and clean among so many other things. My mother never really made me speak Spanish so I had to develop a way to communicate with my great grandmother. I understood everything but I was scared to speak it when I was a kid. She would take me with her to the welfare office and other appointments so that I could translate with my ten year old Spanglish and she always understood me, which was the funny part. I think growing up with very little definitely caused me not to take anything for granted. It made me appreciate the little things and kept me humble.



BFC: How did you discover your passion for the arts?

I studied photography as a kid in my 6th grade art class. My art teacher gave me a quick intro course and put a camera in my hand. He took the class out around the block to shoot some rolls and developed our film in time for the next class. I felt so cool with that old heavy camera around my skinny neck. I immediately fell in love with photography that summer but I knew it would be a long time before I would be able to have a camera of my own given my current financial situation which was called poor. It wasn’t until I got in my twenties that I finally got serious about it.


BFC: Do you remember the moment you took your first photo and knew you had found your medium?

Yes, when I was about 26 years old I was walking on 104th. Street in east Harlem with my camera and saw an old Puerto Rican community center that had been closed for some time. The front of the building was covered with Puerto Rican art still colorful after many years of abandonment. My photograph of that building changed the way I felt about photography. I saw a street full of countless stories and a building that once helped many families and kids, both forgotten like the shopping cart and toilet bowl in the garbage outside the center. It made me feel like I was there in the gutter. From that point I knew I had found what I’m supposed to do.


BFC: Your photos are amazing pieces of storytelling. Can you tell us about your process on how you find your subject matter?

My subjects are regular people living life. Many of the people I’ve photographed remind me of my family and I can relate to all of them. I truly believe blacks and Latinos are the most beautiful and interesting group of people in the world so I go where they are. A lot of it has to do with being in the right place and having patience. My teacher once told me, a photographer is like a bacalao who lays a thousand eggs and only a few survive. That saying is so true. Finding the right moment, the right subject isn’t easy so you have to be patient. Sometimes great shots are by accident. I took a photo of an old woman looking out her window in East Harlem. When I saw her our eyes met and I asked her if I could photograph her, she nodded yes with a smile. When I got home and pulled up the photo and I felt like I was looking at my great grandmother. There were so many things in the shot that I didn’t notice when I took it. The woman had bata on with small flowers and she had made flowerpots out of country crock containers in the window behind her small stickers of Santa Barbara. I realized that being there, right in the middle of it was where I needed to be. I later returned to the old woman and gave her a framed copy of the photo that she proudly displays on her wall for her family to see.


BFC: What do you look to convey or achieve with or through photos?

I want the viewer to almost smell the street when they see my photos and I think I’ve achieved that in many cases. The faces of my subjects show a celebration of life through struggle and profound humanity. I never use Photoshop. My photo editing is strictly limited to cropping and are always as is. I don’t want to make a photo better on my computer. Instead I want to take a great photo. I want to show the viewer what actually happened, who was actually there without any distortion. I want to show the reality of black and Latino life, as it is, raw and uncut.


BFC: Why do you shoot photos in the barrio?

The barrio and other black and brown communities in NYC are full of life, real life. These communities are full of survivors from the old timers to the youngsters, everyone is struggling to maintain and it’s been this way since blacks and Latinos arrived. Puerto Ricans in particular have had to endure so many attacks on our families and communities yet we maintain our pride and identity. This is why I shoot in the hood, to show the beauty of my people. There are lots of photographers that go out into low-income neighborhoods to shoot our people in despair and honestly I’m tired of that sort of stuff. Photos like that don’t show how strong and resilient we are as a people. They don’t show the love we have for our family or our determination to rise above our despair. I’ll never underestimate the power of photography.


BFC: What makes black and white photos so appealing to you?

I learned photography using black and white film. I think the absence of color in photography forces the eye to look a little deeper. They are simple and to the point. They preserve the artistic value of the mood and the message. Some say we dream in black and white, if this is true than black and white photography may appeal to us on a very deep level. For me, when I see a photo in my head it’s in black and white. Photography is all about light. The word photography is Greek for “writing with light” and nothing captures light in a photo better than black and white.


BFC: What makes a photo a great one from a good one?

This question has a million answers so I can only offer my opinion. I think it’s all about Impact. A brilliant photo without an impactful subject matter is just boring, to me anyway. Granted what is impactful to one person may be less so to someone else but there is still a universal appeal to it. I think a great photo stays with you, it changes the way you see or think. The good photos are the ones you might admire but soon forget.


BFC: What is a documentary photo?

The definition of a documentary photo is somewhat hard to pin down. Generally we think of documentary photography as having a connection to a real situation and the attempt to represent the situation should be made with minimal distortion. Even though we think of photographs as honest evidence, they can and do lie in many ways. Walker Evans said that the term should be “documentary-style” photography, because it was really meant to be art, where true “documentary photography” would be photographs that served a function. I consider my photos to be documentary style, true but art at the same time.


BFC: Is there one photo that you will always remember because of the people or your experience in taking the photo?

I met a man by the name of Chocolate. He is a black Puerto Rican from the town of Loiza, Puerto Rico who moved to el barrio 52 years ago with his wife. Chocolate has been a musician all of his life and for many years has congregated with local residents on the corner of 108th. St. & Lex where they jam with various percussion instruments on hot summer days. Chocolate and his wife are like humble neighborhood celebrities. He makes sure everyone who passes by hears his drums beating while his wife sells frituras and plates of food. When my wife and I stumbled on Chocolate for the fist time I had been shooting in the area. He immediately welcomed us to take part in his corner orchestra. We ate some alcapurias and drank some rum together while he told me his story. My wife and I stood with Chocolate for the rest of day on that corner watching people stop by on their way home from work or on the way to the store to dance a couple of steps with him. I’ll never forget Chocolate and his wife for being so welcoming to everyone who passed him. The photos I took of him and his band of rhumberos showed exactly what I just explained, harmony and love on a dingy street corner.


BFC: What are your plans for the future in photography?

There are lots of stories that need to be told in our communities and sadly many of them don’t get any attention. Going forward, my work will mainly be focused on photo essays and documentary pieces. I’m also in the process of creating a free photography program for kids and young adults who come from low-income communities and families in NYC. Photography gave me a voice when I thought I didn’t have one. I’m determined to give other kids the same opportunity that was given to me at no cost to them. At the moment I’m dealing with getting funding for the program but I feel confident about the program.

Getting rich off of my photography would be nice, I cannot lie about that but it isn’t what drives me to do it. Changing lives is the only true legacy you leave behind and that’s my plan.

[Photo above - description by Elias: Melody Velez and her father was my brother in law, Jose M. Velez. He was the 36th New Yorker to die in Iraq. When he died I decided to start a series on the effects of losing a parent from the war.]

To view more photos of Elias’s children photos see BF Cafe Art Gallery

Visit Elias’s website: shownd.com/Machete

PM 04/10

BFC: Where did you grow up and what was the culture of your home growing up?

I grew up in a beautiful country home miles away from Cali, in the midst of the Colombian rainforest. We had chickens, a rooster, turtles, cats, dogs and even a pet pig we named Pumba after the Lion King’s boisterous warthog. When we first arrived, my brother Oskar and I would explore the green countryside for hours on our bikes, digging up strange rocks, and playing hide and seek between the trees; The Andes were our playground. With time however, the senseless violence desecrating our country brought the tanks rolling up the mountains, the explosions, and the threats which forced us to stay behind closed doors fearing for our lives.

In December of 98′ we moved to Denver, Colorado chasing an American dream. I’m lucky enough to have parents willing to abandon the lives they’d built in order to offer their children the opportunities they never had. We struggled no doubt, but mom and dad have always said that no dream is ever out of reach, and so far they’ve been right.

BFC: What got you into music?

Music got into me! I was 5 years old when dad put on Michael Jackson’s Thriller video and that day I fell in love. I fell for his one of a kind dance moves, spine chilling pipes, and the contagious rhythm of his music. Despite the nightmares every night – thanks to the cemetery scene – I’d wake up every morning to watch the dancing zombies over and over again, then the rest of Greatest Hits History Volumes I and II. I couldn’t get enough! Since then I knew I wanted nothing but to travel the world singing and touching people’s heart’s with music, just as my idol had done.

BFC: What have been some of the obstacles you’ve had to overcome?

As an artist, the most devastating heartbreak has been accepting the fact that what’s popular has nothing to do with timeless songs, meaningful lyrics, and rich content. We now work in an industry where the integrity of the music has been jeopardized by greed, and where it’s no longer about talent or the development of new artists (for the most part). Every day in this business is another challenge to stay true to who I am, while simultaneously catering catchy music to my audience.

BFC: What is the premise of your CD where did you get the inspiration?

When I began working with Nathan Reid (producer and Mercury Sauce CEO), I wasn’t sure in what direction to take the overall production of the album. It’s one thing to stand in front of a mic at a show and another when you get in the studio. Without realizing it then, this triggered an ongoing exploration process to define my artistic vision. We delved into several genres, putting together a stylistically diverse EP featuring a compilation of original love songs. As far as inspiration goes, all I need is a word, feeling, or personal experience from which to draw a concept. No matter what that concept may be, it’s important to make sure what I put down on paper is 100% me. I want to say what I mean, mean what I say and give my fans music I believe is real and worthy of their appreciation.

BFC: Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?

In 5 years I hope to be a musician making a living out of my passion. It would be ideal to have reached international success as an artist and songwriter with a few Grammys and platinums under my belt! Haha! All joking aside, though I’ll always strive to have a successful solo career, I’d love to write music for TV shows, commercials, movies and other singers as well. Only time will tell!

BFC: How do people find you? Buy your CD? Urls? Public emails and spaces?



You can purchase “About Us” via iTunes, rhapsody, CDBaby, amazon, and many other online stores! Follow me on myspace www.myspace.com/juliezorrilla, twitter www.twitter.com/juliezorrilla, youtube www.youtube.com/juliezorrilla, and/or facebook to get the latest news!

I have recently started posting cover songs on my YouTube channel. I’d really appreciate you checking out the videos, posting feedback, or sharing it with friends and family! Also, if you have any cover song requests please e-mail me at juliezorrilla@gmail.com! I cannot thank you enough for your support!

We are honored to be supporting Margaret Garcia’s Stamp project. She has graciously accepted our submission “en amor” to be displayed along with many other amazing prints in upcoming art shows.
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I am inviting visual artists, poets, musicians, print-makers, or just people of culture to create a STAMP IMAGE. Each stamp will bring to life an affirmation which we desire to be STIMULATED OR CULTIVATED amongst us—for example, health, wealth, love, creativity, generosity, intuition, humility, faith, illumination, spirituality, forgiveness, intelligence, wisdom, courage, growth, tolerance, hope, vision, abundance, talent, music, kindness, fellowship, prosperity, etc.—whatever you are IN FAVOR OF…NOT AGAINST.

THE CIRCLE OF WOMEN ARTISTS: The goal of Circle of Women Artists is to help fund a National Exhibit for Women.

This project was conceived by Margaret Garcia as part of the Circle of Women. The red postmark of the Circle of Women will be placed on each print.

STAMP EXHIBITIONS: There will be an exhibit of stamp art and opportunities for print exchanges. Venues in Los Angeles, Texas, Oxnard and San Francisco have expressed interest. To help support this worthwhile project, each artist will tithe 5 of their prints to the Circle of Women Artists.

“My hope is that the creation of these stamps will bring attention to what is truly important.” – Margaret Garcia

This week I spoke with Julia Amante, author of “Evenings at the Argentine Club.”

What/who was the inspiration behind your book “Evenings at the Argentine Club.”?

I was inspired to write EVENINGS AT THE ARGENTINE CLUB from a binder of letters between my father and grandfather after my father immigrated to this country. I was so moved by the emotion in those letter and the hopes and expectation that my father had for his future, that I knew that one day I wanted to write an immigration story. But I didn’t want it to be a typical story about the trials and hardships of immigrating, I wanted to show what happens after the initial “dream”. I wanted to show the realities of immigrating to America and the difficulties.

What books are on your night stand now?

I have a HUGE stack on my night stand and on the floor beside my night stand. I’m reading THE LIGHTENING THIEF, because my kids read it and they want to go see the movie. I just finished Jane Porter’s EASY ON THE EYES, and Reyna Grande’s DANCING WITH BUTTERFLIES. Now I’ve just started a werewolf book, LADY ANNE AND THE HOWL IN THE DARK which is something I don’t normally read, but I’m enjoying it.

If you were casting for the movie version of “Evenings at the Argentine Club”, who would be your picks for the main characters?

That’s tough one. There are very few Latino actors and you see the same ones over and over again. Have you heard of Eduardo Verastegui? He’s gorgeous and he’d probably be my first choice for Eric based on looks. As for Victoria, none of the current actresses would be a good fit. Singer Thalia would come close if she gained a few pounds. Victoria is a size 14 and this is one of the issues she has with herself. Not that she should, of course, since most “real” women are not super thin, but it’s an issue for Victoria in the book. Most Hollywood actresses are of course, very thin.

What’s on your “must see/must do in L.A.” list?

See the Hollywood sign and stroll Hollywood Blvd which is lines with interesting landmarks and people. Hit the beaches! Visit the J.Paul Getty Center, which I’ve yet to do, but because it’s supposed to be so great, it’s on my list of things to do — one of these days.

About the book:
Victor and Jaqueline Torres imagined moving to the U.S. would bring happiness and prosperity-instead they found a world of frustration. While Victor put long hours into his restaurant business, Jaqui devoted her life to her daughters, until they grew up and moved on. Even their eldest, Victoria, is torn trying to reconcile being the perfect Argentine daughter and an independent American woman. Antonio and Lucia Orteli face the same realities, especially when their only son Eric leaves their close-knit Argentine community in pursuit of his own dreams.

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Article written by Aurora Anaya-Cerda,
owner of La Casa Azul Bookstore

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lacasaazulbookstore
Twitter: http://twitter.com/LaCasaAzulBooks

What/who was the inspiration behind your book?
As the oldest of eight children, I thought my mother told me everything…when I turned forty, I asked her “how did you cross the border, Mami?” Silence. Golondrina is based on this secret.

What books are on your nightstand now?
Anacaona by Edwidge Danticat, The Hummingbird’s Daughter, by Luis Alberto Urrea, Burgher’s Daughter, by Nadine Gordimer, and People of the Book, by Geraldine Brooks.

If you were casting for the movie version of the book, who would be your picks for the main characters?
Hollywood doesn’t always equal great actresses for this kind of role. For Amada Garcia Mistral – a very very good Tejana actress from the world of theatre. Jesse Borrego (from San Antonio) to play Lazaro and a superb Latina actress from Los Angeles to play Lucero.

For anyone planning a trip to your state, what’s on your “must see/must do in Texas” list?
1. Salute! Bar International on St. Mary’s Street (where the great accordionist Esteban Jordan played for many years) and the music on Friday nights will get you dancing like a loca, inspired by the fusion of conjunto-jazz. You don’t need boots to dance here.
2. You must go down to Brownsville and walk across the International Bridge (and the Rio Grande) to Matamoros.
3. You must go to Huntsville, to the “Walls” and see the prison industry. More than a quarter of a million –mostly men — are in prison in Texas today. Then you’ll understand #1. And start over.
Forget the Alamo!

About the book:
The golondrina is a small and undistinguished swallow. But in Spanish, the word has evoked a thousand poems and songs dedicated to the migrant’s departure and hoped-for return. As such, the migrant becomes like the swallow, a dream-seeker whose real home is nowhere, everywhere, and especially in the heart of the person left behind.

The swallow in this story is Amada García, a young Mexican woman in a brutal marriage, who makes a heart-wrenching decision–to leave her young daughter behind in Mexico as she escapes to el Norte searching for love, which she believes must reside in the country of freedom.

About the author:
Bárbara Renaud González, a native-born Tejana and acclaimed journalist, has written a lyrical story of land, love, and loss, bringing us the first novel of a working-class Tejano family set in the cruelest beauty of the Texas panhandle. Her story exposes the brutality, tragedy, and hope of her homeland and helps to fill a dearth of scholarly and literary works on Mexican and Mexican American women in post-World War II Texas.

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Article written by Aurora Anaya-Cerda,
owner of La Casa Azul Bookstore

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lacasaazulbookstore
Twitter: http://twitter.com/LaCasaAzulBooks

Having creative parents may open the door to being creative, but as you’ll read in this feature, it’s apparent that creativity gave Ila direction, solutions and opportunities in her life, not to mention, the insight to see a series of green lights as a sign of destiny.

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BFC: I read that your parents worked as a filmmaker and author. What type of films and writing did they create? How did they influence your early years?

I was born in Boston, MA in 1984, and raised (after 1990) in Westchester, NY. In Boston, my parents worked together at their production company called CANTOMEDIA. When we moved to NY, my dad, Frank Cantor, continued to make documentary films, and my mom, Esmeralda Santiago, put her focus on writing. As I was growing up, she came out with her first book: a memoir called When I Was Puerto Rican.

My mother’s books and several  lectures about Puerto Ricans in the states amplified my pride for having Puerto Rican roots. Not only was she Puerto Rican, she was publicly representing our culture. I admired this growing up and always loved seeing all my Puerto Rican aunts, uncles and cousins, (and always meeting a new one each time!) and of course visiting the island, which we did about once a year.

Because my dad is American, we spoke English at home. Before school, I spoke to my mother in Spanish, but once I started interacting with kids, me daba verguenza hablar en español, so I never did. I’ve met many people who grew up in this situation. Ironically, as I grew older, I was embarrassed that I DIDN’T speak Spanish, so at age 18 I moved to Barcelona.

BFC: You said you began in the arts as a visual artist but switched to the guitar. What was it about the guitar that compelled you to make the switch?

With my mother steadily becoming more present in the public eye and my dad constantly working on interesting and sometimes quirky projects (from his documentaries to his sculptures hanging in the trees), I grew up with artistic prospects. Never in my childhood did I consider growing up to work in an office. I devoted my time to drawings which my proud dad would hang all over the walls, and my child artwork soon became the wallpaper.

Around age 11, I became more interested in music. I tried many instruments until I settled on the guitar. I took some lessons, viewing it as a hobby at the beginning, but then my older brother (also a guitarist) got a tape of The Doors for his birthday, and that changed my life.

I became obsessed with classic rock. I listened to bands like The Doors, Pink Floyd, Credence Clearwater, The Who, The Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin… at age 12 I was deeply upset that I wasn’t growing up in the 60’s and I couldn’t have cared less about most pop music of my years. Later on, the kind of jazz that appealed to me was traditional and my favorite jazz guitarist was Charlie Christian. I also immediately got into tenor players: Dexter Gordon, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Lucky Thompson, Hank Mobley, Joe Henderson, etc. Eventually, my inspired brother practically forced me to take a lesson with his new teacher, Bob Hansmann. Bobby proved to be a blessing. His method was valuable, concise, and creative. I had been against lessons because I wanted guitar to just be for fun, but after one lesson I was hooked and was, as described by my dad to his friend, “constantly practicing in the basement like a crazy person.”

BFC: You mentioned in your bio that you decided to forgo college and study the guitar in the real world. How did you come to make this decision? Was it at this time that you decided to go to Spain?

I started lessons with Bob Hansmann at 15. At 16 I was playing solo guitar weekly in a local restaurant. I basically quit all my other hobbies, including getting top grades, and practiced. My brother was going to SUNY Purchase for jazz guitar, so I played with him and some of his friends. I went to a Wednesday night jam session every week to meet more musicians, and I was sure music was what I wanted to do, so I applied to the jazz program at the New School University. After graduating high school a semester early in December 2002, my parents sent me as a graduation present to stay with family friends in Barcelona.

It was by chance that I fell in love with Barcelona and during my 2 weeks there played more jazz with people than I ever had before. Also, learning Spanish touched something deep inside me, and communicating with a whole new world of people was exciting. It’s no surprise that I came back to go to New School and all year long was dreaming of Barcelona. By my second semester I was a part time student, and by summer, I was accepted to a study abroad program in Barcelona for the fall semester of 2004.

BFC:What was it like when you first arrived in Spain? Did you speak Spanish before you went to Spain?

I came to Barcelona with a student visa and dorm-style place to stay for three months. I took classes in advanced Spanish, and some other electives I don’t remember or attended. Theoretically I was supposed to stay for a school semester like the other kids, but I knew I would stay longer, so after three months I found my own place to stay: a converted four bedroom an old building with wonderful, young, fun, Spanish artists.

I loved it: my room was windowless, my door was a curtain, and sunlight dangerously shone through the cracks in the wall, but my roommates were like family. Plus my rent of 115E allowed me to focus on music (and not worry about visa issues for working). By that time, I had a weekly gig opening a jam session with a Cuban drummer, and I was doing little gigs of my own and subbing lessons for my friends (which ultimately resulted in my steady two days a week teaching guitar). This was more than enough for my cheap rent, so I played at jam sessions almost every night. It wasn’t until the following year that I finally got a steady group together with my great friends: Joe Smith, Tom Warburton, and Fredrik Carlquist, (yes, we were a group of foreigners!) and we played gigs and rehearsed until I left.

BFC:You describe yourself as a Jazz/Experimental/Alternative musician. What drew you to this type of music?

By the time I was playing with my own quartet, I had already written several tunes. Composing has always been fascinating to me because I get the feeling that one can do anything and that freedom is inexplicably beautiful. That’s why I would consider my music to be experimental, even if it has elements of mainstream music. I remember first hearing the music of Reid Anderson (amazing bass player/composer/member of the Bad Plus) and seemed to understand something essential for the first time. His music is deep, playful, accessible, and intellectual at the same time. I like that. Another jazz composer I’ve admired and briefly studied with is Guillermo Klein (Argentino, based in Barcelona and leader of “Los Guachos”). I think he also has those elements. Some other of my composing heroes are Hermeto Pascual, Frank Zappa, and Igor Stravinsky. The latest is Dmitri Shostakivich.

BFC:You’ve recorded a CD. What can people expect to hear from your music?

One’s own sound is hard to describe but I’ve heard some entertaining attempts. One friend said: “Your music’s like Tom Waits meets Bill Frisell… no wait, Pat Metheny, cause Frisell actually might have played with Tom Waits.” Names like Frank Zappa, King Krimson, John Scofield, Thelonious Monk, and more seemingly unrelated masters have been mentioned to me when people hear my music. Everybody makes their own connotation which I think is cool; everybody has a personal relationship to any art they come across. I guess they say: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder… or something.

But to try to explain it myself, I think my music can be simple and catchy, but it holds surprises. It has an element of trickiness that is amusing to me (and I hope it’s amusing to every one else!) Some tunes are consistently inconsistent… or intentionally unpredictable for the sake of expressing an idea. I’ve always been trying to write (and improvise) music that brings an idea across, literal or emotional.

BFC: You mentioned that you just came back from Spain. What brings you back? You even released your first CD on a Spanish label, will you continue to work in Spain in the future?

My life in Spain had turned into focusing on a band, playing, and teaching, but I didn’t think I was ready for that. There was still more I wanted to learn, and that’s what I’m doing in New York. There are countless musicians here that are inspiring and extremely unique. I meet more all the time, and for that reason I’ll probably be here until I just can’t take it anymore (my heart lives in the country).

However, I have already gone back to play in Barcelona 3 times in the past 2 years. Every time I go our band gets stronger and I get new ideas to bring home. I hope to bring my New York friends over on tour sometime also.

BFC: Where do I see my music taking me in the next 5 years?

Interesting and hard question, but it reminds me of something: A few days ago I was biking home in Brooklyn and as you know, there are a hundred ways to get from one place to the other in a grid-map city. I found myself (just like anyone might do) turning where there were red lights and going straight where there were green lights. Pretty obvious, but I realized simultaneously that just as I was letting the lights decide my route home on a bike, I am letting the signs and clues of life decide my destiny. In other words, in 5 years I see myself playing and writing music. Besides that I’m not sure but it really could be anything!

BFC: What advice would you give someone pursuing a musical career and going to a foreign country to play music?

Be open, be intuitive, play with everybody, learn the language, be around and available, practice a lot, have a good time, and if it doesn’t work go somewhere else.

*Visit Ila’s myspace page to listen to samples of her incredible music.

PM08/08 [repost]