CHICANO RADIO NETWORK U.S.A. Blog

As I write this film review, it is March 31, Cesar Chavez Day in Colorado, California and Texas, commemorating the day of his birth in 1927.

When I was a child, I had lots of confusion over why my parents wouldn’t allow grapes in the house. Oh, I had been told along the line that the farm workers weren’t being treated fairly and we were doing our part to help them. That it was a noble cause, and all, but I was ten years old and I missed the grapes in my lunch pail.

Cesar Chavez (Michael Pena), one of the greatest leaders and civil rights activists of the 20th century, was born in Yuma, Arizona, to a Mexican/American family of seven other brothers and sisters. The family had a ranch, and grocery business, but lost it during the depression, which forced them to find work in the fields, where he saw the men and women mistreated and humiliated on a daily basis.

The film covers the years 1962 – 1970. Feeling he must do something, he and Dolores Huerta (Rosario Dawson) co-founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962, which was later called The United Farm Workers Union, UFW.

People like me, growing up in California, heard about the activities on the nightly news, especially during the three protest fasts he undertook, one, of which, is portrayed, but it wasn’t until after his death, April 23, 1993, at age 66, that he became a major historical icon for the Latino communities everywhere. Streets, Buildings, Parks and many other institutions bear his name. Another thing you may not know is that the phrase, “Si, Se Puede!”, is a slogan that was popularized by Chavez and his workers long before it was used by the Obama presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012.

Chavez spent two years in the Navy, which he describes as the worst two years of his life, came home to marry his high school sweetheart, Helen (America Ferrera), moved to San Jose and and had eight children. He worked in the fields in 1952.

The strike, which began September 8, 1965, lasted five years and attracted national attention. In 1966,The United States Committee on Labor and Public Welfare’s sub-committee held hearings in California with New York Senator, Robert Kennedy (wonderfully portrayed by Jack Holmes) in attendance. He was in great support of the striking workers, blasting the sheriff of Delano, California, by suggesting to him that he might want to read the constitution of the United States during the lunch break to get his facts straight (something that some of our politicians seem not to have done much of lately). Another point Senator Kennedy makes is the need to respect heroic people of our time. The scenes with Kennedy were accurately portrayed.

Dignity is the key here, which is what the non-violent Cesar Fridayadrian CH
avez believes all people have a right to. Chavez mentions that when the Chinese were building our railroads, some food, and the time to eat it…in other words, a little dignity…meant more than money to them.

Heartbreaking scenes involved President Nixon and Governor Reagan opposing the strike, going so far as to show Reagan sitting at his desk being filmed eating grapes and laughing while doing so.

We also watch, as, actor, John Malkovich, plays a ruthless vineyard owner (Bogdanovich Senior) who believes he is doing the right thing by paying the workers $2 an hour. If these people won’t work, they will bring in illegal friends, and relatives, by the truckload to work the fields. Watch him age over the years as he clings on to this conviction.

The script is full of touching moments, such as the one at the end of the film, where Chavez apologizes to his son or not being there for him (and his seven brothers and sisters) during all the protests, and we learn many facts, one of them is that the average lifespan for a farm worker is 49 years.

This film shows how organization and grass movements really do work – if you have the time, patience and perseverance to see it through. I will leave you to think about this line of dialogue, “If the poor aren’t involved…change will never come.”

Unfortunately, the same struggle for decent wages and working conditions continues to this day, and Cesar Chavez offers the people in today’s struggle the example of courage and determination needed to win the battle.

George Lopez had one too many last night at a Canada casino — law enforcement tells TMZ, the comedian was arrested for public intoxication after passing out on the casino floor.

Law enforcement sources tell us Caesars Windsor security alerted police to the Lopez situation — presumably after they found him on the floor — and officers subsequently arrested him
inside the casino bar at Caesars Windsor.

No charges are being filed against Lopez — we’re told he was pretty much dumped in a drunk tank to let him sober up.

Lopez had performed at the casino just prior to his arrest and is scheduled to perform again tonight.

“Tied one on last night. Not feeling great this morning. I was trying to sleep it off, unfortunately, it was on the casino floor.” – George Lopez

Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2014/02/28/george-lopez-arrested-public-intoxication/#ixzz2uf48V4mT

Washington, D.C. – Today, LULAC Executive Director Brent Wilkes released the following statement in reaction to the racist remarks made by Arizona State Representative John Kavanagh at a roast for Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

“The racist comments regarding Latinos, Asians, and Muslims made during a roast for Sheriff Arpaio were morally reprehensible. State Representative Kavanagh and Sheriff Arpaio were elected to serve the very communities that are the subject of their racist remarks. It is also disappointing that the comments were so well received in a room full of conservative public servants.

“According to news reports, neither State Representative Kavanagh nor Sheriff Arpaio is taking responsibility for the offensive rhetoric. Instead, they are dismissing the public outrage regarding their behavior as simply the public’s lack of understanding of satire. Their refusal to take responsibility for such racist comments is as disturbing as the comments themselves.

“As the oldest and largest civil rights organization in the country, LULAC stands with the victims of such racist remarks and hereby call for the resignation of State Representative John Kavanagh and Sheriff Joe Arpaio. The hate filled rhetoric that took place at Sheriff Arpaio’s roast demonstrates that these two individuals are unfit to serve in public office.”

BY LEONARDO BLAIR , CP REPORTER
Arizona’s self-styled “toughest Sheriff” in America, Joe Arpaio, 81, says he has placed 38 inmates on a bread and water diet in six of the state’s jails under his control because they desecrated the United States flag.

“These inmates have destroyed the American flag that was placed in their cells. Tearing them, writing on them, stepping on them, throwing them in the toilet, trash or wherever they feel. It’s a disgrace to those who have fought for our county,” said Arpaio in a press release Thursday. “Besides, this is government property that they are destroying, and we will take action against those who act this way.”

According to the release, the American flag in emblazoned in each of the six jails under his control. Along with the flag, the overtly patriotic Arpaio makes sure that inmates listen to “The Star Spangled Banner” in the morning and “God Bless America” through the PA system at night.

Since Arpaio posted the release to his Facebook page on Thursday, it had attracted more than 2,600 comments and shared nearly 8,000 times as of Monday morning.

“The American flag means everything to me. If they dislike this country and what the flag stands for, why haven’t they moved to another country where, of course, they can do anything they want? Too bad there is not a way to deport them to another country whether they are U.S. citizens or not. Let them escape to Cuba on a boat,” said one of Arpaio’s supporters, Cooki Turner.

“Total disgrace!! Way to go Joe!!! Save the bread for the homeless Americans who deserve it and just give them a little water!!!!” noted Bob Wooley.

Arpaio, who is also a staunch supporter of military veterans, has more than 600 of them on staff at the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.

Arpaio, however, is also accused of illegally detaining Hispanics suspected of being in the U.S. illegally.

Last year a federal judge ruled that Arpaio and his deputies violated the constitutional rights of Latinos by targeting them during raids and traffic stop.

Source: http://www.christianpost.com/news/ariz-sheriff-joe-arpaio-punishes-38-inmates-with-bread-and-water-meals-for-destroying-us-flag-supporters-cheer-him-113429/

You can definitely hear the influences of Carlos Santana along with Depeche Mode as you listen to Slow Sunrise. The name is rather fitting as you soon discover. Sol Rodriguez, front man for Slow Sunrise has a laid back way of singing. This Song is perfect for a lazy summer day or for some a transportation to a lazy summer day. With lead single off their debut self titled album, Latina Lady. Slow Sunrise blends Salsa and Rock with ease. I can close my eyes and feel the warm sun on my face. The music on this EP is infectious and makes you want to have it on repeat. The video directed and produced as well as staring Cheyann Montiel Reagan, pushes the stereotypes of our generation. Gone are the video vixens replaced with a sweet respectable courtship.

This music video is important to me because it breaks stereotypes of the Latino culture. I was shocked to search “Latina Lady” on Youtube and only see PORN-like videos of young women. I am proud to be the change of character for the YouTube generation to see! My inspiration was a throwback, beach film of the 60′s. I hope you enjoy it! – Cheyann Montiel Reagan

The story of how Slow Sunrise came to be is one of love and loss. After being married to his wife a few short years she was diagnosed with cancer, shortly there after she succumbed to the illness. Sol used his love and passion for music to heal from the loss. Today he is raising their son and making beautiful music.

After being happily married for almost 8 years, my young wife passed away from a rare and aggressive cancer. In the midst of the heartbreak and the responsibilities of being a single father, I was unable to truly commit to the musical project I was working on at the time, Greenleaf Avenue. It was a difficult time for me, to say the least, and I wondered if there was room in my new hectic life for music at all. At one point, I actually hoped and prayed that I could just leave music for good and focus on my son and career…like normal people do. For better or worse, it turns out that it wasn’t mine to decide if music would be in or out of my life. Music chose me, and it wasn’t ready to let go. I simply couldn’t stop longing to play music.

It was time to pick myself up from the boot straps and see where the music would lead me. As is often the case when one is emotionally charged or burdened, I was hit by musical inspiration and release. It was fantastically healing, and I decided to march onward and allow music to remain in my life. However, my responsibilities were heavy and creative time was limited. I knew it would take commitment and determination to push forward, but I pledged to make sure the “sun would rise again”, even though I recognized it would be a “Slow Sunrise”.

Sol Rodriguez

Source: http://indieartistmagazine.com/archives/4569#.Uw9h4fkweGQ

Boulder & Denver SEPTEMBER 12-15, 2014
Uniting diverse communities for a sustainable future highlighting Latinos long time readiness to lead this mission.

The Americas Latino Festival unites diverse communities for a sustainable future and fosters a platform of dialogue and mobilization for a just society that ensures that everyone has access to a stable market, an able-bodied workforce & a healthy environment.

As Colorado readies itself to achieve greater diversity and inclusion, it must ask how it can best dialogue with and contribute to the multiculturalism the region already exemplifies. The Festival is designed to reflect a commitment to an identity that clearly shows Colorado’s capacity to tune in to the nation’s rapid shift in demographics.

Description
Americas Latino Festival is a community building, educational initiative of The Americas for Conservation and the Arts 501 c3, an organization dedicated to fostering dialogue between Latin American and Latino and non-Latino communities in the U.S., using the arts to advance social justice and sustainability.

Follow the event by connect with: https://www.facebook.com/AmericasLatinoFestival

PARIS – The first full day of Paris’ frenzied ready-to-wear shows mixed up iconic fashion veterans like Dries Van Noten with a whole new sort of fashion player: H&M.
It may be a tricky ride ahead for the main street shop, which is now attempting to walk the snooty high fashion runway.
Yet the company, which has still not been allowed on the official Fashion Week calendar, put on a buzzy show-spectacle replete with strobe lights, plasma screens and Jessica Alba which may go some way in shutting up the detractors – at least until next season.
Here are the highlights of the day.

JESSICA ALBA EARNS MILLIONS BUT SHOPS FOR $20

Alba may earn millions every time she does a movie, but it doesn’t stop her counting her pennies.
The Sin City actress turned up at Wednesday’s show in a white H&M lace dress with black tights, hugging model Miranda Kerr for the cameras.
“Yes, I’m wearing H&M. It feels very romantic, sort of gothic. Red lips and black tights throw off the romantic lacing. Mixing high and low that’s how I dress,” Alba told the Associated Press.
“I love shopping at H&M and I can always find great pieces, if I need a great blazer or a pencil skirt,” said the multimillionaire, momentarily forgetting she can afford a stylist.

She’s been one of the most influential figures in fashion, but H&M head designer for over 20 years Margareta van den Bosch still wasn’t allowed to finish her champagne ahead of the H&M show that channeled the knee high boots, center partings and khaki shades of the 70s.
Bosch, who happened to sit next to an Associated Press writer during the high-octane presentation, was H&M chief designer for over 20 years and pivotal in the company’s high-profile collaborations with Karl Lagerfeld, Roberto Cavalli, Stella McCartney and Versace.

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/feb/26/paris-jessica-albas-main-street-high-fashion/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS#ixzz2uVmP905O

When Shea Stadium Was Invaded By Cannibal And The Headhunters

When The Beatles played Shea Stadium August 15th, 1965, most people don’t realize there were quite a few opening acts, specifically, Killer Joe Piro and His Discothèque Dancers, Motown star Brenda Holloway, King Curtis and Sounds Incorporated. These groups all got some face time in “The Beatles Play Shea Stadium” documentary.

However, there was another opening act that did not make the film’s final cut – Cannibal & the Headhunters. Instead of this gig being the band’s breakthrough to the big time, sadly the Headhunters were lost in the jungles of history.

This is particularly surprising for two notable reasons. Firstly, the band made a small but critical contribution to rock & roll history with their recording of “Land of 1,000 Dances.” You know, that song that goes “Na. Na Na Na Na. Na Na Na Na Na-na-na na-na-na.” Legend has it that Cannibal forgot the words when they cut their version and started na-na-ing. The producer loved the improv and made it part of the song. Later on, Wilson Pickett cut his version, which most folks recognize as the definitive version. But Pickett used the Na-Na opening as well, stolen directly from Cannibal’s faulty memory. Here is the band doing their thing:

Secondly, Paul McCartney specifically asked manager Brian Epstein for the “Na Na boys” to open for The Beatles on their tour. One wonders if the Beatles and the Headhunters ever talked shop backstage at Shea or anywhere on that tour. And did Paul steal Cannibal’s lyrics for the ending of Hey Jude? Is the band entitled to any royalties?

Thirdly, Cannibal & the Headhunters are part of a rich yet little appreciated part of music history – latin rock bands. The North Hollywood arts blog just published a fascinating history of Chicano rock, from which Kingman just learned of C & the H’s contribution to Shea and rock & roll history. Please take a moment to read the entire article. Meanwhile, here is the excerpt about my new favorite band, at least for today:

On August 15, 1965, while their hometown, Los Angeles, was in the midst of its worst-ever race riot, four Mexican-American performers in their late teens prepared to take the stage at Shea Stadium in New York. Outside their makeshift dressing room, some 55,000 fans were arriving to the biggest stadium concert in the 10-year history of rock and roll. They bought tickets not to see this band, Cannibal and the Headhunters, but the Beatles, who would perform later.

The story is that Paul McCartney had told the manager of the Beatles, Brian Epstein, he wanted the “Na Na boys” to open for the British group on the August portion of its 1965 American tour. Earlier that year, Cannibal and the Headhunters had released a cover of a song originally recorded in 1961 by Chris Kenner, a black performer from New Orleans, entitled “Land of a Thousand Dances” that featured the lead singer, Frankie Garcia (Cannibal), chanting “na, na, na, na, na” in a slow, sexy sequence for the opening 15-20 seconds. “Land of a Thousand Dances” became a national hit, partly because listeners were intrigued by that unusual opening, which legend has it occurred when Garcia forget the actual lyrics. Rather than have the band start over, producer Billy Cardenas has said he signaled from the recording booth for them to keep going, hearing in that spontaneous introduction a brilliant hook.

Perhaps McCartney had the song in his head a few years later, when he wrote “Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da,” with its inclusion of the nonsensical sounds “bra,” “la” and “da.” A year after Cannibal and the Headhunters released “Land of a Thousand Dances,” the great soul singer Wilson Pickett recorded his own version that included the same opening. As a consequence of the Pickett recording, which reached # 6 on the Billboard Top 40, black civil rights marchers in the late summer of 1966 chanted “na na na na…” as they walked across dusty southern back roads, probably unaware that the phrase had originated with a charismatic Mexican-American singer from East Los Angeles.

For Cannibal and the Headhunters and their manager, a white man in his 30s named Eddie Davis, who loved watching young Mexican-American groups perform rhythm and blues songs in their unique style, the offer to open for the Beatles on a tour that included a stop at the Hollywood Bowl was both exhilarating and daunting. The opportunity couldn’t be surpassed — an audience of 50,000+, national media coverage, the possibility of trading on a connection to the most popular rock and roll band in the world — but delirious Beatle fans, especially girls between the ages of 12 and 17, were not known for their patience and understanding.

Ever since the Beatles first came to the United States, in February 1964, their concerts had included fans – most of them female — who behaved with rudeness and disdain toward the hapless opening acts, which the kids regarded as useless diversions preventing them from hearing and seeing the kings of rock and roll. Since many of these performers looked like the Beatles, what chance did four brown-skin youths who played black-based r’n’b have in keeping the audience engaged?

But the Beatles and especially their manager Brian Epstein made a wise choice. Cannibal and the Headhunters had already endured the pressure of performing on stage for black audiences who until the rising of the curtain assumed the group looked like them. They had been fooled by “Land of a Thousand Dances,” specifically its hard, bass-driven funk sound and one-chord structure, ideal for an extended soul jam at a live performance. Further circumstantial evidence of the group’s blackness could be gleaned from the calm confidence of the lead singer that he has mastered all the latest dances steps, and its name, suggestive of Africa, though hardly in a flattering way. Members of the group in subsequent interviews recounted with amusement the puzzled looks on the faces of black patrons at East Coast urban venues when they discovered the true identity of Cannibal and the Headhunters. But when the song started, propelled by the familiar beat, and the group performed their tight, self-choreographed dance routines, including the rowboat, which involved them sitting on the stage, a few feet apart, moving their hips in unison, black audiences went wild. Forgotten was the curious ethnic makeup of the group; all that mattered was that they sounded and looked as genuine as anything in the Motown stable of stars.

After that experience, what did the guys have to fear from suburban teens in a state of hysteria counting down the seconds before the announcer proclaimed “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Beatles”!!? Looking back decades later, the members of Cannibal and the Headhunters recalled the surreal quality of the performances, including Shea Stadium; massive audiences, many of whom appeared to be miles from the stage, alternately bored, indifferent or excited while the group tore into “Land of a Thousand Dances.” Some residents of Ramona Gardens, the housing projects east of downtown LA where the four were raised, and surrounding Mexican-American neighborhoods managed to score tickets to the Beatles concert at the Hollywood Bowl, which took place two weeks after the Shea Stadium performance. For these concertgoers, a minority in more ways than one, the British group was great, but the opening act was special. Around Ramona, the headline in late August of ’65 was not “Beatles come to Los Angeles,” but “local boys make good.”

End Article:

“The Beatles did record a song by the replacement to Richie Valens from the Delphi record label after Valens died. Chan Romero wrote and performed “The Hippy Hippy Shake” showing that the Beatles valued what was coming out of the west coast Barrios..” Frank M. Miranda

Chicano Radio Network (CRNLive.com) Exclusive with Chan Romero:

Article: http://www.loge13.com/2012/09/when_shea_stadium_was_invaded.php

NEW MEXICO — A New Mexico woman suffered for weeks with painful urination and swollen, burning genitals after an officer repeatedly sprayed mace in her vagina to “punish” her, according to an ACLU lawsuit.

“It’s tantamount to torture,” Peter Simonson, the Executive Director of ACLU of New Mexico said in an interview.

Marlene Tapia was apparently arrested for a drug-related issue.

She was taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center, where two officers made her strip naked. They then forced her to bend over at the waist.

The officers claimed that Tapia had a “plastic baggie” in her vagina, but rather than sending her to medical staff to get it removed, one of the officers began spraying mace inside Tapia as punishment, according to the lawsuit.

“It’s just the maliciousness, the wanton disregard, wanton maliciousness that the corrections officer demonstrated,” said Simonson.

The officer who sprayed the chemical agent was reportedly disciplined. Simonson says the ACLU is proceeding with the lawsuit to “ensure that these sorts of things don’t happen to another person.”

UPDATE:
A member of our community who goes by the name ‘OhSnap’ just did a follow-up investigation into this case and reports that the officers have not been fired:

“I just called the Metro Detention Center in NM (505-839-8700), and from what the control office says, both of these lovely ladies (Jennifer Stepp and Blanca Zapata) are STILL on the job and will be in at 3pm New Mexico time.”

Source: http://filmingcops.com/officer-repeatedly-sprayed-mace-in-womans-vagina-as-punishment-lawsuit/

Three Oklahoma police officers were placed on administrative leave Saturday after a man whose ID they requested arrived dead and disfigured at a nearby hospital.

The Moore, Oklahoma officers detained Luis Rodriguez after he tried to chase after his wife following a fight she had with their daughter outside a movie theater. His wife, Nair, told local station News 9 that she’d slapped her daughter after a fight and that Luis was simply trying to keep her from driving away upset. That’s when officers asked her husband for ID.

According to Nair and their daughter, Lunahi, Luis tried to bypass several officers to prevent Nair from leaving the scene. He was then taken to the ground, they said. Then, they claim, the situation turned grave and five of them beat Luis to death.

“When they flipped him over you could see all the blood on his face, it was… he was disfigured, you couldn’t recognize him,” Lunahi told the station. ”My mom was taking a video and asking, ‘What are they doing this for? Why?’ And they didn’t give really an explanation.”

“I saw him,” Luis’ wife, Nair, told News 9. “His body when [they carried] it to the stretcher. I knew that he was dead.”

Nair told the station Luis was trying to defuse the fight, and that she’d given the same account to the police.

“I told them I hit her and he was just trying to reach me,” she said. “Why didn’t they arrest me?”

Police reportedly seized Nair’s phone, but another family member kept an audio recording.

According to NewsOk, the officers were two on-duty Moore police, one off-duty officer and two off-duty game wardens. “They jumped on him like he was some kind of killer or drug dealer and beat him up,” Lunahi told NewsOk. “He never fought the officers, they beat him on the head and that’s how he lost his breath.”

Rodriguez’s body was taken to the state medical examiner for an autopsy.

Source: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/02/17/family-says-five-oklahoma-police-beat-father-to-death-after-asking-for-id/