Serious big ups to Juan Data from SF (good to chat last week) for this piece on rap-en-espanol + it’s limitations in the US market + solutions.  A lot of these topics have been swirling my head + conversations this past week with Chilean-EMCEE Anita Tijoux in town, so props to Juan for laying it … Read More

Here goes my stream of conciousness recap of SXSW: Tuesday: Drive to Austin with new friends. Heard so much ‘new’ music I felt out of the loop. Philosophized on the craving to be hip + hear the new shit all the time. Really liked Ra Ra Riots though. Get to Super 8. Did not sleep … Read More

I’ve been a fan of Ana (Anita) Tijoux‘s since I heard La Rosa de Los Vientos at a very crucial developmental point + personally, I think she’s got the best verse in Spanish, period (read ’em here). Tengo sangre indigena, mejor, por que es hermosa || ‘I come from indigenous blood, what’s more, it’s beautiful’ … Read More

raw. will post up a re-cap soon.

Detroit raised, Pentecostal-run away, Brooklyn-made, Holly Miranda.  Covering Lauryn Hill, “Ex-Factor” – you better be GOOD to cover that song.  So pretty.  She has a hell of a story too.  I’m a sucker for female vocalists with rich voices like Sia, Esthero, Sarah White, etc. “Every time she sings, you’re convinced,” Mr. Sitek (of TV … Read More

“I have to confess that when we started our Food Security Initiative, I did not know that most food was grown by women. I remember once driving through Africa with a group of distinguished experts. And I saw women working in the fields and I saw women working in the markets and I saw women … Read More

Came across this video by the Afro-Latin@ Forum (thanks Bryan Vargas). If you’re Afro-Latino, surely you’ve encountered this dilemma at some point.  Maybe your parents told you to check off “white” or you never thought to identify with being “African-American.”  I wish the video went into more detail about WHY it’s important for the census … Read More

Heard the track “This Love” (video below) from Si*Se’s upcoming EP ‘Gold‘ – full length to come in the fall, but the EP comes out on March 9th.  This song caught me –  funky bass, trembling tamborine, warm vintagey beat and Carol C’s sexy falsetto (sort of Minnie Ripperton-ish).  Def has a throw-back sound – … Read More

Pervasive artist JR‘s latest masterpiece.  Learn more at Women Are Heroes. “This is what JR is working on. Raising questions…” Click to watch video below: JR / Exposition Paris 2009 – Ile Saint Louis by JR

The guys from Generation Bass have put out their SoundAmerica compilation – Wow, I can’t believe they are up to Vol. 10!  If you don’t know about them, get to know.  This month’s theme: “Soundamerica volume 10 is an essential Soundamerican Roots compilation: big names and songs that have surpassed the barriers of time, place … Read More