Coelhos Negros-Belo Horizonte, Brasil

I know a lot of people hate on myspace and for good reason, there are millions of kids, teenagers and adults who spend waste way too much of their computer time on the site. But like all things in the world, things are what you make of them and personally, I’ve been able to use myspace for what it was originally intended to be, a social networking site. In fact through one of my numerous myspace pages, :dos lunares, I’ve met and visited Gypsy music fans in Mexico City and hosted Gypsy music DJs from Switzerland here in Los Angeles. Besides using the site as intended, it’s also allowed me to pursue some of my not so flattering tendencies. I can be, how would one put it, extremely curious (okay, nosey) and a tad bit voyeuristic. And I must admit, myspace can provide hours of satisfying entertainment. What I often search for are the strange little subcultures that exist in the world but are not widely known. I’ve spent many a night visiting pages of friends and friends of friends that have included: almost-out-of-the-closet cholos, bizarre art groups, French nu-ravers, Romani gangstas and hardcore Anarchists. And I have to say, I’ve learned so much!

“Amazonas, que viva America Latina”

I was happily surprised then, to recently find a new subcultural niche that I had not come across before, followers of “Estilo Angelino.” Remember Ritzy’s dope ass post about Japanese who were repping, not just LA but Southeast LA? Well, apparently, it’s not just the Japanese who got a thing for our little city. For instance, there’s Coelhos Negros from Belo Horizante, Brazil whose rap style, iconography and all other graphic accoutrements come straight from our trend setting city’s streets. As Adryanu Gomez of Coelhos Negros, writes on his myspace site,”Adryanu Gomez-Estilo Angelino” and “Viva La Union de Latinos!” This next to his profile pic of baggy pants and Nike Cortez.

Ooo, I like the wings!

His friends in Chile, the cleverly named Los Andelez also are proponents of Estilo Angelino. On their myspace page you can hear their Spanglish homage to our city in “LA in the madafucking house” (it’s possible the “LA” they are referring to is their own group but so what). One of the Los Andelez members, Nick Foo is representin’ L.A. in Umea, Sweden. Now that’s a far flung locale, no? Both groups seem to have a fondness for Los Angeles based Psycho Realm.

Los Andelez-Santiago, Chile

I guess I shouldn’t be so surprised about cultural emulators. After all, in the 80s there were all those Mystic Records (from Simi Valley) punk bands singing with fake British accents. In the Los Angeles Flamenco scene, you have folks who try and emulate the Gypsies from Gitano barrios outside Sevilla, from the way they dress, to the kind of drugs they take. I suppose it’s the new international world we live in, instant trends passed on through myspace and youtube and then recuperated by media outlets everywhere.

So far Coelhos Negros and Los Andelez are the only groups of Estilo Angelino my snooping has uncovered but I’m sure there are heaps* more myspace pages out there, just waiting to be found by my ever prying eyes and curious tendencies.

Check out LA Eastside’s myspace page: www.myspace.com/la_eastside.

*my cultural nod to Australian crusty punks