Cumbia Record @ East Los Angeles Swap Meet (note the tambor head)
Botanitas is an ongoing feature bringing you stories and news from various sources, upcoming events and other bits of ephemera that might be of interest to LA Eastside readers. Suggestions welcome!
Dionicio Morales, longtime activist for the citizens of the Eastside and a man who created opportunities for many throughout the years, passed away September 24 at Beverly Hospital in Montebello. He was 89.
Morales founded the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation in 1963 “to provide for the socio-economic betterment of the greater Latino community of California, while preserving the pride, values and heritage of the Mexican American culture. This is accomplished through programs in early childhood education and family services, job training, and senior lifestyle development throughout the multi-cultural communities served by MAOF,” according to the MAOF mission statement.
The Foundation provides different services to the communities it serves throughout Southern California, among them English classes, job training, and support for child care and cultural programs, among them ballet folklorico and mariachi groups.
Morales received a number of accolades in honor of his work for the communities of the Eastside, among them a Gold Line Eastside station named in his honor.
A private funeral reception will be held tomorrow, September 30, at 9:30 a.m. at St. Mariana de Paredes Church, Pico Rivera. Funeral mass begins at ten a.m. A public memorial will be held Friday, October 3rd, details pending. For more details on the public memorial, contact Vanessa Velez at vanessa.velez[at]promericabank.com or check the Dionicio Morales website.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to:
Que en paz descance don Dionicio Morales.
UPDATED 9/30/2008: The public memorial will be held Friday, Oct. 3rd, at nine a.m. at Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral, Downtown Los Angeles.
*Updated with information provided by Urbanista.
For more information, read his obituary at the L.A. Times’ website. You can also read more at his personal website and the MAOF website. Image above taken from his website.
Gustavo Dudamel (Photo: Marco Anelli) from NY Mag
(Retraction: A reader has confirmed my wrongness. It was Jayce Ogren with a shaved head.)
My boyfriend and I went to a free LA Phil concert at Disney Hall and we got a real treat, Gustavo Dudamel was conducting! (Or someone who looked alot like him with a shaved head.) How very generous of him. Jayce Ogren was scheduled to conduct and from where I was sitting it looked like Gustavo. Gustavo conducting at that event would be like Brad Pitt introducing one his movies at the Arclight on a random Tuesday matinee.
(Click on pic for larger flyer)
On Saturday September 27th, the We the People Festival 2008 is scheduled to take place over in that stretch of park between Chinatown and Lincoln Heights. And guess what? We have a few tickets to give away! Click ahead for the exciting details!
UPDATE: The Winners Are In!
You know who he is. He’s all over the local media. He’s written a book about himself, Orange County: A Personal History, and it’s reputed to be serious. He’s going to be signing it at Borders in Pico Rivera, at the corner of Washington and Rosemead, relatively convenient to Eastsiders. Starts at 7:00 PM. La Bloga has details. (He’s in OC on the 18th at Libreria Martinez, his home turf.)
One of my fondest memories growing up was going to the movies with my parents. Even in San Diego, we had our version of the Million Dollar Theatre, but ours was in Logan Heights.“El Coronet†was where Mexican cinema was a weekly Mecca for the culturally starved and homesick. It didn’t matter if I had a small Spanish vocabulary, at 8 years old I began to understand the tension between women and men giving into love, keeping their principles and resolving their differences to come together. All this visual-audio negotiation took place in a spectacular romantic Ranchera Musical, with fabulous costumes, handsome leading men and strong principled women. It was there that the emotionally charged scaled notes began to send chills up my spine, at the same time made my heart well up with cultural pride. My friend, John Santos an Afro-Cuban drummer told me he feels the same deep emotion when he hears bagpipes, because he is part Irish. Makes me wonder if sounds are also part of our genetic make-up. Denise Chavez’novel Loving Pedro Infante reaffirms that we Chicanitas learn about our ideal hombre through these icons of Mexican cinema.
For those of you into good underground punk music check out San Pedro Based band “KIller Dreamer” this Sunday September 14, 2008 for their “1000 Years of Servitude” record release party.
Also check out the new copy of Razorcake, a non-profit magazine dedicated to supporting independent music culture.
This release is not rocking out in LA (which it should of been ) ha! but if you around the area peep it out.
Vinyl Solution Records and Tapes
18822 Beach Blvd Ste Blvd
Huntington Beach, Ca 92648
(714) 963-1919
6:30pm
FREE
Cemitas y Tacos, Cinco Puntos-East Los Angeles
Botanitas is an ongoing feature bringing you stories and news from various sources, upcoming events and other bits of ephemera that might be of interest to LA Eastside readers. Suggestions welcome!
Click ahead for more—>>>
September 14, 2008
The 2nd International Indigenous Hip Hop Gathering
Music, Vision, Unity, Tradition
Ford Amphitheatre
2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood, CA 90039
3pm workshops / 5pm to 11pm show
$25 General / $18 Youth
Tickets: www.fordtheatres.org
323.461.3673
Presented in collaboration with Los Angeles Indigenous Peoples Alliance & Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural
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I woke up this morning and see a horse tied up next to the stop sign at the end of my block, signifying el Dieciséis de Septiembre parade. Living in the hub of culture on the eastside is bitter (can’t get to the grocery store) and sweet (being instantly transported to Mexico with music, food and gente).
I feel old whenever I see kids coming out of gigs, dance parties and kick backs now adays. I remember when I was part of that scene. Hanging out with friends kicking back and getting crazy in the pit. I reframed from drinking 40s or getting high because its not my thing, but that didn’t stop everyone else. On a good night I would end up going home smelling of beer and weed still laughing at all the stupid shit we saw or did while at the show.
(click for bigger image)
Botanitas is an ongoing feature bringing you stories and news from various sources, upcoming events and other bits of ephemera that might be of interest to LA Eastside readers. Suggestions welcome!
Everyone’s Favorite Supermarket
Ozo on morning radio
Events
Anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium
