Purchase Tell Your True Tale workshop books

In 2013 I took part in Sam Quinones‘ Tell Your True Tale workshop at the East Los Angeles Library. Our stories were published and are available for purchase here. Volumes 2 (click here) and 3 (click here) are also available for purchase.These workshops are open to the public, free of charge.

Some stories are available on the East Los Angeles Library’s website; mine is available here. An earlier draft of the published story appeared on this site in 2008.

I’m a published author! Buy the book!

I write to let you know that a story of mine was included in a book. I participated in journalist and author Sam Quinones‘ Tell Your True Tale workshop at the East Los Angeles Library over the past few months. Our nonfiction stories were collected and published in this book, which you can buy as a paperback or Kindle edition via Amazon.

The stories by seven first-time authors — of braceros, mariachis, bus riders and vets — are tremendous and reflect East Los Angeles and similar neighborhoods in a profound way. My story is a polished version of a story that first appeared in this site.

Tell Your True Tale aims to get new writers working on stories about their own lives, or the stories of those close to them. Stories that are true but read like fiction are the goal.

Please take a moment to check out the book, buy it in the form you prefer, and share it with others!

We’re planning an event in Los Angeles in the coming months. I’ll let you know about it..

Sal Castro remembered at funeral mass

Banner of Sal Castro, highlighting his work as an activist and educator (Photo by Diego Rentería)

Family And Friends Remember Sal Castro, Teacher And Influential Chicano Activist

Amid cheers of “¡Sí se puede!” and “¡Viva Sal Castro!”, family, friends, former students, contemporaries and numerous admirers gathered this morning at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels for Sal Castro’s funeral mass.

You can read my remembrance of Sal Castro here.

Remembering Sal Castro

I wrote a piece on Sal Castro’s death for LAist. Here’s a snippet:

Castro’s message was easily distilled into the message on the podium in the photo above: “No sean mensos (Don’t be idiots). Go to college and graduate!” I still have his business card from when I attended the CYLC eight years ago. On the back is the stronger version of his message: “No sean pendejos (Don’t be dumbasses). Go to college and graduate!”

Read the whole piece over at LAist.

Mariachi Divas, Chicago, Illinois, 28 August 2012

Mariachi Divas at Pritzker Pavilion, 28 August 2012, Chicago, Illinois.

Mariachi Divas
Pritzker Pavilion, Chicago, Illinois
28 agosto 2012

1. (Mariachi Divas, Mariachi Perla de México & Mariachi Real de México) El niño perdido
2. (Mariachi Divas) La negra/La bamba/Guadalajara
3. No lastimes más
4. Cielito lindo huasteco
5. La Malagueña
6. Popurrí Mujeres de la Revolución (Yo me muero donde quiera/Juana Gallo/La Adelita/La rielera)
7. Popurrí (Gema/Piel canela/Noche azul)
8. Quando, quando, quando
9. Creí
10. Popurrí José Alfredo Jiménez (La que se fue/Amanecí en tus brazos/Si nos dejan)
11. El són del mariachi/Ay, ¡Jalisco no te rajes!
12. I Will Always Love You
13. Popurrí de cumbias (El mariachi loco/La pollera colorá/Mi cucu/La bomba/¡Ay! Papacito/Rosa María/La cucaracha/Yo no fui/Capullo y sorullo/Oye (Sonora Dinamita)
14. (Mariachi Divas, Mariachi Perla de México & Mariachi Real de México, with ballet folklórico) El jarabe tapatío
15. (Mariachi Divas, Mariachi Perla de México & Mariachi Real de México) Amor de los dos
16. (Mariachi Divas, Mariachi Perla de México & Mariachi Real de México with ballet folkórico) Jesusita en Chihuahua
17. (Mariachi Divas, Mariachi Perla de México & Mariachi Real de México) El rey/Volver, volver
18. (Mariachi Divas, Mariachi Perla de México & Mariachi Real de México with ballet folklórico) El són de la negra
19. Encore/pilón: (I have no idea what the first song of the encore was, I believe it is an original song by Mariachi Divas)
20. (Mariachi Divas) La vida es un carnaval

FIN

Vicente Fernández, Santiago de Chile, 8 julio 2012

I spent June and July in Santiago, Chile. In that time Vicente Fernández gave his first and only concert in Chile in Santiago de Chile on 8 July 2012. Of course I attended. Below is the setlist I wrote down during the concert.

Vicente Fernández
Movistar Arena, Santiago de Chile
8 julio 2012

Opener: Pipe Bueno (from Colombia, sang with backing track). Went onstage around 6:20 pm, went offstage around 6:45 pm.

Vicente Fernández went onstage at 6:55 pm.

1. Juan Charrasqueado
2. Por tu maldito amor
3. Me voy a quitar de en medio
4. Lástima que seas ajena
5. Que te vaya bonito
6. El ultimo beso
7. Nos estorbó la ropa
8. Un millón de primaveras
9. La derrota
10. Urge (The audience was quiet during this song, this must not be one of his biggest hits). After this song, Vicente Fernández went offstage and his son, Vicente Fernández, Jr., took the stage and started singing:
11. Canta, canta, canta
12. Tatuajes
13. Sin papeles
14. Tristes recuerdos
15. Un puño de tierra
16. Secreto de amor
17. (With VIcente Fernández) Vamos a cuidarla más
18. (With Vicente Fernández) Amor de los dos (VF Jr. goes offstage)
19. Para siempre
20. Estos celos
21. Qué de raro tiene
22. Acá entre nos (massive applause)
23. Gracias
24. Bohemio de afición
25. La diferencia
26. A mi manera
27. No me sé rajar
28. Cruz de olvido
29. Ella
30. Nuesto juramento
31. Mujeres divinas
32. Perdón
33. (I couldn’t figure out the name of this song, but it goes “Es tu voz… aqui me muero”).
34. Guadalajara
35. Hay unos ojos/Cielito lindo huasteco
36. Yo vendo unos ojos negros
37. Cuando manda el corazón
38. El andariego
39. Contigo en la distancia
40. La ley del monte
41. México lindo y querido
42. De 7 a 9
43. El hombre que más te amo
44. Volver, volver
45. Que me toquen las golondrinas

9:55 pm
FIN

Saúl Viera, «El gavilancillo», diez años después de su muerte

This post was originally published in English on April 11, 2008, to observe the tenth anniversary of the death of Saúl Viera, “El gavilancillo.” Since then, it has become the most read post at Soledad en masa. I’ve received a number of comments in Spanish and I thought it was worthwhile to translate it to Spanish.

Este artículo fue originalmente publicado en inglés el once de abril del 2008 en observación del décimo aniversario de la muerte de Saúl Viera, «El gavilancillo». Desde aquel día, se ha convertido en el artículo más leído en Soledad en masa. He recibido un número de comentarios sobre el artículo en español y pienso que lo correcto es traducirlo al español.

* * *

Hoy, once de abril de 2008, es el décimo aniversario de la muerte de uno de los cantantes más famosos de Los Ángeles, Saúl Viera. Fue asesinado en el estacionamiento de un restaurante Denny’s en Bellflower, CA, por un individuo desconocido. Su novia, que estaba al lado del Gavilancillo, no fue lastimada.

Chalino murió en 1992, Saúl en 1998… Ambos se convirtieron en «inmortales» de la Qué Buena, la radiodifusora que más toca sus canciones en L.A. Hoy día, uno todavía puede escuchar sus canciones en la Qué Buena. Ve a Huntington Park, South Gate, Bell, o cualquier otra ciudad en los alrededores y es seguro que escucharás por lo menos un automóvil tocando su música a alto volumen.

Antes de leer más, visita esta página de MySpace y escucha el corrido «Los 3 compitas de L.A.» mientras lees el resto del artículo. La canción debería ser titulada «Los 3 compitas de South Gate» ya que South Gate es la única ciudad nombrada en el corrido, pero solo digo eso porque soy de South Gate.

La música de Saúl Viera forma parte de la música de Los Ángeles al igual que la música de Toddy Tee y Los Lobos, música creada por individuos que no son parte de la cultura americana principal. Cuando lograron el éxito, la cultura principal (o mainstream) no les presto mucha atención. La cultura principal no notó que Chalino o Saúl llenaban el Parral o el Farallón o vendían cassettes en las pulgas como pan caliente. Para aquellos en los márgenes de la sociedad de Los Ángeles, eran los mejores, los más taquilleros, lo máximo.

Mariachiando: Me miro en el espejo

In this issue of Mariachiando we jump from 1999 (last post) to Nochebuena 2006…

In high school, I was part of a mariachi group with other high school friends. We formed it sometime before the beginning of high school in 2003 (we were all in the same year at school) and we performed at private parties, etc., throughout Southern California. Though it was a (tax-free) source of income for many of us, we always hesitated about taking gigs after December 15th because members traveled with their families or had very packed calendars. In 2006, however, almost all our members stayed in South Gate for Christmas and we accepted a gig on Nochebuena only because it was a one-hour performance in South Gate.

We only had one replacement for that night, another mariachi musician from South Gate and a friend of ours (always up to substitute in our group). I arrived at the house about half-an-hour early and warmed up with other the mariachis outside. It was a really cold night, notwithstanding the fact that we were wearing mariachi trajes (not the best protection for legs), but looking forward to a quick performance where there wouldn’t be anyone drunk.

We went in and performed in their backyard. Though they had hired us, they did not seem too much into the songs. Maybe because it was Christmastime, who knows. They had a fire going and all the embers and smoke were blowing toward us, messing up our singing and choking us throughout the performance. When our hour was done, we bowed and started to take our leave. One of the men stopped us and said (in Spanish), “Stay for one more hour.”

“Can’t, it’s Nochebuena and we agreed to only one hour. We have to go with our families.”

“I’ll pay 500 dollars for the second hour.” “Sorry, we really have to go.” “$700?” “Look, we must…” “$1,000?” “We’ll talk about it with the rest of the members.”

One hour of our time in Nochebuena was worth $1,000 to him. Our first hour went for $300.

Mariachiando: La raíz

Mariachiando will be an ongoing series of posts at L.A. Eastside and here about my experience as a mariachi musician throughout Los Angeles. The posts will not be in chronological order in order to fully document these experiences and create a narrative. To follow these posts here, visit the Mariachiando page.

My paternal grandfather was a mariachi musician in México. in the weekends, my grandfather often left for a whole day or a weekend with his violin, guitar, or vihuela, to play with compadres in other pueblos around los Altos de Jalisco. Often, he’d be in the plazas, playing and singing with friends. When he came to the United States to work in the 1970s, he spent time working, but eventually quit and spent the rest of his time in East L.A., playing throughout the area with other mariachis and friends.

Meanwhile, my dad and siblings grew up listening to my grandfather’s music and the music that filtered to their pueblo’s radios from Guadalajara. When they had some time to themselves, either when they walked from their rancho to the pueblo, they played games or sang. While none of my grandfather’s children became mariachis themselves, they all sang, a few of them very, very well and my dad learned to play the guitar.

My dad is the third-oldest male and the fourth-oldest child. The eldest three males immigrated first to the United States in the late-1970s. They originally lived in East L.A. & Boyle Heights, but moved to South Gate in the early-1980s. All the siblings eventually moved out to the Bay Area, the last one, the oldest male of the family, leaving South Gate in 1989 and his stove to my dad (which is still in operation today).

“La música mexicana de mariachi ha progresado más por el lado de Estados Unidos”

Rubén Fuentes, director and producer of el Mariachi Vargas, gave a rare interview (he rarely gives them) to the Houston Chronicle. He talked about the future of mariachi music. I reproduced the article after the jump.

On another note, Mariachi Vargas is performing in Santa Barbara on August 2nd. If anyone wants to go with me, let me know and we can start planning!