I went to 2 different celebrations for Dia de los Muertos. The first one October 31st, 2010 in Mission San Luis Rey, Oceanside. I was excited just to watch the Mission and imagining the history that happened there. There were folklorico dances from the Mexican states of Veracruz, Baja California, Nuevo Leon. There were also offerings from several vintage car clubs that they had in their trunks. I was looking for offerings like the ones that are done in Oaxaca, Mexico, where I’ve seen so many but was unable to find one like the ones there. What I found was a clash of cultures: Mexican and American with offerings that included plastic pumpkins and ghosts (things that you do not see in a traditional offering). I noticed many people though with their painted faces, catrina type and since I wanted to dress up as one but just couldn’t afford getting the expensive dress I though it would be a perfect occasion to get a face mask or at least half of it. I wore my mask all day and impressed trick or treaters later in the night.

The second place I went for Dia de los Muertos was at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido, CA on Nomvermber 1st, 2010. It was a Monday night so I did not expect many people there, but I was wrong. The place was packed and they had many workshops and activities for kids and grown-ups. I enjoyed the repujado craft table and even created a little piece of my own. There was an altar dedicated to Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera that resembled a little more the traditional altars I am used too. Also as soon as I entered the offering patio I noticed a smell of incense that is always used in the traditional altars. I hadn’t smelled that in years so that was a nice surprise. Again I noticed the clash of cultures, but perhaps this one was a little less than the one at Mission San Luis Rey.

I do recommend though visiting Oaxaca, Mexico during these times to see what I am talking about. They do sand murals downtown and families visit the cemetery overnight to clean and take flowers to the graves of their deceased loved ones. It is a time where the whole family gets together to go and remember their love ones. In the neighborhoods, young people organize “comparsas” which are small satirical stories about everyday people and their journey to heaven or hell, they usually end with dancing with traditional music and all sorts of people dressed up as different characters.

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This past Saturday October 16th, 2010 I was part of an excursion organized by Palomar College in San Marcos to watch “The Phantom of the Opera” at the Pantages theatre in L.A. I was really excited because it had been a while since I visited a theatre and heard so many good things about this production I thought it was a must see. Unfortunately during the first half there was a really tall man sitting in front of me which ruined my vision a little bit but after the second half we moved to some empty seats beside us and those were perfect.

The score written by Andrew Lloyd Weber has a little bit of opera but remains a musical theatre production. So what is the difference between the opera and musical theatre? I liked the response given by another blogger:

Although it’s all the same thing, if you really want to differentiate between the different forms of, well, the telling of a story through song in a live performance, you basically have:

Opera: Completely sung through (with perhaps a few spoken lines), classical style music/singing

Operetta: Classical style music/singing that is “lighter” in nature, mostly sung through but there are extended dialogue scenes

Musical Theatre: The lightest style of music/singing, can be light classical music/singing or pop or anything in between, may be completely sung through or have long dialogue scenes.

The lines can very blurry, especially between musical theatre and operetta. There are many musicals that have been done on Broadway that really are operettas (i.e. Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, The Most Happy Fella), and you also have things like “chamber musicals” (i.e. Adding Machine) and “poperas” (i.e. Les Mis) that further complicate the distinctions. Really though, it’s mostly about music style, and how much focus is on the music.

Operas are really pieces of music with a little dash of story and theatricality, while musicals are essentially plays that just happen to be using songs to tell the story. Hence how operagoers will often say that they are going to “hear an opera” and theatregoers say that they are going to “see a play” or “see a musical.” And in opera it’s “the role of such and such is SUNG by so and so,” and in musical theatre it’s “the role of such and such is PLAYED by so and so.” And operettas…well, they’re just the half-way point on the opera-musical spectrum. They’re hybrids.

Or if you just want to simplify everything, you can take the approach Sondheim does. When asked whether Sweeney Todd is an opera or a musical, he said simply. “Well, I guess if it’s performed in an opera house it’s an opera, and if it’s performed in a regular theatre it’s a musical.”

I am glad I went and was able to see this production before the U.S. tour closed. If you miss it you will have to see the Broadway production or the special Vegas one.

Viva la Revolución: A Dialogue with the Urban Landscape

A couple of friends and I visited the exhibition on Sunday October 10, 2010 currently taking place at the San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art and several streets near downtown San Diego. We were able to visit almost all the sites (we missed only one in Southpark).

One of the things I most enjoyed about the exhibition is the audio tour which consisted in calling a local number and then entering the number of the exhibit we wanted to learn more from. The commentary is made by guest curator Pedro Alonzo.  The number is (858.384.3321) I will mention just some of the exhibits below.

54# Moris

The first exhibition we saw was that of Moris (Israel Meza Moreno) from Mexico named “Hermoso Paisaje 7, Golpe, Pan Duro, Baños de Agua Fria” Alonzo says that it reminds him of the film “Los Olvidados” from filmaker Luis Buñuel, yet another film I need to see. “Beautiful Landscape 7, Knock, Hard Bread, Cold Showers” is the translation of this installation piece. It deals with homelessness in Mexico among children. The black cloths filled with sand have the form of bolillo which is the cheapest piece of bread sold in Mexico, the cardboard boxes represent the shelter, then there are tarps (all used previously and changed by the artist). One tarp has the colors of the mexican flag while the other has a type of illustration of the “ideal home.” According to Alonzo, Moris explores in his work survival strategies of those living in the streets.

58#  David Ellis

The sound coming out of this trashcan full of trash is probably the first thing one notices when checking in at the museum’s front desk. New York based David Ellis in collaboration with composer Roberto Carlos Lange created the piece “Trash Talk” he liked the idea of the trashcan being in the corner resembling real trash. If only trash would talk, what would it say? What stories would it have to say? We were wondering what was going on and then just danced to the rhythm of the trash and pretended to throw stuff in it (we didn’t – it is prohibited), it was fun.

52# Brazilian Stephan “Calma” Doitschinoff.

The pieces by Doitschinoff were some of the pieces that spoke most to me. His biography on the Viva la Revolución website describes him as the son of a protestant preacher that grew up in a very strict and regimented environment from which he rebelled at the age of 14. He includes many religious props in his works, such as books, imagery, cruxificies, etc. While the installation that is present at the museum is a must, the work that spoke to me most was the one in downtown. It is an image of the face of JesusChrist with the body of beef and the cuts that are sold in the market. He questions the institualization of religion and how the word of Jesus has been converted by those who are in power. The red tassles in his eyes represent the tears of blood Jesus cries due to the abuse of those in power and the use of His name to do atrocities.

Stephan Doitschinoff (CALMA) - MCASD Downtown

Stephan Doitschinoff (CALMA) - 320 16th St., San Diego

68#Banksy (U.K.)

Banksy had also a collection of prints in display. Kate Moss as Marylin Monroe in an Andy Warhol style print.
The following is not part of the exhibition but Banksy was recently featured in the Simpson’s intro which criticizes Fox on exploiting it’s cartoon and making money out of it’s famous cartoon.

56# Shepard Fairey (U.S.)

Fairey, the artist behind the famous Obama poster is also part of this exhibit. Inside the museum we find prints like the one below, again he appropriates an image of an iconic person and uses it to produce his own artwork. Some have labeled Shepard a thief because his work is not original and because sometimes he fails to mention the source of the images. The original photograph from Patrick McMullan is also below. Fairey shares with us an artist that inspired him by creating a print of Haring. He sold 450 prints on canvas and portion of the sales went to the Keith Harring Foundation and Patrick McMullan.

Shepard Fairey - Keith Haring (Photographer Patrick McMullan)

Fairey also brought his obey campaign to the streets. This started out as an experiment to see people’s reaction to the image and the word “obey” together. Then it became this huge commercial thing that eventually made him open a store just for the “obey” products. They don’t mean anything, except the meaning one gives to it.

Shepard Fairey - 3946 5th Avenue, San Diego

48# Os Gemeos (Brazil)

Os Gemeos, which means “the twins” are two identical brothers from Brazil their names are Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo. They are graffiti artists, their work varies from commentary to portraits. Inside the museum their exhibits have more dimension because the artists use carved wood. The bright colors are characteristic of their characters particularly yellow. The curator mentions that big billboards were banned in Sao Paolo so the city is filled with graffiti art. For the wall in downtown they stacked one character after another making the art very tall. The height, according to the curator’s commentary shows the extremes graffiti artists go to do their works.

Os Gemeos - MCASD

Os Gemeos - MCASD

Other artists include: Dr. Lakra (Mexico), Swoon (U.S.), Vhils (Portugal), Faile (U.S.), Invader (France), JR (France), Barry McGee (U.S), Ryan McGiness (U.S.), Akay (Sweden), Blu (Italy), Mark Bradford (U.S.), William Cordova (U.S.), Date Farmers (U.S.), Dzine (U.S.