NewsTaco

By Prescila Mosqueda, The Texas Observer

Protesters, in traditional Aztec attire and wearing colorful headdresses, marched down 6th Street toward Congress Avenue in downtown Austin Saturday afternoon. Drivers honked their support and stuck their fists out or cheered the demonstrators on. The Aztec danzantes led the march with colorful, elaborate feather headdresses and giant signs. They chanted, “Se ve, se siente, Peña es delincuente!” or “It can be seen, it can be felt, Peña [Nieto] is a criminal!”

The protest was organized in solidarity with the #YoSoy132 movement, which some refer to as the “Mexican Spring,” fueled by discontent with Mexico’s recent presidential election. Demonstrations took place all around Mexico and in some U.S. and Texas cities today, including Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, Houston and Austin, and in cities in Spain and Canada earlier this week. Mexican nationals, many of them students, living in the United States denounced the July 1 election as a fraud and demanded that President Obama retract his acknowledgment of the announced winner, Enrique Peña Nieto.

As with many burgeoning protest movements fueled by social media, however, there was some disagreement over who represented the student movement. #YoSoy132 representatives disassociated themselves from these marches in a press release, because they said the website promoting these marches, yosoy132.mx, is an apocryphal one run by PRI supporters, the political party of the newly appointed president. The website has a banner that reads “The truth will make us free” and theassociated Facebook page, “Si hay imposición, habrá revolución” calls for a mega-march across all cities in Mexico with public plazas to protest the PRI president-elect. As of Saturday night the page had more than 1,500 likes and many posters of protests happening in early July, as well as comments from people in different cities on both sides of the border.

The Facebook page for the Austin protest said the organizers tried to reach out to #YoSoy132, but received no response. Regardless, the event description encouraged participants to bring banners and posters as large as possible with whatever messages they wanted. The only restriction was posters for or against a particular political party, as the movement is nonpartisan. They asked people to bring phones, cameras and other recording devices, as the movement largely started and continues to grow through social media.

Around 150 people showed up to the Mexican Consulate on Baylor Street near 5th Street Saturday, most wearing black and carrying large posters with strong messages. Some were as simple as “Peña Nieto is not my president” and others were entire paragraphs denouncing the election and its purported winner. Participants took turns reading part of a declaration against Peña Nieto, demanding the Mexican government hear the Mexican people and actually use the votes they cast. Each part was read by someone in Spanish followed by someone in English. Before the march began, the danzantes did a dancing ritual involving chants and incense.

Airy Mejia, one of the organizers of the event, said they encouraged protesters to bring their own proof against Peña Nieto. He had bank statements he says prove the candidate and his party paid for gift cards they gave to people in exchange for their votes. He says others had more documents proving there was rampant fraud in the election.

The group ended its march at the Capitol, where they restated the main points of their grievances and reiterated their demands for change. More protesters joined at the Capitol and some took the microphone to speak or sing their words of protest. Mejia said they would take the statement they read as well as the proof collected by protesters to the Mexican Consulate on Monday and encouraged anyone to come.

“We are here because we are in opposition to the imposition,” says Oscar Ponce, one of the event organizers. “We need to pressure our government, our institutions so they can see that we are talking for other Mexicans who cannot talk in our country. We believe that with [#YoSoy132] or without them the people should still be working and pushing the anti-democratic institutions in Mexico because this is crucial because most of us cannot wait. We cannot wait until December; we need to take it back right now.”

This article was first published in The Texas Observer.

Priscila Mosqueda is an editorial intern for The Observer and graduated with a bachelor’s in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin in 2012. Her work has been published in theSan Antonio Express-News, San Antonio Magazine, ENVY Magazine and “Forty Acres of Fun,” a book about the unique culture and traditions of the University of Texas.

[Photos by Priscila Mosqueda]

Latinos currently fall into different levels of technology adaption, but increasingly Latinos will be adopting technology and leading the way as consumers in this space, according to a presentation from José Villa, president of Sensis who presented The Hispanic Persona Project at South By Southwest on Sunday. This project Villa said, is to help understand that Latinos are not “consumers,” but rather, users of technology, and they vary in this capacity.

Villa explained that “Hispanic marketing is dying” since the market is growing and changing so much, and used the fact that 63% of Latinos are U.S.-born as an example of this trend. Latinos are no longer defined by languages they speak, thus, it’s incumbent upon people trying to reach this audience to cease thinking of them in these terms. “Everybody understands that you have to figure out this market if you’re going to be relevant,” he said.

The majority of the Latino population is under 30, an in order to better understand these 50 million-plus folks, Villa created four prototypes, or “personas,” based on ethnographic research. The focus groups for this research reflected the U.S. Latino population, by ethnic origin, age and acculturation levels (as defined by integration into American society, not just language).

The four personas defined by Villa are: Techfluential, Social Techie, Nostalgic Newbie and Utilitarian Explorer.

Techfluentials are what Villa termed the “classic early adopter,” who does everything online, uses mobile heavily and is not easily reached by Spanish language media. Social Techies, on the other hand, use technology primarily for social purposes; they are the first to adopt social platforms and use these heavily, but care not for how the technology works, investing in online shopping for example.

Nostalgic Newbies use the web to stay in touch with family and friends in their home countries, have a low acculturation level, are entry level users of online tools and new to social media. They use the web to help them adapt to life in this country, and are best reached by Spanish language portals. Finally, the Utilitarian Explorer has a mid-level of acculturation, a low level of tech adoption, defined as a “passive listener,” and uses the Internet primarily for entertainment.

Villa said these personas may be recreated or repurposed to different ends, but are help to think about the “Hispanic market” in a more useful and tangible way.

[Image By Analyn]

One of the best parts of SXSW Music is getting to see bands that come to Austin from distant parts of the world, some of which are visiting the U.S. for the first time. This year, the Santiago, Chile based band Astro made the trek way north to share their musical blend of synthesizer fueled-psychedelic-alternative rock with audiences in the U.S.

Astro, who recently signed with the L.A. based label Nacional Records,  played a couple of different showcases at SXSW, including a daytime set at the Austin Convention Center.  I ran into lead singer Andrés Nusser during the Torreblanca and Amigas show and asked him his thoughts about SXSW and Texas.

Check out our video with Andrés, where he talks about Astro’s latest release, his experiences at SXSW, and his first impressions of Texas and the U.S.

Sylvia Romo should be preparing for retirement, instead, she’s campaigning as the Democratic candidate for the 35th district of Texas. The long-time tax assessor-collector of Bexar County and former state house rep said that the opportunity to run for Congress in this newly created district came about just as she had decided not to seek re-election to her county post. But, she told us, there was something else that pushed her towards a congressional run.

“Sometimes, people don’t want to talk about the elephant in the room. In Texas, of course that means the population is increasing because of the growth of Latinos. We were supposed to get four new minority opportunity districts, [but] that went down to two. District 35 is one of them, and my opponent [Austin Congressman Lloyd Doggett], the last time I looked, was not a minority,” she told us.

“That gives me ganas to win, because I feel that it is about time. I believe that we should have diversity and everything — whether it is business, or education, and definitely in government,” Romo continued.

Originally from San Antonio, Romo would be the first Latina elected to Congress from Texas. Despite her many years in politics, Romo says she was shocked to find out that she would be the first Latina Congresswoman from Texas.  “I hope to be a will to break that, so more women will come after me,” she said.

Chatting with her, you get the sense that she’s not only very dedicated, but very focused about everything she does. Nonetheless, she says she never intended to be in politics, but was encouraged to run for county Democratic party chair. Then, she was encouraged to run for state rep, and eventually became the first female tax assessor-collector of Bexar County.

Although she told us she was hoping to go back into the private sector after her current term expired, the creation of what should be a minority district in Texas called her to run. The way Romo tells it, she feels the need to provide the representation the state’s growing Latino population needs.

But Romo believes that she is simply the best candidate for the job for the people from Travis to Hays to Bexar counties. As an accountant, she understands the economics of the area, she lived in Austin, she has family in San Marcos, and feels that she is the best person to represent this new district. She also feels the race is “winnable” for her, since the 68% minority district now also includes part of San Antonio’s District 20, or retiring Congressman Charlie Gonzalez’s current district. These, she says, are her “stomping grounds.”

Romo told us that she believes this new district needs a new voice in Congress; she believes she has a new perspective and different skills that would do the district good. Her experience in the Texas house as a negotiator will enable her to get things done in D.C., specifically, economic development, she said. Creating jobs, bringing new technologies to the district, and generally encouraging economic development along the corridor is also part of her plan. Part of this, and Romo’s view, is rapid transit in the form of a train between Austin and San Antonio. Constituent services is also a big part of what Romo says she will do for the district. And because Romo has made her professional life as an accountant, she sees things in very economic terms.

“We have to rebuild the economy. If you have a strong economy, then you have jobs, if you have jobs you are able to circulate money, you are able to buy things, and you help businesses grow, you’re able to have money to send your kid to college,” She explained. “It’s a multiplier. The economy is the basis of everything.”

Romo is very self-assured, she says that if she had a year to prepare, she would have just as much money as longtime Congressman Doggett. What’s more, she says that because she’s a woman, she knows how to budget; and has a hard worker she says she is traveling up and down the I-35 corridor organizing a coalition of people across the district who support her candidacy. “They tell me Doggett is a relentless campaigner — but he’s met his match,” she told us.

Although Romo just filed for the seat in early December, she’s already played musical chairs with several opponents for the Democratic nomination. After Doggett’s district in Austin was spliced beyond recognition by the redistricting process, he set his sights on the 35th, meaning that congressional newcomer Romo will now face veteran Doggett in a district that has never had a congressional representative before. Crucial to Romo’s win will be convincing people from Central Texas that someone from San Antonio has their best interests at heart, but also mobilizing as many of the 1 million-plus Latinos that reside in the area.  The David and Goliath-like nature of this election is not lost on her, but Romo seems anything but phased.

“I’ve always had this passion for helping people and they still do. Yes, it’s difficult, and yes, you have to have a thick skin, and sometimes politics can be nasty. But I just brush myself off and keep going,” she said.

[Courtesy Photo]

For anyone who loves music and discovering new bands, the South By Southwest Music festival is like a little paradise in Austin.  For six days, thousands of musicians from all over the world flock to the Texas capitol to be heard and seen, playing and partying in locations all over the city, in bars, cafes, parks, churches, and even parking lot structures.

While it’s a good idea to have an agenda for SXSW Music, it’s also important to keep in mind that you probably won’t be able to see everything you wanted to, but, if you keep an open mind and let yourself be pulled by the sway of new sounds, new friends, or new information, you will be presently surprised.

On my last day at SXSW, I dashed around Austin, trying to pack as many bands and DJs in as I could.  In less than 12 hours I saw perfomances by Torreblanca, Natalia Lafourcade, Javiera Mena, Alex Anwandter, Astro, Los Rakas, My Goodness, Kali Mutsa, Gossip, a local blues band, a little bit of Kali Mutsa, and a DJ set by Neon Indian.  And then I went home and collapsed in an exhausted, yet blissful, sleep.

Here’s a tiny glimpse of a day at SWSX Music:

When it comes to independent music out of Latin America, Chile has been churning out so many bright, young artists with incredible talent, that at times it seems completely disproportional for a skinny nation at the end of the earth.

At SXSW, three of Chile’s most talked about indie acts played back-to-back at Caradura’s showcase at Maggie Mae’s.

Santiago’s wonderboy Alex Anwandter started off the Chilean trifecta, accompanied only by one guitarist, a keyboard and the mic in his hand, he got the crowd riled up by starting off with the first song off of his latest disc “Rebeldes”, the synth-heavy, edgy-pop track, “Como Puedes Vivir Contigo Mismo?”  Fans familiar with Anwandter’s music sang along and formed a tight circle around him when he jumped off stage to dance and serenade his admirers as he played hits from his previous projects,  former band Teleradio Donoso, and solo project Odisea. Check out his latest single, “Tatuaje”:

When Javiera Mena took to the stage, the crowd had grown and looked ready to keep the dance party going. The electro-pop chanteuse started off playing “Primera Estrella” on keyboard, wearing a white blazer over her clothing, both of which she would abandon later in the set, two moves that would work to her advantage as the room and audience started to heat up.  Listen to “Hasta La Verdad”:

Astro is an excellent band that puts on an entertaining show, with Nusser hitting all the right high-notes with his distinctive voice, while band members Octavio Cavieres, Nicholas Arancibia, Daniel Varas work together to help create the vast, colorful landscape that the group paints with their music and in their live shows.  Listen to “Ciervos”:

Short of a trip to Santiago, it’s unlikely that this much Chilean talent will be found in the same room again. Caradura’s showcase highlighting the brightest of Chile’s rising indie stars proved that the Andean nation has a lot to offer music fans on this side of the equator.

[Photo of Alex Anwandter by the author, Videos By alexanwandter; gtrkong; astrosonidoespacial]

The South By Southwest festival in Austin Texas just wrapped up, and as one of the Latino-centric news outlets that covered the conference and its three different components — interactive (my reporting), film, and music — there are a few interesting takeaways. For me, the highlight of the festival had to be Austin-based Cultural Strategies’ brainchild, The Social Revolución, an event that highlighted Latinos in technology and social media. It was at this event, the first official Latino event of SXSW Interactive, that I saw the most Latinos in one place; and the most exciting thing was we were all gathered there to celebrate innovative work we’ve done with technology.

First, let me give you a brief overview of what it was like to cut for SXSW Interactive. Essentially, the festival is more like a tech conference, in the sense that there were keynote speakers, panels, sessions, and an assorted variety of parties and social gatherings. The people who attended the conference included journalists like myself, as well as marketers, social media folks, technology innovators, and assorted variety of professionals from all over the country interested in the future of technology in U.S.

Two of my biggest takeaways here were: there were not that many Latinos in attendance, and then there were very few panels or sessions that covered Latinos in technology (some of those available included innovations from Latin America, however).  This surprised me given that I had it on good authority that there were several other Latino panels submitted to the conference that never made it into the actual programming. What’s more, this pattern extended to African Americans; although the first day of the conference there were several panels dedicated to talk about this population in tech, I missed them because of the outrageously long line to pick up my conference badge.

To me, if I dare call myself an entrepreneur and a social media/technology professional, I left the conference wanting more — a whole lot more. I had so badly wanted to say that SXSW Interactive introduced me to new technologies by and for Latinos, or particularly interesting trends in the Latino community, or even a few more mixers where I could meet others with similar interests. Instead, I found myself sifting through copious panels and events to find something beyond what I had a ready found, specifically the aforementioned Social Revolución. When we asked one of the organizers, Armando Rayo VP of engagement for Cultural Strategies, about the event he told me the purpose was to address these types of concerns.

“Our goal was to bring Latinos together during SXSWi and shine the light on the those using social media to create change. We felt it was successful because it was a first of it’s kind event and filled a much needed void; a place where Latinos can come together at SXSWi,” Rayo told NewsTaco.

Back to my initial point, about the need for a greater presence of Latinos at this event, I applaud SXSW for collaborating with Cultural Strategies to produce The Social Revolución. It was a great event that allowed people to come together, make contact, find out about new things, and take away a new network and hopes that next year’s event will offer even more opportunities for Latinos in tech to network and innovate. Rayo actually told me that was the point of the event in the first place. But I want more, I know others wanted more, and I think that we can all work in our own ways to ensure a greater representation and participation of Latinos in this important annual conference.

Hopefully, this year the Latinos that met at The Social Revolución can rally their friends to submit more panels, perhaps SXSW will be able to collaborate with Cultural Strategies (which is planning to do the event bigger and better next year) and other groups to produce more Latino events, and organizations like NewsTaco can spread the word about this great event to folks who would benefit from attendance. Because, as Rayo told me,  this event was part–participation and part–education, “It’s all about relevance. Do Latinos see themselves in this space, tech/online and does SXSWi see how many Latinos are actually involved in the digital space?”

Ultimately, if we want more Latinos at and participating in SXSW Interactive, it will take more people like Rayo and more organizations like Cultural Strategies, but it will also take outlets like NewsTaco and the organizers of SXSW.  Or, as Rayo put it, “The numbers are definitely growing, but we should encourage SXSWi to add more panels and include more Latinos in their programming; this will definitely increase the attendance of Latinos at SXSWi. It’s a win-win.”

“21 Jump Street” is the latest offering by directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who brought us “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.” The film stars Jonah Hill of such bad decisions like “The Sitter” and some pretty good ones like “Money Ball.” His co-star is Channing Tatum. You might remember him from “G.I. Joe: the Rise of Cobra” and its sequel, but you might want to forget him from “Step Up.”

The story deals with a couple of green police rookies infiltrating a local high school drug ring. They seem so incapable that it is almost a complete wonder as to how they are able to keep their badges. Ice Cube stars as their hard-as-nails commanding officer that has to deal with the duo’s ineptitude. This is a reboot of the original series on Fox that propelled Johnny Depp’s career, while at the same time showing Richard Grieco that the ceiling was the limit as far as talent was concerned.

What works: Hill and Tatum have a natural charisma on screen that borders on a bromance only rivaled by Vin Diesel and Paul Walker from the “Fast and the Furious” film series. They are fish out of water who swear they know their way around the pond. There are some laughs, and some moments that do not deliver, but overall, the gags hit their intended target.

This is perhaps the funniest movie I have seen all year, which is pretty sad considering that we are already halfway done with March. The writing is clever and this promises to be the beginning of a franchise. “21 Jump Street” thrives when it lampoons itself. The cameos by Johnny Depp, Holly Robinson Peete, and Peter DeLuise are a sight for these sad nerd eyes.

What did not work: First of all, you can call me a prude, but I think when there is a twenty-something year-old trying to infiltrate a high school, I do not think there is room for a romance angle. This movie tried to do it in the most apologetic way; even detailing that the character was of age, but somehow police officers dating high school girls is something that should be frowned upon. Even though there was a 22 year-old playing the high school senior, I still felt that Christ Hanson should have been lurking around the corner with his steely resolve trying to fish an explanation of Hill’s character.

I must recommend this movie because it actually does not re-thread a story we have heard a thousand times before. It is far from original, but it does not leave you walking out of the movie theatre feeling cheated much like past treatments of beloved television series from the past. Although it is apparent that Hollywood has resorted to cannibalizing anything with a heartbeat, it is good to see that this movie had some bite. This movie leaves some room for a sequel. I just hope that Jonah Hill maintains the same level of creativity.

Austin, Texas — ”Wolf” is the latest film and the first feature length film by Ya’Ke Smith, which premiered at South by Southwest. The film deals with the particularly deep subject of child molestation, and the aftermath of what happens when to the victim and his family when the victim falls in love with his abuser.

The film stars newcomer Jordan Cooper as the young boy who is molested by Bishop Anderson, played by Eugene Lee. The movie cuts pretty deep because it tries to develop the character that most movies forget — which is the human side or soul of the monster. The family deals with the guilt, especially the father who feels as if he is to blame, because somewhere along the line he became a provider and lost sight of being a father.

What works: This is a great effort by Smith because this is a story no one else is telling. What helps his cause the most is the fact that there is an original spin on a story that can be told, but for some reason it is muddled in other capable hands. Most films would feature a showdown between the abuser and the abused — that would be cliché.

That kind of thing is more re-threaded than a tear rolling down the cheek. This movie works because this movie pulls out and creates and formulates the characters. You get to see how the molestation affects the young man, his parents, the abuser, the church and everyone that crosses their path.

What does not work: This film has a couple of loose angles. I understand that abuse works as a cycle, but when the young man acts on certain impulses, there is no follow-through by his intended victim. There is no follow-up on the father’s final interaction with Bishop Anderson. There is a scene where Bishop Anderson receives a baptism through fire and faces the things he has done to the boys, but that scene is sort of disconnected.

Audience reaction: The audience displayed feelings of empathy for the story. There were some uncomfortable laughs during the screening of the film. I did not know if the movie intended for certain scenes to be comedic, but we laughed nonetheless. The theme of the movie is a heavy one, and I think the movie did a good job at not patronizing the subject matter.

I can recommend this movie, because it is a good effort by Mr. Smith. It is worth seeing because the positives outweigh the negatives. I will give them credit for trying to humanize a monster that cannot help himself when he is confronted by his urges. This film has an eerie similarity to the 2006 film “Deliver Us From Evil” about the Catholic Church shuffling pedophile priests. That film tried to show us the wolf in sheep’s clothing that went on preying on children. This movie warns you that the wolf itself might be closer than you would likely expect.

Austin, Texas — The third day of SXSW Music began at Austin Convention Center with a showcase called “Torreblanca & Amigas,” which included Mexican songstress Natalia Lafourcade, Chilean electro-pop rock princess Javiera Mena, and Andrea Balency.  Initially I was hesitant about attending the show, considering that I’d already seen half the line up the previous day.  But my curiosity and love for Latin American music propelled me to go.

Torreblanca started off playing “Dejé de Ser Yo,” a tune so intense and infectious I couldn’t help humming along.  The band sounded a lot tighter and more impressive the second time around.  I mentioned this to Torreblanca’s drummer Jerson when I ran into him at a different showcase later in the evening. Jerson agreed saying that with all the commotion and moving around at SXSW, it was a difficult getting proper rehearsals and sound checks in and that they were better prepared for the set at the convention center.

Though she only performed a couple of songs, Andrea Balency sounded just as lovely as the night before and after her set Natalia Lafourcade got on stage and delighted the crowd by starting off with her popular hit “Casa.”  Later, the normally plugged in Javiera Mena played a couple of brief acoustic numbers, giving attendees only a tiny morsel of her talents and range.  The showcase ended with members of Torreblanca, Lafourcade, and Mena all on stage joining forces to become a fleeting Latin alternative super group, a moment in which I knew I was witnessing something truly special.

An hour before the sun started to set, I trekked six blocks away to watch Oregan band Gossip play a set on the top of a four story parking structure, a location that provided great aerial views of downtown Austin and the convention center.  Gossip started about 15 minutes late, but no one in the crowd could hold it against lead singer Beth Ditto, who charmed the crowd with her topical wit and banter, touching on subjects including 1980s sitcom “Growing Pains”, the Iowa Caucus, Subway sandwiches, being from Arkansas, and her love for Lil’ Wayne.  While her conversation was entertaining between songs, it was her incredible voice that left everyone completely awestruck.  She paid a little homage to Adele singing a few chords of “Rolling in the Deep,” then later had everyone running to the front of the stage when the first chords of “Standing in the Way of Control” began.

The end of Gossip’s set brought on the beginning of my last night in Austin, and I headed back down to the 6th Street area to catch Chile’s Kali Mutsa at the Buca Lounge. Her set was already a couple of songs in by the time I arrived, but I unfortunately was unable to stay for more than one song, due to the fact that the downstairs stage area reeked of old mop and raw sewage. It really was a shame and perhaps an explanation as to why the talented artist was only playing to a couple dozen people.

At this time it wasn’t quite 8:30 yet so I thought I might be able to watch the end of  Sweden’s The Bombettes a couple of blocks away at BD Riley’s.  But by the time I arrived at the door, the ladies had already finished their set and another band was setting up. The bar had big open windows that half exposed the stage to the street, meaning good ventilation, and a strong wifi signal so I stayed to check out Seattle band My Goodness without knowing what to expect.  And my goodness — I’m glad I stuck around! The duo, a drummer and a guitar playing vocalist, had a powerful sound that mixed blues and rock but was played with a sexy fierceness that had people gathered outside around the window to see what all the commotion was about.

Leaving the bar I thought about the impressive set I had just seen and how my experience watching My Goodness embodied all that is great about SXSW Music. To get the most out of the festival, it’s important to keep an open mind, have a backup plan, and, for better or for worse, expect the unexpected.

[Photos of Gossip and My Goodness by the author]

Austin, Texas — The second night of music at SXSW started off with a promising showcase with Andrea Balency Trio and Torreblanca at Buffalo Billiards.  Andrea Balency, born in Paris but now living in Mexico, had already begun her set when I arrived and I could already hear her lovely bird-like voice as I entered the upstairs room where the stage was located.  Performing solo, she still managed to make a big impact on the audience with her soft, yet powerful singing, and melodies that are worthy of some serious hip swaying.

In contrast to Balency’s one-woman show, five members of Torreblanca went on stage after what seemed like an extra long sound check, with the lead singer Juan Manuel Torreblanca asking the slowly growing crowd, “¿Cómo les están pasando?” (Are you having a good time?)  The quintet’s first song was somewhat subdued for an opening number, but mostly everything played thereafter was upbeat and dynamic.  Constantly switching instruments with the lone female musician in the group, Torreblanca played both accordion and keyboards with as much intensity as his singing. The tall, curly-haired, bespectacled front man may have been the focal point for others watching the show, but I was transfixed by Alex “Tío,” who alternated between the saxophone and flute and looked like he was having such a good time playing that I couldn’t help but smile while watching him.

Later I trekked over to the Flamingo Cantina, walking in halfway through New York band !Outernational!, which according to their lead singer, came to SXSW to pick a fight. Though not with any people in the audience, as the lead singer’s ire seemed directed at the powers that be and with society in general. With a punk rock persona, Irish influences, and a songs that surprisingly traveled seamlessly through English and Spanish, their infusion of cultures was definitely unique.  Sometimes the songs sounded like music to drink a Guinness to, other songs were made to incite protests and anger.

By this time of the night, after two full days of watching back-to-back bands, trying to survive on little food and even less sleep, combined with plenty of uphill walking, I was feeling a little low on energy — until Los Rakas came on that is.

Their amazing set, definitely a SXSW highlight, was like a shot of auditory adrenaline.  Hip-hop in Spanish and English, representing Panama and California’s Bay Area, DunDun and Rico took to the stage with a thunderous presence that made everyone get to their feet and get closer to the stage. Decked out in baggy pants, oversized black and grey tees, and matching gold and silver sparkling chains around their neck, Los Rakas let it be known that they were about to light up the house and get everyone jumping with their catchy hooks and thumping beats that I felt buzzing through my body even after the show ended. With a DJ and one gorgeously glamorous backup singer in a short, black, one-shouldered dress behind them, they ran around the stage, got the crowd to  participate, and had everyone chanting during their anthem “Soy Raka” that they, too, were Rakas.

From there I headed to Easy Tiger Patio where British band Django Django was set to play, and I had high expectations for the group considering that the place was packed and my friend and I had to fight our way from the bathroom line to the entrance where they were playing.  Perhaps it was the dim-lighting or maybe the low-key stage presence, I was definitely underwhelmed by their performance and Joy Division-meets-Devo sound.

From there we moved on to the Red Eyed Fly to catch the end of Neon Indian’s DJ set and Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s (UMO) performance. According to their SXSW page, UMO describes themselves as “break-beats together with 70′s pop harmonies and a minimal Krautrock rhythm section,” and while I had a difficult time giving them all of my attention between the loud banter and people watching, their music served as the perfect sound to wind-down a rewarding night at SXSW.

[Photos of Torreblanca and Los Rakas by the author]

Tuesday was the first day of SXSW music, a day in which I realized that you couldn’t avoid watching performers even if you tried. Wander the streets surrounding the Austin Convention Center anytime of the day and there’s live music in bars, restaurants, on street corners, everywhere.

My day started off in the afternoon with a set by LA-based Austin Brown at Clive Bar. Listening to the band’s infusion of pop and R&B, with a hint of funk, I watched Brown tear up the stage with his fancy footwork. I couldn’t help but be reminded of Micheal Jackson during his “Off the Wall” days. I later learned that Brown is actually Jackson’s nephew, meaning that being a crowd-pleasing singer and dancer runs through his blood. Super stylish and cute with a contagious smile, Austin Brown’s set was a very pleasing surprise.

Later that evening I headed over to the Whiskey Room to watch a showcase with Il Abanico, Candy, and Jotdog.  The self-described “Post-punk New-wave” trio Candy started the evening off with a set that included dark and ominous sounding guitar riffs, mixed in with drummer Hector Villagomez’s pop beats with bassist Valentina Plasa sharing the vocal duties with guitarist Michael Klotz.

My favorite act from the showcase was Colombia natives Il Abanico,  a duo whose sound is powerful and soft. Juliana Ronderos’ beautiful and penetrating voice captured the attention of the crowded venue, while the steady, comforting rhythm of Nicolás Losada’s guitar had everyone tapping their toes, nodding their heads, and raising their glasses in praise for the band.  They’re currently living in the U.S. with many other dates planned in several cities around the country. They are definitely worth checking out.

I stuck around to watch the next band Jotdog, who I had doubts about after watching some of their videos which I pegged as over exaggerated pop-rock.  But, despite having to go on after two impressive acts, the duo out of Mexico City surprised me with their tight set, keeping people dancing with their catchy hooks, and lead-singer Maria Barracuda’s alluring stage presence.

Using just the first day as a gauge of what’s to come, SXSW’s Music festival is already living up to all the hype.

[Photo of Austin Brown, sitting down on the far left, and his band members from Austin Brown's Instagram]

The Texas AFL-CIO and the Austin Central Labor Council launched a series of events during South By Southwest in Austin to highlight the importance of the workers who make the festival possible for the tens of thousands of visitors. The Work Connects Us All campaign is about highlighting the ways in which we are all connected by the work that we do, said René Lara, the legislative and political director for the Texas AFL-CIO.

“We are all connected through our work, and with this campaign we are thanking the workers,” Lara told NewsTaco of the public education campaign. He said the campaign is meant to highlight the importance of work, how it connects everyone, and also to replace negative ideas about unions in Texas with more positive ones using social media.

As part of the campaign Texas AFL-CIO employees and volunteers went around the festival taking photos of different workers — bartenders, taco vendors, trash collectors, stage hands and more — and shared the photos on Twitter and Facebook. (Photo above is an example). The campaign was preceded by a TV ad about the campaign that ran for six weeks leading up to SXSW.

Social media was important to the campaign because it’s focusing on young people, which in Austin means Latinos and African-Americans. Statewide, only about 5-6% of workers are unionized and the future of unions in the state is tightly very closely to this particular demographic. Thus, thanking workers and highlighting how their work connects everyone in the city, and the city’s visitors, is meant to set the stage for a more positive spin to unions in this state.

“If people weren’t picking up trash on 6th Street, this festival would turn pretty ugly pretty quick,” said Ed Stills, director of communications for the Texas AFL-CIO. “We’re all workers, we rely on each others’ work to get through the day.”

The Work Connects Us All campaign is part of a pilot program that is set to roll out nationally in the future.

[Courtesy Photo]

I have always been a fan of stand-up comedy, so when I found out that there would be a free show for South by Southwest badge carrying members at Esther’s Follies, I was there. UCB Comedy Presents: The Best Stand-Up was headlined by Pete Holmes and featured a surprise performance from Ron White. The rest of the line-up featured comedians Eliza Skinner, Kyle Kenane, Chris Gethard, Gabe Liedman and Saturday Night Live alum Jenny Slate.

The Good: This was a rare event where all the comedians hit their mark. In other words, it was all killer and there was no filler. Every comedian had a tight set. My personal highlight was the performance by Kyle Kenane, he started strong from the start and then he rode the momentum to one of the most disturbing jokes about Bigfoot I have ever found myself laughing at. There was a point where I knew I should not be laughing, but I could not stop myself.  The night ended with Pete Holmes hitting it out of the park with a rapid fire delivery that had people laughing while they were still laughing at the prior joke.

The Bad (or rather not so good): Ron White was a complete surprise, but at the same his established jokes were dicey at times. He was the only comedian standing up there making jokes about married life while the other comedians spoke about the degradations of the single life. Gabe Liedman and Jenny Slate performed as a duo which I have never seen before. The jokes were humorous, but the banter was a little too much to process. Their act sounds a lot better on paper, but I am hopeful that it can only improve.

The crowd’s reaction: These comedians had the crowd eating out of the palm of their hands. However I think that they were into Ron White the same way I would be into Cheech and Chong or even George Lopez. In other words, I feel that people are laughing at jokes they are familiar with. For example, Ron White’s “can’t get sex from my wife” joke is our version of every Latino comic’s “menudo” joke or joke about “the birthday piñata.” I have more respect for Ron White than I do for Larry The Cable Guy, and it pains me that someone this funny has had to open for the mayor of lowbrow comedy.

There is so much focus placed on the music and film aspects of South by Southwest that sometimes comedy gets lost in the shuffle. Stand-up comedy is one of those experiences that can put a smile on your face or it can be death when the comedian on stage goes into the crowd to find his or her material. It is a slower and much unfunnier death when it comes to improv. However, these comedians can deliver with their talents and I cannot recommend them enough if only because you will find yourself laughing at things that you previously did not find humor in.

[Photo By Dan Queiroz]