The Pop Culture of Gus Lequerica

On a new short note check below the new video of one of our favorite Colombian musicians Vrian , Una Nueva Oportunidad or as is translated in English a New Opportunity; remember that music can transcend the barrier of the language and even if you don’t understand you can enjoy the melodies. If you want to add Vrian just hit on the previous link at the beginning of the article which will lead you to his facebook, Vrian always when he have time replies to his fans in English and Spanish.

Thanks,
Gus

The XIII International Poetry Festival of Cartagena began this Tuesday at the Adolfo Mejia Theater where there is going to be a homage for Cartagena poet Kelly Leon Menaszas author of not well know book at an international level but known in the literary circles of Cartagena. The entrance to the festival it’s free.

After the symbolic representation of giving the keys of the city to the poets, the invited poets will start different forums regarding their works and influences. There are going to be poetry recitals through different scenarios of the city. The list of the poets that will be assisting to the festival are:

Wilson Cardozo (Uruguay)
Elizabeth Neira (Chile) Angélica Murillo (Costa Rica) Amailis Távarez (Puerto Rico)
Kae Morii (Japón)
Iulia Anghelescu (Rumania y Francia)
Eldrid Lunden (Noruega)
Marko Bravos (Italia)
Antonio C. Oliveira (Brasil)
Vladimir Cazé (Brasil)
Douglas Almeida (Brasil)
Delfina Rojas (Brasil)
Jaime Ramos (Venezuela)
Tomás Rosario Vargas (Venezuela)
Gustavo Portella (Venezuela)
Jhon Beeter (Colombia)
Ricardo Barrios (Colombia)
Jaime Arturo Martínez (Colombia)
Zícalo Pinaud (Colombia)
Wilson Morales (Colombia)

Here is another video of Nabonasar Martinez, the young rising  star of baseball in Cartagena, Colombia. Check it below.

Colombian writer and present winner of his novel Romulo Gallego, William Ospina it’s going to be leading the Author America’s Week (Semana Autor de las Americas). The week is planned so that the Cuban scholars as well public as well can have different encounters with the author so they can now more about the story from the writer himself. The event was announced by Jorge Fornet Headmaster of the organization of La Casa de las Americas in a live television broadcast which he made a small synopsis about William Ospina career and previous works published under the house editorial.

The XVII Festival of Accordionists and Song Writers of El Guamo, Bolivar closed with a positive balance because of the massive assistance of the public as well many figures of the Vallenato movement.

Even with all the climatic problems and the road problems people assisted to the annual event to watch perform their favorite singers or as is called in Colombia Vallenateros. The winners were Antonio Maya in the category of amateur accordionist; The Piqueria contest was won by Freddy De Avila and the unpublished song contest was won by Freddy Avila; more information on El Universal.

Even if it’s not the actual dessert in the photo it can give you an idea about the newly invention of four Colombian gastronomy students invented a dessert composed of Viagra and Passion Fruit called Espuma (Eng. transl. Foam) who was exposed in the last week Culinary Fair of Bogota.

Juan Sebastian Gomez one of the creators of the dessert explained that the idea came from an academic project that had the idea to create a meal for seniors and after a brainstorm Espuma was born as an energizing food that seniors can consume to revitalize their sex life in a more delicious manner.

The four students presented their creation in the last Culinary Fair; they said that after experimenting with different flavor and with a large group of volunteers they decided to use Passion Fruit because it was tasty to the plate rather than other contemporary flavors but at the moment of giving samples in the fair they tried to be ethical about the content of the product but they found a niche between woman who liked the product so much that they ate the dessert slowly and tasting every single ounce of the flavor. Sounds crazy but it’s also an innovative idea to consume a pill that sometimes can be taboo regarding some bed manners.

I’ve been a supporter of Judith Pinedo’s administration but this is way too much how can they spend $700.000.000 Pesos (Roughly US$ 400.000) In this awful Christmas “decoration”? Common with that kind of money there should be enough to decorate the entire Downtown of Cartagena and pavement a few of the streets in the city that you can pass by because of the holes and even so far to give one week long breakfast, lunch and dinner for thousands of families but instead all that money was spent to put this shitty ornaments? That smells to me of bad money handling. Shame on you Judith Pinedo

Abelardo Perez Medina one of the most recognized produced of Champeta (A similar genre of Reggaeton in Colombia) was killed in front of his brother yesterday in the sector of Cartagena de Indias known as Los Platanos at 5:10 am in the morning.

The businessman/ producer was killed by a gunman when he was unloading a truck in one of his docks. The killer escaped and there hasn’t been any information regarding his location or any clue about who he was. Abelardo was born in the small town of Bayunca but he lived most of his life in the municipality of Pasacaballos came to Cartagena where he worked in warehouses around the local market, then he became one of the most common known dealers in the market and last he became one of the most popular producers of Champeta around the city by producing albums of El Sajayin, Elio Boom and other musicians of the genre.

His family stated that they didn’t knew if he had enemies and they never heard him saying he was scared of his life by any threat; when the corpse was relocated to the local morgue, the rest of his family came to the place along with his wife and three children; one of his relatives said that Abelardo was robbed twice during the year of 2008.

La música hecha y creada por los jóvenes cartageneros, que alguna vez soñaron con cantar y se lanzaron a la aventura, hoy materializan el sueño y su talento es reconocido en los Premios de la Revista Shock 2009.

Siete grupos de la ciudad están nominados entre las 22 categorías que resalta a lo mejor de la música colombiana. Ellos son: Dragón y Caballero, Neotrópico, Jerau, Frankie Jazz, Rioba, David Milán y la cuota folclórica con Totó La Momposina.
Lo mejor es que ninguno compite entre sí. Cada artista o grupo está nominado en categorías diferentes, mostrando la variedad de la música que se hace en la ciudad.
Esta sería la octava entrega de los galardones a lo mejor de la música colombiana que se realizará el próximo siete de octubre en el Palacio de los Deportes de Bogotá.

El jurado será el propio público, pues desde el pasado fin de semana, a través de la página web www.premiosshock.com.co, podrán votar por sus artistas nominados favoritos.
Los Premios Shock no podían ser ajenos al reciente fallecimiento del Rey del Pop, Michael Jackson, por lo que el show central estará dedicado a él.

Dragón y Caballero están nominados en tres categorías: Mejor Artista o Agrupación Urban Style, Mejor Canción Radio por “Fruta Prohibida” y Mejor Álbum del Año con “Se siente bien”.

Neotrópico está nominado en la categoría Mejor Artista o Agrupación Pura Sabrosura con el primer álbum “El trópico nunca sonó igual”, que contiene éxitos como “Sube y baja”, “Candelilla” o “Pedacito de cielo”. “El simple hecho de la nominación ya es un triunfo”, expresa Roberto López, vocalista y compositor de la agrupación, quien no oculta su emoción porque este año los grupos y movimientos cartageneros están pisando fuerte en la música colombiana.

Gerardo Rodríguez “Jerau” también concursa en la categoría Mejor Artista o Agrupación Tropical Pop, mientras que la agrupación Rioba, compite en la categoría Mejor Artista o Agrupación vuelta a Rockombia.

En la categoría Mejor Artista o Agrupación Rock, el grupo Frankie Jazz es la cuota cartagenera, de la mano del vocalista José Vergara.

Como Mejor Nuevo Artista o Agrupación, el cartagenero David Milán ocupa una nominación con su álbum “Corazón a mil”. “Siempre es un honor estar nominado en los premios nacionales y más aún, cuando los premios son un reconocimiento del público”, expresa el cantante.

Totó La Momposina, oriunda de Talaigua, corregimiento de Mompox, está nominada en la categoría Mejor Disco de Folclor.

Entre los artistas nacionales nominados, la contienda está entre la música pop de la caleña Fanny Lu y el vallenato de Silvestre Dangond, con cuatro nominaciones cada uno.

I rarely speak bad against my home city but at least the concert of Placido Domingo held in Cartagena went well but he was amazed by the city in fact he was amazed by the touristic zone and the old city, the classical facade when important people go to Cartagena de Indias they just see 1% of the city and not the real city which is immerse in an ocean of poverty and desperation for many people because they’ll see the same thing over and over and dreaming of becoming someone beyond their status is something that they can dream off but in reality is another story, is quite a complex story difficult to understand except if you have live it.

No doubt that Cartagena is magical, I miss the sunsets and I dream of the beaches, I dream of the stories that the city has to tell every night before I go to bed but the reality of the city is quite different from what it’s show in the media and I even compare it with Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories because it has a few elements that you will see in the game and you wont think it you will see the elements in reality. Like the hegemony of the families in the politic circles, the mafia, the common criminality, the irrespective for your fellow men and woman and many more issues; I can keep all night long speaking about those pieces of information that are seen in the day of Cartagena because it could take me a while to finish them, but it’s true Cartageneros should learn to love more their city and accept the changes that could improve the city because there is potential but is a potential that goes wasted due the reason that the folk are happy with the status quo but at least some people like Confenalco Philarmonic, regional groups and anonymous individuals are trying to make a difference without doing violent acts.

At least Judith Pinedo (the actual mayor) showed Placido a more real side of the city and not the paradise that it’s shown on the travel brochures, he was mesmerized not because of the beauty of the old city or the fictitious beauty of the beach side, Placido was enchanted with the indomitable spirit of the younger generations of Cartageneros and that art isn’t lost in the city and it’s true the beauty of Cartagena de Indias doesn’t lay in the romanced stone it is in the smile and spirit of fight of her people.

El Camellon de los Martires; the place in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia it’s ready for the concert that Placido Domingo it’s going to held tonight along with 70 young musicians from the Comfenalco Youth Philharmonic, orchestra director Eugene Kohn and the soprano Ana Maria Martinez.

Story Developing… 

Somewhere Upon the Roof
I envy those who stayed back at home,
they stayed because of tradition,
they stayed because it was their land,
they dance all night in las calles de la ciudad vieja,
and somewhere upon the roof they keep to manage their desires alive,
we are what we eat,
we are what how we act,
we are what we fight,
and even if it’s difficult to stay faithful to our truths
we keep up there,
and we don’t walk alone those lonely night,
because all those problems seem to be matter of yesterday.