Maybe this hasn't made it to the corporate media. So, here it goes.

 Yoanis Sánchez, once again, demonstrates her strength in character and her professionalism, leaving popularity aside. What this Cuban blogger does is inform all of the world, literally, of what and how things happen in Cuba.

Our environment is full of images, most of them commercial images that promote consumerism. What happens when we find a contradiction among these? 

Graffiti allows for a direct communication with a large audience audience- this is what I want to express, you cannot ignore it, think about it as you wish.  It challenges the dominant culture- it's not commercial; this does not need the approval from an art critic; it may be anti-aesthetical, so what? Let yourself think differently, don't let others think for you. It treats everyone as "creative equals"- if I can paint over a wall, you can too! It's also irreverent- I do it because I want and I can.

(Title quote by Silberio Servio Morales, Costa Rican shaman from the Bribri population)

 

In my previous post , I observed how culture has been commoditized mainly by the structures of power, to sell an idea of "what and who we are" to outsiders.

 

Why do I consider this to be important? Well, because the arts are an essential element of culture, of how our identity is being expressed in an abstract way, and which both insiders and outsiders interpret subjectively. Unfortunately, the arts are being carefully controlled by higher authorities, which to a great extent determine what is presented to different audiences depending on how good that makes them look.

What's the best from Mexico?" asked a friend to his brother who had just returned from a week-trip. "Culture," answered him without giving a chance to his brother. "More than that", he added, "how they have made money with it."

 You board one of those tour buses that show you around the city, then go to the pyramids, perhaps to Cancún or Acapulco. Drink enough tequila for the rest of your life, and sing with the Mariachis on the street. They sell you all of that.

You would probably argue that that is not the essence of the Mexican people. Of course there's more than what I just mentioned, from the way problems are solve on a day to day basis, to what people think of the crimes happening in Ciudad Juárez and the networks of human trafficking .

 

Is it good? Is it bad?

 

 A collection of sounds and silences. Our inner rhythm. The air and wind. The way we walk. Our gestures. How our body moves every day. Our breathing, smelling, seeing, tasting. The collection of the everyday through our senses. Experimentation. Accidents. Improvisation!

 

Music cannot be something that exists in our minds. It's not the little black dots on a paper. Music is seeing, tasting,

I want to share a short video that describes the work of the organization 100 Families Oakland.

Basically, families from Oakland come to together and through guidance from professionals create art. In so doing, they share their life stories with their communities, and therefore, create a more solid relationship with their immediate community instilling values such as solidarity, understanding, cooperation, dialogue, and much more. They create meaning within their family and open a dialogue with the greater community.

There exists a place where Israelis, Germans, Palestinians, Lebanese, and Arabs coexist in true harmony: the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra.

Founded in 1999, Daniel Barenboim conducts the orchestra. Let's get this straight: Barenboim was born in Argentina to Jewish-Russian parents, and later on studied conduction with a German master (Could it get any more complicated?).This world-known conductor and pianist created this multicultural orchestra with the help of Edward Said, author of Orientalism and a pro-Palestine activist.

This world is full of stereotypes. Unnecessary stereotypes. When my mom has to answer every time that mine and my sister's profession is being musicians, many ask again "but, what do they do for a living?." So it seems that musicians (and artists for that matter) are barely human beings; we are often tagged as drug addicts, alcoholics, good-for-nothing, unproductive, lazy people. What many don't realize is that looking for gigs, studying every day, auditioning for a position in orchestras, going to workshops around the world, and teaching--ALL AT THE SAME TIME!--is exhausting. It is our job, and we take it seriously. We are in charge of giving people the gift to appreciate music.

 

Freedom of speech? Being able to leave your country whenever you want? Give your opinion in public without being pinpointed as a deserter? Have contact with the outter world through the web?

All of these are not an option in Cuba. At least not for Yoani Sánchez , a prominent Cuban blogger. For your reference, recently I made available to all Weave followers a video and a short comment about blogging at the most controversial island of the world.

Have you ever wondered how Cubans connect with the world?

Here is an answer.

 (the video comes with English subtitles!!)

According to the Decree no. 209/1996 of the Cuban Constitution, Cubans can access to information over the internet-if, that is, they are lucky enough to have access to a computer with internet and if the speed is decent.  However, the use of this information is regulated by state authorities in function to Cuban national interests.

-Spanish version below-

The recent negotiations surrounding the case of the coup in Honduras failed. The Nobel Peace Prize winner, Oscar Arias Sánchez, also president of the Republic of Costa Rica, could not deal with the absolutist whims of a group of two-faced politicians.

There was everything  but negotiation in Costa Rica... many of us already knew that the Gorilettis would not let anything

Over the past 10 days I have been debating on what to write regarding the critical situation Honduras is going through (find here a summary of events ). On Sunday, June 28th, Honduras went back about 20 years, when democracy was a puppet manipulated by the military. There was a 48 hour curfew, Hondurans have seen five of their rights interrupted abruptly , various national news channels and radio

A couple of days ago I was startled to hear in one of the most important Costa Rican National newscast (Teletica ) that Costa Rica was ranked by its citizens as the best country in Latin America to live. Really?

According to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB ) , Costa Rica, Venezuela, Guatemala and Mexico are the most optimistic nations of the Americas; on the other hand, Chile, Paraguay,

Although we hear about the current financial crisis everyday in the news, and talk about it with professors, friends, colleagues, etc., not very often pictures come to our head.

So here are some references from around the world that demonstrate that, maybe next time, we should be more careful about how we play with money and people's lives. 

Scenes from the recession 

It seems that the communist fear inspired by the United States throughout the world is now ending. People want change. They have chosen change: starting with Chávez in Venezuela, Ortega in Nicaragua,Morales in Bolivia, and Lugo in Paraguay. Others like Correa in Ecuador, Vázquez in Uruguay, Bachelet in Chile, and Kirchner in Argentina,are more center-left, and more cautious with their

**Versión en español abajo**

A couple of weeks ago I came across an article on the online newspaper Nuestro Pais that announced the layoff of 96 workers from one of the biggest and most influential newspapers in Costa Rica, La Nación . Many have attributed the situation to the present economic crisis, which has definitely reached the country in many other different ways. As I read the article, I was then drawn to a deeper issue: the newspaper’s printing had decreased significantly since the referendum on October 7, 2007. La Nación went from printing 130 thousand papers per day to 76 thousand in January 2009. Al Día , another major newspaper that belongs to La Nación’s chain, went from 70 thousand to 30 thousand papers in the same period of time.

**Versión en Español disponible abajo.

It all started back in 2003. Demonstrations, negotiations, graffiti, “patriotic committees”, questions, answers, alternatives, new political figures, a memorandum and a referendum. All of these revolve around three letters: FTA.