The Save Our Centro Coalition is a member of the National Association of Latino Arts and Cuture

ART

CULTURE

ACTIVISM

The Save Our Centro Coalition is a member of the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture.

SOCC Newsletter

AUGUST 2005

SOCC MEMBER HAPPENINGS

MUSICA

Chunky Sanchez and Los Alacranes went to Denver in April to pay respect to their friend Corky Gonzales and perform at the funeral of the beloved Chicano hero. They were joined in Denver by members of the Raza Rights Coalition.

Local Latin music sensation, Bill Caballero, is making a mark on the transborder music scene. He was coordinator for the 2005 San Diego Latino Film Festivals Sonido Latino live music series, and his sizzling 20-piece group, Orquesta Binacional de Mambo, continues to dazzle audiences in San Diego and Tijuana. The OBdM and Bill's other groups, Trece de la Suerte and the Caballero-Verde Quintet, performed in this summer's Balboa Park summer organ pavilion concert series. He has also recently begun a booking agency called Latin Music Productions. Bill just returned for a trom a tour of Hawaii backing local hero Quino, the former frontman of Big Mountain.

VICTOR OCHOA CROSS-COUNTRY TRIP

Victor Ochoa has just returned from a cross-country mural painting trip with his son Victor Jr. He completed a beautiful community mural in San Antonio in conjunction with San Anto Cultural Arts and continued on to Austin, St.Louis, Denver, Iowa, Arizona and NYC. He is currently suing the Centro for confiscation and destruction of his artwork. Victor is a founder and former Executive Director of the Centro.

KEEP ON CROSSIN'

The Museum of Contemporary Art has requested materials from Perry Vasquez and Victor Payan's Keep on Crossin' project for their permanent collection. The Keep on Crossin' Manifesto was also published in the City Works Press anthology, Sunshine Noir, for which Perry was commissioned to provide the cover art. Also, look for the Keep on Crossin' dude to be included in the upcoming "What's Not to Love" exhibit at the Galeria de la raza in San Francisco.

AZTEC GOLD WITH LOU CHALIBRE

Payan, Pocha and Isaac Artenstein were awarded a development deal for their cultural television program Aztec Gold with Lou Chalibre. The show, an irreverent guide to everything that matters in Latino culture, is hosted by a masked Mexican wrestler. Recent interviewees include Jack Black, Sergio Aragones, Gilbert and Jaime Hermandez. Victor also recently published a cover story about Lalo Guerrero for San Diego City Beat and has an article on Mexican film in the July/August issue of The Independent magazine. Sandra's article "The Self Help Graphics Crisis: Lessons from San Diego," published in La Prensa de San Diego, was widely read in the L.A. Chican@ art community.

NALAC LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

Sandra and Endy Bernal recently completed the NALAC Leadership Institute in San Antonio and have returned as stronger arts administrators and community leaders to serve the community. Endy is currently working at the Sherman Heights Youth Leadership Center.

VALERIE ARANDA BACK FROM ITALY

Valerie Aranda has completed a stint teaching art in Italy. She will be returning to Georgia to teach at Georgia College and State University, where Richard Lou is chair of the Art Department.

Marco Anguiano, director of the Adams Avenue Business Association, is currently battling cancer. Known for his work in building community and nurturing performers as an organizer for Chicano Park Day and as director of the Adams Avenue Street Fair and the Adams Avenue Roots Festival, Marco is receiving much love and support from friends in this struggle. In his work as an organizer, Marco has helped bring performers such as Lila Downs, Flaco Jimenez, El Vez, Quetzal, Rosie Flores, Fuga, the Texmaniacs, Los Mocosos. The Blazers and the late great Lalo Guerrrero to San Diego. He has also provided important exposure for numerous local groups.

Update:

Sadly, our dear friend Marco Anguiano lost his battle with cancer. Marco was a great friend, a talented organizer and an articulate SOCC member, who dedicated his life to the empowerment of the community through activism, principled struggle and the arts.

Click here to read his obituary in the San Diego Union Tribune.

Click Here For More SOCC News:

Brown Berets Celebrate Boycott Anniversary

SOCC artists work with homeless youth to create digital mural for MCASD

5th Annual International Women's Day Celebration

Photos from the Madre Tierra Virgen de Guadalupe Exhibit at Chicano Perk Cafe y Cultura

SOCC members participate in the Hecho en Califas Summit at La Peña Cultural Center

and more!

SOCC VENUES SERVE THE COMMUNITY

CHICANO PERK CAFE PREPS FOR NATIONAL CITY EXPANSION

Ildi and Rene from Chicano Perk Cafe have just announced plans to open a Chicano Perk venue in National City. The new cafe and performance venue will feature the same high quality service and community mission as the original cafe, and SOCC member Brent Beltran and the Red Calaca Arts Collective are onboard to schedule the programming. Expect the cafe to open this fall. In the meantime, they invite you to their current location to enjoy a beverage or participate in their diverse programming, which includes exhibits, performances, an open mic, a Latina book club and community meetings. Recent events at Chicano Perk include a forum with Senator Denise Moreno Ducheny and an exhibit of works by photographer Jimmy Dorantes. Congrats to Ildi and Rene for being nominated as "Outstanding Businessperson" for the 2005 Premios Latinos GLBT Latino awards. For more information, visit http://www,chicanoperk.com.

HOT MONKEY LOVE CAFE

Another SOCC venue, the Hot Monkey Love Cafe, is celebrating its third anniversary in August. Co-owners Alma and Rick Felan have created an all-ages performance venue that has become a home to many young poets, songwriters and touring rock, punk, jazz, Latin, hip hop and acoustic bands. Recent guest performers at the cafe include Def Poetry Jam regular Reg E. Gaines and bluesman Little Pink Anderson. Their current line-up includes live jazz, blues, a Wednesday Puerto Rican buffet with live music by Manny Cepeda, and the popular Everythings Aloud open mic hosted by Victor Payan. Located near SDSU, the Hot Monkey Love is also available to community groups for meetings and fundraisers. For more information, please visit http://www.hotmonkeylovecafe.com.

IN MEMORIUM

Marco Anguiano
1952-2005

Click here to dowload the event program for the Marco Anguiano memorial Celebration of Life, Sunday, Sept 4, 2005, 1 pm at Chicano Park

To contact SOCC members, please email info@saveourcentro.org or visit the links page at www.saveourcentro.org.