Is Grilled an Option: Willie Bobo and "Broasted or Fried"

Willie Bobo performs today's random tune, called Broasted or Fried. The stage name of William Correa, an Latino percussionist of Puerto Rican ancestry who grew up in New York City's Spanish Harlem. He became a friend and student of Mongo Santamaria in the early 1950s, and performed with Tito Puente from around 1953-57. He was given his stage name by jazz pianist Mary Lou Williams during that era. In the 1960s he reunited with Santamaria and later formed his own band. In the 1970s he moved to Los Angeles, and besides doing his own recordings he also served as a session musician with Carlos Santana, who recorded Evil Ways, originally recorded by Bobo. Willie Bobo succumbed to cancer at the age of 49 in 1983. His son Eric Bobo performs with Cypress Hill and performed with the Beastie Boys on their 1994 Ill Communication. Broasted or Fried can be found on the Willie Bobo and the Bo Gents 1971 album Do What You Want to Do.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Bobo

Monkey Business: Ozomatli and "Chango"

Today's song is by Ozomatli, which plays Latin, hip hop and rock music. Now a six piece ensemble, Ozomatli was formed in Los Angeles in 1995 and have made a name for the wide range of styles that they play such as salsa, jazz, funk, reggae, rap and other genres. Their name comes from the Nahuatl word for the monkey astrological symbol from the Aztec calendar - Ozomatli is the god of dance, new harvest, fire and music. They got an early break when Carlos Santana used them for his opening act on his 1998 Supernatural tour. They are also known their social and political activism, including fighting for Latino and workers' rights. This song, Chango, is from their 1998 debut album Ozomatli, and a live version can be found on their 2005 album Live at the Fillmore.

Witchy Women: Daniel Santos and "El Baile de La Lechuza"

We have an oldie for the random song today. El Baile de La Lechuza is by Daniel Santos and the song is from around 1953. Daniel Santos was a Puerto Rican musician whose family moved when he was eight to New York City hoping to escape their poverty. He dropped out of school and starting living on his own when he was fifteen, and one day while singing in his small apartment he was overheard by a member of the group Trio Lirico, who invited him to join their group. During the 1930s, he sang with Cuarteto Flores and solo until drafted for World War II. He received a tribute upon his return to New York City after the war. An ardent Puerto Rican nationalist, he supported the island's independence movement. He also took a keen interest in Cuba and established a residence there, but fell out of favor with dictator Fulgencio Batista in the 1950s. Despite initial support for Fidel Castro's fight against the government and being courted by the Castros and Che Guevara after the Cuban Revolution, he rejected their claims that their revolution was nationalist and declared himself anti-communist. He established a residence in Florida - but in 1991 he collapsed in New York City. He was also suffering some some mental illness including Alzheimers. He died at his ranch in Ocala, Florida in 1992. El Baile de La Lechuza can be found on the 2010 retrospective El Corneta. La Lechuza refers to the Mexican legend of witch women who can turn themselves into giant birds.

And My Mama Cried: El Vez and "En el Barrio"

Happy Independence Day! And what better way to celebrate our multicultural country than with a song from a quintessentially American artist interpreted by a Mexican-American! Today's random song is by El Vez, also known as Robert Lopez. Lopez was part of the punk group The Zeros and later became El Vez, the Chicano Elvis. More than just an Elvis impersonator, El Vez also performs other major rock icons including David Bowie, Iggy Pop, John Lennon, and Bob Dylan, mixing them with his own Mexican-American musical traditions. He also is known for the satire and humor in his songs, which also often express his revolutionary views. This song, En el Barrio, can be found on his 2012 compilation album How Great Thou Art - The Greatest Hits of El Vez. This video is in Spanish - there is also an English language music video here:

Sister Act: The Sisters Morales and "La Mucura"

The Sisters Morales, originally from Tucson, Arizona are featured on the random tune for today. The siblings grew up learning traditional Mexican music and used that base to develop a pop sound. However, after high school they went their separate ways until 1989, when Roberta sang background vocals for a band that Lisa had formed. They decided to form a band together, including Lisa's husband on guitar, and moved to Houston where they attracted some interest from Nashville labels. They ultimately stayed independent and now operate from San Antonio, Texas. This song, La Mucura, can be found on their 2008 CD Talking to the River.

Lounging Around: Charanga Cakewalk and "La Cumbia Lounge"

Charanga Cakewalk, performer of today's random tune, is the brainchild of Michael Ramos, a Latino Chicano Mexican who also describes himself as a citizen of the world. A once sideman and rocker who played with John Mellencamp, Paul Simon, Patty Griffin and others and was a sometime member of the BoDeans and The Rembrandts, he maintained a keen interest in the Latino music of his childhood. Ramos has made Charanga Cakewalk the leading proponent of a style called "cumbia lounge." Within his musical landscapes, you might hear tejano, flamenco, merengue, salsa, garage rock, ska and reggaeton. Charanga Cakewalk has released three albums. La Cumbia Lounge is from his 2004 album Loteria De La Cumbia Lounge.

At the Movies: Charanga Cakewalk and "El Cine"

The title of today's random tune, El Cine, reminds me that I haven't been to a movie in a while. My wife and I used to go to at least one movie a week, but as our lives have gotten busier our movie watching has gotten more rare. Even with the advent of streaming video, we haven't really made a lot of time to see movies. It's gotten to the point that when Academy Award season rolls around, we usually have only seen one or two of the ten movies nominated for best picture. However, we do try to catch the live action and animated shorts - and I find that I really look forward to those. Just as the short story is an under-appreciated literary art form, the short film is not given its proper due, particularly in the artistry involved to present a full story in 5 to 25 minutes.

I am also woefully ignorant on Latin American cinema, even though I know that there are classic films from those regions. Some of the newer directors I know, such as Alfonso Cuarón, and some of the newer stars. But classic Latin American cinema is something that has eluded me. I am not proud of this - but it only points toward the necessity of me exploring these cultural art forms.

El Cine is by Charanga Cakewalk, which is the brainchild of Michael Ramos, a Latino Chicano Mexican who also describes himself as a citizen of the world. A once sideman and rocker who played with John Mellencamp, Paul Simon, Patty Griffin and others and was a sometime member of the BoDeans and The Rembrandts, he maintained a keen interest in the Latino music of his childhood. Ramos has made Charanga Cakewalk the leading proponent of a style called cumbia lounge. Within his musical landscapes, you might hear tejano, flamenco, merengue, salsa, garage rock, ska and reggaeton. Charanga Cakewalk has released three albums. El Cine is from his 2006 album Chicano Zen.

Police Brutality: Charanga Cakewalk and "El Ballad de José Campos Torres"

Today's song, El Ballad de José Campos Torres, sounds deceptively mellow - like a song one would like to relax to on a Saturday evening while playing a mix of similar, low-key music during a sunset. And maybe that's the point, because the name of José Campos Torres symbolizes anything but mellow and relaxing times.

In 1977, Houston police picked up José Campos Torres, a 23 year old Vietnam veteran, on a disorderly conduct charge. They took him to a waterway called Buffalo Bayou, where they proceeded to beat him and inflict serious injuries. After the beating, they took him to the city jail, but the jail refused to admit him due to his injuries. The cops were ordered to take him to the hospital, but instead they took him back to the bayou, handcuffed him and dumped him into the water. One of the cops supposedly said "Let's see if the wetback can swim." After a trial of the police officers on state murder charges, they were convicted of negligent homicide, given one year of probation and fined $1 each. A year later, they were brought up on federal civil rights charges and convicted, with each serving 9 months in prison.

The story attached to this song hits close to home, given that I live in Albuquerque and our police are under investigation by the Justice Department. Since 2010, officers of the Albuquerque Police Department have shot and killed 27 people. These shootings and the investigation into the police have been covered by Albuquerque media, including KUNM, and by national media as well. The most notorious shooting was of a homeless man, James Boyd, who was shot and killed while apparently surrendering to police. Other shootings by APD include a man in his own back yard, and a young woman running from an officer who brought her down but apparently didn't turn on his lapel video camera. All of this, coupled with the recent national discussion focusing on the police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson and about the militarization of police forces nationwide during the War on Terror continues to shine a spotlight on the role of the police. Are they our guardians, or should we be guarding ourselves from the police? And if you are a minority, are you automatically targeted? This discussion isn't just happening in the United States. The recent conviction of Oskar Pistorious in South Africa on lesser charges after shooting his girlfriend through a bathroom door (by a black judge) has reignited questions of whites in that country automatically get the benefit of the doubt in criminal cases. The fact that in this country, blacks comprise about 13 percent of the total population but about 40 percent of the total prison population may hint at many things - the role that poverty has on our minority communities for one, but also the way that police view minority communities for another. If anything, El Ballad de José Campos Torres can remind us that until we are all treated in similar fashion as guaranteed to all US citizens under the Constitution, regardless of whether we are shopping, driving, or getting picked up on suspicion of a crime, the United States will always still have a way to go to live up to its full potential as a democracy.

El Ballad de José Campos Torres is by Charanga Cakewalk. Charanga Cakewalk is the brainchild of Michael Ramos, a Latino Chicano Mexican who also describes himself as a citizen of the world. A once sideman and rocker who played with John Mellencamp, Paul Simon, Patty Griffin and others and was a sometime member of the BoDeans and The Rembrandts, he maintained a keen interest in the Latino music of his childhood. Ramos has made Charanga Cakewalk the leading proponent of a style called cumbia lounge. Within his musical landscapes, you might hear tejano, flamenco, merengue, salsa, garage rock, ska and reggaeton. Charanga Cakewalk has released three albums. El Ballad de José Campos Torres is from his 2006 album Chicano Zen.

Lucha Libre: Los Straitjackets and Dame una Seña

Once I watched a documentary called Super Amigos about some Mexican luchadores (wrestlers) that had taken up the mantle of superheroes.  One took up the rights of animals and called himself Super Animal.  Another was all about the rights of the poor and called himself Super Barrio.  The third was concerned about the environment and called himself Ecologista Universal, and a fourth was a champion of gay rights and called himself Super Gay.  A fifth called himself Fray Tormenta, a priest who took up wrestling and used the profits to build two orphanages.  They traveled across Mexico to bring to light that country's serious social problems.

The only reason I bring this up is that today's featured band, Los Straitjackets, wear Mexican luchador masks as a part of their stage show.  What this is supposed to mean, I'm not sure.  When I saw Super Amigos, I was made aware of the rich and colorful history of Mexican wrestling and the characters of the wrestlers within it.  Luchadores come in two main types, the bad guys who do not play by the rules, and the good guys who are very technical and stay within the rules.  The characters are as well or better known than their American counterparts in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and often take on a heroic persona through their matches, tie in comics and other media.  The mask, while not universally used, is usually a prized possession and losing the mask in a match (an unmasking) is a terrible loss and insult.

I don't know if this is what Los Straitjackets was going for in their costuming, which consists of dark clothing, large medallions and luchador masks.  If it is, they are suggesting that they are heroic rockers, masked crusaders for justice, rough and tough and willing to take all comers.  Or, they could have just been trying to look cool for the stage show.

Los Straitjackets started in Nashville in 1988 and has released 13 albums.  An instrumental band, they began to gain a following after the movie Pulp Fiction brought a surf-oriented sound back in the limelight.  Their stage shows are apparently something to see - only band member Danny Amis speaks and does so in bad Spanish.  Many might remember their appearances on Conan O'Brien's late night show, in particular as his regular holiday band in the late 1990s.

This song, Dame Una Seña (Give Me a Sign), is from their 2007 album Rock en Español, Vol 1.  The album consists of 1950s and 60s English language rock tunes as Spanish language covers.  Vocals are provided by guest vocalists including Little Willie G. of Thee Midniters, Cesar Rosas of Los Lobos, and on this song, Big Sandy of Big Sandy and his Fly-Rite Boys.

Wasn't Much Into Elvis, but El Vez? En el Barrio, by El Vez

Elvis was a little before my time.  Born in 1963, I came in on the tail end of the music that defined a generation.  Elvis in the 50s and all the psychedelic rock and protest rock of the 60s only came into my awareness when they were already somewhat antiquated.  My musical tastes ran into the progressive rock of the 70s, a smattering of disco and funk, and finally into some of the new wave of the 80s along with punk and post punk.

Elvis was already old news when I was listening to music.  Sure, I knew Jailhouse Rock and Blue Suede Shoes, but I didn't appreciate them for what they were...they were already oldies but goodies.  But I can say the Elvis song that did make an impression on me was In the Ghetto.  In the Ghetto coincided with the comeback of Elvis in 1969, and I probably heard it later in the 70s on a radio station.  Having only known Elvis through his rockabilly, I didn't know that he could sing songs like that - a song with a story of poverty and hardship.  It might seem trite, but I grew up in a small town and had never considered such things before.  Poverty and ghettos were things that appeared on the nightly news, but were not present in my day to day reality.  The circle of life, poverty, crime and death outlined in the song was something outside my world, but the way Elvis sang it was very compelling and drew your attention.

I also knew about the Elvis impersonators, and even have a friend who played guitar for one in Wisconsin.  But even though I shouldn't have been, I was surprised and taken a little aback to find that there was a Latino version, a man named Robert Lopez who was part of the punk group The Zeros and who became El Vez, the Chicano Elvis.  More than just an impersonator, El Vez also performs other major rock icons including David Bowie, Iggy Pop, John Lennon, and Bob Dylan.  I had no idea about him until a DJ friend gave my wife and I a collection of covers of various song by artists around the world.  This collection had things like The Beatles singing their hits in German, and also foreign artists covering various rock standards.  While listening, when the first chords of En el Barrio came up I recognized it for what it was, and then realized it was not Elvis but someone singing it quite well in Spanish.

Unfortunately, I was not able to find the Spanish version online, but at least I have El Vez singing in English with his backup singers, the Elvettes.

Of course, we don't speak of ghettos anymore, where "colored" people live and work.  Our consciousness has raised so that the ghettos became inner-cities and colored people became black and brown, and the African-Americans and Latinos/Hispanics.  All of that is good, but as one who has lived in the inner-city for more of his adult life than not, the cycle that In the Ghetto and En el Barrio chronicles is still active.  Children are still born, and mommas still cry because they don't have enough to feed them, and sometimes we see, and sometimes we turn our heads and look the other way just like Elvis and El Vez sing.