por Annalis Flores
John Santos (sitting playing congas left) with actor Andy García (playing bongos left). (PHOTO BY MARVIN RAMIREZ)
Legendary Afro-Latin percussionist and fi ve-time Grammy nominee, John Santos, recently held a press conference to oppose the elimination of 31 categories from the Grammy’s.
This is the first of many conferences, which will be held across the country. Personal and read statements were presented in this public forum held at Yoshi’s world famous Jazz club in Oakland. Santos is a respecter performer, writer, and composer. He has collaborated with many artists including Omar Sosa Quintet, Tito Puente, Danilo Perez, Mark Levine, and many, many more.
Although not a huge crowd was present, many independent writers and radio stations were among the crowd who are outraged by the elimination of the Latin Jazz categories eliminated by National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS). Santos stated, Boricua lawyer, Vylma Ortiz offered to “take a look at the NARAS bylaws, just in case, an is on standby for whatever might come up.”
On another note, Santos and his Sextet released Filosofía Caribeña Vol.1. This marks Machete Records 210’s 11th release, which is “John’s work-in progress of the last year-and-a-half.
The album “gives a hint of the dominant political overtones of the thematic content” which was in cooperation with Eastside Cultural Center in Oakland and commissioned by the East Bay Community Foundation, the National Association of Latino arts and Culture, the Ford Foundation, and individual donors.
Santos most recently held a Jazz Appreciation class at the Healdsburg Center for the Arts. “The Anatomy of Latin Jazz” was a lecture that featured rare recordings of Santos’ collection. His lecture was to include the “ever-growing awareness of Latin American roots in U.S. pop culture” as well as the musical elements and its important role. This once in a lifetime event was sure to answer many questions to fans of Latin Jazz.
Celebrities present at NMAL Final Report
Eva Longoria and Emilio Estefan celebrated the delivery of the Final Report of the National Museum of the American Latino (NMAL). Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Congressional leaders were among the guests at the ceremonies held at the White House and on Capitol Hill. Under congressionallyestablished and presidentially-appointed, Chairman Henry R. Muñoz, the task will be to “study the potential of a national museum dedicated to the art, culture, and history of the Latino Community in the United States.”
According to Secretary Salazar, “With the creation of a national museum rooted here, in our nation’s capital, the contributions of Latinos will forever be recognized and woven into the American story.” This moment will forever be remembered in the nations diverse history.
Golinger speak at the Mission
With a life in the investigative world of journalism, Eva Golinger made a stop at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts on May 12 courtesy of The Task Force on the Americas, the Bay Area Latin America Solidarity Coalition, and MCCLA. Golinger is 2009 winner of the International Award for Journalism in Mexico.
The Venezuelan- American attorney from New York is currently living in the city of Caracas, Venezuela. Her best-selling books have gone on to have great praise as Golinger analyzes and writes of the US intervention in Venezuela. With an introduction by Consul Generl of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Martin Sanchez, Eva Golinger went on to talk “on Wikileaks and the Empire’s Web.
