Tag Archives: entertainment

New Skate Park

We are soooo happy about the new skate park that was built late last year right on the beach in Playa Norte, accessible from the malecón. Built with federal funds and after lots of campaigning by the city’s young people, it is a MUCH-needed space for teenagers to gather, stay out of harm’s way, and get some exercise.

Every morning when we take our walk, we’re amazed that there are kids out there fooling around so early. They’re on BMX bikes, inline skates, as well as skate boards. They have their music blasting, and it’s terrific to see all those smiling faces and physically active kids!

We’ve been a bit worried that construction didn’t seem to include reinforcement of the underlying structure, which to us seems really weathered and rusted, but so far the structure seems stable and the park itself, with its ramps and jumps, seems highly successful.

The first major event we know about occurred when we were out of town: Urban Fest on December 17, with break dancers and graffiti artists as well as skateboarders. We heard the turnout was great; a wonderful kickoff to the new space!

One day last week when Danny was running he met a lady who told him that she and her three children had lived for 32 years in the abandoned beachfront building that is now under the new skate park! That space is open to the elements, frequently floods with the tide coming in, and as far as we know there is no running water or sewer nearby, so it must have been quite a tough life for her raising three children there. She makes her living by selling fresh coconuts, and fortunately she told Danny that her business is on the uptake now with the skate park there. The other good news is that, when the government kicked her out in order to build the skate park, they gave her land and a two-room house. Now she has much better living conditions as well as a better income. Sometimes things work out.

Anyway, this last week Friday we were eating at Puerto Azul on the malecón. We were psyched because in addition to the incredibly beautiful view and perfectly sunny day, there was great music coming from the skate park next door. A huge crowd gathered, and it felt like the vibra of the old, pre-economic crash Mazatlán that we miss so much! Luckily for us, that afternoon was the “Reyes de la Calle” skateboard tournament. We enjoyed an incredible show of skateboard and in-line skate tricks, as well as BMX bike acrobatics and spray paint artistry, while we ate our shrimp and fish. Mazatlecos placed first and third in the competition, and there were about 100 kids who participated.

Below are two videos, made by young Mazatlecos, about the skate park. Enjoy! ¡Viva el Skate Park Mazatlán!

El Faro/The Lighthouse

At 160 meters above sea level, the El Faro de Mazatlán is said to be the highest naturally located lighthouse in the world. I don’t know for sure that this is true, but neither can I find evidence to contradict it (see my notes on Gibraltar at the end of this post). What I do know is that a hike up our beloved El Faro hill is WELL worth it. In every season of the year it is gorgeous!

The view from the top of the hill is of course SPECTACULAR. You can look west to the Sierras, out over the city and waterways of Mazatlán, or east to the vast expanse of the Pacific. It’s a great place to sit and have a picnic, and take some panoramic photos of the pristine beaches of Isla de la Piedra while they remain undeveloped.

Your hike up the hill will only take 15-20 minutes. There are plenty of people who run the route. It starts out as a dirt path, and higher up turns into about 300 concrete steps which wind their way around a few switchbacks. Each turn and each elevation provides you a different vantage, and all are delightful. It’s as pretty on a clear day as on the rare cloudy or rainy one.

You’ll see ferries, cargo ships, shrimping boats, fishing boats, party boats, sailboats, and pangas.

You start your hike on the east side of the port. This is where many of the fishing excursions and party boats load their passengers, and there are a few dry docks and boat repair facilities to catch your interest.

At the entrance to the lighthouse walk, at the base in front of the port, is a coconut seller. You might want to join him for some refreshment on the way up or down.

The flora and fauna on your hike will delight your senses. In the early spring the cacti bloom. The green contrasting with the brilliant blue of the ocean will make you so glad you came! In just about any season of the year you’ll see something flowering.



We climb the lighthouse hill at least once a week, we enjoy it that much. Two weeks ago I told everyone we were “Wasting Away Again in I-gu-a-na-ville,” because we saw at least eight different iguanas sunning themselves during our climb to the top. We saw lime green, deep green, yellow, orange, brown and black iguanas.

This week I had to change that to “Arañaville,” as the spiders were out spinning their webs in whatever direction you cared to look. It was incredibly gorgeous!

Along the route people have graffitied the stairs. Near the top of the stairs is one of my favorites: a Spanish lesson. It teaches the difference between “top” and “abyss,” which sound similar in Spanish (or at least the Mexican version of the language).

Once you reach the top, and after you take in the view to your heart’s desire, there is also a trail that takes you down behind the lighthouse, on the other side. There are several resting places, and a steep climb involving rope at one point that leads down to the water.

Here you can see our much-worshipped cervecería, the Modelo beer brewery, from lighthouse hill.

NOTE: The highest lighthouse in the world, some have told me, is the Europa Point lighthouse on Gibraltar. However, though the Rock of Gibraltar is 426 meters high, the lighthouse is located on the waterfront, not the top. There is only an aviation beacon at the top of the Rock of Gibraltar. Thus, I’m not sure how our local El Faro ranks globally. It may indeed be the highest.

Oh What a Night! • Día de la Música 2011

 

Oh what a night! One of our favorite events all year, this year was fantastic as usual. The winning combination?

  • Five open-air stages with 20 bands performing throughout the night
  • A sixth open-air venue, this one where we could watch visual artists create
  • Perfect weather, including a gorgeous moon
  • Mazatlán’s beautiful architecture and the ocean waves as a backdrop
  • The fun-loving, joyous, quick to laugh and dance-till-they-drop Mazatlecos
  • Enough of a crowd to feel the pulsating energy, yet uncrowded enough that you can find a good seat, a terrific view, and enjoy a good drink, cena or botanas…

I have not danced, sweated and laughed so much in a while. Thank you, Mazatlán! Below is my two-minute highlight of the evening. After you click “play” you can toggle to view in HD.

Twenty musical groups performed last evening between 7 pm and about 1 am. Those performing on Escenario Paseo Olas Altas (Banda y Tropical):

  1. Ensamble de percusiones
  2. Banda la Mazatleca
  3. Grupo Fussion (my personal favorite of the evening)

Performing on the Escenario Machado:

  1. Coro Guillermo Sarabia
  2. Camerata Mazatlán
  3. Pumcayo
  4. The Sconek-T
  5. Klezmerson
Performing on Calle Niños Heroes and Mariano Escobedo, the Escenario Rock y Tendencias:
  1. Venus Rex Machina
  2. Claussen
  3. Carlitos Ojos Rojos
  4. Los Insensatos
  5. Dapuntobeat
Performing on Calle Venustiano Carranza, in front of the Art Museum (Música del Recuerdo):
  1. Suncai Gitano (they were very good also)
  2. Grupo Fussion (they performed on two stages)
  3. La Negra, La Blanca y La Redonda
  4. Zarzuela al Piano
On Calle Venus, entre Constitución y Sixto Osuna (Escenario Fusión), were:
  1. Chadoma Social Club
  2. The Lori Davidson Group
  3. Radio 3
  4. Belle et Fou Texas
Visual artists at A la Vuelta de Venus:
  1. Carlos Olvera
  2. Ster Aguirre
  3. Dave Gamez
  4. Hello Sobre
  5. Iván Lizarraga
  6. Rodolfo Loaiza
  7. Iván Mayorquín
  8. Nava One
  9. Bacse
  10. Mayk Silvas C.
  11. Angelferd
  12. Salomon Cusehr
  13. Ferruco
  14. Norte 23
  15. Alex Knives
  16. Julio Montero
  17. Pablo Llamas
  18. Crisarth
  19. Paulina Rueda
  20. El Dante
  21. Roberto Vásquez
  22. Braulio Armenta
Link to our friend Nancy’s blog entry on last night’s events. She has some very nice quality video.

 

Perfume de Gardenia

Who doesn’t love live theater, and last week it was even better because we were able to witness a bit of Mexican history and nostalgia, too. The traveling show “Perfume de Gardenia” was in town at the LoboDome. We (thankfully) went to the early show on Friday night. More about that later!

The show included fantastic costumes, great music, dancing, singing, fireworks, and a who’s who of 1950s-70s movie and telenovela stars. I didn’t know many of the stars, and enjoyed watching the audience almost as much as the show itself. So this blog post has been a good chance to learn a bit.

The musical is based on the song of the same name from the Mexican Tropical big band group, La Sonora Santanera. I recommend you hit the song link above, turn on the music, and listen as you read this post.

The band was terrific: a wonderful blast from the past and at the same time music we all still love to move to (danzón, mambo, bolero, cumbia, rumba, chachacha). They are definitely getting added to my playlists. La Sonora Santanera was of course founded in the 1950s by Tabascan trumpeteer Carlos Colorado Vera, who was killed in a traumatic accident in his band’s bus in 1986, while departing the Feria de San Marcos. These days it seems there are at least four groups similarly named, one including original survivors, one created by Carlos’ widow and daughter, etc.

The predictable Cinderella-like story is primarily a vehicle for the audience to relive the heyday of some of their favorite stars. It takes place in a nightclub called the Mamboo, and involves a poor and humble yet beautiful and good-hearted girl who works in the club selling cigarettes. Her name is Gardenia, and she is played by telenovela favorite Aracely Arámbura. She seems to be most famous for having dated Luis Miguel; at least that’s what most of my Mexican friends mention first.

The real stars of the show were not the younger actors/singers/dancers in their prime, but rather those who remain in the audience’s heart from decades past.

One huge favorite was María Victoria, who played Gardenia’s mother. At 78 years old she still has an incredible voice as well as quite a trim figure! From Guadalajara, she is most famous for having played the maid “Inocencia” in a 1970s television show. When she appeared on stage the audience erupted in joy and applause. It was honestly delightful. María Victoria wore her trademark “mermaid” dresses (my term for her tight-tight-tight dresses with a flared “tail” at the hem).

One of the big older male draws was Michoacan-born movie and telenovela star Julio Aleman, who played Gardenia’s godfather, Don Ferrucho. Don Ferrucho’s best friend, Don Pedrito, was played by Alejandro Suarez.

60s and 70s Dominican-born sex symbol Andrés García was one of my faves. He played Abundio Sandoval, a famous politician and Mamboo Club regular who even in his old age successfully romances the Club’s star dancer, Miranda. It was classic machísmo at its charming best!

Which brings me to my personal favorite of the evening: Niurka Marcos. She played Miranda Mour, the sexy singing-dancing cabaret star of the Mamboo who gives Gardenia her big break. While I don’t usually go for bombshells, she was just so very comfortable dancing her heart out in only pasties and a thong. The Cubana seemed perfectly suited to her role.

Most of the Mazatlecos I spoke with, however, couldn’t stop talking about “la rubia,” Argentine Roxana Martinez.

Safety and Logistics
Okay, enough of my learning curve about the stars of the show. I also want to comment on some of the logistics. We have some terrific events here in Mazatlán. But, it is my sincere hope that organizers will start to place a higher priority on audience safety.

  1. The most frightening thing for me was the exit: there was one door. It was a double door, but one side of it was blocked shut by cables. So, 1500 people attempted to exit through one very normal sized door. It was not pretty. What would have happened in an emergency? I guess we could have exited through the entrance as well, but there were 1500 more people out that way, waiting to get in.
  2. As we exited, we were walking over light and sound cables taped all over the gym floor. It was so crowded we could not see the floor. There were a lot of older people in the crowd. Most everyone tripped at least once. It was truly a safety hazard.
  3. We guess there were about 1500 people in the LoboDome Friday night. There was ONE restroom for women, and another for men. The women’s restroom had, at best, five stalls. The entrance to the women’s restroom was very narrow — maybe two people could pass in its corridor. But, someone had left a floor polishing machine in the middle of the entrance, so all the women going to the restroom had to climb over it to get in and out! The line was unbelievable. To remedy this, the organizers had placed port-a-potties in the lobby! And, mind you, tickets for this show ranged in price from about US$30 to nearly $100.
  4. The fireworks displays during the show were gorgeous: really, really exciting and beautiful. However, we were in an enclosed space and there was a whooooooole lot of smoke with very little ventilation. My eyes and throat burned for two days afterwards.

I know my community can do better than this! We owe it to the citizens of Mazatlán to raise our safety standards!

And, by the way, why did I say earlier that I was glad we had gone to the early show? The late show was supposed to start at 9:30. We didn’t even leave the first show until maybe 10:15 — 45 minutes past the programmed start of the second show. The venue staff still had to clean up all the trash (vendors walked through the stands as at a sporting event, selling drinks, popcorn and snacks), rearrange the chairs on the floor, and reset the stage. I imagine the earliest that the 9:30 show started was 11:30. I know locals are much more flexible with time than is my German-American mind, but I am so glad I wasn’t standing in line waiting all that time. This is a touring show. Organizers, please include instructions to local venues about how long the show really lasts, and how long it will take to reset the theater for a second show!

Entertainment in Mazatlán
Greg and I were very happy we attended “Perfume de Gardenia.” It was a very enjoyable evening. It also showed us, yet again however, how very fortunate (and spoiled) we are here in Mazatlán. Both of us felt that the quality of the dancing we have here locally, be it Delfosmodern dance or the ballet, is of a higher quality than what we saw in this touring national show. The band was terrific, but no better than the Mambo Café band we danced with live (and free) in the streets of Olas Altas last June. I thank goodness for special events like this, and I also thank my lucky stars that we have outstanding local talent to enjoy all year long.

Banda is not Spanish for Band!

I have heard Banda and Norteño music described as “an acquired taste,” “a God-awful racket,” and “the best music on the planet.” Realistically speaking, I agree with all three.
 
First off, what is Banda? Banda is a style of music popular in Mazatlán and the rest of Sinaloa, the state in Mexico from which it hales. It is growing in popularity elsewhere, but especially in the United States.
 
Banda style music dates back to the late 1800’s. It was imported from Germany when the Germans came over to invent Pacifico beer. You won’t find this fact validated by any reference checking, but I can assure you that the German’s greatest contributions were Banda and Pacifico. In fact, I’m drinking one now.
A Banda band is a band ranging size from around 8 to around 24 – give or take a few. A band consists of mainly brass or wind instruments like clarinets, trumpets, trombones and tubas. There are always drums – many of them. One drummer will usually play a snare drum and some cymbals (or cowbell, etc.), another will play tom-toms and still a third might play a bass drum with a cymbal on top. Because of these drum types, you will often see drummers standing when playing. String instruments are rare; as are keyboards. Normally there won’t be an accordion. Most often a Banda-like band with an accordion is actually a Norteño band. While some Norteño does come from Sinaloa, most comes from the more northern states of Mexico. Norteño can also thank the Germans (and the Czechs) for its beginnings. It is more of a rural sound, and I really like it too. You will hear Norteño music on Banda radio stations and see the videos on Banda video channels.
 
When it comes to the Banda “sound,” there are many. The most common are cumbias, rancheras and corridos. At the end of this post I will put links to a variety of videos so you can hear for yourself. If you think this is confusing, it is. These three types of music are not limited to Banda, but also played by Norteño bands. Why is this a problem? Well, people will say, what kind of music do you like? Do you like Banda? What kind? Norteño? How about Mariachi? Are you wondering why Pacifico is needed to get this all straightened out?
For purposes of clarity (and ease for the author), I will use Banda from this point on to mean Banda and Norteño.
 
Often Bandas will have more than one singer, making it difficult to hear a song on the radio or in a restaurant and know who you’re listening to. So, apparently to solve this problem, Bandas are known for singing out the name of their band (and home city or state) sometime during the song (usually at the beginning). I find this system very efficient and would highly recommend it to bands elsewhere in this world. Not only are there concurrent multiple singers, but as bands age, singers are replaced. Some Bandas have been around for many years. The most famous and best example is Banda El Recodo. The full name of the band is Banda Sinaloense el Recodo de Don Cruz Lizárraga. The band has been under the control and guidance of the Lizárraga family for over 70 years. Their current lead singer sounds very different than the last singer, but he is great and is very young and hopefully will be the primary voice of Banda El Recodo for years to come. Note the full name tells you who founded the band and where it is from, very efficient. You will often see Banda names with a founders name included or a city or state of origin. This helps designate a band if someone else in the country has a similar name and shows hometown pride. I like it!
 
Banda is not exclusively a male-dominated genre. There are some female Banda bands, but they have not had the successes associated with today’s well-known Banda bands.
 
Sometimes Banda sounds over-amplified and distorted. This is usually due to the tuba being played and used in a way that is uncommon to most music listeners. Other times it is due to the fact that the band will amplify one or more of the singers and put the tuba too near the microphone at which point it is over-amplified and distorted.
 
The more popular or more successful a Banda becomes, the better they become. They get better instruments, better musicians and uniforms. A good-looking Banda is quite a sight. Think about 18 guys in matching cowboy hats, brightly colored jackets, western shirts, matching pants and boots, all swaying to the beat of a song. Along with this, musicians swirl or pump their instruments in between stanzas. It is quite a sight to behold. You’ll get the picture in the videos.
 
Speaking of videos, Banda videos are fun! Often they tell a story, either about the song, or just about life in Sinaloa. Many are filmed in my wonderful city of Mazatlán. If you are ever in Mexico and have the opportunity to watch TV, check out a channel called BandaMax (Mazatlán cable, channel 11).
 
A Banda concert may at first glance look like controlled chaos, but it is very enjoyable and festive. But, there are a few things you should know. First, gentlemen need to wear their best jeans with stitching, a “western shirt” with glitzy design on back and/or front, your best cowboy hat and boots made from a dead animal. Ladies, anything tight that highlights cleavage will do great and really high heels. Banda concerts start late and go later. It is not uncommon to be going home at 3 or 4 in the morning. Beer is usually no more than 100 feet away at any given time. The event is very loud. I have been to a lot of rock concerts in the states, a Banda concert is louder.
 
Outside of a concert, how do you get to see a Banda? Acts just starting out will walk the beach or between restaurants looking for work on busy days. There are some restaurants and cantinas in town that are known for having Banda music. Some have a house band and others have different bands playing. Often, two will show up and it becomes a “Battle of the Bandas”. Bandas play little dance halls and cantinas. If they have a name or following, there will be signs advertising the Banda. For larger touring acts, concert venues are used. If you want to hire a Banda for a party, you can ask for cards of any Banda you see, or just go down to the area of town where they “hang out” and find one. If you’re in Mazatlán, just go east at the Fisherman’s Monument to the corner of Gutierrez Najera and Juan Carasco. You will find Banda bands looking for work hanging out there.
 
If you read this far, I’m impressed. What’s the bottom line on Banda? What you think of it when you first hear it will depend on how you hear it. If you hear a professionally recorded song by a mainstream Banda band, it will probably sound like Latin pop with horns. If, however, you are sitting in a cantina with your compadres and drinking a bucket of Pacificos, then you will think it is too loud, unorganized chaos. Remember in elementary school when Miss Carlson, the music teacher, arrived? She would open a big box of musical instruments, some shinier than others, but all capable of pleasing a child’s senses and wonderment and making a noise that, to a child under ten, passes for music. Remember Susie and Vicki would always fight over who got to play the triangle and whip it like mom’s mashed potatoes. Remember how Bobby always got the tambourine and ran around shaking it like a Hari Krishna? And remember how we would all just bang and tap and strum and hit and run to our own little personal beat? Remember that sound and how good it felt? Well, to many people, that’s what Banda sounds like the first time. The real problem with Banda is it needs room to breathe. Like good wine, the more it breathes, the better it gets. Keep listening and after a while, you will start to recognize the songs. They actually have a beat (and yes Dick Clark, you can dance to it) and the band is organized. In fact, the better the band, the better the organization.
If you decide you like a Banda song or a group and you want to buy the music, good luck. A mainstream act like Banda El Recodo can be found on line (iTunes, etc.) as well as some music by Julion Alvarez, Banda El Limon, and others who have had some success outside of Mexico. Beyond that, you are stuck. If a band gets lucky enough to get a record deal, they may have very limited, if not regional, distribution. I have spent weeks trying to find some CD’s and went so far as emailing the bands through their websites, Facebook pages and My Space pages. I still don’t have anything. I got some vague instructions on how one store might have something (not), I got a guy at a music store who was going to order them and call me (not). So, I have learned how to extract the audio from a YouTube video into MP3 format–problem solved–sort of. If you want to catch a Banda when they come to town, just check their websites and pages for a concert schedule, or watch for signs around town and their tour busses. How to get a ticket? I’ll save that for another time.
 
I created a playlist in my YouTube account with a whole bunch of videos. If you have about 45 minutes, you will see some of my favorite videos, many filmed in or about Mazatlán. You will:
·Learn a lot about typical Mexican life
·Enjoy a Banda remake of a 1970’s US pop classic.
·See Banda El Recodo live at a concert I attended
·See Grammy and Latin Grammy award winners
·Experience life on a Mazatlán beach during carnaval
·Learn about pigs, cheese, peanuts, cars, girls, beer…
·See that I snuck in one Mariachi song because it’s all about Mazatlán!
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=0B2AD2145457A43D