Santos de Los Angeles

Santos discusses winning the Latin Alternative Music Conference, mentioned in LATINA Magazine as one of the favorite things, and debuting in New York City. - LATV

By GRACIELA SANDOVAL
Published November 1, 2002, 12:00 am in News

Red and black posters on wooden sticks were sprinkled along the Bruin Walk lawn this week to bring awareness to the missing people of Latin America, the theme of the Day of the Dead celebration hosted by conciencia libre, a campus group dedicated to social equality.

Traditionally, Mexicans celebrate and welcome back the souls of the dead by making calaveras, skull- shaped candy treats, and pan de muerto, bread of the dead, every year from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2. The Day of the Dead celebration at UCLA included people of different heritages and carried a social and political message.

Over the weekend, conciencia libre members and jornaleros, day laborers, created the posters at the Downtown Community Job Center.

Short biographies accompanied the blown-up pictures of the disappeared in order to humanize the tragedy.

About 50 students and family members came together at the Fowler Museum on Wednesday night to take part in workshops, listen to spoken word and eat together.

The violation of civil liberties of Latin Americans over the last two decades, along with recent violations of U.S.-born Muslims and people of Middle Eastern dissent since Sept. 11 was the unifying theme of guest speakers.

“(Governments) think they can silence (protesters) down with threats and policies, but that’s not going to happen. We’re stronger than that,” said conciencia libre member Blanca Martinez, a third- year political science and international development studies student.

Special guest Nagwa Ibrahim from the Muslim Public Affairs Council spoke about the detainment of over 1,000 people, most of which were of Middle Eastern or South Asian decent, or Muslim, after Sept. 11 in the United States.

“The war against terrorism has been pursued by this administration at the expense of civil liberties at home and human rights of people abroad,” Ibrahim said.

Latin American dictatorships forcibly detained people during the last two decades, and the same tactics are being used here in the United States in the name of terrorism, she said.

“It’s a human rights issue that we as Americans have to care about, either if it’s happening in this country or if it happened in Latin America,” she said.

The celebration also included a theater performance by conciencia libre members that educated the audience while providing comic relief.

One play poked fun at the recent LAX raids of domestic flights in which passengers were asked for proper identification and illegal immigrants were deported back to their countries.

“The main message of the event was to stop racial profiling in the U.S. through comedy but also through straight facts and political means,” Martinez said.

During the intermission, students ate Salvadorean food and members of Raza Womyn, a campus service group, sold and displayed their art.

UCLA transfer students showed they were activists through their spoken word performances.

“Soy poeta y no me dejo porque no soy pendejo (I’m a poet and I don’t restrain myself because I’m not stupid),” said first-year UCLA transfer student Jessica Grande.

Grande came to the United States from El Salvador when she was five. She explained her poem was not intended to entertain, but rather to empower young people and to serve as a testament to the disappeared, like poets that speak up against the governments that take away their basic rights.

The cumbia and raggea beats of the Yerba Buena Tribe, an East Los Angeles band, invited all who attended to get out of their seats to dance and have fun at the end of a long day of building political consciousness.

Fifth-year Chicana/o studies student Francisco Zarathustra [Santos de Los Angeles] and Armando Ibarra, lead singers of Yerba Buena, energized the diverse crowd with their songs.

“We’re not all from the same origins but we’re all together celebrating life and death,” said fourth-year women’s studies and sociology student Cristina Lopez, also a member of conciencia libre. “Let’s continue to support each other.”

MEChA de UCLA, LASA, MSA, Amnesty International and the Community Programs Office, along with others, collaborated with conciencia libre to organize this year’s Day of the Dead event.
- The Daily Bruin

Santos appears on a segment of "Noticias El Monitor" a publication out of Nayarit Mexico. - Noticias El Monitor

Richard Chang September 30, 2005

Lively Latin listening at Galaxy
September 30, 2005|By RICHARD CHANG

Wednesday was a school and work night for most folks, but it turned out to be a pretty happening Latin-music night at Santa Ana's Galaxy Concert Theatre, despite the sparse crowd.

New York's Yerba Buena was the primary draw, but supporting acts Santos de los Angeles and Los Pinguos proved that they've got just as much talent and headlining potential.

Hailing from East L.A., Santos de los Angeles opened the evening with a lively mix of cumbia, rock and reggaeton. The eight-member band featured a spicy horn section and a charismatic lead singer-guitarist. Francisco Zarathustra, decked in a slick suit and a Panama hat, sang tunes about love, childhood and, of course, having a good ol' time.

Santos delivered a crowd-pleasing cover of Celia Cruz's popular hit, "La Vida es un Carnival," and finished with a dance-hall-flavored number accented by a touch of doo-wop.

Los Pinguos, from Argentina, comprised four guitarists and one percussionist who played a Peruvian cajón(box drum). They sat at the front edge of the stage, enhancing the feeling of intimacy that courses through their music.

Flamenco is a big influence on this band, which is equipped with no less than four Spanish acoustic guitars. The five Gypsy-looking guys from Buenos Aires did an excellent job harmonizing their voices, and lead singer Adrian Buono alternated between solid tenor and playful, animated falsetto. Percussionist Juan Leguizamon amazed with the range of sounds and beats he could produce out of his simple cajón.

Yerba Buena hit the stage around 10 p.m. Guitarist Andres Levin is the band's founder and primary composer, but singers CuCu Diamantes (Ilene Padron), Xiomara Laugart and El Chino took center stage, with occasional interludes from percussionist-vocalist Pedrito Martinez.

The seven-member band performed songs from its recent album, "Island Life," as well as its Grammy-nominated debut, "President Alien." Yerba Buena specializes in blending all kinds of sounds, from Cuban son and salsa to Latin boogaloo, hip-hop, cumbia and Gypsy dances.

Unfortunately, there's only so much this outfit could do with its instrumental core - a bass player, a guitarist and two percussionists. Missing were the live horns that provide so much depth and texture on the studio recordings. Yerba Buena did use healthy samples of horns and other instruments, which proved to be distracting to a careful listener. - Orange County Register

Gina Linn Espinoza's most recent project was as the producer of the 20th Anniversary stage production of Real Women Have Curves by Josefina Lopez. When asked to define the role of a produce, she uses a description her father would use, "[Producers] are like the wheels of a fine oiled machine [they] keep everything moving in a forward motion."
Espinoza's father passed away earlier this year and it is fitting that she is now produceing ana event Called La Muerte Vive Which take the Mexican tradtional holiday of Day of the Dead toa whole new level at the Million Dollar Theatre on November 2nd. Espinoza dedicates this work to her father, "I believe it is so important to honor those who came before to pave the way for our successes."

La Muerte Vive is an event the likes of which have not been seen yet in Los Angeles. It is a coming together of artist such as Will-Dog of Ozomatli fame, composer Santos de Los Angeles, burlesque dancer Ruby Champagne to tell the story of the demise of death and her resurrection. It fuses carpa style theatre with it sAmercian counterpart vaude3ville and makes use of giant Judas type figures and skulls made out of paper-mache. A giant altar is the stage and the pinatas and puppest come alive during the show.

The show was written and directed by Tony Dominguez with lyrics from the music by Santos de Los Angeles. Dominguez has also designed and created all the paper-mache art for this show. The show will feature live music by the Wiseguys Big Band Machine.

La Muerte Vive hopes to appeal to a new generation of theater audiences, those who may not have any interest in regular theater buy may enjoy a variety type show. "We thread a humorous lovable character called the Town Crier through La Muerte Vive which keeps the audicenc informed and laughing. We open with a welcome and costume contest encouragin audience participation," says Espinoza aouth the show. The creators hope their audience will walk away with a new found love of live theather producton.

The location where La Muerte Vive will take place holds special significance. The Million Dollar Theatre is located on the historic Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles. It was built in 1917 by Sid Grauman of Gruman's Chinese Theater fame. The Broadway corridor where the theater is located is considered to the birthplace of vaudeville and cinematic entertainment in Los Angeles.

In 1949, Frank Fouce, a Spanish language theater owner and film distributor purchased the theare and it quickly became a popular among the Latino commuinity in Los Angeles. During the 1950s and 1960s the theatre became a stage and film venue exclusively Spanish speaking audiences. The theatre housed famous Mexican movie stars such as Dolores del Rio, Maria Felix, Cantinflas, and Vicente Fernandez. The theatre also hosted variety shows and live performances by " La India Maria" and Tintan, Mexican actor and singer Antonio Aguilar often perfromed and worked with his rodeo horses on stage.

Currently the Million dollar Theare is part of Bring Back Broadway--ten-year parntership between city and business leaders, local residents and downtown property owners to renovate the theater and revitalize the area.

La Muerte Vive is being billed as "rock opera meets cabares" and hopes that its performance at the Million Dollar Theare will bring back audiences to the Broadway Corridor.

Espinoza has been successful in merging art and business and has received strong support from local restaurants, shops an other businessses. She encourages every one who buys a ticket to the show to support La Cita Bar, Radio Toxiko, Citizen LA, Corralejo, Tequila, Coba Aguas Frescas, Weilands Brewery, Downtown Art Walk, Urth Cafe, LA Downtown News and and the Old Bank District which provide space for a pop-up gallery called La Muerte Vive Experience.

To promote the event, Downtown residents, Espinoza and her team have built and installed altars and giant puppets throughout Downtown Los Angeles as promotional tools for the show. Tha altars currently up are located at La Cita Bar, Border Grilll, Las Perlas, Mas Malo, Casa y Cociana, and Urth Cafe.

"Downtown Los Angeles has opened its doors and we are very grateful," Espinoza says.

La Muerte Vive is written and directed by Tony Dominguez with music by Santos de los Angele at the Million Dollar Theatre 305 S. Broadway, Los Angeles CA 90003. November 2nd., 20111. Doors open at 3pm s, show starts at 7pm and ends ate 11pm.
- Brooklyn and Boyle

By Dan Johnson (Listings Editor)

It's All Souls Day, and if you cant' swing a trip to Oaxaca this year, the best way to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos is at La Muerte Vive. the majestic Million Dollar Theatre on Broadway plays host to the raucous celebration of the mortal coil. On Wednesday, Nov. 2, Tony Dominguez choreographs the dance of this elaborate and very large Giant Judas puppets to celebrat the dearly departed. The wild theatrical staging culminates in a full-blown rock concert when a host of musicians led by Santos de Los Angeles lead the audience and los muertos in a swinging swan song for the dead. Doors open at 3pm and the show itself runs 7-11pm at 307 S. Broadway (213)617 or lamuertevive.com - Los Angeles Downtown News

Santos de Los Angeles was honored by Latina Magazine as "one of the 47 people, places and cositas we love" in their February Love issue. (2005) - LATINA Magazine

(the Latin Alternative Music Conference recognized Santos de Los Angeles along with his Latin Reggae group Yerba Tribe with the much coveted LAMC award. Santos de Los Angeles was chosen among thousands of submissions made throughout the United States, Latin America and Europe. - Latin Alternative Music Conference

Santos appears on FOX 11 Good Day LA with Mar Yvette to give 10 Million Viewers a sneak peak of the rock opera "La Muerte Vive" scheduled for later that evening at The Palace Theater. - FOX