Maybe because my girlfriend makes fun of me about my supposed 'crush" on Lila Downs, I overlooked this DVD on my top ten list of last year. It was only recently that I watched Loteria Cantada and I wasn't disappointed. I have to admit, it took me a while to get into Lila's last release, La Cantina. It wasn't until the DJ's started bumping "Cumbia De Mole" at the clubs that I gave La Cantina the once over again. The concert footage was recorded in Mexico City and in her home state of Oaxaca in 2006. Each song on this DVD was edited by nine different visual artists, bringing the concert footage to life with color and imagery synonymous with Mexican art. The DVD is set up like Loteria, with each song being a different card in a Loteria deck. The footage and sound quality are broadcast quality and even if you feel the visual art maybe be too ambitious, Lila performance is top notch. If you are a fan of Lila's music and classic Mexican art like me, this is well worth getting.

Below is a clip from the DVD. It's Lila's version of the Son Jarocho standard, "La Iguana," courtesy of youtube.com.

Teatro East Of The River, from East L.A., describe themselves as: Teatro Xicano, Theater Of The Oppressed, Hip-Hop theater, spoken word, flor y canto, using theater as a form of education, inspiring, organizing, enlightening and liberating.

...and on top of that, they have a new production:

The Complex
A Theatre of the Oppressed / Rebelde Production
Investigating the Prison Industrial System in the U.S.
Part of the USC Visions & Voices 2007-2008 Program

Companion community event of
"The Press"
March 2, 2008*
2:30 - 4:30 pm
FREE ADMISSION
(bring your resistence - traite tu resistencia)

at the
24th St. Theatre
1117 W. 24th Street (corner of 24th and Hoover)
Los Angeles, CA 90007


In this play, theatre takes on the political realities of prison life and asks us all to investigate what is trapping millions behind bars, including many of our youth, often for life sentences without the possibiltiy of parole. What is really behind "the complex?" USC Senior Lecturer Brent Blair collaborates with activist/artist Mario Rocha, LA County Probation officer Rick Vidal and parents of incarcerated youth, along with other artists, activists and stakeholders from several groups within the general community affected by the "Prison Industrial Complex." This event loosely follows the framework of "forum theatre" informed by the techniques of Theatre of the Oppressed of Augusto Boal, where audience members are invited to trade places with the protagonists to derive solutions to this socio-political rupture.

One of my predictions in the beginning of this year was that this would be the year Reggae En Español would come into the forefront. Reggae En Español has been around since the early 80's but with a few exceptions it has never become popular with the mainstream Latino audience. However, late last year, one of the biggest songs on Latin Pop Radio has been DJ Flex's (formerly know as Nigga but changed his name for obvious reasons) "Te Queiro."  Other artists such as Eddy Lover w/ La Factoria ("Perdoname") and El Rookie from Panama and have been rocking Reggae clubs all over Latin America since the 90's.  However, the trend has been to change these artist's style to "romantic Reggaeton" to accommodate the audience that listen to Latin Pop radio .

A much different take comes from Alika from Argentina. Alika comes from Dancehall, Roots Reggae and Hip-Hop background with little compromise to current trends. Each of her releases shows tremendous growth and her lyrics deal with female empowerment and her beliefs in natural living. Alika has been playing all over the L.A. area over the last week with East L.A. legends Quinto Sol as her back-up band. This is must see for anyone who wants to check out what Latin Americans are bringing to the Reggae table.

LITTLE TEMPLE
4519 SANTA MONICA BLVD
(On the corner of Virgil & Santa Monica)
Cost : 10$
21 and Over/Starts @ 10

Their website claims that the Coffee Table is Eagle Rock's hippest restaurant. So why would they go out of their way to ruin a good thing? Personally, I like Eagle Rock and The Coffee Table exactly the way it is, which is slightly awkward, a clientele of families, college professors, students from Occidental College and Zack De La Rocha. It's like a college town relic from the 90's. Walking in there for the first time you'd expect  to hear Nirvana and A Tribe Called Quest, followed by The Pixies. The food is relatively inexpensive compared to Hollywood's prices and it's plentiful. Also, the coffee is good. Can't name your restaurant The Coffee Table if your coffee sucks.

I sometimes come here on my days off for breakfast. During the week it is quiet enough to have a decent conversation with a friend without having to endure someone else's conversation right next to you. You're not going to hear stories of a screenplay or a record deal, nor are you going to see people that looked like they stepped out of the pages of Vice magazine. If you are into that, this place is not for you. In fact, stay as far away from Eagle Rock as much as you can. It's my day off, after all!

The Coffee Table would like to be hip, but its far from it. And that's the way I like it.

The Coffee Table Bistro
1958 Colorado Boulevard
Eagle Rock California. 
Open daily from 7 AM to 9:30 PM.