Juan Luis Guerra Gets Honorary Doctor Degree at Berklee

Juan Luis Guerra
Gets Honorary Doctor Degree at Berklee

Berklee College of Music presented Juan Luis Guerra with an
honorary doctor of music degree! Don't forget to also check
the photo gallery, courtesy of Luzportfolio. Plus: La Vida
Campesina in Boston, BLTv's awarded at BNN's 25th
anniversary.

COVER: Juan Luis Guerra, Latin Grammy-awarded Dominican
singer and producer, and Luzmar Centeno, LuzPortfolio.
PHOTO BY LUZPORTFOLIO.

Spain’s blogger granny dies at 97

Our Blogger community has lost a precious lady this week. The Spanish grandmother who billed herself as the “world’s oldest internet blogger” has died at the age of 97.
María Amelia López Soliño died Wednesday, May 20, 2009 at 6 a.m.
Maria Amelia Lopez only began blogging from her seaside home in Galicia two years ago.
Her postings on international affairs, Spanish politics and old age quickly turned her into a celebrity, attracting followers around the world. You can view her blog Here.

More New York City schools will be closed

Check out the news here;

More New York City schools will be closed
http://elbohemio.wordpress.com/2009/05/20/more-new-york-city-schools-will-be-closed/

Angels and Demons / The Soloist

Over the weekend the Mrs. And I got to see two of the latest movies which I had been looking forward to seeing, namely Angels and Demons and The Soloist. Both were great movies but I particularly liked The Soloist since it was based on the true story .

Angels and Demons
Angels & Demons is a 2009 American film adaptation of Dan Brown's novel of the same name, released on May 15, 2009. It is the sequel to The Da Vinci Code, another Brown film adaptation, although the novel Angels & Demons was published and takes place before the novel The Da Vinci Code. Filming took place in Rome and the Sony Pictures Studios in Los Angeles. Tom Hanks reprises the lead role of Robert Langdon, while director Ron Howard, producer Brian Grazer and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman also returned.  

Obviously it is a controversial movie especially for Catholics and especially since Dan Brown likes to weave fiction with fact. It did net $48 million in the United States and Canada over the opening weekend. One thing that is definitely true deals with the Hadron Collider. This massive instrument does exist in France and it did go online on September 11, 2008  and they do have a public website for those with a scientific bend. There are controversies among scientist regarding this massive instrument who’s sole purpose is to create small Black Holes for research. Some feel this experiment can get out of control. France builds Doomsday Machine...

The Soloist
The Soloist is an 2009 drama film starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr.. It was directed by Joe Wright based on a screenplay written by Susannah Grant. The film is based on a true story of Nathaniel Ayers, a musician who becomes schizophrenic and homeless.

Jamie Foxx portrays Nathaniel Ayers, who is considered a cello prodigy, and Robert Downey Jr. portrays Steve Lopez, a Los Angeles Times columnist who discovers Ayers and writes about him in the newspaper. Production of the film began in January 2008 and was filmed mostly in Los Angeles, with some scenes shot in Cleveland. The film was released on April 24, 2009
The Soloist is based on the true story of Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx), a musical prodigy who developed schizophrenia during his second year at Juilliard School. Ayers becomes homeless in the streets of downtown Los Angeles, playing the violin and the cello.
Both movies are well worth watching.

NEWS ALERT FOR NEW YORKERS ONLY

Because of a recent scare and freak out for some here in NYC when a plane flew too low for comfort and nobody knew why, I just received this advisory from my job and I wanted to share with you:
NYPD provided information regarding a military aircraft flyover that will occur on May 20, 2009 at 11:45 A.M. The flyover is part of the Fleet Week festivities and will include four military planes flying over New York City at a low altitude. 

At approximately 11:45 A.M., four F-18 Hornets will pass over the Verrazano Narrows Bridge at an altitude of 2000 feet. The aircrafts will then turn and follow the Hudson River north over the assembled fleet while decreasing their altitude to 1000 feet. When the F-18s reach Pier 90, they will climb to 2500 feet and higher, exiting New York City airspace over the George Washington Bridge.
Source: Chuleta/ New York

Carlos Barberena de la Rocha

Today I got a newsletter from Arte y Vida Chicago in which I saw the work of Carlos Barberena de la Rocha and thought that I should put some information here and a couple of links. Hope everyone enjoys his work.

Carlos Barberena de la Rocha

Carlos Barberena de la Rocha was born in the city of Granada, Nicaragua in 1972, (the same year as the Managua earthquake). He was born into a family of artists, as the son of Myriam de la Rocha Silva (b.1938) and Roberto Barberena Ruiz (1938-1972), who unfortunately died in an accident when Carlos was only six months of age. Myriam was descended from a family of artists, of special note were the great portrait artist of the XIX century, Segundo de la Rocha and Lic. Juan Eligio de la Rocha, who discovered and saved the indigenous traditional oral theatrical work El Güegüense , now a masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity. Roberto was a great lover of art and dedicated his free time to writing poetry, painting with watercolors and playing the guitar.

The work of Carlos Barberena has been exhibited in numerous arts festivals, biennales of art as well as in museums and galleries throughout Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Spain, United States of America, Mexico, Domincan Republic and Venezuela. His artistic work has been published in almanacs and Christmas cards benefiting Costa Rican children. He has also participated in art auctions benefiting Nicaraguan children. He has received various awards, most notably the award- poster for the Ecology and Human Rights in Banana Plantations in Costa Rica, given by GEBANA in Berlin, Germany.

Fiestas Patronales de Dorado

OK People here is my latest post which is the program for the Fiestas Patronales of Dorado which start on June 12, 2009. Here is the link: Fiestas Patronales de Dorado 

Arte y Vida Hispanic Art & Cultural Events in Chicago

Here is the Arte y Vida listing of Art & Cultural events for May 2009 in the Chicago area.

5/8 Fandango Del Norte
With Fandanguero and Tarima Son
More info...

5/13 Mexican & Latino Book Fair 2009
More info...
 
5/13 Marimba Nacional de Concierto
More info...

Paulinho Garcia
My Very Life
More info...

5/16 Modern Wing Opening Day
Free
More info...

5/17 Instituto Cervantes Chamber Orchestra
Free Admission
More info...  

The First Wonder of the World

Came across a most interesting blog that I want to share with all my

Brothers and Sisters

in the wilds of the Empire!!!

Its called " The First Wonder of the World "

and you can acess it Here!

Its a really Cool Blog!

Have Fun.

SUNDAYS IN HARLEM

Got this info from a good friend in N.Y.

SUNDAYS IN HARLEM
The Harlem Meer performance festival starts running Sundays from 6-21-09 to Sept 6-09 at Central Park's Charles A. Dana Discovery Center.
It is free on 110th st bet. 5th ave and Lenox--tel 212-860-1370

Have Fun!!!