La Vida Yaya

  Danza Azteca Xocoyote at the Autry's iVivan Los Muertos! Photo by Abel Gutierrez It's that time of year when we pay tribute to our dearly departed and celebrate their lives. If you didn't grow up with the holiday and would like to learn more about it, now is your chance! There are many wonderful Day of the Dead events around town this year. So many organizations are putting on great celebrations and making this holiday THE Mexican holiday of the year. Forget about el Cinco de Drinko. That's just a Budweiser holiday about a battle that Mexico itself doesn't even celebrate. Mexican Independence is great, but I really despise the legions of vendors armed with single-servings ready to chuck them at you as you wait in a line 50-deep at these celebrations, or the heavy advertising for beer and cheese, much less the the large crowds clamoring for freebies or a turn at spinning a wheel to win a full-size bottle of Ajax. The enormous amount of corporate vendors dilute ...

Everyday is a day to learn about Black history and culture. I don't think you can realistically separate it from "American" culture, but alas, I think it continues to be of importance despite the progress we've made to be colorblind. We still need to be mindful of how every culture, every person, and every region contributes to society and how it affects-- and is very much a part of-- our daily lives. Perhaps the best way to pay homage to the Black community's contributions is to spotlight things that are already out there to do in and around LA that will expand your knowledge of African American history and culture. You don't need a specific festival or event in February to learn about it although you can find them and participate this month and year round. Check out these links below and create your own learning experience. Mayme A. Clayton Library and Museum: http://www.claytonmuseum.org/ St. Elmo's Artist Village: http://www.stelmovillage.org/ The ...

Did you know that the Mexican Consulate of Los Angeles hosts a wide-variety of cultural events year round? Aside from the major festivities they sponsor across the city, they also host in-house events such as art exhibits, lectures, and film festivals. Last year they hosted Building Brides, an art exchange panel discussion with artists from the US and Mexico; Cuarteto Mexicano, string quartet; art exhibit by Lawrence J. Herrera; Viva Mexico LA kick-off reception; history of Mexican Cinema courses;  Candida Peña's "Piedras/Stones" exhibit; a Day of the Dead event called El Fieston de las Calavaras ; Un Encuentro con Agustin Lara musical performance; and even children's events such as the screening of the film La Leyenda de la Nahuala and Q&A with the director. Their next event is a look into the golden era of Mexican film with screenings of   Ahi esta el detalle (Juan Bustillo Oro, 1940) on January 21 and Historia de un gran amor (Julio Bracho, 1942) on January...