Afroxander
Afroxander is the pen name for writer/photographer Ivan Fernandez. His work focuses on the arts, history, politics, and sports of Latin America and its diaspora. Based in Southern California.
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What began as a fun ritual for the weekend grew into a family legacy of community-building that lasted half a century. During its existence, Coras USA united working-class, immigrant families from Nayarit and other regions of Mexico in Los Angeles and provided youth players a pathway towards a professional career during its final years in the city of Riverside.
Though the artists at Brooklyn-based record label Daptone Records shaped and led the soul music revival through the turn of the century, a handful of artists in Southern California were also hard at work placing their own stamp in the growing scene.
Republic of Lucha, besides being awesome, is a new space in South Pasadena dedicated to the world of lucha libre, the freestyle form of wrestling made famous in Mexico.
A new crop of artists from the Southland have taken on the mantle of Chicano soul and oldies. Groups such as Thee Sacred Souls, Thee Sinseers, Los Yesterdays, The Altons, and Vicky Tafoya and the Big Beat, to name a few, have recorded music that invoke the romance, longing and nostalgia of yesteryear, while adding flourishes of other genres into the mix.
Life as an undocumented queer immigrant is difficult, but Julio Salgado has found that the arts practices he honed in school has helped him combat depression, negativity and stress. He eventually went on to use that creativity to uplift the voices of millions of people just like him.
Artist Joshua-Michéle Ross' "The Adjacent Possible" project at Grand Central Art Center gathers anonymous participants online to take part in a freeform community orchestra. The experience feels like equal doses of guided meditation, creative collaboration and a space for introspection and relaxation.
For months, Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, and many others were nowhere to be seen on shelves. As comic bookstores floundered, Give Comics Hope looks to lend them a hand.
Through a combination of Indigenous artistic/creative practices, IndigenARTS & Wellness is looking to heal communities.
“I think that, for us, is the biggest challenge, like, how do you convey what can be a really powerful and beautiful experience for people through these virtual channels?” explains Self Help Graphics Executive Director Betty Avila.
Olvera Street should be teeming with life at this moment, but the COVID-19 pandemic has put a stop to the once-bustling area and there is a fear that this scene could become permanent.
“Totally Fake Latino News!,” a satirical show by Latinx performance trio Culture Clash is tailor-made for the unprecedented times we’re living in today.
Based in Los Angeles, Hola Mexico is the largest film festival of Mexican cinema outside of Mexico. Because of the pandemic, it moved its entire operation online for 2020, opening new opportunities for the festival.