RIP Jenni Rivera

Fans across the world are mourning the tragic death of Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera.  The Chicago Tribune reports that she perished on December 9, 2012: her private plane crashed in the state of Nuevo Leon, Mexico. 

I am sending warm thoughts and prayers to her family, friends, and beloved fans alike.

I will always remember Jenni Rivera as being a free spirit.  One of the reasons why she was so popular and loved is quite simple: she was authentic to herself and shared her triumphs and challenges through her music.  She was able to match beauty and elegance with down home honesty.  This bonded her with her beloved fans and was truly refreshing.

God bless you, Jenni Rivera.  I hope the angels gave you a warm welcome home.

Banda Television by Robert O. Brown, MNA is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at bandatelevision.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at robroductions.com.

La Banda Fresa - "La Loca"

One of my favorite Bandas is La Banda Fresa.  Their music really gets everyone moving.  One can really get lost in the rhythm and beat of their music.

An interesting aspect of this group is their music videos.  Their videos are hilarious and some even follow the adventures of "women."  In "La Loca" we follow the adventures of a young lady in search of herself.  The video starts with her putting make-up on and heading out on the town.  No doubt she is in search of a love.

Time after time, love eludes her:  she passes a young man in a park; she passes Superman who is rescuing a woman in distress.  However, when they find out that she is indeed a man they run away in horror.

With the advice of a friend she goes on a journey of self discovery.  This journey includes some hilarious beauty treatments in which she gets various implants, her legs waxed, and comes out a new person.

She emerges from her treatments as a new woman, refreshed and ready to take on the world.  The police discover the ladies on the hunt and drive up to them and start a chase.  In an amusing twist of fate the ladies begin chasing the police officers.

This video took us on a true adventure.  By the end of the video one feels a sense of camaraderie with this young woman.

I give kudos to the band members of La Banda Fresa for being brave enough to take on such a video.  This band was formed in 1999 in Guadalara, Jalisco, Mexico. . . .

Here are some podcast comments about this fun video.

 
Banda Television by Robert O. Brown, MNA is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at bandatelevision.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at robroductions.com.

A Thousand Words

Starting a Facebook page for Banda Television was an exciting experience.  I never realized, however, that the iStockphoto I used would cause a scandal.  On this photo is a picture of a handsome cowboy who I felt represented Banda Television well. My friends, family, and supporters of Banda Television felt otherwise. . . .

Within minutes of sending out the announcement of the Facebook fan page I received a telephone call.  "Who is that model?  Don't you think your photo should be there?"  These were serious questions from my mentor.  I felt myself becoming defensive. "Do other business owners use their photo to represent their businesses?" I asked.

Her feelings were echoed by others as well.  One friend even told me that she would not "like" the page until she saw my photo up there. 

I must admit that I had some anxiety about it: there is the fear that people would not take a show highlighting music of Mexico seriously if they knew it was headed by an African American.  I also never wanted to be one of those big headed business owners with their photos plastered over everything.

This anxiety was overcome by the wonderful feedback of my social network, and the overwhelming sentiment that authenticity is important.  They know and feel my passion for Banda music and wanted to be sure I was there.  I must admit, it did feel great that everyone wanted my photo there.  We'll see how creative I will get. . . .

What to Eat

I never realized that Banda music would open my eyes to a new cuisine and restaurant experiences.  After an evening of dancing my friends and I would go to a local taco truck. Click here for the Podcast. . . .

My first adventure to a taco truck was an interesting experience.  We all loaded into a friend's car and headed to International Boulevard, in Oakland, CA.  We passed several trucks along International Boulevard, however, we kept driving until we arrived at the Guadalajara Taco Truck.

 


The name of "International Boulevard" could not be more fitting.  Scores of people of all nationalities were lined up, waiting for delicious food.

The number of people shocked me, due to the fact that I previously did not know such trucks existed. On board the truck was a team of people, taking orders, slicing meat, cooking. . . .   It was very exciting.

My choice of food was tacos:  four carne asada tacos.  These tacos are made with steak, onion, cilantro, and a bevy of other favors.   These hearty tacos are to die for, and the perfect ending to a fun evening of dancing to Banda music.

You can choose from several types of tacos: steak, chicken, pork, tongue. . . .  They also have burritos that are huge.  On the side you will receive peppers, carrots, sliced radish, and onions - simply heaven.

After our order came, we simply stood around the truck and savored the delights of our meal.  I was engrossed in my meal, however, intermittent moments of excitement would take over:  loud music being played in cars as they drove by, cars doing doughnuts in the middle of the road, and laughter in the air. . . .

I would suggest bringing a jacket.  Oakland nights are cool, and the fact that our shirts were drenched in sweat from dancing did not help out.


The taco trucks may not be for the faint of heart, but if you give it a try, I am certain you will enjoy every moment.

Thank you Banda music for leading me to a new adventure. . . .

Like Banda Television on Facebook

We all know the importance, as well as the power of social media sites.  Banda Television is on Facebook, and we would love for you to become a part of our Facebook family. 

It is our wish that Facebook will help us accomplish the following: allow for viewer feedback; allow for a space to submit videos; news and current events; shout outs. . . .  The list could go on and on. 

Please visit facebook.com/bandatelevision and "like" us.  Don't forget to spread the word.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

When I started a fan page at Facebook I received some interesting feedback.  Some friends told me that I should place my photo, not the iStock photo of a cowboy.  This is an interesting point, as I want the fan page to be authentic, a well as inviting to the visitor.

It does make sense that I would submit my photo, as I am the founder of Banda Television. . . .  I thought using the photo of a model would be "professional" as well as acceptable, however, I learned quickly that this is not the case.  One friend even went as far to say that she would not "like" the Banda Television page until she saw my photo on there.

What do you think?  Should I place my photo as the main photo for the Banda Television page on Facebook.  Please visit facebook.com/bandatelevision to give me your opinion.  Don't forget to like us when you get there.

I visited my niece, Jesselyn Aubrey Guerrero this weekend.  I was there with her on the day she was born (Here is some video).  I wonder if she will enjoy Banda as much as her uncle?  I will certainly make sure that happens.

When I returned to the USA from Mexico, I was still in a daze.  It was quite a shock to leave white sand, blue water, warm evenings, dancing, and fun - for the wintery skies of January in Moraga, Ca.

It would not be until later in the semester that my friends would invite me to a bar that played "Latin Music."  When I arrived to what is now called Club 21, I was delighted.  Finally, a place where I could enjoy the music I loved.

Journey to Mexico

In January of 1995 I traveled to Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico as a part of a one month long course with my undergraduate school, St. Mary's College of California. My classmates and I went to study the culture and ancient ruins of the ancient Mayan civilization.  The ancient cities of Mexico took my breath away.  As I walked through Chicen Itza, Uxmal, and Palenque, I was in awe of the beauty and majesty of the structures.  This beauty further cemented my love of Mexico, and led to me wanting to know more and more about this country and its people.

Of course, intermingled among all of the travel was dancing, festivals, and savoring the food.  As we listened to the music, something interesting happened:  When a certain type of music was played, my ears would perk up and I would dance, bob my feet, and I suddenly felt energized.  I still did not know the name of this music, however, I scoured the local music shops and purchased some CDs.


When I arrived home I told my family about my adventures, showed them pictures, and of course played my new music.  It would not be until Spring, when my friends invited me to an Oakland nightclub, that I would learn the name of my mystery mystery genre of music: I'll visit that experience in my next entry. . . .

Sparks

When did you start loving Banda?  This is an interesting question, and it is posed to me often.  I can understand the confusion many may have when they hear of my passion for Banda music: I am a proud African American man, born in Pittsburg, California.  My family was poor, and my parents, who were newlywed teens at the time of my birth, loved R&B and listened to the music of Motown.  Pittsburg was famous for its steel mills, not banda music. 

One would think that an African American man born in Pittsburg would be the most unlikely person to feel the passion of Banda music. Well, as it turns out, being from Pittsburg is the spark that ignited my love for Banda music.  The spark came in the form of a restaurant. . . .  As a boy my family and I went to a Mexican restaurant called New Mecca Cafe.  I have always loved eating there. The food is simply to die for. After ordering food I would head over to the jukebox.  It was a huge, old machine, with a treasure of music inside. I would choose a variety of songs to serenade my family to for the duration of our meal.

Intermingled with my favorite music from the USA were selections of Banda music.  With certainty, my family would laugh, and say, "Do you know what they're saying?" I would simply say, "No, but I like the music."   How do I describe this passion for Banda?  It is like a warm fire in my heart: a  fire fueled no doubt by God, in which I feel family, community, love, and Spirit.

It would not be until I was an adult that this type of music would get a name.  I simply knew it as Mexican music.  This changed when I traveled to Central America on a month long adventure to study the Mayan culture and history. This trip, which I will discuss in my next blog, was the next phase in the spark of my love of Banda music.