Argentina says farewell to Nestor

From velatorio

Slow Food

Terra Madre Conference Part Two

Slow Food

Terra Madre, Conference on the Betterment of the future of food

Tester Street Artist

From Hollywood in Cambodia

Las Salinas Grandes, Jujuy Argentina

From jujuy

Marcha de Los Pueblos Originarios

From marchadeloPueblos

El Latigo de la Cuidad

It´s dying down the latigo de la cuidad, this heartbeat that fades off during the waning rush hours. The city will sleep. The beat slowly extinguishes with the muffled bus brakes, and highway groan. Even the resounding moto blast sift higher into the cool evening air. The city decorates itself as it sleeps with lit up billboards, dim avenue lights and glittered room illuminations hundreds of meters in the air.

The cellular vehicles which travel up and down the narrow channel alleyways, streets, and undergrounds filter out their last gulps of life. The remaining souls slip past the moon´s night bulb to their homes, enclaves and blankets. No more to been seen, no more to be heard. Even such a vibrant beast needs its rest. Only the sun´s coddling warmth will awaken life´s dreaming beings.

Enough Autotune

This entry isn't the most mind blowing, but I'd like to announce my official annoyance with the Autotune. It's one thing to hear rapper Little Wayne making it as an R&B singer by making his voice sound like some futuristic rap wizard, yet my tolerance for this new music making technology hit it's climax, when I heard a song from Argentine reggae and rap artist Fidel Nadel sing a sappy, and irritating reggae R&B love song. I don't mean to judge to harshly on Fidel's style, but just having some dreadlocks and a beard doesn't make you Gregory Isaacs. This song is a classic example of what's wrong with some of the Argentine reggae scene. This isn't to say that all of the reggae coming out of Argentina is outdated, but adding the computerized autotune voice effect diminishes the movement's effect.

First of all, some of the charm that gives reggae it's everlasting sound is the classic soulful vocal parts by many of the best lead singers from Toots Hibbert to Steel Pulse's David Hinds. Reggae is a music typically light on the instruments, which leaves room for singers to contribute a soulful presence. The problem is that the autotune now allows everyone from Akon to your tone death Aunt Margret to sound like Michael Jackson. This is an incredibly attractive but ultimately deceptive feature.

The futuristic robotic voice has seemed to work for artists like Little Wayne because he uses his creativity in both his lyrics and booty shakin' and contemporary electronic back beat rhythms. Fidel's new Te Robaste Mi Corazon has all the making of a innovative, and catchy new tune until he begins to sing the refrain. The classic reggae feel is lost immediately and the soulful sound turns into a semi cartoonish, chipmunks voice unable to convey the true heartbreak which the lyrics strive to fulfill. However I shouldn't be such a tough judge, the hypnotic reggae piano staccato might leave society's minds numb to the painful mechanized shrills!

See his new video and be the judge for yourself
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk_e1pkGYyA