Culture - The Daily Lobo

Culture

Mourning an American legend

Chris Narkun | February 23

Hunter S. Thompson put forth his principle of journalism in a 2003 interview, when he explained why he was the most accurate reporter people could read. "You have to distinguish between what happened and what the situation was," he said. What happened was, on Sunday, Thompson, the pioneer of gonzo journalism and most famous for 1972's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, shot himself in his home in the Colorado mountains.

Culture

Film catches hero's spirit

Abel Horwitz | February 23

Director Terry Gilliam grabs hold of the essence of gonzo journalism and doesn't let go in his masterpiece "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." Gilliam cut his teeth in the entertainment business as the animator behind the bizarre and unique cartoons that accompanied Monty Python's many television shows, movies and books.

Culture

Some like their yoga hot

Alyson Rimsha | February 23

Temperatures of more than 100 degrees bear down on practitioners of Bikram yoga. The heat causes the body to become more flexible, allowing people to get into more challenging positions. Bikram yoga brings balance back to the body, said David Rogers, owner and director of Bikram's Yoga.

Culture

Poet to be celebrated in style

February 23

by Karina Guzzi Daily Lobo A mix of art, music and bilingual poetry readings will celebrate the life of a Chilean poet. This weekend the Outpost Performance Space will feature the reading of 25 poems written by Pablo Neruda. The poems will be read in Spanish and English and some will be accompanied by projections of their English translation.

Culture

Modernizing the tango

February 22

by Maristela GuillÇn Daily Lobo Pablo Aslan said he tries to bring a flair to traditional tango. Aslan is the director of Avantango, a group made up of the tango world's top-notch dancers and musicians. The troupe is coming to Albuquerque on Saturday.

Culture

Director boasts slick production

February 22

by Maria DeBlassie Daily Lobo If you like Vaseline, go see "The Big Funk." The director, Brandon Scott Jensen, is part of Troop 147, an informal theater group that put the show together. Jensen said 147 is his lucky number. "Theater is all about luck," he said.

Culture

Intricate dance maintains pulse

February 17

by Shannon Kunkel Daily Lobo From strutting their stuff on the catwalk to enduring push-ups in basic training, the dancers of "Maratooni" do it all. The dance series "Flying Low" at Rodey Theatre this weekend will feature the U.S. premiere of "Maratooni" and dances choreographed by UNM graduate students.

Culture

Band makes it in tough town

February 17

by John Bear Daily Lobo Stoic Frame calls many places home. The band first started playing in San Salvador, El Salvador, when its members were teenagers. The group reformed a few years later in Albuquerque, then relocated to the more musically fertile grounds of Los Angeles.

Culture

Murder mystery dry, typical

Neelam Mehta | February 17

It makes sense that Rudolfo Anaya has been called the godfather of Chicano literature. In the 29 years he's been an author, Anaya has written and published 26 books. His latest work is a murder mystery titled Jemez Spring. Anaya seems incapable of writing about something that is not in, about or concerned with New Mexico and the Southwest.

Culture

Outsider finds niche in film

February 17

by David Barnes Daily Lobo Film director Kelley Baker said he's always felt like an outsider. His film "Kicking Bird" is about a high school student who shares these feelings. It is the story of Martin "Bird" Johnson, an isolated high school student from the wrong side of the tracks who's never been part of the in crowd.

Culture

Album deals with the unknown

February 17

by Eva Dameron Daily Lobo Mr. Smolin is a brilliant lyricist and an artful musician. Reading some great poetry is reason enough to check out the liner notes of his debut album, At Apogee. Barry Smolin, whose stage name is Mr. Smolin, lives in Los Angeles, where he hosts and produces a psychedelic radio show called "The Music Never Stops.

Culture

Belly dance empowers women

February 15

by Eva Dameron Daily Lobo Renada Rochon has one flashy outfit. "Somebody went blind making this for me," Renada Rochon said of her dance costume weighed down with sequins. Rochon is the president of the UNM Middle-Eastern Dance and Theatre Association.

Culture

Religion, slavery inspire dancers

February 15

by Karina Guzzi Daily Lobo Dancer Jailton Macedo doesn't want to get rich. The leader of the Afro-Brazilian troupe Ologundà said he dances to keep the culture alive. "I don't do it for the money," said Macedo, also known as Dendà. "I want to show the roots.

Culture

Bar tables freeze time

Jessica Del Curto | February 10

Anodyne isn't your typical pool hall. Go there in the day, and it's easier to notice the intricate handmade tables created by owner George Roman. The tops of the bars and tables became a canvas for the artist. Classic treasures and toys are stuck inside the tables.

Culture

Devoted band sees promise in crisis

February 10

by Maria DeBlessie Daily Lobo The band Norma Jean has no expectations. "Sometimes when you decide to be something, you have to force yourself into it," said singer Cory Putman. "We don't do that. We don't try to force ourselves to be anything for anyone." Norma Jean will play Saturday in Albuquerque.

Culture

Trail of Dead resurrects prog-rock

Chris Narkun | February 10

Prog-rock, long declared dead and gone, managed to drag its rotten corpse off the morgue slab and stumble back into the music world. And You Will Know us by the Trail of Dead's latest album, Worlds Apart, is a result of this trend. The musical and lyrical density of Mars Volta's debut album and the sublime, headphone-friendly Secret Machines, provided the defibrillating shock that revived the concept album and the heavily instrumented rant - at least among record companies that hadn't signed a prog-rocker since Pink Floyd was selling out stadiums.

Culture

Valentine's party spins politics, art

Noah Armstrong | February 10

Politically conscious hip-hop and Valentine's Day will merge in this year's third annual Breakin' Hearts Festival. Cyrus Gould, a member of the League of Pissed Off Voters, had an idea for a Valentine's Day show three years ago. "Three years ago, before Valentine's Day, there wasn't really any jams happening," he said.

Culture

'Constantine' fun, but shallow

Abel Horwitz | February 9

The movie "Constantine" sticks to its comic-book roots. Films such as "X-Men 2" or "Spiderman" express a strong sense of human emotion throughout. Yes, these are superheroes, but at the same time, viewers can relate to them. Peter Parker can climb walls, but he still can't talk to his dream girl.

Culture

Murder trial film unforgettable

February 9

by Kelly Brocklehurst Daily Lobo There's something about foreign films that make us watch them in earnest, even when the movies really aren't good. We are captivated by "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." Yet one foreign film people tend to overlook is "Rashomon.

Culture

Writing saves poet's life

February 9

by John Bear Daily Lobo Narlan Matos Teixeira is coming up in the world. Narlan is a graduate student at UNM working toward a degree in Portuguese. He is also becoming a respected poet. But things haven't always been easy. He grew up in Itaquara, a city in one of the poorest areas of Brazil.