Sunday, September 14, 2014

Reggae is Coming to the Nation!!!

Hey everyone just stopping by to invite you to check out my Reggae radio show on KKSM AM 1320!

Tribal Seeds Signing the Take a Break with Lilly Lopez Guitar

Phoner with Tony Ray Jacobo

Piracy Conspiracy

SM Familia

SM Familia Autographing the Take a Break with Lilly Lopez Guitar
TUNE IN EVERY THURSDAY 1-4 PM


Monday, May 12, 2014

Up-and-Coming Reggae Band Raiz Muzik: Keepin' it Old School

This past Saturday night I had the opportunity to celebrate 420 with one the greatest reggae bands to come out of Fallbrook, California: Raiz Muzik.
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Photograph: David Cruz (WOR)
Their name defines exactly what they’re all about. Raiz which literally means “root” in Spanish along with the uniquely written “muzik” imply a simplistic reggae, the original reggae.  Raiz Muzik’s so far seven year career, consists of one full length released album (Reelection) and a recently released single (Calloused Hands). They are gradually proving to all of southern California that they are one of the best local reggae bands around and that roots reggae is ready to make a comeback. Their sound is nothing like the current mainstream reggae that we’ve grown accustomed to hearing on the radio. The brothers Sonny Romero on vocals/drums and Sergio Gonzalez on keys along with band mate Jerome Cruz on guitar/vocals use their clean beats, ingenious melodies and smooth licks to crawl inside your body and take your soul out for a dance or two. With the assistance of guest bassists and sometimes even a horn section the trio takes you on a voyage to a carefree world where love and music intertwine majestically to create a true paradise.

I met up with vocalist/drummer and Raiz Muzik front man Sonny Romero after their first set that night and got the scoop for all our reggae enthusiasts here on Creative Edge Music. 
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Photograph: David Cruz (WOR)

Lilly: Can I get a brief history of the band?

Sonny: Well the band started in 2005. My brother [Sergio] and I were playing in another band at the time, and actually Raiz Muzik, the whole band was a bunch of cats from another band, everybody left midway through the recording. My brother and I decided to keep it going because we were recording an album and that's pretty much it. My brother and I we've been going through players and just keeping the name Raiz Muzik alive because we believed in it and we love to play music.

Lilly: How many albums have you released?

Sonny: We actually only have one that was released in 2006 and it is called Reelection. We've got another album in the studio but due to money and stuff like that we can't really release it yet. We just need to raise some money to be able to put that album out. And that album is going to be called The Deception of Babylon; it's pretty much done.

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Photograph: David Cruz (WOR)
Lilly: How does the new material in the studio differ from your first piece?

Sonny: You know, the first album is more along the lines of spirituality and issues that have to do with current events back in 2006 but the new album is a little similar. It's a little more on the darker side, the roots edge on it. There's no horn section on the new one like there was in the old one. The writing has definitely progressed a lot more. My brother is the one that comes up with most of the rhythms and I come up with the vocals and lyrics. We go back and forth together, we present it to Jerome then he adds whatever he want to add to it and we put it together.

Lilly: What do you use as your inspiration?

Sonny: I use a lot of life experience of my own. A lot of the stuff you hear, especially on the Reelection album, I was going through some things back then where actually I just wrote it out; that's pretty much my life. Now, what I see, a lot of times you see people being mistreated and we use reggae as a vehicle to express that...make people aware and reflect.

Lilly: When you guys play a gig what does your set mainly consist of? Reelection or The Deception of Babylon?

Sonny: We do a little bit of both. We try to play 99% original music, so we bring stuff out of the new record and we always play the old stuff because people seem to really like the older stuff as well, so we got to keep that going.

Lilly: What do you expect people to take home whenever they see you perform at a venue?

Sonny: You know our music has a message, so like you were saying a minute ago hopefully people go home thinking about one of the songs they heard and maybe it captured somebody and it made them go home with a message about what we're singing about, you know what I'm saying? We're not singing about anything bad... we don't glorify the whole party aspect of life. We kind of try to stick with real issues and real things that are going on so hopefully people go home with that. And a good sense that they had good night and a good vibe.

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Photograph: David Cruz (WOR)
Lilly: So what's next? Any upcoming tours?

Sonny: You know right now our calendar is pretty spread out so we're playing like once a month. As far as touring goes we won't be touring anytime soon... but really right now what we're really doing a lot is writing. That album's been sitting in the studio for so long that for us it's getting kind of old. So we're already writing new material on top of that. We didn't write for a long time and we just started up again and it's been good and everybody feels good about it.

Lilly: Why should someone check out Raiz Muzik, what makes you stand out from the rest?

Sonny:  A lot of the reggae that is coming out now is a lot of the surf reggae and it’s got that real heavy rock edge like even punk sometimes. What we do is we keep it roots, we play more of a 70’s styled reggae. We do kind of drift off a little bit in songs during a show, but what we play is what inspired me you know? That real 70’s reggae; that’s my favorite kind of reggae to listen to and that’s what we do that’s different from a lot of the other bands… Hopefully people will latch onto and be like “wow I really like these guys’ style; they’re keepin’ it old school."

You can download, Raiz Muzik's new single Calloused Hands online on iTunes
Order the Reelection CD here.
Check out their music on Reverb Nation
Stay updated on everything Raiz Muzik on their official Facebook page www.facebook.com/raizmuzik 

Written by Lilly Lopez (@lilly_lopez_ ) Friday, April 26, 2013

Originally published on Creative Edge Music


A Groovy Night of Romantic Melodies with Leon Larregui

This past Friday night I had the opportunity to attend Zoe front man, Leon Larregui's concert here at El Foro in Tijuana presenting his premier solo album: "Solstis". When I arrived, the venue was crawling with fans on the outdoor patio; I could only imagine how full it'd be inside. I had arrived a bit late due to the commute I made from North San Diego County to Tijuana and the traffic implicated. When I arrived, the opening act, Mexicali native Juan Cirerol, was already on stage warming up the audience with his rockabilly and corridos.

As I walk inside I'm astonished to see every single seat occupied and the floor section (which was standing) tightly compacted and just as full. I'm amazed to see how many followers Leon Larregui has accumulated these past years. I honestly can't say that all of Zoe's fans have followed Leon in this new and unprecedented journey, but, I can say that a large percentage of them have. We walk over to the right side of the floor to obtain a better view Juan who is doing a great job at getting the public ready for a night of sexy music.

It's around 9:30 and the stage is ready for the main event to begin. Fans are screaming with excitement and anticipation; I'm amazed to see how wide the age range with Larregui's fans is: teenage girls' screams pierce your ears while women in their 30's jump around with excitement. I myself, being a loyal Zoe fan, am pretty excited but surprisingly, not screaming (for the first time in my life). Since I'm standing next to the backstage entrance, I have a clear view of what is going on behind the curtain; I see Leon ready to go on stage.

The Solstis gang mounts the stage one by one; each time the intensity of the crowd grows more and more. Leon steps on stage; he's dressed in dark jeans and a black long sleeve shirt. El Foro goes wild, I can't even hear myself think with every one's cheering. But I'm not complaining, the feeling is actually quite pleasant. The drums kick off the night to the beat of the first track on the album, Aurora Boreal. The sound is exceptional; the smooth bass line crawls inside you through each one of your pores. Leon's voice is hypnotizing, the chorus takes you to another planet.

Next comes one of my favorites: Carmin. The haunting bass intro and signature 70's guitar rythyms move the group to dance along willing and unwillingly. Next is Perdonar; I see fans pulling out lighters and waving their hands in unison with the sweet vocals that make this song so catchy. The sorrowful Souvenir follows afterwards while the mass chants at the top of their longs the chorus. Good thing the heartbreak songs didn't continue or else I would have started to cry! Brillas one of the most popular songs of the album begins and all the women in the venue begin to scream uncontrollably.

Leon picks up his red Rickenbacker guitar and the up optimistic Resistolux starts off; "Tu sabes que hacer, tu sabes que hacer por un mundo mejor," sings Leon as his admirers jump up and down in glee. The somber mood returns with the mythical piano chords as they diminish in pitch with Perdida Total. Larregui surprises us with the announcement chat he will be premiering the music video for the last track on the album tonight , Resguardum Ether, on the back screen as they perform.

Femme Fatal brings on the groovy bass lines that make this album stand out so much. When Leon announces that they're about to play their last song of the night the crowd screams "no!" in disapproval. "well, the album is ten songs, if you want we can repeat it all?" Leon says with a smile. The audience cheers in approval. The upbeat guitar rhythm of the first single of the album "Como Tu" begins and the room shakes uncontrollably along with crowd. This was perhaps the song that most were waiting for and definitely perfect to end the set.

Or so I thought... after Leon and company step off the stage the audience begins chanting "encore!" in unison. The lights are still off and there is no sign of the instruments being put away, so that's a great sign. A few minutes later, Leon steps back on stage and the multitude of people cheer. Leon tells us a bit about the song he's about to play; it's a cover of a track that he used to sing a lot when he was a child. The acoustic guitar begins; Leon's harmonious voice begins reciting Bill Withers' Ain't No Sunshine. Larregui makes the song his when all the electric instruments come in, captivating effects the musical arrangements for this cover are beyond fascinating.  The last song of the night is an encore of Brillas and the crowd, ecstatic sings along. Leon thanks the public one last time and all the Solstis tour musicians join him center stage to take a bow for Tijuana.

Amazing concert, very different than Zoe concerts (which are equally as amazing). This album which is sort of a tribute to 70's music left me and everyone in the audience more than satisfied. Also, for those of you who are familiar with Zoe and their live shows, at the Solstis gig, Leon seemed like a different man. He smiled more times in this one show than in all the Zoe shows I've assisted to. I'm glad he's doing this side project, besides being great material, I feel like he's having the time of his life as well. I can honestly say that the show surpassed my expectations; I was so used to Zoe I thought this wouldn't be nearly as entertaining. But boy was I wrong! Leon Larregui is definitely a gifted musician and singer; blows my mind every time.

Escrito por Lilly López, Martes 21 de Mayo de 2013 08:42   

Originally published on Tijuana Eventos
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Festejando y Fumando con Cultura Profética y Gondwana

Este sábado se llevó a cabo el 4:20 Fest en la ciudad fronteriza de Tijuana. Aunque días antes se rumoraban manifestaciones a las afueras del evento en contra de la mariguana por parte de una página en Facebook que no vale la pena mencionar, el concierto fue todo un éxito, en el cual aproximadamente 7 mil amantes de este dulce género festejaron por adelantado este día tan significativo al lado de dos importantes bandas del reggae.

La cita era a las 4:20 en el Parque Morelos, pero yo arribé poco antes de las 21 horas, que en realidad no fue problema alguno, ya que aún estaba la última banda invitada sobre la tarima. Apenas llegando al estacionamiento del recinto el aroma de la ganja me acariciaba los pulmones y daba besitos dulces en la nariz, como si se burlara de mí ya que no vine preparada. Entre paramédicos y seguridad logré llegar hasta la sección de prensa en donde pude apreciar a Somos Uno, una banda de diferentes partes de San Diego que se auto define como “una banda de reggae fronterizo sin fronteras”. Uno de ellos ondeaba una bandera verde amarilla y roja mientras la vocalista femenina con sus bailes y presencia seducía al público y los preparaba para los dueños de la noche.

Casi una hora después, a las 9:57 PM suben los puertorriqueños de Cultura Profética al escenario. Los miles de asistentes cantan y bailan con alegría al son de “Sube el humo” canción perfecta para iniciar esta fiesta en conmemoración del 4/20. Desde que salieron a escena los teclados de Juanqui, combinados con la suave voz de Willy se metieron por mis oídos y sentí como se paseaban por mis venas. Continuaron con la difusión de mensajes con “Ideas nuevas” y “Ritmo que pesa”Para ese entonces yo ya estaba de vuelta entre la multitud disfrutando como todos los demás que al escuchar el inconfundible riff de guitarra de “La Complicidad” gritaron, saltaron, pero muchos, muchos MUCHOS se dieron tremendos besos. Que era todo un deleite para los sentidos con esa hermosa canción de fondo. Le siguieron con una viejita “Inspiración” y un cover del gran Bob Marley, “I wanna love you” interpretado por el baterista Boris.

Exactamente media hora después Willy toma el micrófono y agradece a Tijuana “Hola buenas noches…estamos bien agradecidos de estar por fin en Tijuana...y bueno más agradecidos estamos porque llenaron esto de forma tan bonita.” Continuó “obviamente estamos festejando un poco anticipado el 4/20, y a mucha gente esto le ha caído mal que estemos celebrando la existencia, porque no sólo la fuman, la existencia de la mariguana, es cuestión de ver poquito más allá de lo que nos pintan a diario… Y al fin se está dando esta conversación en todas las esferas sociales… creo que es cuestión de tiempo para que las cosas cambien. Sea como sea nosotros siempre hemos sido los locos esos que hablamos sobre la mariguana, pero es que ¿alguien tiene que hacerlo no? por eso se dice así “Nadie se atreve’”.

Continuaron haciendo consciencia sobre temas controversiales con canciones como “Somos Muchos” de su última producción. Después se pusieron romanticones y celebraron el amor y lo bonito de la vida con temas como “Lo de más”, “Amante Luz”, “Para estar”, “Un deseo”. Unos cuatro minutitos después de las 23 horas Willy presenta a una de sus coristas, Patricia “Melogia” Lewis como “una de las mejores voces femeninas que hayan salido de Puerto Rico” la cual procede a interpretar  una canción. “Baja la tensión” fue el tema con el cual culminaron su presentación que claro, como todos los que acostumbramos invertir (porque no es ningún gasto) dinero en entradas de conciertos sabemos, esto no era el final.

Tan sólo un minuto después de que abandonaron la plataforma, regresaron, a las 11:16 con “Ilegal”. Al terminar esta bautizaron oficialmente el festejo con “Saca prende y sorprende”, una rolita nueva que formará parte de su siguiente álbum. La energía con la que contagiaron al público era asombrosa, las sonrisas en sus rostros no podían esconder la felicidad que sentían al estar sobre ese escenario celebrando junto a miles de tijuanenses y sandieguinos el 4/20.

Después de su presentación platicamos con Juanqui, tecladista de la banda quien compartió con nosotros, “me sorprendió ver la cantidad de gente que se presentó esta noche, sinceramente no me lo esperaba… muy linda la energía, muy bonita.” Y no perdí la oportunidad de preguntarle porqué la legalización de la mariguana es un tema tan importante para ellos, Juanqui nos expresó: “Igual que en Puerto Rico [ustedes] sufren un ataque de narcotráfico. Y está más que hecho que la guerra contra el narcotráfico está perdida… ya ellos ganaron. Y hay que buscar una forma de apaciguar la guerra, que no muera tanta gente ya, ya basta de derramar sangre. Yo pienso que les quita poder [a los narcotraficantes]…El que se quiera drogar que se drogue, el que quiera vender que venda, y ya que paren las muertes ya basta”.

Esperamos casi hora y media para que Gondwana saliera, faltaban 15 minutos para la 1:00 cuando Labbé y  MC Jona pisaron el escenario y así dieron inicio a su set con “Cidade Pulse”, los fans bailan al son de los metales de Gato y Pancho. Sin demora alguna le siguieron con un popurrí de “Nada Cambió”, “Aire de jah”, “Ignorancia” y “Reflejos de luz”. Antes del concierto, los músicos nos concedieron una entrevista exclusiva en su hotel, ahí I-Locks Labbé nos compartió lo “entusiasmados” que estaban por tocar en Tijuana porque la gente es “más efusiva y espontánea”. También nos adelantó que ya se encuentran en pre-producción para un nuevo material que está por salir a mediados de este año.

Los presentes corearon los clásicos de la banda como, “Verde amarillo y rojo”, “Reggae is coming” a todo pulmón y los chilenos no siguieron sin antes agradecer a los asistentes por haberlos esperado hasta esa hora, yo no sufrí tanto, ya que llegue cuatro horas antes de que ellos tocaran, pero la muchos tenían en el  lugar ya  unas 9 horas, sin exagerar. Pero eso no importó, ya que los fans de hueso colorado seguían de pie bailando y cantando al son de éxitos como “Nadie como tú”, “Antonia”, “Pienso en ti” y “Mi princesa”.  Todas canciones para enamorados y yo tan solilla, así que lo lógico era tomar mis últimas fotos de cerca y abandonar la sección de prensa para irme a disfrutar de esta leyenda del reggae latino al lado de alguien especial.

“Piénsame” de su último álbum sonaba cuando llegué a reunirme con mi acompañante, justo a tiempo para unos apapachos bien merecidos. “Chainga Lainga” hizo que se me olvidara el cansancio y me puse a disfrutar de la banda como se debe, en esta canción todos los integrantes desalojaron el área con excepción de las percusiones y batería, para un solo rítmico. Regresaron con “Tú y yo” seguido por “Irie”, canción con la cual yo oficialmente dejé de ser prensa y me puse a disfrutar del toquin como fan total.

La siguiente fue “Llegando a mi hogar”, una de las que más esperé toda la noche ya que en nuestra entrevista, Labbé me pidió que la escuchara con mucha atención, una canción perfecta para la ciudad fronteriza de Tijuana que relata la historia de un inmigrante en Estados Unidos. Bellísima y en vivo la pude apreciar mil veces mejor. Faltaban ya unos minutos para las 2:00 a.m. cuando MC Jona tomó el micrófono y cuestionó, “¿llegamos ya al final, quieren alguna otra más?” Entre gritos se escuchaban muchos títulos conocidos pero la cuenta regresiva inició con “Give your love” seguida por “Nuestros sueños” y “Sentimiento original”. Llega “Felicidad” y a pesar de que vemos el final muy cerca estamos llenos de dicha de poder iniciar nuestro 4/20 en tan buena compañía. Cerraron con broche de oro con el cover de “Could you be loved”.

Los fans en esta ocasión no se quedaron pidiendo otra porque con dos agrupaciones tan talentosas era casi imposible irse con ganas de más. Musicalmente fue un evento buenísimo, quizás lo único que falló fue los horarios que pusieron en los cartelones y la hora real en la que salieron las bandas. Pero además de eso, todo salió de maravilla, todos nos fuimos a casa sintiéndonos irie, con el oído y la mente satisfechos.

Publicado originalmente en Tijuana Eventos


Escrito por Lilly Lopez , Martes 22 de Abril de 2014 11:06   

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Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Buena bailada con Barrington Levy

El pasado viernes 24 de Mayo la ciudad fronteriza de Tijuana se vistió de rojo dorado y verde para recibir nuevamente con brazos abiertos a una leyenda viviente: el gran Barrington Levy.
 
La cita fue a las 22:00 horas en el segundo piso del Black Box; mi clan de aficionados y yo arribamos a las 20:30.  Afuera del lugar la fila para entrar le daba vuelta a la cuadra y había una gran multitud de personas reunidas en la vereda.

Tomé asiento en uno de los sofás y espere con ansias que iniciara esta gran fiesta. Poquito después de las 22:00 sale el DJ Carlos Culture a anunciar a la primera banda: Pachamama, que viene desde Los Ángeles California a ponernos a bailar con su reggae. Poco a poco el local se iba llenando de admiradores y amantes de esta hermosa música caribeña.  Casi una hora después, salió de nuevo Carlos Culture a  informarnos sobre el próximo grupo musical directo desde España: Nano Bravo and the Mad Lions Band.  La energía de esta banda encendió a toda la fanaticada que se había multiplicado por  tres desde la última vez que yo había revisado.  Sin duda cada uno de los integrantes de esta agrupación ama lo que hacen e interpretan cada canción con mucha pasión y entusiasmo. Disfruté bastante esta hora de reggae en compañía de los leones.
 
Es ya media noche y el segundo piso del Black Box está más que lleno, el bullicio entre los  seguidores de Levy ya es incontenible. Cada minuto que pasa parece atraer a diez personas más consigo, ya pasa de la 1:00 y nada.  De pronto sale de nuevo el anfitrión de la noche, esta vez acompañado de la conductora de Makeda Makossa.
 
Juntos en el escenario dan una extensiva y emocionante presentación para uno de los exponentes del reggae más aclamados de los últimos tiempos. Uno a uno los músicos de Barrington suben al escenario y comienza la música. El bajista empieza a agitar a la multitud y excitar a los asistentes. 1:20 y se escucha el singular “¡uuuuhooooohooohoooh!”  de Barrington Levy; el gentío salta, grita, chifla y aplaude de felicidad.  Aparece un Barrington muy lleno de vida vestido casualmente con unos jeans oscuros, camiseta blanca, bufanda guinda y cachucha negra con blanco. Este hombre a pesar de tener ya cuarenta y nueve años, tiene la ligereza de un joven de veinte.
 
El jamaiquino nos deleitó con repertorio extenso de todos sus éxitos además de unas canciones nuevas que saldrán en su álbum que lanzará este año. "Under Mi  Sensi", "Shine Eye Girl", "She’s Mine", "Here I come" y "Broader than Broadway", son algunos de los tracks que interpretó esta noche mientras todos los seguidores bailaban al ritmo de su dancehall reggae.
 
Fue con "Too Experienced" con el cual los tijuanenses sorprendieron al cantante al corear la canción palabra por palabra. Levy bromeando preguntó: "¿están seguros que aquí es Tijuana? ¡pensé que aquí sólo hablaban español!". Jugó con el público otras veces más con "murderer", haciéndonos competir entre unos y otros para ver quien podía cantar como "el mejor" (claro nadie pudo darle alcance con su shidlididlididlididlididli uohohoh).
 
Nos alaga con una canción especial "Tijuana Are You Ready?" cantando "Tijuana Tijuana do you really really wanna". Otros éxitos que cantó esta noche fueron: "Poor Man Style", "Money Moves", "Ah Yah We Deh", "Collie Weed", "Oval Rock" y cerró con broche de oro al son de una de mis favoritas "Black Roses".
 
Esta fiesta de reggae culminó poco antes de que dieran las 3:00, pero nadie tenia ganas de ir a casa a pesar de la hora. Barrington dejó a su público más que satisfechos. Nos dimos una buena bailada al lado de esta leyenda viviente. ¡Aquí te esperamos para la siguiente!
 
Fotografías cortesía de : Sean Foley, Carlos Culture, y David López









 

Escrito por Lilly López, Martes 04 de Junio de 2013 08:00
 Sígueme!  @lilly_lopez_ (Twitter) @lilly_lopez25 (Instagram)      

Reseña publicada originalmente en: Tijuana Eventos
Follow us: @tijuanaeventos on Twitter | tijuanaeventos on Facebook
 
 

No Borders Tonight: 25 Years of Reggae with Los Cafres





This past September 27th, hundreds of reggae enthusiasts from both sides of the border, including myself came together to celebrate a night dedicated to the 25 year anniversary of one of the biggest Argentinian reggae bands of all time: Los Cafres.
 
After several forgotten items and heavy traffic I arrived at the most visited city in the world and my hometown, Tijuana. This beautiful city has recently been growing and gaining back its popularity as a hangout spot for the young and old on either side of that dreaded fence.  “La Revu” is back to being the iconic strip which most of us grew up hearing fantastic stories about.
 
Even though doors opened at 6:00 PM, when I arrived about an hour or so later, the line to enter circled the block but moved quickly despite its length. The locale wasn’t empty and the people were arriving in slow batches at a steady pace; but I was hoping for more-- then again, it was barely 7:30 PM.
 
Klandestino kicked off the party approximately at 7:40 PM and played a set which was about 25 minutes long. Army Roots and one of my favorites from last night Araiz Da Vida brought the roots to El Foro. Other local bands like Jah Es Uno, Don Shak, and Jammin Green Shop also made their appearance last friday night. But definitely one of the most outstanding bands was San Diego’s own Piracy Conspiracy whom besides bringing the sick grooves to our ears also delighted our vision with vocalist Mel’s admirable show woman skills and guest Tlalok MC.
 
This last band’s set lasted approximately 50 minutes and they left the stage at 11:30 PM or so. By now the concert hall was practically at its full capacity, the crowd anxious to see the headlining band. Los Cafres drumset was unveiled and every single piece of this musical puzzle was slowly being put together by the roadies.
 
Unfortunately for my back and feet, midnight came and no band. The bordertown public was beginning to get rowdy and chanting the classic  “*uleeeeeeros! *uleeeeeeros!” The minutes dragged on and the anticipation was growing more with each one that passed. Twenty minutes later the musicians walk onto the stage and begin with the intro.
 

 
 
 
El Foro had officially transformed into a melting pot where fans from Tijuana, San Diego, Rosarito, Ensenada, LA and all surrounding regions had suddenly become one. No borders here, suddenly the almost six hour wait was totally worth it.
 
Five minutes later, Guille walks on stage wearing a crimson Xolos Jersey, khaki slacks, a cap and his signature smile to the tune of Caprichos and continued with the slow death of Flaca Huella. “How beautiful it is to see Tijuana once again!” he exclaims wide-eyed admiring each and every one of the individuals that came together to be part of this once in a lifetime event.
The gang continued performing songs from their 12th and newest album, El Paso Gigante like: Dale!, and with Mientras Tanto, the atmosphere mellowed down while everyone grooved in unison. The romanticism advanced with the beautiful lyrics of  Imposible, El Angel, Kaos and Una Perla en mi vida,  just to name a few.
 
The show was definitely not going end without “rolas” from the other 11 albums like Flor del Portrero, Hace Falta,  and Tus Ojos.
However, it was the classics like: No Puedo Sacarte de Mi Mente, Aire, and Sinsemilla that lit up the the night and moved everyone to sing, jump, dance and just go crazy with the Argentinians. By now there were girls climbing onto the stage determined to hug the vocalist. By the way, they all succeeded and one even managed to steal a kiss from him. The guys jammed to a few more songs before playing Sinsemilla one more time and abandoning the stage at 1:32 AM.
 
The fans were not ready to let them go and began chanting for an encore while stomping on and pounding on whatever they could to get them to return. Sure enough, five minutes later they came back on stage with Secreto Mio, also from their last production. After this song, a representative of the promotion house hosting the event went on stage to present the band with certificate of recognition for these past 25 years of successes. Guille thanked everyone present and proudly showed off their award.

 
The countdown had begun and the hits started coming one after another, Momento, Dulce Muñequita, Casi que me Pierdo, and Si el Amor se Cae; all songs which have come and stayed with Los Cafres’ throughout this 25 year musical voyage. The night ended promptly at 2:00 AM with one of my top three favorite Cafres songs: La Receta because “el reggae es belleza y no monotonía.”
Although the band’s set consisted of a roughly hour and a half show, I can honestly say everyone left satisfied. The wait was worth every second, the fans all had a great time, no fighting no silly business just love, great music and good vibes. Frontman Guillermo took advantage of every opportunity he had to shake a fans hand and that huge smile which he had when he first set foot on the stage, never left his face.
 
Photographs courtesy of : WOR (World of Reggae)

 
Written by Lilly Lopez  @lilly_lopez_ (Twitter) @lilly_lopez25 (Instagram)


Ariticle originally published September 29, 2013 10:43 PM on Tijuana Eventos

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Thursday, February 28, 2013

Life is NOT an Emergency!!!


So this morning as I arrived on campus I had something really moving happen to me. It was a really compelling event; kind of changed my whole attitude for the rest of the day. Heck it moved me so much I'm now writing about it!

I was waiting with other people to cross the road over to Palomar (an immense amount of people) and when the little white man began blinking on the traffic light, there we went. Like a herd of cattle with opposable thumbs and a more perverted mind. There was this older woman with a disability walking next to sort of in front of me. Everything was fine and dandy until she tripped over the step on the sidewalk and fell face forward on the concrete. For a couple seconds I was sort of in shock and didn't know what to do but I figured standing there like a dumbass was NOT one of the options. So I bent down, grabbed her by the arm and attempted to lift her up, but she was too heavy. I looked up and people would just slow down a bit, glance and keep walking. I wasn't until moments later a young man with a military colored beanie, white T-shirt and dark shades stopped and also attempted to help.

I took his books to free up his hands and he successfully got her back on her feet. He asked her if she was okay, retrieved his textbooks from me and went on his way. Another man also stopped and asked her if she was alright and if she needed any assistance getting anywhere... the woman with the neon green sweater smiled and said no thank you. You could tell she felt a bit embarrassed but never the less, grateful. Once he assured himself she was okay, he also went on his way.

Her sunglasses had been jerked out of place to reveal a black eye patch on her left eye; her short blonde hair with streaks of grey was a bit tousled but the gratitude that she transmitted with her single eye and unbreakable smile was the best form of acknowledgement I could ask for. I didn't feel comfortable leaving her side yet since there were still about four more steps to cross so I stayed nearby for a little while longer. Once we were crossing the parking lot I lost sight of her and headed over to my communications class.

I guess the point of this post is to first of all thank those two men who stopped for a bit and helped me with this woman. It really meant a lot to me and obviously more to her. It's great to know that there is still good people in the world. The way the others just walked on by really disgusted me, I mean life is no emergency; you need to stop and smell the roses. Don't be afraid to be the first to lend a hand to someone in need, and when you do don't wait for anything in return just their appreciation for your help should warm your heart and draw a smile on your face. It's scientifically proven: doing good deeds for others makes YOU feel good. So why not? It's a win- win situation. Life is beautiful. Everything in it. Don't let today's hectic way of living affect the way you see it!


 
I leave you guys with this video about a Colombian photographer by the name of Emilio Aparicio who surprises this homeless woman, Andrea Chaparro by giving her one of the best birthday gifts ever. (It's in Spanish but I'm sure you'll be able to understand just by what you see.)