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Mónica Boixeda
Reggae music is usually associated with the use of marijuana, that is, the image of aperson who listens to reggae is someone extremely relaxed, who does nothing with his life, who smokes marijuana all the time and usually has “dreadlocks” and does not shower. He or she usually is a squatter in some European city. Comfortable clothes, comfortable attitude, and a unpretentious stylistic intent far beyond the hippie philosophy. Reggae lovers around the world spread between marijuana smoke, happiness, love and peace. And of course, surf, beaches, cosmic sunsets and vegetarian food. A peaceful and carefree life, moving in slow motion indulging the pleasures of cannabis. This however is a very common stereotype that people often associate this style with as they do with other styles of popular music to explain the character of those who hear it. For example, it is considered that people who listen to heavy metal are violent people, embittered with the world, that hate everything and most likely will be Satanists and devil worshipers sacrificing cats in the basement of their home. Stereotypes. Prejudices are common mistakes. Usually, we create stereotypes when we have fear of the unknown, of that what we do not know how to explain. So, reggae is also loaded with prejudices but, likewise, reggae is heard by managers of large companies, doctors, police officers in the demonstrations, political activists, dancers, poets, firefighters, office workers, people who work every day in front to a computer writing articles about travel and tourism, and is more than probable that the King of Spain heard reggae when hunting killing elephants. Reggae has no boundaries...
Mónica Boixeda
There are cities that are determined to show that they are the most cultured, educated and artistic. Without a doubt, one of these places is Vienna. The capital of Austria is not content to simply show the visitor an impressive array of architectural sites or a rich cultural heritage (primarily centered around music but also in theater and related to the visual arts) or well-tended gardens designed for leisure and enjoyment. No. That is not enough for the aristocratic and decadent Vienna. So every year from mid-May to mid-June, the Wiener Festwochen, or Vienna Festival, doesn’t run for the standard one or two weeks as is usually the case with such events, but rather for an entire month. That’s the way Vienna works when creating programs of cultural events. And they have been doing it since 1951, when the country was still trying to recover from the hardships and sorrows in the aftermath of World War II. Decades have since past and the city is buzzing with artistic people from all over the world. This year’s festival, which has already begun, will close on June 17. So if you’re in Vienna before that date, you are obliged to attend some part of the program. Here’s the link with daily information updates about events: http://www.festwochen.at/ The Island of Museums hosts a large number of the various functions that take place as part of the festival. These include temporary exhibitions, avant-garde performances, installations, classic and/or independent film series, courses, conferences, etc. The artistic and spiritual life continues in the Theater and der Wien, where actors from all over the world take...
Diana Rodríguez Pretel
On the 12th of June 2012 the works of the American painter, will be the protagonists at Thyssen Museum in the Spanish capital. This is the first really important exhibition devoted to the artist at European level and it is also, a unique opportunity to enjoy his most famous and daring paintings. With this exhibit, visitors to the Thyssen will tour Hopper´s life since the moment he traveled for the first time to Paris in 1907, discovering and falling in love with European painting until the end of his days. 70 works by this artist in total, 40 of them created and during his older age as: “House by the Railroad ” or “Gas”, both part of the permanent collection of the MOMA Museum in New York. Edward Hopper was inspired by the film industry for many years, but after the 50’s, it was the other way around and ended up inspiring even the Hitchcock films. The painting “House by the Railroad”, for example, inspired the film “Psycho”. Also, he was able to inspire several American poets that mentioned his works in their compositions. Edward Hopper was not interested in avant-garde like Matisse or Picasso. He was inspired by artists such as Albert Marquet, Félix Valloton and Walter Sickert” as you will be able to appreciate in this exhibition. He was an almost lyrical painter. However, he didn’t sell any painting before he was 43, so the curators of the exhibition have decided to divide his work into two, and make a comparison of his beginnings to his final success. Let´s get to know the life of Hopper. He...
Mónica Boixeda
The traditional Museum Mile Festival is held every year on the second week of June between 18:00 and 21:00 in New York. During 33 years this one-mile walk has become a must for New Yorkers and visitors, who gather between 82 and 105 streets to enjoy all the activities organized by the city’s cultural institutions for free, including activities for children. The Museum Mile Festival 2012 will take place on the 12th of June and will open at the steps of the National Academy Museum at 17:45 in the 88 street. For three hours you will be able to enjoy concerts and art exhibitions while having great fun with all your family. The ten museums that on Fifth Avenue, which designate the area that lies between 82nd and 105th Street, have organized a wide set of activities to bring people closer to art, the conservation and history. One of the most anticipated spring panoramas in this beautiful city, because it is an encounter with the museum beyond its obsolete solemnity and where all fit, even those who never visit any museum. During that afternoon the Fifth Avenue will remain closed for vehicles and is transformed into a pedestrian zone where you can listen to music, feel the pulse of contemporary culture, have fun with interactive activities and face painting. If you are coming with your kids, you’ll see how they’ll enjoy street art. Among the museums that you can visit for free are: the Museum of African Art, the Museo del Barrio, the Museum of the City of New York, the Jewish Museum, Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution,...
Mónica Boixeda
What happened to the true indie scene? Many people are asking themselves this question every day after finding that the current music market has become increasingly restricted and industrialized. At a crucial moment, the “indie” scene has changed into a closed industry with short parameters and as little ambition as possible. Pitchfork is now the web page that defines the interest of thousands of teenagers and young “alternative” people throughout the world. If Pitchfork is in line with your approach to music, chances are you have had access to the well-established indie media. InSpain, the magazine and website Rockdelux continues to be an inevitable reference for finding out what music is “in” and what is “out”. Many more magazines that hold the office of spokesperson for “alternative rock” include The Deli, Prefix, Under the Radar, among others. Indie rock today is not the same as it used to be. Twenty years ago, when alternative rock was fresh, when the war between corporate rock still alive, and when it was not something for the masses, there weren’t any resources to share music and knowledge like we have today. Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Youtube, Tumblr – all of these tools that any internet user has available are also used by large music corporations. The intersection of these means of dissemination generates what seems like a conflict within the center of independent music: honesty, talent, rebellion. These are all becoming more and more distant. Apparently, the use of social networks only makes independent music that much more a product of the internet, which is then interspersed with “mainstream” music and then doesn’t have...
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