Zocalo Magazine - January 2016

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Z贸calo

Tucson arts and culture / ZOCALOMAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2016 / no. 70





inside

January 2016

07. Outside 11. Arts 15. Border 19. Community 21. Events 34. Film 39. Song 43. Poetry 49. Tunes 53. Tucson Street Portraits 54. Look Back

On the Cover:

Tucson Jazz Festival returns for a second year. Read more on page 31.

Zócalo is an independent, locally owned and printed magazine that reflects the heart and soul of Tucson.

PUBLISHER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR David Olsen CONTRIBUTORS Craig Baker, Andrew Brown, Jefferson Carter, Sara Cline, Jon D’Auria, Gillian Drummond, Jamie Manser, Troy Martin, Amanda Reed, Diana Rhoades, Herb Stratford, Jeff Weber. LISTINGS Amanda Reed, listings@zocalotucson.com PRODUCTION ARTISTS Troy Martin, David Olsen AD SALES: Kenny Stewart, advertising@zocalotucson.com CONTACT US:

frontdesk@zocalotucson.com P.O. Box 1171, Tucson, AZ 85702-1171 520.955.ZMAG

Subscribe to Zocalo at www.zocalomagazine.com/subscriptions. Zocalo is available free of charge at newsstands in Tucson, limited to one copy per reader. Zocalo may only be distributed by the magazine’s authorized independent contractors. No person may, without prior written permission of the publisher, take more than one copy of each issue. The entire contents of Zocalo Magazine are copyright © 2009-2016 by Media Zoócalo, LLC. Reproduction of any material in this or any other issue is prohibited without written permission from the publisher. Zocalo is published 11 times per year.

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photo: UA Special Collections

outside Z Homer L. Shantz, March 1, 1933, helped create Saguaro National Monument. Saguaro became a National Park in 1994.

100 Years of National Parks by Diana Rhoades

The National Park Service is having a party, and everyone’s invited! 2016 marks the 100 year anniversary of the National Park Service – so keep your new year’s party hat and get ready for 365 days of adventure. Beginning with the 2016 Rose Parade in Pasadena, California that is dedicated this year to the partnership with the National Park Service, you and your family are encouraged to “Find Your Park” in Arizona and across the country, to celebrate the Centennial. Often called “America’s Best Idea,” National Parks were first championed under the leadership of President Teddy Roosevelt, and managed by the US Secretary of the Interior. The early 1900s were a period of growth and development, and Roosevelt provided a counter-balance to those who sought to exploit the natural world for personal gain. When Congress fought President Roosevelt’s efforts to create a national park at the Grand Canyon, Roosevelt created the 1906 Antiquities Act, giving the president discretion to “declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic and scientific interest... to be National Monuments.”

He used this power to create more national monuments in Arizona than in any other state, including Montezuma Castle and Petrified Forest (1906), Tonto (1907), the Grand Canyon and Tumacacori (1908). It took another great leader – a powerful and generous businessman named Steven Mather, to create the National Park Service. When the Park Service law was created in 1916 and signed by President Woodrow Wilson - seven years after Roosevelt left office - there were 35 sites to be managed by the new organization. Roosevelt helped created 23 of those. The new mission was to preserve these special areas unimpaired – not just to manage them for their resources. Today, more than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 410 national parks, monuments, historic sites and trails, and work with NPS programs in communities across the nation to help preserve local history and natural resources, and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. “We are excited to celebrate the Centennial this year, and are planning a number of events and activities that will appeal to everyone,” says Darla Sidles, Superintendent of Saguaro National Park. “To be relevant for the next 100 u January 2016 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 7


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years, we need to work harder to engage the next generation of park visitors, supporters and advocates.” Saguaro National Park has a series of birthday events (and free birthday cakes!) planned, including special events to introduce the park’s new Centennial Mascot, Sunny the Saguaro. March 1, 1933 is the birthday of Saguaro National Park. Recognizing the partnership between Saguaro National Park and its founder, the 10th President of the University of Arizona, Homer L. Shantz, a “Leaders in Saguaro Science” reception and presentation will be held at the University of Arizona on March 1 at the Agnese Nelms Haury Lecture Hall. The University of Arizona College of Science will join with Western National Parks Association and Friends of Saguaro National Park to host the party and honor more than 80 years of continuous Saguaro research. The National Park Service Centennial will also be a major theme at the University of Arizona Festival of Books, also in March. Centennial events can be found on individual park Facebook sites and at FindYourPark.com The National Park Service and its non-profit partners, including the National Park Foundation, have been planning this year-long party for 10 years – researching demographics of park users and analyzing the business case for parks in the future. It is recognized that new urban audiences are needed for success. A 2012 report, titled Engaging Hispanics in National Parks: Saguaro National Park Case Study and the 2013 National Park Service report American Latinos and the Making of the United States: A Theme Study, mark a concerted effort by the Park Service to make parks more relevant to underrepresented audiences. Similar Heritage Initiatives projects are reaching out to LGBTQ, Women, African American, youth, Asian and urban Americans to reflect our unique cultural history. “More than 80 percent of the nation lives in cities, so if we aren’t reaching the diverse people in cities, we won’t have another 100 years of national parks,” said Jim Cook, Executive Director of Western National Parks Association, a non profit partner with 67 national parks providing programs, services, products, and managing the visitor center national park stores. Cook is helping lead efforts in Tucson to create a partnership of federal, state, local and university attractions in a gateway community and visitor center to engage young people and new audiences to national parks. Bob Newtson, the Executive Director of Friends of Saguaro National Park, a charitable organization that raises funds for Saguaro National Park – shares the idea that park service employees need to reflect the cultural diversity of America. He worked with young people from Saguaro to create the Next Generation Ranger Program – to hire young adults from diverse nationalities from the University of Arizona and Pima Community College - to learn park ranger skills through paid internship programs, preparing them for a career that includes science, story-telling, and natural resource protection. Demion Clinco, Executive Director of the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation and has been a supporter and worked with the National Park Service for years– working with the NPS Historic Preservation department, which offers standards and guidance on preserving and rehabilitating historic buildings and administers the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program. “For Generations, the National Park Service has been the key community partner helping to interpret the rich and diverse stories and cultural heritage that defines southern Arizona. The Park Service is one of the greatest assets of our country. Happy Birthday!” Put on your hiking shoes, tune up your bicycle, grab your birthday card and plan your trip in 2016. Discover American beauty, history and culture in all its diversity, from ancient archeological places to homes of 2 million Saguaros to Spanish exploration and beyond. Find your park in 2016. 8 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | January 2016

Southern Arizona Parks, Trails, Monuments and Historic Sites: All the national sites are on Facebook – “like” them to receive updates of special events happening every day. Saguaro National Park - Tucson Juan Bautista De Anza National Historic Trail Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument – South of Ajo Chiricahua National Monument – near Willcox Coronado National Memorial – south of Sierra Vista Fort Bowie National Historic Site – east of Willcox Casa Grande Ruins National Monument – north of Tucson in Coolidge Other National Parks of Interest to Arizona: Grand Canyon National Park Navajo National Monument Cesar Chavez National Monument Free Days at National Parks: • January 18 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) • March 28, Cesar E. Chavez Day (free at Saguaro National Park) • April 16-24 (National Park Week) • August 25 through 28 (National Park Service Birthday) • September 24 (National Public Lands Day) • November 11 (Veterans Day) Annual Recreational Passes: America the Beautiful - 2015 Annual Pass to all National Parks and public lands - Cost $80. Allows pass holder in vehicle + 3 adults, at per person fee areas. (children under 16 are admitted free) The pass can be obtained in person at the park, by calling 1-888-ASK USGS, or via the Internet at http://store.usgs.gov/pass. Annual “Every Kid in a Park” 4th Grade Pass - Free Available to U.S. 4th graders (including home-schooled and free-choice learners 10 years of age) with a valid “Every Kid in a Park” paper voucher (download at www.everykidinapark.gov) . The pass is valid for the duration of the 4th grade school year through the following summer (September through August). 2015 Annual Pass for Military - Free For active duty military personnel and dependents with proper identification (CAC Card or DD Form 1173) America the Beautiful - Senior Pass - Cost $10 This is a lifetime pass for U.S. citizens or permanent residents age 62 or over. The pass provides access to, and use of, Federal recreation sites that charge an Entrance or Standard Amenity. America the Beautiful - Access Pass - Free This is a lifetime pass for U.S. citizens or permanent residents with permanent disabilities. The pass provides access to, and use of, Federal recreation sites that charge an Entrance or Standard Amenity. How to support local National Parks Friends of Saguaro National Park - FriendsOfSaguaro.org Western National Parks Association - wnpa.org


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Armory Park



photo: Phoenix Michael

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Story Land, Tucson’s new writers’ room.

Write On! by Phoenix Michael

Fancy yourself a fictionist? Feeling an urge to finally get that novel out of your noggin? Have you lived a life worth reading about? Many of us have. But when will I ever get the chance to write it all down, you tell yourself, because between the baby crying and the dog barking and the dishes that need to be done and the car alarm down the street I can’t get a creative thought in edgewise. Never fear. You can take a trip to Story Land. Upon entering Story Land’s high-ceilinged, airy and naturally-lit space at 1202 E. Broadway Blvd., an ingeniously repurposed ex-Midas Muffler shop, the rest of the world will melt away. This is a place for a writer, safely ensconced, to concentrate on their message while peacefully tucked away from society’s mess. Story Land founder Cecily Crebbs’ vision is that of a serene and quiet space for authors of all stripes - whether they be aspiring or already established - to compose poetry, flesh out a thesis, finally finish that incendiary manifesto or simply expound on topics from the existential to the mundane. Your heart’s innermost desires can be explored and expressed at Story Land. Story Land will listen. Like Sy Sperling is with his company Hair Club for Men, Crebbs is also a Story Land client. “I just really don’t like writing alone,” she says, and who can blame her? The motivation provided by the presence of quietly focused, similarly-inspired authors also hard at work should not be underestimated. “I’ve reached this point where I need to finish my book and I’m not doing it at home,” says Crebbs. The book to which she refers is a biography of Mark

Sandman (1952-1999), lead singer and slide bass player of 1990s indie rock act Morphine. Before his untimely death on stage in Italy of a massive heart attack Sandman was well-known, and critically acclaimed, for his innovative two-string “slow and murky” sound; Crebbs is a fan. But she has found cafes too noisy to work in, and other environments “deathly quiet.” (Crebbs is also working on a noir series; “I guess I’m always looking for a body,” she says.) Out of this need for an effective work zone came the impetus for Story Land. Like most writers Crebbs has a lot of interesting ideas rattling around in her head, but she doesn’t take credit for inventing the concept of an affordable, comfortable, membership-based and centrally-located spot where writers can gather to put pencil to paper or pound keys. Of The Writer’s Room in New York City, “a thousand books have been written there,” she beams, and Crebbs also speaks fondly of visiting The Office in Santa Monica, CA. Writers’ rooms have appeared around the country over recent years, in fact, defying the spread of Twitter-mentality brevity by encouraging deep thought and sustained effort; Story Land is merely the latest manifestation of this trend, tweaked Tucsonstyle. The brains behind taking an auto repair shop and turning it into a sanctuary for scribes is DesignBuild Collaborative’s Paul Weiner. His knack for incorporating humanistic features has transformed what used to be a wedge of industrial efficiency, where a commuter would go to get a brake job, into a space masterfully built out in a fashion which could perhaps provoke a modern ecotopian u January 2016 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 11


Tucson‘s New Address for Fine Natural Design

Feb 2nd - Feb 14th, 2016, 10 am - 6 pm Exhibition and Sale

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pamphleteer to pen the 21st-century Walden. At Story Land, you could be sitting next to the next Shakespeare. Story Land works like this: with a monthly membership, the writer enjoys 16- or 24-hour keycard access to the building with its wireless Internet, coffee/ tea bar (“as much stimulants as you want, free”), kitchen, conference room, printer, reservable “deadline” room, a private and sound proof “phone booth,” break room and storage lockers, “so you don’t have to schlep stuff back and forth.” There are long tables to spread out on, as well as high counters for those who prefer to write standing up. No-line-of-sight corner nooks in the upstairs loft are cozy enough to assemble the most clever of sentences and craft the wittiest of paragraphs. Whether you’re a first-time wordsmith working on a romantic steampunk saga or a Masters of Fine Arts undergraduate putting the final touches on your coursework, you can get your work done at Story Land. Looking to unleash your inner autobiographer? What’s your story? Find out by joining Story Land. One need only have a serious writing project to work on; prior publication is not required. For membership rates and to apply call (520) 631-4301, email cecily@storylandtucson.com or visit StoryLandTucson.com.

Cecily Crebbs

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photos: Phoenix Michael

SPECIAL EXHIBITION 2016: “THE JURASSIC DRAMA” FROM SOLNHOFEN



photos: Craig Baker

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Photos left, top: Debris left in a wash likely by immigrants, including two backpacks, a tin can, a packet of tuna with Spanish labeling, a pair of athletic shorts, and water bottle. Bottom: bicycle left in the middle of the desert near the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, most likely by an immigrant.

Death in the Desert by Craig Baker

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t 6 o’clock on a Friday morning in December it’s still dark out. In front of the House of Neighborly Service on the corner of a small south side residential neighborhood at 9th Ave and 33rd St, the engine of a white Chevy 3500 is already burbling to life. In the driver’s seat, retired civil rights lawyer Stephen Saltonstall is squinting from behind a pair of wire-framed glasses as he makes notes in the sparse lighting on a log sheet clipped into a clipboard. His head is tilted forward near the steering wheel and a hint of white hair peeks out from beneath his Boston Red Sox cap. Guillermo Jones closes the iron gate to the small one-story complex and climbs into the passenger seat, his hunter’s orange jacket glowing bright against the general navy blue of pre-twilight. I lift my lethargic body into the backseat and introduce myself to the regular Friday team of two; they do the same. Then Saltonstall shifts the car into drive. I clutch my travel cup full of coffee close as we travel west toward Highway 286, then south toward the US-Mexican border at Sasabe, where we will rendezvous with Grupos Beta, the Mexican governmental organization dedicated to helping migrants, and give them a load of fresh water on the other side of the fence. The truck—which is equipped with a 300-gallon water tank connected to a gas powered pump and a simple metal cage capable of carrying several 55-gallon drums—belongs to Human Borders, a Tucson-based non-profit organization founded in June 2000. Executive Director Juanita Molina, who has been with the organization for four years, says that the group’s “primary function is to take death out of the immigration equation.” In pursuit of that mission, Humane Borders helps to track and map migrant deaths in the area, distributes information to potential migrants south of the border, and maintains and operates a network of freshwater stations located on both public and private land throughout the deserts of Southern Arizona in areas that are known to see migrant foot traffic. Since the Arizona OpenGIS Initiative for Deceased Migrants began in 2001, more than 2500 migrant deaths have been recorded and Molina says that somewhere in the neighborhood of 7000-8000 more travelers have been reported missing by their families. But Molina points out that there is currently

“no mechanism (in place) to look for those people,” adding that many are not even reported missing until they have been out of contact with their families for months, and sometimes even years. Since border enforcement became higher priority after September 11, 2001, Molina says the annual tally of known migrant deaths has “never really gone down below 150 a year,” peaking in 2010 with a total of 225 unique cases. She compares the current state of the crisis to having a commercial airliner crash in Tucson once a year, every year. The Friday morning mission is a water run, which you may have figured out, given the presence of the giant tank on the bed of the truck. We will make a total of seven stops on our way to Sasabe, and at each stop the guys in the front seat will check the water level of the tanks to see if they have been used (some tanks see very little traffic). They’ll then test a small amount of the water inside for contamination, and drink some to taste test it. If the water needs filling, it is filled from the tank on the truck. If it needs replacing or has damaged parts that need repair, there are equipment and supplies on hand to that end, as well. Each of the seven 55-gallon barrels is bright blue and fitted with a spigot. Stickers on the barrel label it as ‘AGUA’ in white lettering and an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe stands as a sign that the tanks are trustworthy, potable. A waving blue flag stands thirty feet overhead to mark each site, serving as directional cues for migrants, but also for Border Patrol agents. Though Humane Borders has agreements with the organization by which agents are not supposed to park themselves near the tanks, the agents themselves have quite a bit of leeway with respect to enforcing these agreements. As a result, representatives from Humane Borders say that, though they do serve the function of saving the lives of dehydrated migrants in peril, the tanks can also function as traps for Border Patrol agents looking to make an easy pick-up. In the winter, as you probably know, nights in the desert can drop well below freezing. And while that brings a welcome change during the days here in town and in the surrounding areas, it can mean trouble for migrants. “People believe that winter won’t be as harsh,” says Molina, “but we see quite a few deaths in winter as well. The same conditions that create death in the summer are present in the winter, and those are a lack of water and extreme temperatures.” u January 2016 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 15


photos: Craig Baker

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Molina says that where this often leads to a shift in the demographic of border crossers toward unaccompanied children and families—both of which can double during the winter months—it can also mean a spike in the migrant death toll. In addition to the threat of death by dehydration or exposure migrants face, and the omnipresent eyes of the Border Patrol, there are also the militias to worry about. These are generally white, generally male, generally ragtag groups of self-appointed citizens on patrol who comb the desert on four-wheel drive vehicles under the guise of assisting border patrol in their effort to rid the Sonoran of illegal migrant traffic. Some, however, suggest more sinister motives. “It only takes a couple of days for a body to disappear in the desert,” Saltonstall points out. And whether by militia men, law enforcement agents, other migrants, coyotes, or drug traffickers, there have been dozens of bodies discovered in the desert with ‘GUNSHOT WOUND’ as their reported cause of death since the Arizona OpenGIS Initiative began. When a migrant dies and the location of their death is known, a Samaritan group will drive out to the location and install a bright orange cross on the person’s death site. At least one such cross can be seen just off the highway en route to Sasabe. As expected, most of the tanks on the service route on this particular day were untouched when we got to them, though a few needed refilling and/or service. The last stop north of the border was at a water station dedicated to Bishop Minerva Carcaño, which Saltonstall says is probably vandalized the most often of all of the sites. A few weeks ago they found it shot up with 9mm bullets; today, it’s buckshot. The spigot has been broken off, the water drained, and empty gallon jugs probably originally left full by another humanitarian aid group have been dumped at the site, deliberately split open and lined up in the dirt not far away from the damaged blue tank. The jugs are marked with words of encouragement meant to bolster the spirits of travelers on a dangerous voyage. “Whoever did this is just sick, man,” says Jones, shaking his head as he collects the debris. Fifteen minutes or so later, we weave through an elaborate vehicle checkpoint full of barriers that make the entire truck shake and then, on the other side of the border, Saltonstall and Jones pump the remaining water from the truck into a tank owned by Grupos Beta. This is water, Jones says, that definitely makes it to migrants in need, whereas the rest of the group’s supply is more-or-less left out in good faith. The day ends in time for a late lunch—hotdogs from the QT while the gas pump runs—before the truck is dropped off again at the House of Neighborly services, unloaded of damaged gear, and then secured for the run scheduled for the following day. Then there is another run scheduled for the day after that. And the day after that, ad infinitum until something happens in Washington and migrants stop dying in the Arizona desert, once and for all. n

Photos, left: Vandalized water tanks and jugs. This page: Guillermo Jones (orange jacket) and Stephen Saltonstall deliver water.

photos: Craig Baker

For more information on Humane Borders, visit www.HumaneBorders.org.

January 2016 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 17


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January 2016 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 19


Z community

Loving Every Body by Craig Baker

Jes Baker loves her body, and we all know what an achievement that is living in our ‘does-this-make-me-look-fat’ culture. In fact, blogging under the moniker of “The Militant Baker,” Baker has even managed to build something of a career out of her propensity for self-love. You might remember her wellpublicized 2013 photo series which featured her size-22 figure in a mockAbercrombie & Fitch ad campaign. She posed in and posted the photos along with a letter to A & F’s then CEO Mike Jeffries as a reaction to comments he had previously made about why the company refused to carry plus-sized garments in their chain of nationwide stores. The media went bananas. She was able to quit her day job as a pastry chef to focus on her career in advocacy in 2014 and, last fall, her first book, Things No One Will Tell Fat Girls: A Handbook for Unapologetic Living, was published by Seal Press. After a short-but-jam-packed eight-city book tour and appearances on media outlets like the Today Show, Baker recharged in a cabin on Mount Lemmon with her family but, being a figurehead for a growing movement, even time away couldn’t keep her from blogging about body positivity. And even though she’s cultivated an online following of thousands who lean

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on her each month for advice and guidance, perhaps hoping that her knack for finding the good in herself will rub off on them, Baker admits that she still has her bad days. She says that existing in the public realm, the internet troll is a natural and constant threat to her well-being. “When you’re being met with rage,” Baker says, “you’re going to have that fight, flight or freeze instinct as a human being—you just do. So there’s no way that it’s not going to affect you. But what you can do is work on how long you let it affect you.” She says that more than three years of moderating her own social media comments helped her to see the repetition in the arguments of her most hateful of haters and so, over time, she was able to understand them for what they were: “falsified, irrelevant, and ridiculous.” Now, she says she’s just “logically able” to brush them off. Still, she admits that hiring a social media moderator last September has made a world of difference in terms of her day-to-day life. Critics of the body positivity, or body love, movement allege that it boils down to a means of justifying obesity. Baker, however, refutes this notion outright. “The fact that people think that loving your body is a prop to use as an excuse to be fat,” she says, “that entire concept is problematic.” Baker says


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that the issue is not about body size or health as much as it is about the way we Baker says she’s been there herself; at the end of a long term relationship talk about these things as a culture. “We’re saying that people aren’t allowed with a partner who blamed her weight for their downfall, believing that if only to be fat and like themselves,” she says, “and that it’s some big conspiracy to she could change her body that everything else would start to fix itself. But allow people to like themselves, and if people would just say that out loud they then she had a novel thought: who says she couldn’t love herself now, just as would see how ridiculous that is.” she is? And so Baker made an effort to do just that and, perhaps more imporTo that end, Baker is an advocate for all bodies—big, small, thin, fat, old, tantly, she’s not going to step back and take it if someone else tries to make her young, smooth, wrinkled, abled, disabled—all believe otherwise. “Real talk,” says Baker in of ‘em. She says that “sub-oppressor” groups Things, “your life is not going to become hapand individuals that get caught up in arguing pier, more amazing, or more successful after about which body type is better and why (in you lose those ten pounds or twenty pounds the book she points to the old pro-plus-sized or fifty pounds. Because the pounds aren’t adage, “Real women have curves,” and then really the issue. Your state of mind is.” to the not-so-pleasant yet marginally popularFor those who are interested in bucking ized addendum to that saying, “not the body the diet-trend, or any other change-yourselfof a twelve-year-old boy”) are essentially wastfor-the-sake-of-whatever trend, and replace ing precious energy that could be expended on it with a little bit of self-love, Baker says uplifting each other, and so Baker steers comthat the first step is “being presented with pletely clear of this approach in her own work. the concept that you can love yourself just In fact, Baker points to a $60 billion a year the way you are,” which she admits doesn’t beauty industry as the real enemy off all selfsound like much, but she says “for some confidence. She says it’s the advertisers who people, they’re not even aware that it’s an craft an impossible-to-obtain ideal and then option.” make us feel like crap when we can’t achieve Next, she says you have to do the reit; it’s the 14 million people convinced to go search. Flood your social media feeds with under the knife each year for the sake of physibody positive messages and find bloggers cal perfection and the $70 million dollars we who speak to what you are dealing with. spend each year just to try and rid our bodies Baker says that it’s important to incorporate of cellulite. “I’ve talked to a lot of people about as much new information as possible before this issue and read thousands and thousands you can begin the deprogramming phase for of comments and I’ve come to realize that evyourself. And then, she says, “you decide if ery person has some sort of insecurity,” says challenging the status quo is for you and, if Baker, “because the beauty/weight loss/diet it is, then you put things in place so that you industry have been specifically designed to sell can do so.” us this version of perfection that doesn’t exist. Build your network, she says, because So…of course we all have insecurities.” “you need a community if you’re going to do Indeed, the book might feature the silhouthis shit,” and start posting those selfies. The ette of a plus-sized woman—and a woman real selfies. Even the ones that make you a that, like Baker herself, still presents with the little uncomfortable; not just the ones from Things No One Will Tell Fat Girls: A Handbook for Unapoloincreasingly-typified hourglass shape that sothat angle that you think makes you look hot. getic Living, by Jess Baker, published by Seal Press. ciety is ready to accept with regard to larger Because, after all, it’s still you, no matter female bodies—but Baker insists that the concept of body positivity is for onehow you look at it. And you are perfect just the way you are. n and-all. “If you are a person with a body who is tired of being shamed and told to shape up, slim down, camouflage, alter against your will, or make apologies Learn more at themilitantbaker.com for your body, this book is for you,” she says in the introduction to her book.

January 2016 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 21


SUPERPOPS!

Byron Stripling: Sounds of New Orleans Stuart Chafetz, conductor

Saturday, January 16, 8pm Sunday, January 17, 2pm Tucson Music Hall A spectacular trumpeter with a very wide range, a beautiful tone, and the ability to blend together many influences into his own style, Byron Stripling is an extroverted performer who brings the audience into his music and is constantly in demand to play with pops orchestras around the world. The happiness that he exudes through his trumpet, his vocals and his words is reminiscent of Louis Armstrong, yet very much his own. Originally Byron enrolled at the Eastman School of Music with plans to become a classical trumpeter. “I loved classical music but my heart kept on going to Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan and Kenny Dorham.” His career blossomed as he toured with legends such as Clark Terry, Lionel Hampton, Dizzy Gillespie and Billy Eckstine, the Woody Herman Orchestra and the Count Basie Orchestra when it was led by Thad Jones and Frank Foster III. His

performances are full of remarkable musicianship, wit, showmanship, and a joyous spirit. In partnership with

For a full list of events visit tucsonjazzfestival.org

SUPERPOPS!

Curtis Stigers: Hooray for Love Stuart Chafetz, conductor

Saturday, February 13, 8pm Sunday, February 14, 2pm Tucson Music Hall Often euphoric and always elegant, the songs of Hooray For Love dart easily between standards and songs that perhaps should be. Like Sinatra and Nat “King” Cole, singer/songwriter/ saxophonist and two-time Jazz ECHO Award Male Jazz Singer of the Year, Stigers possesses a curator’s knack for hearing a song, framing its heart and making it his own, be it the work of Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Wilco or The Kinks. Classics like “You Make Me Feel So Young,” “The Way You Look Tonight,” and “Love Is Here to Stay” are taken for a spin with his rich singing voice.

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january

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JANUARY 15-17 Tucson Fringe Theater FestivaL Founded in 2011, the Tucson Fringe Festival is an unjuried, uncensored performing arts festival that follows international fringe tenets, providing artists with lowrisk, low-cost opportunities to perform by using economies of scale to reduce venue rental costs and by taking 0% of the artist’s earnings. The festival provides the Tucson arts community with avant-garde, non-traditional performing arts at very low ticket prices. Tucson Fringe does not curate or select the performances, which maintains an environment in which everyone and anyone can perform and ensuring that underrepresented artistic voices are championed in the community. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the festival which runs at 4 venues in downtown Tucson and 4th avenue. For the first time in Fringe history, a lottery was held to select the artists and 17 of the 27 who applied will be presented. Performers come from Italy, San Francisco, San Diego, and Tucson. There will be 17 performers in 46 shows over the course of 3 days. New his year is an audience choice award, “Best of Tucson Fringe.” Complete details online at TucsonFringe.org When: January 15th, 16th, and 17th. Where: Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St. Fluxx Gallery, 414 E. 9th St. ZUZI!, 738 N. 5th Ave. Flycatcher, 360 E. 6th St. How much: $2 Fringe Admission Button (onetime charge) + $10 for single ticket, $15 for two tickets, $80 (presale) to see all 17 shows!

photo: courtesy The WonderFools January 2016 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 23


Z events

january JANUARY 22-23 Dillinger Days

CELEBRATE DILLINGER’S FAMOUS CAPTURE AND ALL THINGS 1930s Mobs of history buffs, fans of the 1930’s, pop culture enthusiasts, and more crowd the historic Hotel Congress annually to pay homage to the man that famously earned the title Public Enemy No. 1 and his nationally-renowned apprehension. Each year The Hotel Congress hosts a two-day spectacle in honor of the capture of America’s most notorious outlaw by the Tucson Police Department and the Tucson Fire Department. The festivities commence with a fundraising Speakeasy at 7 p.m. on Friday, January 22 and continue with a free family-friendly, all-day event starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, January 23. Gas up your speedster because all roads lead to Hotel Congress for the cultural and historical event of Southern Arizona.

The larger than life event is not only popular with attendees, but also for local downtown businesses. Derrick Widmark, owner of Diablo Burger and Good Oak, believes in the overwhelming success of the event, “Dillinger Days 2014 were great for downtown businesses. Hotel Congress is ever more vital as the heart of Downtown Tucson, giving folks the chance to explore all of the changes and new venues downtown. At Diablo Burger and Good Oak Bar we are extremely fortunate and grateful to be neighbors to such a venerable local landmark as Hotel Congress, and greatly appreciate everything that Richard, Shana and all the good folks at Congress did to make Dillinger Days a reality.” More information can be found at HotelCongress.com

24 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | January 2016


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january

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JANUARY 15-18 Zoppé family circus

photo: © Tami McKenney

When the Zoppé Family Circus returns to Tucson for the fourth year this month, opening night will be a special occasion. Zoppé’s European circus will benefit Tucson’s 2016 All Souls Procession. The performance will feature Tucson-based artists from Flam Chen showcasing it antics and acrobatics outside the onering tent. In addition, there will be a cash bar and silent auction. A portion of the evening’s revenue will be donated to support next year’s All Souls Procession. “Tucson’s All Souls Procession is a public ritual like no other,” says Chuck Tennes, president of Arts Tucson. “Zoppé Family Circus is becoming a tradition here as well, so it is a pleasure for us to support one of the North America’s most potent cultural events.” Zoppé ‘s opening night, Friday, January 15 at 7 p.m. at Mercado San Agustin, will be the first of eight performances during the Martin Luther King holiday weekend, January 15-18.. Arts Tucson, a new non-profit organization, is presenting this year’s visit by the Zoppé troupe. Many Mouths, One Stomach, a non-profit arts collective based in Tucson, is the organizing body for the procession. Additional support is provided by Gadsden Company, LLC, developer of the Mercado San Agustin site. Tickets for opening night range from $15 for children to $30 for adults. A limited number of ringside seats at $50 include a $20 taxdeductible contribution to Many Mouths, One Stomach.. Ticket information for all eight of Zoppé Family Circus performances can be found at ArtsTucson.org.

Janury 9

Pucks and Paws In conjunction with the University of Arizona Wildcats Hockey team, the Humane Society of Southern Arizona is holding a fundraiser on Saturday January 9th, 2016 at the Tucson Convention Center. The University of Arizona will take on the University of Colorado and game attendees will have the opportunity to purchase a $5 doggy ticket at the box office. All proceeds from those ticket sales will benefit HSSA. In addition to bringing your dog to the game, spectators will enjoy a raffle and silent auction table. Participants will be able to bid on a number of items including a signed Wayne Gretzky portrait. A number of adoptable animals will be in attendance along with members of the HSSA Comfort Dog Therapy program. The game begins at 7:30pm. More information at hssaz.org January 2016 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 27


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Z events

Kermit Ruffins


events Z

Jazz in the Old Pueblo The Tucson Jazz Festival returns for its second year. by Herb Stratford


Z events

King Solomon Hicks


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T

photo: © Margherita Andreani

here’s a new tradition in Tucson and a welcome addition to the cultural landscape this time of year. While the early months of the calendar traditionally mean focusing on golf tournaments, the Rodeo and the Gem Show, Tucsonans can also experience world-class jazz without leaving the city limits. The second annual Tucson Jazz Festival will take place for ten days from January 14-24 at multiple locations along or near the Tucson streetcar route. In addition, the entire month of January is being proclaimed “Jazz in January,” with events all month long, beginning with the annual gala New Year’s Eve concert. Last year’s festival attracted over 10,000 people, and while Tucsonans are the main target audience, last year’s festival also delivered a solid economic boost with 28% of attendees traveling to town to experience the acclaimed lineup of performers in the balmy climate of southern Arizona. As was the case last year, the concerts in this year’s fest will be presented downtown, with a majority of them taking place at the Fox and Rialto theatres. Additional shows will also take place at the TCC Music Hall, Club Congress and at the University of Arizona’s Crowder Hall and Centennial Hall. Also new this year is a special free Martin Luther King Day Downtown Jazz Fiesta, with performances on two stages, food trucks, beer and wine that will be focused on 5th Avenue between Toole and Broadway from 11am to 5pm. One of the things that’s so special about the Tucson Jazz Festival is the impact it has on our community’s young musicians. By bringing this level of musicians together from all over the country, it’s like having a master class in Jazz every day for nearly two weeks. Additionally, the opportunity for some students to perform on the same stage as working professionals, is quite special. Opening night of this year’s festival will pair the Tucson Jazz Institute’s Ellington Band with acclaimed saxophonist Jimmy Heath. Heath, or “little bird” as he’s know in Jazz circles is a living legend and the show is a great way to kick off the festival along with a remarkable opportunity for the performers and audience alike. Collaboration is truly one of the tenants for the Tucson Jazz Festival with their events timed in conjunction with other local arts presenters such as the Tucson Symphony’s Sounds of New Orleans Super Pops concert featuring Byron Stripling on trumpet at the TCC, and UApresents’ Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour concert at Centennial Hall, both of which will take place on Sunday, January 17. Other locals getting in on the act besides the Ellington Band include; The Larry Redhouse Trio, saxophonist Brice Winston, bassist Ian Stapp and pianist Arthur Migliazza, who will all take the stage during the festival this year. Another note of interest in this year’s festival is the exhibition of images by noted jazz musician photographer Herman Leonard at the Etherton Gallery, located at 135 South Sixth Avenue. Tucson Jazz Festival Executive Director Yvonne Ervin is the dynamo behind the festival, after years in the jazz world both here and in New York. In addition to managing all of the details of the fest nearly singlehanded, she maintains her

other roles editing jazz publications and working with western music venues and other festivals on booking jazz acts. Ervin is thrilled about the expansion of the free Martin Luther King Day outdoor events, as they have been greatly expanded upon from last year. Between the multiple al fresco stages and indoor performances, Tucson will literally be oozing great jazz all day. Local musician and Tucson Jazz Festival artistic committee member Jeff Haskell echoed Ervin’s excitement about the line-up this year, especially guitarist King Solomon who will open for trumpeter Kermit Ruffins on January 24 at the Rialto Theatre. Haskell was so impressed by Solomon that he’s put together a support band to play with the young superstar, who’s been turning heads all over the world thanks to his talent. Haskell is not only a co-founder of sorts of the Jazz Fest with Ervin, local attorney Elliot Glicksman and Mayor Rothschild, but also part of the group that brainstorms potential performers, and is dedicated to crating a diverse mix of talent that will appeal to all levels of jazz fans. Another act that has Ervin and Haskell are excited about is the group Snarky Puppy, who blend jazz, funk and world music in a new and exciting way. The New York based group has gone from underground sensation to worldwide favorite in no time with performances in Europe, Asia and Australia, in addition to dates in America. The pairing of rising star Snarky Puppy with jazz legends like Jimmy Heath is a large part of what makes the Tucson Jazz Festival so exciting— there’s something for everyone. Interestingly, Ervin noted that a large percentage of ticket sales, and buzz for the fest is coming from social media, Facebook in particular, which demonstrates how audiences are finding out about and sharing their interests. Traditional media is still a large part of the marketing for the fest, with strong support from local print and broadcast partners. The musical lineup for 2016 promises to help create an even bigger impact for Tucson on several levels. With nearly 30% of the 2015 audience traveling to town for the festival, our economy is getting a boost from a desirable audience— jazz fans. This number is expected to grow in 2016 with increased name recognition and word of mouth marketing. Targeted marketing to the east coast, and to other locations currently blanketed with snow is part of the plan, but without a stellar schedule the trip would not make sense. By partnering with Visit Tucson, the Tucson Jazz Festival has found another way to sell Southern Arizona to the rest of the world, that does not travel purely for golf or spa destinations. A strong cultural community is essential to our sustained viability, and festivals such as this are a welcome component to the overall picture. n See next page for Tucson Jazz Festival lineup. For complete details and ticket information for the 2nd Annual Tucson Jazz Festival visit TucsonJazzFestival.org.

January 2016 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 33


photo: PHILIPPE LEVY-STAB

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Snarky Puppy

2016 Tucson Jazz Festival Lineup Complete details at TucsonJazzFestival.org

THURSDAY, JAN. 14, 7 P.M.

SUNDAY, JAN. 17, 7 & 10 P.M.

FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 8 P.M.

FOX TUCSON THEATRE, 17 W. Congress St. TUCSON JAZZ INSTITUTE ELLINGTON BAND with JIMMY HEATH. Opening: Tribute to Erroll Garner’s Concert by the Sea, with the KENNY WERNER Trio.

CLUB CONGRESS, 311 E. Congress St. “Through the Badlands” CD release party with drummer ARTHUR VINT & ASSOCIATES including bassist IAN STAPP and saxophonist BRICE WINSTON.

FOX TUCSON THEATRE, 17 W. Congress St. THE RAD TRADS with boogie woogie pianist ARTHUR MIGLIAZZA opening.

FRIDAY, JAN. 15, 8 p.m.

MONDAY, JAN. 18, 11 A.M. TO 5 P.M.

RIALTO THEATRE, 318 E. Congress St. Grammy-winning instrumental fusion band SNARKY PUPPY with guitarist NIR FELDER opening.

FREE MLK DAY DOWNTOWN JAZZ FIESTA Jazz on two stages, local Latin jazz bands and smaller jazz ensembles. Community Food Bank donation tent; food trucks and beer and wine. Fifth Avenue between Toole and Broadway.

RIALTO THEATRE, 318 E. Congress St. Vocalist LIZZ WRIGHT with LARRY REDHOUSE TRIO opening.

SATURDAY, JAN. 16, 8 P.M. & SUNDAY, JAN. 17, 2 P.M. TCC MUSIC HALL, 260 S. Church St. BYRON STRIPLING: Sounds of New Orleans Super Pops concert with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 20, 7:30 P.M.

SUNDAY, JAN. 17, 7 P.M.

THURSDAY, JAN. 21, 7 P.M.

UA CENTENNIAL HALL, 1020 E. University Blvd. MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL ON TOUR with Raul Midon, Nicholas Payton, Ravi Coltrane, Gerald Clayton, Joe Sanders and Justin Brown.

FOX TUCSON THEATRE, 17 W. Congress St. PONCHO SANCHEZ and his Latin Jazz Band with LA VOZ DE TRES, led by Mike Eckroth, opening.

34 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | January 2016

CROWDER HALL, 1017 N. Olive St. JON WEBER “115 Years of Piano Jazz” at Crowder Hall; UA Jazz Ensemble, opening.

SATURDAY, JAN. 23, 8 P.M.

SUNDAY, JAN. 24, 7 P.M. RIALTO THEATRE, 318 E. Congress St. New Orleans vocalist and trumpeter KERMIT RUFFINS with guitarist and vocalist KING SOLOMON HICKS opening.


Photo by Jesse Kitt

events Z

Lizz Wright performs January 23


Z film

Hitchcock/Truffaut

Mustang

Loft Cinema January Delights by Herb Stratford The Loft Cinema has a full slate of cinematic delights kicking off the new year with fabulous documentaries, excellent foreign films and acclaimed independent films for Tucson audiences.

January 1 The first two chapters of the acclaimed film triptych from Portugal entitled Arabian Nights open at the Loft this week with the third volume debuting January 8. Arabian Nights: Volume One The Acclaimed One and Arabian Nights: Volume Two The Restless One debut this week. With a storyline based roughly on the Arabian Nights story, these films put a modern spin on the stories that are set in the present time.

January 8 Perhaps one of the below the radar documentaries of 2015, the film Hitchcock/Truffaut examines the unique collaboration that took place between two giants of film, Alfred Hitchcock and Francois Truffaut, for Truffaut’s landmark 1966 book “Cinema according to Hitchcock.” With archival footage of their discussions and telling commentary from many contemporary and current film directing giants, the film reminds us how important the work of both artists are today and how their work continues to inspire and guide filmmakers. This is a fascinating film to experience.

January 15 Two compelling foreign films are set to open this weekend at the Loft that will make choosing what to see first a real challenge. First up is Mustang, which is France’s submission to the Academy Awards this year. The story is about a group of girls who, due to a misunderstanding, are under house arrest which only escalates their disconnect with their family and the modern world. I’ve rarely seen a more intriguing or honest portrayal of young women on the big screen. This movie is a real gem. Also, the acclaimed film Youth hits Tucson this weekend, which wowed audiences on the festival circuit this past fall. It follows a retired conductor, played to perfection by Michael Caine, who wrestles with memory and personal history while his friends and family try to advise him on a potential course of action at the end of his career. Harvey Keitel, Jane Fonda and Rachael Weisz are all excellent in supporting roles. n 36 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | January 2016


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film Z

25 Years

of the Tucson International Jewish Film Festival

Once in a Lifetime

by Herb Stratford The Tucson International Jewish Film Festival is celebrating a major milestone this month with the presentation of their 25th annual edition. In the world of film festivals this is quite an accomplishment, as it can be an uphill battle to maintain and grow a festival in today’s world with so many viewing options and distractions. By comparison, the venerable Sundance Film Festival is 34 years old, and Telluride film Festival, another long-time American landmark is 42 years old, not bad company to keep. This year’s lineup of films is excellent as usual, with inspirational stories, powerful documentaries and discussionstarting, thought-provoking tales that are not only for a Jewish audience. Opening night of the film fest will take place at the Loft Cinema January 14 at 7pm with a presentation of the French film Once in a Lifetime. This film tells the true story of a teacher wrestling with student apathy, but finds a powerful teaching tool in communicating stories of the holocaust via survivors. With a standout performance from an actual survivor, the life-changing lessons of the past are just what’s needed in this compelling and emotional story about loss and memory. On Sunday, January 17, another excellent offering is the documentary Enter the Faun. This film documents the remarkable relationship between a choreographer and a novice dancer with cerebral palsy, and their dedication to a performance. Tamar Rogoff ‘s journey to train Gregg Mozgala, is amazing. Her training succeeded where his previous physical therapy had failed and his transformation is remarkable and inspiring. As an added bonus Tamar Rogoff will be in attendance at the screening for a post film Q & A as well as for a workshop the following day at the JCC. Another standout on the schedule is the screening of the excellent documentary Raise the Roof, Saturday, January 23. The film details the work of hus-

band and wife team Rick and Laura Brown, who run the Handshouse Studio, as they spend 10 years working with students and citizens in Poland to recreate the hand-painted ceiling of Gwozdziec synagogue which was destroyed in World War II. The film is a knockout, and the artwork of the synagogue is quite frankly jaw dropping. It played last October as part of the inaugural Tucson Festival of Films to a large crowd who gave the Brown’s (in attendance for a post-screening Q & A) a standing ovation so the film is returning for a second showing during the festival. I can’t recommend this movie more, I loved it. Lynn Davis, Director of Arts and Culture for the Tucson Jewish Community Center coordinates the film fest with help from numerous volunteers. According to Davis, “the festival’s 25th season places us among the oldest Jewish film festivals in Arizona and also in the country. The festival’s impressive longevity is a testament to the dedication of volunteers who both saw a need for this kind of programming and have had the endurance to support it all these years. Some of our volunteers have been at the table for 15 years or more”. Davis also said “Films are chosen based on their ability to engage, to educate, and to entertain a broad sector of our community, Jewish and non-Jewish, young and old(er), gay and straight audiences. Film is a wonderful way to gain insight on lives quite different from our own or those that may be remarkably similar, but half-way around the globe.” Overall the festival will present 21 films over 13 days with most films screening at the JCC, located at 3800 East River Road. Tickets for screenings are $9 each, or $8 for JCC members with the opening night at The Loft Cinema being $10. There are also special group, student/senior discounts, and multi-film ticket packages available, visit TucsonJCC.org for the full schedule and more information. n January 2016 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 39



photo: Dario Acosta

song Z

Sasha Cooke performs January 22, 23 & 24.

Tucson Desert Songfest Continues to Wow by Herb Stratford The power of voice in music is indisputable. The popularity of song is undeniable, from classical circles to pop music and even popular culture, thanks to such shows as “The Voice.” But living in Southern Arizona, we don’t often experience some of the world’s best classical vocal talents live, and in person. This dilemma was addressed in 2010 with the founding of Tucson Desert Song Festival—which will be presenting their fourth “season” with a fantastic lineup of performers, from January 21- February 7 at a variety of locations. The festival, the brainchild of Tucsonan Jack Forsythe, has put together a robust group of eight conspirators including; the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, the Tucson Chamber Artists, UApresents, Arizona Opera, the Tucson Guitar Society, Arizona Friends of Chamber Music and the University of Arizona School of Music who will all host and collaborate on this year’s events. The addition of former Tucson Symphony maestro George Hanson as the festival’s director, is another stroke of brilliance that will continue to open doors to talent and bring them to Tucson each January. This year’s program features some remarkable names such as acclaimed mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton—the Richard Tucker award winner and Cardiff Singer of the World award winner—performing along with the Metropolitan Opera’s soprano Amber Wagner. The two will present a recital in the intimate confines of the University of Arizona’s Crowder Hall with pianist Alan Darling on January 23. Another unique collaboration made possible this year thanks to the festival is the event entitled Rhythms of the Americas which pairs Ballet Tucson and the Tucson Guitar Society for an evening of Latin-inspired dance, music and song with guest artists Adam del Monte on guitar along with baritone singer Bernardo Bermudez. The performance, on February 5 will take place in the intimate 299-seat Stevie Eller Dance Theatre and will feature, flamenco, tango and bossa nova, but also the premiere of Daniel Precup’s work Mosaico which features guitar, voice and dance. The collaboration between the Desert Song Fest and the Tucson Symphony takes the shape of a performance entitled Mahler and Martial Arts. This concert features the return of conductor George Hanson to the orchestra to explore

Chinese legends and poetry that inspired Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde”. With soloists like mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke and tenor Richard Cox, the performance looks like a knockout on January 22 at the TCC. Arizona Opera’s presentation of the classic tale Carmen about a Gypsy seductress will feature mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack on January 30. Hanson is quick to point out that there are several “winners,’ with the evergrowing festival’s remarkable lineup, as 90% of all of the funds that are raised go directly to the co-presenting arts organizations in support their visiting artists. These groups benefit from increased national and international awareness as well as experience from performing with guest artists who would otherwise not be in our market. Audiences also benefit—both locals and visiting tourists by seeing so many great performers in such a compacted festival timeframe. The stated mission of the festival is “to create an internationally recognized, destination festival, and for that festival to help Tucson become more of a cultural destination for visitors.” “That’s possible because the Tucson Desert Song Festival is three things; a unique festival model, with the ability to attract recognizable talent, and that it takes place in the right place at the right time” said Hanson. This collaboration between groups is unique in the industry according to Hanson, and while it continues to grow it’s reputation is helping it draw larger and larger talent and recognition worldwide. Plans are currently underway for exciting and unheard of events in 2017 and 2018, but this year’s lineup has already received much acclaim due to the talent secured such as Jamie Barton from the Met. This year’s Tucson Desert Song Festival is perhaps the finest one to date, and as such it’s crucial that Tucson audiences experience the difference that the festival offers in person. In order for our community to continue to grow our reputation as a cultural destination, we need to support and experience the amazing voices that are coming to Tucson. n The Tucson Desert Song Festival takes place January 10 – February 7 at a variety of locations. Visit TucsonDesertSongFestival.Org for more details. January 2016 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 41


Z galleries/exhibits ARIZONA HISTORY MUSEUM Above and Beyond: Arizona and the Medal of Honor is on view through May 2016. Hours: Mon & Fri 9am-6pm; Tues-Thurs 9am-4pm; Sat & Sun 11am-4pm. 949 E. 2nd Street. 520-628-5774. ArizonaHistoricalSociety.org

ARIZONA STATE MUSEUM What Does It Mean To Be Human: 100 Years of Anthropology at the University of Arizona and 1519 Rebellion: Itom Luturia (Our Truth) are on view through Jan 2016. Intimacy of Faith, featuring retables and ex-votos from the Gloria Fraser Giffords and the Giffords family on view through May 2016. Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm. 520-621-6302. 1013 E. University Blvd. StateMuseum.Arizona.Edu

BAKER + HESSELDENZ FINE ART 2nd Annual New Contemporary Group Show on view to Jan 22nd. Hours: Tues-Fri 11am-4pm, Sat 10am-2pm or by appointment. 100 E. 6th St. 520-760-0037. BakerHesseldenz.com

CENTER FOR CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY

The Lives of Pictures: Forty Years of Collecting at the Center for Creative Photography on view to May 14th. Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 1-4pm. 1030 N. Olive Rd. 520-621-7968. CreativePhotography.org

CONTRERAS GALLERY Carolyn King, Neda Contreras and E. Michael Contreras is on view from Jan 9th to 30th with an opening reception on Jan 9th from 6 to 9pm. Desert Triangle Print Carpeta opens in February. Hours: Weds-Sat 10am-4pm. 110 E. 6th St. 520-398-6557. ContrerasHouseFineArt.com

DAVIS DOMINGUEZ GALLERY Weavings by Claire Campbell Park, Prints by Kathryn Polk and Sculpture by Barbara Jo is on view from Jan 8th to Feb 27th with an opening reception on Feb 6th from 6 to 8 pm. Hours: Tues-Fri 11am-5pm; Sat 11am4pm. 154 E. 6th St. 520-629-9759. DavisDominguez.com

DEGRAZIA GALLERY IN THE SUN

The Rose and The Robe continues through January 27th and paper and acrylic works by Mary Alice Kellogg is on view in the Little Gallery from Jan 10th to 22nd. Hours: 10am-4pm daily. 6300 N. Swan Rd. 520299-9191. DeGrazia.org

Titus Castanza, Laura in Studio, 2015 oil on canvas, appearing at Etherton Gallery’s Portrayal, works by Wes Hempel, Chris Rush and Titus Castanza.

DESERT ARTISANS GALLERY Desert Schemes continues through Feb 7th.

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART Alex Von Berger: Next Time and Alex

Trunk Show featuring Geri Bringman & Tom Kolt is on Jan 9th from 10am to 1pm. Working with Wild Color a Meet the Artist Series featuring Susan Libby is on Jan 16th from 10am to 12:30pm. Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 10am-1:30pm. 6536 E. Tanque Verde Rd. 520-722-4412. DesertArtisansGallery.com

DRAWING STUDIO Intaglio Prints by Andrew Rush is on view until Jan 24th with a closing reception on Jan 23rd from 6 to 9pm. 2760 N. Tucson Blvd. 520-620-0947. TheDrawingStudiotds.org

ETHERTON GALLERY Portrayal featuring works by Wes Hempel, Chris Rush and Titus Caztanza is on view Jan 5th to Mar 5th with an opening reception from 7 to 10pm on Jan 9th. Hours: Tues-Sat 11am-5pm. 135 S. 6th Ave. 520-624-7370. EthertonGallery.com

IRONWOOD GALLERY Vanishing Circles is on view Jan 10th to 24th with an artist lecture by Pollyanna Pickering on Jan 10th from 10am-3pm. Society of Animal Artists: Art and the Animal is on view Jan 30th to April 3rd with an opening reception on Jan 30th from 3-5pm. Hours: Daily 10am-4pm. 2021 N. Kinney Rd. 520-883-3024. DesertMuseum.org

JOSEPH GROSS GALLERY

Chris Dacre: What Lies Beneath Lies is on view to Jan 13th. Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-5pm. 1031 N. Olive Rd. 520-626-4215. CFA.arizona.edu/galleries

MINI TIME MACHINE Mending the Soul with Miniature Stitches: The Needlework of Ray Materson is on view to Jan 10th. Feel Big Live Small is on view Jan 23rd to Apr 17th. Hours: Tues-Sat 9am-4pm and Sun 12-4pm. 4455 E. Camp Lowell Dr., 520881-0606. TheMiniTimeMachine.org

42 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | January 2016

Streeter: Best Dressed Pirate are on view to Jan 31st. Hours: Weds-Sun 12-5pm. 265 S. Church Ave. 520-624-5019. MOCA-Tucson.org

SOUTHERN ARIZONA WATERCOLOR GUILD The SAWG Annual Juried Show is on view from Jan 5th to Jan 31st with an opening reception on Jan 14th from 5 to 7pm. Hours: Tues-Sun 11am-4pm. Williams Centre 5420 East Broadway Blvd #240. 520-299-7294. SouthernAzWatercolorGuild.com

TUCSON MUSEUM OF ART Big Skies/Hidden Stories: Ellen Wagener Pastels opens on Jan 16th and Waterflow: Under the Colorado River Photographs by Kathleen Velo opens on Jan 23rd. Western Heroes of Pulp Fiction: Dime Novel to Pop Culture continues to Feb 14th and String Theory: Contemporary Art and the Fiber Legacy is on view to June 19th. Hours: Tues-Wed & Fri-Sat 10am-5pm; Thurs 10am-8pm; Sun 12-5pm. 140 N. Main Ave. 520-624-2333. TucsonMuseumofArt.org

UA MUSEUM OF ART Blake Little: Photographs From the Gay Rodeo is on view to Mar 6th. Fires of Change is on view to April 3rd. Rome – Legacy Of An Eternal City on view to Jan 24th. Hours: Tues-Fri 9am-5pm; Sat-Sun 12-4pm. 1031 N. Olive Rd. 520621-7567. ArtMuseum.Arizona.Edu WEE GALLERY Elusive Believer – Paintings by Sam Esmoer is on view Jan 2nd to Jan 31st with an opening reception on Jan 2nd from 6-11 pm. Hours: Thurs-Sat 11am6pm; Sun 11am-5pm. 439 N. 6th Ave, Suite #171. 520-360-6024. GalleryWee.com

WILDE MEYER GALLERY

Discoveries is on view from Jan 7th to 30th with an opening reception on Jan 7th from 5 to 7pm. Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-5:30pm; Thurs 10am-7pm; Sat 10am-6pm; Sun 12-5pm. 3001 E. Skyline Dr. 520-615-5222, WildeMeyer.com


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44 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | January 2016


poetry Z

This Afternoon Explaining About Changing Things by Alberto Ríos

This afternoon, after lunch, I will listen to a man read his story to me. He has no one else. His wife died several years ago—and it’s all wrong: He never got to read it to her as her death is what started him writing. It’s earnest, and a part of my afternoon as a teacher that is a little long. Still, his face as he reads, his hunger to hear if I’ve heard what he’s said, The gravity, the brave shoulders, the weight, the pauses. His conversation on these afternoons is a little too fast, that nervousness, His wanting to get it right, to know the rules, to color inside the lines. What else is there, after all, for him—if this is how he sees it, and he does. This is the gift she has left to him, and what he might give to her still. This man is older, not a formal student, not in a class, but someone Who has taken the time to make an appointment and come to see me. We share the same first name, which is always curious between people. It’s an immediate connection, self-evident, even when nobody says so.

by Alberto Ríos

Ed—that was his name, on the tag— Ed himself, our guide, was a ghost, flour Faintly on his face, under his eyes, White in the creases of his white uniform, Giving him the aspect of an undertaker In Heaven, something from the movies, And with his grumbling voice, He was the static, the snow scrambling Old television shows. This man, He was a photographic negative, white Under his fingernails, this place’s Sign of hard work, white and not black, But filthy, caught onto him everywhere, Opposite and the same as a coal miner, Each working their days in dust. Not from it and not to it, but in it. Photo by Cybele Knowles

Of course I want to write these words for him. I want to tell him how. My love, I would start, and perhaps finish there as well.

The Flour Mill Tour

But he says more to her, always more. I’m waiting for you to come home— Or else, tell me where you are and I’ll come and pick you up. That’s what he wants to say. I’m waiting for you. Come home. I believe it all, every word he stumbles over. I don’t like the words, I don’t like that they affect me—they are a beginner’s sentimental lament. I want to cover it up for him in better language, and I try to show him How. How to do it. He is smart, old-world smart, from South America The traditions of poem and celebration and gift. But he never seems to be able to change anything, never seems To understand what I have explained to him. Finally, I am grateful for this. He moves a few words around to please me, something here and there, But not very much. The next time I see him and we go over the story again, Nothing has changed. That’s how much those words mean. I want to change what cannot be changed, Not by me, not by him. This is what he teaches me, and I thank him each time For these long afternoons in which I listen.

Alberto Ríos’ latest collection of poems is A Small Story About the Sky. A National Book Award finalist, Ríos recently received the UA Outstanding Alumni Award. He is Arizona’s inaugural poet laureate.

Zócalo invites poets with Tucson connections to submit up to three original, previously unpublished (including online) poems, any style, 40 line limit per poem. Our only criterion is excellence. No digital submissions, please. Simultaneous submissions ok if you notify ASAP of acceptance elsewhere. Please include the following contact information on each page of your manuscript: mailing address, phone number, and email address. Ms won’t be returned. Notification of acceptance or rejection by email. Zócalo has first North American rights; author may re-publish with acknowledgment to Zócalo. Payment is a one year subscription. Address submissions to Zócalo, Poetry, P.O. Box 1171, Tucson, AZ 85702. The poetry editor is Jefferson Carter.

January 2016 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 45



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Visit ParkTucson.com for info January 2016 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 47


Z performances ARIZONA FRIENDS OF CHAMBER MUSIC Minguet Quartet with Andreas Klein, Piano, January 27 7:30pm TCC’s Leo Rich Theatre, 260 S. Church Ave. 5773769, ArizonaChamberMusic.org

ARIZONA OPERA Carmen, December 30 7:30pm & December 31 2:00pm TCC’s Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave. 293-4336, AZOpera.org

ARIZONA THEATRE COMPANY Fences by August Wilson, January 16 – February 6, Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Ave. 884-8210, ArizonaTheatre.org

BLACK CHERRY BURLESQUE January 8, 8:00pm, Surly Wench Pub, 424 N. 4th Ave. 882-0009, TucsonBurlesque.com

BROADWAY IN TUCSON Riverdance, January 5-10, Centennial Hall, 1020 East University Blvd. 903-2929, BroadwayInTucson.com

CARNIVAL OF ILLUSION February 27, 5:30 & 8:00pm, Lodge on the Desert, 306 North Alvernon, 615-5299, CarnivalOfIllusion.com

FOX THEATRE Jack Hanna Into the Wild Live, January 7, 6:30pm, Dave Mason’s Traffic Jam, January 20, 7:30pm, Travis Tritt Solo Acoustic Tour, January 26, 7:30pm, 17 W. Congress St. 624-1515, FoxTucsonTheatre.org

THE GASLIGHT THEATRE The

Cisco Kid, January 7 – March 27, 7010 E. Broadway Blvd. 886-9428, TheGaslightTheatre.com

INVISIBLE THEATRE Gene Kelly The Legacy, January 30-31, 1400 N. 1st Ave. 882-9721, InvisibleTheatre.com

LIVE THEATRE WORKSHOP Old Jews Telling Jokes, January 7 – February 13, 5317 E. Speedway Blvd. 327-4242, LiveTheatreWorkshop.org

NOT BURNT OUT JUST UNSCREWED Every Friday and Saturday, 7:30pm, 3244 East Speedway, 861-2986, UnscrewedComedy.com

ODYSSEY STORYTELLING SERIES DIY, January 7, 7:00pm, The Screening Room, 127 East Congress, 730-4112, OdysseyStorytelling.com

PCC THEATRE ARTS Poe’s Midnight Dreary, January 9, 7:30pm, Northeast by Southwest: A Shared Guitar Recital, January 28, 7:30pm, 2202 W. Anklam Rd. 2066670, Pima.edu/cfa

RHYTHM & ROOTS Whiskey Shivers, January 1, 7:30pm, Club Congress, Dustbowl Revival, January 10, 7:30pm, Club Congress, Woven Oak Trio, January 20, 7:30pm, Copper Hall, Hotel Congress, 311 East Congress, RhythmandRoots.org

THE ROGUE THEATRE By The Bog of Cats, January 7 – 24, 738 N. 5th Ave. 551-2053,TheRogueTheatre.org

SEA OF GLASS CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Gabriel Ayala, January 16,

7:30pm, 330 E. 7th St. TheSeaofGlass.org

TUCSON JAZZ SOCIETY 2nd Annual Tucson Jazz Festival, January 14-24, various locations and times, 903-1265, TucsonJazz.org

TUCSON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Moonstruck: Schumann & Schmidt, January 9 & 10 Catalina Foothills High School Auditorium, 4300 East Sunrise, Byron Stripling: Sounds of New Orleans, January 16 &17, Mahler and Martial Arts, January 22 & 24, TCC’s Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave. 882-8585, TucsonSymphony.org

UA PRESENTS Royal

Philharmonic Orchestra, January 15, 8:00pm, Monterey Jazz on Tour 2016, January 17, 7:00pm, Emanuel Ax, January 23, 8:00pm, Bodytraffic (Dance), January 29, 8:00pm, Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd. 621-3341, UAPresents.org

48 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | January 2016


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January 2016 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 49


Photo courtesy rialtotheatre.com.

Photo courtesy hotelcongress.com.

Z tunes

Namoli Brennet live at Club Congress, Wednesday, January 13.

Queensryche, with Meytal Cohen, Halcyon Way, Sunday, January 10, at Rialto Theatre

Schedules accurate as of press time. Visit the web sites or call for current/ detailed information.

2ND SATURDAYS DOWNTOWN Congress Street, 2ndSaturdaysDowntown.com Please visit the web site.

BOONDOCKS LOUNGE 3306 N. 1st Ave. 690-0991, BoondocksLounge.com Fri 1: Johnny Ain’t Right Sat 2: Whole Lotta Zep Sun 3: Heather Hardy & Lil’ Mama Band Mon 4: The Bryan Dean Trio Mon 11: The Bryan Dean Trio Mon 18: The Bryan Dean Trio Mon 25: The Bryan Dean Trio

BORDERLANDS BREWING 119 E. Toole Ave. 261-8773, BorderlandsBrewing.com Sat 2: Mustang Corners

CAFE PASSE 415 N. 4th Ave. 624-4411, CafePasse.com Thu: Jazz with Glen Gross & Friends

ches lounge 350 N. 4th Ave. 623-2088, ChesLounge.com Please visit the web site.

CLUB CONGRESS 311 E. Congress St. 622-8848, HotelCongress.com/club Fri 1: Whiskey Shivers Wed 6: Sleep Like Trees, Macaulay Vulcan, Brass Tax Sun 10: Dustbowl Revival, The Awkward Moments Wed 13: Namoli Brennet Thu 14: Mike Stud, OCD: Moosh & Twist Fri 15: Alter Der Ruine, Sleep Money, Blind Divine, Gila Man Sun 17: Arthur Vint & Associates Wed 20: Woven Oak Trio Thu 21: Gatecreeper, Sex Prisoner, Feather and Bone, Languish Fri 22: Ian Moore Sun 24: Kyle Kinane Fri 29: Lariats, Coma Prevail, Fort Worth, Sin Luz Sat 30: PRISS

coronet 402 E. 9th St. 222-9889 CafeCoronet.com Wed 6: Naim Amor Wed 13: Naim Amor

50 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | January 2016

Wed 20: Naim Amor Thu 21: Nick McBlaine & Log Train

CUSHING STREET BAR & RESTAURANT

LA COCINA

198 W. Cushing St. 622-7984, CushingStreet.com Saturdays: Cool Jazz

201 N. Court Ave. 622-0351, LaCocinaTucson.com Sat 2: Harpist Vesna Zulsky Sun 3: Mik and The Funky Brunch Wed 6: Miss Lana Rebel & Kevin Michael Mayfield Thu 7: Freddy Parish Fri 8: Greg Morton Sat 9: Harpist Vesna Zulsky Sun 10: Mik and The Funky Brunch Wed 13: Miss Lana Rebel & Kevin Michael Mayfield Thu 14: Louise Le Hir Fri 15: Greg Morton, Cold Sweat Sat 16: Harpist Vesna Zulsky Sun 17: Mik and The Funky Brunch Wed 20: Miss Lana Rebel & Kevin Michael Mayfield Thu 21: Mitzi Cowell Fri 22: Greg Morton Sat 23: Harpist Vesna Zulsky Sun 24: Mik and The Funky Brunch Wed 27: Miss Lana Rebel & Kevin Michael Mayfield Thu 28: Hank Topless Fri 29: Greg Morton Sat 30: Harpist Vesna Zulsky Sun 31: Mik and The Funky Brunch

DELECTABLES RESTAURANT 533 N. 4th Ave. 884-9289, Delectables.com Fri 8: Adara Rae Sat 9: Wally Lawder Sat 23: Kathleen Williamson Fri 29: Bryan Dean and Koko

ELLIOT’S ON CONGRESS 135 E. Congress St. 622-5500, ElliotsOnCongress.com Monday: Jazz Guild Jam Tuesday: Tommy Tucker

Ermanos 220 N 4th Ave, 445-6625 ermanosbrew.com Thu 7: Band of Angels Sun 10: Niam Amor Thu 14: Tesoro Sun 17: Gillian and the Giants Thu 21: Haboob Sun 24: Katie Haverly Thu 28: Hey Bucko! Sun 31: Hank Topless


Photo courtesy Gabriel Ayala.

tunes Z

Photo courtesy The Roots Agency.

Gabriel Ayala at Sea Of Glass–Center For The Arts, Saturday, January 16.

Dave Mason’s Traffic Jam appears at Fox Tucson Theatre, Wednesday, January 20.

FLYCATCHER

PLAYGROUND TUCSON

Royal Sun Lounge

340 E. 6th St. 798-1298, TheFlycatcherTucson.com Please visit the web site.

278 E. Congress. 396-3691, PlaygroundTucson.com Sun 3: The George Howard Band Sun 10: The George Howard Band

1003 N Stone Ave (520) 622-8872 BWRoyalSun.com Sun-Tue: Happy Hour Live Music

RIALTO THEATRE

Sea Of Glass—Center For The Arts

FOX TUCSON THEATRE 17 W. Congress St. 624-1515, FoxTucsonTheatre.org Thu 14: Jimmy Heath & The Tucson Jazz Institute Ellington Band Wed 20: Dave Mason’s Traffic Jam Thu 21: Poncho Sanchez with La Voz de Tres Fri 22: The Rad Trads with Arthur Migliazza Sat 23: Travis Tritt Sat 30: Jay and the Americans Sun 31: The Temptations Review featuring Dennis Edwards

HACIENDA DEL SOL 5501 N. Hacienda Del Sol. 2991501, HaciendaDelSol.com Nightlly: Live Music on the Patio Please visit the web site.

MONTEREY COURT 505 W. Miracle Mile, MontereyCourtAZ.com Wed 13: Tucson Songwriters’ Showcase

318 E. Congress St. 740-1000, RialtoTheatre.com Fri 8: Sex Money Power, Featuring, Zig Zag, Lethal Injektion, Stacc Styles, Solace In Nothing, Cryptic Wisdom, Money7, Oddapollo, Bigg Chac, Trilogy, Hannibal Leq Sat 9: The Music Of Buena Vista Social Club Performed By Cafe Jaleo Sun 10: Queensryche, Meytal Cohen, Halcyon Way Wed 13: Dave Rawlings Machine Fri 15: Snarky Puppy, Risky Rhythm Revue with Hurricane Carla Brownlee Sun 17: Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band, Elephant Revival Sat 23: Lizz Wright, Larry Redhouse Trio Sun 24: Kermit Ruffins, King Solomon Hicks Tue 26: Mike Gordon Sun 31: Excision, Figure, Bear Grillz

Wed 27: Open Mic Thu 28: Al Foul Sat 30: Dutch Holly

SOLAR CULTURE 31 E. Toole Ave. 884-0874, SolarCulture.org Please visit the web site.

Tap & Bottle

330 E. 7th St., 398-2542 TheSeaOfGlass.org Sat 16: Gabriel Ayala

SKY BAR TUCSON 536 N. 4th Ave, 622-4300. SkyBarTucson.com Sat 2: Mik & Scott Tue 5: Tom Walbank Wed 2: Open Mic Thu 7: Fire & Gold Belly Dance, Good Friends Great Enemies, Whoops, The Rifle Fri 8: Cirque Roots Sat 9: Captive Cooks, The Introverts Tue 12: Tom Walbank Wed 13: Open Mic Sat 16: Nicole Hale Sun 17: Synrgy, Moebius Tue 19: Tom Walbank Wed 20: Open Mic Thu 21: The Extra Mediums Fri 22: Cirque Roots Sat 23: Chameleon Technology Tue 26: Tom Walbank

403 N. 6th Ave. 344-8999 TheTapandBottle.com Thu 7: Rich Hopkins and the Luminarios Thu 14: Keli and the Big Dream Thu 21: Naim Amor Band with Oliver Ray, Thoger Lund and Bruce Halper Thu 28: Michael P and the Gullywashers Sun 31: Last Sunday Revival with Chris and Hadji

January 2016 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 51


Z tunes

Vox Urbana’s Cumbia Corridos Project By Carl Hanni For the last five years Vox Urbana have been enchanting Tucson audiences with their peerless, compulsively danceable mix of cumbia, mambo, salsa, son cubano, etc. Starting as a three piece and slowing adding members until their current seven man line-up, they have evolved into one of Tucson’s top shelf live acts, with two CDs of original material released so far. On January 24 Vox Urbana will debut a new song cycle, the ‘Cumbia Corridos,’ at the historic El Casino Ballroom on Tucson’s south side. The Corridos feature lyrics drawn straight from the stories of local residents and recent immigrants, along with other folks whose voices are seldom given much honest attention in the media, mainstream or otherwise. In the band’s own words, ‘The Cumbia Corridos project, which is funded by grants from the Tucson Pima Arts Council and the Puffin Foundation, is a musical story-sharing project...that will tell the stories of Tucson’s marginalized denizens, those who do not have a voice in public discourse. They may be recent immigrants, or people who have experienced detention or imprisonment, or whose families have been torn apart by border militarization, or have been pushed to the edges of society by poverty or intolerance.’ To create the Corridos, band members Jim Colby and Enrique ‘Kikki’ Castellanos did interviews and reached out to a wide range of locals, with help from activist organizations like the Southside Worker’s Center, Mariposas Sin Fronteras, No More Deaths, Corazon de Tucson and the Florence Project. Those interviews ‘Allowed people to tell stories from their own perspective, countering narratives that are shared in mass media and hold sway in public consciousness.’ Enrique says “An important part of the band and what we like to do is to tell stories that happened here in the community, and we wanted to focus on stories that are happening here on the south side. Most people really wanted to tell their stories, and sometimes they haven’t had a chance to, so whenever they have an opportunity to share, they want to tell what’s happened to them. We listened to the recordings, and tried to gather a few things that felt like they were important to say. Then we turned them into a poem or lyrics, and then added music.

52 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | January 2016

“It was mostly people who had migrated to the U.S., telling whatever they wanted to share, whether it was their experience in their home country, or traveling to the U.S., or their life once they get to the U.S. The two of us and the staff of the Southside Workers Center got together and formulated the questions.” Jim: “People were not only very open, but very willing to say ‘Use my name, tell my story, so everyone can know.’” Were there any real surprises or revelations that came out of the interviews? Jim says “We talked to someone who is transgender and has experienced detention, in a men’s detention center. And the way that she was treated, I had never thought about that before...and how not only are you...undocumented, but also, being transgender within the community of undocumented people you have another struggle to overcome. That was eye-opening.” How does the new material fit into the Vox Urbana body of work? Again Jim says “Some of the verses are longer than usual, there’s more lyrics than we would normally have, and they’re not just verse/chorus, verse chorus. There’s no recurring characters, but you’ll hear similar themes in a lot of the songs. There’s not an arc...not an overarching narrative. But they’re all pretty danceable and uptempo, the cumbia tempo, the cumbia rhythm. We also have some boogaloo parts, some salsa parts, some huapongo. These are some of my favorite songs we’ve ever done.” In addition to Enrique (guitar and vocals) and Jim (keyboards and sax), the rest of Vox Urbana include Saul Millan on trombone and vocals, David Perez on congas and vocals, Jeff Grubic on baritone sax and percussion, Joaquin Zamudio on bass and Casey Hadland on drums. They are planning to record and release a new CD of Cumbia Corridos. n The Cumbia Corridos project debuts on Sunday, January 24th, at the El Casino Ballroom, 437 E. 26th Street in South Tucson. Doors are at 6 pm, and the music starts at 7. Admission is free, but they are suggesting a $5 donation to benefit some of the non-profit groups that helped them create the project. Local DJ Herm will provide the before and after music.


photo: courtesy of Vox Urbana

tunes Z

Vox Urbana

January 2016 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 53


Z tucsonstreetportraits by Andrew Brown / @aemerybrown

Top to bottom: Alix at Pop Cycle, Crowd at 4th Ave Street Fair, Dog on Park Ave.

54 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | January 2016


Top to bottom: Crowd at 4th Ave Street Fair, Colleen at Merci opening.

January 2016 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 55


lookback Z by Jeff Weber

Left to right, top to bottom: Louise Le Hir at Club Congress ExplodedView Microcinema San Xavier Christmas Concert. El Ten Eleven at Club Congress. St. Cinder at the 4th Avenue Street Fair.

56 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | January 2016



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