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suramericanaLONDON’S LATIN JOURNAL

girl about townErnesto Neto # Pachamama # Hidden London

Welcome to the wonderful world of Cibelle

12 may 2010

Editor Ben Olsen ([email protected])Deputy Editor Isabella Salgado ([email protected])Contributors Hannah Norbury, Wilfrid Tuñon, Laia Sacares Bueno, Barbara Gil, Latin Rock Radio

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Wow... after a blitz of amazing music at this year’s La Linea festival,

we needed a few days out to piece together the events during what was a fantastic event. And now, fully refreshed we already can’t wait til next year. Yet there’s plenty to get

Photograph by Wil Tuñon

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In this month’s issue...4 Up front News and views5 In pictures Kid Creole and the Coconuts6 In conversation with...Cibelle We speak to the Brazilian Bjork10 Ernesto Neto Ahead of a major exhibition next month, we explore the work of the Brazilian artist13 Playlist The hottest new music18 Between a rock and a hard place Behind the grass-roots environmental movement in Bolivia20 Hidden London Kilburn & Queens Park22 The hot list The best events this month

excited about this summer. On the horizon is of course annual Latin celebration El Carnaval del Pueblo in August as well as Festival Brazil at the South Bank, which promises a wealth of acts ranging from capoeira starts to soccer stars and musical legends. Legendary artist Ernesto Neto will also have a major exhibition at the Hayward Gallery,

which reopens in June. We cannot wait to see what he does with the space. Turn to our retrospective of his work on page 10. Yet the star of this month’s show is undoubtedly Cibelle. With a stunning new album due out this month, backed up with a show, read what she has to say for herself. on page 6. Editor X

Photograph by Wil Tuñon

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Londoner Profile: Javier Alejandro García Ruiz25, ColombianFavourite film: ElizabethFavourite song: ‘Sing It Back’ by MolokoFavourite book: Mrs Dalloway by Virginia WoolfFavourite London restaurant: La Porchetta in Soho... good Italian food and cost effective!Favourite bar: Favela ChicDescribe London in three words: How could I?Why London? It’s not glamorous like Paris or busy like New York, but there’s something about London I just can’t get enough of... Museums for free and it being an ex-imperial capital. Its very weird layout and crisp air. There’s some reason I can’t put my finger on why I love London... it’s just a gut feeling.

Up front... Brazilian eaterie D.O.M has •

been declared the best restaurant in South American in the San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2010. The Sao Paulo-based destination, pictured below and run by chef Alex Atala was described as a ‘leading light’ on the continent’s restaurant scene.

Stuck for a fun plan this •summer? Think about heading to Festinho – described as a ‘delicious cocktail of the best in eclectic music, sunny Brazilian vibes and a laid back feel’. Plus all profits go to the Action for Brazil’s Children Trust. £70 inc camping 27–29 Aug 2010

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Kid Creole & The Coconuts/22 April Barbican The opening act of La Linea this year, Kid Creole and The Coconuts played an incomparable concert full of energy and great tunes. Playing all-time crowd-pleasing songs like Annie, I’m Not Your Daddy and Stool Pigeon, they kept the crowd dancing and singing along in the aisles all night! There’s no doubt that August Darnell (and his alter ego Kid Creole) altogether with The Coconuts and the band are the greatest entertainers.

Words and photograph: Wil Tuñon

in pictures

12 may 2010

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In conversation with...... CibelleWith a new album out this month plus festival dates booked up, it’s a busy time for Brazilian-born, Dalston-dwelling singer, musician and all-round talent Cibelle. We caught up with her to discuss alter-egos, Abravanistas and the beauty of just letting go...

The new album is fantastic. Can you describe how it developed and what you wanted to achieve with it?Thank you! I was too tired of too much measured music around me, all this trying to fit in, all this “cool” thing, and I realised that I’m not cool, I’m hot, and I needed to let the heat out and make an ode to hot, vulgar, tacky, ugly, left-behind to celebrate this “non-fittingness”, because it’s beautiful. Also, I just wanted to party – I wanted to have a show that would be a great party, to have fun on tour with my band, to see people letting go, losing themselves and having fun.

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What does the creation of an alter-ego such as Sonja Khalecallon allow you to add to your music?Sonja Khalecallon is the maker of products for a better life, which include : a Poetic Licence Card, so that you can do or say whatever you like in whatever language you feel like, even if those words don’t even exist. Fresh-Eyedrops – so that when you use them, you can see the world fresh, without any emotional baggage or preconceptions.Anti-Sceptic Lotion – self- explanatory – helps you shed your scepticism and see the world in a more enchanted manner and last but not least, the Fuck-It Button, which is very useful when you’re feeling stuck, and things are outside of your hands and you can’t avert the situation, just press the fuck-it button and enjoy; the universe might have a surprise for you. This button can be also translated as the Abravana button, it is the button of letting go.

What comes first in your songwriting, music or lyrics?There are no rules really, it depends.

Could you sum up the music you create in five words.Squeezing a sponge that has been dipped into many buckets.

Who are your musical heroes?Anyone who is extremely truthful to themselves and it comes across in their art.

Could you tell us about the Abravanista movement’, something are often linked with?The manifesto of the Abravanista movement has one phrase: eu amo voce (I love you). It a movement for letting go, non-attachment, making art with letting go in your mind, being in the flow, with love, and then it’s up to whoever how that will be expressed. I do it through love with loving ugly. Why did you choose to base yourself in East London? What is it about the area that you like?Because it’s very mixed and vibrant; it’s chaotic, and unmeasured. I believe that because there are so many cultures melting in this corner, people are freer to be just who they are.

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How easy is it for a foreign artist to establish themselves in the London music scene?Who knows, I don’t do scenes anyways.

Do you see yourself as part English now?I am my own person, I practise non-attachment, and with that comes the detachment of even those ideas of self that are prescribed by your cultural auto-pilot that comes about because you grew up the way you did. The day you decide to wake up and do things because you actually thought about what you are doing or about to do, these notions of ‘I am this’ or ‘that’ disintegrate, and with it , a lot of your pre-conceptions.

Brazil is often described as a more expressive, ‘ sexier’ country than England? Do you agree and if so, why is that so?There are different kinds of sexy and different kinds of expression everywhere, you can’t say one is more than the other.

Tell us one English thing every Brazilian should try in London.Actually mingling with everyone in the city – I sometimes feel that people can go to other countries and just stay in a tight circle, and I don’t think that it’s very healthy – what’s the point of leaving your country if you’re not gonna go and get rich inside of yourself, expand your ideas and be challenged.

Tell us one Brazilian thing every Londoner should try.Hug more. Actually, not just Londoners, people all over should be less afraid of sharing their emotions.

New album Las Venus Resort Palace Hotel is released on May 17. See Cibelle live at the Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen on May 20

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The work of Rio de Janeiro-born artist Ernesto Neto, one of the undisputed leaders of Brazil’s contemporary art scene, is striking, challenging and also very…fun. His instantly recognisable large soft sculptures are not only visual but engage other senses too – viewers are invited to touch and sometimes even smell the installations to experience them fully. This incredibly tactile and organic body of work has been displayed in some of the finest art spaces around the world and this June you can find him at London’s Hayward Gallery in what promises to be a must-see exhibition.

His work is wholly contemporary, yet informed by the vibrant history of Brazilian art work, particularly the Neo-Concretism movement of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which included pioneers like Hélio Oiticica and Lygia Clark. It aims to link art with living organisms and although described as ‘beyond abstract minimalism’, through its interaction with the viewer it works on another level, too. Always highly sensual, the translucent forms cry out to be stroked, caressed, and entered, revealing their own interior and exterior with a certain degree of voyeurism. Ernesto Neto at the Hayward Gallery from June 19

Ernesto NetoAhead of his June exhibition at the Hayward Gallery, Ben Olsen explores the world of one of Brazil’s most celebrated artists

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From top: Anthropodino, Park Avenue Armory, 2009 Filling the 55,000 square foot hall, womb-like scenario where the phallic tubes of spices created an assault on the senses on a huge scale. ‘Nude Plasmic’, Carnegie International,Pittsburgh, 1999 This translucent installation was striking for the fact that its barefoot visitors travelled through the series of passages, creating and transforming its composition, and modifying the experience for viewers. Tanya Bonakdar Gallery,New York, 1997 One of Ernesto’s first major works, this sensual treat featured small sacks with colourful and aromatic substances, such as chilli powder and coriander, dropped on the floor in strategic arrangements to form abstract compositions of colour, form, and scent.

‘There is a giant force in nature for love. I feel the body is sensuous,

and sensuality is beautiful’

The playlist...Our friends over at Latin Rock Radio keep us in the loop with their top five tracks this month

1. Kevin Johansen: La procesion With a new live CD under his belt, Kevin has visited the UK with a show that combines his colourful music with live drawings by Liniers. Top of the list for an artist that is continuosly innovating.2. Calle 13: Esto con eso Calle 13 has started a revolution. Pushing reggaeton to another dimension, Residente and Visitante prove that the only label that matters is music.Los Fabulosos Cadillacs - Padre Nuestro: History was made with Los Fabulosos first gig in London. A molotov combination of party and cross genre fusion with explosive lyrics.3. Cibelle: Lightworks Like her song Phoenix, Cibelle is coming back with a concept album, reborn identity but the same powerfull voice and charisma.4. Amparo Sanchez: La parrandita de las Santas One of the sexiest voices of Latin America presented her new solo material at Jazz Cafe. Intense, intimate and smooth.Che Sudaka - Mentira PolitiKa: Latin Rock’s tip of the month. Che Sudaka, a multicultural band based in Barcelona, has a new free to download cd and is doing an ambitious tour this summer. Keep your eyes open.5. Rodrigo y Gabriela: Hora Zero This amazing Mexican duo has been confirmed for Glastonbury Festival’s 40th Anniversary. This track display their trademark sound in a tribute to the legendary Astor Piazzolla.

Latin Rock is the leading radio show about Latin American Rock in London, promoting rock music from all the corners of Latin America. Every Sunday from 7 to 9pm aculcoradio.com/envivo

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Bolivia is famed for being the land of superlatives; it is the poorest South American country with highest capital city (La Paz), proportionately the most indigenous population, the world’s largest salt flat (Salar de Uyuni) and the highest navigable body of water (Lake Titicaca). Its landscapes, thought to have

once inspired Dali, are extreme and varied, including lush Amazonian rainforest, towering Andean peaks and the unforgiving Altiplano.

Given the stunning surroundings, it’s no surprise that Bolivia’s culture is deeply intertwined with the environment and there is no better example of this than the presence of ‘Pachamama’ in Bolivian society. Pachamama, or Mother Earth, is worshipped and revered among indigenous communities; offerings to Pachamama are made daily, but this historic relationship is under pressure due to the ravaging impacts of global climate change.

This small landlocked nation already suffers from the impacts of climate change, and its future could be bleak. Climate change has caused an accelerated retreat of Andean glaciers, which some of Bolivia’s cities and countless communities rely on for water supplies. In the coming years it’s likely to be on the receiving end of unpredictable rainfall patterns and extreme weather events, both of which will adversely affect food security.

rockand a

hard placeAs the rest of the world threatens to destroy the environment, Bolivia sings out for Pachamama...

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It’s a cruel twist of fate; Bolivia’s contribution to climate change is negligible but its communities will be among the worst hit by the impacts of future changes in climate. Bolivia is looking to the international community to agree on an effective global approach to help the nation combat the effects of climate change. More importantly for Bolivia, they require financial assistance in the form of Climate Aid. A failure to deliver at UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen last year, and the rushed through Copenhagen Accord, which Bolivia and other

South American countries rejected on the grounds of social injustice, has resulted in Climate Aid to Bolivia from the US being cut. Bolivia’s reaction is to mobilise those people most affected by climate change to demand action from governments across the world.

And they have quite a following. Activists, journalists, scientists, delegates and teachers were among the 31,000 people, from 125 countries, who descended on Cochabamba last month for the first World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth. Bolivia is no

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stranger to political action but it may come as some surprise to see Evo Morales take centre stage in the global movement against climate change. He opened the conference with chants of ‘planet or death’ and urged the international community to listen to the voices of the poorest as they struggle to adapt to the onset of climate change.

Organised by the Bolivian government, the People’s Climate Summit is the grassroots alternative to the Copenhagen Conference and has given a voice to the world’s indigenous communities and poorest countries who will bear the

brunt of climate change impacts. The theme running through the three days was of climate justice and the need for radical change. There were suggestions of introducing a global climate tribunal to ensure developed countries achieve the ambitious emission cuts that are so desperately needed. There is no question that the discussions in Bolivia will put pressure on governments ahead of the next UN Climate meeting in Cancun later this year. Planet or death? Bolivia chose the planet; let’s hope the rest of the world follows suit.

Words by Hannah Norbury

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18 may 2010

Hidden London: Kilburn and Queen’s ParkDescribed by one resident as home to ‘drunk Irish, young music lovers, people on the rob and moody kids hanging out on street corners,’ Kilburn is a right old barrel of monkeys. ‘Little Ireland’ – 13% of the population were originally born in Ireland – has strong links to the homeland and the North London Tavern has a reputation for the best Guinness outside of Ireland…and taking a look at some of the hard bastards that frequent the place who would disagree? Down the road in Queen’s Park, gentrification stripped away any seedy aspects long ago, leaving a glowing, wholesome home for the likes of Jade Jagger, Daniel Craig, Lily Allen and (probably) one of the Geldofs.

Live music Renowned venue the Luminaire has been a firm fixture on many touring bands’ schedules. Down the road, the likes of Rob da Bank and Norman Jay as regular performers make a trip to the Westbury a guaranteed lively night, while over towards Kensal Rise the Paradise Pub, all baggy faded glamour, turns into a bit of a rave at night.

Canal walk From the atmospheric Kensal Green cemetery take a walk towards Ladbroke Grove, along the canal path past Ernö Goldfinger’s masterpiece Trellick Tower on a walk with a strong urban charm.

Independent cinema/theatre Kilburn’s Tricycle Cinema is a gem of a venue with a good selection of alternative cinema and theatre seasons.

Shopping Chamberlayne Road is rich on beautiful vintage and antique interiors stores and for extra-crunchy carrots try the farmers’ market at the primary school on Salusbury Road. Kilburn High Street, with its huge selection of charity stores for paperbacks, clothes and nick-nacks.

To eat Samson Miro A small importer of fine wines that offers great charcuterie. 75 Chamberlayne Road(samsonmiro.com). Hugo’s Good for brekkies and jazz nights on Sunday nights. 21-25 Lonsdale Road (jazz7.co.uk). Salusbury Food Store Beautiful deli with a fine line in freshly baked pizza slices. 56 Salusbury Road (020 7328 3287)

Regent Sizeable roasts and regal surroundings make a perfect Sunday spot.5 Regent Street, NW10(020 8969 2184; www.theregentkensalgreen.com)

The ChamberlayneA good pub made great by its meaty steakhouse.83 Chamberlayne Road, NW10 (020 8960 4311; www.thechamberlayne.co.uk)

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The May hotlistMusic

May 11 Juana Molina An Argentine singer with a beautiful voice and queen of the effects pedal, we can’t wait to catch Juana in action. Union Chapel

May 15 Los Delinqüentes Labelled the The best Flamenco fusion gig since Ojos de Brujo, this is one of the finest alternative flamenco bands imn the world. Don’t miss a night that promises to bring out everyone’s gypsy soul. O2 Islington Academy

May 20 Cibelle See our interview earlier in the magazine with this Brazilian songstress. Unmissable. Hoxton Bar and Kitchen

May 21 Movimientos with Los Chinches A night of Amazonian cumbia Passing Clouds

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Art

June 3 Saludos Amigos A one night guerilla-exhibition, Brazilian artist Robson Cezar is gathering together South American artists here in London to create a new Saludos Amigos as a contemporary representation of the heterogeneous cultures that comprise the continent today. With Brazil oneof the world’s rising economies and with East London as a cultural magnet for Latin American artists ever since Helio Oiticica staged Tropicalia at the Whitechapel in 1967, the time is ripe to present a selection of the lively work being created. Hanbury Hall

All summer Elephant Family the only charity solely dedicated to ensuring the survival of the Asian elephant, is

teaming up with Brazilian artist Milo Tchais to launch London’s biggest ever public art event, which will see the capital taken over by 250 life-size elephants hand-painted by an assortment of established and emerging talent from the art and design world.

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FilmUntil May 6 La Teta Asustada This hard-hitting piece of film-making by director Claudia Llosa charts the violence endured by Peruvian society during the 1980s and early 1990s. It won a Golden Bear award at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival and was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Picture at the Oscars. Odeon Panton Street

Literature May 27 Book launch: “The Secret History of Costaguana” Juan Gabriel Vásquez was born in Bogotá in 1973 and now lives in Barcelona. His stories have appeared in anthologies in Germany, France, Spain, and Colombia, and he has translated into Spanish works by E.M. Forster and Victor Hugo, among others. His essays, reviews and reportages have appeared in various magazines and literary supplements. He was recently nominated as one of the ‘Bogota 39’, South America’s most promising writers of the new generation. In collaboration with The Colombian Embassy. Instituto Cervantes

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This Colombian eaterie has been long established in London and with good

reason. From the outside it doesn’t look much – it’s found in the middle of one of London’s ugliest buildings – the shopping centre at Elephant and Castle, but don’t let that put you off. It’s menu caters for all tastes with plenty of choice from salads to fritos to a hearty selection of meats – definitely the centre of attention here. The emphasis is on good, simple fod, all representing great value for money. We went for the bandeja paisa – a Colombian

classic comprising of rice, beans, pork, crackling, egg, avocado and salad, which proved to be a genuine feast and far more than this reviewer could manage, despite a healthy appetite beforehand. With three-pint pitchers of beer available and salsa music throbbing throughout, it has everything you need for a great night out with friends. If you want good, honest food, served up in a fantastic ‘latinoesque’ atmosphere without having travel hundreds of thousands of miles then La Bodeguita will be right up your street. labodeguita.co.uk

We visit the Colombian restaurant everyone is talking about...

Food: La Bodeguita, Elephant & Castle

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suramericanaLONDON’S LATIN JOURNAL