by Adriana Gallardo
adriana.gallardo@extranews.net

The Festival of Latin Electronic Music (FMEL) will take over Pilsen in a two-day event looking to expose the latest in electronic music production from local and international artist. In addition to the main stage, the festival – now in its second year – includes free digital sound production, art workshops and a symposium on global digital music. Event organizers, Brenda Hernández and Charlie García would like to educate people about this genre and make Chicago the U.S. Mecca for Latin electronic music.

“Electronic music is hard to understand if you’re not a fan. When people hear [the word] electronic they think of techno, raves and drugs,” Hernández said. “All music nowadays is digital and digital music culture is everywhere even if we don’t realize this.”

The symposium titled, “The Contemporary State of Latin Digital Music and Culture” mediated by Catalina María Johnson (former host of Encanto Latino on NPR) will feature Ricardo Guzmn (Interface Festival Puebla), Enrique Guzman Ejival (Founder Static Discos) and musician, Carlos Icaza. They symposium will be followed by DJ sets.

Hernandez wants listeners to understand electronic music and that it is as complex as any other genre.

Continue reading "Festival de Musica Electronica Latino: More to it than the laptop"

by Victor M. Montañez

Esther López is a feminist, activist and educator. She is director of the Civil Rights and Community Action Department of the United Food and Commercial Workers, the fifth largest private sector union in the U.S. representing 1.3 million U.S. workers and 300,000 retail meatpacking and Canadian farm workers.

Working class feminist — Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich named Esther Lopez Deputy Chief of Staff of Labor and Professional Regulation making her the highest ranking appointed Latina in Illinois.
(Source: ExtraNews)

Born in Las Nutrias, sixty miles south of Albuquerque, N.M., López’s family traces back to the mid 1600s and the Spanish “La Joya” land grant. Her community and political involvement is deeply rooted and parallels some of the most significant periods for immigrant and labor issues.

In 2003, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich named López the Deputy Chief of Staff of Labor and Professional Regulation making her the highest ranking appointed Latina in Illinois. López managed the Illinois Department of Labor, the Department of Employment Security and the consolidation of four regulatory state agencies into one new department – the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

Most importantly, López directed outreach efforts to communities and local governmental entities raising awareness on workers rights and employment safety. Her ability to merge skills in administration, policy and organizing makes her nothing less than a powerhouse in labor politics.

“Esther Lópezis a tireless advocate for Illinois working families. Her creativity and determination helped make the Department of Labor more efficient and more responsive to the needs of the people,” said Blagojevich while naming her to the post.
For López, it was a long journey to Springfield and now Washington, D.C. Shortly after graduating college with a degree in special education from the University of New México, she came to South Chicago, where she became one of the few Latina steel mill workers.

“For seven years I watched the collapse of the U.S. steel industry.”

It was an experience that made a great impact on her political outlook.

“[Once the mills closed] I had to dust off my degree.”

She found work at Travelers and Immigrants Aid directing the effort to get immigrants legalized under IRCA, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Her organizer’s mentality and innovation helped process more than 100,000 cases.

“We were creative. In one case, we had a mariachi band document their uninterrupted residence in the U.S. with the CDs they released,” she recalls.

(Continue reading Esther López: Powerhouse of Labor Politics)