You

bet

ter

be

nic

e.

Mexic-Arte Museum (419 Congress Avenue) brings Mexican national identity front-and-center in 2010 as it celebrates the

Centennial of the Mexican Revolution and the Bicentennial of Mexican Independence. Explore the visual vocabulary of Mexican

identity in the exhibition “Imagining Mexico: Expressions in Popular Culture from Austin Collections,” now showing through

Apr. 18. The exhibition investigates ways in which Mexican and Mexican-American artists use symbols and images like the Mexican

flag and Virgen de Guadalupe to construct national identity in popular and folk art. The catalog includes works from various

collections in Central Texas as well as a contemporary piece by local artist Emily Arenas, specially commissioned for the show.

Mexic-Arte will also hold a panel discussion at 2 p.m. on Feb. 6 entitled “Collecting Mexican Popular Art.” Free admission. For

more information visit www.mexic-artemuseum.org or call 512.480.9373.

“Explorations” is the Amala Foundation’s wonderful after-school enrichment program offering youth ages six to 13

the opportunity to explore their inner and outer worlds through art, movement, music, and nature. The six week ses-

sion runs from Feb. 8-Mar. 17, from 3:30-6 p.m. Explorations mission is to serve the seed of greatness that lives in the

heart of every child. The good folks at Amala, who produce the annual Global Youth Peace Summit, are committed to

growth, authentic expression, service, community, global awareness, and respect for all life. One example of Explorations

value is Music & Movement Mondays, which will take children around the world to learn about other cultures through

the universal languages of traditional music, song and dance. For Registration information, contact Andrea Broussard at

512.517.8858 or see explorations@amalafoundation.org.

This Valentine’s Day, show your love for the Austin arts community by honoring the late Andrea Burden at Burlesque for Peace, Sunday, Feb. 14 from 9:30 – 11:30 p.m. at the United States Art Authority (510 W. 29th Street, adjacent to Spider House). Quickly becoming a uniquely Austin community tradition, this year’s show brings together the city’s best professional and amateur burlesque performers, including host Rebecca Havemeyer with Eva Strangelove, Goldie Candela, Pearle Lux, Ben Schave and more. The evening also features a silent auction of Burden’s prints. All proceeds will benefit the Trust of the daughters of the late Austin artist Andrea Burden. Tickets will go fast. For more information or to reserve your seats now, visit www.burlesqueforpeace.org or donate separately at www.andreaburden.net.

What is “authentic” Mexican cuisine? Find out firsthand at the UT Speaker Series on the History of Mexican Food. Prize-winning historian and former Scholar in Residence for the International Association of Culinary Professionals, Rachel Laudan will describe how the story of authentic Mexican cuisine is much more than a fusion of Spanish and indigenous traditions, and how other cultures have influenced its development. “Transplanted Cuisines: Migrants in the Making of Mexican Cuisine” is Thursday, Feb. 18 from 6-7:30 p.m. presented at the Long Center, ATT Education Room (701 W. Riverside Drive). The event is free and open to the public. The Mexican Center of the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies (LLILAS) at the University of Texas has organized the speaker series “Foodways of Mexico: Past, Present, and Future,” which runs through Nov. 2010. It explores lesser known aspects of Mexico’s rich culinary history, from pre-Columbian times to the present day. The series was organized by Claudia Alarcón, an Austin-based food writer who is a native of Mexico City. Check the LLILAS Mexico 2010 web site for updates: www.utexas.edu/cola/insts/llilas/.

Come celebrate the Year of the Tiger at Austin’s Chinatown Center, where the Austin community and Asian culture collide for the perfect affair of authentic entertainment, food, tradition and excitement. The free public festival kicks off on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 11 a.m. at the Chinatown Center (10901 N. Lamar Blvd. at the intersection of N. Lamar and Kramer), and carries on into the afternoon, concluding with an Asian fashion show. The fun continues again at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 21. On Sunday at noon, the Texas Dragon and Lion Dance Team and Summitt Dragon Dance will celebrate with firecrackers at the Chinatown Center pagoda. There will be activities for the whole family, including a rock climbing wall and appearances by Kiwi the Clown, Ronald McDonald and former Miss Asian American Texas, Allyn Hoang. Free parking is available and is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Carpooling is encouraged. Admission to the festival and all performances are free but some activities in the Kids Area and vendor area will have fees. The full entertainment schedule can be found on Chinatown Center’s website at www.ChinatownAustin.com/events. For more information, call 512.380.9688.

Austin Kannada Sangha & Austin Hindu Temple celebrate Daasara Aaradhane / Sangeetotsava 2010 at the Temple (9801 Decker Lake Rd), Saturday, Feb. 20 from 2:30-5:30 p.m. The event celebrates the diverse, classical/semi classical compositions of Kannada Literature. Area musicians have chosen Kannada works from various composers and will perform in either Carnatic or Hindustani classical style. Austin Kannada Sangha was formed as a voluntary non-profit organization in 2001 to provide an opportunity for Kannada speaking immigrants from India to promote and preserve Kannada language and culture in North America. Today it boasts over 400 local members and is one of the most active organizations of its kind, offering cultural and other programs to benefit the community. For more info on the concert, call 512.927.0000 or go to www.austinhindutemple.org.

Austin’s African American Community Heritage Festival is a treat for the entire family on Feb. 27, 1-4 p.m. at Huston-Tillotson University, 900 Chicon St. Free admission. The day of fun and festivities on has been an annual event since 2000, and culminates Black History Month with one final celebration of our rich African American culture and its contributions. The festival will celebrate the accomplishments of the African American community with entertainment including live music, jugglers, face painters, balloon twisters and more. Festival attendees will have the opportunity to receive valuable information from mobile health services and merchant vendors, enjoy a children’s area, win door prizes and savor a variety of food and refreshments. Call 512.505.3006 for more info.

Aziz SAlon Downtown

710 w 7th St.AuStin texAS 78701

512.476.4131

Aziz SAlon South

5400 BroDie lAneSunSet VAlleyAuStin texAS 78745

512.891.0420

Brandi CowleyAustin Fashion AwardsWinner in Best Women’s Cut

Nominee: Critics Choice Award for Best Hair StylistNominee: Best Men’s CutNominee: Makeup Artists, Best Use of Color

Best Hair Stylist 2009 Rare Magazine

Brandi Cowley is Now at bô salonwww.bosalon.com | www.brandicowley.com

2004 S. Congress Ave | Austin Texas 78704 | 512.448.0060

Brandi CowleyAustin Fashion AwardsWinner in Best Women’s Cut

Nominee: Critics Choice Award for Best Hair StylistNominee: Best Men’s CutNominee: Makeup Artists, Best Use of Color

Best Hair Stylist 2009 Rare Magazine

Brandi Cowley is Now at bô salonwww.bosalon.com | www.brandicowley.com

2004 S. Congress Ave | Austin Texas 78704 | 512.448.0060

For Tickets:Visit www.balletaustin.org

or call 512.476.2163

8pm | Feb 12, 13 3pm | Feb 14THE LONG CENTER

For Valentine's Day weekend, we present a new contemporary, evening-length work from Stephen Mills. Utilizing music both composed and inspired by J.S. Bach, this world-premiere production includes a variety of movement styles and multimedia.

V A L E N T I N E ' S D A Y W E E K E N D

T H E B A C H P R O J E C T

Promotional Sponsor

Production Sponsors

Media Sponsors

Season Underwriter Academy Underwriter Official AirlineSeason Sponsor

Education Underwriter

Choreography by: Stephen Mills

Music by: J.S. Bach, Philip Glass and Graham Reynolds

Catholic Diocese Welcomes Latino Bishop

Habemus episcopum! (We have a bishop!) Those words were recently spread throughout the Diocese of Austin as Pope Benedict XVI named Auxiliary Bishop Joe S. Vásquez, of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston as Bishop of the Diocese of Austin. Bishop Vásquez will be the fifth bishop of Austin and the first Mexican-American to lead the diocese. Bishop Vásquez succeeds Bishop Gregory Aymond, who was appointed Archbishop of New Orleans last year.

“I wish to thank Pope Benedict XVI for the confidence he has placed in me in naming me shepherd of the Diocese of Austin,” he said. “I also offer prayers of gratitude this day for Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop Emeritus Joseph A. Fiorenza and the priests, religious and laity of the Archdiocese for forming me as a bishop. Most of all, I give thanks to God for the gift of priesthood, which has brought me such joy for 25 years. I trust in the Holy Spirit to enlighten me for this next step in my journey.”

Bishop Vásquez, 52, was ordained as a bishop in January 2002 and has served as Galveston-Houston’s auxiliary bishop since then. Born July 9, 1957 in Stamford, Bishop Vásquez studied theology at the University of St. Thomas in Houston and attended the Gregorian University, North American College, in Rome. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of San Angelo in 1984 and served as associate pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Odessa from 1985 to 1987; as pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Fort Stockton from 1987 to 1997 and as pastor of St. Joseph Parish in San Angelo from 1997 to 2002.

The Mass of Installation will be March 8 at a yet-to-be determined location. The Diocese of Austin includes 127 parishes and missions in 25 Central Texas counties spread over 19,000 square miles. There are approximately 500,000 Catholics within the diocese.

“¡Viva! Mexico’s Independence” now at UT

The Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas has opened an important exhibition entitled “¡Viva! Mexico’s Independence,” showcasing items from the center’s holdings that relate to the history of Spain’s original conquest of Mexico, Mexico’s independence from Spain and subsequent revolutionary activities within Mexico. The 50 item exhibition will be on view in 2010, a year that marks the 200th anniversary of Mexico’s independence from Spain and the 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution, pivotal events in Mexico’s struggle for self-governance.

Running February 2 to August 1, the exhibition will feature such rarities as the original 1529 document appointing Hernán Cortés captain general of New Spain; unpublished letters exchanged between the ill-fated Ferdinand Maximilian, emperor of Mexico, and his wife Carlotta; original documentary photographs of the Mexican Revolution along with period broadsides illustrated by José Guadalupe Posada; and artistic responses to the long history of Mexico’s conquest and revolt.

Hours are Tuesdays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., extended Thursday to 7 p.m. Weekends, noon to 5 p.m.; closed Mondays.

TODO Austin --- Volume I, Number 008 Publisher/Editor - Gavin Lance Garcia,contact@todoaustinonline.comArt Director - Dave McClintonwww.dmdesigninc.com

Executive Editor - Erica Stall Wiggins

Senior Editor - Katie Walsh

Contributing Writers/Artists - Brandon Ramiro Badillo, Heather Banks, Deborah Alys Carter, Isabel Corona, Brandi Cowley, Kathleen Fitzgerald, Alexandra M. Landeros, Jake Morales, Oliver Nicolas, Tom Palaima, Marion Sanchez, Blake Shanley, Maverick Shaw, Kristina Vallejo, Kuetzpalin Vasquez, Shand Walton, Yvonne Lim Wilson

Advertising - Kathleen Ginest, 512.284.5492; or sales@todoaustinonline.com/512.380.9021

TODO Austin is published by Spark Awakened Publishing. © 2010 Spark Awakened Publishing. All rights reserved. Unsolicited submissions (including, but not limited to articles, artwork, photographs) are not returned.

Contact us with stories, submissions, etc.: Contact@todoaustinonline.com / 512.380.9021

On the Cover:Photography by JoJo Marion (www.jojomarion.com)Model: Ivy Negron (www.modelmayhem.com/738977)

Austin Responds to Haiti Tragedy

After a 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook Port Au Prince, Haiti on January 12, local benefit and relief events abounded. If you weren’t able to catch the live relief efforts, here are a few ways the Austin community can continue to donate to restoration and humanitarian efforts: Austin-based non-profit Thirst No More offers uprooted families a bundle of basic necessities in their Primary Assistance Kits (PAKs), including cooking supplies, rice, beans, pain medication, toiletries, a flashlight and water storage. Donate and deliver a PAK to a family in need for $50 at www.thirstnomore.org, or call 512.382.4318 for more information.

The Entrepreneurs Foundation of Central Texas, which wired $250,000 directly to Haiti within the first week of the earthquake, will double your Haiti relief donation in their 1:1 Match Program, up to a total of $600,000. Match funding is provided by a special interest fund, including Austin Ventures, Donna & Philip Berber, Isabel & Dave Welland, MFI Foundation, the Garber Family and Silicon Labs as contributors. Visit www.givetoaustin.org/helphaiti to make your donation.

R Martin Limited, an electric bike and mobility scooter retailer/distributor headquartered in Austin, plugged in to Save the Children’s relief effort for families and children in Haiti on January 14. Through February 15, they will continue to donate $25 to the organization for every electric bike or EVD electric motorcycle purchased. For more information about R Martin Limited and to browse their products, visit www.electricbikedistributor.com or call 512.476.0500. 

Locally-grown sneaker enthusiast destination website NiceKicks.com partnered with Soles4Souls to provide shoes to Haitians affected by the disaster. You can tap into the Sneakerheads for Haiti effort by texting “SHOES” to 20222 to make a $5 donation to Soles4Souls, or by sending new and gently used shoes to Sneakerheads for Haiti, Soles4Souls, Inc., 315 Airport Road, Roanoke, AL 36274. For more information, visit www.nicekicks.com or www.soles4souls.org.

Feria 2010 Welcomes Latino Community

The Feria Para Aprender (The Learning Fair) continues to reach thousands of Latino parents and students every year who are drawn by its unique Spanish-language only educational format. This year’s Austin Feria takes place Saturday, February 6 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Travis County Expo. For 2010, the Feria is expanding to a regional event to include multiple school districts from throughout Central Texas, with an expected 10,000 parents and youth in attendance. The event, first created in Austin in 2007, will feature more than 100 exhibits by school districts, non-profits, colleges, universities, and scholarship groups.

A key component of the fair is to organize Spanish-only speaking parents with the information for their student’s academic success and create a long-lasting college-going culture. It’s also built to mobilize the non-profit educational organizations to be ready to serve 21st century communities facing major demographic changes. Another goal is to develop a bilingually educated workforce that provides the region with a global competitive advantage.

For more bilingual info, call the Austin American-Statesman Hotline at 512.416.5700 and enter 2274.

HTU Open House Keeps Dreams Alive

Huston-Tillotson University celebrates its annual “University Day” on February 27, and this year’s event is actually three in one: University Day for high school students, the African American Community Heritage Festival and Homecoming 2010 Lady’s Basketball Game for HT graduates and friends. 

University Day allows participants to gain insight into college life and is an opportunity for prospective students to speak directly with admission and financial aid experts, visit with professors about academic programs and take a tour of the campus. The two academic colleges: The College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Business and Technology offer 15 majors from which students can choose as a career.  

The schedule includes a 9 a.m. welcome and opening informational session, a 9:30 a.m. student panel, “It’s All About U,” open house in the School of Business and Technology and the College of Arts and Sciences at 10:30 a.m. followed with a campus tour. Take a break for lunch at noon, then from 1-4 p.m., enjoy the African American Community Heritage Festival with children’s entertainment, music, area step teams, merchant vendors and mobile health services. At 5:30 p.m., cheer for the Lady Rams as they take on the Southwestern Assemblies of God women’s basketball team to round out the day in HTU Homecoming fashion. 

Located near downtown Austin at 900 Chicon, Huston-Tillotson University awards undergraduates four-year degrees in business, education, the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, science and technology. A multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-faith institution, the University welcomes students of all ages, races, and religions. For info see www.htu.edu or call 1.877.505.3028. 

“¡Viva! Mexico’s Independence” exhibit opens at Ransom Center

Pope picks Bishop Joe S. Vásquez to lead Austin diocese

Feria Para Aprender is Saturday, Feb. 6 at Travis County Expo

Huston-Tillotson University celebrates “University Day” Feb. 27

04 TODO Austin // February 2010 // TODOaustinonline.com

TODO Austin // February 2010 // TODOaustinonline.com 05

Let’s Talk About It

Paul Wallace was awarded an athletic scholarship to the University of Texas in 2001, five years after he officially ditched gangbanging for tutoring and dealing drugs for swim practice. He’d bounced from a dilapidated, bug-infested home to a trailer surrounded by crime to a pile of couch cushions on a friend’s floor. He’d cut his time on the 50-yard freestyle from 40 seconds to just under 21 despite nights without dinner and rapidly deteriorating relationships at home. Becoming the first Wallace to earn a college degree forced Paul to permanently transition out of the world he came from. But it also meant that he had accomplished his dream.

Schertz, Texas 1994: Paul Wallace is 13 years old, living with his white mother, black father and younger brother Stephen in his grandmother’s house, and generally up to no good. He and Stephen avoid the rotting walls, searing stench of cat feces and swarms of fleas at home by spending as many nights as possible at friends’ houses. They seek refuge from the larvae-ridden cereal boxes and roach-filled refrigerator in dollar burgers at the Sonic down the street. And they watch helplessly as their living conditions spur more and more fights between their parents. Eventually, it reaches an unbearable pitch.

Paul watches in fury as his father decides to leave. His grandmother, the source of nearly all of his parents’ disagreements, isn’t sad to see her son-in-law go, her parting words invoking her late husband: “Granddad never loved you or your kids anyways and always considered you a jungle bunny, you spear chucker.” Paul clearly remembers denting the metal shed in the backyard several times with his bare hands that night.

His parental care and supervision quickly deteriorate as the separation and consequent divorce drive his mother to a nervous breakdown. She is physically and mentally unable to continue providing food, clothing and other necessities to Paul and Stephen. With little discipline or boundaries, they skip school almost every other day—“little punks in our own right”—stealing from neighborhood stores, setting things on fire and breaking curfew.

By the age of 14, Paul begins selling drugs and working construction in order to assume complete care for himself and his brother. He buys them each their first pair of Jordans and is finally able to rely on consistent, edible meals. He’s proud to provide a steadily improving quality of life but weary of the means.

“Before, we weren’t eating, our washing machine and dryer didn’t work so the clothes we wore were disgusting,” Paul said. “I start hustling and now my brother has nice clothes, I’m dressing better—but it

was all paid for with drug money.”Paul sees through the appeal of quick stacks

of cash from early on; sees the risk and danger always lurking close by. He’s far too familiar with drug abuse within his own family, and worries what impact his actions may have on his younger brother. He watches his best friend blow almost $7,000 of hard-earned life savings within a few months of starting to use his own supply. And then there’s his last sale—a transaction that haunts him to this day.

“I had some 11-year-olds come up and ask me to sell them some drugs one day,” Paul remembers. “I knew better, but I sold it to them anyways for a few extra bucks. It never sat well with me and I put the dope down.”

Kirby, Texas 1996: Paul moves into his father’s mobile home, hoping to escape Schertz for a fresh start. He has to leave his brother, still legally bound to his mother, behind. Despite previous gang prevention programs in the area, his new neighborhood is still run by tre-five-seven and Kirby Crips. Soon after starting his sophomore year at Judson High School, he learns that it’s “pretty much the last stop for all of the kids who’ve been kicked out of all of the other schools in San Antonio.” He slowly begins to fall in with a sketchy crowd.

“These dudes were raw, fight you in a second, jump you if you had the wrong colors on,” Paul said. “Most of the OGs lived right down the street. When I say OG, I mean dudes whose tattoos were messed up because of how many times they’d been shot and stabbed. I started skipping school again, going to school drunk. I’d drink my dad’s alcohol and steal money from him.”

Without firm punishment or consequences at school, Paul comes in late most days, sometimes obviously high or drunk, without ever getting written up or sent home. His father’s job driving charter busses cross country leaves Paul alone for several days at a time. He spends next to no time studying or doing homework, in favor of “stupid punk stuff”—fighting, robbing houses, drinking and partying. Back in Schertz, Stephen isn’t faring much better—what would become a lifelong dance with the criminal justice system begins when he is just 11, for assault with a deadly weapon.

Swimming, according to Paul, saved his life. The year things really started to decline, he decided to go out for the swim team on a whim. He showed up in Umbro shorts and tights with absolutely no experience and swam his first 50-yard freestyle in 40 seconds. Although his grades rendered him ineligible to participate in a meet, then-Coach Scott

Harris recognized his potential and accepted him to the team. It was support and encouragement from figures like Harris and Olympian Shaun Jordan, who would become Paul’s mentor, which gave him the motivation he needed to strive for something positive.

“Toward the end of the year Shaun Jordan gave a swim clinic at my high school,” Paul said. “At the end of it, he pulled me to the side and said ‘you have tons of potential and could use swimming as a tool to a higher education; you could use it to change your family tree.’ In that instant I decided to change my actions to allow myself to go as far as I could.”

He gradually began phasing out the street crowd and struggling to catch up with years of academic lag. When the burden of re-teaching himself study habits, passing his classes, improving his swim times and living on rice and butter seemed insurmountable, Paul would call Jordan for support. By his junior year, his grades drastically improved and he qualified for district-level competition with 24 seconds on the 50 free. Jordan helped him set up a meeting with University of Texas Head Coach Eddie Reese, who told him he needed to get an associate’s degree before he’d be considered for the team.

“I went home with a fire under my rear that no one was going to put out,” Paul said. “That was all I needed to hear; I put all the knuckle-headed stuff down and got to work academically and athletically.”

But as his grades and swim times got better, tension between Paul and his father became worse and worse.

“I never understood it — when I wasn’t prospering in any way, my dad and I never had a problem,” Paul said. “As soon as I stopped doing wrong and focused on getting myself together, he tried to stop me. His thinking was that swimming would not bring any opportunity. It was ‘the white man’s sport’, ‘black people don’t swim’; I should have been working instead. He went as far as to tell me ‘you’re trying to be white.’”

His homeboys slowly turned against him as well, accusing him of being “fake” and “phony.” But with his sights set on UT, Paul focused his energy on staying the course. He graduated with the Judson High School record of 21.9 seconds on the 50 free and was accepted to Palo Alto Junior College in west San Antonio, which just happened to be the only junior college in Texas with a swim team. After his father kicked him out of their mobile home, Paul slept on the floor of a friend’s house and worked as a cook at Bill Miller BBQ to support himself.

The following year, Paul transferred to Austin Community College to train under Jordan on the Texas Aquatics masters team and made it to finals in the 2001 American Short Course Championships.

“I’m up there with the music playing, I look over and I’m swimming next to [Olympic swimmer] Neil Walker,” Paul remembers. “I swam as hard as I could, so hard that when I finished I jammed three of my fingers. I ended up going 20.99.”

Reese offered him a scholarship to swim for UT days later. He had reached the goal he’d worked so hard for, and suddenly found himself worlds apart from where he’d begun.

The story of Paul’s childhood is still difficult for him to recount, even at 29—but he knows he’s not the only young minority male who’s walked this

path. In 2006, he founded Swim With Inspiration and Motivation (S.W.I.M) along with two fellow UT alumni to provide swim clinics to disadvantaged kids in the Austin area. In partnership with local and national organizations like Boys and Girls Club Capital Area, Neighborhood Longhorns Program, Big Brothers Big Sisters and the USA Swimming Foundation, S.W.I.M aims not only to teach underprivileged youth basic skills in the water, but also to use swimming as a context for imparting life lessons in determination, hard work and making healthy choices.

“I feel my place in the world is to educate kids in situations like mine about overcoming obstacles, mentally and physically, and allowing themselves to prosper,” Paul said. “There are so many young people out there who don’t have the role models I had, no one to tell them they can go to college, or what it takes to do that. I hope to be that voice so that I can pass the blessings I’ve received on to others.”

Today, Paul is the head coach of the Rockwall High School swim team in Dallas, Texas and continues to work with S.W.I.M. In August of 2009, he married long-time sweetheart Dana Hernandez and recently welcomed his first child, Olivia Violet Wallace, into the world. He’s working on reconnecting with his mom after years of distance, but believes that it’s a “deep sense of regret and anger about his own mistakes” that continues to prevent his father from maintaining a healthy relationship with him. And despite the fact that they both endured the same upbringing, Stephen no longer speaks to Paul, as he feels they are now “too different.”

The ghosts of his past can be painful to face, but Paul cherishes the experiences he’s had and often refers to them to connect and relate to his student athletes. While he plans on teaching Olivia the merits of higher education and providing solid support for whatever her dreams may be, he also hopes to pass on to her the enduring Wallace qualities of tenacity and hard work.

“I want Olivia to prosper farther than I did on my best day—even with all that I’ve accomplished, I won’t be happy until she’s gone farther than me; until I know I’ve broken the Wallace cycle,” Paul said. “But I also want her to see the grittier side of things, to know what happens when you don’t do right. I want her to know the value of seeing something through to the end, regardless of the situation, in the true Wallace fashion.”

Paul may have taken the first step away from a family history of poverty and struggle, but it was the perseverance he learned along the way that allowed him to do it. Holding the first Wallace college degree means more than just academic or athletic achievement in his eyes; it means bridging the gap between the drive to grind and the desire to succeed—and the opportunity to help others do the same.Photography courtesy of S.W.I.M. Austin

After demonstrating swim drills to S.W.I.M. campers, Paul watches and critiques their performance in the pool.

Paul teaches S.W.I.M. students a University of Texas cheer on their last day of camp

by Katie Walsh

The Carver Museum, 1165 Angelina St., plays host to a packed schedule of cultural events to celebrate Black History Month including: The Austin Children’s Choir presents “Inspiration Station” at the Carver Museum on Sat., Feb. 20 from 1-5 p.m. The choir, made up of Austin-area children ages 7-18, presents repertoire both serious and light-hearted that reference people and animals with inspirational stories to share. The program will be enhanced by multi-media effects. Admission is free. www.austinchildrenschoir.com. -///- The Carver Museum celebrates Black History Month with a three-night Spirited Journey Concert Series spotlighting Austin’s gospel choirs with music from three different genres. The Traditional Spirited Journey Concert, on Thurs., Feb. 25, features an evening of music and praise with local church choirs. Friday, Feb. 26 the Carver presents the Hip-Hop Spirited Journey Concert, for a more lively music flavor. The concluding concert, Sat., Feb. 27, Youth Spirited Journey Concert, will feature young voices of praise. The series is free and open to the public. Each concert begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Carver Museum’s Boyd Vance Theatre. -///- Celebrate Me! Nigeria will be held Sat., Feb. 13 at 1 p.m. at the Carver Museum. This cultural exploration event aims to create an appreciation for the diverse cultures that make up our world. During the ‘journey,’ visitors will admire African art, sample cuisine, join a drumming circle, and dance! Activities for youth

and adults will provide a cultural and educational experience that will enlighten visitors about Nigerian life. FREE and open to the public. www.carvermuseum.org, or call 974.4926. -///- Ballet Magazine says Grupo de Rua “presents traditional hip hop in an entirely different perspective.” Unfettered by trends and dismissing commercialization, street dancing has officially come into its own not only as an accepted and viable art form, but as an expression that has revolutionized an entire artistic genre. What began in the streets of New York quickly spread around the world and embedded itself in Brazil— a country where beats are celebrated and dance is a generation’s second language. Bruno Beltrão launched Grupo de Rua in 1996, and the powerhouse company immediately began to capture fans across the world, competing, showcasing and bringing their distinctive brand of hip hop to new audiences. Sixteen years later, the conversation between hip hop and contemporary dance has created a new language distinctly Brazilian, and all street. February 9, 8 p.m., Hogg Memorial Auditorium on the UT campus, $26. www.texasperformingarts.org/event/grupoderua -///- Treat your sweetheart to an evening of dance as Ballet Austin presents the evening-length, contemporary “Truth & Beauty/The Bach Project” this Valentine’s Day weekend. With collaboration from BA’s Stephen Mills, visual artist Trenton Doyle Hancock and Austin composer Graham Reynolds, this three-

part dance work features live accompaniment by The Austin Chamber Music Center, Dr. Michelle Schumann and Reynolds. Musical works feature “Bach’s Orchestral Suite #2 in B minor,” “Bach’s Aria 1” from the Goldberg Variations, “Arioso” and Philip Glass’ “Metamorphosis 1” followed by “Polaris Etoile.”  At the Long Center for the Performing Arts. Feb 12 & 13, 8 p.m., Feb. 14, 3 p.m. Tickets and information: www.balletaustin.org or 512.476.2163. -///- One World Theater (7701 Bee Caves Road) presents the Hudson Vagabond Puppets production of “Ferdinand the Bull,” on Sat., Feb 20 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The gentle tale of a big, strong peace-loving bull – that would rather smell the flowers than fight – proves to be quite an annoyance to the proud bullfighter. This narrated ballet, told with delightful larger-than-life characters and captivating masked dancers, brings a message of non-violence that is as joyful for the eyes as it is the soul. For more info call 512.330.9500. -///- Goya’s Prints: The Dawn of Modern Art continues through Mar. 7 at The Blanton Museum of Art on the UT campus. The Blanton possesses some thirty of Francesco Goya’s prints, with several impressions from each of his major series. They include great rarities, like “El Embozado,” which was left unfinished at his death. In many senses, and more than his paintings, Goya’s prints represent the dawn of modern art. www.blantonmuseum.org or 471-7324 for information and hours, prices and parking.

By TODO StaffAccent Art

LIVE MUSICAll FridAys - Mariachi Tamazula (MAriAchi Music), 8 - 10pmFeb. 6 ritmo 3 (sAlsA Music), 10pm - 1amFeb. 13 Atash (Middle eAsTern Music), 10pm - 1amFeb. 20 ritmo 3 (sAlsA Music), 10pm - 1amFeb. 25 Tish hinojosa live, 8-11pm Tickets available at the restaurant.Feb. 27 la Mona loca (sAlsA Music), 10pm - 1am

Restaurant & Bar

Moncclosed // Tue to Thuc8am - 11pm // Fri - sATc8am - 2am // sunc9am - 4pm 600 east 6th street // 512.444.7770 // www.elsolylalunaaustin.com

Tish hinojosA liveFebruAry 25th, 8-11pmTickeTs AvAilAble AT el sol y lA lunA

FREEPARKING2 hour lunchtime parking on 6th St.

We have relocated from our long time home onsouth congress to Austin’s historic sixth street.

512.454.9663 x215 • 888.440.4649 x215109 Denson Dr. Austin, TX 78752

shawna@bellsintl.com • www.bellsintl.com

Bells InternationalPromotional Products | Advertising Specialties

By Yvonne Lim Wilson

at 1 p.m. Art exhibitions by David Stein (oil painting) and Cecilia Ling (photography) displayed throughout the day. Free admission. (346-6789 or www.ibps-austin.org and www.360galleryofaustin.org)

It’s a ritzy evening out at the Texas Asian Chamber of Commerce’s Lunar New Year Soiree at the Bob Bullock Museum, 1800 Congress Ave., on Friday, February 19 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Enjoy first-rate Asian hors d’oeuvres and entertainment. This year, the Asian Chamber will honor Asian Pacific American veterans and recognize Asian American businesses thriving in the downturn, and will also award scholarships for high school students. (485-1090 or www.tacc.clubexpress.com)

Welcome the new year with a bang at the two-day celebration Saturday, February 20 and Sunday, February 21 at the Chinatown Center at 10901 N. Lamar, complete with food, entertainment and fun stuff for the whole family—including rock climbing and Kiwi the Clown. Don’t miss the dragon/lion dance starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday and noon on Sunday with firecrackers. Free admission. (380-9688 or www.ChinatownAustin.com)

Yvonne Lim Wilson is founder and publisher of Asian Austin at www.AsianAustin.com, an online news magazine featuring news about Asian American people, organizations and events in Austin. Contact Yvonne at yvonne@asianaustin.com.

The Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, is celebrated by Asians throughout the world as the most important holiday. It traditionally begins on the first day of the first lunar month, which falls on February 14 this year.

2010 is the year of the golden tiger, which means get ready for a vigorous and hard-working year with its share of challenges and conflicts, according to Chinese astrologists. Those born in the year of the tiger are thought to be courageous, charming and warm, however they can also be short-tempered and moody.

While my own family is not very traditional, we like to have our own special New Year meal with lucky foods, wish each other “gung hay faat toy” (“Happy New Year”) and give red envelopes with money to our children.

The Lunar New Year is also a special time to recognize and celebrate our rich Asian cultures here in Austin. From family-friendly events to glamorous evening soirees, there are plenty of opportunities to celebrate the Asian New Year in Austin.

If you haven’t seen a live dragon or lion dance, experienced a Buddhist vegetarian feast or witnessed an arsenal of firecrackers, now is the time to explore your Asian Austin! Check out the calendar page of Asian Austin at www.AsianAustin.com for a complete listing of Lunar New Year events in Austin.

Start the month off with a big celebration put on by the Vietnamese American Community of Austin Texas (VACAT) on

Sat., February 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Their annual Tet Festival includes dragon/lion dances, food, games and more at Lanier High School, 1201 Payton Gin Road. (www.vacat.org)

Families with Children from China is hosting a Chinese New Year celebration on Saturday, February 6 at Covington Middle School, 3700 Convict Hill Road. The fun begins at 2:30 p.m. with Taiko drumming, silent auction and an hour of entertainment, ending with dragon dancers. The big finale is a feast at 5:30 p.m. at Buffet Palace, 4608 West Gate Boulevard. $3 to $31, tickets available online. (www.main.org/fccaustin)

The Austin Taiwanese Association is hosting a special Lunar New Year dinner on Saturday, February 6 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Fortune Chinese Seafood restaurant, 10901 N. Lamar Blvd., Ste. A1. The cost is $12 members; $20 non-members. (www.austin-taiwanese.org)

It’s a day of family fun at the Asian American Cultural Center, 1713 Jollyville Road on Saturday, February 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Enjoy various Asian cultural performances – including lion dance, calligraphy, kids moonwalk, “The Great Race” story reading, as well as delicious ethnic foods. Free admission. (336-5069 or www.asianamericancc.com)

Come for the fabulous vegetarian lunch, stay for performances and art at the Hsiang Yun Temple and 360 Gallery of Austin at 6720 Capital of Texas Highway on Sunday, February 14. The day starts at 10:30 a.m. with a prayer for a prosperous society and world peace, lunch at noon and performances

08 TODO Austin // february 2010 // TODOaustinonline.com

By Erica Stall Wiggins

EvEn though wE’rE growing

and vibrant and divErsifying, thE

duality is that wE’rE actually

bEcoming a morE dividEd city,

and that’s a dangEr sign.

TODO Austin // february 2010 // TODOaustinonline.com 09

Further Reading: The New Great Migration:Black Americans’ Return to the South, 1965-2000 —by William frey

The Big Sort —by bill bishop

Rise of the Creative Class by richard florida

Chinatown Center

State Tejano Monument in the works

MLK Day March, 2010

Top Ten Big Demographic Trends in Austin, TX

1. No majority.

2. Decreasing families-with-children share in the urban core.

3. African American share on the wane.

4. Hispanic share of total population… will it ever surpass the Anglo share?

5. Asian share skyrocketing.

6. Geography of African Americans, dispersion and flight to the suburbs.

7. Geography of Hispanics, intensifying urban barrios along with movement into rural areas.

8. An increasingly sharp edge of affluence.

9. Regional indigent health care burden.

10. Intensifying urban sprawl.

digital downloadsavailable @ www.waterloorecords.com

shop & download local3x more $$$ stays in austin

www.waterloorecords.com • 512.474.2500600 North Lamar Austin, Texas 78703

COmpACT DisCs • ReCORDs • ViDeO10a-11p mon-sat • 11a-11p sun

where music still matters

By Jake Morales

Born to Mexican immigrants in San Antonio, Tish Hinojosa was taught to respect her roots. She possessed an inquisitive mind, a sense of fairness and an insatiable love of music. There was always a sound in her head, the sweetest music on earth. She embraced it in its various forms, from Latino to rock to country and folk. All her life, she has kept her head raised, aware of the horizon. Today, the singer-songwriter, who performs at El Sol y la Luna on Thursday, February 25, can examine her life in retrospect and understand that her search for beauty is never-ending.

“The music that made an actual and immediate impact on me was American/British pop music of the mid sixties,” recalls Hinojosa from Hamburg, Germany, where she resides part-time when she’s not in Austin. “I was eight to ten years old and was hearing this music out of our morning bedroom radios, getting ready for school. I did then, and still do, have a strong connection to the Beatles, the Byrds, the Kinks, the Zombies, etc. However, on a deeper level, my earliest memories were of listening to my parents’ kitchen radio, always on and always tuned to KCOR, San Antonio’s premier Mexican radio station.

“As a small child, I was a captive audience of this station’s programming of local conjunto music, romantic Mexican trio boleros, and radio theater dramas. When I picked up the guitar at fourteen, I began performing and mixing these early influences and also including the new sounds of seventies singer-songwriters such as Paul Simon, Neil Young, Kris Kristofferson, Joan Baez and the Nueva Cancion style that I was learning about that was coming from South America. And I had also become a fan of the Spanish singer, Raphael. These were all important elements that influenced my early songwriting as well.”

Through the years, Hinojosa’s music has crossed borders, culturally and musically. Her passion for music has never failed her, and while she’s been making a warm, divine sound over the decades, she’s become a pioneer whose artistry reflects contemporary America in all its multicultural vibrancy.

“Crossing over is both a blessing and a curse,” explains Hinojosa. “I am more of an optimist so I prefer to see it as a blessing. I am restless and never bored musically and I hope that comes across in

“The current ‘demographic trend’ of rapidly rising Latinos that’s giving the U.S. ‘a scare’ is significant and I am hopeful that it will make Latinos rise to the importance and responsibility of the empowerment this can mean,” Hinojosa said. “Numbers are not the important factor. How many of this number are accomplishing good things like graduating from high school, graduating from college, becoming leaders and role models, overcoming expected statistics of large numbers in drop outs, teen moms, gang involvement, drugs, crime, prison, etc. the stereotypical ‘Latino statistic.’

“There is a sharp rise in the popular attraction to ‘Latino music,’ meaning salsa, disco, etc. In a way, I see this as a little bit of a setback because that music is an over simplification of the culture to a stereotype. There are still very few Latinos accepted in country, pop, Americana or even adult contemporary because of the general public’s lack of understanding that there is more to our culture than the stereotypical style that Latinos are supposed to represent. American radio and popular culture want to buy and sell the easy sell, not something Latino that is thoughtful or thought provoking. Even Latinos fall into this trap. I am not putting salsa down. I love it and I love to dance too, I just wish people could get a balanced diet of Latinism.” 

Hinojosa’s friends and fans include some of the world’s most admired artists. Linda Ronstadt, who recorded Hinojosa’s “Donde Voy,’ Joan Baez, Kris Kristofferson, Dwight Yoakam, Nanci Griffith, Pete Seeger, Flaco Jimenez and Los Lobos.

Her latest release of traditional bluegrass, contemporary folk and Tex-Mex, “Our Little Planet,” is what she calls, “a down to earth CD connecting Mexican to singer-songwriter to country.  It is an homage to the time I spent involved with country music in Nashville in the mid-eighties. I was not a country music fan growing up because the sound of country brought to mind dive lounges, depressing themes, and sad people. In the early eighties, this changed for me when I was introduced to a new hippie-country style through musician friends in the music of Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Chris Hillman, Peter Rowan, and Texans Ray Wiley Hubbard and Jerry Jeff Walker. Because I, back then, got a job at Mel Tillis’s publishing company in Nashville, I got a chance to learn old country songs of Kitty Wells and Webb Pierce. All of this new music I loved reminded me of the simple sounds of Mexican/Spanish ballads and corridos I loved as a child. All this time I was performing and continuously mixing all these styles I loved into my sound.”

As second and third generations of Mexican Americans discover the music of Hinojosa, she is left to wonder at their reaction. “It is ironic that I really can’t answer this question because I don’t know how many Latinos know me or my music. I have to admit that my biggest audience comes from American public radio listeners. Because of the problem of stereotyping, Latino radio hasn’t paid much attention to my music. So, especially with second or third generation American Latinos, I am only known if their parents or grandparents found me under ‘folk’ or ‘country’ at a record store, or if they happened to catch ‘Austin City Limits’ in the mid nineties. I do know of some young adults who grew up with my children’s CD ‘Cada Niño.’ I am happy that some have grown up with my music and do come up and tell me thanks at shows now and then.”

This much is known, wherever she performs, Hinojosa will be greeted by a gracious reception. Her footprint in music will lead generations to come to the same place. A state of grace.

my music. Having both English and Spanish to work with has widened my perspective in how to see things and in how to express myself. Just like I have always seen being Mexican-American as being doubly blessed instead of being handicapped in any way.

“There are some people who don’t like the mixture. Some Latinos think I’m too ‘gringa.’ Some “gringos” think I’m too Latino. I can’t control how I am judged. I can only continue to do my music in a way that feels borderless to me. In fact, there are still lots more world sounds I hope to incorporate into my music in the coming years. I hope everyone who likes my music will enjoy the ride with me.”

The Texas singer-songwriter has no shortage of admirers throughout the states and Europe. From 1979, when she left home to pursue a music career based from New Mexico, Hinojosa began forming lifelong friendships with music colleagues, the earliest of which were Michael Martin Murphy and Bill and Bonnie Hearne, who inspired her to search for her own voice in whatever language suited the song. A quick study of the Nashville scene helped build her music vocabulary before she arrived in Austin in 1987. She joined the A & M Records roster in 1988 and achieved her first national acclaim with her debut release, “Homeland” a year later. A generation of music lovers has enjoyed a continuous stream of 15 recordings and tours, and today Hinojosa is genuine royalty in the Americana genre.

“Americana” is a title that has served me well,” she states. “Finally, it seems that this genre is becoming a more popular term. I am glad that it conveys and embraces roots, world music, country, anything acoustic and contemporary. This genre involves a little deeper listening. I am glad it is a trend that is growing.”

Her recordings are a survey of her musical landscape, country, folk and Latino elements assuming equal importance. From the award-winning “Culture Swing” and the collection of Mexican love ballads and border songs on the Spanish language “Frontejas” to the dazzling enchantment of “Dreaming from the Labyrinth” and the children’s recording “Cada Niño/Every Child,” Hinojosa has traveled the hard road with grace.

“The subject material I choose for my writing has come from mostly places in my heart: love lost, love found, joy and sorrow I have lived, my children, my family, social issues I care about, etc.,” summarizes Hinojosa. “I try to write from my heart and I try not to get too self indulgent nor too superficial. Rhythms and styles come from my strength and limitation of musicianship. I have a stronger imagination in melody than my ability as a musician, which probably serves well in keeping melodies simple and not all over the map.” 

Hinojosa’s concern for the welfare of others has always been a focus. Having performed by invitation at the White House for Bill and Hillary Clinton, she’s always been moved to political action as her contributions address a multitude of concerns, including those central to the Hispanic community like bilingual education, immigration and farm workers’ rights.

thetimes,Estan

cambiandoSXSW Answers The Bell

12 TODO Austin // february 2010 // TODOaustinonline.com

by Brandon Ramiro Badillo

March is almost here which means South by Southwest is at our doorstep.  Since 1987, this behemoth of a festival has been responsible for flooding Austin with bands, films, media, tourists, booze and most of all, money.  Reigning as the highest revenue-producing annual event on the city calendar, there’s really not much the organizers of this festival have to worry about.  Or is there?

People come from everywhere to catch SXSW films, music, and interactive panels and pour millions of dollars into our beautiful city. Where does the music come from? Thousands of bands apply for a small fee with the possibilitythat they’ll get a chance to play an official showcase during the music portion of SXSW.  Many acts come to town

even if they aren’t accepted, knowing that there

are hundreds of unofficial showcases happening

all over Austin.  Alleyways, garages, and any nook

surrendered will become a venue and host just

about any band willing to perform. Although SXSW

is a multicultural feast with top notch international

acts, the main genres of music are indie rock,

alternative, and experimental music. Over the last

four years, these are the genres that seem to get

the most attention and are greatly responsible

for increasing SXSW’s rapidly growing hipster reputation.

Among the hundreds of bands competing for the attention of the mostly 20-30 something year olds are a number of Latin-American, hip hop, and international acts, sprinkled here and there, but these acts mainly perform in small showcases.  While the music industry and fans will continue to support these international showcases, there remains an area of concern in the minds of some Austin music professionals.

SXSW’s support of traditional American music forms, from Tejano to jazz, is substantial though perhaps seldom documented.  The argument echoed in some Eastside quarters is that while SXSW may be international friendly, on a local scale it’s lacking in goodwill.   The Mexican American

community in particular is driving the issue. Austin

Tejano music supporter Leonard Davila addressed

Austin City Council on January 28, challenging that

Austin Latinos have been “repeatedly neglected”

by SXSW and ignored.  But he added, “Our cultural

identity has suffered. However, we see change for

the better and new possibilities.”

There is room for debate on whether SXSW

should be more focused on its neighbors in the

African American and Latino communities. It’s

inevitable that local tax-paying Hispanics, already becoming the dominant culture in Austin, will have a loud voice where SXSW and other city wide events are concerned.  Demands will be made (including those by Todo Austin) to pay more attention to the underserved population.  Already, changes are occurring. This is an especially important development right now as Eastside gentrification has seeped into SXSW’s strategy.  For years, unofficial showcases have sprawled eastward like so many of the area’s new, mostly young, Anglo residents.  No longer is SXSW music just a festival found on E. 6th Street (bounded by IH-35), inner south and central locales. It’s emerging in East Austin, but there’s a catch. Not many of these official and unofficial shows actually cater to the communities residing in our Eastside neighborhoods.

In past years, a few unofficial showcases have taken place in the heart of the 11th St. East End District at venues such as the Victory Grill and Kenny Dorham’s Backyard.  These showcases have featured artists from genres including reggae, blues, jazz and many other styles that mirror the community’s identity.

Which brings us to 2010.  It’s a new day.  Earlier this winter, a SXSW official joined a collection of Eastside advocates—including myself, Todo Austin publisher Gavin Lance Garcia, Harold McMillan, Skeeter Amesquita, Leonard Davila and representatives of the Victory Grill—to discuss the possibility of holding official Eastside showcases catering specifically to the area’s eclectic, ethnic musical tastes.  SXSW enthusiastically approved the showcases for E. 11th Street. It was more than a gesture; it was a monumental decision for the neighborhood and it will make history.

Not since Bemba Entertainment’s annual Central and South American music festival, Xemumba, has KD’s hosted such a variety of Latin music as is planned for this March during SXSW.  Primarily a venue used for jazz and blues, this will be the second time in six months that KD’s will play host to the Latino community.

All this is great news and very important in the city moving forward. But to be honest, this outcome was a case of “us” going to “them,” with frank talk and mutual respect benefitting both parties. The fruit of this labor are some terrific showcases, each supported by Todo Austin and other media. The concerts will look like, sound like, feel like and mirror our city. It’s collaboration between Hispanics and SXSW that is a long time coming.

Giving SXSW its due, the showcases were late breaking productions that have tested the festival’s personnel.  Without the key players who brought this all to fruition, the E. 11th venues would likely be hosting unofficial SXSW events—one time venue rentals—during a heavy hitting week.  Gavin is spearheading our effort with SXSW, accompanied by myself, Ken Kushnick, and the others who gathered last winter.  This will undoubtedly set a precedent for all involved in the event.  Gavin is one among us who’s quick to praise SXSW for what he contends is their historical support of Latino Austinites and other minorities. “This latest development is part of its evolution,” he says.  “SXSW has accommodated all of Austin’s ethnic groups since its inception. I understand the frustration some of my colleagues have with established organizations like SXSW, but the fest’s record with minorities speaks for itself. Because the staff shies away from singing their own praises, they don’t get rightful credit for their successes in bridging cultural divides, both local and international.

“This much I know, SXSW welcomed each of our requests this year and we have an opportunity to build something lasting that will benefit every citizen no matter their address or ethnic background.”

Because Latinos are well on their way to becoming the majority populace here, it’s important that SXSW put us on their radar and start accommodating our community.  The interest of SXSW organizers is at its peak. Gavin recently brought in Ken Kushnick to work with me (the trifecta) on the big picture, beyond SXSW.  Long time manager of Stephen Bruton and a producer of the very successful “Road To Austin” concert event in 2007, Ken brings experience and know-how to the

table.  With his connection to the Hispanic music scene through his management of Joel Guzman & Sarah Fox, Ken is very excited to be a part of this momentous occasion.  Already known as a promoter of World Music events and a couple of underground Latin music festivals, under my company Bemba Entertainment, I was brought in to help promote and produce these Pan American showcases. 

Because of Gavin’s advocacy and our combined passion, SXSW will now have no choice but to listen to the voice of the Eastside.  It is important that the organizers start reaching out to more venues on the Eastside as it is currently riddled with unofficial, packed showcases from Cesar Chavez to the East End District on 11th St.  The Eastside is currently inhabited by young professionals, hipsters, African American, Latino and Anglo. 

“Multicultural” is the word of the decade.  This is what this city needs to be.  Due to constant promoting of world music and culture diversity by companies like Bemba Entertainment and organizations like Diverse Arts, Austin is on its way to becoming more culturally diverse.  Many projects are in line for Bemba Entertainment prior to and after SXSW.  Events include a tribute to Nina Simone on Feb 20th at The Independent, the 2nd annual Mother’s Day picnic located at Alma De Mujer, and the weekly World Music Nights at Momo’s that take place every Tuesday, as well as the happenings occurring at the hot new venue Mi Casa Tamales & Cantina on 6th St.  2010 will be a prosperous year for those who do right by others, and what they love and believe in. Welcome to the Eastside, SXSW.

Os Alquimistas

Os Alquimistas

Buscando el Monte

Krudas Cubensi

photography by I. Salazar

frame of reference

At Home Everywhere

The Self in man and in the sun are one.

Those who understand this see through the world

And go beyond the various sheaths

Of being to realize the unity of life.

Those who realize that all life is one

Are at home everywhere and see themselves

In all beings.

Fear motivates insecurity, fuels worry and despair. Fear points fingers. Fear places and accepts guilt. Fear creates a measurement of value. Fear binds and restricts. Fear clouds judgment and makes you question yourself. Fear tells you to look outside for answers. Fear chokes and silences you. Fear attaches you to things, convincing you that you need something else to be happy. Fear keeps you up at night. Fear tells you it’s never enough. Fear encourages you to lie. Fear enables negativity. Fear puffs out your chest. Fear suffocates dreams and passions. Fear stomps on joy and kills excitement. Fear rips you away from others or throws you directly into them. Fear removes your ability to trust yourself and others. Fear compares you. Fear makes you feel superior and inferior. Fear provokes and antagonizes. Fear makes us turn our heads and our backs. Fear determines the need to fight. Fear empowers greed.

TWO PLACES TO CHOOSE FROM: FEAR OR LOVE.

Not “I love my boyfriend cuz he buys me stuff and tells me I’m pretty” or “I love my wife cuz she cooks me dinner and cleans up after me.”

Love in its purest sense, in the sense in which it was intended. Love of self, others, life, nature, truth and/or whatever higher power you may believe in. Love promotes acceptance and understanding. Love gives way to faith and confidence. Love reminds you of your perfection amidst your “flaws.” Love reminds you of the bigger picture and purpose. Love is calming. Love allows for no boundaries and no need for reservation. Love opens doors. Love sheds light on everything. Love is limitless. Love is natural. Love energizes and fulfills. Love supports honesty and integrity. Love makes it ok to try because love knows there is no possibility of failure. Love nourishes relationships. Love creates a foundation for everything that is real and tangible. Love embraces and respects others. Love is powerful. Love has no fear.

TWO WELLS FROM WHICH TO FILL YOUR VESSEL: FEAR OR LOVE.

At any given moment, if you stopped before you spoke or acted, and were perfectly quiet, you could determine exactly which well you were dipping into, and the choice would produce very different results. Though “good” may

seemingly come from a choice bred from fear, its long-term effects would be less beneficial and less favorable than the outcome of a choice borne from love. For every choice that is made, an imprint is simultaneously made on our “souls,” your own and those of everyone around you. It sets a precedent and acts as a reminder for future experiences. The more we choose to engage in fear-based decisions, the more difficult it becomes to choose anything else. The more we choose to live in love, the easier it is to flow peacefully and painlessly through our lives, actually enjoying them along the way.

Let’s pay attention to that split second before we choose, from the smallest decisions to the life-changing, and choose consciously. Be what we would like others to be. Give what we desire to receive. Act as though we already have everything we could possibly ever need and trust that any choice based in “love” is the choice that will produce the best possible outcome.

2010 IS GOING TO BE A GOOD YEAR. I CAN FEEL IT. HOPEFULLY YOU CAN, TOO.

By Blake Shanley

tamales & cantinaopen TueSdAy through SundAy5 pm to 2 am

503 east 6th StreetAt the corner of neches & 6th ST,3 blocks West of IH35512.499.0350

$2.50 Margaritas every night till 11pm

Tamales available @ www.TamaleStore.comPork, Pork/Jalapeno, Bean, Chicken/Verde, Cheese/Jalapeno,Spinach, Sweet Corn, Sweet Corn/Jalapeno

book us for your company parties

TODO Austinsays “We Wanna Help Will Sexton”

Will Sexton, a beloved and respected member of the Austin music community, suffered a minor stroke in December of 2009, at only 39 years of age. While his health has steadily improved since that time, Will now faces loss of cognitive function and accruing medical bills. Having lost the capability to remember and perform two decades worth of original music and lyrics, Will is currently unable to continue living his passion as a musician—and to earn a living doing it. But the Austin music community is a strong and faithful one, and Will’s fellow singers, songwriters, musicians and teachers—as well as his many fans—won’t sit idly by.

On Monday, February 15 , Antone’s Nightclub (213 West 5th Street) presents “We Wanna Help Will Sexton,” a benefit concert featuring many of Austin’s finest—including Terry Allen, Eliza & Tony Gilkyson, Patty Griffin, Victoria Williams, Jimmy Lafave, Roky Erickson, Abra Moore, his brother Charlie Sexton and many others. The benefit will be emceed by Kevin Conner, KUT-FM and ME Television and will also feature both a silent and live auction. Sponsors are KUT-FM and The Austin Chronicle.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; the show will run from 7:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. Tickets are available for $25 presale at http://antones.frontgatetickets.com or $30 at the door.For more information, contact 512.236.0969 or jorae@hardpressedpublicity.com.

To donate goods or services to the silent and live auctions, please contact Trish Wagner/Chickrock Entertainment at 512.627.2397 or chickrock@gmail.com.

LiNkS:www.facebook.com/posted.php?id=303014748792willsexton.chipin.com/will-sexton-benefitwww.myspace.com/willsextonmusic

photo by Todd V. Wolfson

live musicSalsa Band every Thursdayno Cover Charge

02/04/10 (no cover)raza en Mi casa con Kiko villamizar @ 10pm

02/06/10 ($5 cover)Liberal @ 10:30pmFrederico7 & The Hashishans @ 12am

02/11/10 (no cover)raza en Mi casa con Kiko villamizar @ 10pm

02/13/10 (no cover)Zero Absoluto @ 10:30pm rubik @ 12pm

02/18/10 (no cover)raza en Mi casa con Kiko villamizar @ 10pm

02/20/10 ($5 cover)In Sutu Sound @ 10:30pmHydra Melody @ 12am

02/25/10 (no cover)raza en Mi casa con Kiko villamizar @ 10pm

02/27/10 ($5 cover)Arthur Yoria @ 10:30pm La Guerrilla @ 12am

Chronicles of Undercover MexicanGirlBy Alexandra M. Landeros

After spending ten days this past December in the Far West Texas region of Big Bend, without the Internet, sleeping most nights in a dusty school bus with a pot-bellied wood stove as the only source of heat, attending an acoustic concert in an abandoned cinnabar mine, drinking my morning coffee as I wandered through a zoo of cactus and creosote, or discovering arrowheads along the Rio Grande and having limited access to running water, electricity and cell phone, I fell in love with life – a simple kind of life. This Valentine’s Day, I want to celebrate my love for the desert and the love it breeds.

The Big Bend region of Texas consists of the expansive Big Bend National Park – one of the largest in the country – and a few small towns: Terlingua, Study Butte, and Lajitas. Including the entire area of Brewster County, with the cities of Alpine and Marathon about an hour north, the area is just over 6,000 square miles with a little over 9,000 people – that’s about one-and-a-half persons per square mile. And about 5,000 of those people live in Alpine, so the farther you get into the Big Bend area towards the U.S.-Mexico border, the more remote it gets.

With such a sparse population, I had imagined that people living there were only interested in solitude and had moved out there to entirely get away from all people. But as I found out, they moved out there to get away from most people, and what you’re left with in the desert is a small number of people who do, indeed, crave isolation. But as much as they celebrate their seclusion, they also celebrate a real sense of community.

Living such long distances from their neighbors and friends, when they get together it’s a meaningful occasion. There are campfires instead of televisions, there is music playing instead of video game playing, and as one of my new Big Bend friends put it, “when you get sick out here, people check in on you and bring you soup” because they know you can’t just run down to the corner pharmacy.

I just can’t get Big Bend out of my head – it gives me the kind of lovesick feeling I’d get when I was a teenager and couldn’t stop thinking about a particular boy. I’ve been on the Internet and at the library, researching the history of Big Bend, looking up photographs, trying to picture myself old and white-haired living on a giant plot of land with a greenhouse to grow my vegetables, goats and cows for milk and meat, and an off-grid adobe cabin running solar power for heat and light and a rain-catchment system for water.

The highlight of my recent trip to Big Bend was the Villa de la Mina concert in a defunct cinnabar mine between Lajitas and Terlingua. About a dozen musicians and one bona fide cowboy poet,

and twice as many audience members, gathered beneath the earth for an underground audio and video recording of original songs about lost love, the absurdity of the stock market, sleeping under the stars, the border patrol and being free. Being deep in the earth, with the unspoken possibility of a cave-in or lethal gasses escaping from the walls, surrounded by propane and candle lighting, flickering shadows, empty Lone Star cans, crystallized minerals in the walls and domed ceiling and a group of people who live to hear and play music, was nothing short of a magical experience.

As we all exited the mine, going ever-so-slightly uphill along the narrow wooden mine-car tracks tightly nestled between two walls of red rock, into the blinding sunlight, we knew that this concert would all bond us together in some way. If anything, because so very few people in this world – living at the same time as us – would be able to enjoy this moment. Some of these people were residents of the Big Bend region and some of us were visitors, mostly from Austin, who are now longing to go back.

At first, I didn’t completely understand the love that Big Bend residents had for their land and for their way of life. I didn’t understand why they felt so sad when they left and were always so anxious to return. I didn’t understand how they could go days without a shower, how they dealt with the never-ending dust on all clothes and belongings, how they could survive the cold and hot temperatures without central heat and cooling, how they could be so brave to use the outdoor potty (necessarily placed far away from the main shelter for sanitary reasons) in the middle of the night with coyotes and javelinas running wild.

By the end of ten days, I realized that feeling dirty in nature feels much cleaner than feeling dirty in the city, that campfires are entertaining and gorgeous ways to escape the cold, and that sitting in an outdoor potty with a 360-degree view of the desert is a thousand times more appealing now than sitting in an enclosed box of plaster and linoleum. I marveled at how one friend carefully placed a stone on top of an arrowhead we’d dug up to keep the critters from accidentally wounding themselves, how another friend went back into the cinnabar mine by herself to make sure no garbage was left behind, and how everyone in general did what they could to not only preserve the existing nature but also to minimize waste and re-use as much as possible.

We don’t own the earth, much in the way we don’t own the people we love. The only way the earth – and true love – will survive is if we don’t clutter it or restrain it for our own comfort, but rather, let it unfold as it naturally should.

photos by Shand WaltonView from Villa de la Mina

Alexandra and Shand, Villa de la Mina

Volume 1.6

1412 S. Congress Avenue • Austin, Texas 78704Open Weekdays 11am-11pm; Weekends 8am-11pm www.GuerosTacoBar.com

TACO BAr

Good Times at Güero’sFor great tunes and great rita’s!Please join us for live music on our outside Jardin Stage,every Thursday through Sunday.All ouTdoor ShowS Are “weATher PermiTTing”

februAry line-up----------------------------------------------------Thur 2/4 6:30 The bobby fuenTeS Showfri 2/5 6:30 loS flAmeSSat 2/6 6:30 Too blueSun 2/7 3:00 roSie floreS----------------------------------------------------Thur 2/11 6:30 mAry welCh y loS CurAnderoSfri 2/12 6:30 loS flAmeSSat 2/13 6:30 JoSeA hArgroVeSun 2/14 3:00 Tiburon----------------------------------------------------Thur 2/18 6:30 bonneVille CounTy Pine boXfri 2/19 6:30 loS flAmeSSat 2/20 6:30 PonTy bone & The SQueeZeToneSSun 2/21 3:00 will indiAn & The Arrow heAdS----------------------------------------------------Thur 2/25 6:30 Johnny gimblefri 2/26 6:30 loS flAmeSSat 2/27 6:30 mArio mATTeoli & The PreSerVATionSun 2/28 3:00 ChiCKen STruT