¿Por qué no te callas? – Anonymous Jose Feliciano harasser

It has been a while since we last bestowed our “¿Por qué no te callas?” nomination in recognition of idiotic and out-of-bounds remarks by public figures. Previous honoree (so to speak) Tom Tancredo nearly became a second-time “winner” after his remarks at last week’s Tea Party Convention. However, we’re going to tweak the rules a bit and highlight a moron who decided to pick on Jose Feliciano:

Grammy-winner Jose Feliciano has filed a report with authorities in southwest Florida stating he and a caregiver have received a series of harassing phone calls.

Feliciano, who composed the popular Christmas song "Feliz Navidad," met with a deputy from the Lee County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday. According to an incident report, Feliciano said he had received two calls on his cell phone in which a muffled male voice told the singer he had to "get out"…

No arrest has been made and the investigation is ongoing.

Feliciano made headlines in December after a pair of right-wing humorists skewered Yuletide classic "Feliz Navidad” into an anti-immigration satire. Feliciano consequently condemned the “highly offensive recording” that was done in order to push a “bigoted political agenda.”

Image- CBS News
Online Sources- Miami Herald, Latina, The Latin Americanist, CNN

Juanes, Jaguares, “In the Heights” win Grammys

Image- MSNBC (Photo of Juanes at the 2008 Latin Grammys; Argentine producer Gustavo Santaolalla accepted Juanes’ honor tonight).

The Grammy Awards ceremony may be going on as we publish this post (we "heart" M.I.A.!), yet several awards have already been given out. Though most Latin American musicians have opted to skip the ceremony, awards in the “Latin” category have been doled out:

• Colombian Juanes beat Luis Miguel, Jorge Drexler, and others to win Best Latin Pop Album. In a message published via his publicist, Juanes dedicated his award to “those held hostage in the Colombian jungle.”
• “If Jaguares win, it will be because NARAS owes (lead singer Saúl Hernández) one (and only one),” mentioned one article ahead of today’s awards. Deserved or not, the Mexican rockers won Best Latin Rock Or Alternative Album ahead of worthy finalists like Locos Por Juana and Nortec Collective.
• In other categories, reggaeton duo Wisin y Yandel won Best Latin Urban Album while José Feliciano got top honors in Best Tropical Latin Album. In addition, Nati Cano and Mariachi Divas shared Best Regional Mexican Album honors while Los Tigres del Norte captured Best Norteño Album.
• Last but not least, “In The Heights” can add another honor to the four Tony Awards received in 2008. The musical inspired by the New York City Latino enclave of Washington Heights received Best Musical Show Album ahead of “Gypsy”, “South Pacific”, and others.
  

Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, vive.in, San Antonio Current, Prensa Libre, El Pais, grammy.com, Milenio

Today’s Video: Feliz Navidad!

One of my most heartfelt memories of childhood is gathering with my family on Christmas morning around the dining room table. Our yearly tradition was to get together- my parents, brothers, and me- and eat homemade Colombian-style tamales and drink hot chocolate for breakfast. It was a moving occasion when we got together as a family, enjoyed one anothers company, and forget about our troubles. As we listened to scratched vinyls of Christmas carols and villancicos, we were united and grateful for being together.

This morning the tradition continued in my household. My father may be with us in spirit and the years may have changed our attitudes somewhat. Yet we came together in peace and harmony to break bread and enjoy the Christmas tamales. At the breakfast table I couldn't help but ponder on the cliche - the more things change the more they stay the same. In this case, the feeling of togetherness with loved ones is a quality I wouldn't change for anything in the world.

May you and yours have a very Merry Christmas, and a festive and wonderful holiday season.

See you tomorrow.

De Musica Ligera: Potpourri

With the weekend finally upon us why not enjoy some music? There’s no underlying theme to the following songs except that we hope you like them:

• Bonde Do Role – James Bonde
• Los Argonautas – Tema De Guerra
• Cuchillo - Estricta Libertad
• Gilberto Gil – O Canto da Ema
• Jose Feliciano - California Dreaming
• Sonido Del Principe - El Principe

Have a great weekend!

Image- Brooklyn Vegan (“Favela funk” group Bonde Do Role)

Sources- YouSendIt