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Par McGovern le 14 May 2015 à 11:52
One French engraver, born in Nantes, is almost better known in the British Isles than he is in France : his name is J.E. Laboureur (1877 - 1943). Although little interested in the army, he was recruited by the Translation and interpretation corps in the French Infantry, and served as an interpreter to the Tommies during WW1; he also documented the daily life on the battlefront (Flanders).
His collection of American types in Saint Nazaire is also extremely interesting :
Before the war-period, Laboureur had been an avant-garde painter:
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Par McGovern le 8 May 2015 à 16:27
DULCE PINZON is a Brooklyn-based Mexican artist’s work :
In the post-9/11 context, this photographer aims to reconsider the notion of what a hero is. Of course the word itself was more and more frequent in conversation, as it was necessary to qualify so many people who’d shown extraordinary courage or determination in the face of danger, sometimes sacrificing their lives trying to save others. But we sometimes forget those who sacrifice immeasurable life and labor in their day to day lives for the good of others ; aren’t they somehow heroes too ?
Immigrant workers in New York exemplify those heroes who have gone unnoticed. “It is common for a Mexican worker in New York to work extraordinary hours in extreme conditions for very low wages which are saved at great cost and sacrifice and sent to families and communities in Mexico who rely on them to survive”, Pinzon says.
The principal objective of her series is to pay homage to these brave men and women that have no supernatural powers but manage to withstand extreme conditions of labor in order to help their families survive.
This project consists of 20 color photographs of Mexican immigrants dressed in the costumes of popular superheroes, but captured in their work environment; each photo is accompanied by a short text including the worker’s name, Mexican hometown, number of years in New York -- and the amount of money they send to Mexico each week. (Source :)
http://www.dulcepinzon.com/en_projects_superhero.htm#
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Par McGovern le 12 January 2015 à 18:55A famous American Hispanic : Carlos Santana
[Devadip] Carlos Santana was born on July 20, 1947 in Mexico. He became world-famous when he performed in Woodstock in 1969.
He grew up in a typical Mexican family (his parents had six children). They settled in Tijuana, where Santana began playing at clubs and bars with various bands on the ‘Tijuana strip’. At the age of eight, he decided to trade the violin for the guitar after listening to blues and rock & roll on the radio. His early influences were John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, T. Bone Walker and others.
In San Francisco where his parents relocated in 1962, he started playing in clubs and developed his own style in the Bay Area, at the time a melting pot of various political, cultural, and artistic trends.
In 1966, his Santana Blues Band makes its debut, playing mixes of salsa, blues, rock and jazz. He started recording world-famous hits (Evil Ways, Abraxas, Oye Como Va, Tito Puente, Black Magic Woman, No One to Depend On, Everybody’s Everything.). The band broke up in the early 70s.
Santana’s mystical approach.
In 1972 Mahavishnu Orchestra guitarist John McLaughlin introduced Santana and his wife to the Indian teacher Sri Chinmoy. Santana, who feels deeply connected to the divine within himself*(1), was renamed Devadip which means "The lamp, light and eye of God.” He particularly wants his music to be universal: “I have the courage to say I transcended* (2) being American or Mexican. I have no allegiance or alliance to any flag or country.”
He and his wife allocate profits to Artists For A New South Africa (ANSA), funding non-profit organizations that combat HIV/AIDS in South-Africa.
They are also the founders of the Milagro Foundation, which makes grants*(3) to organizations around the world that work with underprivileged children *(4) in the areas of health, education and the arts.
How Hispanic is Carlos Santana?
- Paradoxically he has become one of the most famous Hispanic people because of his contributions to the concept of world music: “My mission is to awaken people to a global heart.”, he said in 2006.
- Beside his Mexican origin, and his early training in the musical town of Tijuana, remember that his father was a professional Mariachi violinist. Carlos was five years old when his dad taught him the violin.
- In the mid-70s, he re-embraced his Latin-rock roots (Amigos, Festival, Moonflower, Zebop). Then came Milagro, and Sacred Fire-Live in South America in 1993. His biggest hit ever was Supernatural. (Smooth, a Latin-based pop song, and María, María). In 2000, Santana also won three Latin Grammy Awards with Corazón Espinado and El Farol. Carlos is also featured on Gloria Estefan’s latest single No Llores from the album 90 Millas.
- his sound is a mix of salsa, blues, reggae or rock; the rhythm, and the drums, are typical of Latino music. His titles are very often in Spanish.
Links: Careful with the following site, apparently connected to dianetics*(5): < http://www.hispanic-culture-online.com/carlos-santana-biography.html >
Vocabulary: *1. the divine within himself (le divin en soi); *2. Transcend = Fr. dépasser; *3. Grants : Fr. subventions; * 4. Underprivileged: Fr. défavorisés; *5. Autre nom de la scientology.
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Par McGovern le 12 January 2015 à 09:03
You may not have recognized Spiderman in this photograph, but I doubt it. If such be the case, you wouldn't be totally wrong, as the model for this photo is a real life hero, a Mexican immigrant who risks his life everyday so as to earn enough money to support his family in Mexico. Someone has made an attempt for him to be hailed like a hero, she's the photographer DULCE PINZON in a project she has entitled THE REAL STORY OF THE SUPERHEROES.
This is how she introduces her project in her website :
After September 11, the notion of the “hero” began to rear its head in the public consciousness more and more frequently. The notion served a necessity in a time of national and global crisis to acknowledge those who showed extraordinary courage or determination in the face of danger, sometimes even sacrificing their lives in an attempt to save others. However, in the whirlwind of journalism surrounding these deservedly front-page disasters and emergencies, it is easy to take for granted the heroes who sacrifice immeasurable life and labor in their day to day lives for the good of others, but do so in a somewhat less spectacular setting.
The Mexican immigrant worker in New York is a perfect example of the hero who has gone unnoticed. It is common for a Mexican worker in New York to work extraordinary hours in extreme conditions for very low wages which are saved at great cost and sacrifice and sent to families and communities in Mexico who rely on them to survive.[...]
The principal objective of this series is to pay homage to these brave and determined men and women that somehow manage, without the help of any supernatural power, to withstand extreme conditions of labor in order to help their families and communities survive and prosper.
This project consists of 20 color photographs of Mexican immigrants dressed in the costumes of popular American and Mexican superheroes. Each photo pictures the worker / superhero in their work environment, and is accompanied by a short text including the worker’s name and hometown in Mexico..
http://www.dulcepinzon.com/en_projects_superhero.htm#
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