Arte, Cultura y Sociedad International Edition #1

Number 01 | January 2021

INTERNATIONAL EDITION

EDUI TIJERINA

Real news about fake news

ANDREA DÍAZ

Frida Khalo

ZAYREL CALDERON

The Arts Ambassador

BEST OF

Las Vegas 2020

Photo : Erik Nielsen

RAIDING THE ROCK VAULT

02 EDITORIAL

ROBERTO GARZA

Will and Commitment for our Entertainment Industry It’s time for our authorities and cultural institutions to show will, commitment, and solidarity for the industry in order to lessen the effects of the pandemic, that will surely continue for the rest of 2021 Year 2020 wasn’t the year we all expected to have. Everything started in the first months of the year, and 10 months later, we are still dealing with a different “reality” which changed the way we think and behave.

Weeks ago, new restrictions were announced due to the increasing number of daily COVID infections worldwide. New rules and regulations are still being considered and strict measures have been already implemented in some of the hardest-hit regions of the planet.

ARTE, CULTURA Y SOCIEDAD | JANUARY 2021

However, something is very clear; the fact that there is no estimated date for our society to get back to “normal” again. Some months ago, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Scientific Director of the World Health Organization, stated that it will take at least until 2022 for the population to start recovering normality.

that work in this field in our country and abroad?

This industry first prepared for a 3-month shot-down. However, as weeks passed, the “reopening date” moved to September, then December, and now to at least the second semester of 2021. Some specialists say that it could take at least one more year for the industry to reopen in a formal way. Even Las Vegas, the “Entertainment Capital of the World”, is scheduling the start date of most of its shows, conventions, and events, until the last trimester of 2021.

Evidently, the use of technology has been one of the most important tools for event planning during the last 10 months, but certainly, the profitability of the shows hasn’t been the expected and new business models still need to be developed in order to effectively reactivate the industry.

Regarding this situation, we know that within the multiple affected industries, without a doubt, one of the most affected has been the entertainment industry. Not only because it is being considered as a “non-essential” industry, but because it is outside of the priorities of a population that is being affected economically and will continue to have fear of visiting crowded places.

Meanwhile, many of us are still wondering about what is being done by authorities and cultural institutions around the globe in order to support the people that live off the industry and haven’t received incentives.

Nevertheless, what is currently happening to the thousands of people

Now is the time for our authorities and cultural institutions to show

How can you support theater artists, performers, musicians, dancers, directors, promoters, audio and illumination engineers, photographers, and producers?

will, commitment, and solidarity for the industry in order to lessen the effects of the pandemic, that will continue for the rest of 2021. Do you agree?

robgarza@att.net.mx

03 ADVERTISING

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04 CONTENTS

DIRECTORIO Editor in Chief

Roberto Garza

Managing Editor

Miguel Angel Arritola Content Director

Martín Fuentes

Contents

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Design Director

Enrique Riojas International Edition Editor

Liza de la Garza

Best of Las Vegas 2020 Raiding the Rock Vault is a stage musical that tells the story of classic rock from the 1960’s to the 1980’s, and is performed by musicians of some of the greatest rock bands in history. The show was just voted Best of Las Vegas for 7th Year in a Row.

Web Design

Vanessa Sarahí Martínez

Sales & Distribution Director

Juan Francisco Contreras

Administration

Víctor Hurtado

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EDITORIAL COUNCIL

Andrea Díaz

Alfredo ‘El Alacrán’ Jiménez

Beto Puente Gabriela Arenas Idalia Barrera

Ignacio Mendoza Javier López Garay Josué Guillén Leonardo Escobar

ARTE, CULTURA Y SOCIEDAD | JANUARY 2021

René Aldrette Sergio Salinas

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Real news about fake news Media is frequently blamed for everything negative that happens to society, forgetting that the audience plays an important role in the design of the informative and entertainment contents.

The screenwriter Edui Tijerina will explain why it doesn’t matter if it is true or not, as long as it is interesting or scandalous.

06

Víctor Orduña

The content of the magazine is responsibility of their authors and not necessarily represents the editorial line of this publication.

Year 1 | Number 1 | First Edition This edition was published in December 30, 2020.

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The future of live entertainment Sir Harry Cowell, is a producer, publisher, tour manager, and the brain behind Raiding the Rock Vault in Las Vegas and Raiding the Country Vault in Branson, Missouri. On an exclusive interview, he will tell us about what is behind one of Las Vegas’ most successful show and his thoughts about the future of live entertainment.

Frida Kahlo So much is said about Frida Kahlo, that it is hard to know where the character ends and the real person begins. Andrea Díaz will share her vision about one of the most enigmatic female Mexican painters.

I wish…

The hard metal music promoter Rene Aldrette will share his thoughts about why 2020, will be a year difficult to forget in times to come.

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06 OPINION

The story behind the hero ANDREA DÍAZ

Frida Kahlo Her work is a reflection of what she was going through, and a graphic and clear representation of her pain So much is said about her, it’s hard to know where the character ends and the real person begins.

Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo Calderón (19071954) was born in Coyoacan, Mexico, in a family of German and Mexican ancestry. The dichotomy of her origin remained as a constant subject in her work.

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Her life was marked by tragedy: accidents, illness, abortions, tortuous relationships and depression. Throughout the years, her work has been a reflection of what she was going through –her paintings are graphic representations of her pain.

She wasn’t interested in art, as opposed to what one would expect of her with a photographer as a father. No, her involvement in painting comes from spending long periods bedridden for health issues. When she was 18, she had an accident where her bus was hit by a trolley car. The impact shattered her body in a way that she required 32 surgeries and still had severe sequels such as chronic pain for the rest of her life, inability of having children, difficulty to move, and poor

health in general. All these were portrayed in paintings such as La Columna Rota, Henry Ford Hospital, and Retablo.

until her lasts days, she was passionate about her ideologies: arts, communism, her Mexican roots, and Diego.

In her own words, she described her life had two accidents: the trolley car and Diego Rivera. Ever since she met Rivera, her life revolved around him.

Their relationship lasted until her death. They had a busy social life and were actively involved in politics, which permitted them to have close relationships with international public figures, including Andre Breton, Tina Modotti, and last but not least, Lev Trotsky.

Several social causes have taken her figure as a symbol (feminism and physical disability to name some) because of her actions and way of living. But was she intentionally making statements? All this commercialization and conversion of herself into a personae seems more like a romantization of her calvary and her chronic physical and emotional pain, than an appreciation of her contributions and life. Up until her last days, she fought against the world but also against herself.

Kahlo was strongly opinionated and never hesitated to express herself. Most importantly, her status as a well-known artist allowed her to express freely and be heard. Unlike other artists, Kahlo knew the impact her name had and would continue to have throughout time. Up

Andrea Díaz has a Bachelor in Literature,

developing in social causes, gender violence and

language philosophy.

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08 INTERVIEW

By: Roberto Garza

Photos: Erik Nielsen

RAIDING THE ROCK VAULT

ARTE, CULTURA Y SOCIEDAD | JANUARY 2021

BEST OF Las Vegas

2020

09 INTERVIEW

The show was just voted Best of Las Vegas 2020 for a record 7th Year in a Row aiding the Rock Vault is a stage musical that tells the story of classic rock from the 1960’s to the 1970’s, and is performed by musicians of some of the greatest rock bands in history.

The show has been voted “Best of Las Vegas” for 7 years in a row, and has been presented in Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, Tropicana Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel and since 2019, in the Rio Hotel of Las Vegas.

The event presents the greatest hits of classic rock, performed live by legendary rock-stars, which are chosen based on their experience and commitment to the spirit of the show.

On the following interview, Sir Harry Cowell, producer behind Raiding the Rock Vault, will share with us what’s behind one of Las Vegas most successful shows.

How did the Raiding the Rock Vault concept came to be?

The concept was originally developed by Simon Napier-Bell, who was the original manager for Wham!, Japan, Utravox, and Boney M. He had the idea of having a “covers” band playing hits of the 1960’s and 1970’s. His concept was not like the one from the “Bootleg Beatles” or other tributes bands, this was based on “great music played by great players”. It was something that has never been done before.

When Simon came up to me with his idea, I thought he had gotten it all wrong. I was convinced that it would never work, but at the end everything came together as planned. I remember seeing a few shows like the “Australian Pink Floyd”, and not being impressed by the people performing on stage. Also, there was a Genesis concept band in England playing in massive venues called “The Lamb Lies Down”.

Looked into who was in the band and I couldn’t recognize any member. They were playing in big venues, so I thought: If you have a great band playing great music and songs you know, it should work.

Hugh McDonald (Bon Jovi) and Howard Leese (Heart) on stage.

We debuted on 2012 with a show in downtown Los Angeles, which was video recorded to be shown to potential promoters. My original idea was to make a tour out of the show. I remember getting a call from people from the Hilton, saying they wanted to

ARTE, CULTURA Y SOCIEDAD | JANUARY 2021

Foto: Roberto Blázquez

We were planning to do it in America and to include music from that same territory. A number one song in England is not necessarily a hit song in the United States.

10 INTERVIEW Paul Shortino (Quiet Riot), Howard Leese (Heart) and Michael T. Ross (Lita Ford).

Awards

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Raiding the Rock Vault was voted as readers’ choice for “Best Musical” (2014, 2015) and “Best Tribute Show” (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) in “Las Vegas ReviewJournal’s Best of Las Vegas Awards”.

they offered us a deal. I was not really expecting that to happen. They were interested in having a show that could appeal to an audience that could spend money in their hotel and casino.

What are the main highlights of the show that you would like to point out?

The show is composed of stories that are presented on video, so when you are listening to the songs playing live, you are also learning and getting important information about each of them.

It has consistently been ranked the No. 1 performance in Las Vegas on Trip Advisor and was awarded “Best Limited Engagement Show” in Branson, Missouri (2017, 2018).

A good example is the song “Highway to Hell”. Many people don’t know that the name of the song was inspired by an Australian rode and by the arduous nature of touring and constantly living on the road.

Also, many of the artists that perform on the show, were or are original players of the songs. One good example is Howard Leese of Heart, and Hugh McDonald of Bon Jovi.

The Raiding the Rock Vault shows were cancelled for the rest of 2020. When do you think they will be starting again in Las Vegas?

I would say that the shows could start on June or September 2021. There is no touring scheduled until June this year. Besides, there will be no European travel on 2021, as it is complicated and expensive to fly to Vegas from Europe.

September is the best month to start. Moneywise, I will probably be looking to start safely by that month. The best months to have a show in Vegas are March, April and May. In June, it starts to get hot, July is ridiculously warm, and August is also somewhat hot. September and October are also good months.

You have announced a Latin Vault and a Pop Vault. Please tell us more about those shows.

11 INTERVIEW

ROTATING LINEUP OF MUSICIANS

Dan Greenes (Joe Armstrong), Cian Coey (Meat Loaf) and Howard Leese (Heart).

Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake).

I really want to do the Latin Vault. I have already started working on it. There is a massive Latin audience in Vegas, an audience that will travel from many places to see the show. I am very excited about the Latin market, because Latin music is getting stronger. People are coming to Vegas from Mexico, Argentina, Spain, Italy, and many other Spanish-speaking countries, and they want to hear music in their language.

It will be brilliant to run the two shows in the same place, on different days and times.

Are there any plans to take the show to México in the near future?

We are looking to return to Mexico in the future. We have been in Cancun and Acapulco already, and have had a great time in those cities.

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“Raiding the Rock Vault is a stage musical that tells the story of classic rock from the 1960’s to the 1980’s”

Howard Leese [Guitar] (Heart) – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Member Hugh McDonald [Bass] (Bon Jovi) – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Member Rowan Robertson [Lead Guitar] (Dio) Robin McAuley [Lead Vocals] (MSG, Survivor) Paul Shortino [Lead Vocals] (Rough Cutt, Quiet Riot) Cian Coey [Lead Vocals] (Meat Loaf, Dweezil Zappa) Blas Elias [Drums] (Slaughter, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) Michael T. Ross [Keyboards] (Lita Ford, Missing Persons) Phil Soussan [Bass] (Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol, Last in Line Todd Kerns [Lead Vocals] (Slash) John Bisaha [Lead Vocals] (The Babys) Jay Schellen [Drums] (Yes, Asia, Badfinger) Doug Aldrich [Guitar] (Whitesnake, Dio, The Dead Daisies) Tony Franklin [Bass] (The Firm, Whitesnake, Blue Murder) Christian Brady [Lead Guitar] (Hellyeah) Z Maddox [Lead Guitar] (Rock of Ages) Jason Boyleston [Guitar] (Paul Rodgers Band) Megan Rüger [Lead Vocals] (The Voice) Johnny Solinger [Lead Vocals] (Skid Row) Paul Johnson [Lead Vocals] (Rock of Ages) Dan Grennes [Bass] (Billie Joe Armstrong, Melissa Etheridge)

12 OPINIÓN

No AUDIENCE No MEDIA EDUI TIJERINA CHAPA

Real news about fake news

about supposed practices such as incest, infanticide, or cannibalism. We have also the stories about the treasures of El Dorado used to encourage men to join the expeditions to the new continent. The list is endless.

“Fake News” underscores intentionality and falsehood. But “false” is not the same as “faked.” The second involves the deliberately modifying the news.

It doesn’t matter if what it is said is true, as long as it is interesting or uproarious

We are referring to the pseudo-journalism of fictional and widespread stories to influence opinions, attitudes, or positions on social situations and high-level characters in a range of fields.

Media is often blamed for all the bad things going on in society, although it is forgotten that the audience has some responsibility in the design of entertainment and informational content and their use in daily life: “Both the one who kills the cow and the one who stops the paw sins.”

Do you remember when it was published that Barack Obama banned the oath to the flag in the United States schools? Or the notes of the death of Xavier López “Chabelo”, that have been repeatedly published for more than a decade? Not to mention the many miraculous cures against COVID-19. Fake news is always everywhere.

ARTE, CULTURA Y SOCIEDAD | JANUARY 2021

Codependence is clear: Without audience, there is no rating; without rating there are no sales; without sales there is no money; and if there is no revenue, there is no production of contents, which are the key elements to attract audiences.

Violence, stereotypes, behavior building and discrimination, among other topics, have always been in debate and related to these two protagonists. The most recent issue is the phenomenon called “Fake News”.

Although this is a recently coined concept, its essence is ancestral. We can mention the hunting of the early Christians due to the rumors

They have been so much diversified, that categories have been created. We have the ones with totally false content, those of parodies or satire, of altered context, and those of non-existent source. We also have the news manipulated in data or images, and the ones with a misleading and null connection with an inaccurate headline and double (meaning) discourses.

All this news poses a high risk to serious media and journalists, as they can be mistrustful and risk their credibility. Likewise, they are a challenge for audiences that, if they fall into them, they become partners in reinforcing their dissemination and impact.

As recipients, we must learn to identify gruesome, tricky news aimed at confusing and generating chaos. We must pay attention to features such as a shocking, alarming, or outrageous headlines, and the type of photos and their text placements. Alike, we must compare them with additional sources. If news is supposed to be important and it’s only in a single media, it should be considered suspicious.

We must consider the author and his/her previous collaborations to confirm whether it is a real name, a pseudonym with verifiable history or, ultimately, a false one. It is also effortless to check the original publication date, as many social networks, by nature and features, reactivate old notes that are no longer “news” in its rigorous sense.

With all this, we’ll have to think twice before we say, “the media deceive us” or “the media lie to us.” It might rather be a “I let me deceive myself.”

Let us avoid falling ourselves into the spread of this news, attaining the label of “Sons of PostTruth” who do not care if what it is said is true, as long as it is interesting or uproarious.

We must be vigilant. Our interests and reactions depend on the decisions that are made about the content. That’s why, no AUDIENCE, no MEDIA. edui_tijerina@yahoo.com Twitter: @EduiTijerina Instagram: @eduitijerinachapa Edui Tijerina Chapa is a communicator, writer, playwright and screenwriter. Author for numerous theater pieces and scrips for motion pictures like “Cantinflas”, “Juan Diego” and “Jesus of Nazaret”

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ARTE, CULTURA Y SOCIEDAD | JANUARY 2021

14

INTERVIEW

Sir Harry Cowell

ARTE, CULTURA Y SOCIEDAD | JANUARY 2021

Photos: Erik Nielsen / Clarke Shaw

15

SIR HARRY COWELL

The Future

INTERVIEW

By: Roberto Garza

“When I see England closing down, and I see America, including Vegas, opening more shows, I think it is mad”

OF LIVE Entertainment Sir Harry Cowell, is a producer, publisher, tour manager, and the brain behind Raiding the Rock Vault in Las Vegas and Raiding the Country Vault in Branson, Missouri.

Educated in England, he started his career in the music industry in 1979 as a drummer, later becoming drum-tech, tour manager, and general manager; touring with bands such as Genesis, The Police, AC/DC, Blue Oyster Cult, and Ozzy Osbourne.

Sir Harry Cowell, spared an hour of his busy schedule, to give ARTE Cultura y Sociedad, an exclusive interview about what is behind one of Las Vegas’ most successful show.

What shows are you currently producing and what plans do you have for the future?

Raiding the Country Vault features classic country songs in a similar format as the Raiding the Rock Vault show. It was launched in Branson, Missouri in 2016.

Photo: Erik Nielsen

We are also planning to launch a Latin Vault and a Pop Vault in Las Vegas. It will be brilliant to run the two shows in the same place, on different days and times.

How can the show balance the costs of having such great musicians and a great production? What business model is required to keep the show running for so many years?

Money. It is simply about money. I could run this show easier if I used good music players or a normal “covers” band but that

ARTE, CULTURA Y SOCIEDAD | JANUARY 2021

Raiding the Rock Vault, which tells the story of classic rock from the 1960s to the 1980s and is performed by musicians of some of the greatest rock bands in history. The show has won “Best of Las Vegas” for 7 years in a row.

“Playing for 250 people will not work, because you still have to pay artists, production, hotels, trucks and all those expenses.

You need money for all that”

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Photo : Clarke Shaw

INTERVIEW Raiding the Country Vault.

ARTE, CULTURA Y SOCIEDAD | JANUARY 2021

would not make it special. This show gives you the opportunity to see some of the best rock music players or even sometimes, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Players, very close to your seat.

The business model is a balancing act between the music players that perform on the show and how the sales are going.

I keep the show very solid and always with very good players.

We have performed this show for 7 years now and I know when will it be busy and what the good seasons are. When we moved to the Rio Hotel and Casino, we had a smaller room, so we had to get the ticket price up to get this business model to work. We were selling out the shows before the COVID started.

My biggest expenses are the great musicians that play on the show, but I need to impress the audience about who is going to be playing.

I pay too much attention on having a very solid show every night.

“My biggest expenses are the great musicians that play on the show”

Our good months in Vegas are March, April, May, September, and October. December is a very bad month because of the rodeo week. Something that I have done on low seasons, is to take the show to other venues. For example, last year, I decided to go to England for 4 shows in London.

In order to make the business model work, I try to adjust the band to the musicians I can afford and to what I need to have in the show. Sometimes it goes wrong, sometimes there might be a couple of weeks when I can’t get the people I necessarily want because they are out on tour. My whole thing is to make sure the show does not fall down because of a lack of personnel.

It is not hard to find a great band for the show, because I fortunately have several music players for each instrument now.

I usually know 6 months in advance about the availability of each of the musicians.

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ARTE, CULTURA Y SOCIEDAD | JANUARY 2021

18 INTERVIEW ARTE, CULTURA Y SOCIEDAD | JANUARY 2021

Photo: Erik Nielsen

Hugh McDonald (Bon Jovi) and Howard Leese (Heart).

19 INTERVIEW

How will the current COVID situation change the way we produce LIVE Entertainment?

I think we will eventually have a vaccine next year. Currently all around the world, there are no shows. We are about to go through a mayor lockdown in the UK. Spain is in lockdown as well as many other countries. In Europe, we are closing down again, and in America the president says that he has everything under control, which it’s not true. Unfortunately, many Americans think it’s true. It’s madness.

When I see England closing down, and I see America, including Vegas, opening more shows, I think it is mad. Mexico is not great either, we can’t travel there. Anyway, 2021 we will be in a better place worldwide.

On top of that, you can’t get travel insurance, and the hospitals are very expensive in America whereas they are free for me here in England. People can’t take the risk of getting sick somewhere else.

Regarding the personnel that work for the show: musicians, engineers, and technical staff, what are they doing to subsist economically with all these months without activity?

It is awful. Some of the guys have money. Many of the players are from big bands and they have savings. The younger ones have been paid off from the government, and we have insurances in place. I know, that the band and crew was supported by the government of Nevada; unfortunately, more money hasn’t been approved by the Federal Government yet.

I really do not know how these people are surviving this long period of time. I never thought the show would close for so many months.

Do you think that after the virus the live entertainment industry will have to reinvent itself? Will all this change the industry?

Raiding the Country Vault.

Specialists on the subject say that Vegas will be starting to get to where it was before COVID until another 4 years. It will not happen overnight and it will take time for people to recover from this situation.

The other thing is that Vegas relies on Conventions, but right now there are no conventions, and we are learning to use other technologies to compensate for that. People that go to conventions are the ones that attend the shows too, so the late night entertainment is also very affected.

I am seeing the shows opening in Vegas, and there are no people there. I saw a review from the CEO of some big hotels from the Strip saying “We should be opening this”, “We should be opening that”. That was mad. Two weeks later they ended up closing one of their hotels for several days a week.

Some people do not understand. Americans are in the scenario where it can work. I have been a manager of bands all around the world, so I see things different than how they see them.

People are coming with stupid ideas of “Drive Ins” and that sort of events. Unfortunately, the majority of stars want to get

Sir Harry Cowell.

“There will be no big touring in 2021”

paid and don’t want to play to v people. “Stars” could tell you many things, but all of them want to reach the most people they possibly can. Playing for 250 people will not work, because you still have to pay artists, production, hotels, trucks and all those expenses. You need money for all that.

I know that there will be no big touring in 2021. Managers cannot risk their money. Bands can’t go to specific countries in America or Europe, because they need to visit many more places to make the tour work financially. It will take at least another year for those really big tours to happen again.

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So there will be a long time before Vegas sees people coming back the way it used to. I think eventually the shows will start with a 3 or 4-day week.

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INTERVIEW

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Photos: Courtesy Of Zayrel Calderón

21 INTERVIEW

By: Roberto Garza

ZAYREL CALDERÓN

The Arts Ambassador

M

exican-born Zayrel Calderon is an artist based in the United States since more than 15 years ago. Graduated from the Fine Arts School, she is currently an art promoter and the owner of “La Kaza del Arte” in Houston, Texas.

In the following interview, she will tell us about how it is possible to make a living as a painter, about the importance of balancing arts and social responsibility, as well as about her current business model.

Why did you study painting?

I developed a passion for drawing since a very young age; I used to carry a sketchbook and my pencils everywhere I went, even to family reunions.

I enjoyed making collages as well, but drawing was my forte; drawing enabled me to project all my dreams into something physical, they became attainable.

With art came friendship; my professors in art school soon became some of my closest friends, such as Yolanda Ortiz Medellin, Ubiselio Crespo, Lilia Muller, Gloria Correa, and many others.

How would you describe the essence of what you paint?

The essence of what I paint could be described as my own introspection.

You had to migrate to the United

What brought me to America was the love for a man, it was hard, but there is a saying that if things worth fighting for were easy, anybody would fight for them. It has definitely not been easy, but all the effort has been worth it. Faith, perseverance, and discipline, have become my best friends in this career.

According to your own experience, is it complicated to have a relationship among artists?

I cannot speak for all artists, however in my own experience, being married to another painter was an impossible mission.

Which was the biggest obstacle you ever had to overcome in you artistic career?

My greatest obstacle has been myself; many times I have become paralyzed by my own perfectionism in a struggle to project onto a canvas the images I can see so clearly in my head. After years of being at war with my own dark side of perfectionism, I finally made peace with it. That does not mean it disappeared completely, rather I have learned to not let its opinions paralyze me with fear.

Is it possible to live off of art? What advise could you give to the young artists that would like to make a career in painting?

Absolutely! It is very possible to live off of art. I am a living example, as a single mother of five children who is completely dedicated to her art. My advice is to have a lot of discipline, consistency, and do not fear self-promotion.

Do not shy away from sharing your

Zayrel Calderón.

passion for art and the art you create, with others. You must read anything and everything there is to learn about your topic of interest, knock on doors anywhere, and offer your services.

Always maintain enough humility, as well to recognize that there will always exist more talented or better artists.

You must get close to those that have already attained what the rest of us are trying to reach. Never stop growing, do not stop reading books, magazines, or articles. You should be informed and brimming with ideas and growing knowledge.

You have always made a balance between art and social responsibility. What are you doing to help others through painting?

I would like to clarify that my love for giving is completely genuine, and even something that I can keep working on. It is not necessary to go far to serve, I first began at 21 years old at my first conference using art as an instrument of hope, at the “Cerezo” a social rehabilitation center in Cadereyta, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

From that moment on, I remained alert for any way in which I could share my talents and use them to help others.

ARTE, CULTURA Y SOCIEDAD | JANUARY 2021

Back then, it was said that I would one day, become an architect, but what really motivated me to follow art was the passion for drawing, I had carried within me for years. I wanted to develop my skill and learn every technique there was, in order to express myself wholly.

States for personal reasons. Was it hard to make you way through the arts?

22 INTERVIEW

What countries have you visited and what have you done to create awareness towards the importance of art to society?

I believe there is much work to be done to create more awareness towards the importance of art in our society. My belief has led me to take action in this field. I don’t look for opportunities, rather I create them, and not on my own, I seek help and advice from others too.

My parents have been very important figures in my life, there have been many occasions in which my children could not accompany me on trips and my parents were always willing to help me by coming to Houston to take care of them. We are living in times where there is no excuse to stay connected.

Public relations have been very useful to me.

I look for opportunities and offer my services everywhere I go. It’s amazing to see people in awe of what they are capable of. I love to learn as I teach.

Life has given me the opportunity to bring hope to orphans in Russia, as well as to visit Austria, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Czech Republic, Cuba, Canada, Costa Rica, and more.

Tell us about your business model.

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My business model is based on fifty percent of my sales and offering my services, the other half is based on offering art classes and face painting services at private parties. My business model is based on my clients’ satisfaction. Not only do I sell my own original art, I also offer custom murals, and art on collectibles or furniture pieces. One of the most important factors of my business is marketing, as well as the client’s satisfaction.

Have you thought about supporting Mexican artists to make a name for themselves in the United States?

One of my goals is definitely to become a bridge for all of those who want to branch out past borders, I would love to become an ambassador for art.

What is coming next for Zayrel Calderón?

Continue growing, and not alone, I believe it is time to expand and help other Mexicans as a passport for many.

It is time to hold my Mexican flag up with pride. I want to be an inspiration to any young artists who feel intimidated by our country’s economy. We will see success very soon.

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ARTE, CULTURA Y SOCIEDAD | JANUARY 2021

24 MUSIC

by: Reno Aldrette Instagram: @blackmetalmvffin666 FB: @BlackMetalMvffin

Twitter: @blackmetalmvfin blackmetalmvffin@gmail.com

I wish…

Despite our efforts to do so, 2020 is a year that will be very difficult to forget in times to come

W

e will remember in future years, when we are old and we catch ourselves looking in the mirror, everything we went through and everything we lived. We will remember those who left during this pandemic and those who arrived.

And when our grandchildren ask us about it, as if we had survived a holocaust, we will then tell them how it all started, how we experienced the change, the dangers of contagion, and what we did to stay safe... we will then remember 2020.

I will tell them about our life before COVID, how we could walk down the street without wearing a mask, holding hands and about our large group gatherings without any social distancing that is normal to them now. I will tell them about those great concerts and festivals that I used to attend with my friends, where we all jumped, sang, and hugged each other while our favorite music was playing on stage.

ARTE, CULTURA Y SOCIEDAD | JANUARY 2021

I will show them pictures and videos of those great events and share the music that we listened and enjoyed. I will tell them about how we thought that everything was going to get better and return back to normal, as well as the plans we had for the future that never came to be.

I will then let them know where we went wrong and at the end, apologize for everything we stopped doing, including the poor follow-up measures for protecting ourselves from the exposure to the virus, which mutated quickly and did not give us enough time to react.

I will have to explain how we went to school and work before the virus, and how people now are working from home. I’ll let them know about how we interacted with friends and played together in parks riding our skateboards. Also, about the movie theaters which surely changed in order to survive.

I will struggle to explain how in big cities you could

get stuck in traffic and spend hours sitting in your car to get home after a day of hard work. I will let them know about vacations on the beach or in a country house, of those summer afternoons when we were children when we would go out to play in the rain for hours and return home soaked and full of mud.

And after several hours of telling my grandchildren all about those adventures and experiences, I will have to tell them how much I would like to meet them in person...

To be able to tell them all about this, looking them in the eyes without having their mouths covered by a mask, and not through a computer screen. Being able to see their smile and to hug them while carrying them on my lap. I wish I could apologize a thousand times for the opportunities we took away from them, just because our stupidity of not taking care of ourselves. If I had known that there was a possibility of not getting to meet or hug them, I would have followed the rules.

And at that moment, I came back from my lucid dream ...

I saw those moments pass before my eyes, when I realized that almost a year had gone by since the pandemic began. Despite the fact that there are already vaccines to combat the virus, I acknowledge how foolish and fragile we are and how easily we can screw things up by not contemplating the reach of our actions. Whether it’s selfishness or simple ignorance, we always tend to underestimate the consequences of the decisions we make.

Now more than ever, I want to do things right. I want to be aware of what the future holds for us which will fully depend on us to make things better. I want to go back to normal, to the “original normal” and not to the mess we call “the new normal”. I want to go back to the life we had before, the one I didn’t value because I took for granted. The normality where I could hug and kiss my parents. The normality where friends met in large groups to have fun, the one where we didn’t have to care about social distancing or using a mask and hand sanitizer.

I want to go back to all that, and do it the right way. Respecting today, so that tomorrow I will be able to live as I wish. It is incredible how many people, young and old, that we see on the street, do not follow the rules and even gather to party, without the slightest care for them or for others.

I want to live and grow old healthy so I can hug my grandchildren and take them to concerts with me. I want to teach them to play guitar and show them my classic music records while I sit them on my lap. I want them to have the same opportunities that I had so that they can also have the freedom to walk down the street without fear of getting sick.

I wish it so...

Rene “Reno” Aldrette is an architect, plastic artist, musician and music promoter. Founder of the digital channel Black Metal Mvffin, he also supportss the hard metal music scene.

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ARTE, CULTURA Y SOCIEDAD | JANUARY 2021

26 INNOVATION

By: Lugi Goga ing.luis.gonzalez.g@gmail.com

T

here is no doubt that last year will be remembered as a milestone for what will come next. If we look at it positively, it was the year for the resurgence of human consciousness on a global scale. 2020 brought us many changes in different areas of our lives and gave us the opportunity to meditate our existence in order to focus on where we need to direct our lives and desires.

Having our needs well defined and strongly feeling them in our hearts is very important. This is the point where the magic of certainty begins, with the ability to accept that anything is possible through our feelings and imagination, creating a quantum bridge to manifest what we want. Conviction is what potentializes certainty, giving it a boost, so that the process transforms the high frequency of intent into the visible and palpable energy that we call matter.

ARTE, CULTURA Y SOCIEDAD | JANUARY 2021

When desires take time to reveal, it is because they require more high-frequency energy and the strength of certainty. In other words, they need a more powerful faith to demonstrate the things we really desire and to take doubts out of our mind. This also gives us a full conviction about infinite intelligence and our connection to it.

When a person gets what they wants quickly, it is because their level of energy, certainty, and conviction are aligned in harmony.

The magic of certainty When a person gets what they want quickly, it is because their level of energy, certainty, and conviction are aligned in harmony

This opens up direct channels with total awareness and their automatic manifestation processes. The good news is that everyone can do it and it’s not necessary to go to the Tibet to meditate for years, or to a famous river to bath in its waters. This is as simple as having the courage to remove fears and doubts from our minds. We need to have total certainty of our thinking because your reality is your faith, and your faith is everything.

It is important to realize that any reality that does not intervene with the divine power of God is a false reality, it is an illusion that lacks unconditional love. The magic of the certainty grows in the power of love, when you have it within in your heart, all that magic is activated and abundance appears at every moment. Staying connected with absolute awareness involves updating every minute, discarding everything that is not good, and forgetting those who harmed you.

This past year left us many good and not so good experiences that we will have to assimilate. It is very important to receive the new year with new vibrations and a positive attitude, so that everything comes better, with absolute consciousness, and total certainty and control.

Luis González “Lugi Goga” is a Civil Engineer, specialized in entrepreneurship development, innovation, value added engineering, as well as in process optimization.

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ARTE, CULTURA Y SOCIEDAD | JANUARY 2021

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ARTE, CULTURA Y SOCIEDAD | JANUARY 2021