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SOLA Magazine

Front and back cover by Natalie Solano

Hotwater

Cornbread

Story and photos By Natalie

Solano

Join me as we take a trip down south…The bass of the music playing from the speakers sent vibrations all around. Lines of bold southern style dressed festival goers with a west coast twist formed around the outside of The Beehive, a highly sought after venue. After you enter it’s a sea of attendees wearing eye-catching cowboy hats, brightly colored and denim fitted outfits fill the venue.

Pop up festivals have taken over Los Angeles, Hotwater Cornbread (HWCB) being one of them happening every month and since June 2023. Curated by Justin Cox, this southern inspired food and music festival allows the community to come together and promote representation and inclusivity.

It has evolved since its inception and has brought the South to South Los Angeles, with over 100 black owned vendors bringing in the culture of food, music and fashion to the city.

If you arrive early like I did you will be welcomed with free delicious hot water cornbread and other mouth watering samples. Along with sippable tastes from some of their alcoholic drink sponsors.

Every one of their events have a marching band drum-line passed through the festival as line dancers take over the dance floor.

This all ages event has a little bit of everything for everyone. A fun zone filled with games consisting of mechanical bull riding, basketball, a gaming center, connect four, corn hole and many other interactive group games.

I made my way to the petting zoo to see the cut-

est array of goats, sheep and chickens. HWCB does the most to bring in the southern atmosphere with horseback riding for its visitors.

Keep your eyes open because you will have some celebrity sightings amongst the crowd from musical artist, athletes, actors and influencers. This makes the even that much more exciting. Actor William Tricoche goes on to say, “Hotwater Cornbread is an unforgettable experience with amazing energy filled with great people and great vibes.”

My favorite stop had to be the “Slap Yo Mama Food Zone” which is filled with vendors provid-

ing a unique culinary experience with a southern inspired twist on familiar favorites.

HWCB offers a “Big Back Pass” which entails your food from six different vendors of your choice. A few of the selections consist of golden and juicy deep fried Catfish, succulent oxtail macaroni and cheese, lobster tails, not your regular bbq but loaded and smoked turkey legs and even a french toast chicken sandwich.

There is definitely something for everyone, shopping consists of unique fashion from cultural fashion to streetwear. From young black creators you will find brands like up-cycled fashion by PoetRo-

niGirl Brand, Roxsteady, graphic tees and athletic jerseys from El Capitan and one of a kind pieces made by Pretty Girls Love Art.

An abundance of accessories like classy and unique eyewear by Ninety four frames, stones and crystal bracelets, necklaces and rings by faith in crystals. by waist beads

Unique, sustainable candles from lush hills compa- ny, owned by Joni- ma Jones. Jones started as a festival goer and within a year grew to work- ing with the festival. She builds her scents off of what customers like and customizing them for events and collaborations with other vendors. Jones gives advice to those growing

a business as a young black entrepreneur, “ Dive deep in what you’re interested in. Nothing will be 100% perfect, but you need to bet on yourself”.

In a separate area from the shopping, food and games is the

“Hotwater Cornbread is an unforgettable experience with amazing energy filled with great people and great vibes.”

-William Tichoche

party area where it is an exclusively 21+ where dancing is going on all day long, full of energy from the moment you walk into the area. Movement all around where there is a stage with rotating DJ sets. HWCB host DJs that are local as well as some

visiting from the South. I was surprised to find that HWCB has a surprise performance from a special guest. Along with ways to elevate the experience, the area has hookah, bottle service and bars with specialty drinks available for purchase.

Offering a unique festival experience it the Taste Buds section where purchasing cannabis in the event is unlike any others with vendors from local dispensaries Cadre and Green Label

RX. HWCB offers a series of carefully paired cannabis tasting for those who purchase their VIP ticket and are 21+.

For those who are a little more competitive, card game tournaments like poker and spades are hosted for a cash price. But the fun doesn’t stop there, cash prizes for the winner of exciting dance off competitions are held where you’ll find the entirety of the festival goers are sure to show support.

With monthly fun themed events happening there’s many opportunities to enjoy a taste of the South.

Rolling Art Lowrider Culture in Los Angeles

Story By Natalie Solano

It’s Sunday, oldies are playing on the car stereo and the Southern California sun is shining bright. As you approach the boulevard, chrome gleams, candy-colored paint sparkles, and hydraulics hiss as vintage lowriders rise and dip with rhythm of the music. This is not just a car show, it’s a statement.

In Los Angeles, lowriders are more than custom cars. Lowriders are symbols of cultural pride, representation, artistry, and family.

The lowrider culture emerged in the 1940s, primarily within Mexican American communities in East Los Angeles. Veterans returning from the war brought mechanical and technical skills with a new sense of American identity. They expressed their presence in the streets through their vehicles. They have done this with the customization of lowering their cars to create smooth, slow riding cars that became a cruising testaments to personal style and community pride.

The one who is known as the first to do it and the credited innovator is Ron Aguirre. He is a custom car build-

er from Southern California. In the late 1950s, Aguirre installed the first hydraulic lift system on a car. Aguirre customized his own1956 Corvette named X-Sonic. With this well thought out system, adapted from aircraft landing gear, it allowed him to raise and lower the car with a push of a button. Though Aguirre wasn’t Chicano himself, his technological breakthrough laid the foundation for a crucial part of lowrider style: cars that could evade laws banning overly low vehicles, and still cruise “low and slow.”

The phrase “low and slow” became a lifestyle. Early lowrider enthusiast used sandbags or cut springs to bring their cars closer to the ground. But by the late 1950s, California had outlawed cars with any part lower than the rims. This made way for more to start experimenting with hydraulic systems, repurposing

Photo courtesy of Angel Ramirez @Lostangel

airplane parts to make cars that could raise and lower at the flick of a switch.

Through the ‘70s and ‘80s, lowriders became a fixture in Chicano neighborhoods from Boyle Heights to South Central and symbols of cultural representation. Car clubs emerged and the groups elevated the form to new levels, combining candy paint jobs with intricate upholstery, murals, and gold-plated details.

Digital tools are being used for planning builds, Instagram accounts are now places to stop and look as rolling portfolios. Women are now transcending as car club leaders, customizing cars, and challenging gender norms. “Lowriding isn’t just to show off your cars anymore, it has become a way to bring family and friends together” says Alyssa Salas, “Its a way to turn off the screens and reconnect with those around you”. Salas goes on to say, “Its a Sunday tradition to cruise with the family on the boulevard”. Referring to Whittier Boulevard which leads all through Los Angeles.

California assembly members Sabrina Cervantes and Luz Rivas were able to establish the first California State Lowrider Day. They were able to do this through Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 218, introduced on June 17, 2024. This day is a way to celebrate the history and culture of lowriding and cruising in California. The day is meant to encourage local officials and law enforcement to collaborate with car clubs to conduct safe cruising events.

California Lowrider Day is declared the first Sunday of summer to be observed as California Lowrider Day, this year it takes place on Sunday, June 22, 2025.

“Its a Sunday tradition to cruise with the family on the boulevard”.

-Alyssa Salas

Photo courtesy of Angel Ramirez @Lostangel

Photo by Natalie Solano

Heru Grillz

By Natalie Solano

There has always been glamorization of grillz in the hiphop culture. Bring a teenager in the early 2000s it what all the top musical artist were wearing. I had always thought it was out of reach for a girl like me. But times have changed and today obtaining a grill is easier than it has been in the past.

Jewelers have been able to work with different mediums to make purchasing a grill more affordable. Substituting diamonds for moissanite or crystals, or gemstones for colored enamel. Some have even implemented their logos and words into their grillz making themselves a walking advertisement.

Grillz have been around for centuries and have had a major resurgence as statement pieces in todays fashion culture. Some of the earliest forms of grillz start back in ancient Egypt where gold wire was used to wrap teeth together, They also did this to show their prestige amongst each other. Gold wasn’t the only kind of jewelry to adorn teeth as the ancient Mayans used stones and jewels to decorate their smiles. Which led to where we have evolved today, with many types of metals forming words, shapes, encapsulating rising, stones, jewels and diamonds.

Wanting to obtain a set of grillz for myself I had attended a festival where there was a booth with a jeweler taking dental molds and impressions of customers to create custom grillz. Excited to finally have one of my own, I went over to have my own mould taken. It was at the festival I where met kemetic jeweler Heru Pher Em Ra born Perry Coleman IV. He shared with me how he got into making grillz and a bit of the process.

Heru Pher Em Ra has taken over the Los Angeles grillz jewelry market. Grillz have been more so of a hip hop fash-

ion statement but they have evolved since and have made their way into mainstream fashion.

Heru Pher Em Ra has idolized many artist and the concept of making grillz since he was just a teenager. He had started out in middle school selling jewelry and accessories at a booth in his hometown mall in St Louis, Missouri. It was rappers like Nelly and Pall Wall who were is major influences since the hit song Grillz from Nelly came out in 2005.

In 2005 is when I remember the uproar of grillz taking over the hip hop and

rap scene. Where musical artist wore “blinged out” grillz filled with platinum, gold and diamonds spend upwards of $50,000. They become so popularized grillz made their way into the celebrity scene where athletes, actors, designers and models.

It wasn’t until his early 20’s that he left St. Louis and made his way north to New York where he started to sell jewelry. From then he met spiritual teacher Queen Afua, born Helen Robinson, who helped him develop and guide him through a spiritual awakening and start his journey. It was through Queen Afua that Heru met Master Jeweler Baba

Photo courtesy of @blackontheblock

Heru Semahj, born James Georges. Mr. Semahj is a legendary Jeweler to celebrities, developing cultural and symbolic designs.

Heru Pher Em Ra shares, that Mr. Semahj is the one who gave him his name and the inspiration to emulated and pursue jewelry making. He goes on to say, “I kinda made the decision, like oh, I wanna learn how to make jewelry, and I wanna sell jewelry” he states, “From the very beginning, I was like I’m gonna do grillz.” It was in 2015 when Heru attended a jewelry making school called Studio Jewlers, an accredited college course located in Lower Manhattan.

From 2017 he then moved from New York to Los Angeles where he struggled. In 2019 he became homeless only to then be hit by the uproar of the finical effects of covid where he turned everything around. Using the government issued releif, Heru Pher Em Ra

obtained a commercial space that later turned into a grillz business.

Leaving Los Angeles Heru Pher Em Ra went to take a 5 day grillz university course in Virginia. Heru Pher Em Ra states, “I came back from that class and I took off, I took off like nobody’s business.” He shares that to begin the process he takes an impression of your teeth, which he then created a dental cast. With that cast a he sculpts out a wax mould. He takes time to created the desired shapes and designs wanted for the grill. Heru Pher Em Ra then sends it out to his partner/jeweler to be cast with the materials chosen and the jewels to be set.

It is such a quick and easy process that I see and understand why there has been a major shift when it comes to owning a set of grillz. With all the ways one can customize them, it’s no wonder why grillz have become a major trend. They are seen on celebrities like Kanye West, Dua Lipa, Beyonce, Billie Eilish, Drake and olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles.

Being able to connected with this culture that I’ve grown up in with this special piece of jewelry has become a fun milestone for me. To be able to see what goes into making a piece of jewelry like a grill and the connection that Heru Pher Em Ra has with creating them.

Heru Pher Em Ra is continuing to book events for his pop up locations at different farmers markets and festivals. Some of the more popular ones are, Hotwater Cornbread, LA convention center, Black on the Block and Black Market Flee.

You can find more information on his grillz business at www. herugrillz.com as he continues to grow and share his lifestyle and spirituality through his jewelry. He will be developing other jewelry like earrings, pendants and rings.

Photo by Natalie Solano

Photo courtesy of Heru Pher Em Ra

Beneath The Surface

Story By Natalie Solano

Photos by Danny Lomas

Shark! Usually when this is heard near the water people swim and run to shore. Not in this case, when shark is being called out then its time to get into the water.

In the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii an experience that is sure to take your breath away. That is, Hawaii Adventure Diving, shark tours that are held daily. Hawaii Adventure Diving is a cage free shark diving experience. Led by owner Nick Loewenstine, along his team of highly trained and skilled divers. Their main goal is take you on an experience some could only dream of. Immerse yourself into the sea life of North Shore.

Tour groups are set in two hour blocks with groups of four to six people. They start as early as 7a.m. and run throughout the day until 5p.m. Prices are all inclusive of travel and snorkel gear that is provided.

Once you’re pull up to the docking station, you have the option to take on your own water proof cameras or choose to select a photo package.

Lowenstine has a

purpose for the tours, not only to provide a full experience of adventure but to also inform guests of marine conservation. The main topic of discussion is on the common misconception of the dangers and how often sharks attack. Basically what is seen in movies and on television.

Lowenstine goes on to say, “You have a larger chance of being struck by lightning than to be attacked by a shark.” As your tour group is led out into

the open ocean, you are given detailed safety rules, tips and explanation of what is going to happen when out in the water. Once in the water the mystery of the ocean takes over. With observation of the sharks in the natural habitat, along with other visits from other sea life like; fish, octopus, sea turtles and even stingray.

Some of the most common sharks seen in the waters of the North Shore are Galapagos, Grey Reef Sharks, Tiger Sharks,

Black Tip Sharks and Silky Sharks. Some interesting things bout these sharks are they are quite timid and extremely curious. One this is for sure, they are attracted to bright colors like yellow or orange, so maybe avoid wearing those colors when out in your tour.

There is just a way about these beautiful creatures that will bring you to a feeling of peace and serenity when under beneath the surface. All the scaries and stress are just uplifted and at that moment you are able to enjoy whats around you.

One of the resident photographers is Danny Lomas know for his underwater wildlife photography. Lomas started out in the water as a swimmer and surfer that led him into his passion of marine life.

After attending the University of Tampa and obtaining his Bachelors of Science as a Biologist/ Marine scientist he has gone on to become a divemaster and overall waterman.

Taking your experience to a magical level with his skilled

photography. Lomas says, “My first dive was with bull sharks. It was an experience that I will never forget. Even after all these years, the same experience and feeling I try to give every guest that comes on our boat.”

Next time you’re eager to take a dive into something new a dn differsntout on Oahu, Hawaii be sure to check out a new and informative excursion by shark diving.

For more information on pricing and other inquiries visit https:// hawaiiadventurediving.com.

Vibing at SURFscape

Story and photos By Natalie Solano

Attending SURFscape was a great experience, I am happy that my curiosity guided me to an event showcasing all things surf plus more! After leaving class Friday, April 25 I noticed as I cruised down PCH by the pier a bunch of tents and trucks setting up. I took some time to look into via Instagram and come upon SURFscape.

The event took place Saturday and Sunday, April 26 & 27. It looked cool, so after rallying up my family we headed out into the rain, pulled up to the event and just like that the skies were clear. We were able to take a dive into a lot full of surf products, workshops and family fun.

SURFscape is an event led and run by the Surf Industry Members Association (SIMA), it provided an immersive experience of surf and adventure. It gave a display of everything you would need in and out of the water.

Not only presenting products but providing information to keep the environment clean and safe for both sea-life and us. It was fun to be able to connect with veteran surfers, other newbies like me and even overheard there were some pro surfer sightings.

Many of the leading local and know brands were their presenting new products, providing awesome demonstrations and giving out sample and full sized products. Jacks Surfboards was one of the main companies sponsoring the event, as they are local to Huntington Beach.

One of the companies catering toward the youth were Bones Love Milk, though they focus on skate boarding

it was great to see how they promote the importance of milk protein and what it take to have a strong body to keep up with physical activity. This was actually a booth my daughter and niece had the most fun at; playing with balance equipment, making crafts and winning prizes, wile being able to enjoy some ice cold chocolate milk.

I was able to connect with the co-founders of Yüth Magazine, Carson Kropfl and Mikey Walshe, it was cool hearing them both talk about their love of surf, skateboarding and snowboarding.

They shared how they came up with their magazine idea and found out we have some mutual friends in the journalism field. I was able to share my recent experience of shark diving and let to a feature opportunity in their magazine.

We talked about surf spots we’ve been to and places we’ve traveled. I think I spent the most of my time hanging out and talking with them, it stared with surf but led into some other cool topics.

Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum (HBISM), was sharing all the upcoming events the museum was hosting. The representative was sharing how they host a concert series on Sundays throughout summer at the pier. The HBISM was holding a photo contest for a free night stay at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort, for whoever took the best photo throughout the event. I had posted my niece Eriss on a fake wave catching her first barrel, and we won.

Another brand I connected with was Yew!, a new locally made sustainable surf and skate wax and soap brand. It was nice to hear how they put the environment first with both the product and packaging.

It was even better that they sent me away with some free wax for my board. I had finished up the event by watching Vissla Surf shape boards on sight. I have ever only seen video and hadn’t seen the process in person and that was interesting.

Overall, it was a great experience and I can’t wait to stay connected with the surf community and be apart of more events. The next one we want to do as a family is a beach cleanup day.

For more information on the next event hosted by SURFscape visit https://surfscape.com.