beach bum at ten thousand islands and then some

Happy New Year to you and yours !    I hope 2009 will make all our dreams come true.

To start the year I disconnected for a few days by taking a canoe-camping trip with some friends to the West Coast of Florida to a place called ten thousand islands. In order to get there we had to drive from Miami to Everglades City on the West Coast of Florida ( 2 hour drive). At Everglades city we loaded up the canoes with gear and provisions and cannoed for four hours to get to our remote destination, Lulu Key, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. It was an excellent trip for all involved and the biggest challenge was the 5 hour paddle back to Everglades City at the end of our trip. 

The crew involved 6 people split 2 per canoe.  One of the challenges in the trip was paddling against the current in the waterways of ten thousand islands.  During the trip we camped out on a white sand beach during two amazing clear and fresh nights in the low 70s which gave birth to several shooting stars.

 This type of trip involves back country or primative camping which means no running water, no electricity and no civilization.  This was a great way to relax, detach and enjoy nature. 

We are looking at ways to travel to another key or island in the coming months and considering taking kayaks instead. Kayaks are much faster and we could likely cut travel time in half.  The canoe roundtrip was aprox. 20 miles.  One of the benefits of the canoe is the amount of storage space available for gear and provisions.  This extra spaced allowed for us to bring coolers with fresh food and drinks. During our days at Lulu Key we had exceptional meals which we prepared by hand and cooked by natural fire.  At night we saw the night sky come to life with bright still and shooting stars and saw the changing reflections of light from the moon onto the black ocean.  At night we burned fires, ate, drank, talked, laughed and danced to the almighty sounds of ToTo La Momposina amongst other classic music and gave thanks for continued blessings in the new year.    

hot music

Felices Fiestas pa' todos! 

A friend reminded me the other day of a very hot classic salsa mix  (right click save as for DL ) I did on vinyl back in early 2005 when I was living in the Frisco Bay.  I copped all the records for this mix ( and about 200 more ) from "La Esquina de La Musica", a garage like room in a rustic and run down part of downtown Medellin Colombia (pictured arriba).  What I came up on this day was what appeared to be a limitless and timeless collection of Latin and Colombian music.  With the help of the owner and Maestro DJ Don Carlos Ruiz I spent about 4 hours diggin' through singles, compilations and LPs of 70s & 80s era classic record labels like Fuentes Records, Fania Records and Top Hits Recordings amongst others.  

When I got back home to the bay from my trip to Medellin it was winter time and raining very hard so going out and socializing at at night was a very low priority.  During this time I spent my energy on two goals: 1. Snowboard as much as possible and 2. Produce a classic mixed compilation of salsa bangers from my last diggin' trip in Medallo.  The good news is that I exceeded my goals! I rode hard all season with fellow de la calle movement comrade AKillaWon and I recorded a brilliant mix which has been distributed globally via BrokenBeatRadio out of philly.  Nuff Respect to Argo for the love.  Enjoy the mix ! 

De La Calle Movement music downloads and more treats coming soon....

Winter in Mia

Its been a hot minute .... 

Happy Holidaze ! 

 

Pictured right is 

"El Rojo" Picot or Sound System, "La Cobra de Barranquilla" DJs Cesar Romero y Julio Pereira.  

Miami is a lovely place to live particularly in the winter time.  It's really the only time of the year when you can bust out that nice sweater or jacket that has otherwise been hanging in your closet for 10 months out of the year. Putting on an extra layer in Mia makes me feel as if I've spiced things up a little, if you will.    Many thanks as always to MylesTec for locking in timelessness. 

While I'm on the subject of spicing things up do note that Miami + December = Art Basel and a series of other art related festivals. In general Mia is poppin' off in a very major way this time of the year.  The 305 receives visitors from all over the world during this week and parties go off in clubs, warehouses, homes and outdoor private and public spaces.  I had an excellent time this year. The art and music was excellent at all the spots I hit. If you haven't been to Mia during this time of the year I highly recommend it.  

On the subject of Art and Music, of note this week is heavy hitter AfriColombia and their coverage on the Picot or Colombian Sound Systems found in the Cartagena - Barranquilla Region.  I've heard and seen some of these Sound Systems and it's an amazing experience. Nuff respect to AfriColombia for the education and excellent information. Also check AfricaAmbiance for more. 

 

dAiLy OpeRaTiOn

A big internet bear hug goes out to DeLaCalle MoVeMeNT aficionado DJ mYLeSteC who recently met me in the Lab for some electric relaxation.   

bubble man

It was amazing to see this man create large bubbles out of soapy water from his hands. I liked watching this man's expression and focus as he went from blowing in his hands until a large floating bubble came out which he then pushed towards the crowds at Plaza Bolivar. 

Turntablism en Medallo

The first Saturday of each month features the San Alejo Artisan festival in Plaza Bolivar, Medellin Colombia. San Alejo is an excellent place to shop and support local artists. One can come across a variety of handmade items like belts, bracelets, blankets, antiques, jewelry and food.  

When I walk into San Alejo on this sunny and fresh 70ish day I hear the sounds of old tango but being played very very slow and as I look up I run up on my man in the picture who is reppin' soooo hard i started to cry.  For real this cat is equipped with a broken homemade turntable connected to a blow horn which is basically dude's speakers. The turntable is broken so this Don uses his hands and fingers to keep the rhythm.  While he plays the 45 record on the turntable with his right hand he uses his left hand to move the dolls (keep them from falling) that are walk-dancing on this home made board game where I was successful at locating the word "Laser". Check out the video  

7-7-7

From time to time we will need to take short trips back in time to get a better picture of what lies ahead. These photos capture some exceptionally good times had on July 7, 2007 aka 777.... the day a very good friend got married in Panama. The bald headed feller on the left is Don Angel aka An-Jizzle. The Don demonstrated to us growing boys how it goes down in Panama al estilo espanol. From coffee and rum in the early mornings to get ya blood going good until past 2 am on 777 dancing and flexin' fingers and hips to the sound of the music. The second image captures some good friends wildin' the F out to some fire Afro Panamanian Murga Pressure. Panama is an amazing place. I miss it and am looking forward to the Playa Corona Family reunion in the near future. Please visit Dj San Q's site for much better photos about this trip.