Sol Tutoring

I had a deliciosa dinner at Los Balcones de Peru last night, so it gets the Sol Tutoring thumbs up! We had the Choritos Reales (spicy, tangy, sweet, citrusy ceviche over mussels) and the Tiradito; we were literally looking for ways to sop up every bit of the juice or sauce left behind. Then, we shared the Lomo Saltado, a Peruvian standard with strips of marinated beef sauteed with tomato, red onion, parsley, and french fries, and it was the best I’ve ever tasted. It was less greasy than the one at Mario’s, and the meat was really tender. If you’re a foodie, Jonathan Gold includes Los Balcones in his 99 Essential Restaurants list and recommends camarones a la piedra, a spicy, sharp shrimp ceviche from the north of Peru. I can’t wait to go back and try some of their other dishes– Latin American cuisine meets Asian influences… what could be better? 1360 Vine Street, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Uli is short for Fernanada Ulibarri, who describes herself on Facebook as a chica who left home (Mexico City) to study Music in Boston. Like her Grammy-winning cousin, Rana Santacruz, she eventually transplanted to NYC to become a professional musician. There she joined forces with Los Gringos “where they earned their ‘street cred’ playing Nacotheque and packed Saturday nights at the Knitting Factory and Crash Mansion (NYC) before packing up and heading to the West Coast.” Upon arriving, Uli accompanied Julieta Venegas and her band and toured with her in Europe and Latin America. We now have the pleasure of hosting her in this City of Angels. Uli resides in Echo Park where she writes, performs music and explores the joys of acting. Listen to some of her tracks on her MySpace or SoundCloud (my favorite is “Sol”) and groove to this cool video recorded in New York, Mexico City, and Los Angeles.

What is INDIE en ESPAÑOL? Bands like Maneja Beto, apparently! I went to a media event where they played a short set yesterday. Before they started, I asked someone what kind of music they played and they answered, “I don’t like that question.” After hearing them and doing my research, that reaction is understandable–they draw on traditional Mexican cumbia, son, and tejano styles as well as indie rock/Brit pop sounds. They’ve been on NPR’s Alt.Latino blog, their music has been featured as a KCRW Top Tune, and they’ve played South by Southwest. Tonight they’ll be at La Cita downtown, so drive over and check out this up and coming indie en español band!

Surrealist film isn’t always the easiest to understand, that’s why you should TAKE ADVANTAGE of Long Beach’s MOLAA CINEMA NIGHT. This week they are offering not only an evening of films by Spanish Surrealist master LUIS BUÑUEL, but an informative presentation by none other than Director of the Luis Buñuel Film Institute. That way, when Buñuel’s “Surrealist melodramas” remind you of your past relationships or dreams, you’ll understand why, PLUS you’ll have bragging rights that you just saw one of THE most important films of Surrealist cinema! 7-9 p.m., Members $5, Non-members $10. RSVP online or call (562) 437-1689

In May he released his debut album Capullo, “a collection of beautifully crafted pop songs”,  and has toured throughout Mexico, as well as in the U.S. and Spain. Someone put the words Tom Waits vocals and driving force in the same sentence in regard to this artist, so check him out. Download “Tu fortuna” for FREE, or take a look at this sexy sounding and looking video, “Dónde va.” Oh yeah, and he sings en español and in English!

En español, peli is short for película, which means movie! And there are lots of those from Spanish speaking countries playing at this year’s Venice Film Festival– 10 pelis total, representing Argentina, Chile, Dominican Republic, Spain, and the good ol’ U.S. of A. with the film “Machete.”  To see the trailers, visit this RemezcLA page or stay put for a second and enjoy a preview of the award-nominated peli “Post Mortem,” a film that revisits Chile’s political turmoil during the 70s.

Props to ReMezcLA for compiling this list and offering us a song from each album! Click here to listen to some great tunes, or rolas, as we like to call them in español. It might change your idea of Latin music…and if you’re interested in these artists, the good news is they regularly come to LA. See Ceci Bastida tonight at Ele Espacio, 248 West 2nd Street.

Tomorrow is the last day of this film festival that “provides a unique platform for independent film, with a particular focus on culturally diverse cinema.”  The 5 films playing from noon to 10 pm are In Therapy, Trópico de sangre (Michelle Rodríguez), Backyard (Jimmy Smitts), Chamaco (Martin Sheen), and Chasing 3000 (Ray Liotta). To read more about the festival click here, or visit the website at http://www.mayaindieseries.com/home

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Sporting a platinum blonde punk look to an afro and everything in between, ELY GUERRA is always stunning and ready to ROCK our mundo! She’s my kind of chica because she’s fabulous AND smart AND can get down with a pink guitar in her hands. Check out her videos and interviews at her website, along with the movie trailer for an upcoming film! For ahora, enjoy “Stranger” from her latest album.