Here's a review in French from ResMusica.com - Quotidien de la Musique Classique (daily newspaper of classical music) about our recent performance at the St. Denis Basilica in Paris. I've called upon a couple of french-speakers to translate this for me. In the meantime I can say with my limited french skills that it is a great review. A few highlights:

About the "Sanctus":
C’est une œuvre polyphonique remarquablement écrite, comme le reste de sa Misa Azteca dont le Gloria fut choisi en 2006 pour inaugurer le premier Festival de chœur et d’orchestre de Sydney à l’Opéra de Sydney.
Ces jeunes choristes ont su y apporter toute la ferveur, la vie et l’élévation spirituelle qui anime cette très belle pièce.

UPDATE:
Emmanuel Deleage, a Paris native, stepped up to the plate and translated the entire review. Many Thanks!

It was a delicious and charming concert of traditional Latino songs, baroque polyphonies from Mexican Missions, and creations of young Mexican-American composers in the Royal Basilica of St. Denis by the Hispanic Choir of Our Lady of Angels Cathedral. Like the gospel choirs of Harlem churches draw from the “blues” or from slavery, this choir of young girls from Downtown Los Angeles, draws from its Indian and Mexican heritage to speak about their condition today: young and Hispanic in an Anglo-Saxon World.

There is passion and elegance in the singing of these religious and laymen baroque songs of a grand simplicity, full of naiveté, tenderness and love. These young girls, directed with humanity and generosity by Antonio Espinal elevate these soft prayers accompanied by the excellent and virtuoso organist Christoph Bull, Joseph Gonzalez (guitar), Helio Monroy (jarana, requinto jarocho) Alexander Cardenas & Javier Contreras (violins), Bruno Palmiero (guitarron), Eduardo Lubo (cello). However, it was lacking a certain vocal depth, probably due to a maturing of the present voices. The two soloists Dalia Rodriguez and Delia Rios deliver a profound and touching emotion that can’t leave (audiences) indifferent, so much they are connected to this overwhelming and strong “indianity” [Indian heritage] that is at the heart of the Mexican soul.

Also called “Harmonies Girls Choir” this choir of your girls (16 to 19, including one 13 year old) permanent residents of Our Lady of Los Angeles Cathedral is lead by Antonio Espinal. His repertory encompasses a wide range of musical styles: classic, contemporary, religious, gospel, pop, Broadway tunes, European music and especially Latin American music.

Sanctus (in Latin, Spanish and Nahuatl) was created this year at the St. Denis Festival by Joseph Julian Gonzalez, which accompanies the young choir on percussion and guitar, and was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and already performed there. It is a polyphonic piece, remarkably written, just like the rest of Misa Azteca whose Gloria was chosen to inaugurate the first Festival of Choirs and Orchestra in Sydney, at the Sydney Opera House in 2006. This young choir brought all their passion, their lives and the spiritual dimension that lights this very beautiful piece.

Born in Bakersfield, CA this discreet and modest composer studied composition with Elain Barkin, Roger Bourland, and the film music composer David Raskin at UCLA. In fact, he won the most prestigious awards in classical guitar, jazz and also in composition. He studied with John Adams, Osvaldo Golijov and Thomas Newman. He has composed for the Kronos Quartet, the Hispanic Choir of Los Angeles, as well as numerous films: Price of Glory, Curdled, Jackie Brown, documentaries: Cowboy del Amor, Chicano: The History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement and television shows. His grand symphonic piece and choir, Misa Azteca, was performed at Carnegie Hall as well as the American Cathedral in Paris.

Intense and powerful was Laudate, laudate Dominum by Christopher Walker dedicated to the choir and created for the inauguration of Our Lady of Los Angeles Cathedral. The Mexican Song in Nahuatl by Salvador Morena is a musical jewel.

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. A great time was had by all for the performance at the Saint-Denis Basilica in Paris. To remind you what happened, the "Sanctus" and "Gloria" from Misa Azteca was performed (as well as other music) by the Harmonies Girls Choir of Los Angeles directed by Antonio Espinal as part of the Festival de Saint-Denis, in the Saint-Denis region of Paris. This is a very prestigious music festival that last about five weeks and had performances besides us by the likes the Kronos quartet, Dawn Upshaw and the incoming musical director and conductor of the LA Phil, Gustavo Dudamel and Osvaldo Golijov. I was invited to join the Harmonies as guitar and percussion accompanist along with UCLA professor and organist Christoph Bull. Of course I couldn't turn down a week in Paris!

Here are a few shots:



Conductor Antonio Espinal and the girls during the performance in the Basilica.




Virtuoso Organist and UCLA Professor Christoph Bull in front of the Basilica. The Basilica of Saint-Denis (supposedly) houses the remains of all the Kings and Queens of France.




With my guitar and cajon with a couple of Harmonies. The concert was recorded by Radio France which will be broadcast July 25.




Performance at the Quartier Floriel. That's Dalia Rodriguez singing solo and yours truly behind her on guitar. This is another concert we were asked to perform the next day which seemed like a sort of community outreach concert.





It was very well-received and the girls make new friends.

ANGELS IN THE DUST, the documentary about the Bothshabelo orphanage in South Africa won it's second award in it's second film festival.

Seattle International Film Festival
Best Documentary Special Jury Prize

Here are a few reviews:

Seattle Times

Arts & Entertainment

The Stranger

Thompson on Hollywood Indies

Standing ovation for MADE IN LA at the Mann in Westwood




With the crew and people in the film

No not Paris, Las Vegas, not Paris, Hilton but Paris, France. Selections from MISA AZTECA will be performed at the Festival De Saint-Denis in the Saint-Denis Basilica in Paris, France next Monday, June 18, 2007 at 8:30p. The "Sanctus" and "Gloria" will be performed by the Harmonies Girl's choir directed by Antonio Espinal accompanied by UCLA professor Christoph Bull on organ and yours truly on percussion and classical guitar. It will be recorded and broadcast by Radio France.

These are special musical arrangements I have made for this very special and talented little choir. MISA AZTECA is an eight movement piece for symphony orchestra, mixed choir, soloists and percussion ensemble. It is sung in Latin, Spanish and Nahuatle. It has been performed all over the world including Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, Sorbonne University and American Cathedral in Paris and opened the Cervantino Music and Arts Festival in Mexico. Yet, it has never been performed in Los Angeles - hmm, isn't that funny? Any takers? ;=)


Harmonies Girls Choir and director Antonio Espinal
Photo by Mike Ridgewell

A new documentary I scored, MADE IN LA, will have it's world premiere at the Silverdocs documentary film festival in Washington D.C.
It will screen Friday, June 15th at 7:30p and Saturday, June 16th at 12:45p.



MADE IN LA
Directed By: Almudena Carracedo
Producers: Robert Bahar, Almudena Carracedo
Cinematographer: Almudena Carracedo
Editors: Lisa Leeman, Almudena Carracedo
Music: Joseph Julian Gonzalez

This was another wild ride into film scoring madness with lots of late nights with little or no sleep.

I'd like to thank Almudena and Robert for this opportunity score this important documentary.

Once again, the Simple Music Production team pulls through:

Keith Stark, score mixer, recording engineer and all-around music dude; Leticia Sierra, violinist , Pablo Mendez, viola , Elizabeth Wright, cello, Emiliano Herrera, conjunto accordion


Visit my myspace page to hear a preview of the score.

ANGELS IN THE DUST will screen Thursday, June 14th at 7p and Saturday, June 16 at 1:30p at the Seattle Film Festival.

A wealthy Johannesburg family abandons their comfortable existence and spends their life savings to establish an orphanage in a village where 50% of the population is HIV-positive. This powerful documentary celebrates how children who are surrounded by death and tragedy can be instilled with strength and hope for a better tomorrow.



Director Louise Hogarth is scheduled to attend both screenings.

DIRECTOR: Louise Hogarth
Producer: James Egan, Louise Hogarth
Editor: Melinda Briana Epler, May Rigler, Johanna Demetrakos
Screenwriter: Louise Hogarth
Cinematographer: May Rigler
Music: Simphiwe Dana, Joseph Julián González

Participant Website

A new documentary I scored, MADE IN LA, will show at the LA Film Festival Saturday, June 23 at noon at the Mann Festival Theater in Westwood. Admission is free!



In 1946, French poet René Char wrote, “He who joined the Resistance, found himself.” Something similar happens to the garment workers in this documentary when they embark on a three-year odyssey to win basic labor protections from mega-trendy clothing retailer Forever 21. In intimate vérité style, filmmaker Almudena Carracedo chronicles the lives of three Latina sweatshop workers who endure 14-hour days and soul-crushing conditions in L.A.’s Fashion District. The drama lies in the length of their struggle. As their initial euphoria gives way to fear and frustration, Carracedo perseveres with them, revealing the incredible courage it takes to bring about real political change.

Directed By: Almudena Carracedo
Producers: Robert Bahar, Almudena Carracedo
Cinematographer: Almudena Carracedo
Editors: Lisa Leeman, Almudena Carracedo
Music: Joseph Julian Gonzalez

Dan Guerrero's hilarious GAYTINO! will be performed as part of the Latino Laugh Festival in Los Angeles from June 22nd to June 24th. Dan will amaze the audience with this one-(gay)man show Saturday, June 23 at 7:30p.



Written and performed by Dan Guerrero
Directed by Diane Rodriguez

"A lovable wit… infectious lunacy!"
--Los Angeles Times


From Ethel Merman to Mariachi, Stephen Sondheim to Cesar Chávez, actor/producer Dan Guerrero tells all in ¡Gaytino!, his hilarious and touching autobiographical one-man show. Through memories and song, Guerrero traces his relationship with his late father, National Medal of Arts recipient and "father of Chicano music" Lalo Guerrero, to his time as a Broadway agent--he once represented child star Sarah Jessica Parker!--and current life in Los Angeles. Together, his stories form a remarkable journey through the gay experience and Chicano culture and history. Don't miss this compelling performance from an artist hailed by Hispanic Magazine as "one of the 25 most powerful Latinos in Hollywood."

Press Release

Even though COWBOY DEL AMOR was released over two years ago in 2005, it is still winning awards, sort of. Actually, what has happened is a review of COWBOY DEL AMOR won an award given by the Peninsula Press Club to Justin DeFreitas of The Berkely Daily Planet.

He must have really liked the doc since he considered worthy of an Academy Award nomination.

I'm not sure if this qualifies for an actual award for COWBOY DEL AMOR but what the heck. I wonder what Ivan would say.