by Kimi Eisele Part 1: The Spirit It’s early evening on a Thursday at Tucson’s EXO Bar. Bartender Vadi Erdal slides citrus across rims of cocktail glasses in front of a wall of bottles that catch the sunlight through the window. The bottles are filled with mezcal, a spirit she and a growing number of others revere. “Mezcal is …
Archives for April 2018
Colombian Roots: The Migration and Evolution of Cumbia
by Julius Martinez When my father left Colombia for the United States in the 1960s, he brought only a few possessions. Among them was a collection of well-worn LP records, mostly cumbia and vallenato music, by artists like Alfredo Gutierrez, Lisandro Meza, and others on the seminal Colombian label Discos Fuentes. Soon after arriving in …
Not Just a Basket: A Conversation with Alice Manuel
Alice Manuel is a basketweaver in the Onk Akimel O’odham tradition. A member of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, she learned to weave at age 19. She is the recipient of a 2017 Master-Apprentice Artist Award from the Southwest Folklife Alliance in recognition of her artistry and education. The award supports her in passing on the …
Thinking Like a Folklorist: Gleaning for Understanding
by Barbara Eiswerth Traditionally, to glean is to gather grain or other crops left after a harvest. It is also to gather information or material, little by little. I’m not sure gleaning is officially part of the folklorist’s toolbox, but perhaps it should be. Gleaning has taught me so much about culture and community. Some 25 years ago, I …
Tastebud Memories Film May 6
We are pleased to collaborate with Iskashitaa Refugee Network to present: TASTE BUD MEMORIES, a film by Özlem Ayse Özgür Sunday, May 6, 10:00 am The Loft Cinema 3233 E Speedway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85716 FREE ADMISSION The social act of eating is part of how we become human. If learning to eat is learning to become a human being, perhaps …
Cumbia Summit 4/27 & 5/4
SFA is proud to support El Tambó in presenting the first-ever Cumbia Summit of the Borderlands on April 27 and May 4, with live music, educational panels, and plenty of dancing. Don't miss it! Night 1: April 27 Five cumbia bands from across the US-Mexico borderlands meet in Tucson to play together for the first time! Two stages host discussion, …