ÿlortlailb (ObseiWr
October 21. 2009
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Obama’s Honor Latin Music
C elebrating
culture,
traditions of
H ispanics
(AP) -- The White House be­
cam e "La Casa Blanca" last
week, celebrating Hispanic mu­
sical heritage with a South Lawn
con cert and such guests as
Gloria Estefan, George Lopez,
the B ach ata m usic group
Aventura, Jose Feliciano and
more.
P resid en t B arack O bam a
said Latin music, while hard
to define because it comes in
so many forms — from salsa
to merengue and Bachata to
reggaeton — speaks to ev ­
eryone in a language they can
all understand.
"It moves us, and it tends to
make us move a little bit our­
selves," Obama said in brief re­
m arks before the infectious
rhythms began pulsating on the
White House grounds. "In the
end, what makes Latin music
great is the same thing that's
always made America great. The
unique ability to celebrate our
differences while creating some­
thing new."
"In Performance at the White
House: Fiesta Latina" is the
third in a music series launched
by first lady Michelle Obama to
celebrate various genres o f
music. Jazz and country music
A large, white tent erected on
the lawn was the setting for the
musical performances. A see-
through panel behind the stage
afforded the nearly 400 guests,
who sat at cocktail tables, views
of the White House South Por­
tico bathed in light.
H osts Jim m y Sm its, Eva
L ongoria Parker and Lopez
jo k ed that O bam a is really
Latino.
"He just doesn't know it,"
she said.
Added Lopez, as the audi­
ence laughed: "Lives in a house
that's not h is.... Says he's gonna
change and nobody believes
him. Very Latino."
Obama proved what he said
about the power of Latin mu­
sic. He wiggled his hips and
took a few turns on the dance
floor with singer Thalia after
she said: "Mr. President. With
all due respect, will you dance
with me?" He complied as she
approached the table where
he sat with Mrs. Obama and
daughters Sasha and Malia.
Mrs. Obama moved in her
seat, snapping her fingers to
the music.
By the end of the concert, the
Gloria Estefan celebrates Hispanic musical heritage during
First Family was on its feet,
an Oct. 13 performance on the South Lawn o f the White
clapping to the beat. The fam­
House. (AP Photo)
ily then went on stage to thank
events, with workshop for mu­ cated to celebrating the culture the performers. Mrs. Obama
sic students, have been held. and traditions of Hispanics, the and M alia held hands and
Classical music is on tap for nation's largest minority group danced, while the Obama did
at 15 percent of the U.S. popu­ the same with Sasha. Malia,
Nov. 4.
The m usical extravaganza lation, according to Census then Sasha, also paired off with
came during the month dedi­ Bureau figures.
Sheila E. on the drums.
Leaders Summit Fights Hunger
The Clark County League of
United Latin American Citizens
and Tyson Foods were recently
joined together to help ease the
burden of hunger.
In celebration of the league’s
Latino Leaders Summit, Tyson
Foods donated 15 tons of pro­
tein to the Oregon Food Bank
serving Oregon and southwest
Washington.
“Donations o f poultry and
other high protein foods are
especially valuable as they al­
low us to provide our partner
agencies with more healthy.
nutritious options,” said Rachel
Bristol, chief executive officer
of the Oregon Food Bank. “This
significant donation will help
local agencies feed our many
hungry neighbors in Oregon
and Clark County during these
difficult economic times.”
Tyson Foods and the LULAC
declared the donation as part of
their 1 million pound, three-year
commitment to fight hunger.
Oregon Food Bank is the hub
of a statewide network of 20 re­
gional food banks and 915 hun­
ger-relief agencies.
photo by
K enneth A aron
Miguel (Ozvaldo Gonzalez) is reunited with his deceased
wife Dorotea la Difunta (Nicole Virginia Accuardi) in
Miracle Theatre Group’s bilingual Day o f the Dead cel­
ebration, “Cantaynollores"(SingandDon'tCry). Shows
are scheduled Oct. 30 through Nov. 15.
Celebrating
Day of the Dead
Every fall, the dead are commemorated in a lively show of
dance, music and theatre in Portland's longest-running Day
of the Dead celebration.
This year, los muertos return singing old-time tunes that
harken back to another era when times were tough and tra­
dition was one of the few things folks could call their own.
In the middle of the Great Depression, at a camp near
where workers are constructing Oregon’s Timberline Lodge,
five strangers arrive from different parts of the country in
search of work and a place to call home.
Even as they must shed one way of life for another, and
though they have lost everything they hold dear, optimism
lives on. Funny and irreverent, Canta y no llores (Sing and
Don’t Cry) reminds us all that the only thing to fear — in life
or death — is fear itself.
The original, bilingual production runs Oct. 30 through
Nov. 5 at Milagro Theatre, 525 S.E. Stark St.
Admission is $20 to $22 depending on the date; and $16
for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased online
from milagro.org; by calling 503-236-7253 or from the PDX
Ticket Network box office at the Hollywood Theatre.
Assault Weapons Ban Could Return
Addressing border security issues
(AP) — The United States
should reinstate a Clinton-era
ban on assault weapons to pre­
vent such guns from reaching
Mexican drug cartels, former
officials from both countries
said in a new report.
The group, which includes
two form er U.S. ambassadors
to M exico, also said the U.S.
should do m ore to stop the
smuggling of firearms and am­
munition into Mexico by step­
ping up investigations of gun
dealers and more strictly regu­
lating gun shows.
The Binational Task Force
on the United States-M exico
Border listed the assault weap­
ons ban as a step the U.S.
should take im m ediately to
im p ro v e s e c u rity in b o th
countries. The 10-year ban
expired in 2004.
U.S. and Mexican officials
say drug cartels frequently use
assault rifles, which are banned
in Mexico but easily purchased
in the United States.
M exican President Felipe
Calderon launched a nationwide
crack d o w n on drug c artels
when he took office in Decem­
ber 2006. The offensive has
been met with unprecedented
violence, leaving more than
13,800 people dead.
During his run for office,
P re s id e n t B a ra c k O b a m a
promised to push to reinstate
T erry F amily
the ban. He has since said he
would rather enforce existing
law s that make it illegal to
send assault weapons across
the border.
Other recommendations re­
lated to border security in­
cluded restructuring Mexico's
law enforcement operations to
create a counterpart to the U.S.
Border Patrol, increasing U.S.
assistance to Mexico to build
up law enforcement and reduc­
ing demand for drugs in the
U nited States through more
treatment programs.
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