The skanner., August 26, 2015, Page 8, Image 8

Arts & Entertainment
Film Review: ‘Mateo’ Chronicles
Career of First White Mariachi Singer
By Kam Williams
For Th e Skanner News
M
atthew
“Mateo”
Stoneman is a pro-
verbial
98-pound
weakling
with
eyeglass-
es and a concave chest. But
don’t let that underwhelm-
ing physique fool you.
The nerdy redhead is also a fel-
on who has done a long stretch
behind bars in California for
robbery and grand larceny.
But while most of his fellow
inmates were pumping iron
in an effort to become buff,
Matthew served his sentence
learning to speak Spanish and
to play the guitar in order to be
able to sing Mariachi, a genre
Los
Angeles
where he eked
out a living be-
tween panhan-
dling on street
corners
and
competing with
seasoned Chi-
cano performers
for gigs at par-
ties and restau-
rants.
But because
Matthew was
Caucasian, he
managed to gain
a little notoriety
as the world’s
fi rst white Ma-
riachi
singer,
which led the L.A.
An uplifting testament to the
notion that it’s still possible for a
sinner to find his true calling and
turn his life around
of music he was introduced to
by Latino cons he met in the
slammer.
And after being paroled, he
struck out on his own around
Times to publish a lengthy pro-
fi le on him.
He would eventually venture
to Cuba to record his own al-
bum over a number of years,
RACC Taking Applications
for Artist-in-Residence
‘Mateo’
enlisting the assistance of some
surviving members of the leg-
endary Buena Vista Social
Club as sidemen.
On the island, he also met
the girlfriend who would bear
a child, albeit of questionable
paternity.
All of the above is a far cry
from what one might expect in
a biopic about a gringo born
and raised in a tiny town in ru-
ral New Hampshire.
For that reason, Matthew
Stoneman makes for a fascinat-
ing subject in Mateo, a delight-
ful documentary directed by
Aaron I. Naar (I’ll Sleep When
I’m Dead).
An uplifting testament to the
notion that it’s still possible for
a sinner to fi nd his true calling
and turn his life around after
fi rst paying his debt to society.
Very Good
In English and Spanish with
subtitles
Running time: 88 minutes
Distributor: XLrator Media
The Regional Arts & Culture Council
(RACC) in Portland, Oregon, invites artists
living in the Portland metropolitan area and
producing work in visual, performing, liter-
ary and/or media arts to submit qualifi cations
for an artist-in-residence project at the City
of Portland Archives and Records Center
(PARC).
This project is part of RACC’s public art
residency program, Intersections.
This is the second in a series of residencies
for PARC and the selected artist/team will be
asked to explore records related to 82nd Av-
enue. For many years 82nd Avenue served as
the eastern-most boundary for Portland, with
portions annexed early in the 1900s and other
areas annexed as late 1990. For some areas
that are now part of the city, historic records
do not exist in the city archive. The city has
grown and expanded far beyond this area,
and yet 82nd is still perceived by many as
the boundary to east Portland. The artist/team
will create work in any media that engages
and/or is a result of working with the collec-
tions and staff at PARC.
The project budget is $15,000. The applica-
tion deadline is Sept. 28, 2015. To download
the RFQ, click here. Pre-application tours of
the PARC are encouraged and will occur on
September 8 & 11; space is limited and reser-
vations are needed. Send reservation request
to intersections@racc.org with subject line
“Visit Archives”.
Intersections residencies explore the “art
of work” and the “work of art.” The program
encourages artists in all disciplines to explore
new working methods and develop socially
engaging, interactive art experiences in com-
munity settings.
We honor the many
accomplishments of African
Americans.
It is our primary goal as a
labor union to better the
lives of all people working
in the building trades
through advocacy, civil
demonstration, and the
long-held belief that work-
ers deserve a "family wage" - fair pay for an honest day's work.
A family wage, and the benefits that go with it, not only strength-
ens families, but also allows our communities to become
stronger, more cohesive, and more responsive to their citizens'
needs.
Our family wage agenda reflects our commitment to people work-
ing in the building trades, and to workers everywhere. In this
small way, we are doing our part to help people achieve the
American Dream. This dream that workers can hold dear regard-
less of race, color, national origin, gender, creed, or religious be-
liefs.
The Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters
Representing more than 5.000 construction workers in Oregon State.
Do you want to know more about becoming a
Union carpenter?
Page 8 August 26, 2015 The Portland and Seattle Skanner