Click on the image to go to the official website

Lineup on Friday: Rudy Palacios, Joel Guzman, Stefani Montiel, Los Dos Gilbertos, David Lee Garza Reunion featuring Agnes Torres & Oscar G

Lineup on Saturday: Los Dudes, Tex Maniacs, Shelly Lares, The Hometown Boys, Augustine Ramirez

Events will be held at the Guadalupe Theater and Rosedale Park.

Click on the poster to go to the Guadalupe Cultural Center website for more information and schedules.

Por: Federico Felix S.

Estuve en el juego de hoy entre los Astros De Houston y Los Nacionales de Washington en Kissimmee, Florida. Como siempre, nosotros los dominicanos fuimos bien destacados. A continuación les dejo algunas imágenes del partido y además un saludo especial que les envía Anderson Hernández  (Uno de los menores del Licey) a todos ustedes.

| View Show | Create Your Own

Headliners Include Ohio Players, Los Lobos, Mavis Staples, Hugh Masekela & Egypt 80, Cherish The Ladies, Plena Libre, Rachid Taha, Marc Broussard, Marcia Ball, Flaco Jimenez, Rootz Underground, The Wailing Souls, Alpha Yaya Diallo, Little Joe Y La Familia, CJ Chenier, BeauSoleil, Keith Frank, Mariachi Los Arrieros, Beoga, Kevin Burke, Julie Fowlis, Step Rideau, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Soul Rebels, J. Paul Jr., Danny O’Flaherty, Jody Nix, Joel Guzman, Terri Hendrix, Jones Family Singers, Little Brian Terry, Chic Gamine, Houston’s Championship Irish Dancers And Much More!

HOUSTON — The 2009 Houston International Festival spotlighting Ireland, is proud to announce the music lineup showcasing a host of top artists from around the globe. The 38th annual Festival returns to downtown Houston April 18-19 and 25-26, 2009, featuring continuous music, dance and cultural performances on 12 stages.

Headlining the Bud Light World Music Stage in Lower Sam Houston Park are funk legends the Ohio Players, April 18; soul/gospel queen Mavis Staples, April 19; South African jazz trumpeter Hugh Masekela, April 25; and Chicano roots-rockers Los Lobos, hosting the festival’s “Celtic/Conjunto” finale, April 26.  International acts include Egypt 80, Puerto Rico’s Plena Libre, Algerian-born Rachid Taha, Jamaica’s Rootz Underground and the Wailing Souls, Guinea’s Alpha YaYa Diallo and Quebec’s Chic Gamine, joined by Louisiana’s homegrown R&B/soul crooner Marc Broussard. Each year, iFest’s World Stage puts the best of world music next to the finest American roots music to demonstrate how music can communicate across cultural and linguistic barriers. This year’s lineup is one of our greatest yet.

Traditional Celtic music and dance will be showcased on Center Stage, built over the Reflection Pool in front of Houston’s City Hall. Headliners include Ireland’s hottest new band, Beoga, from County Down; Boston’s celebrated Irish-American lasses, Cherish the Ladies; and Scotland’s enchanting Gaelic thrush, Julie Fowlis. These incredible artists will be joined each night by an all-star team of Houston’s champion Irish dancers, drawn from the local troupes McTeggart, O’Maoileidigh and Cass. While guests enjoy the fantastic entertainment lineup on Center Stage, unique eats will be close by in the surrounding food court.

After a five-year absence, the Texas Stage returns to the Library Plaza in 2009, thanks to a generous grant from the Houston Endowment. The programming on this stage recreates the 2008 Smithsonian Folklife Festival’s salute to Texas music, with headliners Marcia Ball, April 18; CJ Chenier, April 19; Little Joe y la Familia, April 25; and Los Tres Reyes de Accordiones with Flaco Jimenez, Joel Guzman and Jaime deAnda, April 26. The carefully curated lineup represents the state’s unique country, blues, gospel, Hispanic and Cajun heritage, including El Paso’s fabulous Mariachi Los Arrieros, Big Spring’s legendary Jody Nix and the Texas Cowboys, Bay City’s spirit-raising Jones Family Singers, Austin singer-songwriter Terri Hendrix, San Antonio’s conjunto accordion kings Los Texmaniacs and Houston’s own ageless blues guitar hero, Texas Johnny Brown. The Houston International Festival is proud to bring the Smithsonian’s hugely successful musical tribute in Washington D.C. back to the Lone Star State.

The Louisiana Stage in Tranquility Park will feature the distinctive Gulf Coast musical gumbo audiences. Dance to the world’s best Cajun and zydeco bands, including BeauSoleil, Keith Frank, Step Rideau, J. Paul Jr., Lil Brian Terry, Lil Malcolm, Cedric Watson, Feufollet and the Lost Bayou Ramblers. Step out to New Orleans second-line funk with Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Soul Rebels and the Zulu Connection Mardi Gras Indians. Groove to the Gulf Coast blues of Sherman Robertson, Mike Zito and Ezra Charles. This stage is one of the most popular Festival destinations.

The Irish Pub Stage, located on the front steps of Houston City Hall, will serve up world-class Irish sessions hosted by the great fiddler from County Cork, Kevin Burke, along with authentic Irish pub grub and brew. Joining Kevin and his trio each day will be top regional Irish and Celtic artists such as Danny O’Flaherty, Lonestar Stout, Clandestine and Constant Billy, as well as acoustic Texas artists the Quebe Sisters Band, Les Amis Creole, Charles Thibodeaux and the Gillette Brothers. Each day, a programming segment will be dedicated to Texas artists meeting Irish artists to demonstrate the Celtic connection to regional country, Cajun and Creole traditions.

The Chron.com Houston Stage, on the patio on the backside of City Hall, is a great place for Festival-goers to camp out for a few hours, enjoy the shade and a cold beverage while listening to a variety of music genres.  At this year’s Festival, the stage will present a stylistically diverse mix of the top local and regional bands, including Irish rockers the Blaggards, the Killdares and Needfire; honky-tonker James Hand; gospel shouters the Original Soul Invaders; polka stompers Mark Halata & Texavia; and Zydeco party hounds Big Red & the Playmakers and the Zydeco Dots.

The H-E-B Cultural Stage and the Gaelic Stage, both located in the Living Museum area of Upper Sam Houston Park, represent the cultural heart of this year’s Irish theme. From harps, bagpipes and story-telling bards to Irish step-dance lessons, cooking demonstrations and literary readings, these stages honor the ongoing ancestral connection between Ireland and the Irish in America. Each Festival day will kick-off with a marching bagpipes band parade from the Gaelic Stage to Center Stage.

The Latin Stage, which alternates set times in Library Plaza with the Texas Stage, features a culturally diverse mix of Flamenco, Mariachi, Ballet Folklorico, Conjunto, Salsa, and Spanish Celtic music. African drumming, dancing and Caribbean parades will fill Lower Tranquility Park, where the new African-Caribbean Zone picks up where last year’s festival honoring the theme “Out of Africa” left off.

The Target International Kids Stage in the Target Kids Zone will again present a daily variety of ethnic dance troupes and youth groups showcasing Houston’s abundance of international diversity – from Africa and Asia to Europe and the Americas. Of course, the local Irish dance troupes will be prominently featured each day with their colorful costumes and golden curls. And offering further evidence of Houston’s importance as an international center, the Sister Cities Stage features excellent music and dance programming presented by the local Sister Cities Associations.

The Festival will take place April 18-19 and April 25-26, 2009.  Hours are: Saturdays, Noon to 10 p.m.; Sundays, Noon to 9 p.m.  The Festival will also host a free lunchtime concert on Friday, April 17 following the official ribbon-cutting and opening day ceremonies at 11 a.m. on Center Stage.

Tickets go on sale March 1 online at www.ifest.org.  Beginning April 1, tickets will also be available for purchase at H-E-B stores:

- $7.50, St. Patty’s Special Advance Tickets (Available March 1 – 31, online only)
- $10.00, Early-Bird Admission (Available April 1 – 13, online and H-E-B Stores)
- $15.00 Regular Admission (Available April 14 through end of Festival and at the Gate)
- FREE, Target Kids Free (kids 12 and under are FREE)

All proceeds benefit the Festival arts and education programs.

For more information on the 2009 Houston International Festival, call 713-654-8808 or access the Festival’s official website at www.ifest.org.

Submitted by Dancie Perugini Ware Public Relations

July 2008
1. Dubmatix – Renegade Rocker [Dubmatrix 2008]
2. Hayes Carll – Trouble In Mind [Lost Highway 2008]
3. Various Artists - Reggae Gold 2008 [VP Records 2008]
4. Willie Nelson – One Hell of a Ride [Box Set] [Sony 2008]
5. Joe Ely and Joel Guzman – Live Cactus [Rack’em Records 2008]
6. Alejandro Escovedo – Real Animal [Back Porch Records 2008]
7. DJ Yoda – Fabriclive 39 [Fabric 2008]
8. Ryan Bingham – Mescalito [Lost Highway 2007]
9. Etana – The Strong One [VP Records 2008]
10. Various Artist - Ragga Ragga Ragga! 2008 [Greensleeves 2008]

Dubmatix’s new album Renegade Rockers offers some true gems with classic dancehall don Pinchers and rocksteady veteran Alton Ellis laying down superb tracks with the Canadian dubmaster. Lining up sensational reggae vocalist like Willi Williams, Linval Thompson, and Ranking Joe, Dubmatix has produced dynamite soundscapes to be played loudly in the hot Texas heat.

Hayes Carll’s “She Left for Jesus” from his new album Trouble in Mind is the best country song of the year if not the decade. Witty, humorous, and delightfully sounding Hayes Carll embodies the best of roots music.

VP’s Reggae Gold 2008 compiled some of the hottest reggae coming out of the Caribbean, including Mavado, Beenie Man, Bugle, Richie Spice, and Collie Buddz. Syren Hall’s “Sombody Come Get Me” and Tarrus Riley’s “Ease Off” play like smooth roots reggae. The compilation contains burning dancehall anthems, such as Stephen Marley and Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley’s “The Mission.” YT’s “Champion Sound” kills the competition, dropping bombs and crazy bass.

For a trek across New Mexico and Arizona and onto the old casinos of downtown Las Vegas, the sounds of Joe Ely and Joel Guzman’s new album Live Cactus framed a passing desert landscape. And where eventually the desert plain gave way to mad rapids on the swollen Colorado River rampaging down the truly grand canyons of the American Southwest.

Tony Jackson, March 5, 2008:

And you and I are never going to change each other’s minds about Juan Pierre. You know where I stand, and I know where you stand. But there is one fact that can’t be disputed, and that is this: JUAN PIERRE IS GOING TO BE THE DODGERS’ EVERYDAY LF IN 2008. You aren’t going to change Joe Torre’s mind, either. The only thing that will change his mind is if he watches Pierre play and draws the same conclusion so many of you have, and I don’t think that is going to happen because, well, as you know, I think Pierre is going to be a key piece of this lineup, and I think Joe Torre is going to love what he brings to this lineup. There are things about his game I don’t like. I wish he would get better at bunting his way on, or else stop trying it so often. I also wish he would draw more walks, but I don’t believe that is so much a shortcoming on his part as it is the way he is pitched to. But I still believe the Dodgers are better with him in the lineup.

Tony Jackson, March 15, 2008:

I’ll save admitting I was wrong for sometime during the regular season. This is, after all, SPRING TRAINING. But yes, for now, Andre Ethier, having just gone 3 for 4 with an opposite-field HR and four RBI, is hitting .300 to Juan Pierre’s .186 (he went 0 for 4, one ball hit out of the infield). Kemp is hitting .308 after going 1 for 5 as the DH in the People’s Republic.

and March 15 in the Daily News:

There also is another theory, one that has been advanced all winter by blog posters and fantasy-league players, one that might be starting to gain traction with the people who will actually make the decision.

This one has Ethier in left field and Kemp in right. On an everyday basis.

All the time.

Hey, blog posters! I love those guys. Anyway, that was quick. Took all of ten days of watching what happens on the field rather than looking at the paychecks to perhaps bring another believer into the fold.

For the record, I don’t enjoy being so anti-Pierre. He’s a Dodger, and I would love to see him succeed and help the team - not to mention we all know he’s a good teammate, hard worker, etc. etc. But it’s becoming pretty hard to turn a blind eye to the obvious – he’s the 4th best outfielder on this team. Just look at the spring numbers thus far from him, Andre Ethier, and Matt Kemp:

(avg/obp/slg  hr/rbi)
Pierre: .186/.271/.209  0/0
Kemp: .310/.318/.595  2/12
Ethier: .300/.429/.600  4/10

These three have the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th most at-bats of the spring, respectively, for the Blue, so they’ve all gotten pretty much the exact same chance to shine. You can say spring numbers don’t matter, but there’s a pretty glaring difference there that two of these guys have come to play and one has been pretty underwhelming, especially when you consider that there’s a new manager in town who’s getting his first shot to see these guys play. Besides, I could put out regular season numbers for the last two seasons as well, and it’s not like it’d be much of a difference. And, we haven’t even considered which one of the three has by far the worst throwing arm!

At this point, there’s really no defensible reason why Pierre should be taking at-bats away from Kemp and Ethier. Well, except this point by Jackson, which would make the irony scale meltdown, if true:

Of the three, Pierre would appear to be the least likely to contribute as a reserve. He has no power, and his speed adds a dimension at the top of the order – albeit one that is only effective if he can get on base a lot.

Meanwhile, both Ethier and Kemp would be legitimate power threats off the bench if Torre needed a pinch hitter in a key situation.

Imagine that – a lesser player winning a starting job because not only is he the least valuable of the three in the starting lineup, he’s the least valuable off the bench, too. Amazing.

On another note, Tampa fansite Rays Index, responding to my recent post looking for available third basemen, asks:

Would the Dodgers want Joel Guzman back? They are suddenly short on third baseman and if Guzman does not make the 25-man roster, he must be traded or released as he is out of options. [Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness]

To which I say: no, thanks. He’s still only 23, so I’d certainly take him back and let him go back to Vegas and see if he can’t sort himself out, but without options that’s not going to happen, and he’s not what we’re looking for at the big league level right now. He’s proven nothing in his short time in the bigs with LA and TB, and he somehow put up a .281 OBP at Triple-A Durham last season. I think the Rays are on the verge of big things, but the fact remains that they still could use all the young talent they can get their hands on, and when Rays bloggers are trying to come up with ways to get rid of him, that’s not really a good sign.

- Mike Scioscia’s tragic illness