Sin Mapa surgió de la necesidad del dúo puertorriqueño por escribir nuevas canciones de contenido social, capturando también el momento en el que Calle 13 da un salto del anonimato hasta convertirse en menos de un año en un grupo conocido, hecho que dio nombre a uno de sus temas, La Fucking Moda.

El documental de Calle 13, Sin Mapa, que muestra un viaje del grupo, que empezó hace tres años en Nicaragua y continuó por otros países latinoamericanos como Perú, Venezuela y Colombia.

Documental completo aquí:

RELACIONADOS:

Documental “Esclavos Invisibles” de Calle 13 [COMPLETO]

Impunidad: ¿Qué clase de guerra hay en Colombia?

Los Invisibles [documental completo] dirigido por Gael García Bernal y Marc Silver

¿Por qué los colombianos somos pobres? Saca tu propia conclusión

Twitter: @CANALCULTUR

As a Latino Americana I found this song to be an awesome interpretation of Latino America. I am impressed on how the Puerto Rican group Calle 13 was able to describe the beautiful things Latino America has to offer, as well as the negative issues that happened and are happening at this very moment. When I saw the video for the first time I was amazed how they described the richness of our land, yet at the same time display the poverty level that South and Central America face. How did they do this?… well they actually went to South America to discover the wonders around latino America. they called this journey: Calle 13 sin mapa calle 13 without map.

In my opinion the journey that they did in Latin America was very powerful because they experience things that I’ve experience, such as the growth of coca, the altitude in Peru and Bolivia, the poverty level, having to work at an early age, traditional believes, specially the value of the earth La Pachamama mother earth.

calle 13- Latinoamerica Translated: by lyricstranslate

 Soy, soy lo que dejaron, Soy las sobras de lo que te robaron,
Un pueblo escondido en la cima, Mi piel es de cuero por eso aguata cualquier clima,
Soy una fábrica de humo, Mano de obra campesina para tu consumo,
En el medio del verano, El amor en los tiempos del cólera,
Mi hermano!

I am, I am what they left behind, I am the leftovers of what they stole,
A town hidden on the peak,
My skin is made of leather that’s why it stands any climate,
I am a factory of smoke,
Country hand labor for your consumerism,
A cold front in the middle of the summer,
“Love in The Times of Cholera” my brother!

Being introduce in Quechua by a humble radio broadcaster calle 13 showed respect to the andean community.  The first part of the song describes what Latino America is.  it describes the abuse people had to face since the European colonization during the early modern period. However, it also describes how the mistreatment of interest groups has led to the development of thicker skin. It also describes the love that is in each community during times of cholera which is similar to discomfort, and anger.

Trabajo bruto pero con orgullo, Aquí se comparte lo mío es tuyo,
Este pueblo no se ahoga con marullos, Y si se derrumba yo lo reconstruyo,
Tampoco pestañeo cuando te miro, Para que te recuerdes de mi apellido,
La operación cóndor invadiendo mi nido, Perdono pero nunca olvido, oye!

I work like a brute but with pride,
Here we share,
What’s mine is yours.
This nation does not drown with disorders, and if it falls, I reconstruct it.
Nor do I blink when i look at you,
So you remember my surname.
Operation Condor destroying my nest,
I forgive but I never forget, hey!

Accompanied with singer song writer from Chorrillos, Peru Susana Baca, and Brazilian singer Maria Rita Calle 13 was able to advocated the message of many Latino Americanos which is that our land is not on sale. They also remind people that government corruption has been present since the begging of time, and citizen from the areas affected still remember the events. One example is Operation Condor or Plan Condor was a case of terrorism in South America by the power of dictators. Operation condor was one of the worst massacres in South Americans’ history killing opposition movements that were so- called criminals against the participating government. This is truth because my grandfather lived in that time and still tells me to this day how it is always good to have an education and to not fear the government like he did at that time.

I can’t say Calle 13’s song has impacted all Latinos (a) in the community, however, I can say that it has impacted me by enforcing my love to my country and also to South America. Without anything more to say enjoy the video Latinoamerica by Calle 13

Sin Mapa (2009) es un documental realizado por la agrupación musical Calle 13, en la cual se muestra la importancia y la riqueza de diferentes culturas latinoamericanas y cómo estás han sido olvidadas con los años.

Lo que empezó como un viaje para encontrarse a sí mismo, se convirtió en un documental en el que enseñan la esencia cultural y problemáticas de algunos países de América Latina. Sin Mapa, tardó alrededor dos años en elaborarse y fue filmada en un recorrido a través de comunidades en Nicaragua, Perú, Venezuela y Colombia. Con esta producción, el grupo puertorriqueño de música urbana buscó capturar imágenes sobre la pobreza, la marginación de la clase indígena, la cual aún existe, y la mala educación que pondera en los diferentes países latinoamericanos.

En la filmación también se destaca el tema de cómo las comunidades indígenas fueron desplazadas de sus territorios, convirtiéndose en víctimas del llamado “Hombre Blanco”   que llegó a sus tierras a construir y  a la vez destruir cosechas, árboles y cientos de años de historia. A pesar de las situaciones que han atravesado éstas poblaciones durante años, el documental nos plantea la unidad que existe entre ellas y cómo todos se ayudan mutuamente. “Esta isla es un ejemplo de cómo debería funcionar el mundo, era sencillo un pueblo trabajando junto”, comentó René Pérez, refiriéndose a Nicaragua. “Todos trabajan para todos, querían a la tierra como querían a su madre”, expresó el vocalista de la agrupación. Sería interesante ver a los seres humanos de todos los países que existen en el mundo ayudarse y dejar a un lado el orgullo, pues las fronteras no existían hace muchos años sino que fueron creadas por el hombre.

Es triste ver cómo estas comunidades pobres y de escasos recursos no reciben ninguna ayuda por parte de su gobierno, puesto que estos optan por hacerse de la vista larga. Es entonces cuando me percato de que a veces nos quejamos de que tenemos problemas sin detenernos a pensar que hay otros que están en peores situaciones e incluso han sido dejados en el olvido.

Por otra parte, se presenta el tema de la música, algo de lo que simplemente no carece ninguna cultura por más pobre que sea. A mi entender, la música es una forma de comunicación, de llevar la palabra de esperanza y a través de ésta las personas pueden conectarse unas con otras. La música ha trascendido generaciones y diferentes culturas desde su origen, pero lo más importante es que mantiene su esencia con el pasar de los años.

En fin, para mí el mensaje que nos quiere transmitir el documental es que debemos mantener la cultura viva y ayudarnos los unos a los otros sin importar la raza, la nacionalidad y/o creencias religiosas. Es evidente, que unidos podemos hacer del planeta uno mejor.

Calle 13 is a Puerto Rican rap group that has revolutionized Latin American pop music. After dominating dance floors with their unique brand of reggaeton, their sound has recently become more militant, with biting social commentary mixed in with their trademark R-rated lyricism. Their embrace of the absurd has endeared them to fans worldwide, as has their eclectic production styles which include myriad indigenous influences. In celebration of the release of their 4th studio album, Entren Los Que Quieran, we review Calle 13′s storied music video career, which has been crucial in their musical mash-up of art, media, politics, hip hop, reggaeton and social justice.

Although the band has been largely associated with the Reggaeton explosion of 2006, Calle 13 differentiated themselves from regular reggaetoneros from the outset. Instead of the regular cars, girls, money themes, their first released recording expressed an anti-imperialist sentiment of rage and frustration towards the United States. Their first album was in the middle of production when the duo heard about the alleged assassination of Filiberto Ojeda Ríos, leader of the Puerto Rican revolutionary group known as Los Macheteros, who was killed while being arrested by the F.B.I. Residente, the band’s lyricist, quickly crafted Querido F.B.I., which was distributed for free through an innovative viral marketing effort. The video represents the group’s grounded visual style, incorporating a montage of real people and real shocking events taking place in their home country.

Calle 13′s most well-known single, Atrevete-te-te became a worldwide hit in 2006 and would dominate latin radio for years to come. Much of the track is influenced by Colombian music, as evidenced by the cumbia drum track and prominent clarinet. Overtly sexualized with blonde bimbos in devil skirts, this vid toes the line between stupidly silly and outrageous boner material. Also critical is Residente’s ability to laugh at himself, not always common in the tough guy world of hip hop and reggaeton. But this guy is delivering newspapers, falling over on his bike and goofily mugging for the camera. Not a lot happens other than the girls running around and the guys following. It’s clearly a low-budget affair. But sex sells and the people loved Residente’s clever wit and everyman style. The video won the Latin Grammy for Best Music Video in 2006.

Se Vale To-To is another vid where the guys definitely did not break the bank on budget, but instead crafted something effective through ingenuity, originality and pure personality. Residente raps in front of a blank white screen for most of it, which would be incredibly boring for other performers. However, his outrageous style is compelling enough as he overplays his own lyricism and keeps the audience interested with his rubbery facial contortions. Also, there are boobs and butts. It’s also cool that during the chorus he shows different types of Boriquas you might see jammin’ out to Calle 13 in P.R., from the b-boys to the stoners to the hippy girls. The colorful figures in front of the all-white background hearkens back to the cover art to their self-titled debut. Check it.

See what I mean?

—

The other half of Calle 13, Visitante, is the group’s musician and house producer. But in 2006 Residente split off from his compatriot (and stepbrother) to do some guest features with other artists. The first was with another Puerto Rican artist, Voltio, who was on the same record label as Calle 13. I’m not sure what Chulin Culin Chunflai means exactly, but the video provides a perfect forum for Residente to enact his typical antics, this time with a controversial fashion statement. Dressed as a priest, he downs shots of Patrón and does the cross while chasing strippers. A ballsy move for any musician, especially one based out of such a devout Catholic country. It would not be the last time these guys would mix it up with the Catholic Church. The rest of the video is pretty forgettable. A kung-fu fight sequence in a Chinese restaurant, not really much to it. This song saw some radio play in Florida, but never caught on elsewhere in the United States, even after a remix featuring the red-hot-at-the-time 3-6 Mafia.

No Hay Igual is the best song from Nelly Furtado’s hit album Loose, that no one took note of in the USA. It features Timbaland on the beat and Residente on the remix, for which they shot a video in La Perla, one of the poorest neighborhoods in Puerto Rico. It was, however, a big hit in Latin America, Europe and Furtado’s home country of Canada. The video depicts a sultry, steamy view of the island, giving Furtado a chance to display her previously reserved sexuality through her music, her dance, her strut. Residente plays her love interest as they flirt with each other en Español. It’s easy to see how the rapper’s goofiness endears him to his fans, and his infectious personality clearly spreads to the locals they recruited for the party scenes.

A triumphant video promoting their second album Residente o Visitante, Tango del Pecado (Tango of Sin) is an unequivocal middle-fingered response to criticisms they received from the Catholic Church. Tango melodies mix with reggaeton percussion, and Residente kicks it up a notch lyrically. We see Residente sneaking around trying to get some before his wedding–a sideshow affair with barbed wire, a midget flower girl, more crazy facial gesturing, some weird pig masks–all illustrations that Calle 13 will embrace the term musica satanica whenever it’s lofted in their direction.

Pa’l Norte is a pretty cool song about immigrant struggles and indigenous inequalities in the Americas. The band consciously spends time with poor people, including indigenous populations in Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, etc., to learn about their plight, their slang, and their music. It a tribute more than exploitation when Visitante adopts native instrumentation and melodies into their tracks. They even made a documentary called Sin Mapa concerning these themes with Residente reflecting on how these travel experiences influence Calle 13′s sound. The official video is pretty cool, but what was really striking was their performance of Pa’l Norte at the 2007 Latin Grammy Awards. Along with Cuban hip hoppers Orishas, the cumbia band Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto and the performers from Stomp, the band entered with hundreds of dancers in traditional dress and members of an indiginous tribe native to Columbia. The tribute was a critical smash success and further elevated the group’s notoriety and reputation for stirring live performances.

No Hay Nadie Como Tú is an unremarkable video for a quite remarkable song. It’s difficult to follow what is going on here, with lots of stock footage and actors portraying divergent themes illustrating the profound and mundane–the remarkable and unremarkable–taking place all over the world. Even the color scheme is dull, all sepia’d out with the Barbara Walters foggy lens doing its thing. Not the highest point in Calle 13′s videography.

In terms of color, it doesn’t get any more vibrant than Electro Movimiento. An exploration of 80s visual themes, these guys don’t miss a beat. From the Afrika Bambaata futura sunglasses to the suggestive fruit consumption to the bright colored lipstick to the fluorescent ninjas, they took it back with this one. Everyone do the paso de robot! Very noteworthy is the lack of CGI, instead opting for what appears to be a tv studio set and some very creative art/set design/costume folks. It’s like Robert Rodriguez says, often times working with a more limited budget requires artists to challenge themselves creatively. Could that be what happened here?

La Perla is a working-class part of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, known for its high rates of poverty, drug trafficking and violence. As a tribute to this traditionally under served seaside community, Calle 13 collaborated with salsa legend Ruben Blades and samba group La Chilinga to honor its unique history and special cultural importance. It’s spectacularly directed and edited, showing at first the trials and triumphs of a child’s life in a slum. The second half features a montage of the real people struggling economically but apparently thriving through their community, united by a love for their patria. It is interesting how they filmed the day sequences during cloudy conditions, eschewing a postcard version of Puerto Rico for something that feels like a more genuine representation of island life. Additionally, we witness a toned-down version of Residente where his themes of social justice take precedence over his usual antics. What a special video this is.

Perhaps the perfect visual juxtaposition of Calle 13′s reverence for absurdity with their anti-governmental politics is illustrated in Vamo’ a Portarnos Mal. It appears that Residente’s inner child is represented by an actual little kid who runs around raising hell wherever he goes. Whatever the specific concept is really doesn’t matter, because it is just fun to see this cute little kid act crazy at a fancy dinner party, kiss unsuspecting ladies and jump around on his parent’s furniture. The spanish version of Fight for Your Right? Perhaps. But the subtext here is a more politically attuned message, alongside challenging behavioral status quo. A segment where the guys take to the streets is especially relevant in the context of controversial student protests currently taking place at the Universidad de Puerto Rico. Where Calle 13 originally made noise for pushing the boundaries of reggaeton, rap and dance music, they are increasingly taking a stand on real-world social problems, infusing their music with themes of upheaval and cynicism towards people in power. However, in the midst of confronting seemingly insurmountable injustices in Latin America, the duo seem to be acutely aware of the need for laughter and dance to unite people in the face of hardship.

El cantante René Pérez, conocido como Residente de Calle 13, aseguró en una entrevista divulgada en su página de la red social Twitter que vendrá a Cuba para participar en el Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Lationamericano de La Habana, que tendrá lugar del 3 al 13 de diciembre.

Entre las presentaciones especiales de la edición 31 del Festival, se encuentra el documental Calle 13 – Sin mapa, del realizador Marc de Beaufort, en el que el dúo formado por René (Residente) y Eduardo Cabra (Visitante) relatan historias de sus visitas a diferentes comunidades latinoamericanas cuando eran dos músicos desconocidos.

Anunció este lunes en una entrevista que recomendó a sus seguidos en Twitter que le gustaría ofrecer un concierto gratuito para el pueblo cubano. Y añadió: “Aunque no se dé el concierto, voy al Festival porque allí van a estar muchos de mis ídolos del cine, como Emir Kusturica y Sean Penn.”

Antes de asistir a la Habana se presentará en concierto junto a Rubén Blades el 7 de diciembre, en Panamá.

En esta entrevista, publicada el diario Primera Hora de Puerto Rico, habla de su incursión en el cine con un pequeño personaje en una película protagonizada por Robin Williams y John Travolta.

En este filme, titulado Old Dog y que se estrena el próximo miércoles, el puertorriqueño interpreta a un artista de tatuajes que reside en Miami y que tiene unos graciosos encuentros con Williams, quien en este filme es un hombre recién divorciado.

En la entrevista, Pérez califica a los dos actores como “gente bien humilde y simpática”, y agradece la oportunidad de haber compartido con ellos momentos “espectaculares”. Aclara que no le interesa la carrera de actor porque no se siente preparado para ello, pero sí quiere hacer música para el cine.

Calle 13 ha sido multi-galardonado, tanto en los premios de MTV donde René (Residente) condujo el espectáculo de premiaciones y lució camisetas con mensajes de explícito contenido político recomendados por sus seguidores en Twitter. También arrasó en los Grammy Latinos, donde obtuvieron los cinco premios para los cuales estaban nominados.

tomado de cubadebate

The Los Angeles Times has just published a review of “Sin Mapa” (Without a Map) a new documentary about Puerto Rican hip hop duo Calle 13, which just this week swept the Latin Grammy Awards, winning all five of the awards for which it had been nominated. Here are some excerpts, with the link to the entire article below.

In the opening minutes of “Sin Mapa,” the new documentary about Calle 13, the camera pans across a small group of curanderos (shamans) from Amantani, a tiny island in the middle of Peru’s Lake Titicaca, who are gathered for a special ceremony. They brandish coca leaves, kantuta (“flowers of the earth”) and a llama fetus adorned in the colors of the Peruvian flag. Their guest of honor is Calle 13′s MC Rene Perez, a.k.a. Residente, come to escape the shallow trappings of overnight success.
The shamans say their prayers to the Three Worlds of the Andes; Perez, 31, invokes the name of his girlfriend, 2001 Miss Universe beauty queen and off-Broadway actress Denise Quinones; and the fires begin to burn into the night. “In that moment, my mind was filled with promise,” Perez’s voice-over intones. “With the energy of the fire and the power of music, I could continue to communicate with the people.”
The scene recalls director Walter Salles’ 2004 film “The Motorcycle Diaries,” about the young Che Guevara’s search for the real soul of Latin America — except this time the protagonist is a wisecracking, tattoo-laden Puerto Rican rapper with a two-person video crew.
“Sin Mapa” (“Without a Map”) takes its name from a Calle 13 paean to Latin American immigrants called “Pa’l Norte” (“To the North”); the song fades constantly in and out during the documentary, which premiered July 29 at the New York International Latino Film Festival and was just released on DVD. Juxtaposing encounters with indigenous people from Peru, Venezuela and Colombia and scenes from the band’s touring life, the film details Perez’s ambivalence about fame and fortune and shows him fulfilling his desire to connect to a Latin America that is almost never seen.

. . .

The film was directed by Colombian national Marc de Beaufort, who in 2004 had traveled around South America with fellow Colombian cinematographer Alexandra Posada on a videotaped expedition to study long-forgotten routes of waterways that connected parts of Peru, Venezuela and Colombia.
“We were originally thinking of doing a kind of reality show thing with me working at a factory job somewhere in South America,” said Perez. “The idea kept changing and Marc knew a lot, so we decided to do this trip. It was a collaboration that flowed very naturally.”
For the complete article go to http://theenvelope.latimes.com/la-et-calle-13-2aug2009,0,1487304.story

Todos alguna vez hemos escuchado a Calle 13  un dúo de música urbana, integrado por:  René Pérez (Residente) y Eduardo Cabra  (Visitante).  Siempre han  reflejado irreverencia en sus letras, mucha originalidad y con temas sociales que muchas veces los ha llevado hasta la censura a causa de sus letras.

Se dieron a conocer en Latinoamerica con su canción Atrevete-te-te llevandolos hacerse dueños de 6 Grammys y  estan nominados nuevamente a los Grammy Latinos 2009 como:

Mejor album de música urbana: “Los de atras vienen conmigo”

Mejor video musical version corta:  “La Perla” junto a Ruben Blades

Album del año: “Los de atras vienen conmigo”

Grabación del año: “No hay nadie como tú” junto a Café Tacuba.

Mejor cancion Alternativa: “No hay nadie como tú” junto a Café Tacuba.

Alejados de los focos de la farandula, estudios de grabación y habitaciones de hoteles para emprender un viaje junto a su hermano Eduardo y visitar varias  comunidades indigenas Latinoamericanas,  muchas de ellas que han sido olvidadas  hasta  de sus propios mandatarios , donde se capta las diferentes realidades que muchas .

Este documetal ha sido exhibido en New York International Latino Film Festival 2009, Casa America de Madrid (España).

Trailer del documental:

Ficha Técnica:

Marc De Beaufort y Alexandra Posada

Dirección y producción: Marc De Beaufort

Fotografía y edición: Alexandra Posada

Narración: René Pérez

Producción ejecutiva: René Pérez / La productora

In Their First Film Documentary, The Socially Outspoken And Critically Praised GRAMMY Winners From Puerto Rico Take Viewers Along On A South American Journey “Without A Map” That Looks To Shed The Trappings of Modern Celebrity In Order To Find The True Indigenous Music, Culture And Spirit of A Continent.

Also Continuing Their Support For The Chart-Topping Album Los de Atrás Vienen Conmigo, Look For CALLE 13 To Perform July 11th At Central Park Summer Stage In New York As Headliners Of The 10th AnniversaryLatin Alternative Music Conference. Following Subsequent European Tour Dates, Residente & Visitante Will Then Return Again For A Premiere Screening Of “Sin Mapa” At The New York International Latino Film Festival On July 29th.