THIS WEEK
CONTENTS
MARCH ■ 7 ■ 2008
8-11
8-11
COVER STORY
Theater production shines light on “Zoot Suit,” beyond the fashion
COMMUNITY NOTICIAS
5
VIDA
7
VIDA
12
CALENDAR
13
Pink & Black cancer fundraiser; Boy Scouts to offer non-competitive baseball league
Local author to speak about book inspired by strong family ties, her precious padres
Latin jazz artist Ruben Estrada coming to town for jazz workshop as well as concert
Got weekend plans? Make some with our calendar & Noe G.’s In the Mixx picks
14-17 18
CLASSIFIEDS Buy, sell and hire
PUZZLES
5
12
7
Bilingual crossword tests language skills
EDITORIAL
OLIVIA GARCIA General Manager TERESA ADAMO Managing Editor LAUREN HELPER Asst. Managing Editor
FEATURES LAUREN HELPER AME/Staff Writer LUZ PEÑA Staff Writer MATT MUÑOZ Staff Writer Contributing Writers IRENE CLANCY, NOE GARCIA, MARIA MACHUCA, LEONEL MARTINEZ, DENISE ORNELAS, RAY PRUITT, DEBORAH RAMIREZ, GABRIEL RAMIREZ, NORMA TAKAHASHI
PHOTO
March 7, 2008
GLENN HAMMETT ERIC DUHART ORLANDO GALVAN ROBERT NUÑEZ
Design Editor Graphic Designer Graphic Designer Graphic Designer
ADVERTISING MICHAEL WHITTAKER SHAWNA SMITH ELAINE ESTRADA SYLVIA SANCHEZ
Sales Coach Sales Executive Sales Executive Sales Assistant
OFFICE MARISOL SORTO Office Administrator
Contributing Photographers ORLANDO GALVAN, DANIELA GARCIA, ROGER HORNBACK, TANYA X. LEONZO, GREG MARQUEZ
04
ART
MÁS
Editorial / Advertising 716-8640
Cover photo: Roger Hornback Volume 3, Issue 24 Mas Magazine (USPS 000-000) is a weekly publication of Mercado Nuevo LLC with main offices at 1522 18th Street Bakersfield, CA 93301. Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Rate is pending at Bakersfield, CA 93303. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: Mercado Nuevo Publications PO Box 2344 Bakersfield, CA 93303. MÁS is a new weekly magazine focused on Hispanic people, style, culture and issues in Kern County. MÁS is a publication of Mercado Nuevo, LLC, a subsidiary of The Bakersfield Californian. For questions or for more information about MÁS or other publications of Mercado Nuevo, contact us: Mercado Nuevo LLC P.O. Box 2344 Bakersfield, CA 93303; (661) 716-8640 www.mercadonuevocorp.com or www.masbakersfield.com. The Mas name and logo design are trademarks of Mercado Nuevo and cannot be used without the company’s permission.
V I DA
Jazzing it up
Latin jazz artist Ruben Estrada to perform at Bakersfield Jazz Workshop
The Bakersfield Jazz Workshop: Presents Latin Jazz, featuring The Ruben Estrada Orchestra ■ The Nile Bar & Grill ■ 6 to 9:30 p.m., March 15 ■ Tickets: $15, $100 to $150 — for a table of four ■ Tickets available at: Stockdale Music and World Records
band, Estrada was a professional drummer. Because of child labor laws, performing with his brother got sidelined, but he continued learning music while in school. He learned to play the trumpet while a student at Oxnard Union High School. “Over the years, I’ve kept a good COURTESY PHOTO name for The Estrada Brothers,” said Latin jazz artist Ruben Estrada of the Estrada Brothers will perform in Bakersfield March 15. Estrada, who added they have a unique style of Latin jazz. By Luz Peña The piano was the first instrument Ruben and his brothers MÁS staff were taught. Over the years, he learned to play the congas, bongos and other percussion instruments. He’s most famously known ocal young jazz musicians will get some consejos (tips) for the playing the vibraphone. from Latin jazz artist Ruben Estrada. “I think (the band) style leans toward my inspiration, the Ruben Estrada from The Estrada Brothers will be per- vibraphone, the same instrument that Lionel Hampton played in forming at The Bakersfield Jazz Workshop Presents Latin music and Terry Gibbs played as a jazz artist,” Estrada Latin Jazz on March 15. The end result will be featured said. “I was playing the vibraphone and I liked Cal Tjader’s style. later that night during a concert from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at The Nile When Poncho Sanchez did a tribute to Tjader and I participated Bar & Grill. on the album, they said I played closely to Tjader’s style and Estrada said he and his band are looking forward to working sounded so much like him. Tjader had died way before we recordwith the students, and that throughout his 57-year career, he’s ed the album. That was an honor.” made an effort to maintain contact with younger musicians. Using these musical skills, Estrada hopes to reach a younger “For quite a number of years, I played and taught kids a variety generation of jazz musicians by tapping into their natural-born of my music,” he said during a telephone interview with MÁS. “I talent and encourage them to be the best performers they can be. hope to offer them some of my knowledge. I try every summer to “Music is a beautiful tranquilizer for the mind — to help it creteach a jazz workshop to get kids there to share stuff with them ate different things and to try better yourself,” said Estrada, who and have them share stuff with the band.” believes music teaches discipline. “My son, Cougar, who’s the Estrada, too, was introduced to music at a young age. His drummer for Los Lobos, liked music and I pushed him as a kid father, Louis D. Estrada, was a violinist and had a 10-piece into music, just as a parent would push a kid who loves playing orchestra in the 1930s. By the time his brother, Angel, started a basketball. Now he’s one of the top drummers.”
L 12
March 7, 2008
MÁS