Survivors

When we talk or study the Holocaust we tend to think that it happened thousands of years ago. In reality it wasn't that long ago at all and we need to remember that there are thousands of people still alive that survived this horrible moment in history. A lot of these survivors still live as if the Holocaust were still going on because they developed mental illnesses and were never able to overcome the pain they experienced. Survivors who are mentally unstable have been put in homes because even though they are alive their lives ended decades ago when they had to live through that insanity. They were deprived of life as thy knew it and they couldn't do anything about it. Some of them lost all their family and were never able to find out what happened to them, if they survived or not.

To these survivors the Holocaust is still going on around them and they live in fear and yelling because they are not able to grasp the idea that it is all over. They were traumatized and are living in their own hell. Their caregivers at the homes are lenient with the and avoid making them do things that remind them of the concentration camps, like wearing pajamas. Survivors live stuck in their terrorized childhoods and it is horrible that the Holocaust still controls the lives of thousands of people. These survivors should never be forgotten and everything should be done to give them better and fuller lives.

R.I.P. Alex Chilton

William Alexander Chilton was born in Memphis, Tennessee on December 28, 1950. He was a guitarist, singer and producer best known for the pop-music bands Box Tops and Big Star. Chilton grew up around musicians and his career launched during his teen years.

After living in New York during the 70's he moved to New Orleans. Here he put his music career on hold for a few years. He then started playing with Panther Burns. After he finished recording with Panther Burns in mid-1984 he started focusing on his solo career and put together his own band. Chilton dragged with him Panther Burns' bassist Coman and added Doug Garrison as his drummer. The three of them quickly got to work and by 1985 they had already released they're first album.Alex Chilton had a very successful career, both as a composer and as an artist. Many famous artists performed his songs with their own interpretations.

Today Alex Chilton died in New Orleans. He had been complaining during the day about how he didn't feel to well and when he was taken to the hospital it was too late. They think it was caused by heart problems, maybe a heart attack, but nothing has been confirmed. May he rest in peace and he will surely be remembered by his fans, friends, and family.

Latin Representation

Juan Luis Guerra was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on June 7, 1957. He studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He made it to Boston with an attraction to jazz, which didn't quite work out with him. He has dedicated his career to sing and compose "merengue", "bachata" and "salsa". This is what he has been doing all of his life and has won many Latin Grammys along the way of his career.

Guerra often sings about the economic and political situation that many people living in Latin American countries have in common. He has a song called "El Costo de la Vida" (The Price of Life); he talks about all the expenses people face on a day to day basis yet the government doesn't care and these prices keep rising while people still don't earn enough money. It is very hard for poor people in these countries to survive and keep their families alive while the government keeps them prisoners and penny-less.

Although he's from the Dominican Republic he sings about neighboring Latin American countries and raises awareness of what is really going on. Although his music usually protests world situations they are usually up beat and can liven any party. Juan Luis Guerra is also a romantic and sings beautiful love songs, not just depressing protest songs.

Juan Luis Guerra will be a part of the New Orleans Jazz Fest this year. He will be performing on April 25. I am very excited to be able to see him perform since he is one of my favorite Latin artists. It's always a lot of fun to dance some "merengue", "salsa", or "bachata".

Inmate Carter

Dwayne Michael Carter has been sentenced to a year in jail for gun possession. His sentence began on February 9, 2010 at a correctional facility in Ricker's island. It's been three years since his arrest in New York City.

Wayne's fans are heartbroken because he will not be able to record any new songs or put out a new record during his sentence. Lil' Wayne was sure that he'd be able to stay on top of his work "I'll have an ipod and I'll make sure they keep sending me beats", is what he said to the Rolling Stone magazine. Little did he know that he would only have access to an AM/FM radio and earphones.

Wayne has been around the public eye for almost a decade, being one of the most famous and popular rap artists of his time. He has become a role model to the younger population, which isn't something our population needs. He encourages teenagers to become involved in drugs, derogatory towards women, and use of guns and weapons. Wayne might be considered a genius for the music he produces in the rap genre, but he surely isn't role model material.

"Ignorance is Bliss"

Most people are ignorant to the fact that a company such as Clear Channel Corporation exists. They run the majority of the radio stations in the U.S. and some American radio stations around the world. These people program stations and decide what music the public, depending on age and other social factors, will listen to. When only one company is in control of so many stations the variety of songs and exposure of certain artists is very limited. This means that when Clear Channel decides against a song or an artist, they won't have any air time on millions of radio stations, quickly losing popularity.

A corporation as powerful as Clear Channel is a double edged sword for us, because music is one of the main components of shaping our society. When we loose the power to choose what we want to listen to and what we don't we just all grow into liking the same songs. When we listen to the radio it's always the same songs playing because that's what they're trying to sell and make us like.

I'm sure a lot people are unaware that a corporation like Clear Channel even exists and that's the biggest problem. They think that what radio stations classify as the best music out there really is. They don't take time to look for less popular bands and artists out there who are producing music with important and powerful meaning. There are some, not many, but some independent radio stations out there, which are a lot more reliable as to the variety they'll play. These radio stations are slowly being shut down one by one as Clear Channel gets stronger and stronger.

Our generation has to support music in many different ways other than through popular radio stations and t.v. channels. We need to support our local bands since their music might be 10 times better than many songs repeated on the radio, but no one will ever know if we just let them fail.

Happy Birthday Kurt Cobain!

Kurt Cobain was born February 20, 1967. He is best known as Nirvana's lead singer and guitarist. Growing up with musicians in his family he became interested in music himself at a very young age and was obviously very talented from the beginning. His life changed dramatically at the age of eight when his parents got divorced. Cobain hated the idea of not having the steady typical family he was used to and hated his parents for it. He first lived with his father and later moved in with his mother when he was in tenth grade. When he was about to graduate from high school he found out that he didn't have enough credits to graduate so he dropped out of school. His mother gave him two options to either get a job or he had to leave. One day he came home and found all his things packed in boxes and was homeless for a while staying over at friend's houses or on the streets.

Cobain's first step to becoming the artist he later was was when his uncle gave him his first guitar for his fourteenth birthday. He formed the band Nirvana when Krist Novaselic finally agreed to work with him. Their first major debut was in 1991 with Nevermind.

Kurt Cobain fell in love and married Courtney Love on February 22, 1992 after she found out she was pregnant with Cobain's child. Kurt claimed to be blindly in love with Courtney and that he would even give up the band just to be with her because that's how happy he was with her. They first met in 1989 at one of his performances where they talked for a bit afterward. They saw each other often after that and were involved in drug use together. After their daughter's birth, Frances Bean Cobain, on August 18 they battled with custody issues because they were labeled as unfit parents for their drug abuse. They ended up finally getting full custody of their baby girl.

Cobain was involved in drug abuse and alcoholism throughout his life. he suffered from chronic stomach problems that kept him from gaining weight and caused him physical complexes. He first tried heroin in 1986 and used it sporadically but by 1990 he was addicted. He claimed it relieved his stomach aches, but it was causing problems to the band since he was passing out during photo shoots and work. He attempted rehab in 1992 when he found out he would soon become a dad but, it didn't last very long at all.

There was history of suicides, depression and drug use in Cobain's family which, is part of the reason for his problems. His first suicide attempt was in 1994. After an intervention Cobain agreed to be institutionalized and started a detox program. He seemed well and happy there but soon escaped the institution and was missing for a couple of days. No one knew his whereabouts and was found dead at his lake house on April 8, 1994. He committed suicide by shooting himself at the chin with a shotgun. His death was said to be on April 5, 1994.

Cobain lived with an internal battle his whole life. He was never content with himself and he was his own enemy. That is to me the hardest thing for a person to ever overcome yet it is the easiest thing to hide from other people. This man was and still is one of the most famous musicians of the world and had everything anyone would want. Sometimes having it all isn't enough. There is so much more to life and happiness than having everything.

Guinea Pigs

Puerto Rico owns several surrounding smaller islands, Vieques being one of them. The island lies about 8 miles east of the Purto Rican mainland. This island is commonly known as a site of protest against the United States Navy and Marine Corps. As always the U.S. comes and goes as they wish in Puerto Rico and there is little or nothing we can do to oppose them.

During Worl War II the United States installed a military base in our island of Vieques with the intention of maintaining a safe British fleet just in case Germany was to prevail over Britain, this never happened. Instead the three fourths of the island acquired by the U.S. navy was used for target practice, to test explosives and to practice techniques. The residents of Vieques were always opposed to this because it brought many horrible side effects to the population, the flora and to the fauna of the whole island. Practice was conducted at certain beaches of the island which were off limits to the public because of radioactivity.

For years Puerto Ricans stayed calm and silently endured this but, in 1999 David Sanes, a Vieques-native and employee of the Navy was killed by a bomb dropped during target practice. This led all Puerto Ricans to start a protest against the U.S. Navy. In 2003 the Navy left Puerto Rico and Vieques clearing out the most important military bases of the island. Although this was what the population was asking for they didn't forsee the negative impacts it would have. Military bases, especially Roosevelt Roads, was extremely important to the economy of the town and of the entire island.


This is a perfect example of how the U.S. sometimes uses their power in very negative ways and don't even care about how it is affecting the population or place where it is happening. Cancer rates in Vieques are very high and it has been attributed to the usage of radioactive explosives in the island for so many years. Beautiful beaches have been destroyed and others are still off limits because they may contain active explosives.

A very popular Puerto Rican reggae band known for composing and performing songs of protest along with other genres wrote a song about this situation called "Bieke" and it calls out for the support and movement of the Puerto Rican population against the Navy. It calls for unification of the population instead of segregation.



"Bieke"
Cada cual es el juez de su propio destino (Everyone is a judge of their own destiny)
Y en este juicio no hay, no hay desigualdad, no (And in this judgement there is no inequality no)
Demando mi isla a dar luchando poco a poco (I demand my island to fight little by little)
Pues es como unico (because it is like unique)
Puede sobre llevar tanto embrollo (It can surpass so much debt)

And brother you're right
You're right, you're right
You're right
So, so right
Vamos haya (Let's go)
A luchar (to fight)
Vamos a luchar (Let's go fight)
A luchar (to fight)
Debemos luchar (we should fight)
A luchar (to fight)
Por nuestra paz (For our peace)

Natty dread yet in I
Bieke
Set it top in a
Bieke
Andi natty go there in a Bieke
Bieke
Borikua saliva recta Bieke
Bieke

No nos peliemos entre nosotros (We shouldn't fight between ourselves)
Unificados seremos mas, y poderosos (Unified we will be more and powerful)
Pronto sabremos quien (Sonn we will know who)
Comparte nuestra lucha de paz (Shares our fight for peace)
Pues yo no quiero que mi gente se divida no (Because I don't want my people to be divided)

And brother you're right
You're right, you're right
You're right
So, so right
Vamos a luchar
A luchar
Debemos luchar
A luchar
Vamos a luchar
A luchar
Por nuestra paz

Natty dread yet in I
Bieke
Set it top in a
Bieke
Borikua saliva recta Bieke
Bieke
I and I arriba recta
Bieke

And brother you're right
You're right, you're right
You're right
So, so right
Vamos haya
A luchar
Vamos a luchar
A luchar
Debemos luchar
A luchar
Por nuestra paz

Dividirse en bandos nos puede quebrantar (Segregation into different groups can lead us to failure)
Y en cada pecho un alma hay (And in every chest there is one soul)
Pronto sabremos quien (Soon we will know who)
Nos da una alternativa real (Wll give us a real alternative)
Pues yo no quiero a mi gente contra jah (I don't want my people against the Lord)
Por mercenarios no (Because of mercenaries, no)

And brother you're right
You're right, you're right
You're right
So, so right
Vamos a luchar
A luchar
Debemos luchar
A luchar
Vamos a luchar
A luchar
Por nuestra paz

Natty dread yet in I Bieke
Bieke
Set it top in a Bieke
Bieke
Andi natty go there in a Bieke
Bieke
Borikua saliva recta Bieke
Bieke
Marchando para Bieke (Marching for Vieques)
Bieke
Plantando bandera en Bieke (Planting a flag in Vieques)
Bieke
Reggae para liberar a Bieke (Reggae to liberate Vieques)
Bieke
Reggae para liberar a Bieke (Reggae to liberate Vieques)
Bieke

Puerto Rico has been negatively used and taken advantage of by the U.S. in many different ways over the centuries but, most people only see the positive things the U.S. does for us and call us spoiled. There has to be a balance and we all know that nothing is ever what it seems from the outside.