Saturday, January 21, 2012

2 days to arrival...

Los Rakas - Soy Raka
Oops, since I missed yesterday I guess I'm allowing myself to correct the day countdown while I'm at it.

Anyway, Los Rakas is a group based in Oakland with roots in Panama. Above is their super polished video selected for the SXSW 2011 Artist Showcase.


But I think this video--though at times employing obscenely cheesy video effects (2:54)--speaks more to their hood, East Oakland, and is more representative of the city and its incredible diversity. I mean, when I'm hopelessly perusing Craigslist ads I always come across at least two or three brief ads entirely in Spanish (they all tend to be creepily to-the-point like this one) and I've been told that a number of the clients at my new job will be native Spanish speakers. Los Rakas are definitely a group to watch out for, as they've already been featured on NPR and the FADER, have collaborated with great artists like E-40 and Uproot Andy, and are getting attention from such reputable festivals as Central Park Summerstage and SXSW, among others.

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