Putting Community First in the LA Lowrider Game

January 11, 2023

The clubby nature of car culture brought Latino families together, inspiring them to collectively reimagine their identity, instill a sense of brotherhood and strip down the hardness and the territoriality of gang life, revealing enlightened basics: style, lowrider game, party on the block, clothes. As Bouncer explains — sons, wives, daughters and men thrive, and Chicano culture thrives with them, fanning out to other cultures and back around again, creating a history in common.

“I’ve been gangbanging my whole life, I’m 44 years old, I don’t want to leave this lifestyle, ‘cause I love it, but same time, I gotta grow up. We all have to grow up eventually, especially when you’re a father and a husband,” Bouncer is philosophical, and also proprietary, about living Chicano. The idea of community–the codes, the rituals, what ties people together — figures large in his worldview, the ambivalence in his declarations make him relatable.

Text by Ali Naderzad
Directed by Taghi Naderzad
Featuring: Anthony Cortes, First Class, Flaks32G, Jose Ferrer, Giovanny Ramirez

In First Class (So Califas Chapter), the car club that Bouncer and his tribe (this includes blood relations and persons living in his neighborhood) belong to, American cars like the Chevy Impala and Cadillacs are customized into low-slung, gleaming cruisers. The hydraulics that send the cars into vertical syncopations, a nod to what came before but also a promise of continuity linking present to the past, mesmerize the viewer. Although lowrider culture has existed for a long time, it is but one of the facets of a Chicano history that includes recurring struggles for social justice, equal access to education and promoting traditions through dance, music and lore.

There’s all kinds of car clubs, we all unite as one. We get together, you want a plate, help yourself. We don’t play that shit. Unity.

Culture

The New Old Laguna: Casa Loma Beach Hotel

October 29, 2024

After a drive down California’s coastline, the entrance to Casa Loma Beach Hotel from the street side seemed unassuming. But when we walked in, we were met with a beautifully curated space with the ocean as its backdrop. Located on Main Beach, the hotel is steps away from the cliffs and beaches Laguna is famous for. The atmosphere was relaxed but luxurious, laid-back but inviting.

Underneath an impressively large sculpture carved onto the lobby wall, we met John from Marc & Rose, the hospitality group responsible for the hotel’s renovation. While it was initially just meant to be a quick intro, in his excitement and eagerness, he couldn’t help but explain the specific design choices and partners that developed the art-focused environment: overall design by Electric Bowery; artwork by LAND; hand painted signage by Joe Swec; custom radio station curated by Uncanned. Elements that enveloped all the senses, but never overwhelmed.

This careful balance created the aura the hotel sought to encompass: what Laguna might have felt like when it was still a bohemian surf-town, attracting those who appreciated craft and nature, but in an elevated and refined way.

Text by Justine Hwang
Photos Jesper D. Lund

While most of the weekend was left free to enjoy on our own, the highlight of the opening was the immersive theater experience, performed by IAMA Theater Company. Earlier, John had alluded to the premise: a funeral for Cappy, a fictional character meant to represent the old Laguna (pre-reality tv show fame). Not being a big theater person myself, I wasn’t sold. The dress code was that of the hotel color palette: shades that were reminiscent of the surrounding landscape. After the opening act on the pool deck against the sunset over the beach, we were free to explore around the hotel, visiting each scene however we felt. After my first room / scene, I left in tears. I was completely sold.

We watched scenes of a young love blossoming, adult lovers breaking up, past loves healing old wounds. All while learning about the history of the town and interacting with the hotel spaces in an intimate way. Sitting in various rooms and suites, appreciating the hand woven tapestries and soft lighting from the organically shaped lamps. Being warmed by the fireplace on the terrace once the sun had gone down. Continuously moving between the indoors and outdoors, making nature as much of a feature as the interior.

The following morning, breakfast was served on the terrace with stunningly vast views of the ocean. We spotted dolphins following a pair of paddle boarders out on the water. While there is not much that is better than a cloudless sky full of sun and the sound of waves crashing on the shore, Casa Loma works to enhance these simple joys through all its fine details.

Culture

Backstage at Suero: III Points

Originally launching as a legendary Basel party back in late 2021 as a real life extension of Miami boys Nick León and DJ Python's underground dembow takeover, suero officially hit the big stage this past weekend through the tireless efforts of Miami mainstay Caterina Haddad.

The party's big tent approach to a fusion of Latin sounds and bleeding-edge club music manifested with iconoclasts like Arca, Isabella Lovestory and Bad Gyal, but the 13-hour run also included Rick Ross, Yung Lean & Bladee and Python's IDM and downtempo collaboration with Ana Roxanne, Natural Wonder Beauty Concept. Of course, Miami and suero love to party, and this instinct manifested most clearly in Nick León's heady, masterful live A/V collaboration with Ezra Miller and Snow Stripper riotous, 3 AM finale. Where it goes from here is anyone's guess—long live the unpredictable suero sound.

Culture

Meet Mili Tekiva Clayton

October 23, 2024

When was the last time you had your face painted? Maybe it was at a childhood birthday party or a local fair, where your chosen mask sparked a day of pretend play. Revisiting this childhood ritual, artists Angel Velluto and Janina Zais took us across London to meet eight seniors whose stories revealed resilience and strength. Each participant was asked to fill out a Proustian-inspired questionnaire, and their responses were discussed with the team before being translated into unique masks by Zais. During the process, we had the chance to chat with each person to learn more about why the face paint they chose felt like a fitting tribute to their lives.

Mili Tekiva Clayton, a 70-year-old breast cancer survivor from Canning Square, London, volunteers alongside others to care for the vineyards of Forty Hall Estate in Enfield. Born in New Zealand, Mili’s journey as a dancer and teacher has taken her around the world. After receiving support from the New Zealand Arts Council, she traveled to New York, where she studied under renowned modern dancers and choreographers like Murray Louis, Hanya Holm, and Alwin Nikolais. During her time in New York, she began to connect her movements with her spiritual relationship to the oceans — honoring her Polynesian and French descent — and how the oceans have allowed her ancestors to thrive.

Creative Angel Velluto
Producer Angel Velluto and Janina Zais
Interview by Angel Velluto
Photography by Jan-Micheal Stasiuk
Face-Paint by Janina Zais
Director/DOP Ruby Harris
Editor Helen Teixeira
Casting by Angel Velluto

Where were you born?

New Zealand.

Where do you feel most comfortable?

Outdoors.

What quality do you think defines you most?

I’m brooding, and introspective but prefer my more extroverted, happy side. I’m generally creative and frustrated by my inability to establish boundaries & structures more readily.

What do you look for in a companion?

Loyalty, fidelity, transparency, and authenticity.

What is your biggest weakness?

Wine: I have to fast from it as I enjoy it perhaps a bit too much. Yet I was a teetotaler in my early adulthood. Like with great coffee, less is best.

What is your biggest strength?

My greatest strength is my faith in El Roi, Jehovah Rapha, El Shaddai, Christ, and prayer life, which sustains me.

What has surprised you most in life?

The biggest surprise in my life is watching my daughters emerge as adults and my grandchildren. There are 6; 3 girls and 3 boys ranging from 3 to 18 years of age. My sons-in-law are of Caribbean descent so I consider my grandies as pan-cultural.

What does your perfect day look like?

For me, a perfect day is balanced and productive, spent enjoying the camaraderie, and friendship of others. I also feel centered, grounded & more tranquil being outdoors despite the weather.

What is your favorite color?

Turquoise, ranging from emerald green tones to those like oceans reflecting sky and sunlight. It is different depending on which hemisphere one is in and the time of day.

Who are your favorite fictional characters?

I don't have favorite fictional characters but have many favorite authors, including Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Janet Frame, Witi Ihimaera, Hone Tuwhare, Alaister Te Ariki Campbell, then Dickens, and Thomas Hardy.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?

My upline/coach SVP Barbara Stewart-Anderson, whom I aspire to be like, even if to a lesser degree. Before, my inspirations were dance teachers/artists/choreographers in New York: Murray Louis, Hanya Holm & Alwin Nikolais.

What is your favorite food?

Fruit salad, combining papaya, watermelon, kiwi fruit, star fruit, apricot, and nectarine.

What quality do you dislike most in someone?

Envy.

What is your earliest memory?

I was at my paternal grandfather Louis' funeral with the Charlett clan gathered, including my parents assembled for a photo in Marsden Valley Cemetery, Stoke, Nelson, New Zealand. I sat cross-legged with my older cousins kneeling in the front row. I wore a bonnet & held a doll with a cracked head, in my lap. The adults stood behind. I was 2. Seeing a photo of that occasion later in my life was gratifying.

What is your biggest luxury?

Travel.

How do you show someone you love them?

I show love to those significant to me by giving of myself, financially, and relationally, and showing as much commitment & support as I can muster. I endeavor to be as authentic as I can be. Self-care and self-love facilitate this. Counseling, mindfulness, and prayer help tremendously in integrating a healthier self.

What is your biggest achievement?

Teaching children as an educator in the UK/NZ and raising my two daughters as a solo parent.

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