Graphic Art, Tortillas, Comics, and Troublemaking

After having it on my iphone for months and months I finally tried out the official Rip Slyme Camera app. If you don’t know, Rip Slyme is a Japanese hip-hop group. I’m more of an m-flo fan myself but I love the graphics that you’re able to frame each shot with. I guess I’ve had the unique cultural relationship between Chicanos and the Japanese on my mind after the homegirl Mayra Ramirez posted a recent blog about Mona A.K.A. Sad Girl. Mona is a Japanese singer deep in the mix of the cholo subculture in Japan. I created a portrait of Mona in 2009 as part of my Hybridity series of Japanese cholos and cholas. In honor of our tangled web of cultural reciprocation here’s my best Rip Slyme Camera portrait.

You can download the Rip Slyme Camera app by searching for it on the itunes app store or by clicking on the image below.

Peace,

Rio

What’s good everyone? Life has been very kind to me lately with new friends, collaborators, and opportunities. This week I found out that I will be exhibiting alongside my hero and greatest creative influence Jaime Hernandez in an exhibit of Latino graphic narrative art at MACLA. This has been a lifelong dream of mine since I first picked up my mom’s copy of Music for Mechanics as a teenager. The show opens in late January and I’ll be posting more information as it comes my way.

My piece in the exhibit will be a collaboration with performance artist and chola muse Mayra Ramirez. We’re in the process of planning out a short comic narrative that will be in 3D. I’m hoping to post some sketches soon.

I also want to share a link to the newly redesigned site of my favorite painter Ana Teresa Fernandez. Ana’s new wordpress site has inspired me to go in and redesign my own wordpress digs. So fresh and so clean! Check it out and peep her amazing intro graphic:

Peace,

Rio

Hi Everyone! So my guest DJ set on Margarita Azucar just got posted to the Radio Valencia site. Below is my set broken up into two parts. My voice is hard to hear in some segments but the music comes through loud and clear.

DJ Set Part 1

DJ Set Part 2

To celebrate I’m posting the clean version of the image I used to promote my appearance on the show. It’s based on Frida’s Autorretrato con Pelo Corto. My remix is titled El Autorretrato con Pelo Corto y un Smirk.

Margarita Azucar Playlist

State of Affairs – Los Abandoned

Cello Song – The Books and Jose Gonzalez

Do You Want to Hold Me – Ceci Bastida

Revolucion – Sgt. Garcia

Warm Heart of Africa (Ft. Ezra Koenig) – The Very Best

Los Adolescentes – Denver

Dame un Besito – Pipe Llorens

Luces – The Satin Dolls

Those Dancing Days – Those Dancing Days

“BabyRock” Rock – Clorofila

Un Segundo (Ft. Anita Tijoux) – Hordatoj

Lazy Days (Ft. K.Flay) – Mochipet

This Charming Man –Stars

Girlfriend in a Coma – Mojo Nixon

Come on Let’s Go – Girl in a Coma

Chaka! Chaka! – Las Acevedo

Simbolos – Neon Walrus

Boys Don’t Cry – Niños Mutantes

You Were Never There – Diego Garcia

Amor Platonico – Jovenes y Sexys

Just Want to see ya (Latin Bitman Remix) – Pacha Massive

Blue Night/Mavi Gece – Up Bustle and Out

Have you Heard? – Ceci Bastida

Hey! (Ft. Akiko Wada) – M-flo

Help Me (Ft. Francisco Valenzuela) – Latin Bitman

El Bombo – Choc Quib Town

Distante Ya (Ft. Anita Tijoux) – Sayag Jazz Machine

Vanessa (Ft. Bloodest Saxaphone) – M-flo

El Mundo me Espera – Los Fancy Free

Esquemas Juveniles – Javiera Mena

Karate Kid 2 – Mexican Institute of Sound

Thanks again to Ms. Margarita for the opportunity to host the show.

Peace,

Rio

Sometimes you just click. I met performance artist Jenny Priego less than two weeks ago and we instantly hit it off and decided to collaborate. This past weekend I met up with Jenny at Pika Pika in Japantown for an amazing purikura session of sparkles and straps. Bringing a bag of costumes and props, Jenny dressed up as Narco Vaquera, one of her many characters. I was blown away at how much she transforms when she gets into character. Once the sunglasses went on and the prop guns came out Jenny just lost herself in the role.

We had a lot of fun shooting the photos and decorating them together. I’m really excited to say that there will be more projects in collaboration with Jenny coming soon. Stay tuned!

You can see a full album of our photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/elrio/sets/72157625283388789/

Peace,

Rio

Hey everyone! I’ll be guest hosting Margarita Azucar this Friday on Radio Valencia from noon to 2:00 PM. You can listen live at radiovalencia.fm/listen or if you’re in San Francisco at 87.7FM. I’m filling in for regular host Ms. Margarita and I’ll be playing music from my collection to delight your ears. It’ll be everything from Japanese hip-hop throwbacks to tracks from the new Ceci Bastida album. Hope ya dig it!

Peace,

Rio

This is why I do it.

This goes out to my Great-Grandmother and my Uncle Mike on this beautiful Dia de Los Muertos night and to my mom who celebrated her birthday yesterday. I love you all so much.

Peace,

Rio

The last 72 hours have been a chaotic blur. Halloween, my Mom’s birthday, Day of the Dead and of course the Giants winning the World Series have all gone down in that short span. This post chronicles those last 3 days with my Giants lovin’ homies in the Mission.

The moment the Giants won the World Series I was in my Design class and heard a loud eruption across the Mission District. When I got outside moments later I made a quick field recording of the beautiful cacophony that came in from every direction and reported on what was going on at that exact moment. Listen below:

Giants Win the World Series, The Mission District Reacts

These last few nights wouldn’t be complete without some animated gifs of my fellow revelers so lets get to it!

 

Peace,

Rio

Rene and I will be exhibiting some recent works at SOMArts this Saturday and Sunday from 11:00AM to 6:00PM. We’ll be serving up some wine and snacks, come one by and hang out with us.

Hope to see ya there!

Rio

Just wanna take a moment to wish the lovely Meligrosa a happy birthday! Sapo verde homegirl!

Peace,

Rio