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Felix Contreras Felix Contreras is host of Alt.Latino, NPR's program about Latin Alternative music and Latino culture.
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Felix Contreras

Media

New Royalty Rules May Reshape Internet Radio

Webcasters and others who transmit music digitally say a recent ruling that raises the royalty rates for online music could put them out of business. The claim comes in the wake of higher royalty rates for Internet radio sites and others streaming music online.

New Royalty Rules May Reshape Internet Radio

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You Are Here

Village Vanguard: Lorraine Gordon, Keeper of a Shrine to Jazz

Lorraine Gordon is the keeper of New York's historic Village Vanguard. Recently, Gordon published a set of memoirs, the recollections of a woman who was married to two famous men of jazz.

'At the Vanguard' from Joe Lovano Nonet's On this Day... At the Vanguard

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Music News

Lorraine Gordon, Keeper of a Shrine to Jazz

Lorraine Gordon is the keeper of New York's historic Village Vanguard. Recently, Gordon published a set of memoirs, the recollections of a woman who was married to two famous men of jazz.

Lorraine Gordon, Keeper of a Shrine to Jazz

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Law

Lawsuit Targets Concert Promoter's Legacy

A lawsuit filed recently claims that Wolfgang's Vault, a Web site full of the late Bill Graham's rock recordings and memorabilia, is guilty of copyright and trademark infringement.

Lawsuit Targets Concert Promoter's Legacy

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Music News

Behind Guaraldi's Timeless Holiday Soundtrack

On Tuesday night, a tradition continues: ABC airs the animated special, A Charlie Brown Christmas. Its jazzy Vince Guaraldi soundtrack is a holiday staple, too, but it wasn't embraced by all who first heard it.

Behind Guaraldi's Timeless Holiday Soundtrack

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Technology

Music Downloads Drive a Back-Catalog Business Opportunity

Mitch Koulouris once worked as a manager for the now-defunct Tower Records retail chain. Five years ago he realized digital music distribution was the wave of the future. Now his company, Digital Music Group, Inc., is buying up old song catalogs and selling them online.

Music Downloads Drive a Back-Catalog Business Opportunity

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Music

Club Musicians, Owners at Odds Over Pensions

New York state is eliminating a food and beverage sales tax paid by jazz clubs so that the money — about $20 billion — can be redirected to the musicians union for pensions. The plan, supported by the union and most club owners, is voluntary. But many club musicians don't belong to the union and would rather get better pay.

Club Musicians, Owners at Odds Over Pensions

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Adios

This is it for me at Mixed Signals, at least for the time being. I have to say, it's been a blast. Next week, Ken Rudin, our master of pun and wit, will be at the helm. As a despedida (farewell), please indulge me and let me offer a heartfelt shout-out to two musicians who died this week whose passings you may not have noticed. I am a long-time fan of Afro-Cuban music of all stripes (dance, folkloric, Latin jazz), and this week we lost two very talented drummers: one who was an up-and-comer; the other, a veterano of many sessions and gigs. Miguel "Anga" Diaz died in Barcelona earlier this week. Just 45 years old, he had become known as a talent worthy of the distinction "Master Drummer." Journalist Agustin Gurza wrote a wonderful obit for Anga this week. Percussionist Ray Romero also died. He never led a band or recorded an album under his own name. But Lil' Ray Romero's (as he was known by his peers) influence among drummers that came after him is immeasurable. Musicians from Puerto Rico, Miami, Manhattan and California have mourned his passing. If you get a chance, give these guys a listen -- their music is incredible. Catch you later.

A Chicago Sanctuary

There is a woman making news in Chicago by invoking her right to use a church as a sanctuary against deportation. The single mom is attempting to remain in this country so as not to be separated from her 7-year-old son who was born here and thus, has U.S. citizenship. Seems the feds are backing off from entering the church to grab the woman. The media coverage illustrates that right and wrong are in the eye of the beholder. Check out this Latino blog to note how the woman is described by the various media outlets covering the story.

At Least He Didn't Say 'Macaca'

Tramm Husdon is running for Congress in the 13th District of Florida. In a video that is making its way around the Internet, he makes a derogatory remark about African-Americans during a campaign speech. Now his campaign Web site offers an apology for the remark. Mel Gibson, George Allen... and now this guy. What is troubling is how natural the ethnic stereotyping and baiting comes to them and how they have to be told later that what they said was wrong. What is more troubling, in the case of the politicians, is people will still vote for them

Habla Spanglish?

For a post yesterday about Spanish-language radio, Mixed Signals producer Melody Kokoszka included the headline: "I Heard It on El Radio". Jessica Dancel of Colorado Springs wrote in to offer a correction. It should be "La Radio," she wrote. In the interest of journalistic integrity and accuracy, I went to work. I am fluent in Spanish, but English is my first language. So the first thing I did was go to a native Spanish speaker. NPR producer Marisa Penaloza was born in Chiapas, Mexico. She thought that the actual gizmo that the sound comes out of could be referred to as el radio but the transmission could be referred to as la radio. Muy bien. My next stop was reference librarian Kee Malesky. She brought one of those impressive looking big dictionaries out -- The Oxford Spanish Dictionary. There are two definitions of "radio" in Spanish...

Scooby-Doo vs. Mom

Moms of the world, please find something else to do right now. Don't read this post. According to a recent study, television is more soothing to kids than a comforting mother when dealing with physical pain. There are still more studies out there that say too much TV is not a good thing. But when it comes to taking the ouch out of a kid's "boo boo," it seems Scooby-Doo is more effective. Although they didn't study it, I bet the old Mexican mom's soothing "Sana, sana, colita de rana" can trump Fred Flintstone every time. And speaking of soothing sounds, check out Oliver Wang's review of the new CD Panama! Latin, Calypso and Funk at the Isthmus on Morning Edition today. The CD gives us a peek into the amazing music scene of Panama in the 1960s and '70s when it was the crossroads of the Americas. The music that was brought in from foreign ships and radios created a cultural mix that resulted in sounds that are as fresh now as they were then. Give it a listen... you won't be disappointed, and you may, in fact, be quite surprised.