Our 2018 year in review continues with some of our best arts stories:
- The housekeeping staff of a local university created a collection of cookbooks (00:24)
- A course on “Taco Literacy” (02:41)
- An art exhibit celebrates the San Antonio LGBTQ community (04:32)
- Alameda Theater revival (06:41)
- Mariachi serenades on Mother’s Day (10:13)
- Día de los Muertos celebration (11:56)
- Musician, composer and songwriter of Pixar’s “Coco” (13:28)
- The drummer behind “Birdman” (16:07)
- A Mexican-native musician keeping traditions alive (18:33)
UTSA Staff Recipes Preserved In Special Collections
Originally aired Aug. 24, 2018
The housekeeping staff at the University of Texas at San Antonio created a collection of cookbooks. “El Rincón de los Antojos,” which is part of a larger Mexican cookbook collection that contains recipes passed on from generation to generation. Erlinda Castillo, the catalyst for the creation of the collection, spoke about some of the recipes featured in her book.
Originally aired Apr. 20, 2018
Steven Alvarez is an assistant professor of English at St. John’s University in Queens, New York. He teaches a course he describes as an exploration of the journey of immigrants told through food, which all comes down to one basic ingredient: the tortilla.
Gay-Related Stigma Among Latino Men & Exhibit Celebrates LGBTQ Community
Originally aired June 22, 2018
San Antonio celebrated the diversity of its LGBTQ community in the spring and summer of 2018 with the exhibit, “We Are.” It displayed work by 12 artists who wove their identities, narratives, and history into paintings, installations, and photographs displayed in San Antonio’s Culture Commons Gallery. One of those artists is Antonia Padilla, a transwoman and photographer.
The Revival of Alameda Theater
Originally aired Nov. 16, 2018
The Alameda Theater is one of the last classic Mexican movie palaces standing in San Antonio, but it stands in disrepair. However, it remains a landmark of Hispanic culture. At an open house, renovation plans were presented for the nearly-70 year old theater. A tour of the Alameda was led by Chicano scholar and art historian Tomas Ybarra-Frausto.
Originally aired May 11, 2018
Sunrise Mother’s Day serenades are popular wake-up calls across the Hispanic community. Gino Rivera and Debra Torres are two San Antonio mariachi musicians who have performed their share of serenatas.
Día De Los Muertos: 'We're Always Remembered'
Originally aired Nov. 2, 2018
Día de los Muertos is believed to be the day spirits of loved ones cross into the land of the living to commune with their descendants. “Fronteras” producer Lauren Terrazas visited a Día de Los Muertos community event in San Antonio.
Originally aired March 9, 2018
Many Americans and citizens of the world learned about Dia de los Muertos through the 2017 Pixar animated film “Coco.” Germaine Franco is a composer, songwriter, percussionist, and orchestrator. An El Paso native, she wrote several songs for “Coco” with co-director Adrian Molina.
Originally aired Aug. 20, 2018
The 2014 movie “Birdman,” directed by Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu, won four Academy Awards. The music on its highly-acclaimed soundtrack is performed on a single instrument: drums. Mexican-born composer Antonio Sanchez is the drummer behind the tracks, and we spoke with Sanchez backstage before his live accompaniment of “Birdman” in April.
A Conversation With Azul Barrientos
Originally aired Sep. 28, 2018
Azul Barrientos is a San Antonio singer and musician who’s keeping Mexican musical traditions alive. A native of Mexico City, she has explored many genres of Latin-inspired music in her newest album, “Nuestro Corazón, ‘Our Heart.”
Norma Martinez can be reached at norma@tpr.org and on Twitter @NormDog1, and Lauren Terrazas can be reached at lauren@tpr.org and on Twitter @terrazas_lauren.
