The Thoughts of An Angel Awakened

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Art Inspired Art: The latest pieces inspired by Mi Vida Loca din 2017

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As always, I am honored to find pieces done by artists from all ages, experiences, and walks of life.  Here are just a few:

This beauty was posted by the artist, Donnie Graciado, to my Facebook wall.

Water color piece done by artist Donnie Graciado AVLO.

Watercolor piece by artist Donnie Graciado AVLO.

This one floored me. This is actually a screen cap of a short little video on Instagram I saw posted by the artist @oldiestatts408925

La Mousie. Art by @oldiestatts408925

It’s hard to believe this oil painting by Nina Rivera is her first work in this style.

Sadgirl by Nina Rivera

This piece makes me smile. @wickedbonesart uses color so beautifully in all her work.

Mi Vida Loca by WickedBones Art

I love how NITEOWL ARTE says he just did this sketch while he was on break at work. This is his passion because it will not… It CAN not be stopped!! I love it. Found on Instagram by @chicano_arts 

Sadgirl by NightOwl Arte

So, here you have just some my latest finds. I love updating this type of post because there are so many people out there making incredible art. If you want to see some of my previous finds, check out THIS LINK. 

If you run across any artist that you think I should feature, please let me know.

Tote Bag Giveaway Winner #2: Living Firme

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Thank you so much for joining us for our second tote bag giveaway! This month we had over 300 comments to choose from on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube! Many of you commented much more than what was asked. You actually shared your experiences with us and we are so grateful. If you are not this month’s lucky recipient, do not despair, we will have another giveaway next month.

What is Living Firme?

The Urban dictionary defines “firme” as, fine, nice, hot or good.

We define “Living Firme” as living well. To us, it means living with the choices we have made and still being able to smile. It means being conscious enough to recognize the good life. #LivingFirme doesn’t mean we forget where we have been. As a matter of fact, it’s quite the contrary! We acknowledge that we’ve grown strong, in spite of heartache, struggle and pain. We’re proud of where we’ve come from and we love where we are going.

This is a brand founded in Los Angeles but intended for our familia across the globe. We pop up at car shows and special events. We support local vendors as much as humanly possible. We’re just getting started and we appreciate each and every one of you.

To me, Mi Vida Loca is not just a film but it’s a feeling, a state of being.

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I’m a music video vixen!!!

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Well… Not really a vixen pero I AM in an Instagram video posted by none other than Chicano power rapper, Frost. I know him as Kid Frost but I guess it’s been 30 years so he is no longer a kid! The 80’s and 90’s were such amazing years for Urban Culture. Here’s the video Frost posted on his account.

Arturo Molina, Jr. (better known as Frost and originally Kid Frost) is from Los Angeles and For those who don’t know, Frost was the first Mexican rapper to be signed with Ruthless Records back in 1995. His album Smile Now, Die Later featured labelmates Above the Law and the late soul icon Rick James.  Last year Frost announced his battle with cancer so if it is really him posting up on his Instagram account, I am super happy for him. He does have a contact for booking dates in 2017 so I am hopeful that his health is good and that he’s able to perform. Like many of us who have learned a few things, the hard way, Frost is now advocating good health habits in the community. RIGHT ON!!!

Just for fun… I’ll Take it back… 

Mousie and Sadgirl 25 years later

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Yes, we are still friends after all these years! People are often surprised by how shy Seidy can be. I take that as proof of her acting skills because the last thing Mousie is …is shy!

Enjoy the little video I put together of some of our moments over the years.

Now, here’s the news. The script WAS written. Everyone was on board but for some reason we could not get part 2 made the last time we tried. The film Lowriders seems like a great opportunity for more films about cultura to get made, so I have not lost hope yet! Again amores, your love and support after all these years is a beautiful thing! I thank you and I appreciate you!

Mi Vida Loca Cast: Where are they Now?

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Over the last 20 years, I have had the privilege of occasionally getting together with some of the Mi Vida Loca cast members. Working on this set was an extraordinary experience because the entire cast was amazing. Some of the actors in the film went on to become out and out movie stars (Salma Hayek, Danny Trejo, Jacob Vargas, Jesse Borrego) and others moved on to pursue different dreams but we all had a bond.
Maybe it was a sign of the times. Being able to work on this film when urban culture was shaping the arts of the decade was something that I will never forget. Fans of this film have made these characters iconic and I am so grateful to have helped create a snapshot of what life was like in the Echo.

Meet the Mi Vida Loca Cast… Again.

First up on the list of homies, has got to be Seidy Lopez, aka Mousie.

You’ll be happy to hear that Mousie and Sadgirl are still friends. We don’t get to see each other a whole lot but when we do we giggle and chat like we always did. Seidy worked quite a bit after playing Mousie in Mi Vida Loca. You can check out her IMDB to see all the projects she was involved in. She has been married for over twenty years and is mom to two beautiful kids.  She doesn’t do social media. She would want you to know that the rumors going around about her being a princess are nonsense. She was born to a humble and hardworking family in the Yucatán and grew up in East Los.
 
O.k. Now let me tell you a little bit about THIS MAN. Jesse Borrego is a star. Since the 80’s, he’s been consistently working on stage and screen and he has been paving the way for other Latinos in the arts all along. Jesse and I met in New York in 89. He had already been on FAME but it was a performance at The Public Theater that blew me away. His talent is evident, his body of work is impressive but HIS SPIRIT is beyond compare. We don’t often get to see each other but when we do, it’s like family. He always leaves me with nuggets of wisdom. He is always working on something incredible. I admire the love he has for his wife, how he’s a non-preaching vegetarian and how down he is for the barrio!! You can check out some of the things Jesse is up to, on his Facebook Page Krazy Vatos S.A
Whisper #mividaloca #movie

OMG. Who is this HOT WOMAN?

This is none other than La Whisper. These photos were taken by a talented loca named Madeline Alviso. Whisper is a proud mom, still living in Los Angeles, and working to make a good life for herself and her family. I haven’t had a chance to hang out with Whisper in the last 20 years but I come across her online once in a while and I am always happy to hear her point of view. She is a mature, reflective and positive woman. She is also VERY private so Barrio Culture Magazine really lucked out with those awesome shots.






 

To this day, women will always ask me about this sexy creature.

As you know, Julian Reyes appeared in Mi Vida Loca as Big Sleepy and was also in a number of other projects in the 90’s. A few months ago, I was pleased to find the cop on the motorcycle pulling up in front of my car was actually none other than Papi Chulo, Julian Reyes! All you “Big Sleepy” fans will be happy to know that not only is he still FINE, he is also still a sweetheart!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Well since we covered BIG Sleepy… We’ve also got to cover Lil Sleepy!

Who could forget those eyes!!!! Gabriel Gonzalez – Gabrielito is a singer/songwriter, performance artist, production consultant and does bilingual workshops around Los Angeles. He can be forund performing at Casa 0101 Theater with the Bogaloo Assassins and La Verdad. You will NOT believe the talent our Lil Sleepy has. I had the pleasure of checking out this cantante and WOW! As a matter of fact, here’s a little treat for you. Check him out….
 

And just so you know…

Gabrielito is not alone in his pursuit of the musical arts. Here we have Giggles, who after a few more years of acting decided to devote her life to her family and her music. Marlo Marron can also be found on FACEBOOK.
 

Who can forget Babydoll going around with a vato from another neighborhood?

Well, she didn’t go too far away from us. She’s mom to four amazing kids. She is always posting videos of her hilarious and talented tribe on Facebook. I will add that she is raising her kids on her own because she is a widow. And if you follow her, you will sometimes see that she still shouts out to her true vato Bobby Caron. RIP.  🙁

If you have lived under a rock, you may not know…

Ernesto aka Jacob Vargas is a flipping legend! I still watch his monolog with Whisper in complete awe. Jacob Vargas is not only commercially successful, he is an artisan who is committed to several FIRME causes.

We also have the pleasure of doing many meet and greets with one of the original locas from Echo Park. Vero Arellano aka Stranger manages the  Echo Park Mi Vida Loca page on Facebook but she is also one of the 30 inspiring women featured on Living Firme Podcast. Check her episode out HERE.I’m glad you came by to catch up with the cast of Mi Vida Loca! Something special is on the agenda for 2018 so stay tuned! 

And FINALLY…

For those of you that have asked, the film can be found on AMAZON. Or you can buy a signed copy from me HERE. 

Signed Mi Vida Loca DVD
Signed Mi Vida Loca DVD