C. Hannibal music, visually speaking

N.Y. Streets *Still* Love This

I’m not sure how many blogs have talked about this joint, I mean I’ve been too busy with life to really keep up any more, but I’d like to take a moment to consider “Banned From TV”.  I heard it several times pumping out of cars when I returned to the East Coast. I heard it blasting out of ear buds on the subway (at least 4 times).

It’s one of those songs where the artist whose album it’s on gets buried by greater talents, namely Jada, Styles and Pun. ¨Been sonin n***as for so long I think I got a grandson¨

The video will give you a headache, so look for the Mp3 instead.

C. Hannibal visually speaking

Lisa Breaks Down My Photo Skills

One of the things I’m most grateful to my sister for is the fact I got to see Gordon Parks deliver the commencement at her graduation from F.I.T. He died a couple of years later. Besides being an author, composer and movie director, he was a badass shooter. And the man was self taught.
I’m working on getting my Gordon Parks on, but we’re a long way off. Grainy ISO settings be damned! Plus, I’m still kind of scary when it comes to sticking cameras in people’s grills.

Lisa, the digital associate angel on my shoulder gave me a fair, honest assessment of my first 3 homework assignments. Practice is definitely needed, but I think she would agree I have a little G. Parks in me, however tiny. Below are the photos with her comments. Live and learn, my folks.

“#23 is beautifully exposed….”

That’s right. Shorties at the Fairy Convention didn’t even flinch when I put the lens all up in their public space. Good feeling.

Continue reading “Lisa Breaks Down My Photo Skills” →

C. Hannibal visually speaking

Flexing the eye muscle

Any of my regular readers know that I generally don’t skip this many posts, this frequently. Between Strunk&White sessions, staying up till dawn, and taking hundreds upon hundreds of photos for a guy named Duy, it’s hard to find time to dedicate to anything resembling what I used to do. Just know that I’ll return with the same reporting on marginal cultures in distant lands once this work ebbs. For now, check out my pics.

And don’t forget, in the words of the great poet Edward Vedder, above, “I’m still alive.”








C. Hannibal cultural history, visually speaking

Harlem World, Circa 2010

I live in the birthplace of the Harlem Renaissance, now. As much as I love L.A., nothing compares to N.Y., especially in the hot, sticky summertime. I live on a block that 10 years ago was something like a battle zone. Funny how gentrification makes things all safe for Ivy leaguers. This is the new Harlem World.

That mix of old and new. The crumbling and the rebuilt, all exist in N.Y.C.

Of course there are some things that I think Harlem could do without. Scientology. Really? Saw enough of these kinds of outposts in Mexico City.

There’s a (brand new) special Target shuttle bus that stops along Lexington, and carries New Yorkers from all over the city to the East Harlem store. Here, happy shoppers get off the shuttle and hop on the subway back home. Reminds me. I need some housewares.

C. Hannibal mexican culture, visually speaking

Google Video pick of the week #014

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I wouldn´t mind doing a little in-depth research on late 1960s Mexican schlock, wrestling, horror cinema. Some of the films resulting from this crazy mix of genres are interesting.

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The thing that really grabbed me about Night of the Bloody Apes, the 1972 English-dubbed version of the movie in the poster above, was the opening scene of female masked wrestling (or lucha libre femenil).  This isn´t any of that G.L.O.W stuff.

All Movie Guide sums up the plot with an accurate description of the antagonist:

…A hairy gorilla-man with a wrestler’s physique who loves nothing more than to rape women and rip men’s faces off. The only one who can put a stop to this horrific rampage is — naturally — a masked female wrestler.

One version of this film was called Horror y sexo.


Movie poster from lamansiondelterror.blogspot.com

C. Hannibal cultural history, music, visually speaking

Post-race in the Americas III

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This is the first time the World Cup has been staged in Africa.  Historically, there´ve been so many raw and degrading images of Africa and people of African-descent.  What are some images of Africa that have been popping up in media during the mundial?

I know, not as many people trip off skin color as we in the United States, or so I´m told. But I´m always happy we´re uptight enough to mostly dismiss these kinds of images. I think that if those types of graphics didn´t signify such dislike for dark skin color, that I would be cool with it.  Laugh along with the joke. But normally, I can´t. Too much going on underneath.

I flipped on the program halfway through and didn´t catch this guy´s name, but I heard the cast members refer to him as ¨Negro¨. Of course.  This is normal programming for the Televisa Saturday morning gab fest,  Hoy Sábado.  It´s the type of morning show that´s so bad, it makes Jillian Barberie´s work look excellent and useful.

I figured the character, who handed out yellow cards to certain announcers during the telecast, was making fun of World Cup referee Koman Coulibaly from Mali.  He made a series of iffy calls during the recent U.S. game. Here´s the Telegraph´s story on calls I think cost the squad a goal.

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Continue reading “Post-race in the Americas III” →

C. Hannibal visually speaking

Google Video pick of the week #013

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After I saw Daughter´s of Darkness (1971), I had to put it in my top5 favorite vampire flicks list. It´s easily one of the sexiest out there, filled with that never-really gone away early 70s Euro fashion. Sunglasses. Kinky Shakespeare.

New York Times, May 29, 1971:

Want to see a fascinating vampire movie? Then catch the Belgian-made, English-language “Daughters of Darkness,” which arrived yesterday. Subtle, stately, stunningly colored and exquisitely directed by Belgium’s young Harry Kumel…

Chicago Sun-Times, April 6, 1972

The countess excites the young man with tales of vampire feast, sadistic orgies and invocations to the devil. The young man then beats his wife, who falls sobbing into the clutches of the countess while the young man is seduced by the red-lipped Ilona. Everyone slinks mysteriously up and down the stairs. Bodies drained of blood are found in a nearby town.

C. Hannibal mexican culture, visually speaking

Shine in D.F.

¨Elitism is just a fear-based concept. Art belongs to everyone¨

–Wendell McShine (via)

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McShine, who goes by the artistic name “Shine” will be talking about his work at 4p.m. (cdt),  at Postopolis! Check the live feed, here.

As with so many artists, Mexico City is the muse he´ll talk about.  Look at what he said to London Black arts magazine catchavibe.com:

“I love it here – the colours, textures and most definitely the diversity of different indigenous tribes. They all bring that special uniqueness that makes Mexico. My inspiration really is universal, but Mexico is where I feel alive. Everything here is on a higher vibration. It’s as if there’s another dimension unfolding right before our eyes and my work reflects that.”


Wendell McShine is one of the coolest guys I´ve met during my time in Mexico.   It´s rare to make these types of connections in the heart of the capital.

He´s from a part of the world known as the Anglophone Caribbean.

Things are developing fast for the Trini artist. A recent art prize and inclusion into the Upper Playground family, have been small pieces in an artistic rise that he hopes takes him to the Tate gallery.

His Mexico City show closes in 2 days, at the Fifty24Mex gallery in Condesa.

¨A watcher, and a seeker¨, titles one of his main cut-out works in his “Behind the Blue Door” series. You can buy some of his stuff  for around $4,000 to $5,000 pesos.  His works will culminate with a show in San Jose, followed by a final chapter in the trilogy in England. He wants to retire when he´s 45. Or was it 40? Get him while you can folks.

If you´re in D.F. , go see Wendell´s show at the Upper Playground gallery, Fifty24MX.

Amatlan 105, Colonia Condesa, 1pm to 9pm, Friday and Saturday, 52561444

C. Hannibal buildings, mexican culture, visually speaking

Corrupt edifice

There´s an abandoned 2-story building on the Roma Sur side of Viaducto Miguel Alemán. Too bad I couldn´t climb in, it´s all gated up. Didn´t stop some painters from getting down. The walls were covered with portraits.

This was the front of the building.

This was an athletic facility on the edge of a field in Bosques del Valle. Spent a Saturday afternoon at a band practice across the street.

Continue reading “Corrupt edifice” →