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Thomas M Buckley

This article discusses Mexico's Congress, which has been criticized for obstructing reforms and underachieving. It is labeled by some commentators as a "failed generation" or the "Generation of No" due to its reluctance to pass important bills. Key reforms around labor laws, education, security, and politics have all been stalled or blocked in Congress. While lawmakers assert they have had a productive session, their actual working hours have been limited, and they have focused more on voting themselves benefits than substantive reforms. The failure to pass important reforms has frustrated both the current president and economic experts who say change is needed.

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Just Say No Why Can’t Congress Get Anything Done? PEOPLE : POLITICS : CULTURE : TRAVEL FROMMEXICO. INENGLISH. IFE’s Groove Can the Election Referee Get It Back? Anita’s Diary Hanging with Rivera, Orozco and the Rest Soccer’s Start The Mexican League’s Clausura Gets Under Way Plus: Pending Events, Revealing Numbers , Telling Quotes and More Vive Latino Mexico City’s Monster Rock Music Festivalwww.mexico-review.com 0018920360242 A BI-WEEKLY January 27, 2012 Mexico City Vol. 01 No. 02 32 pages
From the Executive Director BY ANA MARÍA SALAZAR :2 They Said It Quotable quotes by, for and about Mexico : 3 The Politics of ‘No!’ The current crop of lawmakers has been labeled the “failed generation.” Will the next one be any different? BY TOM BUCKLEY :POLITICS : CONGRESS : 4 Alone in the Middle IFE, the electoral referee, is looking to restore its credibility before the July 1 federal elections. BY TOM BUCKLEY :POLITICS : ELECTIONS : 8 By the Numbers A miscellany of the mathematics of modern Mexico : 11 Riding Out the Storm Mexico’s ongoing effort to hold on during the global economic crisis has entered a new phase in 2012. BY EDUARDO DÍAZ RIVERA : ECONOMY & FINANCE : 2012 OUTLOOK : 12 Solid Bulwark, Shaky Pillar Two public works projects, two reasons for being. A fast photo essay. : ECONOMY & FINANCE : PUBLIC WORKS : 16 A Celebration of Words Mexican authors have always been revered, if not always read widely. Now they have their own museum. BY KELLY ARTHUR GARRETT :LIFE & LEISURE : MUSEUMS : 18 Anita Brenner’s Diary It’s our access to the everyday lives of the great Mexican artists of the first half of the 20th century. BY KELLY ARTHUR GARRETT :LIFE & LEISURE :BOOK REVIEW :20 Let the Music Begin Vive Latino, showcases Mexico’s vibrant music scene. BY MARIANA H. MONTERO :LIFE & LEISURE : MUSIC : 23 Chasing the Clausura Trophy The second half of the Mexican Soccer League season is just beginning. So are the questions. LIFE & LEISURE : SPORTS : 28 Coming Up ... Major to-do’s in the weeks and months ahead. :LIFE & LEISURE :EVENTS : 32 :Onthecover ThePalaciodeBellasArtes,MexicoCity’spremierpublicfineartscenter. Photographyby Tom Buckley/Mexico Review CONTENTS MEXICO REVIEW January 27, 2012
In this edition we continue to analyzewhat to expect for Mexico in 2012. Although most of the economists I have interviewed are betting on a stable recovery for Mexico that will translate into growth and employ- ment for this year, there are concerns regarding how the international economic crisis could have a short -term impact in Mexico, issues that are addressed in the article written by Eduardo Díaz Rivera (page 12). What about the elections? As in the United States, Mexico will be oc- cupied with federal elections this year. On July 1, not only will Mexi- cans vote for a new president, but also the renewal of the lower house – 583 deputies – and 128 new senators. Even though the formal cam- paign season has not “officially” begun, a lot is being written and said about the important challenges the electoral authorities are facing to assure that there is no repeat of the 2006 debacle. Nobody has for- gotten that after weeks of uncertainty, the Federal Electoral Tribunal finally issued its decision confirming Felipe Calderón’s victory by only 0.57 percent of the more than 41 million votes! No one is predicting the 2012 race will be as close as the 2006 presi- dential race. But you should read Tom Buckley’s piece outlining some of the concerns about the election “referee” – the Federal Electoral In- stitute (page 8). This edition of Mexico Review also provides you a variety of stories on culture, books and entertainment that you simply can’t miss. Mexico can be a difficult country to understand, even if you speak and read Spanish. With so much going on in Mexico this year, can you afford not to read Mexico Review? Or visit our website www.mexico-review.com, where you will find additional stories, breaking news and much more information. Ana María Salazar Executive Director anamaria.salazar@mexico-review.com Elections Top 2012 Agenda Mexico Review@MexicoReview 2 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 “Mexico Review” ES UNA PUBLICACIÓN QUINCENAL PROPIEDAD DE YUMAC S.A. DE C.V. CON OFICINAS EN AVENIDA DURANGO NO. 243-7O PISO, COL. ROMA, DEL. CUAUHTÉMOC, C.P. 06700, TEL. 2455-5555 Y (949)680- 4336 EN CALIFORNIA USA, IMPRESO EN SPI SERVICIOS PROFESIONALES DE IMPRESIÓN, S.A. DE C.V., UBICADOS EN MIMOSAS NO. 31, COL. SANTA MARÍA INSURGENTES, C.P. 06430, DEL. CUAUHTÉMOC, MÉXICO D.F. FECHA DE IMPRESIÓN 16 DE DICIEMBRE DEL 2011. “Mexico Review” INVESTIGA SOBRE LA CALIDAD DE SUS ANUNCIANTES PERO NO SE RESPONSABILIZA CON LAS OFERTAS RELACIONADAS A LOS MISMOS. ATENCIÓN A CLIENTES EN ZONA METROPOLITANA 5203-4943. LOS ARTÍCULOS Y EL CONTENIDO EDITORIAL SON RESPONSABILIDAD DE SUS AUTORES Y NO REFLEJA NECESARIAMENTE EL PUNTO DE VISTA DE LA PUBLICACIÓN, NI DE LA EDITORIAL, TODOS LOS DERECHOS ESTAN RESERVADOS. PROHIBIDA LA REPRODUCIÓN TOTAL O PARCIAL DE LAS IMAGENES, Y/O TEXTOS SIN AUTORIZACIÓN PREVIA Y POR ESCRITO DEL EDITOR. “Mexico Review” HAS OFFICES IN MISSION VIEJO, CALIFORNIA 92691 (949) 680-4336 FOR ADVERTISEMENT CALL OR GO TO OUR WEBSITE www.mexico-review.com. THE PUBLICATION WILL START BEING FREE, ONE PER READER OR ONE PER HOUSEHOLD AND WILL DEVELOP INTO SUBSCRIPTIONS. PLEASE ADDRESS ALL CORRESPONDENCE TO “Mexico Review” 26861 TRABUCO ROAD SUITE E217 MISSION VIEJO, CALIFORNIA 92691-3537 USA EMAIL subscriptions@ mexico-review.com OR letters@mexico-review.com. PUBLISHED BY-WEEKLY (SUNDAYS) BY YUMAC S.A. DE C.V. APPLICATION TO MAIL AT PERIODICALS IS PENDING AT MISSION VIEJO CALIFORNIA. SUBMISSIONS OF ALL KIND ARE WELCOME. ADDRESS THEM TO THE EDITOR AND INCLUDE A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE. COPYRIGHT 2011. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. “Mexico Review” TRADEMARK IS PENDING. LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR E D I T O R I A L Oscar McKelligan PRESIDENT Ana María Salazar VICE PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Fernando Ortiz LEGAL ADVISER Tom Buckley EDITOR IN CHIEF Kelly Arthur Garrett MANAGING EDITOR Blake Lalonde ASSOCIATE EDITOR Andrea Sánchez EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Daniela Graniel ART DIRECTOR S A L E S Verónica Guerra de Alberti CANCÚN REPRESENTATIVE Abril de Aguinaco CABO REPRESENTATIVE Iker Amaya Álvaro Sánchez U.S. REPRESENTATIVES C O N T R I B U T O R S Mariana H. Montero, Eduardo Díaz Rivera B O A R D O F D I R E C T O R S Oscar McKelligan Ana María Salazar Yurek McKelligan Fernando Ortiz
they said it... BUT WITH 140 CHARACTERS OR FEWER “EverythingsuggeststhatinMexico,withitsuncertaintyin2012,Twitterwillbeoneofthebattlefields where the fight for power will be decided.” – JAIME AVILÉS, POLITICAL COLUMNIST, looking ahead to the national elections scheduled for July 1 M O D E R N P O L I T I C S “Peña Nieto creates erotic tension, at once from envy and from a desire to get close. He’s an erotic figure for women as well as for men. ”– Sabina Berman, writer and playwright and political commentator, on the presumptive PRI candidate for president “Howisitourfaultthatthose‘hijosdelagranputa’in theUnitedStatesconsumesomanydrugs?” – Armando Manzanero – singer, songwriter and a Mexican musical institution – on the drug trafficking violence plaguing Mexico It’s Only Fiction T HIS GENTLEMAN HAS A RIGHT TO NOT READ ME. WHAT HE DOESN’THAVEA RIGHT TO IS BE- ING PRESIDENT OF MEXICO, BASED ON IGNORANCE.” – Carlos Fuentes, after presidential candidate Enrique Peña Nieto publicly identified historian Enrique Krauze as the author of Fuentes’ novel “La silla del águila” WHAT’S NEXT? A FRIDAEROBICS CHAIN? “DiegoRiveraandFridaKahloturnedtheirmarriageintoasourceof inspiration for their work, and their work into a testimonial to their relationship.ReservadelaFamiliaExtraAñejoandPlatino,thebest tequilas,areproudtocelebrateoneofthecouplesthatdefinedanera and a nation.” – A JOSÉ CUERVO marketing campaign for two premium tequi- las, with the bottles sold in boxes featuring work by the two artists WHO ARE WE “Mexican identity is much more imaginarythaninothercountries. Between [Carlos] Slim and a child in Oaxaca, you tell me what the identity is. It’s purely ideological. Still, it’s more persuasive than in Spain. It’s more likely that an indigenous Oaxacan will beat his chestandproclaim‘IamMexican!’ than a Catalan will say ‘I am Spanish.’ ” – The late Tomás Segovia, Spanish poet and man of letters who spent much of his career in Mexico, in an interview shortly before his death ? YOUMEANLIKEREALLYTAKE CAREOFTHEPLANET? Ifbusinessesreallyhadaneco- logical conscience, they would eliminate throwaway contain- ers as much as possible, or try to recover 99percentofthosetheyproducebywork- ing together with the retailers to encour- age the public to return the containers, in exchange for a payment, so they can lat- er be processed. – Luis Gottdiener, physics professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), lamenting corporations’ tendency to print slogans like “Let’s take care of our planet” on packaging instead of implementing recycling programs CROSS- BORDER LOVE January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 3
O ver 60 years ago, U.S. PresidentHarryTru- man belittled legis- lators who regularly blockedhisbillsbyla- belingthemcollective- lyas“TheDoNothing Congress,”aphrasethathasenteredthepo- liticallexiconintheUnitedStates. In Mexico today, President Felipe Calderón likely feels a kinship with old “Give’emhell,Harry.” A narrative has emerged in the media overthepasttwoyearstodescribeMexi- co’slawmakersanditisnotflattering.Fed- ericoReyesHerolescoinedtheterm“The GenerationofNo!”whileCiroGómezLey- vatrottedout“thefailedgeneration.”En- riqueKrauzewasabitkinder,using“The GenerationofFrustratedModernization.” “The Generation of No is a trustwor- thy machine that freezes, postpones, fil- ibusters and wastes the country’s time,” wroteHéctorAguilarCamíninMay2010. The situation has not improved since then. STAGNATING REFORMS During the second week of January, the secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Devel- opment visited Mexico and delivered a stern message. “I’ve always thought that Mexico does not deserve the mediocrity of a mid-table performance, to use a soccer term,” said José Ángel Gurría, also a former Mexican Cabinetofficial.“Mexicoshouldaspiretoan economicperformanceworthyofthetopof thetableandmaketheplayoffsregularly.” Gurría declared that no matter who comes out on top after the July elections major reforms are necessary, identifying laborreform,educationalreformanden- ergyreformaskeyrequirements. Labor reform has been on the agen- da for decades, but only recently has the power of unions been reduced enough to consider real reform. Business groups havelobbiedextensivelyforchangesthat wouldallowemployersmoreflexibilityin hiring and a more streamlined adjudica- tion process. Employers say that would reduce outsourcing and would encour- age businesses to give younger people a chance without fear of stiff penalties if thenewemployeedoesn’tworkout. 4 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 POLITICS CONGRESS
THE POLITICS OF ‘NO!’LAWMAKERS CONTINUE to underachieve and obstruct much-needed reforms, prompting commentators to label them a failed generation. January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 5
The Labor Secretariat lobbied exten- sively for a reform bill that won support acrossthepoliticalspectrum,butthebill was pulled from the floor just before a fi- nalvoteinDecember2010andhasnever beenseenagain. A security bill has been frozen for nearly four years even though the De- fenseSecretariathasgoneonrecordsay- ing that without certain legal reforms, majorsecurityissueswillremainforan- other decade. Politicalreformhasbeenontheagen- daforalmostadecade,buthasrarelyseen anything resembling consensus. Last year, a bill gained traction and reached the floor of the Chamber of Deputies in November. But the old guard of the Institution- al Revolutionary Party (PRI) pulled off apowerplayandthesectionallowingfor limitedre-electionforcertainpostsatthe federalandstatelevelwaseliminated.The Senate re-instated the clause and sent it backtotheChamberinDecember,butno furtheractionhasbeentaken. ALL BLAME, NO RESPONSIBILITY The PAN’s Senate leader, José González Morfín said PRI deputies and that par- ty’s presidential candidate Enrique Pe- ña Nieto had blocked these much-need- edreforms. Overpaid, Underworked When the legislative session ended on Dec. 15, lawmakers pronounced their performance a success. A careful examination of their record can easily produce a different interpretation. From Sept. 1 through Dec. 15, the Chamber of Deputies was in session 33 days, six of which were suspended for a lack of a quorum. The total time these sessions lasted was 200 hours, according to Chamber statistics. So deputies worked just over four hours a day for their monthly salary of 150,000 pesos. But not all legislators worked every day. There were on average only 288 deputies present at each session (there are 500 deputies). Among the items these hard-working legislators took care of were to vote themselves new life insurance deals and to purchase new office furniture. The Chamber got by on a budget of nearly 5.2 billion pesos last year, of which 3 billion went to daily stipends for meal money (in addition to their wages) and staff salaries. Since polls show Congress is among the most reviled sectors of society, deputies voted for 60 million pesos to be spent on self-promotion. The Senate didn’t do much better. In December, quorums drifted uncomfortably low, averaging about 78 senators. Senate official Francisco Arroyo revealed to the press on Dec. 29 that at least 15 of the 128 senators had been fined for repeat absences. “There’s a dramatic difference be- tween PRI senators and PRI deputies,” hesaid.“IntheSenate,theyhavebehaved responsibly while the PRI deputies have beenduplicitousandsmall-minded.” “They prefer to whittle down reforms so that they are ineffective or just simply block them. And Peña Nieto has exerted tremendous influence over a large bloc of deputies who are trying to curry favor withhim.” GonzálezMorfín’spredecessorasPAN Senate leader, Gustavo Madero (now the PAN president), had gone even further while still a senator, calling the PRI “ob- structionist”and“retrograde.” PRI Sen. Carlos Jiménez Macías and PRD Deputy Armando Ríos Piter sought toblamePresidentCalderónforthelackof progressinCongress,saying–amongoth- erthings–thathisinterlocutorswerein- effectiveandhefailedtobuildconsensus amongpartiesoracrosssociety. PANSecretary-GeneralCeciliaRome- roreturnedfire: “That is just plain pathetic,” said RomeroinlateDecember.“Iftheyaren’t capableofanalyzingabillonitsownmer- its without requiring lobbying from the president,thenthepeopleareinbigtrou- ble. Regardless of who a bill’s sponsors are, Congress should not need to rely on officious representatives who are push- ing legislation. “Thatisjustsoinfantile.” PoliticalcommentatorHéctorAguilar CamíncamedownonthesideofRomero inacolumnentitled“ANewSeasonofNo.” “Congress seems more focused on spoutingaboutwhattheydon’tlikeabout anylegislationproposedbythepresident insteadofdiscussingandimprovingupon whatmightbeinterestingwithinthebill,” hewrote.“Nobodyisaskingthattheyau- tomaticallyapproveanylegislationassub- mitted … but the public should be able to expect that lawmakers address the fun- damental problems that such legislation is targeting and improve the bills as they seefit.” Instead, Congress has simply ignored – or worse, blocked – key legislation and allowed issues in dire need of attention tofester. HYPOCRITICAL OATHS Overayearago,CiroGómezLeyvapoint- ed out the hypocrisy of Congress loudly Sen. Manlio Fabio Beltrones 6 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 POLITICS CONGRESS
Church vs State A bill described as promoting greater freedom of religion has prompted widespread protests and could prove to be a hot-button topic in the upcoming elections. As the congressional session came to a close in December, the Chamber of Deputies approved a constitutional reform that amends Article 24 but does not threaten the secular state, its defenders say. The Left was quick to accuse the conservative PAN and the PRI of trying to ramrod through a reform that favored the Catholic Church, whose power was dramatically reduced in the second half of the 19th century and a nasty religious war – the Cristero Rebellion – took place in the late 1920s. Deputy Alejandro Encinas of the PRD wrote an op-ed piece insisting that the legislation was aimed at dismantling the secular state and protests occurred across the nation in early January. Ironically, PRD Deputy Guadalupe Acosta Naranjo – the president of the Chamber – was presiding over the session during which the bill was passed. Leftist deputies twice expressed their displeasure by taking over the speaker’s dais and preventing debate which dragged on for four hours as a result of the interruptions. criticizing Calderón for delays in monu- ments being built to celebrate Mexico’s bicentennial. “They publicly beat up the president forallthesedelaysbutwhenitcametime for them to inaugurate the new Senate, they failed,” he wrote in November 2010. “This is just another failure delivered by the‘failedgeneration’.” Evennow,theextravagantnewSenate building – described by Gómez Leyva as having“acertainairofSovietgrandiosi- ty”–isthesubjectofaninvestigation.The buildingwasfinally“inauguratedalmosta yearbehindschedule,butfeaturesnumer- ousproblemssuchthatsenatorsstillhold committee meetings and other events in theoldSenatebuilding. Duringthe2011rainyseason,thenew building suffered leaks, and throughout the year the electrical circuitry was fre- quently shocking unsuspecting Senate employeesandtheexpensivevotingboard wasmalfunctioning. GENERATION Z? A few commentators are hopeful that a new generation of politicians will take thestagesoon. Someobserversaren’tconvinceditwill everemerge. Gómez Leyva wrote of the youthful line-upofPRIgovernors–IvonneOrtega (39),RodrigoMedina(39),MiguelAlonso (40)andJoséCalzada(47)–andcoalition governors Rafael Moreno Valle (43) and GabinoCué(45). But in the 17 months since he penned those words, none of these governors has distinguished themselves, although Gov. Ortega has enjoyed some success in Yucatán. And Mexico scholar George Grayson has disparaged the stuttering political transition here, arguing that the decline oftheonceall-powerfulpresidencyhasal- lowed governors to become “the nation’s newfeudallords.” Althoughafewfreshfaceshavemadeit intoCongress,thedynamicshavenotre- allychanged. The proportional representation sys- tem for Congress allows politicians to “win” elections without ever facing an opponent, and many go the proportion- al route frequently. Four such sure-fire candidatesforthePRISenateslateinthe JulyelectionsareJorgeEmilioGonzález, the scion of the Green Party, Fernando González(son-in-lawofElbaEstherGor- dillo), Mónica Arreola (Gordillo’s daugh- ter)andMaríaElviaAmaya,wifeofJorge HankRhon. TelevisanewsanchorJoaquínLópez- Dórigawrotedisdainfullyofthefourlike- ly soon-to-be lawmakers: “Their qualifi- cations? They are children, in-laws and spousesofthe‘elite’…andofcourse,they havealotofmoney.” PROGNOSIS NEGATIVE PotentiallyworseforMexico’sshort-term futureandthepoliticalenvironment,the Spring session of Congress is likely to be evenmoreunproductive. Traditionally,Congressdoesverylittle inthesessionleadinguptoapresidential election, preferring to focus on the cam- paign and avoid debating controversial legislationormajorreforms. “This sexennial legislative paraly- sis is a result of our outmoded presiden- tialistmodel,”saidpoliticalscientistEz- ra Shabot. In addition, there is a lengthy parade of legislators stepping down in order to runforanotherpost.Federalelectionlaw mandates that any legislator or govern- mentofficialthatintendstorunforoffice muststepdownbeforeformallydeclaring hisorhercandidacy. “Usuallywhathappensisthatthemost powerful politicians, key party leaders, leaveCongressinsearchoftheirnextjob andthatleavesnobodytodirectdebates,” said Alberto Aziz Nassif, a researcher at theCIESASthinktank. Andsinceprofessionalpoliticiansrely onthegovernmenttroughfortheirliveli- hood,theyoftenjumpfromtheSenateto theChamberofDeputiesortocontendfor agovernorship. That means that during the final ses- sion before an election, there are lots of substitute lawmakers holding court. But that suggests that Congress is populated by legislators who might not have a full graspoftheissuesathand. Tomakemattersworse,thatalsotypi- callymeansthatthesamefacesregularly returntoCongress,rotatingfromtheSen- atetotheChamberandviceversa. Andifthepremiseofthefailedgener- ation turns out to be accurate, that sure- lybodespoorlyfortheprospectsofpoliti- calprogress. January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 7
Alone in the MiddleELECTION OFFICIALS are off to a late start as they prepare to arbitrate campaigns leading up to the all-important July vote 8 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 POLITICS ELECTIONS
S ports commentators are fond of saying thatagoodrefereeal- wayspreferstogoun- noticed. That means he made all the right calls, that he didn’t make any mistakes. Leonardo Valdés is hoping that old adage applies to his fel- low election officials at the Federal Elec- toralInstitute(IFE)thisyear. TheIFEhastheunenviabletaskofact- ingasarbitersthroughoutthefederalelec- tioncampaign.Thelikelihoodofremain- inginvisibleisslimtonone. The task has been made much hard- erbecausetheIFEhassufferedadrama- ticlossofprestigesinceitwasestablished as an autonomous entity in 1990. That first “independent” IFE (which included current presidential candidate Santiago Creel) was universally praised for its in- tegrityandfairness. Evenasrecentlyas2004,theIFEwas regarded as one of the most trustworthy electioninstitutionsintheworld.Itsrep- utationwassuchthattheUnitedNations asked the IFE to help direct the Inter- national Workshop for Election Admin- istration in 2004 that was organized to helpIraqielectionauthorities prepareits 2005elections. UNDER ATTACK ThedifficultsituationIFEnowfindsitself inisnotentirelyofitsownmakingthough thepreviousadministration(2003-2008) waspaintedasthescapegoatforthe2006 presidentialelectionfallout. Theinstitute’sfailuretodeclareawin- nerthenightofthatelectionsetoffaseries of events that threatened to make Mexi- coungovernable.Butbythen,thepolitical partieshadalreadybeenchippingawayat thefoundationoftheIFE’scredibility–its autonomy. “The lack of consensus during the se- lectionofthe[IFE]generalcouncilin2003 openedthedoortoquestions…aboutitsle- gitimacyandimpartiality,”wroteDiódoro Carrasco,aPANsenatorialcandidate,in aDec.22newspapercolumn. PRDlegislatorsabstainedfromthese- lectionprocesstoprotestthelackofitsown candidatesonthefinallist.ThePRIandthe NationalActionPartychosenottocompro- miseandfilledthecouncilwithitsownfa- vorites.Thatsetthestageforthepost-elec- tionprotestsin2006ledbythePRDcandi- dateAndrésManuelLópezObrador. The constitutional and legal regu- lations in electoral matters have expe- rienced significant reform, broadly im- pacting the institute’s composition and responsibilities. The 2008 reforms were seen as a vindictive attack on the IFE by the two main losers of the 2006 election – the Institutional Revolutionary Par- ty (PRI) and the Party of the Democrat- icRevolution(PRD). The reforms were criticized by politi- calcommentatorsasaneffortbythepar- ties to exert greater control over the IFE and the term “particracy” (partidocra- cia) gained a new foothold in the lexicon. Wikipediadefinesparticracyas“adefacto formofgovernmentwhereoneormorepo- litical parties dominate the political pro- cess,ratherthancitizensand/orindivid- ualpoliticians.” “This particracy is like an oligarchy with another name: government by an elitethatisonlyseekingbenefitsforitself without considering the good of the na- tion,”wroteEduardoGarcíaGasparafew weeksafterthe2008reformstookeffect. Theconceptisnotnew,however.Alexis deTocquevilledescribedtheU.S.govern- ment as an aristocratic political system within which government officials were more concerned about themselves and theirpartiesthanwiththegeneralpublic. MOVING FORWARD Despite all the recent turmoil (see side- bar),theIFEhasremainedconfidentand Valdésisdeterminedtoactauthoritative- ly.Evenbeforethegeneralcouncilwasful- lystaffedinDecember,theIFEwasruling onallegedelectionlawviolations. APRIcomplaintthatPresidentCalde- rón intervened in the election process by criticizing previous PRI governments in an interview with the New York Times was rejected. The IFE also declined to order the removal of billboards promot- ing López Obrador’s candidacy since it wasnotclearwhohadpaidforthem. InearlyJanuary,theIFEandtheInte- riorSecretariatannouncedanagreement toprotecttheelectoralprocessfromorga- nized crime and illicit funds. A commit- tee to carry out the agreement was also installed and security protocols were es- tablished. Potential hot spots across the countrywerealsoidentified. OnJan.9,theIFEpublisheditsfirstbi- weeklyreportofitsmediamonitoringac- tivities.Inmid-January,theinstitutewas investigatingchargesrelatedtopublicity and activities on behalf of presidential candidatesEnriquePeñaNietoofthePRI andJosefinaVázquezMotaofthePAN. Andthisisonlythebeginning.Thefor- malcampaignseasondoesn’tkickoffuntil March.Bythen,theIFEhopestohavewon therespectofthecontendersandtheelec- torate.Thegoalwillbetoconvinceallcon- cerned that, like a real referee, they don’t care who wins. They only care that the rulesarefollowed. January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 9
T he2008electoralreformman- dated that the IFE general council be staffed via a stag- gered selection process. The president was replaced shortly there- after with Leonardo Valdés, the former headoftheMexicoCityElectoralInsti- tute,takingover. Five other councilors were chosen during the course of 2008. Francisco Guerrero(2013),MarcoAntonioBaños (2017), María Elizondo (2013), Alfredo Figueroa(2013)andBenitoNacif(2017) willserveoutstaggeredterms. Thethreeholdovercouncilorsleftthe IFEwhentheirtermsendedinOctober 2010 and their successors were sup- posedtobeselectednolaterthanJanu- ary 2011. Instead, the Chamber of Dep- uties squabbled over who to pick, with eachpartyinsistingonimposingitspre- ferredchoices. For 13 months, the IFE operated shorthanded.Councilorswereforcedto take on extra duties, even violating the lawbysittingonmorecommitteesthan permitted in order to make up for the three missing councilors. Political an- alysts wondered whether the situation wouldpromptaccusationsthatIFEde- cisions were illegal, threatening the va- lidityofthe2012federalelections. OnNov.30,theFederalElectoralTri- bunalorderedCongresstofillthevacant seatsin15days.Lawmakersfinallyreact- ed and on Dec. 15, the three new coun- cilorswerefinallyselectedtonewterms endingin2020.Withinhours,theywere sworninandhadtakenontheirduties. LORENZO CÓRDOVA Córdova, 40, is a lawyer and academic with a Ph.D. in political theory from the UniversityofTurinwhowasworkingin UNAM’sLegalStudiesInstituteastheco- ordinatorofitsElectoralLawdepartment. He was employed by the Senate as an adviser for its political reform work- ing group. Córdova has said that his fo- cuswillbeonenforcingthemostrecent electoral reforms, even though he sees themas“incomplete.” “The goal of the reforms was to strengthen the autonomy of political organizations and reduce the impact of moneyontheelectoralprocess”hesaid. “Thenewlawsare‘perfectible’butuntil theyarecorrectedtheymustbeadhered to.Therulesareinplaceandeverybody mustplaybythem.” Despite the criticism the IFE has received, Córdova insists the council- ors must do their job “without bias or thoughts of revenge, completely inde- pendent of external factors and with- out regard to the person or parties be- ingruledon.” SERGIO GARCÍA García is a politician and lawyer who served as the presiding judge on the In- ter-American Court of Human Rights from2004-2007.Hepreviouslyworked atUNAM’sLegalStudiesInstitute. Perhapsmostcontroversially,García isamemberofthePRI,servingaslabor secretary in the José López Portillo ad- ministrationandcontendingforthepar- tynominationforpresidentin1987. “Imustanswertheperfectlyreason- ablequestionsaboutmypartyaffiliation with impeccableconduct,”hesaid.“My promisetobeimpartialwillnotalonebe convincing, but my decisions can serve to reassure the electorate that I will be anindependentarbiter.” Garcíainsiststhatacarefulexamina- tionofhispoliticalcareerwoulddemon- stratethathehasneverblindlyassumed partypositions,buthas“alwaysdemon- stratedcompleteobediencetothelaw.” The74-year-oldGarcíahassaidthatone of his priorities will be to bring greater attention to gender equality in elector- alpractices. MARÍA MARVÁN MarvánhasaPh.D.insociologyandwas thepresidentoftheFederalPublicInfor- mationInstitutewhenshewasselected fortheIFE.Beforethat,shewasaninves- tigator at UNAM’s Social Sciences Re- searchInstituteaswellasaprofessorat theUniversityofGuadalajara. ShehadbeenaffiliatedwiththePAN inthestateofJaliscoandalsoservedas a councilor on that state’s electoral in- stitute. Marván quickly sought to de- flect any criticism related to her party affiliation. “Inevertookpartinanypolicyorpo- liticaldecisions,”shesaid.“Mycontribu- tionswerestrictlytechnicalinnature.I neverformallyjoinedthe(NationalAc- tion)party.” Marvánannouncedthatsheisinfa- vor of making public the official voter rolls of political parties. “Parties are or- ganizations of genuine public interest andassuchtheirmembershipshouldbe availabletothegeneralpublic,”shesaid. In a similar vein, Marván declared thattheIFEmustbetransparentandac- countablewithregardtoitsbudget:“We shouldbecarefultospendprudently.” —TOM BUCKLEY Behind the Makeover New councilors were seated 13 months after their predecessors left 10 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 POLITICS ELECTIONS
by the numbers 78Percentage of Mexico City’s waste that Mayor Marcelo Ebrard says will be recycled thanks to the government’s new trash treatment program 74,442Complaints filed with the Defense Secretariatbycitizensagainstorganized crime activities since the Army began its “We Will Take Action” program in March 2010 15,950,000,000PesosbudgetedtotheFederalElectoral Institute (IFE) for 2012 5,300,000,000Total amount of pesos the IFE will distribute to political parties for their campaign funds in 2012 3.8Percentage of average annual GDP growthinthefirstfiveyears(1988-2003) of the Carlos Salinas administration 2.9Percentage of average annual GDP growthinthefirstfiveyears(1994-1999) of the Ernesto Zedillo administration 1.5PercentageofaverageannualGDPgrowth in the first five years of both the Vicente Fox (2000-2005) and Felipe Calderón (2006-2011)administrations 4,103,200EstimatednumberofTwitteraccounts in Mexico as of March 2011 1MinimumpercentageofGDPthatanation needs to invest in scientific research in ordertodevelopeconomically,according to Raúl Qintero Flores, 2011 winner of Mexico’sNationalScienceandArtsPrize intheTechnologyandDesigncategory 2.3Average percentage of GDP that OECD nations invest in scientific research 0.4PercentageofGDPthatMexicoinvests in scientific research 72,000,000Tons of garbage stored at the Bordo Poniente trash dump, closed by the Mexico City government on Dec. 19 12,600Tons of garbage generated daily by Mexico City residents 15.7Number of years it would take to refill the Bordo Poniente dump at that 12,600-tons-per-day rate 0Number of presidential candidates supported by Carlos Fuentes, Mexico’s greatest living author 1Number of candidates supported by Fuentes before Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard dropped out in favor of Andrés Manuel López Obrador 3MexicanswhohaveplayedintheNBAaf- terGustavoAyónsignedwiththeNewOr- leansHornetsonDec.23,2011.(Theother two:EduardoNájeraandHoracioLlamas) 3.4Average annual per capita alcohol consumptioninlitersinMexicoin1980, according to the OECD 5.9Average annual per capita alcohol consumptioninlitersinMexicoin2009, a 73.5 percent increase in three decades 2Number of OECD countries whose av- erage annual per capita alcohol con- sumption increased more than Mexico between1980and2009(Chinaat158.8 percent and Brazil at 188.4 percent) 67Percentage of Mexico’s estimated 36 millionInternetuserswhoareunder35 32,000EstimatednumberofTwitteraccounts in Mexico as of July 2009 January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 11
RIDING OUT THE STORMMEXICO’S ECONOMIC variables should be strong enough to wait out the uncertainties abroad 12 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 ECONOMY &FINANCE 2012 OUTLOOK
T he sense of exhaustion evident in the markets as 2011 drew to a close seems likely to last throughoutthenewyear and continue to have a durableimpact. The destruction and resulting fallout produced by the global crisis in 2008 has proven to be more comprehensive than was thought possible. The U.S. economy and emerging market economies includ- ingMexicogavewaysoastoopenupspace for the European Union and its infamous PIIGS (an acronym for Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain) to become the principalpreoccupationoffinancialmar- ketsingeneral Anendlessstreamofemergencyfiscal measures,newregulationsandrescue ef- fortscollidedwithpoliticalcontradictions, leavingleadingglobalinvestorswithabit- tertasteintheirmouths.Andthisincludes the investors that really control currency flows and liquidity – the big guns, so to speak. The disaster that began as a finan- cialcrisisandaliquiditycrunchisnowbest describedasacrisisofpoliticalcredibility thatseemslikelytoonlyworseninthefore- seeable future. The possibility of a viable solution – a well-structured financial re- sponse–wouldappearextremelydifficult. GreeceandPortugalareflatbrokeeven as some political and financial figures try todenyit.ItalyandSpainarewalkingafis- caltightropetoo,reflectingmacroeconom- ic and microeconomic weakness. Worse yet, both the European private and pub- lic sectors have been equally and severe- lydamaged. Theupcomingpresidentialelectionsin theUnitedStateswilldivertthemajorityof attentionthere,especiallysincenorealfa- voritehasemerged.TheU.S.economy,for itspart,isdemonstratinggradualimprove- ment,thoughitcanbearguedthatmuchof thegrowthisduetothefiscalandmonetary “steroids” injected into the economy over the past three years. Meanwhile, U.S. pol- iticians continue arguing over debt limits andwillsoonbeengaginginanall-outbat- tletowinall-importantcongressionalma- joritiesinNovember. SOUND FOUNDATION Inthiscontext,itwouldseemthatMexico isstuckinneutral,botheconomicallyand politically.ButtherealityisthatMexicohas developed a very sound macroeconomic January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 13
foundation that offers cause for hope. On theonehand,internationalreservesareat historically high levels and debt, current accounts and its fiscal leverage are opti- maland100-percentmanageable. On the other hand, admittedly mod- est growth has been sustained at levels above 4 percent even in the face of dis- turbing economic noise on all sides. Do- mestic consumption has shown gradual improvement,andalthoughemployment data is nothing to brag about it has re- mainedrelativelystablethankslargelyto theinformaleconomythatsupportsmil- lionsofMexicans.Inaddition,themanu- facturingandindustrialsectorshavebe- gun to show perceptible signs of growth despite the stuttering U.S. economy and Mexico’s overwhelming dependence on theU.S.economy. Atthesametime,Mexico’scentralbank hasdoneanextraordinaryjobholdingfirm onitspolicies,especiallywithregardtoin- flationtargetsannouncedtoinvestors.Its ability to steer the Mexican economy and maintain a reliable monetary course in thefaceofrougheconomicseashavebeen witnessed by foreign investors who seem convincedofthecertaintythatthecentral bank’snavigationskillsaregenuine. Theworrisomeexternalfinancialvari- ables that are quite evident in economic trouble spots abroad has helped the Mex- ican peso to become one of the five most liquid currencies in the world. It is a good parametertokeepaneyeonwhenvolatil- ityandriskaversionspike.Evenso,Mexi- co’ssupposedmacroeconomicstabilitydid notpreventthepesofromdepreciatingby more than 12 percent this year. The posi- tive result of this has been that exporters have benefited and industrial output has been strengthened indirectly. However, profit margins have taken a serious hit at bothbigandsmallcorporationsandfami- lybusinessesthatfocusonimports. Thestockmarketherehassufferedthe effects of the global environment, as have most markets around the world. But the Bolsa has experienced negative effects of significantly lower magnitude, helped equally by the macroeconomic founda- tionandthesoundbalancesattheprinci- pal Mexicancorporations.Incomparison to Mexico’s principal competitors except with regard to exchange rate, Mexico’s fi- nancial variables have kept the economy afloat in extraordinarily volatile circum- stances and with widespread uncertain- tylingeringatallturns. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS Withtheworstbehindus,theprimaryfocus ofattentionduringthefirsthalfof2012will bethepresidentialelection.Inglobalcircles, Mexico’spoliticalbattlewillpotentiallybe 14 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 ECONOMY &FINANCE 2012 OUTLOOK
obscured by presidential elections in 26 other countries, including Italy, Germa- ny, France, South Korea and the United States.Marketobserversandfinancialde- cision-makers will be hopeful that Mexi- co’s campaign will generate little noise so asnottonegativelyimpactMexico’srepu- tationabroad,especiallysincethedrugwar violencehasbeenaPRnightmare. Early polling has consistently favored the Institutional Revolutionary Party, thoughrecentsurveysindicatetheremight begrowingdiscontentwiththePRIcandi- date,EnriquePeñaNieto.Thiscouldopen aspaceforleftistcandidateAndrésManuel LópezObradortogainattentionanddevelop momentum.LópezObradorhasbeen“cam- paigning”forsixyearsnowandhasrecent- lysoughttorevisehisimagefromthatofa radical,intransigentrebeltoaconciliator. Meanwhile, the National Action Party hasstruggledinthefaceofaglobalreces- sion and the government’s controversial battle against organized crime. The PAN hasbeenunabletogetsolidfootingandthe pollssuggestthepast11yearsofPANrule haveproducedvoterfatigue. Ifthepresidentialcampaigntakesplace inacivilizedatmosphereandinanorder- lyfashion,economiccertaintyandinvestor confidenceshouldremainfavorable.Such a narrative will secure relatively stable prospects for Mexico despite all of its im- perfections–especiallypoliticaldeficien- cies – and the inevitable changes brought onbyanelectionprocess. All in all, a relatively smooth political scenario through July 2012 on top of the economy’ssolidfoundationsshouldsetthe stageforMexicotomoveeverclosertore- alizingitsfullpotential. wrotethecolumn, AlrededordelosMercados,fortheElFinanciero dailyfrom2007-2011. Steady as she goes A nalystsandpunditsforeseea difficult economic scenario in 2012, and forecasts about Mexico include sluggish growthboostedbystablefundamentals. BankofAmericaMerrillLynch(BoA) predicts that Mexico will be among the slowest-growingLatinAmericanecon- omies in 2012, citing Mexico’s vulnera- bilitytoexternalfactors,especiallyifthe U.S.economygoesintorecession. BoA sees Mexico’s GDP in 2012 at 3 percent,wellbelowprojectionsforVene- zuela(5percent),Peru(5.2percent)and Colombia(4.1percent). TheEconomicCommissionforLatin America,orCepal,predictsLatinAmerican GDPat3.7percentin2012,butseesMexi- cocominginat3.3percent.Cepalprojects bettergrowthforArgentina(4.8percent), Brazil(3.5),Colombia(4.5)andChile(4.2). TheMexicanStockExchange,orBol- sa, lost 3.82 percent in 2011. The Bolsa closedat37,077.52onDec.29,recording 120 losing days and 122 winning ses- sions. Ten trading days ended with no movement. The best trading day was Aug. 11 when the Bolsa climbed 4.26 percent; theworstdaywasOct.8astheBolsain- dexsank5.88percent. Experts are confident that the Bolsa indexwillsurpass42,000pointsin2012, although the Bolsa fell short of 2011 ex- pectations(analystspredictedtheindex wouldendtheyearabove38,000). The peso depreciated by 13 percent in 2011, closing the year at 13.9725 after openingtheyearat12.3650.Thestrongest mark the peso hit in 2011 was on May 2 asittradedat11.48totheU.S.dollarand itsweakestclosewasonNov.25at14.30. Analysts surveyed by the El Univer- saldailysuggestedthecentralbankwould work hard to support the peso and like- lywouldmovetowardrelaxingmonetary policy.Thecentralbankcouldbeexpected todelaymovingthelendingratedownfrom 4.5percentuntilthesecondquarter,riding outpredictedcurrencyvolatility(thepeso couldriseabove14totheU.S.dollar)until thesituationinEuropesettles. BOOSTING COMPETITION TheCalderónadministrationispleased about the macroeconomic outlook but disappointedatthelackofprogressinthe telecomssector.Thesolidfundamentals havehelpedkeepMexicointhesightsof foreigninvestors. Theeconomicplayingfieldisalsobe- comingmorelevel,ifonlygradually. “Acriticalstepwastheapprovalofthe FederalCompetitionLawinMay,”Econo- mySecretaryBrunoFerraritoldreporters onDec.29.“Itwaslongoverdueandithas createdalegalstandardfeaturingcritical conceptswithregardtocompetitionthat allowustocombatmonopolisticpractices.” The law’s objective is to establish a strongerFederalCompetitionCommis- sion, Ferrari said, in order to guarantee genuinecompetitivenesswithintheecon- omy.“Thisinturnwillassureconsumers thattheyhaveaccesstothebestgoodsand servicesatthebestprices.” ODDS AND ENDS Foreign investment was on the rise throughout 2011 and it was driven by nine key sectors: the aerospace indus- try; the agroindustrial sector, the auto- motivesector;manufacturingofmedical devices/equipment;electricappliances; electronics;renewableenergyindustries; creativeindustries(andarts);andinfor- mationtechnology/softwaretechnology. The aerospace industry was the No. 1 recipient of foreign direct investment andhasbeenasignificantmotordriving Mexico’sgrowthinthepasttwoyears. There were a few significant foreign trade-relatedeventsin2011. OnJan.6,theUnitedStatesconsent- edtoallowMexicanlong-haultrucksin- toU.S.territory,asperthetermsincluded inthe1993NorthAmericanFreeTrade Agreement.TheU.S.governmentgrant- edthefirstpermittoaMexicantrucking company on Oct. 14 and one week later thefirstMexicanlong-haultruckcrossed theborderanddeliveredgoodstoanin- teriorU.S.destination. On Nov. 22, Mexico and Central America signed a free trade agree- ment and on Dec. 15, the Senate ap- provedafreetradeagreementwithPeru. —MEXICO REVIEW Growth will be slow in 2012 but peso and Bolsa outlooks are optimistic. January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 15
REUTERSPHOTO 16 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 ECONOMY &FINANCE PUBLIC WORKS
E veryonespeakswellofthebridgethatcarrieshimover, goes the old Chinese proverb. But what of a tower that castsalongshadowinwhicharehiddenshockingcost overruns? President Felipe Calderón inaugurated a bridge and a tower the first week of the New Year and the con- trastsspeakvolumes. TheBaluarteBicentennialBridge,orPuenteBaluarte,isanew cable-stayedbridgelinkingthestatesofSinaloaandDurangoalong theDurango-Mazatlánhighway. The Puente Baluarte has a total length of 1,124 meters (3,688 feet), with a central cable-stayed span of 520 meters (1,710 feet). Theroaddeckitselfis403meters(1,322feet)abovetheriverbelow. ThePuenteBaluarteisthehighestcable-stayedbridgeinthe worldandthesecond-highestbridgeoverall.Acable-stayedbridge consistsofoneormorecolumns(usuallyreferredtoas“towers” or“pylons”),withcablessupportingthebridgedeck. Construction of the bridge began in 2008 and it was inaugu- rated in January 2012. The bridge forms part of a new highway linking the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of northern Mexico and willgreatlyreducethetraveltimebetweenDurangoandMazat- lán.Thecostofconstructionwasnearly$159million. Twodaysafterinauguratingthemonumentalbridge,President CalderóndidthesameforthecontroversialEsteladeLuz,aquartz- covered“pillaroflight”builtinfrontofthegatestoChapultepec ParkintheheartofMexicoCity.TheEsteladeLuz–finished15 months after it was supposed to be completed as part of the na- tion’s bicentennial celebrations – has been the focus of protests. Itcostalmost$75million. Someactivistshavetakentocallingthe104-meterhighEstela deLuztheMonumenttoCorruption.TheAssociatedPressreport- edthatcostsnearlytripledfromanoriginalestimateof400mil- lionpesostomorethan1billionpesos,andauditorsfound95im- proprietiesincontractingthatresultedincriminalchargesagainst atleastfourpublicemployees. Authoritieshavesaidagovernmentboardincorrectlyautho- rizedpaymentforthearchitecteventhoughheturnedinincom- plete designs. The construction management company bid out constructioncontractswithoutfollowingnormalproceduresand beforetheyevenhadfinaldrawings. Theprojecthasalsodrawncriticismbecauseonlyaboutone- thirdofthebuildingmaterialscamefromMexico.Thestainless- steel columns had to be imported from Italy, the quartz panels fromBrazilandaspecializedlightingsystemwasmadebyaGer- man-ownedcompany. —MEXICO REVIEW SolidBulwark, ShakyPillar THE BALUARTE BRIDGE enjoyed a better REUTERSPHOTOREUTERSPHOTOMEXICOREVIEWPHOTO/TOMBUCKLEY January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 17
W hen Mexi- co City’s new Museo del Es- critor opened its doors to first-nighters shortly before the winter holidays, a properly dressed lady of a certain age spent most of the evening seated and holding court at the open end of a partitioned section of the museumdedicatedtotheCentroMexica- nodeEscritores,theprestigiousMexican writers center known as the CME that offered scholarships and endless work- shops to promising authors and poets from1951untilfinancialwoesclosedits doors in 2005. Celebration of WordsLITERARY LIONS are revered in Mexico. Now they have their own museum. 18 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 life& leisure MUSEUMS
Though founded by an American (the novelist Margaret Shedd) and initially funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, theCMEsoonbecameathoroughlyMex- icanpowersourceforthenation’sremark- able literary output in the second half of the 20th century. It helped generate the Boom of Carlos Fuentes, the Wave of Jo- sé Agustín, the Crack of Jorge Volpi and otherliterarymovementswithsillynames andlastingimport. “Thebestwritersofthegenerationsof the50s,60sand70swereallinthatplace,” wrote Emmanuel Carballo, the pre-emi- nent Mexican literary critic during that sameperiod,andtothisday. All that’s left of that place now, aside fromtheworkofitsbeneficiaries,isalong wood table donated by that lady of a cer- tain age to the new Writer’s Museum. It sitschairlessinthespecialCMEarealike a prop in a haunted house play, and we’re invited to image it occupied by, say, the Nayarit-born poet Alí Chumicero (1918- 2010), the Jaliscan short story master JuanJoséArreola(1918-2001)ortheMex- ico City novelist and critic Salvador Eli- zondo (1932-2006) – writing, critiquing, arguing, advising, reading and, one as- sumes,drinking. Butwhatmostgrabsyourattentionin- sidetheCME’snicheinthenewmuseum are the scores of black and white photo- graphsthattakeupmostofthethreewalls. They’reheadshotsofyoungpeopleintheir 20s.Veryfewarefemale. “These photos are from a book called “Los becarios del Centro Mexicano de Escritores (1952-1997),” our properly dressedladyannouncedfromtimetotime toanybodyandeverybody.“It’sbyMartha DomínguezCuevas,whoisme.” Ms. Domínguez was, along with the late Felipe García Beraza (1924-1997), a keyCMEadministratorformostofitsex- istence. Herbookincludesbiosandbibli- ographies of all the center’s grant recip- ients (becarios) up to 1997. The book is hard to find now, but the photos are right there in the Museo del Escritor for all to see. “They’re the photographs that were taken as soon as they got their grants,” Ms.Dominguezsaid.“That’swhythey’re allsoyoung.” Young, indeed. With their throats pinchedbynecktiesandtheircheeksun- threatenedbymiddle-agepudge,thebud- dingauthorslooklikethey’reposingfora collegeyearbook,notforwhatamountsto a Who’s Who of Mexican letters over the lasthalfcentury. Theyoungestoftheyoungonthewall isHomeroAridjis,theworldrenownedpo- et, novelist, environmental activist and diplomat,whojustcameoffastintasPres- identCalderón’sambassadortoUNESCO. Aridjiswasbarely19yearsoldwhenhere- ceivedhisCMEgrant. Alsoonthewall,attheotherendofthe age spectrum, is Juan Rulfo (1917-1986), who was in his early thirties when he re- ceived one of the first CME grants given out. Within four years he had published “PedroPáramo,”probablythemostinter- nationallyadmirednovelevertocomeout ofMexico,aswellas“Elllanoenllamas,” anequallyadmiredcollectionofshortsto- ries.Asliteraryinvestmentsgo,thatgrant wasawinner. Then there’s Carlos Monsiváis, a rea- sonablykemptandbe-suited24-year-old when he got his first CME grant in 1962 (he went back for seconds in 1967). The wit may have already been there when his picture was taken, but the unruly- haired dean of cultural criticism had yet toemerge. There’sFernandodelPaso,whoturned 30in1965,theyearhereceivedhisCME grant. He went on to a wide-ranging and productive career as a man of letters, but we know him best today as the author of “Noticias del Imperio,” (1988) the ambi- tiousandwildlypopular(aswellasmuch imitated)historicalnovelofMaximiliano andCarlota’sreigninMexico. There’s Ángeles Mastretta, who was 26 when she got her grant in 1974, some 11 years before she wrote her hugely suc- cessfulnovel“Arráncamelavida,”which wastranslatedintoEnglishas“TearThis HeartOut”andlaterturnedintoanequal- lysuccessfulfilmbyRobertoSneider. There’s a 20-something Carlos Fuen- tes, who turned his CME grant into “La región más transparente” (translated in- to English as “Where the Air is Clear”), which launched perhaps the most prolif- ic and impressive literary career by any living author who hasn’t won the Nobel PrizeforLiterature. Andthere’sRenéAvilésFabio,a1965be- cario who on this opening night stood out amongthewriterspicturedbecausehewas also there in the flesh. The museum is his brainchild,anditwashewhoamassedthe thousandsofbooks,includinghundredsof firsteditions,nowhousedonthesite. That site, to hear Avilés tell it, was hard to come by. Unable to convince ei- ther Mexico City or federal officials to lend him a building in the Historic Cen- terfortheproject,hewasforcedtostore the museum material at his foundation headquarters.“Thepublicsupportedus,” he said. “The government didn’t.” Finally, Mexico City’s Miguel Hidal- goboroughallowedhimtousetheground floor of its cultural center, known as the Faro de Saber Bicentenario, meaning roughly the Bicentennial Lighthouse of Knowledge. Hidden deep in Parque Li- ra, a hilly park near Metro Constituyen- tes, the place is difficult to get to if you don’t already know where it is. But that didn’thurtattendanceonopeningnight; many more showed up than could fit in the facility. The throngs were a reminder that literary figures – from Sor Juana in the 17th century to Paco Ignacio Taibo II in the21st–arereveredinMexico,ifnotas widelyreadastheymightbe.Thatrever- ence is reflected in the museum set-up, which consists of altar-like glass enclo- sures containing photos, first editions (all paperbacks) and personal effects of countless Mexican authors, and some foreign ones (Gabriel García Márquez and José Saramago among them). The personal items were mostly do- nated. “For example, the widow of Ro- dolfo Usigli [the great Mexican play- wright who died in 1979 and is best known for “El Gesticulador,” frequently assignedreadingforAmericanstudents studyingLatinAmericanliterature]do- natedataperecorderthemasterused,his glasses,postersforhisplays,”AvilésFa- bio said. “That’s how you create a muse- um without many economic resources.” Browsing around the museum’s “al- tars” is a pleasant and edifying way to spend an hour or two, and it doesn’t cost anything. Still, there’s something un- comfortableabouthavingbookspresent- ed as glass-enclosed museum pieces, in an era when their future is in doubt. As thoughawareofthat,AvilésFabioprom- isedthatthefacilitywillbea“livemuse- um,”withworkshops,presentations,oth- er literary events and access to the col- lection of volumes for scholars and the general public. Not exactly the reincarnation of the Centro Mexicano de Escritores, but at least a worthy display of its spirit. January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 19
T herewasatimeinMex- ico when the future lookedespeciallybright. It was the 1920s, when the bullets of the Revo- lution stilled, a new re- gimeflirtedwithmoder- nityandanunprecedentedculturalexplo- sionleftanartisticheritagethatincluded, but went well beyond, iconic figures such asRivera,Orozco,SiqueirosandTamayo. Intothiscarnivalofcreativityentered averyyoung(barely20)journalistandfu- tureanthropologistnamedAnitaBrenner. Born in Aguascalientes to immigrant Jews,shereturnedtoMexicoaftersitting outtheRevolutionasachildinTexasand immediatelyinsinuatedherselfintoMex- icoCity’svibrantartscene. Talentedandprecocious,Brennersoon joined a select few writers who were in- forming English-speaking readers about the extraordinary cultural Renaissance gathering steam in Mexico. Much like to- day, Mexico at the time was perceived in the U.S. press more as a problem than a place; Brenner, along with Alma Reed, Frances Toor and a few others, present- edanentirelydifferentview.Theyhelped startaboomletofinterestinthingsMexi- can,whicheventuallyledtomajorexhibi- tionsofMexicanartintheUnitedStates. Brenner published a flood of articles, notablyinTheNation,butismostremem- bered forher early survey of Mexicanart “IdolsBehindAltars,”a1932travelguide, whose unfortunate title “Your Mexican Holiday” disguises its incisive and non- patronizing approach, and a review of the Revolution entitled “The Wind That SweptMexico.” Now there’s a new addition to the Brenneropus.Itturnsoutthattheyoung Anita kept a journal, running from her 1925 arrival in Mexico City to her mar- riage to David Glusker, a New York doc- tor, in 1930. These near-daily musings on Mexico – “notes,” as she called them ANITA BRENNER’S DIARYJOURNAL ENTRIES from the 1920s take us into the everyday lives of Mexico’s great 20th-century artists. Susannah Glusker with one of the volumes of the published journals of her mother, Anita Brenner (inset), which she edited. That’s Diego Rivera on the back cover. 20 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 life& leisure BOOK REVIEW
–wereheroicallyeditedandannotatedby SusannahJoelGlusker,Anita’sdaughter, and recently published by the University ofTexasPressinatwo-volume,861-page, photo-richbookcalled“Avant-GardeArt &ArtistsinMexico:AnitaBrenner’sJour- nalsoftheRoaringTwenties.” As a rule, diaries not written by Anais Nintendtohavemorescholarlythanpop- ularappeal,whichmaybewhythepublish- erstriedtospiffupthetitlewiththatincon- gruous“Roaring.”Butlay-loversofMexican arthistory,anditscultureingeneral,canpo- tentiallygetmoreoutofthisone-of-a-kind workthanfromanyre-readingofBrenner’s landmark,butsuperseded,books. That’s because the richest reward of thesediariesisnotsomuchthevoyeuris- ticexperienceofexaminingathoughtful person’s exposed introspection (though that’s there too) but rather in what she has to say about the people around her. Not just any people, mind you, but virtu- allyallofthemajorartistsandwritersof the era, and a good percentage of the mi- nor ones. Brenner seems to have known themall–notasmerejournalisticsourc- es or professional acquaintances, but in- timatefriends.ScornedinherTexashigh school as a Jew and a Mexican, she now claimed the twin tools of revenge: popu- larityandsuccess. There’s an entry I’ve quoted before as especiallyindicativeofthekindofcrowd AnitaBrennerranwith.Intruththereare probablyhundredsofotherentriesequal- ly revealing of Anita’s amazing connect- edness, but let’s stick with this one, from July7,1926: “Went with Chamaco and Rose to see Edward. Worked with him on choosing, etc. photosuntiltwo.ANew Orleansman, Spratling was here also. Sort of amiable and vapid. Lunch at the Café Colón with Chamaco & Rose. Looked at her costumes &heardaboutthegraceandflowersofTe- huantepecuntilfive.ToDiego’s&sawthere Barreda,CarlosChávez...talkedaboutthe ballets with Carlos. Home to find the boys –Jean and George– had been here twice. Fooledabout&nowork.” Now let’s take those names one at a time: Chamaco.That’sMiguelCovarrubias,the greatsketchartist,cartoonistanddesign- erofsetsandcostumeswhopublishedin Vanity Fair, The New Yorker and else- where in the United States and Mexico. They called him Chamaco (kid) for his youth, though he was slightly older than Anita. Rose. Covarrubias’ wife Rose Roland, sometimescalledRosaRolandabutborn Rosemonde Cowen of Scottish, Mexican andAmericandecent,wasanartist,danc- erandphotographerwhowasthesubject ofaretrospectiveinMexicoCitylastyear attheMuseoEstudioDiegoRiverayFrida KahloandtheCasaLuisBarragán. Edward. The noted American photog- rapher Edward Weston was a fixture in Mexico at the time, working with his ap- prenticeTinaModotti,herselfatransplant fromItaly.Thetwoplayedamajorrolein modernizingMexicanphotography.Their work,oftenwithsharedcredit,makesup thebulkofthehundredsofphotographsin AnitaBrenner’spublishedjournals. Spratling. William Spratling, an Ameri- canarchitectwhomovedpermanentlyto Mexicointhelate1920s,wasanearlypro- moterofDiegoRivera’swork,andlateror- ganizedtheartisanalsilvercottageindus- tryinTaxco,Guerrero. Diego. Yes, that would be Diego Rivera, then 39 years old, young for our image of him but older than most of this particu- lar circle of artists. He and his wife Lupe MarínwerelifelongfriendsofAnita,and recurringcharactersinthejournals. Barreda. A writer and poet who worked with the Mexican Foreign Service in New York, Octavio Barreda was married toCarmenMarín,thefirstdirectorofthe Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City. CarmenwasLupe’ssister,soBarredawas anin-lawofDiegoRivera. CarlosChávez.Thecomposer/conductor, just27atthetimeofthisdiaryentry,was theleadingfigurein20th-centuryMexi- canmusicandthefirstdirectorofthena- tionalsymphonyorchestra.Whatwesee here, then, is that Anita’s interests (and connections) extended beyond art, liter- atureandpoliticsandintoseriousmusic. Jean.Paris-born(in1898)butwithMexi- canfamilyroots,JeanCharlotwasanim- portantpainterandillustratorwhoplayed aroleinthedevelopmentofMexicanmu- ralism.Inthejournals,we’reawareofhis on-again/off-againromanticinvolvement withAnita. George. George Vaillant, a Harvard an- thropologist who wrote several books abouttheAztecs. Thisexcerpt’smentionsofthosemajor players may be quick and superficial, but it’s just one entry among hundreds. The cumulativeeffectisanevolvingsketchof the day-to-day lives of a lengthy roster of major figures – portraits of the artists as youngmenandwomen.Whatwegetfrom thesejournals,then,isaprivilegedlookat theseartistsaspeople,andnotthehistor- icalfiguresorlarger-than-lifenationalist iconsthey’reoftenpresentedas. Perhaps because of the (temporarily) privatenatureofadiary,Brennerisn’tshy aboutsizingupherfriends.That’sgoodfor us. Here, for example, is an excerpt from 1926aboutRivera: “Diegotoldmeoncethathe…hasonlyat themosttenyearsleftinwhichtopaint…It seemstome,however,thathehasdescended January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 21
sincethePreparatoria[animportantcom- mission].Fromthesplendorofgeometryto thesentimentofthepicturesque–Cubism toGauguin.” They were both wrong. Rivera painted for four more decades and few would dismiss his post-Cubist work as “picturesque.” Brennergivesushundredsoftheselit- tlecommentaries.Asampler: OnTamayo:“Hehasaverystrongattraction formostwomen.Slimandterriblysensual, wide mouth and the savor of things appar- entonit.Herousesdesire.Iamremembering thatCarnivalnight,drinkanddawn.[Sorry, shedoesn’telaborateonthat.]Hispaintings areinterestinginsofarastheyshoweffortand talent. [Damningwithfaintpraiseifthere everwassuchathing.]…hehasonethingI likeespeciallyoftwochildreninafield.”[That would be his small woodcut from 1925 of “Two Children with Maguey” or “Dos ni- ñas mexicanas,” helpfully reproduced by Gluskerandtheeditorsapagelater.Awon- derfulfeatureoftheUTPress’presentation ofthesediariesisthecarefulplacementof theabundantartwork.] On Siqueiros:“Hehasasensitive,strange face,glitteringeyes,clear,greenishblue,or hazel,hardandweird.Finenose,smallsen- sual mouth. Black, dark brown hair, slight queercushionunderchin,beautifulhands andgreatcharm.Heismuchinterestedin thesocialendofthequestion.”[Thatlastis anunderstatement.Hispoliticalcommit- mentiswell-reflectedinhisart,hiswrit- ings and his Communist Party mem- bership, but curators have told me that it infused even his casual conversation – constant“exploitedmasses”thisand“the people” that, anticipating the Monty Py- thonbit.] On Orozco:“Heisadearandyoufeelahu- manbeingthere–doesnotinspireawe,con- tempt, disgust or laughter– just kinship. I shallenjoyposingforhim.” And later:“Orozcocameoverinaverygood mood. He is working very hard, he says. Wants to do ‘fresco’ on cement – entirely new procedure and it means new aesthet- ics.”[Orozcowasontosomethinghere.Ce- ment and reinforced concrete, the Latin Americanliteratureprofessorandartcritic RubénGallotellsusinhis2005book“Mexi- canModernity,”flourishedin1920sMexico, andforafamiliarreason:“Architectssought abuildingmaterialtorepresentthenewre- alityofpost-revolutionaryMexico,onethat enactedaclearbreakwiththepast.”] These penny insights into the quo- tidian life of working artists encourages something like a domino learning effect. Youcomeacrossalittletidbitonanartist orwriteryouadmire,youseektofindout more.You’reintriguedbyaBrennercom- ment on an artist you’ve never heard of, you look him up. So those disinclined to slogthrough860pagesofsomebody’sper- sonaldiarycanstillusethesejournalslike astudyguide,andprobablyalifelongone. Susannah Glusker makes that easy to do. The book is heavily annotated; ev- erything is explained. Not a single for- eign word – Spanish, Spanglish, French or Náhuatl – goes untranslated. Each year’s worth of entries are preceded by a round-upofthatyear’sgoings-on,putting Brenner’sobservationsintocontext. Thereisathoroughindex,abibliogra- phy and a glossary that tells us a little bit about almost every name mentioned in the book. They all will be much appreci- atedbyreaders. But ultimately it’s Anita Brenner’s communicationoftheMexicanspiritthat makes this volume worth its list price of $125. In his foreward to the book (marred by awkward diction that may be a case of translationese) the late Mexican cultural critic Carlos Monsiváis quotes a passage from “Your Mexican Holiday” that nicely summarizes her approach, and especially hitshomewiththoseofusinherprofession: “Mexico means something to you, in a strange personal way. You remember things about it at unexpected moments andwithstartlingforce.Youareapteven to quarrel, reset most of the things said and written about it. You would like to writesomethingyourself,fullofyourob- servationsandexperiences,thingswhich youhavenotseeninprint.” Cometothinkofit,thosewordscould serveasaworkingdescriptionofthismag- azine’smission. Susannah Glusker chatting with political cartoonist Rafael Barajas (El Fisgón) at a book presentation. 22 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 life& leisure life& leisure BOOK REVIEW
F or three days and nights over the March 23-25 weekend, Mexico City’stopstadiumvenue,theFo- roSol,willbejammedwithsome 70,000 souls listening, screaming, slam- ming, dancing and otherwise grooving to morethan100bandsandothermusicians inLatinAmerica’smostprestigiousmusic festival,andoneofthemostimportantany- whereintheworld. Officially,it’stheFestivalIberoamericano deCulturaMusicalViveLatino,butnobody callsitanythingelsebutViveLatino.Since 1998–saveforafewskippedyears–ViveLa- tinohasbeentheshowcaseofSpanish-lan- guagerockandotherLatinAmericanpopu- larmusic,servingasasortofthermometerto measuretheheatofnewandestablishedacts, andtheinternationalmusicsceneingeneral. Ocesa,Mexico’sdominantliveentertain- mentpromoter,organizedthefirstfestival withtheideaof“bringingtogetheranum- berofgroupsplayingrockinSpanishthaton theirownmightnothaveenoughdrawing powerbuttogethercouldformanattractive billing.”Theycreatedaninstitution,butalso alivinganimal,whosebehaviorhasevolved overtheyearstoreflecttheLatinAmerican musicscene’sgrowingglobalprominence. NolongerisViveLatinolimitedtorock, to the Spanish language, to Latin Ameri- can bands or to acts with limited drawing power.Theactsareinternationalandthe genres diverse. And one of the true plea- suresofViveLatinotodayisseeingamajor starlikeEnriqueBunburytakethestage justminutesafterasurprisinglypleasing setbyalittle-knownbandthatmayhave beenplayinginastagelesslittledivewith whiteplasticseatstheweekbefore. Some of the bigger international names at the 2012 Vive Latino will be Bunbury (from Spain), Kasabian andMadness(bothfromtheUK),Il- lyaKuryaky(Argentina)andTVon theRadio(UnitedStates). But the home team is Mex- ico, and its contribution to the Vive Latino line-up is especially strong and diverse this year. So let’stakealookat10oftheMex- icanactsthatwillplaythefesti- valinMarch.Somewillnodoubt befamiliarnamestomany,oth- ersnotsomuch.Buttakento- gether,theygiveagoodideaof whattoexpectatViveLatino 2012,aswellasasnapshotof thestateofMexicanmusictoday. Let the Music BeginVIVE LATINO, one of the world’s top rock festivals, will take place in Mexico City in March. The Mexican music scene, in all its richness and diversity, will be on full display. . January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 23 life& leisureMUSIC
SIDDHARTHA Jorge Siddhartha is an indie/alt solo- ist from Guadalajara who played drums for Zoé before breaking out with the 2008 release “Why You?” which was nominated for a Latin Grammy in the best solo rock album category. The recently released fol- low-up album, “Náufrago,” gives us sweet, beautifully crafted songs com- ing out of an isolation period in which Siddhartha explored other musical landscapes marked by layers of synths and electric guitars, as well as lyrics dealing with loneliness and times gone by. Siddhartha’s sound adheres to the Kings of Convenience dictum that “Quiet is the New Loud,” but he still manages to get things moving with upbeat and danceable pop-rock tunes. For him, Vive Latino is “the greatest festival in Latin America and a celebration of our music, identity and brotherhood.” Recommended “Why You?” is a subtle electronic pop-rock album with intelligent and poetic lyrics. It was the result of a solitary project that he worked on for years, even as he was playing with Zoé. “Náufrago,” (2011) continues the dreamy, introspective aura of “Why You?” but with its own personality and more ra- dio-friendly singles. THE WOOKIES They are a fairly new DJ act whose onstage costume is exactly what their name would lead you to suspect (although the Star Wars species is properly spelled Wookiees). “Calacas” and “André VII,” well-known in the Mexico City underground scene, come out of a creative collective known as Sicario, which started out as a clothes and design store, and grew into a blog (sicario.tv), an online record label (soundcloud.com/sicar- io-music) and an advertising agency – but it’s perhaps best-known for throwing wild parties. The Wookies have performed in venues worldwide, including in Tokyo, New York and Ottawa. But the Vive Latino stadium crowd will be by far the largest audi- ence to see them. “It will be a great opportunity for the electronic music scene,” says Calacas, aka Hugo Díaz Barreiro. “We’ve prepared a show with a live band as well as the turntables.” Recommended “Discotechno” (available at http://sound- cloud.com/the-wookies) is their debut EP, and its electronic beats recreate the dis- cotheque scene in 90s-era Acapulco with songs such as “Costera Miguel Alemán,” “La Quebrada” and “Acapulco Golden.” But truth be told, no recording can match watching them perform live and party big time. JUAN CIREROL Relatively new on the scene out of Mex- icali, Cirerol sings “anarco corridos,” accompanied onstage by little more than his acoustic guitar, his harmonica, his cowboy shirt, his jeans and a pair of boots. He’s been described as a blend of Johnny Lydon (of Sex Pistols fame), Johnny Cash, and the Sinaloa corrido crooner Chalino Sánchez (1960-1992). But he’s a highly original composer of songs packed with irreverent, tongue- in-cheek lyrics. Narco culture is part of his work, but it’s not the core of it. Like other artists from northern Mexico, such as writer Carlos Velázquez, author of “La Biblia vaquera,” Cirerol captures the language, slang and vibes of the region in songs such as “Clonazepam blues,” “Vida de perro” and “Maldita maestra,” which have become musts at any party. Of his first appearance at Vive Latino, Juan says, “It’s a result of having good friends and colleagues who I trust and who believe in me.” Recommended “Ofrenda al Mictlán” is his debut album of corridos, the story songs of northern Mexi- co. (Mictlán is the underworld of Aztec my- thology.) The topics range from complaints about everyday life to stealing drugs from your mother. This album is everything truly independent music should be – fresh, cre- ative and cross-genre, with no nods to radio station profiles or chart climbing. 24 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 life& leisure MUSIC
AMANDITITITA The triple diminutive in her perform- ing name turns her 4’9” stature into something like a dare. The daughter of the late and legendary urban rock- er Rodrigo González (Rockdrigo), Amandititita’s musical genre is cumbia-pop-rock, but her posture is anti-establishment and scathingly satirical. Her songs and videos tap into humor, kitsch and pop aesthetics as she aims her merciless lyrics at such social types as “Metrosexual” and “La muy muy.” She has also de- clared war against her former record label, using You Tube, where she has her own channel, to make her feel- ings known to all. Amandititita’s debut album, “La reina de la anar- cumbia,” thrust her into the spotlight, and she’s since become well known on Latin American stages, where audiences love her outrageous out- fits, caustic songs and danceable cumbia. But Vive Latino will be her biggest date yet, and there’s a sense of anticipation about just what this charismatic and controversial per- former has in store. Recommended “La reina de la anarcumbia” (2008) is a hi- larious album that finds much to mock in popular Mexican culture, including the aforementioned social types, places (“El balneario”) and seemingly mundane situa- tions such as “Viernes de quincena,” when the biweekly payday falls on a Friday, jam- ming the roads, the malls and the cantinas. Every song on this album is wittily written and slickly produced, and a lot of them still get airplay across the radio station catego- ries, including rock, pop and grupero. EDDIE Y LOS GRASOSOS Rockabilly’s been enjoying a revival in Mexico over the last five years or so, with bands like Los Gatos and Los Rebel Cats reminding music lovers just how infectious this hyper-danceable genre can be. Eddie y los Grasosos, together and touring around the country since 2008, are a big part of the movement. Influenced by a combination of music types associated with the 50s and 60s – country, western swing, blues, doo wop and surf, as well as rockabilly itself – these guys are all about big greasy hair (hence their name), leather jackets, drums, double bass, a twangy guitar and lots of hip action. It’s the kind of timeless music that teens and their parents and grandparents can dig together. Recommended “Oh! Mi nena” is their independently re- leased debut album packed with two-min- ute songs. With names like “Grasoso Rock,” “Cherry Bop” and “Fiesta Ye Ye,” the tunes stick to the timeless topics that matter most – i.e chicks, fashion, cars and partying. The only point is to have a good time, and most of us appreciate that. ALFONSO ANDRÉ HewasontheViveLatinostagelastyear, drummingforthereunitedCaifanesinan epicshowafterthatband’s15-year break-up.HehadfollowedCaifanes singer/songwriterSaúlHernándezto Jaguares,andalsodrummedforLaBar- ranca.Thistimehe’scomingoutfrom behindthedrums,frontinghisownband inamuch-anticipated,high-profileap- pearancethatwilltakeplacejustabouta yearafterthereleaseofhismuch-ad- miredsolodebutalbum,“Cerrodelaire.” It’sarockalbum,ofcourse,butthere’sa mysticalvibetoit,alongwithatouchof funk,andanodtopop,mostnotablya coverof“Penelope,”pennedbytheAmeri- can-bornMenudogradRobby(Draco) Rosa.Andrémaybeasoloactnow,writ- ingandsinginghisownsongs,butthe productionof“Cerrodelaire”wassome- thingofafamilyaffair.Thatrefersbothto hispersonalfamily(wifeCeciliaTous- saintandsonJuliánwereinvolved)and hismusicalfamily,withanumberof musicians/producersintheCaifanes/ Barranca/Jaguarescontinuumpartici- pating,suchasFedericoFong,Fobia’s PacoHuidobro(who,speakingoffamily, isthebrotherofMolotov’sMickeyHuido- bro),SaboRomoandAlejandroMarco- vich,amongseveralothers.. Recommended It’stemptingtorecommendgoingbackandlis- teningtoeveryCaifanes,JaguaresandLaBar- rancaalbumwithAlfonsoAndréonit,pay- ingmoreattentiontothepercussionthistime around.ButthethingtodobeforetheViveLa- tinofestivalisgetaholdof“Cerrodelaire”and playitoverandover.Thisworkofferstherare pleasureofhearingaveneratedmusicindustry veteranmakeafreshstart,andaliberatingone atthat.“It’stheresultofapersonaljourney,”An- drésays.“ThisisanewandscaryphasethatI’m enjoyingverymuch.” January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 25
CAFE TACVBA Yes, they’re still together and yes, they’ll be recording a new album soon. Possibly the biggest name in Mexican rock music, the band out of Satélite has been relatively quiet since celebrating its 20th anniversa- ry in 2009 at the same site as the 2012 Vive Latino festival – the Foro Sol – where they’ll be one of the fea- tured attractions. While all four members write music and lyrics, as well as produce and sing, it’s their extravagant front man, Rubén Albar- rán, who’s the unpredictable charac- ter onstage, overflowing with energy, changing costumes and assuming diverse identities. But any stage an- tics are secondary to this band’s unique combination of rock and tra- ditional Mexican music. Songs like “Ingrata,” “Las flores,” “Chica banda” and their cover of Jaime López’s “Chi- langa Banda” are windows to contem- porary Mexican culture. Recommended Go back to their self-titled 1992 debut album, “Café Tacvba,” a landmark in Mexican mu- sic that fuses their underground rock origin with traditional Mexican folk music. The lyr- ics deal with what living in Mexico is about, a break from other bands at the time who were more inspired by English, American or Argentine bands. “Re” (1994), produced by Oscar-winner Gustavo Santaolalla and con- sidered Café Tacvba’s masterpiece, exper- iments with a variety of genres and stands out for the playfulness of its lyrics. MOLOTOV Theenergylevelwillpalpablyrisewhen theseguyscomeon,andit’snotjust becausethey’reoneofthebiggestnames intheline-up,orbecausetheyboastall thetrappingsofrocksuccess(foreign tourscompleted,CDssold,LatinGram- mieswonandtunespennedformajor films,suchasAlfonsoCuarón’s“Ytu mamátambién”).Molotov’sasteamroller onstage,rammingtheirwaythroughone hitafteranotherwithanintenserock bass,drivingguitarriffs,aggressiverap lyricsandahintofTex-Mex.Theaudi- encejoinsinlikeawarchant.Themusi- calmixispowerfulanddanceableand fun,butMolotovisprobablybestknown foritsrelentlesspoliticalposture,aswell asalotofin-your-facelyricsthatseem intentionallydesignedtogettheminto trouble.Ascanhappenwithuncompro- misingmusicians,theirmotivesare frequentlymisinterpreted.Theirearlyhit “Puto”wascondemnedashomophobic (itwasn’t)andtheirbest-knownsong, “Frijolero”–anuncomfortableportrayal ofcross-borderantagonism–struckalot oflistenersassimplisticallynationalis- tic.Butit’sworthnotingthattheband memberwhosingsmostofthatsong, RandyEbright,isanAmerican.Molotov isaveteranViveLatinoact,butasbass- istPacoAyalaputsit,“It’salwaysan honorandachallengetobepartofa three-dayeventwithsomanybands.You gettoplaywithalotoffriends.” Recommended Molotovhasdonealotsincetheyfirsthitthe sceneinthe1990s,andthatincludescovering, ofallpeople,theballadeerJoséJosé.Buttheir firstrelease,“¿Dóndejugaránlasniñas?”(1997), isstillanessentialintroductiontowhatthese guysareallabout;itincludes“Puto”and“Vo- tolatino.”Thatalbum’ssongtitlesandlyricsare athoroughintroductiontoMexican“groserías.” “Frijolero,”whichmeans“beaner,”isfoundon their2003release,“DanceandDenseDenso.” ZOÉ They’ve been together for more than a decade. They are indisputably among the elite of Mexico’s indie/alt rock scene. They have recorded four superb studio albums. They’ve been amply honored, including as Best Rock Artist at the 2009 MTV Latinoamérica awards. But as Vive Latino 2012 looms, Zoé may be better than ever. León Larregui, the band’s sexy, untidy, bad-boy leader, pens dreamy, psychedelic lyrics that catch the attention of fans across the pop-to-rock spectrum. Zoé can follow an intense rocker with a love ballad that can be sung in arenas or weddings with equal effectiveness. Their latest effort is a 2011 release called “MTV Unplugged: Música de fondo,” featuring special guests such as Enrique Bunbury (with whom the band has been touring), Adrián Dárgeles (from the Argentine band Babasónicos) and the Monterrey rocker Chetes. The unplugged release, which took the 2011 Latin Grammy for best alternative music album, has clearly lifted the band to another level. And it confirms Zoé’s status as one of Mexico’s great live acts, with ethereal multi-instrumental and vocal arrange- ments that upgrade each song into an orchestral piece without losing any of that rock edge. Recommended Besides “MTV Unplugged: Música de fon- do,” give a listen (if you haven’t already) to “Memo Rex Commander y el corazón atómico de la Vía Láctea” (2006), Zoé’s breakthrough third album that conquered audiences with songs like “Vía Láctea” and “No me destruyas.” 26 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 life& leisure MUSIC
Jaime López J aime López appearing at Vive Latino2012givesamajorboost in prestige – not to Jaime, who doesn’t need it, but to the festi- valitself.FewMexicanactsattheevent willowenoartisticdebttoJaimeLópez. That includes bands like Café Tacvba whohavegoneontoacommercialsuc- cessthatJaime’sdedicationtohiscalling haskeptoutofhisownreach. He’s a rocker with a voice so gravel- ly in the lower registers he makes Tom WaitssoundlikeKarenCarpenter.Like Bruce Springsteen, he’ll write and sing tunesincalmergenres–folk,tradition- al, pop – yet somehow always bring a rock ’n’ roll sensibility to it, if only im- plied. Also like Springsteen, he uses the vernacular to achieve the lyrical power of poetry, if we define poetry as words meaning worlds more than they other- wise would. Put another way, a Jaime López songs achieves the poetic with- outalways soundinglikeit. But unlike Bruce, who is all-Ameri- can,Jaimeisall-Mexican,andtheunof- ficialvoiceofthecapital.Hedoeslittleto discouragethisimageofamusicalcon- duitofMexicoCitystreetlife,butit’sre- ally a far too limiting description of his work.Muchoftheurbanchroniclertag stems from an early hit, a rapped-out novelty song called “Chilanga Banda” in which he riffs off the ch-laden slang of the DF, with its “pachucos, cholos y chundos, chichifos y malafachas.” Café Tacvbacovereditin1996ontheirthird, all-coversalbum,“Avalanchedeéxitos,” andJaimehasappearedlatelywiththat band’sleadguitarist,JoseloRangel. Pushing 60, Jaime López is at the height of his powers. His latest album, “Mujer y ego,” has been dubbed a “ma- ture”work,whichsoundsliketrouble,es- pecially when you hear the strings-like soundintroducingthefirstsong,“Bailan- doaladistancia.”Butnottoworry.“Ma- ture” here means “in total control,” and whatfollowsiseverythingyoucanwant from a Jaime López album, albeit no- ticeably more haunting, perhaps more intouchwithpain. CallitLópeznoir. —KELLYARTHURGARRETT The Master Makes an Appearance INSTITUTO MEXICANO DEL SONIDO You’llseethisprojectreferredtoasthe MexicanInstituteofSoundalmostas oftenastheSpanishversion,reflecting itsappealinbothlanguage-worlds.De- spitethebureaucraticringtothename, IMS(orMIS)ismostlytheworkofone extremelytalentedindividual.Camilo Laraisarecordlabelexec,amaster collectorofvinylalbums(45,000and counting),abelovedDJandacreator/ assemblerofmusicthatmixeselectróni- ca,mambo,chachacha,salsaandrock androllfromthesixtiesandeighties.And youcanconsiderthatapartiallist.His samplesandsoundmixeseventually sproutedlyrics,withwry,knowingrefer- encestoMexicoCityculturethatareat oncesatiricandfond.It’slikelythata heftypercentageofhislistenersdon’t quitecatchallofwhathe’stalkingabout, butthathasn’tpreventedIMSfromturn- ingintoaninternationalsensation,at leastaspopularintheUnitedStatesand Europeasathome.Lara’srecordedout- putiscreativeandirreverentasitfuses retroandcontemporaryculture.ButIMS isalsoaveryfunacttoseeonstage,and forViveLatinotherewillbelivedrums, guitars,bassandvoice.Themusicians liketoamusetheaudiencebyappearing onstagewithtailsstucktotheirbehinds, brandishingconfettiguns,givingaway maracas,andsimilarcrazystunts. They’reknownforencouragingtheaudi- encetocreatealongviborita,thesnake- likecongalineyoumightseeattradition- alweddingsandparties.That’shap- penedatpreviousIMSViveLatino appearances.Let’sseeiftheydoitagain. Recommended “Méjico Máxico” (2006) was the IMS stu- dio recording debut, an instrumental al- bum that surprised everybody for its innova- tive sound and mixing techniques. “Piñata” (2007) turned IMS into an international fes- tival mainstay with hits such as “El micrófo- no,” a fun comment on the tendency today for just about anybody to consider himself or herself an opinion leader. Another favor- ite cut from “Piñata” is “Katia, Tania, Paulina y la Kim,” a song dedicated to Camilo’s former girlfriends. hosts“MúsicaenImagen” MondaythroughFridayfrom11p.m.to1a.m.on RadioImagen.ShealsotalksinEnglishaboutpop- ularmusicinMexicoon“LivinginMexico,”an English-languageradioprogramhostedbyAna MaríaSalazarthatairsonSaturdaysat7a.m.and Sundaysat10a.m.onRadioImagen.Formorein- formationonRadioImagen,checkouttheMexico Reviewwebsiteatwww.mexico-review.com. January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 27
Chasing the Clausura TrophyTHE OPENING of the second half of the Mexican Soccer League season has come with a lot of questions. BY TOM BUCKLEY T he balance of power appears to have tilted north as the Mexican Soccer League kicked off its Clausura 2012 seasononJan.6. The championship tro- phy resides in Monterrey again for the thirdtimeinfiveseasonsaftertheTigres claimedtheirfirstleaguetitlein29years with an easy triumph over fellow north- ernclubSantos. The Monterrey Rayados wore the crownaftertheApertura2009andAper- tura2010seasonsinadditiontowinning the Concacaf Champions League title in April2011.AndSantoshasbeeninthree of the past four finals despite coming up emptyeachtime. In contrast, fans of Mexico City- and Guadalajara-basedsoccerteamshavehad little to cheer about lately. UNAM is the onlyoneofthesesixclubsthathasoffered anythingtocelebrate,winningleaguetitles in May 2009 and May 2011. However, the PumasfollowedupontheirClausura2011 crown by failing to qualify for the Apertu- ra2011playoffs.Notonlythat,thePumas twicelostby4-0scoresandsufferedtwo 4-1beatdowns. HUMBLED ÁGUILAS The biggest fall from grace in 2011 was sufferedbytheonce-proud–somemight sayarrogant–Águilas.Américafanswit- nessedacircus,andnotafunnyone.The Águilas featured a league-worst defense 28 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 life& leisure SPORTS
(31 goals allowed in 17 games), winning only three times and recording only 15 points. Therewasmessylocker-roomtur- moil, player suspensions, and a late-sea- soncoachingchange Mighty América finished alarming- ly close to the cellar, saved only by lowly Atlas of Guadalajara, a club that has not won a title since 1951 and is in danger of relegation. Televisa-owned América carried out yetanotherhouse-cleaninginthefrontof- ficeinDecember,namingformernational teamstrikerandTVcommentatorRicar- do Peláez as team president and Miguel Herreraasheadcoach. Peláezdidn’twasteanytime,overhaul- ingtherosterandbringinginthreemem- bers of El Tri before signing Venezuela’s big defender Oswaldo Vizcarrondo. The movesmadecoachHerreragiddy. “Manforman,Américaisthebestteam in the league … without a doubt,” Herrera said,immediatelyincreasingthepressure onhimselftowinrightaway. For his part, the 6’3” Vizcarrondo – signedfromArgentina’sOlimpo–hasbeen brought in to shore up the back line. The 27-year-old will start alongside Colombi- anAquivaldoMosqueratocomposeafor- midablecentraldefensefortheÁguilas. Still, Vizcarrondo was under no false impressions. “I’m not here to be a defen- sivesavior.Ijustwanttobereadytocon- tributeinanywayIcan,”hesaid. Goalie Moisés Muñoz followed coach Herrera from Atlante to take over for GuillermoOchoawhomovedtoFrance’s Ajaccio last summer. Muñoz will be ex- pected to reduce the goals-against num- bersignificantly. SinceformerscoringchampionÁngel ReynawasdealttoMonterrey,theÁguilas will be looking to Christian Benítez and Daniel Montenegro (newly named cap- tain)togenerateoffense.Newacquisitions “Chema”Cárdenas(purchasedfromSan- tos) and Christian “The Hobbit” Bermú- dez–alsofromAtlante–willbecalledup- ontodirecttheattackfrommidfield. Inthepreseason,Américawononlyone offourgames,butgaveuponlyfivegoals. CHIVAS LICKING THEIR WOUNDS Outwest,Guadalajaramustquicklyrecov- er from a shocking collapse. After claim- ingtheNo.1seedheadingintotheApertura 2011playoffs,theChivaswereknockedout by8-seededQuerétaroinastunningquar- terfinalsupset. Guadalajara struggled to score all sea- sonandfoundthenetonlyonceinthetwo- gameplayofflosstoQuerétaro.Ofaddition- al concern for coach Fernando Quirar- te, the Chivas enter Clausura 2012 with a longinjurylist. Scorer Marco Fabián and midfielder PatricioAraujoonlyrejoinedtrainingcamp the week before the season opener while fourotherstartersremainonthesidelines. Two other top subs won’t be ready to see thefieldregularlyuntilFebruary. Coach Quirarte will face pressure to winearly,withteamownerJorgeVergara January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 29
looking anxiously over his shoulder. The ever-meddlingVergarafiredJoséLuisRe- allatelastseasonwhentheChivaswerein secondplace.Themoveseemedtobackfire eventhoughGuadalajarafinishedatopthe standings. The team never played consis- tentlywellandwereonce-and-doneinthe postseason. DESPERATE CEMENTEROS CruzAzulhasnotliftedatrophysinceDe- cember1997andCementerofansarefedup. CoachEnriqueMezamightnotsurvivethe seasoniftheBlueMachinestartsoffslowly. Cementeroownershiphasspentliber- ally to claim another title, instead getting treated to underachieving teams flaming out of the playoffs alternating with heart- breakinglossesinfinals.CruzAzulhaslost fourfinalsinthepastfouryears. The big news was the catch of strik- er Omar Bravo, who the club tried to sign in 2009 after he returned from a season inSpain.Backthen,theswiftstrikerfrom NayaritsignedwiththeTigresinstead.Bra- vo has been repatriated again after a suc- cessfulseasonwithSportingKansasCityof theMLS.SaidBravo:“I’mheretoworkmy buttoffandtowinovertheCruzAzulfans.” The former Guadalajara star (Bra- vo scored 108 goals with the Chivas) was broughtinspecificallytoigniteanoffense whoseperformancelastseasoncanbestbe described as moribund. The Cementeros attackregisteredonly21goalsin17games andNo.2seedCruzAzulfoundthenetonly twiceinthequarterfinals,bouncedbyMo- reliaona4-2aggregatescore. In five preseason games, Cruz Azul scored 19 goals and Bravo formed a dan- gerous strike force with Emanuel Villa. Midfield general Christian Giménez was enjoying directing the traffic and feeding ballstothedynamicduo.NowcoachMeza musthopethattheoffenseproducescon- sistentlyintheregularseason. PETULANT PUMAS UNAM’sfallfromthethronecamesudden- lyandunexpectedlyasthePumasmissed the playoffs one season after winning the title.A1-1tieathomeinthefinaleagainst lowlyTijuanacostthePumasandexposed theyoungclub’sweaknesses,especiallyits lackofdisciplineandalackofpoise. UNAMspentmanyagamescrambling toplugholesafterseeingaredcardandits once-stingydefensesprangleaksthatwere worsened by playing shorthanded too of- ten. The Pumas won only once in their fi- nalsixgames,losingtwiceby4-1scores. The club did not spend on new faces duringthewinterbreakandcoachMemo Vázquezisconfidentthathisyoungcharges Around the League Rayados suffer Suazo drama, Guille Franco returns to Mexico Monterrey endured quite a bit of training camp turmoil as star strik- er Humberto Suazo did not report to camp until the week of the team’s home opener. The Chilean inter- national earned heavy fines for his holdout as he was trying to force a trade to Boca Juniors and he was left off the roster for the first two games. The Rayados strengthened their of- fense over the winter break by trading for Ángel Reyna after the former scor- ing champ fell out of favor with Améri- ca. Last season, Reyna caused strife in the Águilas locker room by calling out the captain and cursing some oth- er teammates. He was suspended by América and put on the trading block as a result of his insubordination. In Pachuca, the Tuzos are looking to revisit the top of the table and proof of that was the signing of striker Guille Franco. The former Monterrey star (2002-05) who retired from El Tri after the 2010 World Cup, returns to Mexico after playing the past six sea- sons in Spain, England and Argentina. The Tuzos snuck into the playoffs last season with the No. 6 seed, but were knocked out by the eventual champi- on Tigres by a 4-0 aggregate score. Their biggest task might be filling >> 30 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 life& leisure SPORTS
willgrowup,especiallyastheteamiscon- sideringfiningplayersforrepeatedyellow andredcards. ButthePumaswentwinlessinthepre- season and it wasn’t clear that the focus on discipline resonated with the team. In one game, David Cabrera was shown red againstPueblaandthePumaslost2-1. “Thecoachingstaffhasbeenemphasiz- ing disciplined play but in some cases it’s justamatterofbeingtooaggressivewhile tryingtomakeaplayfortheteam,”saidde- fenderLuisFuentes. The defense will rely on veteran cen- terbacksDarioVerónandMarcoAntonio Palacios, while up front the Kiddie Corps of Javier Cortés, David Cabrera, Eduardo HerreraandCarlosOrrantiawillbecalled upontogrowupquickly. ATLAS SHRUGGED ASIDE? The Zorros franchise has fallen on hard times and the only thing that might keep Atlas from sinking into the second di- vision is Estudiantes Tecos, the strange team based in the Guadalajara suburb of Zapopan. Atlashasnotwonatitlesince1951but the club’s faithful fans have helped make the Clásico Tapatío an entertaining spec- tacle year after year. Of course, it helped matters when the Zorros were featuring an attacking brand of football, sparked by fresh legs from their youth development program. Rafael Márquez, Oswaldo Sán- chez, Jared Borgetti, Pavel Pardo, Daniel Osorno and Juan Pablo Rodríguez were allproductsoftheAtlasschoolinthe1990s. NowtheZorrosfacearelegationbattle withtheTecosthathasbeencomplicated bytheclub’sfinancialdifficulties.Vergara, the Chivas’ owner, even offered to rescue Atlasfrombankruptcylastyear.TheZor- ros showed disdain for the offer by hand- ily defeating Guadalajara in a preseason match,3-0. Coach Juan Carlos Chávez – a prod- uct of the Atlas school and the coach of Mexico’s Under-20 World Cup team that brought home bronze in 2011 – will be testedearlyandoften.OnDec.29,Chávez named as team captain striker Giancarlo Maldonado,theVenezuelaninternational who won a scoring crown and a league ti- tlewithAtlantein2007. Across town, José Luis Salgado takes overthehelmatEstudiantesinalast-ditch efforttosavetheTecosfromdemotion.The Tecos franchise is the only club in histo- ry to climb from third division to the first division,evenwinningachampionshipin 1994.ButifownerCarlosLeañoisn’tcare- ful,he’llsoonbefindingoutiftheteamcan repeatthefeatofreachingthefirstdivision fromthethirddivision. the gaping hole left by long-time goal- ie Miguel Calero who retired. Calero was instrumental in helping Pachuca win four league titles and six international trophies including the Concacaf Cham- pions League four times. The Tigres have to replace the offen- sive production provided by Danilinho if they hope to defend their crown. The acquisition of winger Elías Hernández is a good first step. The talented, young Morelia native will be looking to revive his career under the watchful eyes of coach Ricardo Ferretti. The champs have an early Copa Lib- ertadores test against Chile’s Unión Es- pañola with the winner claiming a spot in Group 3 alongside Bolivia’s Bolívar, Colombia’s Junior and Chile’s Univer- sidad Católica. Ferretti has gone on re- cord saying his team’s priority is the league, prompting ESPN personali- ty David Faitelson to write: “You’d think the Tigres would be willing to take a one-season sabbatical to focus on a prestigious international tournament. After all their fans waited 29 years be- tween league titles.” Cruz Azul and Guadalajara are the oth- er Mexican teams in the Copa Libertado- res. The Cementeros are in Group 6 with Brazil’s Corinthians, Venezuela’s Deporti- vo Tachira and Paraguay’s Nacional. The Chivas are in Group 7 with Argentina’s Velez Sarsfield, Ecuador’s Deportivo Qui- to and Uruguay’s Defensor. Four Mexican clubs are in contention for the Concacaf Champions League tro- phy with the quarterfinals set to begin in March. Morelia and Monterrey square off in one series, while Santos faces Se- attle and UNAM takes on El Salvador’s Isidro Metapán. Monterrey is the de- fending champion. —MEXICO REVIEW January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 31
Coming up ...CARNAVAL DE VERACRUZ Feb.14–22inVeracruz,Veracruz Veracruz offers the truest — some say only — carnival experience in Mexico, or anywhere else north of Rio de Janeiro. After the ceremonial burning in effigy of Bad Humor, the streets of this historic port city are taken over by floats and costume parades, as well as the music, dance and food that Veracruz is known for even in more mundane times of the year. THE GUADALAJARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL March2-10inGuadalajara,Jalisco Festival Internacional de Cine de Guadalajara (FICG) is considered the most important film event in Latin America. Last year more than 300 movies were shown, about one-third of them Mexican, and the rest from 44 other countries. Part of its strength comes from the wide range of supporting institutions, including the University of Guadalajara, the Mexican Film Institute (Imcine), the National Council for Culture and the Arts (Conaculta), the Jalisco state Government, and the cities of Guadalajara and Zapopan. FESTIVAL VIVE LATINO March23-25 The premier rock festival in Latin America will take place over three days and nights at the Foro Sol, a Mexico City stadium. The musical performers include Bunbury, Madness, Café Tacvba, Jaime López, Molotov and 100 others. (See page 23) OLYMPIC QUALIFYING SOCCER March22-27inNashvilleandLosAngeles The penultimate stage of the qualifying tournament that will determine which two teams from the Con- cacaf region (which includes North and Central America and the Caribbean) will compete at the Lon- don Olympics will take place in Nashville, Tennessee and Carson, California (part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area) from March 22 to March 27. The Mexican team, which by Olympic rules must be an under-23 squad for the qualifiers, will play in Carson, facing Trinidad & Tobago on March 23, Honduras on March 25 and Panama on March 27. The U.S. plays in Nashville, against Cuba on March 22, Canada on March 24 and El Salvador on March 26. The top two teams from each of those groups will play in a semifinal round on March 31 in Kansas City. Those two winners get a ticket to London, but a final game to determine the tournament cham- pion (and the seeding at the Olympics) will be played on April 2, also in Kansas City. THE PAPAL VISIT March23-26 Pope Benedict XVI will be in Guanajuato, a state known for its religious conservatism, before traveling to Cuba. He is scheduled to arrive at the Bajío Airport in the city of León on the afternoon of the 23rd, a Friday, where he will be received as a head of state by President Calderón. He will stay at the Mira- flores College, a site of the “Slaves of the Most Holy Eucharist and of the Mother of God.” On Saturday, he will meet with Calderón in the city of Guanajuato and then appear in public in Guanajuato’s Plaza de la Paz. Sunday’s events will include a Mass in the new Bicentennial Park in Silao, between León and Guanajuato, at the foot of Cubilete Hill and its huge monument to Christ the King. Back in León, the Pope will celebrate Vespers in the cathedral there and address bishops and other representatives of the Bishops Conference of Latin America and the Caribbean. On Monday morning, he will fly to the city of Santiago de Cuba. FESTIVAL DE MÉXICO EN EL CENTRO HISTORICO Mid-MarchinMexicoCity Mexico City’s 668-block downtown Historic Center is a year-round cauldron of cultural celebration, but never more so than the three weeks in March when the annual Festival of Mexico fills more than 60 indoor and outdoor venues with music, art, theater, dance, film, food, traditional entertainment, academic activities and (if past is precedent) a number of cultural pursuits that defy definition.Theurbanfestival,enteringits28thyear,emphasizesthehomegrownbutisalsogenerousinitsinternationalofferings. The main attraction, however, might be the old city itself; it seems to shine a bit brighter when it’s on display. 32 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 life& leisureFEBRUARYMARCH EVENTS
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  • 1. Just Say No Why Can’t Congress Get Anything Done? PEOPLE : POLITICS : CULTURE : TRAVEL FROMMEXICO. INENGLISH. IFE’s Groove Can the Election Referee Get It Back? Anita’s Diary Hanging with Rivera, Orozco and the Rest Soccer’s Start The Mexican League’s Clausura Gets Under Way Plus: Pending Events, Revealing Numbers , Telling Quotes and More Vive Latino Mexico City’s Monster Rock Music Festivalwww.mexico-review.com 0018920360242 A BI-WEEKLY January 27, 2012 Mexico City Vol. 01 No. 02 32 pages
  • 2.
  • 3. From the Executive Director BY ANA MARÍA SALAZAR :2 They Said It Quotable quotes by, for and about Mexico : 3 The Politics of ‘No!’ The current crop of lawmakers has been labeled the “failed generation.” Will the next one be any different? BY TOM BUCKLEY :POLITICS : CONGRESS : 4 Alone in the Middle IFE, the electoral referee, is looking to restore its credibility before the July 1 federal elections. BY TOM BUCKLEY :POLITICS : ELECTIONS : 8 By the Numbers A miscellany of the mathematics of modern Mexico : 11 Riding Out the Storm Mexico’s ongoing effort to hold on during the global economic crisis has entered a new phase in 2012. BY EDUARDO DÍAZ RIVERA : ECONOMY & FINANCE : 2012 OUTLOOK : 12 Solid Bulwark, Shaky Pillar Two public works projects, two reasons for being. A fast photo essay. : ECONOMY & FINANCE : PUBLIC WORKS : 16 A Celebration of Words Mexican authors have always been revered, if not always read widely. Now they have their own museum. BY KELLY ARTHUR GARRETT :LIFE & LEISURE : MUSEUMS : 18 Anita Brenner’s Diary It’s our access to the everyday lives of the great Mexican artists of the first half of the 20th century. BY KELLY ARTHUR GARRETT :LIFE & LEISURE :BOOK REVIEW :20 Let the Music Begin Vive Latino, showcases Mexico’s vibrant music scene. BY MARIANA H. MONTERO :LIFE & LEISURE : MUSIC : 23 Chasing the Clausura Trophy The second half of the Mexican Soccer League season is just beginning. So are the questions. LIFE & LEISURE : SPORTS : 28 Coming Up ... Major to-do’s in the weeks and months ahead. :LIFE & LEISURE :EVENTS : 32 :Onthecover ThePalaciodeBellasArtes,MexicoCity’spremierpublicfineartscenter. Photographyby Tom Buckley/Mexico Review CONTENTS MEXICO REVIEW January 27, 2012
  • 4. In this edition we continue to analyzewhat to expect for Mexico in 2012. Although most of the economists I have interviewed are betting on a stable recovery for Mexico that will translate into growth and employ- ment for this year, there are concerns regarding how the international economic crisis could have a short -term impact in Mexico, issues that are addressed in the article written by Eduardo Díaz Rivera (page 12). What about the elections? As in the United States, Mexico will be oc- cupied with federal elections this year. On July 1, not only will Mexi- cans vote for a new president, but also the renewal of the lower house – 583 deputies – and 128 new senators. Even though the formal cam- paign season has not “officially” begun, a lot is being written and said about the important challenges the electoral authorities are facing to assure that there is no repeat of the 2006 debacle. Nobody has for- gotten that after weeks of uncertainty, the Federal Electoral Tribunal finally issued its decision confirming Felipe Calderón’s victory by only 0.57 percent of the more than 41 million votes! No one is predicting the 2012 race will be as close as the 2006 presi- dential race. But you should read Tom Buckley’s piece outlining some of the concerns about the election “referee” – the Federal Electoral In- stitute (page 8). This edition of Mexico Review also provides you a variety of stories on culture, books and entertainment that you simply can’t miss. Mexico can be a difficult country to understand, even if you speak and read Spanish. With so much going on in Mexico this year, can you afford not to read Mexico Review? Or visit our website www.mexico-review.com, where you will find additional stories, breaking news and much more information. Ana María Salazar Executive Director anamaria.salazar@mexico-review.com Elections Top 2012 Agenda Mexico Review@MexicoReview 2 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 “Mexico Review” ES UNA PUBLICACIÓN QUINCENAL PROPIEDAD DE YUMAC S.A. DE C.V. CON OFICINAS EN AVENIDA DURANGO NO. 243-7O PISO, COL. ROMA, DEL. CUAUHTÉMOC, C.P. 06700, TEL. 2455-5555 Y (949)680- 4336 EN CALIFORNIA USA, IMPRESO EN SPI SERVICIOS PROFESIONALES DE IMPRESIÓN, S.A. DE C.V., UBICADOS EN MIMOSAS NO. 31, COL. SANTA MARÍA INSURGENTES, C.P. 06430, DEL. CUAUHTÉMOC, MÉXICO D.F. FECHA DE IMPRESIÓN 16 DE DICIEMBRE DEL 2011. “Mexico Review” INVESTIGA SOBRE LA CALIDAD DE SUS ANUNCIANTES PERO NO SE RESPONSABILIZA CON LAS OFERTAS RELACIONADAS A LOS MISMOS. ATENCIÓN A CLIENTES EN ZONA METROPOLITANA 5203-4943. LOS ARTÍCULOS Y EL CONTENIDO EDITORIAL SON RESPONSABILIDAD DE SUS AUTORES Y NO REFLEJA NECESARIAMENTE EL PUNTO DE VISTA DE LA PUBLICACIÓN, NI DE LA EDITORIAL, TODOS LOS DERECHOS ESTAN RESERVADOS. PROHIBIDA LA REPRODUCIÓN TOTAL O PARCIAL DE LAS IMAGENES, Y/O TEXTOS SIN AUTORIZACIÓN PREVIA Y POR ESCRITO DEL EDITOR. “Mexico Review” HAS OFFICES IN MISSION VIEJO, CALIFORNIA 92691 (949) 680-4336 FOR ADVERTISEMENT CALL OR GO TO OUR WEBSITE www.mexico-review.com. THE PUBLICATION WILL START BEING FREE, ONE PER READER OR ONE PER HOUSEHOLD AND WILL DEVELOP INTO SUBSCRIPTIONS. PLEASE ADDRESS ALL CORRESPONDENCE TO “Mexico Review” 26861 TRABUCO ROAD SUITE E217 MISSION VIEJO, CALIFORNIA 92691-3537 USA EMAIL subscriptions@ mexico-review.com OR letters@mexico-review.com. PUBLISHED BY-WEEKLY (SUNDAYS) BY YUMAC S.A. DE C.V. APPLICATION TO MAIL AT PERIODICALS IS PENDING AT MISSION VIEJO CALIFORNIA. SUBMISSIONS OF ALL KIND ARE WELCOME. ADDRESS THEM TO THE EDITOR AND INCLUDE A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE. COPYRIGHT 2011. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. “Mexico Review” TRADEMARK IS PENDING. LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR E D I T O R I A L Oscar McKelligan PRESIDENT Ana María Salazar VICE PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Fernando Ortiz LEGAL ADVISER Tom Buckley EDITOR IN CHIEF Kelly Arthur Garrett MANAGING EDITOR Blake Lalonde ASSOCIATE EDITOR Andrea Sánchez EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Daniela Graniel ART DIRECTOR S A L E S Verónica Guerra de Alberti CANCÚN REPRESENTATIVE Abril de Aguinaco CABO REPRESENTATIVE Iker Amaya Álvaro Sánchez U.S. REPRESENTATIVES C O N T R I B U T O R S Mariana H. Montero, Eduardo Díaz Rivera B O A R D O F D I R E C T O R S Oscar McKelligan Ana María Salazar Yurek McKelligan Fernando Ortiz
  • 5. they said it... BUT WITH 140 CHARACTERS OR FEWER “EverythingsuggeststhatinMexico,withitsuncertaintyin2012,Twitterwillbeoneofthebattlefields where the fight for power will be decided.” – JAIME AVILÉS, POLITICAL COLUMNIST, looking ahead to the national elections scheduled for July 1 M O D E R N P O L I T I C S “Peña Nieto creates erotic tension, at once from envy and from a desire to get close. He’s an erotic figure for women as well as for men. ”– Sabina Berman, writer and playwright and political commentator, on the presumptive PRI candidate for president “Howisitourfaultthatthose‘hijosdelagranputa’in theUnitedStatesconsumesomanydrugs?” – Armando Manzanero – singer, songwriter and a Mexican musical institution – on the drug trafficking violence plaguing Mexico It’s Only Fiction T HIS GENTLEMAN HAS A RIGHT TO NOT READ ME. WHAT HE DOESN’THAVEA RIGHT TO IS BE- ING PRESIDENT OF MEXICO, BASED ON IGNORANCE.” – Carlos Fuentes, after presidential candidate Enrique Peña Nieto publicly identified historian Enrique Krauze as the author of Fuentes’ novel “La silla del águila” WHAT’S NEXT? A FRIDAEROBICS CHAIN? “DiegoRiveraandFridaKahloturnedtheirmarriageintoasourceof inspiration for their work, and their work into a testimonial to their relationship.ReservadelaFamiliaExtraAñejoandPlatino,thebest tequilas,areproudtocelebrateoneofthecouplesthatdefinedanera and a nation.” – A JOSÉ CUERVO marketing campaign for two premium tequi- las, with the bottles sold in boxes featuring work by the two artists WHO ARE WE “Mexican identity is much more imaginarythaninothercountries. Between [Carlos] Slim and a child in Oaxaca, you tell me what the identity is. It’s purely ideological. Still, it’s more persuasive than in Spain. It’s more likely that an indigenous Oaxacan will beat his chestandproclaim‘IamMexican!’ than a Catalan will say ‘I am Spanish.’ ” – The late Tomás Segovia, Spanish poet and man of letters who spent much of his career in Mexico, in an interview shortly before his death ? YOUMEANLIKEREALLYTAKE CAREOFTHEPLANET? Ifbusinessesreallyhadaneco- logical conscience, they would eliminate throwaway contain- ers as much as possible, or try to recover 99percentofthosetheyproducebywork- ing together with the retailers to encour- age the public to return the containers, in exchange for a payment, so they can lat- er be processed. – Luis Gottdiener, physics professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), lamenting corporations’ tendency to print slogans like “Let’s take care of our planet” on packaging instead of implementing recycling programs CROSS- BORDER LOVE January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 3
  • 6. O ver 60 years ago, U.S. PresidentHarryTru- man belittled legis- lators who regularly blockedhisbillsbyla- belingthemcollective- lyas“TheDoNothing Congress,”aphrasethathasenteredthepo- liticallexiconintheUnitedStates. In Mexico today, President Felipe Calderón likely feels a kinship with old “Give’emhell,Harry.” A narrative has emerged in the media overthepasttwoyearstodescribeMexi- co’slawmakersanditisnotflattering.Fed- ericoReyesHerolescoinedtheterm“The GenerationofNo!”whileCiroGómezLey- vatrottedout“thefailedgeneration.”En- riqueKrauzewasabitkinder,using“The GenerationofFrustratedModernization.” “The Generation of No is a trustwor- thy machine that freezes, postpones, fil- ibusters and wastes the country’s time,” wroteHéctorAguilarCamíninMay2010. The situation has not improved since then. STAGNATING REFORMS During the second week of January, the secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Devel- opment visited Mexico and delivered a stern message. “I’ve always thought that Mexico does not deserve the mediocrity of a mid-table performance, to use a soccer term,” said José Ángel Gurría, also a former Mexican Cabinetofficial.“Mexicoshouldaspiretoan economicperformanceworthyofthetopof thetableandmaketheplayoffsregularly.” Gurría declared that no matter who comes out on top after the July elections major reforms are necessary, identifying laborreform,educationalreformanden- ergyreformaskeyrequirements. Labor reform has been on the agen- da for decades, but only recently has the power of unions been reduced enough to consider real reform. Business groups havelobbiedextensivelyforchangesthat wouldallowemployersmoreflexibilityin hiring and a more streamlined adjudica- tion process. Employers say that would reduce outsourcing and would encour- age businesses to give younger people a chance without fear of stiff penalties if thenewemployeedoesn’tworkout. 4 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 POLITICS CONGRESS
  • 7. THE POLITICS OF ‘NO!’LAWMAKERS CONTINUE to underachieve and obstruct much-needed reforms, prompting commentators to label them a failed generation. January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 5
  • 8. The Labor Secretariat lobbied exten- sively for a reform bill that won support acrossthepoliticalspectrum,butthebill was pulled from the floor just before a fi- nalvoteinDecember2010andhasnever beenseenagain. A security bill has been frozen for nearly four years even though the De- fenseSecretariathasgoneonrecordsay- ing that without certain legal reforms, majorsecurityissueswillremainforan- other decade. Politicalreformhasbeenontheagen- daforalmostadecade,buthasrarelyseen anything resembling consensus. Last year, a bill gained traction and reached the floor of the Chamber of Deputies in November. But the old guard of the Institution- al Revolutionary Party (PRI) pulled off apowerplayandthesectionallowingfor limitedre-electionforcertainpostsatthe federalandstatelevelwaseliminated.The Senate re-instated the clause and sent it backtotheChamberinDecember,butno furtheractionhasbeentaken. ALL BLAME, NO RESPONSIBILITY The PAN’s Senate leader, José González Morfín said PRI deputies and that par- ty’s presidential candidate Enrique Pe- ña Nieto had blocked these much-need- edreforms. Overpaid, Underworked When the legislative session ended on Dec. 15, lawmakers pronounced their performance a success. A careful examination of their record can easily produce a different interpretation. From Sept. 1 through Dec. 15, the Chamber of Deputies was in session 33 days, six of which were suspended for a lack of a quorum. The total time these sessions lasted was 200 hours, according to Chamber statistics. So deputies worked just over four hours a day for their monthly salary of 150,000 pesos. But not all legislators worked every day. There were on average only 288 deputies present at each session (there are 500 deputies). Among the items these hard-working legislators took care of were to vote themselves new life insurance deals and to purchase new office furniture. The Chamber got by on a budget of nearly 5.2 billion pesos last year, of which 3 billion went to daily stipends for meal money (in addition to their wages) and staff salaries. Since polls show Congress is among the most reviled sectors of society, deputies voted for 60 million pesos to be spent on self-promotion. The Senate didn’t do much better. In December, quorums drifted uncomfortably low, averaging about 78 senators. Senate official Francisco Arroyo revealed to the press on Dec. 29 that at least 15 of the 128 senators had been fined for repeat absences. “There’s a dramatic difference be- tween PRI senators and PRI deputies,” hesaid.“IntheSenate,theyhavebehaved responsibly while the PRI deputies have beenduplicitousandsmall-minded.” “They prefer to whittle down reforms so that they are ineffective or just simply block them. And Peña Nieto has exerted tremendous influence over a large bloc of deputies who are trying to curry favor withhim.” GonzálezMorfín’spredecessorasPAN Senate leader, Gustavo Madero (now the PAN president), had gone even further while still a senator, calling the PRI “ob- structionist”and“retrograde.” PRI Sen. Carlos Jiménez Macías and PRD Deputy Armando Ríos Piter sought toblamePresidentCalderónforthelackof progressinCongress,saying–amongoth- erthings–thathisinterlocutorswerein- effectiveandhefailedtobuildconsensus amongpartiesoracrosssociety. PANSecretary-GeneralCeciliaRome- roreturnedfire: “That is just plain pathetic,” said RomeroinlateDecember.“Iftheyaren’t capableofanalyzingabillonitsownmer- its without requiring lobbying from the president,thenthepeopleareinbigtrou- ble. Regardless of who a bill’s sponsors are, Congress should not need to rely on officious representatives who are push- ing legislation. “Thatisjustsoinfantile.” PoliticalcommentatorHéctorAguilar CamíncamedownonthesideofRomero inacolumnentitled“ANewSeasonofNo.” “Congress seems more focused on spoutingaboutwhattheydon’tlikeabout anylegislationproposedbythepresident insteadofdiscussingandimprovingupon whatmightbeinterestingwithinthebill,” hewrote.“Nobodyisaskingthattheyau- tomaticallyapproveanylegislationassub- mitted … but the public should be able to expect that lawmakers address the fun- damental problems that such legislation is targeting and improve the bills as they seefit.” Instead, Congress has simply ignored – or worse, blocked – key legislation and allowed issues in dire need of attention tofester. HYPOCRITICAL OATHS Overayearago,CiroGómezLeyvapoint- ed out the hypocrisy of Congress loudly Sen. Manlio Fabio Beltrones 6 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 POLITICS CONGRESS
  • 9. Church vs State A bill described as promoting greater freedom of religion has prompted widespread protests and could prove to be a hot-button topic in the upcoming elections. As the congressional session came to a close in December, the Chamber of Deputies approved a constitutional reform that amends Article 24 but does not threaten the secular state, its defenders say. The Left was quick to accuse the conservative PAN and the PRI of trying to ramrod through a reform that favored the Catholic Church, whose power was dramatically reduced in the second half of the 19th century and a nasty religious war – the Cristero Rebellion – took place in the late 1920s. Deputy Alejandro Encinas of the PRD wrote an op-ed piece insisting that the legislation was aimed at dismantling the secular state and protests occurred across the nation in early January. Ironically, PRD Deputy Guadalupe Acosta Naranjo – the president of the Chamber – was presiding over the session during which the bill was passed. Leftist deputies twice expressed their displeasure by taking over the speaker’s dais and preventing debate which dragged on for four hours as a result of the interruptions. criticizing Calderón for delays in monu- ments being built to celebrate Mexico’s bicentennial. “They publicly beat up the president forallthesedelaysbutwhenitcametime for them to inaugurate the new Senate, they failed,” he wrote in November 2010. “This is just another failure delivered by the‘failedgeneration’.” Evennow,theextravagantnewSenate building – described by Gómez Leyva as having“acertainairofSovietgrandiosi- ty”–isthesubjectofaninvestigation.The buildingwasfinally“inauguratedalmosta yearbehindschedule,butfeaturesnumer- ousproblemssuchthatsenatorsstillhold committee meetings and other events in theoldSenatebuilding. Duringthe2011rainyseason,thenew building suffered leaks, and throughout the year the electrical circuitry was fre- quently shocking unsuspecting Senate employeesandtheexpensivevotingboard wasmalfunctioning. GENERATION Z? A few commentators are hopeful that a new generation of politicians will take thestagesoon. Someobserversaren’tconvinceditwill everemerge. Gómez Leyva wrote of the youthful line-upofPRIgovernors–IvonneOrtega (39),RodrigoMedina(39),MiguelAlonso (40)andJoséCalzada(47)–andcoalition governors Rafael Moreno Valle (43) and GabinoCué(45). But in the 17 months since he penned those words, none of these governors has distinguished themselves, although Gov. Ortega has enjoyed some success in Yucatán. And Mexico scholar George Grayson has disparaged the stuttering political transition here, arguing that the decline oftheonceall-powerfulpresidencyhasal- lowed governors to become “the nation’s newfeudallords.” Althoughafewfreshfaceshavemadeit intoCongress,thedynamicshavenotre- allychanged. The proportional representation sys- tem for Congress allows politicians to “win” elections without ever facing an opponent, and many go the proportion- al route frequently. Four such sure-fire candidatesforthePRISenateslateinthe JulyelectionsareJorgeEmilioGonzález, the scion of the Green Party, Fernando González(son-in-lawofElbaEstherGor- dillo), Mónica Arreola (Gordillo’s daugh- ter)andMaríaElviaAmaya,wifeofJorge HankRhon. TelevisanewsanchorJoaquínLópez- Dórigawrotedisdainfullyofthefourlike- ly soon-to-be lawmakers: “Their qualifi- cations? They are children, in-laws and spousesofthe‘elite’…andofcourse,they havealotofmoney.” PROGNOSIS NEGATIVE PotentiallyworseforMexico’sshort-term futureandthepoliticalenvironment,the Spring session of Congress is likely to be evenmoreunproductive. Traditionally,Congressdoesverylittle inthesessionleadinguptoapresidential election, preferring to focus on the cam- paign and avoid debating controversial legislationormajorreforms. “This sexennial legislative paraly- sis is a result of our outmoded presiden- tialistmodel,”saidpoliticalscientistEz- ra Shabot. In addition, there is a lengthy parade of legislators stepping down in order to runforanotherpost.Federalelectionlaw mandates that any legislator or govern- mentofficialthatintendstorunforoffice muststepdownbeforeformallydeclaring hisorhercandidacy. “Usuallywhathappensisthatthemost powerful politicians, key party leaders, leaveCongressinsearchoftheirnextjob andthatleavesnobodytodirectdebates,” said Alberto Aziz Nassif, a researcher at theCIESASthinktank. Andsinceprofessionalpoliticiansrely onthegovernmenttroughfortheirliveli- hood,theyoftenjumpfromtheSenateto theChamberofDeputiesortocontendfor agovernorship. That means that during the final ses- sion before an election, there are lots of substitute lawmakers holding court. But that suggests that Congress is populated by legislators who might not have a full graspoftheissuesathand. Tomakemattersworse,thatalsotypi- callymeansthatthesamefacesregularly returntoCongress,rotatingfromtheSen- atetotheChamberandviceversa. Andifthepremiseofthefailedgener- ation turns out to be accurate, that sure- lybodespoorlyfortheprospectsofpoliti- calprogress. January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 7
  • 10. Alone in the MiddleELECTION OFFICIALS are off to a late start as they prepare to arbitrate campaigns leading up to the all-important July vote 8 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 POLITICS ELECTIONS
  • 11. S ports commentators are fond of saying thatagoodrefereeal- wayspreferstogoun- noticed. That means he made all the right calls, that he didn’t make any mistakes. Leonardo Valdés is hoping that old adage applies to his fel- low election officials at the Federal Elec- toralInstitute(IFE)thisyear. TheIFEhastheunenviabletaskofact- ingasarbitersthroughoutthefederalelec- tioncampaign.Thelikelihoodofremain- inginvisibleisslimtonone. The task has been made much hard- erbecausetheIFEhassufferedadrama- ticlossofprestigesinceitwasestablished as an autonomous entity in 1990. That first “independent” IFE (which included current presidential candidate Santiago Creel) was universally praised for its in- tegrityandfairness. Evenasrecentlyas2004,theIFEwas regarded as one of the most trustworthy electioninstitutionsintheworld.Itsrep- utationwassuchthattheUnitedNations asked the IFE to help direct the Inter- national Workshop for Election Admin- istration in 2004 that was organized to helpIraqielectionauthorities prepareits 2005elections. UNDER ATTACK ThedifficultsituationIFEnowfindsitself inisnotentirelyofitsownmakingthough thepreviousadministration(2003-2008) waspaintedasthescapegoatforthe2006 presidentialelectionfallout. Theinstitute’sfailuretodeclareawin- nerthenightofthatelectionsetoffaseries of events that threatened to make Mexi- coungovernable.Butbythen,thepolitical partieshadalreadybeenchippingawayat thefoundationoftheIFE’scredibility–its autonomy. “The lack of consensus during the se- lectionofthe[IFE]generalcouncilin2003 openedthedoortoquestions…aboutitsle- gitimacyandimpartiality,”wroteDiódoro Carrasco,aPANsenatorialcandidate,in aDec.22newspapercolumn. PRDlegislatorsabstainedfromthese- lectionprocesstoprotestthelackofitsown candidatesonthefinallist.ThePRIandthe NationalActionPartychosenottocompro- miseandfilledthecouncilwithitsownfa- vorites.Thatsetthestageforthepost-elec- tionprotestsin2006ledbythePRDcandi- dateAndrésManuelLópezObrador. The constitutional and legal regu- lations in electoral matters have expe- rienced significant reform, broadly im- pacting the institute’s composition and responsibilities. The 2008 reforms were seen as a vindictive attack on the IFE by the two main losers of the 2006 election – the Institutional Revolutionary Par- ty (PRI) and the Party of the Democrat- icRevolution(PRD). The reforms were criticized by politi- calcommentatorsasaneffortbythepar- ties to exert greater control over the IFE and the term “particracy” (partidocra- cia) gained a new foothold in the lexicon. Wikipediadefinesparticracyas“adefacto formofgovernmentwhereoneormorepo- litical parties dominate the political pro- cess,ratherthancitizensand/orindivid- ualpoliticians.” “This particracy is like an oligarchy with another name: government by an elitethatisonlyseekingbenefitsforitself without considering the good of the na- tion,”wroteEduardoGarcíaGasparafew weeksafterthe2008reformstookeffect. Theconceptisnotnew,however.Alexis deTocquevilledescribedtheU.S.govern- ment as an aristocratic political system within which government officials were more concerned about themselves and theirpartiesthanwiththegeneralpublic. MOVING FORWARD Despite all the recent turmoil (see side- bar),theIFEhasremainedconfidentand Valdésisdeterminedtoactauthoritative- ly.Evenbeforethegeneralcouncilwasful- lystaffedinDecember,theIFEwasruling onallegedelectionlawviolations. APRIcomplaintthatPresidentCalde- rón intervened in the election process by criticizing previous PRI governments in an interview with the New York Times was rejected. The IFE also declined to order the removal of billboards promot- ing López Obrador’s candidacy since it wasnotclearwhohadpaidforthem. InearlyJanuary,theIFEandtheInte- riorSecretariatannouncedanagreement toprotecttheelectoralprocessfromorga- nized crime and illicit funds. A commit- tee to carry out the agreement was also installed and security protocols were es- tablished. Potential hot spots across the countrywerealsoidentified. OnJan.9,theIFEpublisheditsfirstbi- weeklyreportofitsmediamonitoringac- tivities.Inmid-January,theinstitutewas investigatingchargesrelatedtopublicity and activities on behalf of presidential candidatesEnriquePeñaNietoofthePRI andJosefinaVázquezMotaofthePAN. Andthisisonlythebeginning.Thefor- malcampaignseasondoesn’tkickoffuntil March.Bythen,theIFEhopestohavewon therespectofthecontendersandtheelec- torate.Thegoalwillbetoconvinceallcon- cerned that, like a real referee, they don’t care who wins. They only care that the rulesarefollowed. January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 9
  • 12. T he2008electoralreformman- dated that the IFE general council be staffed via a stag- gered selection process. The president was replaced shortly there- after with Leonardo Valdés, the former headoftheMexicoCityElectoralInsti- tute,takingover. Five other councilors were chosen during the course of 2008. Francisco Guerrero(2013),MarcoAntonioBaños (2017), María Elizondo (2013), Alfredo Figueroa(2013)andBenitoNacif(2017) willserveoutstaggeredterms. Thethreeholdovercouncilorsleftthe IFEwhentheirtermsendedinOctober 2010 and their successors were sup- posedtobeselectednolaterthanJanu- ary 2011. Instead, the Chamber of Dep- uties squabbled over who to pick, with eachpartyinsistingonimposingitspre- ferredchoices. For 13 months, the IFE operated shorthanded.Councilorswereforcedto take on extra duties, even violating the lawbysittingonmorecommitteesthan permitted in order to make up for the three missing councilors. Political an- alysts wondered whether the situation wouldpromptaccusationsthatIFEde- cisions were illegal, threatening the va- lidityofthe2012federalelections. OnNov.30,theFederalElectoralTri- bunalorderedCongresstofillthevacant seatsin15days.Lawmakersfinallyreact- ed and on Dec. 15, the three new coun- cilorswerefinallyselectedtonewterms endingin2020.Withinhours,theywere sworninandhadtakenontheirduties. LORENZO CÓRDOVA Córdova, 40, is a lawyer and academic with a Ph.D. in political theory from the UniversityofTurinwhowasworkingin UNAM’sLegalStudiesInstituteastheco- ordinatorofitsElectoralLawdepartment. He was employed by the Senate as an adviser for its political reform work- ing group. Córdova has said that his fo- cuswillbeonenforcingthemostrecent electoral reforms, even though he sees themas“incomplete.” “The goal of the reforms was to strengthen the autonomy of political organizations and reduce the impact of moneyontheelectoralprocess”hesaid. “Thenewlawsare‘perfectible’butuntil theyarecorrectedtheymustbeadhered to.Therulesareinplaceandeverybody mustplaybythem.” Despite the criticism the IFE has received, Córdova insists the council- ors must do their job “without bias or thoughts of revenge, completely inde- pendent of external factors and with- out regard to the person or parties be- ingruledon.” SERGIO GARCÍA García is a politician and lawyer who served as the presiding judge on the In- ter-American Court of Human Rights from2004-2007.Hepreviouslyworked atUNAM’sLegalStudiesInstitute. Perhapsmostcontroversially,García isamemberofthePRI,servingaslabor secretary in the José López Portillo ad- ministrationandcontendingforthepar- tynominationforpresidentin1987. “Imustanswertheperfectlyreason- ablequestionsaboutmypartyaffiliation with impeccableconduct,”hesaid.“My promisetobeimpartialwillnotalonebe convincing, but my decisions can serve to reassure the electorate that I will be anindependentarbiter.” Garcíainsiststhatacarefulexamina- tionofhispoliticalcareerwoulddemon- stratethathehasneverblindlyassumed partypositions,buthas“alwaysdemon- stratedcompleteobediencetothelaw.” The74-year-oldGarcíahassaidthatone of his priorities will be to bring greater attention to gender equality in elector- alpractices. MARÍA MARVÁN MarvánhasaPh.D.insociologyandwas thepresidentoftheFederalPublicInfor- mationInstitutewhenshewasselected fortheIFE.Beforethat,shewasaninves- tigator at UNAM’s Social Sciences Re- searchInstituteaswellasaprofessorat theUniversityofGuadalajara. ShehadbeenaffiliatedwiththePAN inthestateofJaliscoandalsoservedas a councilor on that state’s electoral in- stitute. Marván quickly sought to de- flect any criticism related to her party affiliation. “Inevertookpartinanypolicyorpo- liticaldecisions,”shesaid.“Mycontribu- tionswerestrictlytechnicalinnature.I neverformallyjoinedthe(NationalAc- tion)party.” Marvánannouncedthatsheisinfa- vor of making public the official voter rolls of political parties. “Parties are or- ganizations of genuine public interest andassuchtheirmembershipshouldbe availabletothegeneralpublic,”shesaid. In a similar vein, Marván declared thattheIFEmustbetransparentandac- countablewithregardtoitsbudget:“We shouldbecarefultospendprudently.” —TOM BUCKLEY Behind the Makeover New councilors were seated 13 months after their predecessors left 10 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 POLITICS ELECTIONS
  • 13. by the numbers 78Percentage of Mexico City’s waste that Mayor Marcelo Ebrard says will be recycled thanks to the government’s new trash treatment program 74,442Complaints filed with the Defense Secretariatbycitizensagainstorganized crime activities since the Army began its “We Will Take Action” program in March 2010 15,950,000,000PesosbudgetedtotheFederalElectoral Institute (IFE) for 2012 5,300,000,000Total amount of pesos the IFE will distribute to political parties for their campaign funds in 2012 3.8Percentage of average annual GDP growthinthefirstfiveyears(1988-2003) of the Carlos Salinas administration 2.9Percentage of average annual GDP growthinthefirstfiveyears(1994-1999) of the Ernesto Zedillo administration 1.5PercentageofaverageannualGDPgrowth in the first five years of both the Vicente Fox (2000-2005) and Felipe Calderón (2006-2011)administrations 4,103,200EstimatednumberofTwitteraccounts in Mexico as of March 2011 1MinimumpercentageofGDPthatanation needs to invest in scientific research in ordertodevelopeconomically,according to Raúl Qintero Flores, 2011 winner of Mexico’sNationalScienceandArtsPrize intheTechnologyandDesigncategory 2.3Average percentage of GDP that OECD nations invest in scientific research 0.4PercentageofGDPthatMexicoinvests in scientific research 72,000,000Tons of garbage stored at the Bordo Poniente trash dump, closed by the Mexico City government on Dec. 19 12,600Tons of garbage generated daily by Mexico City residents 15.7Number of years it would take to refill the Bordo Poniente dump at that 12,600-tons-per-day rate 0Number of presidential candidates supported by Carlos Fuentes, Mexico’s greatest living author 1Number of candidates supported by Fuentes before Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard dropped out in favor of Andrés Manuel López Obrador 3MexicanswhohaveplayedintheNBAaf- terGustavoAyónsignedwiththeNewOr- leansHornetsonDec.23,2011.(Theother two:EduardoNájeraandHoracioLlamas) 3.4Average annual per capita alcohol consumptioninlitersinMexicoin1980, according to the OECD 5.9Average annual per capita alcohol consumptioninlitersinMexicoin2009, a 73.5 percent increase in three decades 2Number of OECD countries whose av- erage annual per capita alcohol con- sumption increased more than Mexico between1980and2009(Chinaat158.8 percent and Brazil at 188.4 percent) 67Percentage of Mexico’s estimated 36 millionInternetuserswhoareunder35 32,000EstimatednumberofTwitteraccounts in Mexico as of July 2009 January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 11
  • 14. RIDING OUT THE STORMMEXICO’S ECONOMIC variables should be strong enough to wait out the uncertainties abroad 12 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 ECONOMY &FINANCE 2012 OUTLOOK
  • 15. T he sense of exhaustion evident in the markets as 2011 drew to a close seems likely to last throughoutthenewyear and continue to have a durableimpact. The destruction and resulting fallout produced by the global crisis in 2008 has proven to be more comprehensive than was thought possible. The U.S. economy and emerging market economies includ- ingMexicogavewaysoastoopenupspace for the European Union and its infamous PIIGS (an acronym for Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain) to become the principalpreoccupationoffinancialmar- ketsingeneral Anendlessstreamofemergencyfiscal measures,newregulationsandrescue ef- fortscollidedwithpoliticalcontradictions, leavingleadingglobalinvestorswithabit- tertasteintheirmouths.Andthisincludes the investors that really control currency flows and liquidity – the big guns, so to speak. The disaster that began as a finan- cialcrisisandaliquiditycrunchisnowbest describedasacrisisofpoliticalcredibility thatseemslikelytoonlyworseninthefore- seeable future. The possibility of a viable solution – a well-structured financial re- sponse–wouldappearextremelydifficult. GreeceandPortugalareflatbrokeeven as some political and financial figures try todenyit.ItalyandSpainarewalkingafis- caltightropetoo,reflectingmacroeconom- ic and microeconomic weakness. Worse yet, both the European private and pub- lic sectors have been equally and severe- lydamaged. Theupcomingpresidentialelectionsin theUnitedStateswilldivertthemajorityof attentionthere,especiallysincenorealfa- voritehasemerged.TheU.S.economy,for itspart,isdemonstratinggradualimprove- ment,thoughitcanbearguedthatmuchof thegrowthisduetothefiscalandmonetary “steroids” injected into the economy over the past three years. Meanwhile, U.S. pol- iticians continue arguing over debt limits andwillsoonbeengaginginanall-outbat- tletowinall-importantcongressionalma- joritiesinNovember. SOUND FOUNDATION Inthiscontext,itwouldseemthatMexico isstuckinneutral,botheconomicallyand politically.ButtherealityisthatMexicohas developed a very sound macroeconomic January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 13
  • 16. foundation that offers cause for hope. On theonehand,internationalreservesareat historically high levels and debt, current accounts and its fiscal leverage are opti- maland100-percentmanageable. On the other hand, admittedly mod- est growth has been sustained at levels above 4 percent even in the face of dis- turbing economic noise on all sides. Do- mestic consumption has shown gradual improvement,andalthoughemployment data is nothing to brag about it has re- mainedrelativelystablethankslargelyto theinformaleconomythatsupportsmil- lionsofMexicans.Inaddition,themanu- facturingandindustrialsectorshavebe- gun to show perceptible signs of growth despite the stuttering U.S. economy and Mexico’s overwhelming dependence on theU.S.economy. Atthesametime,Mexico’scentralbank hasdoneanextraordinaryjobholdingfirm onitspolicies,especiallywithregardtoin- flationtargetsannouncedtoinvestors.Its ability to steer the Mexican economy and maintain a reliable monetary course in thefaceofrougheconomicseashavebeen witnessed by foreign investors who seem convincedofthecertaintythatthecentral bank’snavigationskillsaregenuine. Theworrisomeexternalfinancialvari- ables that are quite evident in economic trouble spots abroad has helped the Mex- ican peso to become one of the five most liquid currencies in the world. It is a good parametertokeepaneyeonwhenvolatil- ityandriskaversionspike.Evenso,Mexi- co’ssupposedmacroeconomicstabilitydid notpreventthepesofromdepreciatingby more than 12 percent this year. The posi- tive result of this has been that exporters have benefited and industrial output has been strengthened indirectly. However, profit margins have taken a serious hit at bothbigandsmallcorporationsandfami- lybusinessesthatfocusonimports. Thestockmarketherehassufferedthe effects of the global environment, as have most markets around the world. But the Bolsa has experienced negative effects of significantly lower magnitude, helped equally by the macroeconomic founda- tionandthesoundbalancesattheprinci- pal Mexicancorporations.Incomparison to Mexico’s principal competitors except with regard to exchange rate, Mexico’s fi- nancial variables have kept the economy afloat in extraordinarily volatile circum- stances and with widespread uncertain- tylingeringatallturns. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS Withtheworstbehindus,theprimaryfocus ofattentionduringthefirsthalfof2012will bethepresidentialelection.Inglobalcircles, Mexico’spoliticalbattlewillpotentiallybe 14 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 ECONOMY &FINANCE 2012 OUTLOOK
  • 17. obscured by presidential elections in 26 other countries, including Italy, Germa- ny, France, South Korea and the United States.Marketobserversandfinancialde- cision-makers will be hopeful that Mexi- co’s campaign will generate little noise so asnottonegativelyimpactMexico’srepu- tationabroad,especiallysincethedrugwar violencehasbeenaPRnightmare. Early polling has consistently favored the Institutional Revolutionary Party, thoughrecentsurveysindicatetheremight begrowingdiscontentwiththePRIcandi- date,EnriquePeñaNieto.Thiscouldopen aspaceforleftistcandidateAndrésManuel LópezObradortogainattentionanddevelop momentum.LópezObradorhasbeen“cam- paigning”forsixyearsnowandhasrecent- lysoughttorevisehisimagefromthatofa radical,intransigentrebeltoaconciliator. Meanwhile, the National Action Party hasstruggledinthefaceofaglobalreces- sion and the government’s controversial battle against organized crime. The PAN hasbeenunabletogetsolidfootingandthe pollssuggestthepast11yearsofPANrule haveproducedvoterfatigue. Ifthepresidentialcampaigntakesplace inacivilizedatmosphereandinanorder- lyfashion,economiccertaintyandinvestor confidenceshouldremainfavorable.Such a narrative will secure relatively stable prospects for Mexico despite all of its im- perfections–especiallypoliticaldeficien- cies – and the inevitable changes brought onbyanelectionprocess. All in all, a relatively smooth political scenario through July 2012 on top of the economy’ssolidfoundationsshouldsetthe stageforMexicotomoveeverclosertore- alizingitsfullpotential. wrotethecolumn, AlrededordelosMercados,fortheElFinanciero dailyfrom2007-2011. Steady as she goes A nalystsandpunditsforeseea difficult economic scenario in 2012, and forecasts about Mexico include sluggish growthboostedbystablefundamentals. BankofAmericaMerrillLynch(BoA) predicts that Mexico will be among the slowest-growingLatinAmericanecon- omies in 2012, citing Mexico’s vulnera- bilitytoexternalfactors,especiallyifthe U.S.economygoesintorecession. BoA sees Mexico’s GDP in 2012 at 3 percent,wellbelowprojectionsforVene- zuela(5percent),Peru(5.2percent)and Colombia(4.1percent). TheEconomicCommissionforLatin America,orCepal,predictsLatinAmerican GDPat3.7percentin2012,butseesMexi- cocominginat3.3percent.Cepalprojects bettergrowthforArgentina(4.8percent), Brazil(3.5),Colombia(4.5)andChile(4.2). TheMexicanStockExchange,orBol- sa, lost 3.82 percent in 2011. The Bolsa closedat37,077.52onDec.29,recording 120 losing days and 122 winning ses- sions. Ten trading days ended with no movement. The best trading day was Aug. 11 when the Bolsa climbed 4.26 percent; theworstdaywasOct.8astheBolsain- dexsank5.88percent. Experts are confident that the Bolsa indexwillsurpass42,000pointsin2012, although the Bolsa fell short of 2011 ex- pectations(analystspredictedtheindex wouldendtheyearabove38,000). The peso depreciated by 13 percent in 2011, closing the year at 13.9725 after openingtheyearat12.3650.Thestrongest mark the peso hit in 2011 was on May 2 asittradedat11.48totheU.S.dollarand itsweakestclosewasonNov.25at14.30. Analysts surveyed by the El Univer- saldailysuggestedthecentralbankwould work hard to support the peso and like- lywouldmovetowardrelaxingmonetary policy.Thecentralbankcouldbeexpected todelaymovingthelendingratedownfrom 4.5percentuntilthesecondquarter,riding outpredictedcurrencyvolatility(thepeso couldriseabove14totheU.S.dollar)until thesituationinEuropesettles. BOOSTING COMPETITION TheCalderónadministrationispleased about the macroeconomic outlook but disappointedatthelackofprogressinthe telecomssector.Thesolidfundamentals havehelpedkeepMexicointhesightsof foreigninvestors. Theeconomicplayingfieldisalsobe- comingmorelevel,ifonlygradually. “Acriticalstepwastheapprovalofthe FederalCompetitionLawinMay,”Econo- mySecretaryBrunoFerraritoldreporters onDec.29.“Itwaslongoverdueandithas createdalegalstandardfeaturingcritical conceptswithregardtocompetitionthat allowustocombatmonopolisticpractices.” The law’s objective is to establish a strongerFederalCompetitionCommis- sion, Ferrari said, in order to guarantee genuinecompetitivenesswithintheecon- omy.“Thisinturnwillassureconsumers thattheyhaveaccesstothebestgoodsand servicesatthebestprices.” ODDS AND ENDS Foreign investment was on the rise throughout 2011 and it was driven by nine key sectors: the aerospace indus- try; the agroindustrial sector, the auto- motivesector;manufacturingofmedical devices/equipment;electricappliances; electronics;renewableenergyindustries; creativeindustries(andarts);andinfor- mationtechnology/softwaretechnology. The aerospace industry was the No. 1 recipient of foreign direct investment andhasbeenasignificantmotordriving Mexico’sgrowthinthepasttwoyears. There were a few significant foreign trade-relatedeventsin2011. OnJan.6,theUnitedStatesconsent- edtoallowMexicanlong-haultrucksin- toU.S.territory,asperthetermsincluded inthe1993NorthAmericanFreeTrade Agreement.TheU.S.governmentgrant- edthefirstpermittoaMexicantrucking company on Oct. 14 and one week later thefirstMexicanlong-haultruckcrossed theborderanddeliveredgoodstoanin- teriorU.S.destination. On Nov. 22, Mexico and Central America signed a free trade agree- ment and on Dec. 15, the Senate ap- provedafreetradeagreementwithPeru. —MEXICO REVIEW Growth will be slow in 2012 but peso and Bolsa outlooks are optimistic. January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 15
  • 18. REUTERSPHOTO 16 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 ECONOMY &FINANCE PUBLIC WORKS
  • 19. E veryonespeakswellofthebridgethatcarrieshimover, goes the old Chinese proverb. But what of a tower that castsalongshadowinwhicharehiddenshockingcost overruns? President Felipe Calderón inaugurated a bridge and a tower the first week of the New Year and the con- trastsspeakvolumes. TheBaluarteBicentennialBridge,orPuenteBaluarte,isanew cable-stayedbridgelinkingthestatesofSinaloaandDurangoalong theDurango-Mazatlánhighway. The Puente Baluarte has a total length of 1,124 meters (3,688 feet), with a central cable-stayed span of 520 meters (1,710 feet). Theroaddeckitselfis403meters(1,322feet)abovetheriverbelow. ThePuenteBaluarteisthehighestcable-stayedbridgeinthe worldandthesecond-highestbridgeoverall.Acable-stayedbridge consistsofoneormorecolumns(usuallyreferredtoas“towers” or“pylons”),withcablessupportingthebridgedeck. Construction of the bridge began in 2008 and it was inaugu- rated in January 2012. The bridge forms part of a new highway linking the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of northern Mexico and willgreatlyreducethetraveltimebetweenDurangoandMazat- lán.Thecostofconstructionwasnearly$159million. Twodaysafterinauguratingthemonumentalbridge,President CalderóndidthesameforthecontroversialEsteladeLuz,aquartz- covered“pillaroflight”builtinfrontofthegatestoChapultepec ParkintheheartofMexicoCity.TheEsteladeLuz–finished15 months after it was supposed to be completed as part of the na- tion’s bicentennial celebrations – has been the focus of protests. Itcostalmost$75million. Someactivistshavetakentocallingthe104-meterhighEstela deLuztheMonumenttoCorruption.TheAssociatedPressreport- edthatcostsnearlytripledfromanoriginalestimateof400mil- lionpesostomorethan1billionpesos,andauditorsfound95im- proprietiesincontractingthatresultedincriminalchargesagainst atleastfourpublicemployees. Authoritieshavesaidagovernmentboardincorrectlyautho- rizedpaymentforthearchitecteventhoughheturnedinincom- plete designs. The construction management company bid out constructioncontractswithoutfollowingnormalproceduresand beforetheyevenhadfinaldrawings. Theprojecthasalsodrawncriticismbecauseonlyaboutone- thirdofthebuildingmaterialscamefromMexico.Thestainless- steel columns had to be imported from Italy, the quartz panels fromBrazilandaspecializedlightingsystemwasmadebyaGer- man-ownedcompany. —MEXICO REVIEW SolidBulwark, ShakyPillar THE BALUARTE BRIDGE enjoyed a better REUTERSPHOTOREUTERSPHOTOMEXICOREVIEWPHOTO/TOMBUCKLEY January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 17
  • 20. W hen Mexi- co City’s new Museo del Es- critor opened its doors to first-nighters shortly before the winter holidays, a properly dressed lady of a certain age spent most of the evening seated and holding court at the open end of a partitioned section of the museumdedicatedtotheCentroMexica- nodeEscritores,theprestigiousMexican writers center known as the CME that offered scholarships and endless work- shops to promising authors and poets from1951untilfinancialwoesclosedits doors in 2005. Celebration of WordsLITERARY LIONS are revered in Mexico. Now they have their own museum. 18 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 life& leisure MUSEUMS
  • 21. Though founded by an American (the novelist Margaret Shedd) and initially funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, theCMEsoonbecameathoroughlyMex- icanpowersourceforthenation’sremark- able literary output in the second half of the 20th century. It helped generate the Boom of Carlos Fuentes, the Wave of Jo- sé Agustín, the Crack of Jorge Volpi and otherliterarymovementswithsillynames andlastingimport. “Thebestwritersofthegenerationsof the50s,60sand70swereallinthatplace,” wrote Emmanuel Carballo, the pre-emi- nent Mexican literary critic during that sameperiod,andtothisday. All that’s left of that place now, aside fromtheworkofitsbeneficiaries,isalong wood table donated by that lady of a cer- tain age to the new Writer’s Museum. It sitschairlessinthespecialCMEarealike a prop in a haunted house play, and we’re invited to image it occupied by, say, the Nayarit-born poet Alí Chumicero (1918- 2010), the Jaliscan short story master JuanJoséArreola(1918-2001)ortheMex- ico City novelist and critic Salvador Eli- zondo (1932-2006) – writing, critiquing, arguing, advising, reading and, one as- sumes,drinking. Butwhatmostgrabsyourattentionin- sidetheCME’snicheinthenewmuseum are the scores of black and white photo- graphsthattakeupmostofthethreewalls. They’reheadshotsofyoungpeopleintheir 20s.Veryfewarefemale. “These photos are from a book called “Los becarios del Centro Mexicano de Escritores (1952-1997),” our properly dressedladyannouncedfromtimetotime toanybodyandeverybody.“It’sbyMartha DomínguezCuevas,whoisme.” Ms. Domínguez was, along with the late Felipe García Beraza (1924-1997), a keyCMEadministratorformostofitsex- istence. Herbookincludesbiosandbibli- ographies of all the center’s grant recip- ients (becarios) up to 1997. The book is hard to find now, but the photos are right there in the Museo del Escritor for all to see. “They’re the photographs that were taken as soon as they got their grants,” Ms.Dominguezsaid.“That’swhythey’re allsoyoung.” Young, indeed. With their throats pinchedbynecktiesandtheircheeksun- threatenedbymiddle-agepudge,thebud- dingauthorslooklikethey’reposingfora collegeyearbook,notforwhatamountsto a Who’s Who of Mexican letters over the lasthalfcentury. Theyoungestoftheyoungonthewall isHomeroAridjis,theworldrenownedpo- et, novelist, environmental activist and diplomat,whojustcameoffastintasPres- identCalderón’sambassadortoUNESCO. Aridjiswasbarely19yearsoldwhenhere- ceivedhisCMEgrant. Alsoonthewall,attheotherendofthe age spectrum, is Juan Rulfo (1917-1986), who was in his early thirties when he re- ceived one of the first CME grants given out. Within four years he had published “PedroPáramo,”probablythemostinter- nationallyadmirednovelevertocomeout ofMexico,aswellas“Elllanoenllamas,” anequallyadmiredcollectionofshortsto- ries.Asliteraryinvestmentsgo,thatgrant wasawinner. Then there’s Carlos Monsiváis, a rea- sonablykemptandbe-suited24-year-old when he got his first CME grant in 1962 (he went back for seconds in 1967). The wit may have already been there when his picture was taken, but the unruly- haired dean of cultural criticism had yet toemerge. There’sFernandodelPaso,whoturned 30in1965,theyearhereceivedhisCME grant. He went on to a wide-ranging and productive career as a man of letters, but we know him best today as the author of “Noticias del Imperio,” (1988) the ambi- tiousandwildlypopular(aswellasmuch imitated)historicalnovelofMaximiliano andCarlota’sreigninMexico. There’s Ángeles Mastretta, who was 26 when she got her grant in 1974, some 11 years before she wrote her hugely suc- cessfulnovel“Arráncamelavida,”which wastranslatedintoEnglishas“TearThis HeartOut”andlaterturnedintoanequal- lysuccessfulfilmbyRobertoSneider. There’s a 20-something Carlos Fuen- tes, who turned his CME grant into “La región más transparente” (translated in- to English as “Where the Air is Clear”), which launched perhaps the most prolif- ic and impressive literary career by any living author who hasn’t won the Nobel PrizeforLiterature. Andthere’sRenéAvilésFabio,a1965be- cario who on this opening night stood out amongthewriterspicturedbecausehewas also there in the flesh. The museum is his brainchild,anditwashewhoamassedthe thousandsofbooks,includinghundredsof firsteditions,nowhousedonthesite. That site, to hear Avilés tell it, was hard to come by. Unable to convince ei- ther Mexico City or federal officials to lend him a building in the Historic Cen- terfortheproject,hewasforcedtostore the museum material at his foundation headquarters.“Thepublicsupportedus,” he said. “The government didn’t.” Finally, Mexico City’s Miguel Hidal- goboroughallowedhimtousetheground floor of its cultural center, known as the Faro de Saber Bicentenario, meaning roughly the Bicentennial Lighthouse of Knowledge. Hidden deep in Parque Li- ra, a hilly park near Metro Constituyen- tes, the place is difficult to get to if you don’t already know where it is. But that didn’thurtattendanceonopeningnight; many more showed up than could fit in the facility. The throngs were a reminder that literary figures – from Sor Juana in the 17th century to Paco Ignacio Taibo II in the21st–arereveredinMexico,ifnotas widelyreadastheymightbe.Thatrever- ence is reflected in the museum set-up, which consists of altar-like glass enclo- sures containing photos, first editions (all paperbacks) and personal effects of countless Mexican authors, and some foreign ones (Gabriel García Márquez and José Saramago among them). The personal items were mostly do- nated. “For example, the widow of Ro- dolfo Usigli [the great Mexican play- wright who died in 1979 and is best known for “El Gesticulador,” frequently assignedreadingforAmericanstudents studyingLatinAmericanliterature]do- natedataperecorderthemasterused,his glasses,postersforhisplays,”AvilésFa- bio said. “That’s how you create a muse- um without many economic resources.” Browsing around the museum’s “al- tars” is a pleasant and edifying way to spend an hour or two, and it doesn’t cost anything. Still, there’s something un- comfortableabouthavingbookspresent- ed as glass-enclosed museum pieces, in an era when their future is in doubt. As thoughawareofthat,AvilésFabioprom- isedthatthefacilitywillbea“livemuse- um,”withworkshops,presentations,oth- er literary events and access to the col- lection of volumes for scholars and the general public. Not exactly the reincarnation of the Centro Mexicano de Escritores, but at least a worthy display of its spirit. January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 19
  • 22. T herewasatimeinMex- ico when the future lookedespeciallybright. It was the 1920s, when the bullets of the Revo- lution stilled, a new re- gimeflirtedwithmoder- nityandanunprecedentedculturalexplo- sionleftanartisticheritagethatincluded, but went well beyond, iconic figures such asRivera,Orozco,SiqueirosandTamayo. Intothiscarnivalofcreativityentered averyyoung(barely20)journalistandfu- tureanthropologistnamedAnitaBrenner. Born in Aguascalientes to immigrant Jews,shereturnedtoMexicoaftersitting outtheRevolutionasachildinTexasand immediatelyinsinuatedherselfintoMex- icoCity’svibrantartscene. Talentedandprecocious,Brennersoon joined a select few writers who were in- forming English-speaking readers about the extraordinary cultural Renaissance gathering steam in Mexico. Much like to- day, Mexico at the time was perceived in the U.S. press more as a problem than a place; Brenner, along with Alma Reed, Frances Toor and a few others, present- edanentirelydifferentview.Theyhelped startaboomletofinterestinthingsMexi- can,whicheventuallyledtomajorexhibi- tionsofMexicanartintheUnitedStates. Brenner published a flood of articles, notablyinTheNation,butismostremem- bered forher early survey of Mexicanart “IdolsBehindAltars,”a1932travelguide, whose unfortunate title “Your Mexican Holiday” disguises its incisive and non- patronizing approach, and a review of the Revolution entitled “The Wind That SweptMexico.” Now there’s a new addition to the Brenneropus.Itturnsoutthattheyoung Anita kept a journal, running from her 1925 arrival in Mexico City to her mar- riage to David Glusker, a New York doc- tor, in 1930. These near-daily musings on Mexico – “notes,” as she called them ANITA BRENNER’S DIARYJOURNAL ENTRIES from the 1920s take us into the everyday lives of Mexico’s great 20th-century artists. Susannah Glusker with one of the volumes of the published journals of her mother, Anita Brenner (inset), which she edited. That’s Diego Rivera on the back cover. 20 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 life& leisure BOOK REVIEW
  • 23. –wereheroicallyeditedandannotatedby SusannahJoelGlusker,Anita’sdaughter, and recently published by the University ofTexasPressinatwo-volume,861-page, photo-richbookcalled“Avant-GardeArt &ArtistsinMexico:AnitaBrenner’sJour- nalsoftheRoaringTwenties.” As a rule, diaries not written by Anais Nintendtohavemorescholarlythanpop- ularappeal,whichmaybewhythepublish- erstriedtospiffupthetitlewiththatincon- gruous“Roaring.”Butlay-loversofMexican arthistory,anditscultureingeneral,canpo- tentiallygetmoreoutofthisone-of-a-kind workthanfromanyre-readingofBrenner’s landmark,butsuperseded,books. That’s because the richest reward of thesediariesisnotsomuchthevoyeuris- ticexperienceofexaminingathoughtful person’s exposed introspection (though that’s there too) but rather in what she has to say about the people around her. Not just any people, mind you, but virtu- allyallofthemajorartistsandwritersof the era, and a good percentage of the mi- nor ones. Brenner seems to have known themall–notasmerejournalisticsourc- es or professional acquaintances, but in- timatefriends.ScornedinherTexashigh school as a Jew and a Mexican, she now claimed the twin tools of revenge: popu- larityandsuccess. There’s an entry I’ve quoted before as especiallyindicativeofthekindofcrowd AnitaBrennerranwith.Intruththereare probablyhundredsofotherentriesequal- ly revealing of Anita’s amazing connect- edness, but let’s stick with this one, from July7,1926: “Went with Chamaco and Rose to see Edward. Worked with him on choosing, etc. photosuntiltwo.ANew Orleansman, Spratling was here also. Sort of amiable and vapid. Lunch at the Café Colón with Chamaco & Rose. Looked at her costumes &heardaboutthegraceandflowersofTe- huantepecuntilfive.ToDiego’s&sawthere Barreda,CarlosChávez...talkedaboutthe ballets with Carlos. Home to find the boys –Jean and George– had been here twice. Fooledabout&nowork.” Now let’s take those names one at a time: Chamaco.That’sMiguelCovarrubias,the greatsketchartist,cartoonistanddesign- erofsetsandcostumeswhopublishedin Vanity Fair, The New Yorker and else- where in the United States and Mexico. They called him Chamaco (kid) for his youth, though he was slightly older than Anita. Rose. Covarrubias’ wife Rose Roland, sometimescalledRosaRolandabutborn Rosemonde Cowen of Scottish, Mexican andAmericandecent,wasanartist,danc- erandphotographerwhowasthesubject ofaretrospectiveinMexicoCitylastyear attheMuseoEstudioDiegoRiverayFrida KahloandtheCasaLuisBarragán. Edward. The noted American photog- rapher Edward Weston was a fixture in Mexico at the time, working with his ap- prenticeTinaModotti,herselfatransplant fromItaly.Thetwoplayedamajorrolein modernizingMexicanphotography.Their work,oftenwithsharedcredit,makesup thebulkofthehundredsofphotographsin AnitaBrenner’spublishedjournals. Spratling. William Spratling, an Ameri- canarchitectwhomovedpermanentlyto Mexicointhelate1920s,wasanearlypro- moterofDiegoRivera’swork,andlateror- ganizedtheartisanalsilvercottageindus- tryinTaxco,Guerrero. Diego. Yes, that would be Diego Rivera, then 39 years old, young for our image of him but older than most of this particu- lar circle of artists. He and his wife Lupe MarínwerelifelongfriendsofAnita,and recurringcharactersinthejournals. Barreda. A writer and poet who worked with the Mexican Foreign Service in New York, Octavio Barreda was married toCarmenMarín,thefirstdirectorofthe Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City. CarmenwasLupe’ssister,soBarredawas anin-lawofDiegoRivera. CarlosChávez.Thecomposer/conductor, just27atthetimeofthisdiaryentry,was theleadingfigurein20th-centuryMexi- canmusicandthefirstdirectorofthena- tionalsymphonyorchestra.Whatwesee here, then, is that Anita’s interests (and connections) extended beyond art, liter- atureandpoliticsandintoseriousmusic. Jean.Paris-born(in1898)butwithMexi- canfamilyroots,JeanCharlotwasanim- portantpainterandillustratorwhoplayed aroleinthedevelopmentofMexicanmu- ralism.Inthejournals,we’reawareofhis on-again/off-againromanticinvolvement withAnita. George. George Vaillant, a Harvard an- thropologist who wrote several books abouttheAztecs. Thisexcerpt’smentionsofthosemajor players may be quick and superficial, but it’s just one entry among hundreds. The cumulativeeffectisanevolvingsketchof the day-to-day lives of a lengthy roster of major figures – portraits of the artists as youngmenandwomen.Whatwegetfrom thesejournals,then,isaprivilegedlookat theseartistsaspeople,andnotthehistor- icalfiguresorlarger-than-lifenationalist iconsthey’reoftenpresentedas. Perhaps because of the (temporarily) privatenatureofadiary,Brennerisn’tshy aboutsizingupherfriends.That’sgoodfor us. Here, for example, is an excerpt from 1926aboutRivera: “Diegotoldmeoncethathe…hasonlyat themosttenyearsleftinwhichtopaint…It seemstome,however,thathehasdescended January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 21
  • 24. sincethePreparatoria[animportantcom- mission].Fromthesplendorofgeometryto thesentimentofthepicturesque–Cubism toGauguin.” They were both wrong. Rivera painted for four more decades and few would dismiss his post-Cubist work as “picturesque.” Brennergivesushundredsoftheselit- tlecommentaries.Asampler: OnTamayo:“Hehasaverystrongattraction formostwomen.Slimandterriblysensual, wide mouth and the savor of things appar- entonit.Herousesdesire.Iamremembering thatCarnivalnight,drinkanddawn.[Sorry, shedoesn’telaborateonthat.]Hispaintings areinterestinginsofarastheyshoweffortand talent. [Damningwithfaintpraiseifthere everwassuchathing.]…hehasonethingI likeespeciallyoftwochildreninafield.”[That would be his small woodcut from 1925 of “Two Children with Maguey” or “Dos ni- ñas mexicanas,” helpfully reproduced by Gluskerandtheeditorsapagelater.Awon- derfulfeatureoftheUTPress’presentation ofthesediariesisthecarefulplacementof theabundantartwork.] On Siqueiros:“Hehasasensitive,strange face,glitteringeyes,clear,greenishblue,or hazel,hardandweird.Finenose,smallsen- sual mouth. Black, dark brown hair, slight queercushionunderchin,beautifulhands andgreatcharm.Heismuchinterestedin thesocialendofthequestion.”[Thatlastis anunderstatement.Hispoliticalcommit- mentiswell-reflectedinhisart,hiswrit- ings and his Communist Party mem- bership, but curators have told me that it infused even his casual conversation – constant“exploitedmasses”thisand“the people” that, anticipating the Monty Py- thonbit.] On Orozco:“Heisadearandyoufeelahu- manbeingthere–doesnotinspireawe,con- tempt, disgust or laughter– just kinship. I shallenjoyposingforhim.” And later:“Orozcocameoverinaverygood mood. He is working very hard, he says. Wants to do ‘fresco’ on cement – entirely new procedure and it means new aesthet- ics.”[Orozcowasontosomethinghere.Ce- ment and reinforced concrete, the Latin Americanliteratureprofessorandartcritic RubénGallotellsusinhis2005book“Mexi- canModernity,”flourishedin1920sMexico, andforafamiliarreason:“Architectssought abuildingmaterialtorepresentthenewre- alityofpost-revolutionaryMexico,onethat enactedaclearbreakwiththepast.”] These penny insights into the quo- tidian life of working artists encourages something like a domino learning effect. Youcomeacrossalittletidbitonanartist orwriteryouadmire,youseektofindout more.You’reintriguedbyaBrennercom- ment on an artist you’ve never heard of, you look him up. So those disinclined to slogthrough860pagesofsomebody’sper- sonaldiarycanstillusethesejournalslike astudyguide,andprobablyalifelongone. Susannah Glusker makes that easy to do. The book is heavily annotated; ev- erything is explained. Not a single for- eign word – Spanish, Spanglish, French or Náhuatl – goes untranslated. Each year’s worth of entries are preceded by a round-upofthatyear’sgoings-on,putting Brenner’sobservationsintocontext. Thereisathoroughindex,abibliogra- phy and a glossary that tells us a little bit about almost every name mentioned in the book. They all will be much appreci- atedbyreaders. But ultimately it’s Anita Brenner’s communicationoftheMexicanspiritthat makes this volume worth its list price of $125. In his foreward to the book (marred by awkward diction that may be a case of translationese) the late Mexican cultural critic Carlos Monsiváis quotes a passage from “Your Mexican Holiday” that nicely summarizes her approach, and especially hitshomewiththoseofusinherprofession: “Mexico means something to you, in a strange personal way. You remember things about it at unexpected moments andwithstartlingforce.Youareapteven to quarrel, reset most of the things said and written about it. You would like to writesomethingyourself,fullofyourob- servationsandexperiences,thingswhich youhavenotseeninprint.” Cometothinkofit,thosewordscould serveasaworkingdescriptionofthismag- azine’smission. Susannah Glusker chatting with political cartoonist Rafael Barajas (El Fisgón) at a book presentation. 22 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 life& leisure life& leisure BOOK REVIEW
  • 25. F or three days and nights over the March 23-25 weekend, Mexico City’stopstadiumvenue,theFo- roSol,willbejammedwithsome 70,000 souls listening, screaming, slam- ming, dancing and otherwise grooving to morethan100bandsandothermusicians inLatinAmerica’smostprestigiousmusic festival,andoneofthemostimportantany- whereintheworld. Officially,it’stheFestivalIberoamericano deCulturaMusicalViveLatino,butnobody callsitanythingelsebutViveLatino.Since 1998–saveforafewskippedyears–ViveLa- tinohasbeentheshowcaseofSpanish-lan- guagerockandotherLatinAmericanpopu- larmusic,servingasasortofthermometerto measuretheheatofnewandestablishedacts, andtheinternationalmusicsceneingeneral. Ocesa,Mexico’sdominantliveentertain- mentpromoter,organizedthefirstfestival withtheideaof“bringingtogetheranum- berofgroupsplayingrockinSpanishthaton theirownmightnothaveenoughdrawing powerbuttogethercouldformanattractive billing.”Theycreatedaninstitution,butalso alivinganimal,whosebehaviorhasevolved overtheyearstoreflecttheLatinAmerican musicscene’sgrowingglobalprominence. NolongerisViveLatinolimitedtorock, to the Spanish language, to Latin Ameri- can bands or to acts with limited drawing power.Theactsareinternationalandthe genres diverse. And one of the true plea- suresofViveLatinotodayisseeingamajor starlikeEnriqueBunburytakethestage justminutesafterasurprisinglypleasing setbyalittle-knownbandthatmayhave beenplayinginastagelesslittledivewith whiteplasticseatstheweekbefore. Some of the bigger international names at the 2012 Vive Latino will be Bunbury (from Spain), Kasabian andMadness(bothfromtheUK),Il- lyaKuryaky(Argentina)andTVon theRadio(UnitedStates). But the home team is Mex- ico, and its contribution to the Vive Latino line-up is especially strong and diverse this year. So let’stakealookat10oftheMex- icanactsthatwillplaythefesti- valinMarch.Somewillnodoubt befamiliarnamestomany,oth- ersnotsomuch.Buttakento- gether,theygiveagoodideaof whattoexpectatViveLatino 2012,aswellasasnapshotof thestateofMexicanmusictoday. Let the Music BeginVIVE LATINO, one of the world’s top rock festivals, will take place in Mexico City in March. The Mexican music scene, in all its richness and diversity, will be on full display. . January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 23 life& leisureMUSIC
  • 26. SIDDHARTHA Jorge Siddhartha is an indie/alt solo- ist from Guadalajara who played drums for Zoé before breaking out with the 2008 release “Why You?” which was nominated for a Latin Grammy in the best solo rock album category. The recently released fol- low-up album, “Náufrago,” gives us sweet, beautifully crafted songs com- ing out of an isolation period in which Siddhartha explored other musical landscapes marked by layers of synths and electric guitars, as well as lyrics dealing with loneliness and times gone by. Siddhartha’s sound adheres to the Kings of Convenience dictum that “Quiet is the New Loud,” but he still manages to get things moving with upbeat and danceable pop-rock tunes. For him, Vive Latino is “the greatest festival in Latin America and a celebration of our music, identity and brotherhood.” Recommended “Why You?” is a subtle electronic pop-rock album with intelligent and poetic lyrics. It was the result of a solitary project that he worked on for years, even as he was playing with Zoé. “Náufrago,” (2011) continues the dreamy, introspective aura of “Why You?” but with its own personality and more ra- dio-friendly singles. THE WOOKIES They are a fairly new DJ act whose onstage costume is exactly what their name would lead you to suspect (although the Star Wars species is properly spelled Wookiees). “Calacas” and “André VII,” well-known in the Mexico City underground scene, come out of a creative collective known as Sicario, which started out as a clothes and design store, and grew into a blog (sicario.tv), an online record label (soundcloud.com/sicar- io-music) and an advertising agency – but it’s perhaps best-known for throwing wild parties. The Wookies have performed in venues worldwide, including in Tokyo, New York and Ottawa. But the Vive Latino stadium crowd will be by far the largest audi- ence to see them. “It will be a great opportunity for the electronic music scene,” says Calacas, aka Hugo Díaz Barreiro. “We’ve prepared a show with a live band as well as the turntables.” Recommended “Discotechno” (available at http://sound- cloud.com/the-wookies) is their debut EP, and its electronic beats recreate the dis- cotheque scene in 90s-era Acapulco with songs such as “Costera Miguel Alemán,” “La Quebrada” and “Acapulco Golden.” But truth be told, no recording can match watching them perform live and party big time. JUAN CIREROL Relatively new on the scene out of Mex- icali, Cirerol sings “anarco corridos,” accompanied onstage by little more than his acoustic guitar, his harmonica, his cowboy shirt, his jeans and a pair of boots. He’s been described as a blend of Johnny Lydon (of Sex Pistols fame), Johnny Cash, and the Sinaloa corrido crooner Chalino Sánchez (1960-1992). But he’s a highly original composer of songs packed with irreverent, tongue- in-cheek lyrics. Narco culture is part of his work, but it’s not the core of it. Like other artists from northern Mexico, such as writer Carlos Velázquez, author of “La Biblia vaquera,” Cirerol captures the language, slang and vibes of the region in songs such as “Clonazepam blues,” “Vida de perro” and “Maldita maestra,” which have become musts at any party. Of his first appearance at Vive Latino, Juan says, “It’s a result of having good friends and colleagues who I trust and who believe in me.” Recommended “Ofrenda al Mictlán” is his debut album of corridos, the story songs of northern Mexi- co. (Mictlán is the underworld of Aztec my- thology.) The topics range from complaints about everyday life to stealing drugs from your mother. This album is everything truly independent music should be – fresh, cre- ative and cross-genre, with no nods to radio station profiles or chart climbing. 24 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 life& leisure MUSIC
  • 27. AMANDITITITA The triple diminutive in her perform- ing name turns her 4’9” stature into something like a dare. The daughter of the late and legendary urban rock- er Rodrigo González (Rockdrigo), Amandititita’s musical genre is cumbia-pop-rock, but her posture is anti-establishment and scathingly satirical. Her songs and videos tap into humor, kitsch and pop aesthetics as she aims her merciless lyrics at such social types as “Metrosexual” and “La muy muy.” She has also de- clared war against her former record label, using You Tube, where she has her own channel, to make her feel- ings known to all. Amandititita’s debut album, “La reina de la anar- cumbia,” thrust her into the spotlight, and she’s since become well known on Latin American stages, where audiences love her outrageous out- fits, caustic songs and danceable cumbia. But Vive Latino will be her biggest date yet, and there’s a sense of anticipation about just what this charismatic and controversial per- former has in store. Recommended “La reina de la anarcumbia” (2008) is a hi- larious album that finds much to mock in popular Mexican culture, including the aforementioned social types, places (“El balneario”) and seemingly mundane situa- tions such as “Viernes de quincena,” when the biweekly payday falls on a Friday, jam- ming the roads, the malls and the cantinas. Every song on this album is wittily written and slickly produced, and a lot of them still get airplay across the radio station catego- ries, including rock, pop and grupero. EDDIE Y LOS GRASOSOS Rockabilly’s been enjoying a revival in Mexico over the last five years or so, with bands like Los Gatos and Los Rebel Cats reminding music lovers just how infectious this hyper-danceable genre can be. Eddie y los Grasosos, together and touring around the country since 2008, are a big part of the movement. Influenced by a combination of music types associated with the 50s and 60s – country, western swing, blues, doo wop and surf, as well as rockabilly itself – these guys are all about big greasy hair (hence their name), leather jackets, drums, double bass, a twangy guitar and lots of hip action. It’s the kind of timeless music that teens and their parents and grandparents can dig together. Recommended “Oh! Mi nena” is their independently re- leased debut album packed with two-min- ute songs. With names like “Grasoso Rock,” “Cherry Bop” and “Fiesta Ye Ye,” the tunes stick to the timeless topics that matter most – i.e chicks, fashion, cars and partying. The only point is to have a good time, and most of us appreciate that. ALFONSO ANDRÉ HewasontheViveLatinostagelastyear, drummingforthereunitedCaifanesinan epicshowafterthatband’s15-year break-up.HehadfollowedCaifanes singer/songwriterSaúlHernándezto Jaguares,andalsodrummedforLaBar- ranca.Thistimehe’scomingoutfrom behindthedrums,frontinghisownband inamuch-anticipated,high-profileap- pearancethatwilltakeplacejustabouta yearafterthereleaseofhismuch-ad- miredsolodebutalbum,“Cerrodelaire.” It’sarockalbum,ofcourse,butthere’sa mysticalvibetoit,alongwithatouchof funk,andanodtopop,mostnotablya coverof“Penelope,”pennedbytheAmeri- can-bornMenudogradRobby(Draco) Rosa.Andrémaybeasoloactnow,writ- ingandsinginghisownsongs,butthe productionof“Cerrodelaire”wassome- thingofafamilyaffair.Thatrefersbothto hispersonalfamily(wifeCeciliaTous- saintandsonJuliánwereinvolved)and hismusicalfamily,withanumberof musicians/producersintheCaifanes/ Barranca/Jaguarescontinuumpartici- pating,suchasFedericoFong,Fobia’s PacoHuidobro(who,speakingoffamily, isthebrotherofMolotov’sMickeyHuido- bro),SaboRomoandAlejandroMarco- vich,amongseveralothers.. Recommended It’stemptingtorecommendgoingbackandlis- teningtoeveryCaifanes,JaguaresandLaBar- rancaalbumwithAlfonsoAndréonit,pay- ingmoreattentiontothepercussionthistime around.ButthethingtodobeforetheViveLa- tinofestivalisgetaholdof“Cerrodelaire”and playitoverandover.Thisworkofferstherare pleasureofhearingaveneratedmusicindustry veteranmakeafreshstart,andaliberatingone atthat.“It’stheresultofapersonaljourney,”An- drésays.“ThisisanewandscaryphasethatI’m enjoyingverymuch.” January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 25
  • 28. CAFE TACVBA Yes, they’re still together and yes, they’ll be recording a new album soon. Possibly the biggest name in Mexican rock music, the band out of Satélite has been relatively quiet since celebrating its 20th anniversa- ry in 2009 at the same site as the 2012 Vive Latino festival – the Foro Sol – where they’ll be one of the fea- tured attractions. While all four members write music and lyrics, as well as produce and sing, it’s their extravagant front man, Rubén Albar- rán, who’s the unpredictable charac- ter onstage, overflowing with energy, changing costumes and assuming diverse identities. But any stage an- tics are secondary to this band’s unique combination of rock and tra- ditional Mexican music. Songs like “Ingrata,” “Las flores,” “Chica banda” and their cover of Jaime López’s “Chi- langa Banda” are windows to contem- porary Mexican culture. Recommended Go back to their self-titled 1992 debut album, “Café Tacvba,” a landmark in Mexican mu- sic that fuses their underground rock origin with traditional Mexican folk music. The lyr- ics deal with what living in Mexico is about, a break from other bands at the time who were more inspired by English, American or Argentine bands. “Re” (1994), produced by Oscar-winner Gustavo Santaolalla and con- sidered Café Tacvba’s masterpiece, exper- iments with a variety of genres and stands out for the playfulness of its lyrics. MOLOTOV Theenergylevelwillpalpablyrisewhen theseguyscomeon,andit’snotjust becausethey’reoneofthebiggestnames intheline-up,orbecausetheyboastall thetrappingsofrocksuccess(foreign tourscompleted,CDssold,LatinGram- mieswonandtunespennedformajor films,suchasAlfonsoCuarón’s“Ytu mamátambién”).Molotov’sasteamroller onstage,rammingtheirwaythroughone hitafteranotherwithanintenserock bass,drivingguitarriffs,aggressiverap lyricsandahintofTex-Mex.Theaudi- encejoinsinlikeawarchant.Themusi- calmixispowerfulanddanceableand fun,butMolotovisprobablybestknown foritsrelentlesspoliticalposture,aswell asalotofin-your-facelyricsthatseem intentionallydesignedtogettheminto trouble.Ascanhappenwithuncompro- misingmusicians,theirmotivesare frequentlymisinterpreted.Theirearlyhit “Puto”wascondemnedashomophobic (itwasn’t)andtheirbest-knownsong, “Frijolero”–anuncomfortableportrayal ofcross-borderantagonism–struckalot oflistenersassimplisticallynationalis- tic.Butit’sworthnotingthattheband memberwhosingsmostofthatsong, RandyEbright,isanAmerican.Molotov isaveteranViveLatinoact,butasbass- istPacoAyalaputsit,“It’salwaysan honorandachallengetobepartofa three-dayeventwithsomanybands.You gettoplaywithalotoffriends.” Recommended Molotovhasdonealotsincetheyfirsthitthe sceneinthe1990s,andthatincludescovering, ofallpeople,theballadeerJoséJosé.Buttheir firstrelease,“¿Dóndejugaránlasniñas?”(1997), isstillanessentialintroductiontowhatthese guysareallabout;itincludes“Puto”and“Vo- tolatino.”Thatalbum’ssongtitlesandlyricsare athoroughintroductiontoMexican“groserías.” “Frijolero,”whichmeans“beaner,”isfoundon their2003release,“DanceandDenseDenso.” ZOÉ They’ve been together for more than a decade. They are indisputably among the elite of Mexico’s indie/alt rock scene. They have recorded four superb studio albums. They’ve been amply honored, including as Best Rock Artist at the 2009 MTV Latinoamérica awards. But as Vive Latino 2012 looms, Zoé may be better than ever. León Larregui, the band’s sexy, untidy, bad-boy leader, pens dreamy, psychedelic lyrics that catch the attention of fans across the pop-to-rock spectrum. Zoé can follow an intense rocker with a love ballad that can be sung in arenas or weddings with equal effectiveness. Their latest effort is a 2011 release called “MTV Unplugged: Música de fondo,” featuring special guests such as Enrique Bunbury (with whom the band has been touring), Adrián Dárgeles (from the Argentine band Babasónicos) and the Monterrey rocker Chetes. The unplugged release, which took the 2011 Latin Grammy for best alternative music album, has clearly lifted the band to another level. And it confirms Zoé’s status as one of Mexico’s great live acts, with ethereal multi-instrumental and vocal arrange- ments that upgrade each song into an orchestral piece without losing any of that rock edge. Recommended Besides “MTV Unplugged: Música de fon- do,” give a listen (if you haven’t already) to “Memo Rex Commander y el corazón atómico de la Vía Láctea” (2006), Zoé’s breakthrough third album that conquered audiences with songs like “Vía Láctea” and “No me destruyas.” 26 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 life& leisure MUSIC
  • 29. Jaime López J aime López appearing at Vive Latino2012givesamajorboost in prestige – not to Jaime, who doesn’t need it, but to the festi- valitself.FewMexicanactsattheevent willowenoartisticdebttoJaimeLópez. That includes bands like Café Tacvba whohavegoneontoacommercialsuc- cessthatJaime’sdedicationtohiscalling haskeptoutofhisownreach. He’s a rocker with a voice so gravel- ly in the lower registers he makes Tom WaitssoundlikeKarenCarpenter.Like Bruce Springsteen, he’ll write and sing tunesincalmergenres–folk,tradition- al, pop – yet somehow always bring a rock ’n’ roll sensibility to it, if only im- plied. Also like Springsteen, he uses the vernacular to achieve the lyrical power of poetry, if we define poetry as words meaning worlds more than they other- wise would. Put another way, a Jaime López songs achieves the poetic with- outalways soundinglikeit. But unlike Bruce, who is all-Ameri- can,Jaimeisall-Mexican,andtheunof- ficialvoiceofthecapital.Hedoeslittleto discouragethisimageofamusicalcon- duitofMexicoCitystreetlife,butit’sre- ally a far too limiting description of his work.Muchoftheurbanchroniclertag stems from an early hit, a rapped-out novelty song called “Chilanga Banda” in which he riffs off the ch-laden slang of the DF, with its “pachucos, cholos y chundos, chichifos y malafachas.” Café Tacvbacovereditin1996ontheirthird, all-coversalbum,“Avalanchedeéxitos,” andJaimehasappearedlatelywiththat band’sleadguitarist,JoseloRangel. Pushing 60, Jaime López is at the height of his powers. His latest album, “Mujer y ego,” has been dubbed a “ma- ture”work,whichsoundsliketrouble,es- pecially when you hear the strings-like soundintroducingthefirstsong,“Bailan- doaladistancia.”Butnottoworry.“Ma- ture” here means “in total control,” and whatfollowsiseverythingyoucanwant from a Jaime López album, albeit no- ticeably more haunting, perhaps more intouchwithpain. CallitLópeznoir. —KELLYARTHURGARRETT The Master Makes an Appearance INSTITUTO MEXICANO DEL SONIDO You’llseethisprojectreferredtoasthe MexicanInstituteofSoundalmostas oftenastheSpanishversion,reflecting itsappealinbothlanguage-worlds.De- spitethebureaucraticringtothename, IMS(orMIS)ismostlytheworkofone extremelytalentedindividual.Camilo Laraisarecordlabelexec,amaster collectorofvinylalbums(45,000and counting),abelovedDJandacreator/ assemblerofmusicthatmixeselectróni- ca,mambo,chachacha,salsaandrock androllfromthesixtiesandeighties.And youcanconsiderthatapartiallist.His samplesandsoundmixeseventually sproutedlyrics,withwry,knowingrefer- encestoMexicoCityculturethatareat oncesatiricandfond.It’slikelythata heftypercentageofhislistenersdon’t quitecatchallofwhathe’stalkingabout, butthathasn’tpreventedIMSfromturn- ingintoaninternationalsensation,at leastaspopularintheUnitedStatesand Europeasathome.Lara’srecordedout- putiscreativeandirreverentasitfuses retroandcontemporaryculture.ButIMS isalsoaveryfunacttoseeonstage,and forViveLatinotherewillbelivedrums, guitars,bassandvoice.Themusicians liketoamusetheaudiencebyappearing onstagewithtailsstucktotheirbehinds, brandishingconfettiguns,givingaway maracas,andsimilarcrazystunts. They’reknownforencouragingtheaudi- encetocreatealongviborita,thesnake- likecongalineyoumightseeattradition- alweddingsandparties.That’shap- penedatpreviousIMSViveLatino appearances.Let’sseeiftheydoitagain. Recommended “Méjico Máxico” (2006) was the IMS stu- dio recording debut, an instrumental al- bum that surprised everybody for its innova- tive sound and mixing techniques. “Piñata” (2007) turned IMS into an international fes- tival mainstay with hits such as “El micrófo- no,” a fun comment on the tendency today for just about anybody to consider himself or herself an opinion leader. Another favor- ite cut from “Piñata” is “Katia, Tania, Paulina y la Kim,” a song dedicated to Camilo’s former girlfriends. hosts“MúsicaenImagen” MondaythroughFridayfrom11p.m.to1a.m.on RadioImagen.ShealsotalksinEnglishaboutpop- ularmusicinMexicoon“LivinginMexico,”an English-languageradioprogramhostedbyAna MaríaSalazarthatairsonSaturdaysat7a.m.and Sundaysat10a.m.onRadioImagen.Formorein- formationonRadioImagen,checkouttheMexico Reviewwebsiteatwww.mexico-review.com. January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 27
  • 30. Chasing the Clausura TrophyTHE OPENING of the second half of the Mexican Soccer League season has come with a lot of questions. BY TOM BUCKLEY T he balance of power appears to have tilted north as the Mexican Soccer League kicked off its Clausura 2012 seasononJan.6. The championship tro- phy resides in Monterrey again for the thirdtimeinfiveseasonsaftertheTigres claimedtheirfirstleaguetitlein29years with an easy triumph over fellow north- ernclubSantos. The Monterrey Rayados wore the crownaftertheApertura2009andAper- tura2010seasonsinadditiontowinning the Concacaf Champions League title in April2011.AndSantoshasbeeninthree of the past four finals despite coming up emptyeachtime. In contrast, fans of Mexico City- and Guadalajara-basedsoccerteamshavehad little to cheer about lately. UNAM is the onlyoneofthesesixclubsthathasoffered anythingtocelebrate,winningleaguetitles in May 2009 and May 2011. However, the PumasfollowedupontheirClausura2011 crown by failing to qualify for the Apertu- ra2011playoffs.Notonlythat,thePumas twicelostby4-0scoresandsufferedtwo 4-1beatdowns. HUMBLED ÁGUILAS The biggest fall from grace in 2011 was sufferedbytheonce-proud–somemight sayarrogant–Águilas.Américafanswit- nessedacircus,andnotafunnyone.The Águilas featured a league-worst defense 28 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 life& leisure SPORTS
  • 31. (31 goals allowed in 17 games), winning only three times and recording only 15 points. Therewasmessylocker-roomtur- moil, player suspensions, and a late-sea- soncoachingchange Mighty América finished alarming- ly close to the cellar, saved only by lowly Atlas of Guadalajara, a club that has not won a title since 1951 and is in danger of relegation. Televisa-owned América carried out yetanotherhouse-cleaninginthefrontof- ficeinDecember,namingformernational teamstrikerandTVcommentatorRicar- do Peláez as team president and Miguel Herreraasheadcoach. Peláezdidn’twasteanytime,overhaul- ingtherosterandbringinginthreemem- bers of El Tri before signing Venezuela’s big defender Oswaldo Vizcarrondo. The movesmadecoachHerreragiddy. “Manforman,Américaisthebestteam in the league … without a doubt,” Herrera said,immediatelyincreasingthepressure onhimselftowinrightaway. For his part, the 6’3” Vizcarrondo – signedfromArgentina’sOlimpo–hasbeen brought in to shore up the back line. The 27-year-old will start alongside Colombi- anAquivaldoMosqueratocomposeafor- midablecentraldefensefortheÁguilas. Still, Vizcarrondo was under no false impressions. “I’m not here to be a defen- sivesavior.Ijustwanttobereadytocon- tributeinanywayIcan,”hesaid. Goalie Moisés Muñoz followed coach Herrera from Atlante to take over for GuillermoOchoawhomovedtoFrance’s Ajaccio last summer. Muñoz will be ex- pected to reduce the goals-against num- bersignificantly. SinceformerscoringchampionÁngel ReynawasdealttoMonterrey,theÁguilas will be looking to Christian Benítez and Daniel Montenegro (newly named cap- tain)togenerateoffense.Newacquisitions “Chema”Cárdenas(purchasedfromSan- tos) and Christian “The Hobbit” Bermú- dez–alsofromAtlante–willbecalledup- ontodirecttheattackfrommidfield. Inthepreseason,Américawononlyone offourgames,butgaveuponlyfivegoals. CHIVAS LICKING THEIR WOUNDS Outwest,Guadalajaramustquicklyrecov- er from a shocking collapse. After claim- ingtheNo.1seedheadingintotheApertura 2011playoffs,theChivaswereknockedout by8-seededQuerétaroinastunningquar- terfinalsupset. Guadalajara struggled to score all sea- sonandfoundthenetonlyonceinthetwo- gameplayofflosstoQuerétaro.Ofaddition- al concern for coach Fernando Quirar- te, the Chivas enter Clausura 2012 with a longinjurylist. Scorer Marco Fabián and midfielder PatricioAraujoonlyrejoinedtrainingcamp the week before the season opener while fourotherstartersremainonthesidelines. Two other top subs won’t be ready to see thefieldregularlyuntilFebruary. Coach Quirarte will face pressure to winearly,withteamownerJorgeVergara January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 29
  • 32. looking anxiously over his shoulder. The ever-meddlingVergarafiredJoséLuisRe- allatelastseasonwhentheChivaswerein secondplace.Themoveseemedtobackfire eventhoughGuadalajarafinishedatopthe standings. The team never played consis- tentlywellandwereonce-and-doneinthe postseason. DESPERATE CEMENTEROS CruzAzulhasnotliftedatrophysinceDe- cember1997andCementerofansarefedup. CoachEnriqueMezamightnotsurvivethe seasoniftheBlueMachinestartsoffslowly. Cementeroownershiphasspentliber- ally to claim another title, instead getting treated to underachieving teams flaming out of the playoffs alternating with heart- breakinglossesinfinals.CruzAzulhaslost fourfinalsinthepastfouryears. The big news was the catch of strik- er Omar Bravo, who the club tried to sign in 2009 after he returned from a season inSpain.Backthen,theswiftstrikerfrom NayaritsignedwiththeTigresinstead.Bra- vo has been repatriated again after a suc- cessfulseasonwithSportingKansasCityof theMLS.SaidBravo:“I’mheretoworkmy buttoffandtowinovertheCruzAzulfans.” The former Guadalajara star (Bra- vo scored 108 goals with the Chivas) was broughtinspecificallytoigniteanoffense whoseperformancelastseasoncanbestbe described as moribund. The Cementeros attackregisteredonly21goalsin17games andNo.2seedCruzAzulfoundthenetonly twiceinthequarterfinals,bouncedbyMo- reliaona4-2aggregatescore. In five preseason games, Cruz Azul scored 19 goals and Bravo formed a dan- gerous strike force with Emanuel Villa. Midfield general Christian Giménez was enjoying directing the traffic and feeding ballstothedynamicduo.NowcoachMeza musthopethattheoffenseproducescon- sistentlyintheregularseason. PETULANT PUMAS UNAM’sfallfromthethronecamesudden- lyandunexpectedlyasthePumasmissed the playoffs one season after winning the title.A1-1tieathomeinthefinaleagainst lowlyTijuanacostthePumasandexposed theyoungclub’sweaknesses,especiallyits lackofdisciplineandalackofpoise. UNAMspentmanyagamescrambling toplugholesafterseeingaredcardandits once-stingydefensesprangleaksthatwere worsened by playing shorthanded too of- ten. The Pumas won only once in their fi- nalsixgames,losingtwiceby4-1scores. The club did not spend on new faces duringthewinterbreakandcoachMemo Vázquezisconfidentthathisyoungcharges Around the League Rayados suffer Suazo drama, Guille Franco returns to Mexico Monterrey endured quite a bit of training camp turmoil as star strik- er Humberto Suazo did not report to camp until the week of the team’s home opener. The Chilean inter- national earned heavy fines for his holdout as he was trying to force a trade to Boca Juniors and he was left off the roster for the first two games. The Rayados strengthened their of- fense over the winter break by trading for Ángel Reyna after the former scor- ing champ fell out of favor with Améri- ca. Last season, Reyna caused strife in the Águilas locker room by calling out the captain and cursing some oth- er teammates. He was suspended by América and put on the trading block as a result of his insubordination. In Pachuca, the Tuzos are looking to revisit the top of the table and proof of that was the signing of striker Guille Franco. The former Monterrey star (2002-05) who retired from El Tri after the 2010 World Cup, returns to Mexico after playing the past six sea- sons in Spain, England and Argentina. The Tuzos snuck into the playoffs last season with the No. 6 seed, but were knocked out by the eventual champi- on Tigres by a 4-0 aggregate score. Their biggest task might be filling >> 30 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 life& leisure SPORTS
  • 33. willgrowup,especiallyastheteamiscon- sideringfiningplayersforrepeatedyellow andredcards. ButthePumaswentwinlessinthepre- season and it wasn’t clear that the focus on discipline resonated with the team. In one game, David Cabrera was shown red againstPueblaandthePumaslost2-1. “Thecoachingstaffhasbeenemphasiz- ing disciplined play but in some cases it’s justamatterofbeingtooaggressivewhile tryingtomakeaplayfortheteam,”saidde- fenderLuisFuentes. The defense will rely on veteran cen- terbacksDarioVerónandMarcoAntonio Palacios, while up front the Kiddie Corps of Javier Cortés, David Cabrera, Eduardo HerreraandCarlosOrrantiawillbecalled upontogrowupquickly. ATLAS SHRUGGED ASIDE? The Zorros franchise has fallen on hard times and the only thing that might keep Atlas from sinking into the second di- vision is Estudiantes Tecos, the strange team based in the Guadalajara suburb of Zapopan. Atlashasnotwonatitlesince1951but the club’s faithful fans have helped make the Clásico Tapatío an entertaining spec- tacle year after year. Of course, it helped matters when the Zorros were featuring an attacking brand of football, sparked by fresh legs from their youth development program. Rafael Márquez, Oswaldo Sán- chez, Jared Borgetti, Pavel Pardo, Daniel Osorno and Juan Pablo Rodríguez were allproductsoftheAtlasschoolinthe1990s. NowtheZorrosfacearelegationbattle withtheTecosthathasbeencomplicated bytheclub’sfinancialdifficulties.Vergara, the Chivas’ owner, even offered to rescue Atlasfrombankruptcylastyear.TheZor- ros showed disdain for the offer by hand- ily defeating Guadalajara in a preseason match,3-0. Coach Juan Carlos Chávez – a prod- uct of the Atlas school and the coach of Mexico’s Under-20 World Cup team that brought home bronze in 2011 – will be testedearlyandoften.OnDec.29,Chávez named as team captain striker Giancarlo Maldonado,theVenezuelaninternational who won a scoring crown and a league ti- tlewithAtlantein2007. Across town, José Luis Salgado takes overthehelmatEstudiantesinalast-ditch efforttosavetheTecosfromdemotion.The Tecos franchise is the only club in histo- ry to climb from third division to the first division,evenwinningachampionshipin 1994.ButifownerCarlosLeañoisn’tcare- ful,he’llsoonbefindingoutiftheteamcan repeatthefeatofreachingthefirstdivision fromthethirddivision. the gaping hole left by long-time goal- ie Miguel Calero who retired. Calero was instrumental in helping Pachuca win four league titles and six international trophies including the Concacaf Cham- pions League four times. The Tigres have to replace the offen- sive production provided by Danilinho if they hope to defend their crown. The acquisition of winger Elías Hernández is a good first step. The talented, young Morelia native will be looking to revive his career under the watchful eyes of coach Ricardo Ferretti. The champs have an early Copa Lib- ertadores test against Chile’s Unión Es- pañola with the winner claiming a spot in Group 3 alongside Bolivia’s Bolívar, Colombia’s Junior and Chile’s Univer- sidad Católica. Ferretti has gone on re- cord saying his team’s priority is the league, prompting ESPN personali- ty David Faitelson to write: “You’d think the Tigres would be willing to take a one-season sabbatical to focus on a prestigious international tournament. After all their fans waited 29 years be- tween league titles.” Cruz Azul and Guadalajara are the oth- er Mexican teams in the Copa Libertado- res. The Cementeros are in Group 6 with Brazil’s Corinthians, Venezuela’s Deporti- vo Tachira and Paraguay’s Nacional. The Chivas are in Group 7 with Argentina’s Velez Sarsfield, Ecuador’s Deportivo Qui- to and Uruguay’s Defensor. Four Mexican clubs are in contention for the Concacaf Champions League tro- phy with the quarterfinals set to begin in March. Morelia and Monterrey square off in one series, while Santos faces Se- attle and UNAM takes on El Salvador’s Isidro Metapán. Monterrey is the de- fending champion. —MEXICO REVIEW January 27, 2012 : MEXICOREVIEW 31
  • 34. Coming up ...CARNAVAL DE VERACRUZ Feb.14–22inVeracruz,Veracruz Veracruz offers the truest — some say only — carnival experience in Mexico, or anywhere else north of Rio de Janeiro. After the ceremonial burning in effigy of Bad Humor, the streets of this historic port city are taken over by floats and costume parades, as well as the music, dance and food that Veracruz is known for even in more mundane times of the year. THE GUADALAJARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL March2-10inGuadalajara,Jalisco Festival Internacional de Cine de Guadalajara (FICG) is considered the most important film event in Latin America. Last year more than 300 movies were shown, about one-third of them Mexican, and the rest from 44 other countries. Part of its strength comes from the wide range of supporting institutions, including the University of Guadalajara, the Mexican Film Institute (Imcine), the National Council for Culture and the Arts (Conaculta), the Jalisco state Government, and the cities of Guadalajara and Zapopan. FESTIVAL VIVE LATINO March23-25 The premier rock festival in Latin America will take place over three days and nights at the Foro Sol, a Mexico City stadium. The musical performers include Bunbury, Madness, Café Tacvba, Jaime López, Molotov and 100 others. (See page 23) OLYMPIC QUALIFYING SOCCER March22-27inNashvilleandLosAngeles The penultimate stage of the qualifying tournament that will determine which two teams from the Con- cacaf region (which includes North and Central America and the Caribbean) will compete at the Lon- don Olympics will take place in Nashville, Tennessee and Carson, California (part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area) from March 22 to March 27. The Mexican team, which by Olympic rules must be an under-23 squad for the qualifiers, will play in Carson, facing Trinidad & Tobago on March 23, Honduras on March 25 and Panama on March 27. The U.S. plays in Nashville, against Cuba on March 22, Canada on March 24 and El Salvador on March 26. The top two teams from each of those groups will play in a semifinal round on March 31 in Kansas City. Those two winners get a ticket to London, but a final game to determine the tournament cham- pion (and the seeding at the Olympics) will be played on April 2, also in Kansas City. THE PAPAL VISIT March23-26 Pope Benedict XVI will be in Guanajuato, a state known for its religious conservatism, before traveling to Cuba. He is scheduled to arrive at the Bajío Airport in the city of León on the afternoon of the 23rd, a Friday, where he will be received as a head of state by President Calderón. He will stay at the Mira- flores College, a site of the “Slaves of the Most Holy Eucharist and of the Mother of God.” On Saturday, he will meet with Calderón in the city of Guanajuato and then appear in public in Guanajuato’s Plaza de la Paz. Sunday’s events will include a Mass in the new Bicentennial Park in Silao, between León and Guanajuato, at the foot of Cubilete Hill and its huge monument to Christ the King. Back in León, the Pope will celebrate Vespers in the cathedral there and address bishops and other representatives of the Bishops Conference of Latin America and the Caribbean. On Monday morning, he will fly to the city of Santiago de Cuba. FESTIVAL DE MÉXICO EN EL CENTRO HISTORICO Mid-MarchinMexicoCity Mexico City’s 668-block downtown Historic Center is a year-round cauldron of cultural celebration, but never more so than the three weeks in March when the annual Festival of Mexico fills more than 60 indoor and outdoor venues with music, art, theater, dance, film, food, traditional entertainment, academic activities and (if past is precedent) a number of cultural pursuits that defy definition.Theurbanfestival,enteringits28thyear,emphasizesthehomegrownbutisalsogenerousinitsinternationalofferings. The main attraction, however, might be the old city itself; it seems to shine a bit brighter when it’s on display. 32 MEXICOREVIEW : January 27, 2012 life& leisureFEBRUARYMARCH EVENTS