Julián Esteban Torres López
Initially, La CaSSaDaGa meant to chronicle my various endeavours. The project quickly evolved to also become the main cross+street where Colombian talent meets the world's. La CaSSaDaGa's new mission is to share with an English-speaking, int'l audience the diverse, creative talents of budding Colombian artists and introduce Colombians to the emerging, non-mainstream talents of the world. From one CaSSaDaGaN to another, welcome and bienvenidos to mi CaSSa. Don't forget to remove your shoes -- we walk barefoot around here.
Heidi Harris (Music)
Calavera y la Popular Independiente (Music)
La CaSSaDaGa’s favourite non-Spanish Colombian radio station
International Poetry Festival of Medellín
Rock al Parque Festival, Bogotá
International Film Festival of Cartagena de Indias
[POEM / AUDIO] My CaSSaDaGa
Below you can find the recording of my piece, “My CaSSaDaGa”. I think the piece poetically captures the essence of what this blog means to me. Feel free to take a listen, download for free, and share as you please.
[POEM] Evolution
She is allergic to dinosaurs though one can’t tell and she wouldn’t know it. As a child she thought she domesticated one but it was only a lizard named Rex. She often departs the Museum of History with an unexplainable rash. Partaking in these frequent outing on a leash but in the child’s hip pocket, … Read more
JULIAN TORRES on Al Jazeera on death of FARC leader Alfonso Cano
This past Friday, November 4th, I was interviewed live on Al Jazeera via Skype an hour or so after the Colombian government confirmed the death of Alfonso Cano, the FARC’s now former leader. To learn more about Cano, here’s the video setting up my interview they screened right before I went on. Below is my … Read more
Vegetarian-like lifestyle in Medellín, Colombia: Conversation with celiac disease sufferer, Alexandra
Originally published 7 June 2011 on Little Colombia Observationist. Special interview by LCO columnist Julián Esteban Torres López Originally from England, 31-year-old Alexandra is an English teacher and translator living in Medellín. She suffers from celiac disease and shares her experiences below. JETL: How long have you lived in Medellín? Alex: Five years in total, … Read more
[POEM/VIDEO] Medellín
Excerpt from poem: “This is I, questioning existence. Twenty-two years, fifty-nine days, and twenty-one hours on the road, hitchhiking back to my birth, walking backwards into the future facing the past, reading back words of my autobiography, looking for any clue that will lead me toward the womb of my conception…” To listen to the … Read more
[POEM]: The Obituary Editor
At seventeen, Rodolfo worked for the local newspaper editing the weather page and obituaries. When a notification was submitted for someone not yet dead, Rodolfo’s job was made difficult. He was a cab driver who never wore a hat, even during winter months, because he was proud of his unruly white curls and liked to show … Read more
Vegetarian lifestyle in Medellín, Colombia: Cristina
*As a new challenge to make others aware of vegetarian and vegan lifestyles in Colombia, I’ve started this section of my blog. It follows and interviews vegetarians and vegans living in Colombia or who have travelled to the country. If you fit this category and would like to be interviewed, contact me. — Julián* Name: … Read more
Vegetarian lifestyle in Medellín, Colombia: Carolina
*As a new challenge to make others aware of vegetarian and vegan lifestyles in Colombia, I’ve started this section of my blog. It follows and interviews vegetarians and vegans living in Colombia or who have travelled to the country. If you fit this category and would like to be interviewed, contact me. — Julián* Name: … Read more
[POEM] Carnal Cartagena
As el jefe puts down his morning coffee his daughter is at home with the barefoot delivery boy – who, guiltless, wears his only costeño straw hat. She spreads her legs like a Caribbean child learning to use chopsticks. In the colonial alley nearby, the residual agony of the Spanish Inquisition torments those leaving the … Read more
[POEM/AUDIO] If I were the sun
Excerpt: “If I were the sun, you’d find me running behind you trying to catch up, beneath the orange Arizona sky, trying not to trip over knocked-down, dried up cacti and lizard skulls during your early morning runs since you tend to rise earlier than I…” For the entire spoken word piece, listen to the … Read more
[POEM] Andean morning prayers
Before the youngest child crushed the first early morning cricket, he chased the foot ball. Four peach-coloured palms ironed and folded the family’s only linen. Even the towels needed indoctrination. Mother kneaded the dough for the arepas served solely to Father and the elder sons. Six peach-coloured palms continued their separate sermons. The men would … Read more
A Colombian’s ode to Michael Jackson using MJ song titles
Growing up in Colombia during the 1980s, I owned only two music cassette tapes: Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Bad. It wasn’t until I moved to the US in the 1990s that I realised both were black-market bootleg copies since the original Thriller and Bad tapes did not contain songs from MJ’s Off the Wall LP. … Read more
The tall tall tales of Heidi Harris
– Interviewer: Julián Esteban Torres López – – Interviewee: Heidi Harris – – A La CaSSaDaGa Original – ===================================================== La CaSSaDaGa: I’d like to begin by saying that I’m very happy to have Heidi Harris with us today. She’s one of my favourite musical artists for many reasons; reasons that I hope to share with … Read more
[Poem/Video] Wandering Love
Excerpt: “Just give me a call…we will wander somewhere, together. I’ll take you to a place where the sun goes to rest…where the moon learned to love the night life…where the heart understood what I meant when I said, “I love you.” And I didn’t even need to give my reasons for it to understand, … Read more
Creative Colombians: Calavera y la Popular Independiente
Originaly published 28 July 2011 on Little Colombia Observationist. This is a special interview by LCO columnist Julián Esteban Torres López who speaks to Teo Calavera, the lead singer and director of Medellin-based band Calavera y la Popular Independiente. Photo credits go to El Callejón Reggaer bar. JETL: Little Colombia Observationist reaches an international audience. For … Read more
What does it mean to be Colombian?
Originally published 19 October 2010 on Colombia Reports. There are over 45 million “Colombians” living within the country’s borders and about 5 million abroad. I am said to fall under the latter category. However, of these 50+ million individuals, can we really sit down and agree on a set of characteristics in order to essentialize … Read more
Colombia’s ‘obligatory’ military service: The arbitrary role of class disparity
Originally published 24 July 2011 on Colombia Reports. When Alvaro Uribe (2002-2010) first ran for president of Colombia, a question I thought important was dodged. When asked why he and his sons had never performed military service, his campaign declined to comment. The shadow of this question remains indelible in my mind. This is the … Read more
Salsa in Medellín
Originally published 15 July 2011 on Little Colombia Observationist. Words by Julián Esteban Torres López When asked about where the best place for salsa in the city of Medellín is located, Lázaro and I always debate. He doesn’t have a favourite but he is partial to El Tíbiri and Son Cubano, both located near Estación … Read more
The country formerly known as “Colombia”
Originally published 30 June 2011 on Little Colombia Observationist. Satirical Words by Pseudonym Lázaro Rojas Photo above by Scott David Thompson During the first congressional ‘closed-door’ session of the year, on 29 June, in an effort to attract more capital investment and tourists, Sergio Diáz Granados, the country’s Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism, successfully persuaded the … Read more
The WRIToracle Poets’ dirty laundry: The second load
- 24 June 2011 – - Album by The WRIToracle Poets – - Article by Michael Frissore – Mt. Major, New Hampshire, April 2006. We — that is, some of the WRIToracle staff members – gathered to climb Mt. Major in Alton, NH. The wordplay in this being the first WRIT Summit and that we were … Read more
The secret life of a Colombian pseudonym
Originally published 22 June 2011 on Little Colombia Observationist. In December of 2003, exactly five months before the 100th anniversary of the famous Spanish artist, I found myself in St. Petersburg, Florida, at the Salvador Dalí museum. It was here that as a gesture of honour to his life I purchased his autobiography, The Secret … Read more
Featured Poet: Julián Esteban Torres López (Radio interview on Good Gumbo Radio’s “Roux Artistry Hour”)
RADIO INTERVIEW Aired live on 18 June 2011 on Good Gumbo Radio‘s “Roux Artistry Hour,” hosted by Lily liketheflower Powers. Also performed live the following two tracks from his spoken word album: “Puberty” and “I left my heart in Medellin.” You can listen to and download the entire album — Sfumato: A Decade of Spoken … Read more
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Julián Esteban Torres López (Writer)
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