Macko Portrait by Sal Rojas

This is portrait I took of Colombian rapper MACKO in Medellin, Colombia. They are using it for a show Macko’s performing at in Germany. Check out Macko’s myspace at ms/VIEJOMACKO

Macko Portrait by Sal Rojas

Mala Suerte Compania Mexican Whiskey

New “Mexican Whiskey” t-shirt by Mala Suerte Compania available exclusively on BrownPride.com. Homegrown graphics created by Johnny “Mala Suerte” Garza and Job Moscot of Explicit Ink and printed by Sal Rojas / Firme Clothing INC.

Womens Version Coming Soon!!

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR MENS VERSION OF MEXICAN WHISKEY

Mala Suerte Compania Mexican Whiskey Graphic Tee

Mala Suerte Compania Graphic Tees

The Mala Suerte Compania was created back in 2002 by Mexican-American tattoo artist, Johnny “Mala Suerte” Garza. Johnny started tattooing out in the midwest area and ever since he started tattooing he has also pursued other creative ways to express his creativity. Although Johnny is well known as a tattoo artist, graphic design and photography can also be added to the list of creative outlets that Johnny is capable of. Having family ties in southern Texas and the midwest, Johnny has been constantly working out of both regions, giving him the exposure that many tattooers dream of with the ability to go back and forth from tattoo shop to tattoo shop.

The Mala Suerte Compania started up from Johnny’s nickname, and then Johnny teamed up with Job Moscot Cortes of Explicit Ink, there was a creative fire as soon as these two artists started to colaborate on projects. Johnny decided to make it official and added the Compania to his name. Johnny and Job have a great understanding of each others style, talents and strengths and have a great chemistry together; they are the creative forces behind Mala Suerte Compania.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE MALA SUERTE COMPANIA GEAR

Mala Suerte Compania Graphic Tees

The Message ART Show Presented by Mala Suerte

HE MESSAGE ART SHOW – CISA STUDIOS – APRIL 16th, 2010 | John “Mala Suerte” Garza + Roman Villarreal + Tony Reyes + Salvador Rojas

THE MESSAGE: A CHICANO ART EXHIBITION

THE MESSAGE: A CHICANO ART EXHIBITION was brought together by multifaceted artist and curator John �Mala Suerte� Garza and CISA Studios. CISA Studios was created by three well respected graffiti artists from the �Crazy In Style Artists� (C.I.S.A. Crew) and provides the mid-west with authentic Gallery shows.

Johnny �Mala Suerte� Garza grew up in the mid-west and has been one of the original artist in the area�s graffiti scene. He now tattoos out of the Sacred Art Tattoo Studios in Calumet City, Illinois and is well regarded as an artist for representing his Chicano roots through his artwork.

He wanted to curate an art show that displayed Chicano artists that had develop their own voice yet, whose art work would complement each others.

Full Article and Photos on BrownPride.com

Gomorrah by Roberto Saviano

I just finished reading Robert Saviano’s powerful book titled “Gomorrah”. The book is about the Naples-based Mafia called Camorra, an organized crime system more powerful and violent than the Sicilian Mafia.

The title of the book comes from a text by Giuseppe “Don Peppino” Diana, a parish priest in Casal di Principe, who was killed by the Camorra in March 1994: “time has come to stop being a Gomorrah.”

We all grew us watching Italian Mafia movies like The Godfather and Goodfellas. This book gives you a different perceptive on how powerful the Mafia really is. They control almost every facet of Italian life and their influence is felt around the world. Whether it’s controlling the fashion industry, selling arms, or trafficking narcotics globally they are making billions of Euros in the process. – Salvador Rojas

Gomorrah by Roberto Saviano

Official ROBERTO SAVIANO Website

The Third Root by Sal Rojas

The highlight of Saturday night’s “Art Walk” didn’t even take place within the Artist Village. Hands down the highlight of the evening was Sal Rojas’ Afro-Mexican photography exhibit held at wonderful little store, Calacas, located at 324 W. 4th Street #B in downtown Santa Ana.

The exhibit, which was presented by BrownPride.com, was called “The Third Root | La Tercera Raiz” and “captures the life of Afro-Mexicans and their communities”. Rojas did a magnificent job with the photos that bring to life the Afro-Mexican culture.

Afro-Mexicans make up more than 5% of Mexico’s population; yet remain invisible to the majority of Mexicans.

Besides getting to enjoy the wonderful photography exhibit I got to browse around this terrific little store full of products that celebrate the cultures of Latinos and the indigenous people of this area.

Article by NewSantaAna.com

Afro-Latinos by Creador Pictures

Sal Rojas is a renowned photographer in the U.S. This Chicano is the creator of www.brownpride.com, the most popular website that embraces the essence of being Latino in the U.S. Sal went with Renzo Devia, director of AfroLatinos to Costa Chica, Mexico. They captured unique images of Afro-Mexicans.

My Photographs from Costa Chica in Oaxaca, Mexico

Afro-Latinos – MEXICO

Sal Rojas Photography

Stand and Deliver Mural

Teacher who inspired ‘Stand and Deliver’ film dies
By RAQUEL MARIA DILLON

LOS ANGELES – Jaime Escalante, the math teacher who transformed a tough East Los Angeles high school and inspired the movie “Stand and Deliver,” died Tuesday. He was 79.

Escalante died at his son’s home near Sacramento, after battling bladder cancer for several years, family friend Keith Miller said.

An immigrant from Bolivia, he transformed Garfield High School by motivating struggling students to excel at advanced math and science. The school had more advanced placement calculus students than all but four other public high schools in the country.

Edward James Olmos played Escalante in the 1988 film based on his story.

“Jaime exposed one of the most dangerous myths of our time — that inner city students can’t be expected to perform at the highest levels,” Olmos said. “Because of him, that destructive idea has been shattered forever.”

Escalante was a teacher in La Paz before he emigrated to the U.S. He had to study English at night for years to get his California teaching credentials and return to the classroom.

At first he was discouraged by Garfield’s “culture of low expectations, gang activity and administrative apathy,” Miller said.

Gradually, he overhauled the school’s math curriculum and enabled students who were previously considered unteachable to master the advanced placement calculus test.

He used his outsized personality to goad his working-class Mexican-American students to succeed, said Elsa Bolado, 45, one of his former pupils.

Bolado, now an elementary school teacher and trainer, remembers Escalante’s charisma — and the way he built her confidence with long hours of solving problems and how he inspired her career choice with his unorthodox approach to learning.

“Teaching is an art form. There’s a lot of practicioners and very few artists. He was a master artist,” she said.

Bolado took the AP calculus test in 1982, the year that testing officials made Garfield students retake it because they were suspicious that so many of Escalante’s students had passed. She said 14 students were asked to take the test again months later and all 12 who did passed.

“To this day, I still think of the example he set — the study skills, how not to give up,” said Bolado, 45. “I revert back to that every time things get rough.”

Escalante left Garfield in 1991, taught at schools in Sacramento and retired to Bolivia in 2001.

The cast of “Stand and Deliver” recently appealed for donations to help Escalante pay for his alternative cancer treatments.

He is survived by his wife, two sons, and six grandchildren.

The Art And Life of CHAZ BOJORQUEZ | New Book March 2010

The Art and Life of Chaz Bojorquez: Curated by Marco Klefisch & Alberto Scabbia will be released on March 31, 2010.

This monograph charts the life and career of Chaz Bojorquez, known as “Chaz,” a Los Angeles-born Mexican-American artist who began in the “Cholo” gang graffiti tradition but quickly arrived at his own groundbreaking style. This book includes previously unreleased photographs and traces the artist’s story in fascinating detail.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CHAZ’S NEW BOOK “The Art And Life of CHAZ BOJORQUEZ”

Chaz Bojorquez and Sal Rojas @ Teotihuacan

The Legendary Chaz Bojorquez and Salvador Rojas in Teotihuacan, on top of the Pyramid of the Sun, with the Pyramid of the Moon behind us. (Teotihuacan December 2007)

KEMO THE BLAXICAN SUMMER 2010

The homie KEMO THE BLAXICAN is releasing a new album this Summer 2010.

KEMO THE BLAXICAN PHOTO by SAL ROJAS

Kemo the Blaxican was a special guest performer at my “EL MUNDO ES UN BARRIO” Photography Exhibition in East Los Angeles, California in 2008. As a gift I framed and signed him a photograph from his performance for his new recording studio. – Salvador Rojas