PURO LATIN HIP-HOP
Tres Coronas, Immortal Technique, Rage Against the Machine, Sick Symphonies, 2MEX, 5th Battalion, The Psycho Realm, Krazy Race, Joell Ortiz,Chino XL, Juan "Messiah" Zarate, R de Rumba, El Pecador, Kinto Sol, Macko, Los Tumdados, Rymasylum, Malverde, Mala Rodriguez, Street Platoon, Q-Unique, Sekreto, Kemo The Blaxican, Control Machete,
and Violadores del Verso and many many more...
Favorite Movies::
The Godfather (1972) | The Godfather: Part II (1974) | Amores Perros (2000) | City of God (2002) | La Haine (1995) | Scarface (1983) | The Hustler (1961) | La Dolce Vita (1960) | Once Were Warriors (1994) | Apocalypse Now REDUX(1979) | Good Will Hunting (1997) | Dead Poets Society (1989) | Favela Rising (2005) | Blade Runner (1982) | GoodFellas (1990) | The Matrix (1999) | Sin City (2005) | Twelve Monkeys (1995) | Frida (2002) | A Bronx Tale (1993) | Rebel Music (2001) | Cinema Paradiso (1988) | Voces Inocentes (2004) | Se7en (1995) | Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001) | Donnie Brasco (1997) | Tropa de Elite (2007) | The Dark Knight (2008) | City of Men (2008)| Braveheart (1995) | Slumdog Millionaire (2008) | Sin Nombre (2009) | Rosario Tijeras (2005)
Books
New Book by my friend Steven Cedre featuring my Photography.
Cover Photo I did for List Magazine.
RISE MAGAZINE Issue 2 (Paris, France) feat. eight of my photographs (pgs.28-33).
Featuring Eight of my Photographs.
RISE MAGAZINE (Paris, France) Cover by Sal Rojas Photography.
Que Onda Mag (Paris, France) ft. 3 of my DJ FM photos
1 of 3 Classick DJ FM Flicks!
Groove Magazine (Italy-based)
Groove Mag Italy feat. 2 of photographs
Ilegal Squad Magazine (Mexico City, Mexico)
Zona de Obras Revista 47 (Spain)
Latin Lingo Article and Photos by Sal Rojas
Zona de Obras (Spain) Issue 32 | Hip Hop Chicano featuring a lot of my photography.
Features photography by Salvador Rojas on pages 163 and 188. StencilPirates.org
Heroes
Currently Reading "Rain of Gold" by Victor Villasenor
Authors::
Gabriel Garcia Marquez(Colombian), Victor Villasenor (Mexican), Sam Quinones (Mexican), Luis J Rodriguez (Mexican), and Carlos Ruiz Zafón (Spanish)
Last month (October 2009) I was in Colombia visiting my friends in the
cities of Bogota and Medellin. On one of the first days of visiting my good
friend Renzo Devia in Bogota, we decided to visit the picturesque barrio of “La
Candelaria.” La Candelaria is the oldest part of the city and is the area where
the city was originally founded.
Bogota has driving restrictions on when
you can and can’t drive around the city to help fight severe traffic congestion
called “Pico y Plata”. To get around the city we rely mostly on the taxi system.
We were on our way to La Candelaria by taxi. Within two blocks of our
destination we were pulled over by the Bogota Police on motorcycles. With two
military-style police officers on each side of the taxi we were ordered to come
out slowly. I looked over to Renzo and saw one police officer frisking him and
then looking through his backpack. The police officer closest to me asked me
what I was doing here. I told him in Spanish that I was a photographer from Los
Angeles taking photos of the city. He then had me open my camera bag and he
looked thoroughly through my equipment after he quickly patted me down,
satisfied that we weren’t left-wing guerillas or sicarios with drugs or weapons
in our possessions. The police officer then looks me dead in the eye and in
Spanish he tells me “Let me give you a word of advice, keep your camera in your
bag or else someone is going to take your camera from you!” I replied with
“Gracias” thanking him for his concern, he then said we were free to go. We paid
the cab fare and walked the first block with my camera put away.
I was
thinking to myself that Bogota is “Gangsta”, the city has a strong military and
police presence due to all the violence with the guerrillas, paramilitaries, and
drug cartels. You can feel the nervous tension of the city through the eyes of
the Bogota Police.
By the time we got to the second block and the Bogota
police were now out of sight I busted out my camera and got back to doing what I
love, taking photos. This photo sums up my day in the barrio of La Candelaria,
Bogota, Colombia.
This past March I spent two weeks traveling throughout the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Guerrero with documentary filmmaker Renzo Devia. In the Pueblo of La Ciruela, Oaxaca we met with Father Glyn Jemmott who has been serving the Afro-Mexican community for over twenty-five years.
Introducing myself as a photographer Father Jemmott suggested I visit the “Areneros” (Sandmen) to document their story. The Areneros are local day laborers who fill up trucks with sand. He told us how they wait under a tree waiting for work and about the brotherhood they share.
Renzo and I walked down to a small dirt road where the Areneros congregate under a large tree for shade. There were about 16 men, of all ages, waiting for the next “Chamba”. As we were waiting there, a large dump-style truck rolled slowly through the dusty road. In teams of four, the men grabbed their shovels and climbed the sides of the truck as the truck rolled to a slow stop. Once we were all aboard, including Renzo and I, the truck started the trek down a lonely road to a dry riverbed.
It was a twenty minute drive up the sandy road when we arrived at the location. The Areneros jumped off the truck prepared to work. The sand, when dry, has a lot of dust that’s bad for the lungs. Before they started shoveling the sand into the truck bed, they wet the sand down. This not only reduces the polvo in the air but it also makes the sand heavier.
To describe the working conditions is difficult to express. It’s super hot in the high nineties. The air is humid. And the harsh sunlight is blinding since it reflects off the sand. It takes four men a solid hour to fill up the truck bed with sand, working non-stop without a break. I was only taking photos and the heat was making me nauseas and light-headed. I couldn’t even imagine doing strenuous work in these conditions.
The Areneros have their own system of rotating the work 7 days a week. If they have a good day of work they each may fill up 3 to 4 trucks a day. I asked them how much they make per truckload they charge 200 pesos per load. That comes out to 50 pesos for each worker. That’s the U.S. equivalent of about three dollars and change for each haul per person.
After they finished loading up the truck we headed back to the tree where other Areneros waited for their turn to earn money for their families.
We stood there under the tree talking to them about their work. They’re aware that they don’t have many options living in a small town with limited education. To them it’s an honest way to make a living. I respected that and the way they treated each other, like family.
Before Renzo and I headed back into town, we asked them what all this sand is used for. The sand is used for construction. Most of it finds its way north to the resort town of Acapulco where it’s used for the construction of multimillion dollar hotels that line the Pacific Coast waiting for North American college students and European tourist.
La Vida de Todos es Sagrada
Salvador Rojas | SAVIOR REDS
I created BrownPride.com back in 1997 and over a decade later it's still one of the largest websites in the world! According to alexa dot com we are one of the top 100,000 websites in the world. This is out of millions and millions if not billions of websites out there. Thanks for all the Love and support throughout the years!!
Maximo Respecto! Salvador Rojas | SAVIOR REDS
I regret to say I haven't been on your page as much as I would like to.. I do try to keep up with your updates, so keep posting then for my sake. I will make some time this weekend for you because I love to keep up with what you're doin. You've come along way Sal, and know that alot of Gente are proud of you! Keep up the good work you represent us all when you're out there.. Selling clothes in Milan, Italy! Watchalo! Muy Chingon este vato! You think you're all bad now or what vato?? LOL. JK! Mwah! Con Puro Amor Y Respeto, Goodies..
awwwe u love me u reallllly love me thats one of my many classic songs u better add my NEVER jam shits the best watch u n i r gonna have battle over music obviously u knw the stuff i like to listen to more...
hahahahahahaha THANKS TO ME UR BDAY SECRET CAN'T BE A SECRET HAHAHAHAHAH LOVE YOU ALWAYSSSSSSSSSSS 4EVER.......JUST THE 2 OF US BFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFS
HAPPY BDAY HAPPY BDAY TO YOU MISTER OTTIS!!! HOW WAS THE SHOW ON SUNDAY? R U GUNNA PUT THE FLICKS UP? MAN IM GUNNA HIT THE SITE NOW SEE WHAT YOU GOT GOING ON IN THERE... I WILL FIND OUT THE DAY FOR WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT WELL WE CAN MAKE IT A PARTY FOR YOU AND GABE HIS BDAY IS I TOMORROW. I HOPE TO SEE YA SOON OTTIS.. LUV YA
Sal. I thank G-d that today he gave this world wonderful YOU! Today I will have a toast to you. Everyone who knows you is lucky to have found a person like you. I know I am :) Happy B-day Much luv, J
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO U HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO U HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY BFFFFFF SLASH X BABY DADDY hahaahhaha HAPPY BDAY TO U HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH TOLD U I WOOULD CUZ I LOVEEEEEEEE UUUUUUUUU TO DEATHHHHHHHH SONNN IT just felt like a "FIRME" thing to do.....62 wowwwwwwwwww
LIARS nobod missed u at all hahahahahhaahah I was the one cryin don't forget that part n I shed only two tears when u told me u were bk but that's it no mas ha were suppose to go out n eat thurs or fri come with us love you xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo "FIRME" BFF
was up homie just stoping by to say ke tranza karnal muchos saludasos a la mera bandera aver kuando nos topamos en el rol como las piedras ke rodando se encuentran te dejo un link de REPORTE ILEGAL en VIVE LATINO festival in mex df the biggest latin show ever this was 2000 and the firts hip hop band in the festival ever,with the B-BOYS from mi barrio culhuacan df y iztapalapa ademas de el performance the LAURA GARCIA in the midlle of the set hopefully you enyoit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IYtaLY1wPo
o.m.f ur home? hey i see you put it up thank you thank you that is the one I was telling you about your the bomb sal I am so glad were friends have you unpacked? man was about ready to start moving in... hahah we shall get together soon. ok got something planned will get you the details. glad your home you were missed..
BFFFFFFFFFFFF we just finished talking now a couple more days n ur chuckling booty is bk n LA member what I said no freakin strays or else.. no vomiting on the way bk =) xoxoxoxo Love ur bfffffff 4ever n Always duhhhhhhhhhh
its all good how is the weather over there? man it is hurricane weather the palm trees are touching the ground.. when you coming home ... yeah you better not find that apartment or else im taking over your pad.. and no moving back in either :o)~ we been working at the office like mad trying to get it together.. well nov is coming fast .. we will be hooking it up when you get home lets go to steves ok
Otis where are you? how are you doing? hope ur well and that your doing what you do best but most of all enjoying yourself... we were talking about you yesterday :O) we both were siging hes gone til november gone till november :O( hurry home so we all can back on track ... yeah that means being locked up in that box and slamming it out hopefully they fixed the air ... .wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwww xoxox luv ya big hugs and kisses
