Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Ry Cooder Eyes LA
()
In the May 1, 2005 edition of the Los Angeles Times, Lynell George's piece "Soundtrack for a Lost L.A." chronicles the evolution ofRy Cooder's latest album, "Chavez Ravine," and unearths a tangled episode in LA's history.
Scheduled to debut June 7th, the album, named after a Mexican American neighborhood that was bulldozed in the early '50s to make way for a promised public housing project that eventually became the site of Dodger Stadium, features seminal artists from L.A.'s Latin music scene like Lalo Guerrero, the father of Chicano music, Willie G and bandleader Don Tosti. Cooder, who was raised in Santa Monica, sees the project as an evocation and testament to the way things used to be in our city.
George writes "But it is also the story of his native city and his complex relationship with it: The crass overpopulated L.A. that he races to get through -- the city it has become -- and the one full of open space and secrets that resides in his memory."
We really liked the following observation because it acurately captures what we notice about this city:
Support for LAist comes from
For many longtime Angelenos, the album's wash of moods, rhythms and cultural touchstones will be deeply resonant. That's because in many respects "Chávez Ravine" is the soundtrack to an intrinsically Latin city constantly in flux. But its story extends much further. "There is a part of this [neighborhood's story] that is fundamentally Los Angeles," says [UCLA professor] Dana Cuff, [ author of the influential book "The Provisional City: Los Angeles Stories of Architecture and Urbanism] "It's about landscape, about Latino history, architecture and modern housing. But it is a story of eminent domain that plays out in a lot of cities. Small houses of poor people of color become the terrain of the big dream of city fathers," she says. "That's why the story of Chavez Ravine hooks into one's heart. There was no easy answer. Big dreams are often imperfect. But we shouldn't stop ourselves from dreaming big."
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance. -
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
Best of LAist