To enjoy paella in Valencia: Mauricio Pellegrinetti

The Valencia region in Spain is known for two main things — its blindingly white sand beaches (Costa Blanca) and its cuisine, mainly the rich and flavorful paella. But, aside from the thick and creamy rice dishes, the area is dotted with some of the best eats in the entire country.

This swanky, Michelin-starred restaurant is housed in Hotel Palacio Marqués de Caro. Step down the stairs from the entrance into a warm, cave-like atmosphere offset with twinkling, white lights. Some of the best food in the region is served on the spot’s pristine, white tablecloths.

Salad at Arrop: author

Every dish is a picture of perfection: flower petals draped over veggies and shellfish (menestra fria de verduras y moluscos con jugo iodado de guisantes, or cold vegetable and mollusk stew with a pea reduction), tomato peels and sundried tomatoes over fried egg (huevos fritos con emulsión de tocino a la brasa or fried egg with a grilled bacon emulsion).

Even the desserts, such as the café con leche quemada, mantequilla y nueces de macadamia, (coffee with burnt milk, butter and macadamia nuts) are works of art and bursting with flavor. English translation doesn’t do these dishes justice.

Chef Ricard Camarena clearly knows his food, and every plate gives dedicated food lovers a reason to fall deeper in love with his traditional Mediterranean cuisine. Dishes vary according to season and the chef’s whim.

Calle Almirante, 14, Valencia 46003 (18€ – 25€)

Casa Montaña has got it all — a tasting room, an aging room, a tavern and a cellar stocked with thousands of bottles of wine, many from the region. This century-old tavern serves up tapas of every kind, nearly all of them straight from the farms and sea of Valencia.

Canapes: jenny downing

Start with a plate of Iberian Ham, a silky smooth dish that is popular throughout Spain, then sample the cod croquettes or the fava beans spiced with ham (michirones). If there’s still room after tapas and vino, indulge in desserts like flan mousse and truffles.

Calle Jose Benlliure, 69, 46011 Valencia.
The restaurant is closed the second half of August.

Slick on the outside, inviting on the inside, La Ferradura is an architectural treat. Its oversized outdoor terrace can accommodate hundreds of diners who want to enjoy undiluted views of the picture-perfect Mediterranean.

Lamb at Arrop: JohnONolan

While the house specialties are the traditional rice dishes, the menu offers a variety of regional treats like the the carpaccio de bacalao marinado al eneldo fresco con coulis de tomato (cod carpaccio marinated in fresh dill with a tomato coulis), and gambas al ajillo meridional (breath-kicking garlic shrimp).

Pulpo afeira con cachelos (octopus with potatoes), esgarraet de pimiento con mojama en aceite de oliva virgen (a local preparation of peppers and tuna in olive oil), suquet de pescado y mariscos (fish and seafood in a sauce of garlic, almonds and tomatoes), and chuletón de buey a la parilla (grilled T-Bone ox steak) are just a few choices that may have you rethinking your ideas about Spanish cuisine.

After the meal, if there’s still room, you can sip on a cafe con leche and indulge in the mousse — there is a kiwi banana version that is divine.

Avenida Mare Nostrum, 42, 46120 Alboraya. (6€ – 24€)

Sea bass at Darsena: author

Located on the water in Alicante, Darsena offers hundreds of rice concoctions, meat and seafood meals. Try the sea bass with Alicante veggies or the salmon brought to the table wrapped in paper. After the main course, check out the vast array of postres and people watch thanks to the large panoramic windows. Sinful.

Marina Deportiva, Muelle Levante 6, 03001 Alicante. (10€ – 25€)

Restaurante Monastrell, at the five-star Hospes Amérigo, is the crown jewel of culinary action in Valencia. Helmed by Chef María José San Román, who recently trained the White House chef how to prepare the perfect paella and is dubbed the “Saffron Queen,” this establishment cooks up some of the most savory dishes in the world.

Oysters at Monastrell: author

One of the chef’s most delectable treats is her unique oyster appetizer. From-the-sea oysters are prepared with slices of juicy green apples, fennel, refreshing cucumber juice and vermouth. Not sure what to dine on for the main course? The lobster with vermicelli “paella” is something you can’t miss with.

For dessert, the extensive list might have you at a loss. My suggestion? Try the Tanzanian chocolate soil with french toast brioche and orange ice cream.

This restaurant may bit a bit out of budget (prices aren’t listed on the menu), but if you’ve got money to spend, it won’t be wasted here. The renowned chef also owns other more budget-friendly properties in Alicante, including the gorgeous La Taberna del Gourmet.

Calle de San Fernando, 10, 03002 Alicante.

There are plenty of restaurants in the Valencia region that deliver some damn good paella, but a favorite is Restaurante Barranco Playa in Benidorm.

Mmmmm. Paella.: benjieordonez

This little gem treats diners to beachside dining (200 meters from the sand) and a very fine paella.

Eat it by the spork-full while sipping some Tinto de Verano. But know that while Benidorm is lovely, it is oft referred to as a small version of New York City, courtesy of the towering hotels and condos lining the streets and hills of this British resort hot spot.

Calle Vicente Llorca Alós, 14, 03502 Benidorm

Community Connection

On your way to Spain or already there? MatadorNetwork’s Spain focus page brings you things to keep an eye out for, including some of our community experts who can answer your questions if you’re in a bind.

Head north for a Mix of Surf and Culture.

1.This was my initial view of the village, paintings bleeding out to line the entrance.

2.Maybe exhausted by all the visitors, the cat relaxes and enjoy a shaded, cool area. Dreaming in color, perhaps? 

3.The weather here is usually very humid even when it’s sunny. During the typhoon and rainy season, it’s even wetter. Exteriors take a beating and sometimes age with interesting results like dripping creeping rust and fading paint.  

4.In a world of drab and boring mailboxes, along come Rainbow Family Village hand-painted limited editions: mailboxes that are pleasing to the eye and probably also the mailman.  

5.A close-up of a character with large eyes that seem to say it’s ready to have fun in its new clothes and accessories.  

6.I wish I could read Chinese, but sometimes I like the fact that I don’t because I have use my imagination. Is this a happy family ceremony? 

7.Adding a third dimension and an even more playful quality to the village are toys found decorating the more secluded areas.

8. High romance among the bright paintings. The village is a backdrop for commercial film and photography.

9. Blue appears to be the background color that is used the most in the village. I especially like the pastel colors on the window covering. The work involved and the details must have been a labor of love. 

10.I wondered how long these painting have been here and how the images on the ground had held up so well. At first I felt uncomfortable walking on the imagery. Then I thought about how they must be meant to be enjoyed and walked on.

11.This is another of the three entrances to the village. One thing I like is that in a city of over a million people, this village was a quiet, calm place. It has a quality of peacefulness that is hard to find here. There were older people about, smiling and laughing, relaxing and enjoying their day. 

12.There is something comforting about the colors and images. They cover the drab world of wall, door, mailbox, and corner, making the average extraordinary.

13.This is exit I used to leave Rainbow Family Village, knowing I’d be back.

14.This angle is one of my favorites because you can get an idea of how far the painting goes. Even a pile of bricks is fair game. 

15.Rainbow exit from the private living area of the village. It looked like it might rain that day and I wondered if water brings the colors to glossy life. 

16.I was told the elderly man that painted much of the village lives here. When I arrived there were young girls outside his door saying, “Come out grandpa, please come out.” He didn’t come out.  

17.Rainbow Family Village is quite a visual overload. I looked intently in all directions, trying to take it all in. Not possible in one visit I am afraid. 

Community Connection

If graduate school is in your future, then maybe Taiwan is as well. MatadorAbroad brings you 7 Countries Where Graduate School is a Fraction of US Costs, and one of them is Taiwan.

Before you make up your mind, have a gander at MatadorTV’s Stunning Trip Through Taiwan.

A savory chicken dish from Alluette’s Cafe, photo: author

Most of the places that make national lists and tourist radar are the four or five-star, white tablecloth kinds of places, but many of the best cheap-eats places in the Holy City are located in strip malls, frequented by locals and unknown to visitors.* And they’re decidedly unSouthern. I’ve deliberately left shrimp & grits, sweet tea, and barbecue off the menu; they’re ubiquitous, swing-a-dead-cat places you can find on your own.

Hands-down, it’s Sesame Burgers & Beer, with two locations: the Citadel Mall in West Ashley or up in Park Circle in North Charleston. From the South Carolina Burger with pimento cheese to the Memphis — topped with peanut butter, bacon and banana — you can’t go wrong.

The burger comes in beef, turkey, chicken, even black bean varieties. When I need to go to my happy place, I get a roasted beet salad to start with greens, goat cheese, and pesto vinaigrette, and my eyes roll back in my head until the last leaf leaves the bowl. Then I dig into a burger.

4726 Spruill Ave
North Charleston or 2070 Same Rittenburg Blvd

Mt. Pleasant (also used as feature photo): BAR Photography

Jack’s Cosmic Dogs is like being on an acid trip that brings you back to the 1950s, so you don’t really mind — or notice — that the concrete floor kinda sticks to your shoes.

The original Jack’s is in Mount Pleasant, a nondescript cinder-block building outside, but inside hot dog heaven awaits with 24 different kinds of hot dogs amid décor reminiscent of Fonzie’s garage. Your best bets are the fresh-cut fries, the blue cheese slaw, or the sweet potato mustard. Even vegans can indulge here, with tofu dogs and black bean cakes on the menu.

1531 Folly Road, James Island

Mount Pleasant or 3 miles north of the Isle of Palms connector, on Hwy 17 North, 10-12 miles north of Charleston

No, this is not an oxymoron. A sign hanging on the wall at Alluette’s Cafe says GOOD FOOD TAKES TIME. Alluette Jones-Smalls is a Geechi Girl from way back, and while her menu is not what most people think of when they say soul food, it’s just as satisfying.

Menu board from the daily dose, photo: author

Even vegans will dine well here. Start with a bowl of the organic lima bean soup, and then move on to the hormone-free stewed chicken with organic basmati rice and organic string beans, or local fried shrimp with organic potato salad. In cooler months, if the collard green sandwich is on the menu, order it. No questions. You’ll thank me later.

80 A Reid St.

A quick look at the menu at Daily Dose Cafe may take you aback: Hot Cowgirl, Hook-Up, Pescado Loco. The name of the game here is Good Mood Food, and almost everything on the menu comes in the form of a pita pocket or a wrap, with beans and rice in mostly everything.

699 Highland Ave., James Island

It’s just not a good idea to visit Charleston without a trip to Folly Beach, a barrier island 15 minutes from downtown that is the self-proclaimed Edge of America. Folly is as much of a island as a state of mind, and one visit to Surf Bar will make that crystal clear.

Folly Beach:BAR Photography

Surf videos from the ’60s play on permanent loop on the TVs while surfers and beach lovers hang out on the outside deck and a stray dog wanders from table to table looking for a stray hand or scrap. The food is equally laid back and very good, with salads, pulled pork sandwiches and excellent burgers fitting the bill for this mellow Folly vibe. Thirsty? Ask for a Painkiller. You won’t be sorry.

03 W Cooper, Folly Beach

The south of the border cuisine at Santi’s Restaurante Mexicano is the real deal, and therefore attracts clientele from the sizable Mexican community of North Charleston, broke college students, and locals who know and appreciate Mexican food that has not been Americanized.

The burritos are overstuffed, the chicken mole is spiced just right, and one order of guacamole won’t be nearly enough. Plus, it’s cheap cheap cheap.

1302 Meeting St, North Charleston

Quyen Bistro & Party Kingdom is just a trip. Out front, is a mild mannered restaurant with great sushi and pho, and an extensive lunch buffet with around 50 different items to choose from. Traipse on out back, and it’s an anime and videogame lover’s paradise. Don’t miss Teddy Mountain.

1739 Maybank Hwy, James Island Shopping Center

Mmmm. Red velvet cake: rox sm

Saffron Cafe & Bakery attracts office workers during the week to dine on Lowcountry-Mediterranean-fusion cuisine: hummus and she-crab soup merge with shrimp and grits and falafel. The beef stroganoff is my favorite.

On Sundays around noon, the place is packed with worshippers from four churches within two blocks who gorge on the ample Lowcountry-influenced brunch buffet. The bakery retail counter is the first thing you’ll see when you walk in the door; the Red Velvet cake is the best in town.

333 East Bay Street

*Many of the eateries on the beaten path in downtown Charleston (the Peninsula or the Historic District) cater to tourists who don’t want to drive. You’ll need wheels to get to some of these places, but they’re definitely worth it.

Community Connection

Maybe you don’t know what kind of history there is in your own back yard. If your back yard is in South Carolina, and you’re ready to explore, check out MatadorGoods’ Book Review: South Carolina (On the Road Histories).

Matador’s Managing Editor Julie Schwietert’s Letter from South Carolina is a slice of life from SC for those that are homesick or just looking for a good read.

What started as trading lines from the movie between friends on a boring afternoon grew into a network of fandom, where ‘achievers’ come from from far and wide to spend two days enjoying Lebowski music, games, costumes, trivia, film and of course bowling. I had the pleasure of participating this year, my band C+ played, and I took some pics along the way. Despite the intense heat, achievers from all over the country came to show their love and eerie knowledge of every nuance of the movie.

Some highlights of the 9th Lebowski Fest that deviate from the norm are that ABC’s Nightline came to interview Will Russell and Scott Shuffitt (the founding dudes) and do a piece on the festival. Liam (actor James G. Hoosier) who was bowling partner of ‘The Jesus’ in the movie was in attendance to the delight of all the achievers. And it seemed like this year there were even more obscure and cerebral costumes that often times referred to a quick bit of abstract dialogue or an inanimate object in the film.

1.My friend Kent flings a bag of underwear at the target to try for a prize.

2.Liam from The Big Lebowski (far right) with some achievers.

3.“I don’t need your fuckin’ sympathy, man, I need my fucking johnson!”

4.LAPD working around the clock.

5.The Jesus and The Chinaman is not the Issue.

6.Cash Machine

7.One of the ‘leg stealing Chinamen’. The line is, “I didn’t blame anyone for the loss of my legs! Some Chinaman took them from me in Korea.”

8.The ingredients for a white Russian and some “Chinamen” as seen on TV.

9.White Russians $4.50.

10.Me and the Seedy Seeds (a band that also played the show) whose costumes are in reference to the overdubbed for TV line “You see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?” The line being covered up for the censors is “You see what happens when you fuck a stranger in the ass?”

11.A girl from the dream sequence, an In and Out worker, and a Walter

12. This dude is making me feel funny.

13. A photographer takes photos of achievers in front of the dream sequence stairs.

14.Achievers range from the deranged to the relatively sane.

15.This guy’s balls are coming out of his kilt.

16.“Sometimes you eat the bar, and sometimes the bar eats you” and “The fucking park ranger.”

17.The King

18.GourDude

Community Connection

Matador is all about The Big Lebowski. If you’re at all confused about what all the fuss is about, David Page will set you straight with In Search of the Real Dude: Notes From a Lebowski Fest.

And if you want even more Matador Lebowski madness, look no further than The Dude Abides: The Meaning of ‘The Big Lebowski’ Ten Years Later.

Mashup photo with images courtesy of wellohorld and izarbeltza

This is the first in a series we hope you will want to contribute to. Please follow the link at the end of this post to find out how.

I was a chubby just 21 year old art student with a mohawk and a love for gin the night of the The Hunter S. Thompson Tribute in Memorial Auditorium. I went with my mom. Behind us sat my psychiatrist who I secretly despised, cuddling with his wife in a way that disgusted me. I was surprised to see him there. On stage were Hunter Thompson and a strange group of people there to honor him including, if memory serves, his wheelchair-bound mother, Warren Zevon, and Johnny Depp.

Thomspson wore a hat with ear flaps. Ron Whitehead, the poet and MC was playing up their connection in front of a packed house, his skinny body bending and swerving as he speed-read his poems with an enthusiasm normally reserved for 16 year olds losing their virginity. Thompson drunkenly hollered, “Slow down! Slow down!” It was obvious he was blitzed from the moment he walked on stage and by the end of the night he was barely able to make himself understood. My shrink and his wife clutched at each other, stroking, comforting, terrorized. This satisfied and repelled me.

Thompson was accompanied by Johnny Depp. It was the period before the release of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (the movie) during which Depp was observing Thompson for maximum fidelity.

After the show, I buckled myself into a mauve sedan with some other photography students and we sped through the streets on our way to the Bristol. “Everybody’s going there!” said Cathy.

At a table in the Bristol sat a very old Raoul Duke, packed in by fans and more than one gorgeous woman he seemed to be ignoring in his stupor. I ordered a gin and tonic and hung back a minute before approaching the table to get the program from the show signed for my mother. He seemed small and frail and his glasses magnified his large, watery eyes in the wobbly candle light. Something about him reminded me of a frightened rabbit.

“My mom just loves you. She got me to read Fear and Loathing when I was twelve.”

“You look like a victim of domestic violence,” Thompson growled at me.

“Why do you say that?”

“Oh, lighten up, honey. It’s a joke.” He scrawled something on the program that covered the entire page and was completely illegible.

“Thanks,” I said. Dismissed.

My friends were sticking around, but I could walk home from there. Another drink might have been nice, but I didn’t have the cash. I sucked the rest of my cocktail up through its tiny straw, and once on the sidewalk in front, alone, I let a monster belch reverberate into the cold night air on the empty street. To my left I heard someone say, “Nice one.” I looked. Johnny Depp was standing in the shadows, smiling.

“One too many gin and tonics,” I said.

“I know the feeling.”

Holy shit, I thought. Then I walked home by myself thinking of domestic violence.

Community Connection

We want your story. Did you wait on Jenny McCarthy in the Bahamas? Did you sit next to Danny Glover on a plane? You don’t have to be a writer, and you can still be paid. See the newest post from the editor for more details.

Oh my god it’s DeVito, baby. Don’t you know that I love you: erissiva

No matter where you are in the world, a brush with fame is something you’re likely to remember, whether it’s something to be proud of or not. And MatadorNights is actively seeking your stories.

You don’t have to be a writer, either. You only have to be able to put together a few cohesive sentences about your brush with fame to get our attention and I’ll do the rest.

We want atmosphere. We want you to set the scene. We want to know how you felt. Did anything happen? Were words exchanged? No gushing. I mean it.

And need I say that you shouldn’t write if nothing happened? A little reflection – something that shakes up your perceptions or preconceived notions, that’s what we’re looking for. And you have to use your real name.

Want to tell your story?

1) If you can write, write it and we’ll pay you $25. But if I have to rewrite it, see #2. All work for Matador is on spec.

2) You must send me your phone number (or Skype ID) at kate[at]matadornetwork.com with the cohesive sentences I mentioned above and the subject line Brush With Fame. I repeat. No gushing.

3) If interested, I’ll let you know and arrange a time to get in touch with you.

4) If we run it, we’ll still PayPal you $15 for sharing your story.

Know someone with a Brush With Fame story to tell? Pass this along, and I look forward to hearing from you.

-Kate

Breakfast Burritos: stu_spivack

Your local fast food joint probably has you skeptical about the breakfast burrito being anything but a pathetic under-filled tortilla shell with the breakfast scraps. Try a legitimate breakfast burrito with fresh eggs, potatoes, onions, and green chilies, and you’ll be wondering why you didn’t do it before.

The California, complete with french fries:
pernamently scatterbrained

Go almost anywhere outside southern California and order a California-style burrito and you will receive an (albeit delicious) run-of-the-mill burrito. But go to a burrito joint in San Diego, and the burrito includes a golden, flaky surprise. Yes! French Fries.

Think of carne guisada as the Mexican beef stew. Chunks of beef are slow roasted for hours in a gravy that leaves the beef fall-apart tender. Swap out the old and weathered carne asada for the fresh and tantalizing guisada, and rekindle your love for the burrito.

Mmmmm. Chile Relleno: jasonlam
(also used as feature photo)

I would assume that most of us are familiar with the queso stuffed poblano chili known as a ‘chile relleno’. What most of you are probably not familiar with, is a burrito using this Mexican side dish as the center for a jaw-busting, huge burrito. All the normal burrito fillings are all packed around the chile, making for a tasty, yet intimidating burrito.

If there are two words that bring on a Pavlovian response in the American, they are “fried” and “burrito”. Combine the two and you’ve got a Chimichanga. This almost indecent burrito is usually topped with melted cheese and salsa picante, and served with dollops of guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo.

Chorizo. Oh, yeah.: rick

Chorizo is a sausage that is made from pork and dried peppers. It’s usually ground for burrito filling and adds a spicier element to your burritos that knocks chicken and carne asada out of the park in flavor. Next time you’re in line trying to decide on bird or cow, take a chance on chorizo.

It’s a burrito in every way that you would expect, except it’s smothered in melted cheese and red-chili sauce. When pondering on whether to make your burrito a “wet” burrito, the only real question is, “Why not?”

Korean Chicken Burrito: ninetimesthree

It looks like a burrito, alright. The texture is even similar. But once you bite into a Korean burrito your palate will certainly short-circuit. This burrito is usually stuffed with a tender Korean-style meat (usually bulgogi), Asian style rice, veggies, and occasionally kimchi. I hear that Kogi Korean BBQ Taco Truck is slinging excellent Korean burritos around LA.

Community Connection

MatadorTravel Community member Stu says he knows where to get the Best Burrito in San Francisco. Debate him, compliment him, or post your own favorite food tips by starting a blog today.

Maral of Platic Wave by ooVoo chat from Tehran talking to Cruel Black Dove; This and all photos courtesy of the Impossible Music Sessions

Onstage was a MacBook with an open ooVoo chat with Plastic Wave projected on a screen. Cruel Black Dove had just finished a three song set of the Iranian band’s melodic, heavily electronic music.

Plastic Wave’s story is the stuff subversive novels are made of.

Natch and Maral of Plastic Wave on their way to having their
US visas to play SXSW denied in Dubai, 2009

Saeid Nadjafi (Natch) and Maral formed the band after meeting at “N!, the largest underground rock concert ever in Iran,” during which more than 200 audience members and musicians were arrested (including Natch and Maral who had been performing), and many were beaten and interrogated.

Though rock music is prohibited in Iran, and there are laws against females singing for audiences that include males, the female-fronted band released a self produced album [RE]action in 2008, adding guitar player Shayan Amini to the lineup.

The show at Littlefield was the debut of the Impossible Music Sessions.

Louis Chan of the Center for Inquiry’s video about the Cruel Black Dove/Plastic Wave show:

Where does an idea like this come from? Austin Dacey, who founded the Impossible Music Sessions laid out a number of sources during a late night call. A representative to the United Nations for the International Humanist and Ethical Union, writer and musician frustrated by his inability to see Persian bands he enjoyed, such as Take it Easy Hospital (before they were cool) and Deev, he started wondering about ways to get around political barriers of censorship that were keeping provocative music away from audiences and musicians effectively silenced.

With help from Freemuse, New York Foundation for the Arts, The Center for Inquiry, and a roster of volunteers and interns, Dacey is making Impossible Music (in his words), “not quite impossible.” They reach out to censored bands whose music strikes a chord. The music comes first. “Let me be clear,” he says. “We’re not a charity. We only feature music that stands on its own, that deserves an opportunity for recognition and a wider audience.”

Logistically, the process varies based on the nature of collaboration between the bands, the situation of the censored artists, and the music itself. While Cruel Black Dove practiced extensively to produce and rehearse Plastic Wave’s music, a process chronicled briefly in video on the Impossible Music website, accomplished hip-hop artist, and educator Hasan Salaam’s more recent performance of a single song by Baloberos Crew from Guinea Bissau in West Africa required translation from Portuguese Creole. The process took six months, and finding an American rapper who was willing and capable of representing the Guinean band was not an easy thing.

Baloberos Crew were ‘detained and intimidated’ in 2009 for their song “Seven Minutes of Truth” which criticizes Guinea Bissau’s government and military: Guinea, where did you go wrong? The republic of Guinea is being written in bullets.

Baloberos Crew at a backyard concert in Guinea Bissau:

Hasan Salaam opened at Littlehouse on June 30th with an explanation of the collaborative process with Balaberos Crew.

Baloberos Crew: MC H, NB Show, As One, M’Bai

The rapper learned the original Portuguese chorus and rapped in English. You can listen to his version on the Impossible Music Sessions website. The evening ended with the Guinean band freestyling by live video chat.

Salaam now has plans to visit the West African nation and to continue speaking out about the political situation there. In the official press release about this project, he is quoted as saying, “I got involved in the Impossible Music Sessions because I believe in Freedom, Justice, and Equality. I believe that music should inspire that in all people around the world, and I support any artist in any genre that stands for the same basic human rights.”

Though nothing is firm yet, there is talk of featuring Cameroonian Afro-Beat artist Lapiro de Mbanga who is serving a prison sentence of three years on trumped up charges.

The true cause of his imprisonment is widely believed to be for criticizing a bill passed by the National Assembly in Cameroon to change the country’s constitution to provide the president with “immunity from prosecution for acts as president, and to allow the president to run for unlimited re-elections,” with his song Constitution Constipée [Constipated Constitution (which can be heard at the Freemuse MySpace page)].

In this case the nature of the performance could easily change. Mbanga’s in prison, so video conferencing will likely be impossible, though he has access to a cell phone.

Lapiro de Mbanga’s ‘Lef Am So’:

Dacey says Impossible Music is on the lookout for a metal band now – one that faces consequences for the perception that they are doing the devil’s work. Maybe they’ll be from Syria, Malaysia, China, Iran, or Burma. There is no shortage of countries where music is government controlled. “There are places in Northwest Pakistan where all music has been suppressed by the Taliban,” he says.

Asked if any of the Impossible Music artists have faced punishment as a result of the project, Dacey says, “Not yet.” Nor has any band approached turned down Impossible Music, but he says the project is willing to protect the anonymity of future collaborators if necessary. The hope is to host two more sessions in 2010.

For now, Salaam’s involvement with Baloberos Crew points to the possibility of lasting relationships with musicians worldwide to bring awareness to censorship and silenced bands’ messages, though they may not be reaching the intended audience yet.

Impossible Music represents a true underground. The people involved are doing it because they believe in the project. For now, performances are limited to the stage, but Dacey is open to expanding the performances to reach an online audience. It will take the right volunteers and a lot of bandwidth, but the future is wide open and all offers of assistance are welcome.

Bands and other people who wish to volunteer with the Impossible Music Sessions can contact Dacey through his webpage. To keep updated on happenings with the Impossible Music Sessions, you can connect on Facebook.

Community Connection

If this is all music to your ears, you’ll probably be interested to see the documentary Sounds Like a Revolution, about music as an instrument of change.

Were you at either of the Impossible Music Sessions? We’d love to hear what it was like first hand from a participant or audience member in the comments below.

Tapas in Granada: Daquella manera

El tapeo is one of the most convivial ways to spend an evening, and there is nowhere better to experience it than Granada. That said, if you don’t take a step away from the tourist hotspots, you could find yourself fobbed off with a packet of crisps. It won’t happen in any of these places, though.

Casa Torcuato has been a fixture on its pretty plaza in the Albayzin Alto for years. This is a no nonsense place where classic tapas are served in generous portions. The pescaíto, or fried fish, is particularly good and comes with pasta salad. Weather permitting, and mostly it does, tables are set up in the square for some idyllic al fresco dining. Quintessentially Spanish, Granadino and wonderful.

31 Calle Pagés , Albayzin Alto, 958 20 28 18.

Café Casa Julio: habibmi

Casa Julio is good at fish, which is obvious as soon as you walk in. There are tapas of gambas (shrimp), rape en adobe (marinated monkfish), calamares (squid) and berenjenas (deep fried aubergines). The boquerónes (deep fried anchovies) arrive in batter spiced with cumin. A firm favourite with the locals and you can smell why.

5 Calle Hermosa, a side street where Calle Elvira meets Plaza Nueva

This place has been here since early last century and probably hasn’t seen a lick of paint since. Cavernous, with an elegant bar and the ubiquitous fluorescent strip lighting; the walls are covered with ceramic tiles interspersed with hand painted depictions of Andalusian life. Interior decorating with the baking heat of the summer in mind. More than Andalusian or Spanish; this is the South.
I have pisto (a ratatouille-like vegetable stew) topped with a quail’s egg. Cute and tasty, and since I go back for more, albóndigas de carne (meatballs) served with fries.
A good selection of sherries from the barrel; we choose the bone dry Fino. If you have a sweet tooth, go for Moscatel.

59 Calle Gran Vía de Colón at Calle Tinajilla, 958 20 21 38

Everything is a sandwich. Tapas of stewed pork and tortilla with spinach arrive in pulguitas (tiny bread rolls). The place is feet from the intersection of Calle Elvira and Plaza Nueva, is small, warm, nicely cramped and friendly. The kitchen is more of a cupboard. This is salt-of-the-earth territory. I never see it closed, or quiet.

Calle Elvira, just off Plaza Nueva, 958 22 80 62

Inside Los Diamantes (used as Feature Photo):
Daquella manera

Calle Navas, an upscale equivalent to Calle Elvira, is lined with tapas bars and Los Diamantes, not at all upscale, is the star attraction. It looks unpromising and I’m disappointed when I’m handed fries for my first tapa, but they turn out to be batons of deep fried courgette (zucchini). Yummy. The place is strip lit, loud and cramped, and is deservedly a favourite amongst Granadinos for its fish specialities. I wonder if there’s rivalry with Casa Julio, a similar operation.

26 Calle Navas, 958 22 70 70

At the shabbier end of Calle Elvira, there is nothing shabby about Páprika, with its smart, canopied terrace and beatnik interior. It looks too posh for tapas, but it isn’t. I get some vegetable paella with a glass of local wine. The place is also a sharp restaurant, though for that you pay. The paella is packed with flavour, and the food here is largely vegetarian and very good.

3 Cuesta de Abarqueros, near the old city gate at the other end of Calle Elvira, 958 80 47 85

Boquerones: birasuegi

In the Albayzin, this pretty place has a popular terrace. I have habas con jamon – broad beans with ham, a local classic. The youthful staff exude cool. I bet they listen to difficult jazz. The tapas are great, but even if there were no such thing, this is one of Granada’s nicest bars. A reward for walking up the Calderería, the steep Moroccan souk that leads here.

22 Cuesta de San Gregorio, where the Caldereria Nueva ends and the Cuesta begins in the Albayzin

A fantastic tapas bar, named for Egypt’s great chanteuse and specialising in tapas with a North African twist. As in many of Granada’s bars, impressive food emerges from an unfeasibly small kitchen. They do a plato degustación, or tasting platter, for €12. Order it if you are hungry and there are at least four of you, otherwise go with the ample and tasty tapas that will come with your drinks. They are accommodating for vegetarians.

17 Calle Jardines

Calle Elvira: Daquella manera

Is it a bar with a chacinería (pork butcher’s shop) at the entrance or a chacinería with a bar at the back? Either way, you need to duck beneath the hanging chorizos and salchichónes, squeeze past the till and behind the counter to find yourself in this cosy, surprisingly chic little place. Trastienda translates as “behind the shop”, I discover later. The tapa, unsurprisingly, is a nice bit of salchichón.

11 Calle de los Cuchilleros, just off Plaza Nueva

A decent selection of beers and you get to select your tapa. This only happens in a handful of bars; in most places the tapa will be dictated by the house. Open from 1pm on a Sunday and otherwise from 7pm. Impromptu flamenco sessions erupt here in the evenings, I’m told. Good choice for a locale if you’re in Granada for a while because of it’s relaxed, no fuss atmosphere.

85 Calle Elvira

Community Connection

Granada in your future? Check out community member and Spain Expert El Lobo’s impressions in Dream Awake in Granada. And not to toot our own horn, but MatadorNights has the Top Ten Flamenco Clubs in Granada.

If you’re looking for information about travel to Spain, you’ll get it on MatadorTravel’s Spain Focus Page.

One enormous creature from BIG BANG BIG BOOM by Blu

I knew it was made in Buenos Aires and it was inspiring on such a grand scale, it made me sure awesome things were happening here.

Now he’s done it again with “BIG BANG BIG BOOM: an unscientific point of view on the beginning and evolution of life … and how it could probably end” featuring a soundtrack by Andrea Martignoni matching the enormous scale of the building-sized animations that incorporate the real world measure for measure.

Filmed in Argentina and Uruguay, loads of local artists collaborated in the execution including those from RunDon’tWalk, and bs as stencil.

Blu apologizes for the video quality on his blog saying, “it should be seen on bigger screens with good speakers.” Though it’s more than impressive, I’m inclined to agree and hope to see it on a big screen here sometime soon. Full resolution would be mind bending.

BIG BANG BIG BOOM – the new wall-painted animation by BLU on Vimeo.

Community Connection

Intrigued? See the work of some of Blu’s Buenos Aires contemporaries in Graffiti Mundo: Street Art for the People in Buenos Aires.