It goes down in Brooklyn today with our peoples from F.O.K.U.S. and a whole lot of their friends as they celebrate the 3rd annual ‘The Stoop’ event. Check out the details below…

The Stoop 2010
Hosted by Circa ‘95 | Music by DJ Synapse
August 14, 2010
1:00pm
Performances starting at 1:20pm
Fort Greene Park (Myrtle Ave and N. Portland)
Brooklyn, NY

Sponsored by:
Fusicology; Fresh Industries; Brooklyn Arts Council; New York State Council on the Arts; Greater New York Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; NY Kings; riceworks and Ogo Sport

FREE Arts Celebration with
-performances by: Si*Se, Pattern Is Movement, Kagero, XV, Ayodele Alli, and Ishmael Islam
-live art by Convoluted Construct, Alice Mizrachi and Free5.
-games, face painting and much more!

Presented by F.O.K.U.S.

For more info, click here: Fusicology Events - F.O.K.U.S. presents The Stoop.

Come out tomorrow night for a celebration of the legendary Salsa label Fania records featuring Bobbito, DJ Laylo and others. Check out the details below….

July 11th, 2010
7pm-12am

¡Siempre!
A DJ Tribute to Fania Records

Featuring:
Bobbito Garcia
Sake One
Laylo

+ Mireya Ramos on Violin
and Jansy Gonzalez on Congas

Cover: $10 Before 8pm/ $15 After
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NEW YORK, NY - On Sunday, July 11th, DJs Bobbito Garcia, Laylo and Sake One reinvigorate the vibrant ‘60s and ’70s Salsa sounds of New York City at their annual party ¡SIEMPRE! A DJ TRIBUTE TO FANIA RECORDS.

Taking inspiration from the label’s groundbreaking artists (Willie Colón, Hector Lavoe, and Celia Cruz to name a few), the ¡SIEMPRE! crew blend Latin music (bomba, boogalu, descarga, guaguanco, rumba, son montuno, etc.) for the modern dance floor, adding in elements of hip-hop, soul, jazz, house, and reggae, making the classic recordings more accessible to a younger audience while retaining its authentic flavor.

Anchored by Bobbito Garcia, a global DJ legend for multiple genres and an icon for urban Latinos everywhere, ¡SIEMPRE! is also driven by DJ Laylo and DJ Sake One. Born in Puerto Rico to Dominican parents, Laylo is the co-founder of Liberation Lounge (NYC) and has ignited dance floors from Berlin to Brazil. Sake One is among the most respected DJs from the Bay Area (CA) ever, and in 2008, Fania released his Fania Live 03 mixed CD worldwide.

¡SIEMPRE! A DJ TRIBUTE TO FANIA RECORDS presents the classics of yesteryear infused with the consciousness of today, creating a unique event that will bring three generations of salsa fans as well as people of all different backgrounds together!

For more info, click here: Siempre! A DJ Tribute to Fania Records.

Today’s Times features a story on the past, present and future of Puerto Rican baseball, and the politics behind their recent decline.

Check out a excerpt from the story below…

…In 2009, only 3.5 percent of position players in Major League Baseball came from Puerto Rico, a 24-year low. Meanwhile, the percentage of Cuban and Venezuelan position players has nearly doubled in the last decade.

An average of 27 Puerto Ricans a year were drafted and signed during the past decade, down from 35 a year during the 1990s. Ten times as many amateurs were signed from the Dominican Republic.

Major League Baseball has tried to boost the popularity of the sport through the World Baseball Classic and by playing regular-season games in Puerto Rico, including this week’s series between the Mets and the Florida Marlins.

Yet the games will do only so much….

Check out the full article here: Puerto Rico’s Baseball Pipeline Runs Low - NYTimes.com.

Our first user submitted recipe. Peace to Alex for passing this one on. If you have one you’d like to feature here, feel free to hit us up.

Check out the details below….

Cielito Lindo (Puerto Rican Taco Salad/Dip)

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 package Old El Paso taco seasoning
• 2 16 oz.containers sour cream
• 2 15 oz. containers ricotta cheese
• 3 cups grated cheese - cheddar, Monterey Jack, any kind you like
• 1 16 oz bottle salsa (La Victoria - salsa suprema, mild)
• 1 7 oz.can Herdez salsa casera (You can substitute any bottled/canned salsa that you like.)
• 2 chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 cups chopped onions or scallions
• 1/4 cups chopped cilantro
• 3 cups chopped romaine Lettuce

(more…)

In honor of today’s Puerto Rican day parade. Check out the details below…

Arroz con Gandules (Rice with Pigeon Peas)

Ingredients:

• 4-5 cups of hot water – appx.
• ½ cup ready made sofrito
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons of oil
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 packet of Sazon with achiote
• 16 ounce can of gandules (cooked green pigeon peas)
• 2 cups short grain rice (rinsed) – long grain will work too
• 2 tablespoons of alcaparrado (cappers and olives mixed together)

(more…)

For those looking for something to do tonight…

DJ BOBBITO GARCIA a.k.a. KOOL BOB LOVE
@ CAMARADAS el barrio
FIRST MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH
9PM-1AM, $5

JUNE 7
JULY 5
AUGUST 2
SEPTEMBER 6

Latin, Nu-Jazz, Afro-beat, Rare Funk, Sweet Soul,
Progressive Hip Hop, Soulful House, Roots, Ballads

Camaradas el barrio
2241 First Ave. bet. 115/116th St.
212 348 2703
www.camaradaselbarrio.com

Sponsors: Alala Records (available @ www.fatbeats.com), Project 2050 Music (www.2050music.com), www.rushhourmusic.com , Rane Corporation (www.rane.com)

Today in Central Park, take in the sounds of classic Fania records, along with the live music of Pupy y Los Que Son Son. Check out the details below….

Cuba es Libre with a rare live set from songo icons Pupy y Los Que Son Son, pan-latin grooves from Jose Conde and an all-star DJ celebration of NY salsa.

As a former member of the internationally acclaimed Los Van Van, Cuban pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader César Pedroso has proven his talents. Now, touring under his nickname ‘Pupy’ Pedroso has set about taking the planet by storm. Along with his group, Los Que Son Son, Pedroso is a trailblazing representative of the relatively young style of Timba music. Pupy y Los Que Son Son SummerStage appearance marks a major highlight of their first US tour.

Singer, songwriter, and producer Jose Conde is celebrated for his recordings with the Cuba-centric band Ola Fresca, which deviate from traditional Cuban music forms through a liberal juxtaposition and fusion of rhythms and the playful use of language. The Brooklyn-based, Miami-raised son of Cuban immigrants, Conde has reached a large audience by being featured in numerous recent compilations. Tonight marks the official unveiling of music from his upcoming solo 2010 release with his funky new pan-Latin powerhouse of a band, the nu Latin Groove.

NYC native and world-renowned DJ Bobbito Garcia is the Creative Chief at Project 2050, an ideas and solutions shop. The former Bounce Magazine Editor In Chief is also the critically acclaimed author of Where’d You Get Those? NYC’s Sneaker Culture: 1960-1987 and has a new CD compilation out titled Connection .

DJ Laylo’s unrelenting commitment to good music and rocking the crowd has earned her a reputation as one of NYC’s foremost turntablists. Born in Puerto Rico to Dominican parents, her musical selection reflects her NY upbringing: hip-hop, soul, salsa, house, merengue, reggae, and Afrobeat.

Born and raised in the culture of hip-hop, DJ SAKE-1 has been looking for the perfect beat since 1989. A founding member of California’s (((Local 1200))) Sound System, DJ SAKE-1 has utilized a combination of advanced science and Bay Area hustle to genetically alter the hip-hop idiom into a 360 degree circle of soul.

For even more info and directions, check out SummerStage.org.

Fresh off of my trip to Puerto Rico last weekend…check out the details below…

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds beef top round, cut into thin slices
• 1/2 tablespoon salt black pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup manzanilla olives, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup green bell pepper srtips
• 2 cups Spanish yellow onion slices

Preparation:

• Pound the meat to tenderize it. Season with salt and pepper. Combine the vinegar and 3/4 cup of the olive oil. Add the olives and garlic; set aside. In a nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of oil and saute the pepper and onion lightly. Remove the pepper and onion with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Reheat the oil remaining in the skillet until very hot and sear the beef on all sides. Return the pepper and onion to the skillet with the meat. Pour the oil-and-vinegar mixture over the meat. Cook over medium to low heat, partially covered, for 20 minutes, or until the meat is tender.

More Basquiat, more Reebok, more heat. CHeck out the details below…

Last March we showed you an interesting collaboration between Reebok’s rejuvenated lifestyle persona and Jean-Michel Basquiat’s contemporary art. The Reebok x Basquiat Spring/Summer 2010 Collection primarily featured white leather uppers and gum soles, fitting with the light-weather seasons. The upcoming Fall 2010 Collection not only uses darker colors, but adds five more shoes to the roster. The Omni Pump Court Victory Pump, Top Down, Ventilator, Running Dual, and Phase II, and two new designs in the Ree Down and City Jam round out the entire collection with each model housing the soul of a different work of art. Also available will be accompanying apparel – we’re talking jackets and graphic tees. Check out the collection and expect these at select Reebok retailers in the future.

Check out a few images of the collection below…

….via.

BURDEN CLOTHING JEAN MICHEL BASQUIAT TEE

Nice little video on a Basquiat exhibition going on right now over in Switzerland. Check it out below…

2010 marks what would have been the 50th birthday of American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. A large retrospective exhibition held at the Fondation Beyeler features over 100 different pieces of work from the pioneering artist. Vernissage TV reveal the full scope of the show in addition to an interview with Fondation Beyeler’s director and co-curator, Sam Keller. The Jean-Michel Basquiat Retrospective Exhibition will take place until September 5th, 2010.

…via.