VIVA CHILE PROJECT

I first came across Elisita’s work at her debut exhibit last summer at Cinders, in Brooklyn, and I’ve been a big fan of hers ever since!

Elisita’s work is very structural and geometrical. She tends to work with paper, masking tape, cardboard, acrylic, and latex. She’s worked on large-scale murals to small intricate collages and has collaborated with many different artists, including fellow Chilean, Blok.

I won’t show you what she has donated, but I will say this, it’s a small gem that you’ll want on your wall!

Check out her blog andband, Makaroni, who sadly cannot play because they're in Chile.

Image via Elisita Punto

Guest post by Eric Lindley

Careful (AKA Eric Lindley)—Washington Heights, Manhattan

Eric got involved in music through a combination of music theory and lots of punk and Kill Rock Stars -type music passed down through his older sister. He studied orchestral and electro-acoustic music in college and grad school, and carries a lot of musical, technical, and psychological theory into what on the surface could be considered pretty simple, arty, folk songs.

He heard about the Viva Chile project through DJ Keili at WFMU, and decided it was worth way more of his time and effort than just showing up and playing, but figured that he could at least do that.

I finally got the chance to see Eric perform live at the Living Room a couple weeks back. This video is a peek of what to expect from the talented artist.

Guest post by Sabino Aguad

My name is Sabino and I'm a 22 year-old journalism student based in Santiago, Chile. I started taking pictures about one and a half years ago, inspired by amateur photographers that uploaded their photos to the Internet. I haven't studied photography at any institution, so I've learned by reading photography books and seeing tons of photos everyday on the internet. I'm currently using a Nikon FM2 and an Olympus OM-2s, but I'm not that worried about what camera I use. Any SLR 35mm camera works fine for me.

See more of his never before exhibited work at the show.

photo credit: Sabino Aguad

I’ve got some exciting news for you wine connoisseurs!!

Wines of Chile has donated an assortment of red and white wines for your enjoyment at the VIVA CHILE cocktail hour! I was thrilled about this donation, because Chile has some of the greatest wines in the world, and I’m honored to showcase them at the benefit.

Wines of Chile is an organization dedicated to promoting and maintaining the quality and integrity of one of Chile’s biggest export, wine. WoC’s 76 member winery has offices around the world -- one of which is located in Soho, NY.

READ MOREChile’s wine region extends from Atacama to the Bio-Bio region and produce everything from Sauvignon Blanc to one of my favorites, Carménère – originally French, but now mainly produced in Chile.

The country’s varied climate, which is controlled by the Andes Mountain to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west, accounts for Chile’s ability to produce such a breadth of wines. Both geographical forces help cool the air, while the Andes serve as a natural irrigation system.

Hope to see you sipping some vino on the 30th!

Please note: The cost of entrance to the cocktail hour is $50. This will also allow you entrance to the rest of the wonderful event!

It’s very exciting to get snail mail. Especially when it’s not a bill. And especially when it’s a package! Early last week we received a generous donation of books from New Directions, a publishing house based out of New York.

Books include:
The Captain’s Verses by Pablo Neruda
Love Poems by Pablo Neruda

By Night in Chile by Roberto Bolaño
Distant Star by Roberto Bolaño
The Insufferable Gaucho by Roberto Bolaño

These books are among the items that will be auctioned off at, you guessed it, Viva Chile.

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Worth mentioning is the cover art for Neruda’s books. Both covers are by Rodrigo Corral, New Direction’s Creative Director at Large . The designs = awesome, so if you haven’t heard of Pablo Neruda (maybe you live under a rock?) or Robert Bolaño, then go ahead and judges these books by their covers, you won’t be disappointed.

Thanks to Laurie from New Directions for the books -- mucho appreciated!

This Thursday, come play some BINGO at Matilda! The dinero made from bingo cards and beer consumption go to Viva Chile. So come have a drink or two and increase your chances of winning some great Chilean prizes by buying a couple cards.

As always, CHI CHI LECHE will be your lovely host!

Did I mention that we got a shout out on Pink is the New Blog. Yeah...

Thanks Trent! And yes, it has helped.

Puro Chile, the only store in NYC dedicated to selling and promoting Chile and Chilean products, has donated some very tasty avocado oil... a lot of it. It's been in my apartment for the past week and every time I see the bottles, I want to pop one open and use the oil to make a delicious gourmet meal. For those that were under the impression that avocado oils were only used for your hair, you're fortunately incorrect.

Avocado oil is quite multifunctional. It can be whisked in with vinegar to make a simple, yet vibrant salad dressing; used as a dip for bread; or used as a marinade to coat meats for roasting. Avocado oil is also great for high heat cooking, so you can stir-fry, sautée, or pan sear with it.

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And for you health nuts:
"Avocado and avocado oil are rich in monounsaturated fats, which work to lower bad, LDL cholesterol levels in the blood. Avocado oil also contains Beta-Sitosterol compounds, which work to avoid LDL absorption by your body. Partnered with a large amount of Vitamin E, Avocado oil is one of the healthiest and versatile oils available." (via igourmet.com)

So, with that, I say, "Thank You!" to Puro Chile for donating such a wonderful gift. And for you guys reading this, I hope I've imparted a little knowledge and enticed you to come to Viva Chile, and win/bid on one of these puppies.

Let me direct your attention to the right of your screen. There's a lovely circular Chilean flag, and below that is a logo of Un Techo Para Chile, the organization the benefit will be donating to, AND below that is the DONATE button. Click on the DONATE button and it will allow you to DONATE as much or as little as you want. For those feeling generous and wanting to contribute to the creation of this wonderful event, here's what you get if you DONATE:

$35 or more will get you a lovely, durable tote bag with a custom design created by one of the artists involved in Viva Chile.

$50 or more will get you an invite and free admission to the Viva Chile cocktail hour and the musical performances, giving you the chance to be one of the first to see the artwork and meet some of the artists! Chilean wines, empanaditas and other Chilean goodies will be served in honor of Chile's Bicentenario!

$250 or more You and four friends will be given VIP/BALLER status for the evening (and free advertising if you're with a company). BALLER STATUS includes free admission to the cocktail hour and musical performances, and a goody bag full of surprises!

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*If you are with a company, free advertising includes a thank you on the Viva Chile blog as well as your company' name listed on a large scale banner (displayed at Public Assembly) as one of the event sponsors.

Until this point Viva Chile has been created with an extremely limited budget, with just under 5 weeks before the event, your donations are more important than ever! So please spread the word to your friends, family, neighbors, acquaintances, even strangers on the street! Tell them that even a $1 will help...

And if for some reason you cannot see the donate button, please contact me and we'll figure something out.

Thanks and see you soon!
n

At 17, DJ Keili is the youngest DJ at WFMU. If that doesn’t impress you then get off your high horse. She’s interviewed the likes of Katheen Hana and AdRock and will be the DJ at Viva Chile. This half Chilean half Irish budding talent promises to surprise you with her eclectic array of music and may leave you saying WTF – in a good way.

So, you've been a DJ at WFMU for how long now?
I've been a DJ at WFMU for two years now - since I was 15 years old. I am the youngest DJ in the history of the station, which has been around for fifty years.

READ MORE Woah, 15! How did you decide at that age that you wanted to be a DJ?
Well, I never set out to be a DJ. I was raised on WFMU. I grew up to be a big fan of Greasy Kid Stuff when I was 7,8,9 to now. I was even interviewed by Belinda and Hova when I was 8 or 9. Then I started going to all ages shows when I was about 14 years old. I was so excited about this community of artists I had found, who were sharing and supporting one another that I wanted the world to know. WFMU used to have an hour every Saturday morning when a listener could share music. I sent the program director at WFMU an email, asking to do a listener hour and I got one. I did the listener hour, then I did an audition tape, then I got a show! It was just luck. It was never a plan.

My parents always said to me that if you show up for life and you are willing to work, things will happen. So it's not as if I set out with a goal. It's just that when the opportunity presented itself, I was ready and available to work hard. That's just a good rule for anything in life.

Sounds like you have pretty cool parents. Did they have any influence on the kind of music you listen to now?
Yeah, totally! I mean,we are a family of artists. My mom is a glass smith and metal smith. My dad is a writer. My sister is a singer and comedic actor. My little brother is crazy (laughs). So this is how the process goes when I make my playlist for my shows:
our computer is in the center of the house - the room where everyone hangs out. So I'll be listening to a song, both for FCC content and to see how it flows with everything else I want to play. One of my parents will hear the song and go, "What is that? It sounds exactly like (insert name of band here)." Then they will find the song or band they were referring to, play it for me and give me a history lesson. It's like my family's version of the parent lecture. So I'm constantly in this place of finding new stuff and then being schooled by my parents on why it's not really new. And then along came 8bit music. mwahahhaa!

Plus also, my mom was a total Riot Grrl post punk killer mom. And my dad has thousands of records and a music library that spans from the 1920s until today. So I was exposed to so many different types of awesome music.

Riot Grrl?! Your mom must have been thrilled when Kathleen Hanna came onto your show…
Yeah, she was. But not as thrilled as I WAS! I think my mom was more thrilled about Adam Horovitz. But they are so down to earth, polite and normal. It was really like sitting there talking to friends. The minute we hugged and sat down to talk, it was like I completely forgot I was sitting there with royalty. My mom felt the same way. They're just chill and normal. I didn't even ask for autographs or pictures with them. I felt like it was such a great experience and so chill that to turn it into a photo op would just ruin the moment. It's similar to the way it is with my husband, Thom Yorke. It's just so natural to sit on the couch together and watch The Real Housewives of New Jersey - because that's what married couples do, ya know? (laughs)

Excuse me, but that boy is mine
That's a really inappropriate thing to say about my husband, miss thang!

For real though, I'm honored to have you play and be a part of something that is near and dear to both of us. It's gonna get crazy!! What can people expect to hear from you when they come to Viva Chile in September?
I can't wait either. I was emotionally devastated after the earthquake. We couldn't get through to family that live in Valparaiso - all the lines were down or clogged with calls. My Tio Pablo was visiting in Santiago (he lives in Sweden) at the time and I was so worried about whether he was OK. And all I wanted to do was help. I'm so honored to have the opportunity to put the thing I love to do into action to help Viva Chile Project. Viva Chile!

They can expect the unexpected and the expected. I know it sounds cheesy, but it's true. One minute they'll be like, "I knew it." and the next they'll be like, "WHAT? She segued Miley Cyrus into Etta James into Lightening Bolt??? And it worked?! That chick is craaazy!"

Well, I'm curious and excited to see how that goes...can't wait to have you DJ at VIva Chile!

Check out her latest Beastin' the Airwaves show.

Photos provided by Patrick Ferguson

Interview edited by Natalia Moena