Achy Obejas

Until very recently, talking about race and racism in Cuba had been difficult, given that, officially, racism had been eradicated by the 1959 Cuban Revolution. Racism was thus a matter...

"The old man was thin and gaunt with deep wrinkles in the back of his neck," wrote Ernest Hemingway of the title character in "The Old Man and the Sea."...

As 2000 census numbers have tumbled from the federal government this spring and summer, Chicago has emerged as one of the most diverse communities in the nation--indeed, one of the...

Nearly 1 in 5 Illinois residents speaks a language other than English in their home, a phenomenon linked to a flood of Hispanic immigrants into the Chicago area during the...

Various artists Planet Chant (Triloka) It's not just om-om-om in this collection of chants from all over the world. With an emphasis squarely on contemporary chanting, this beguiling compilation jumps...

For one magical evening, the patch of grass that Vicente Garza staked out in his working-class neighborhood could have been a $175 seat in the Michigan Avenue splendor of Symphony...

At first glance, the gathering of mostly young men might look and sound like a gay support group. There's singing, praying, eating and conversation--with masculinity and same-sex relationships as the...

Septeto Nacional Ignacio Pineiro Soneros de Cuba (RealRhythm Records) If Ignacio Pineiro hadn't been a musical genius, he would have still gone down in history for two things: When he...

Name: Jim Darden Job: Production manager at the House of Blues, 329 N. Dearborn St. Years on job: 4 1/2 Q. What exactly does a production manager do? A. Once...

Various artists Escena Alterlatina (Ark21) Fuerza! (Higher Octave/World) As rock en espanol gains momentum, there's something of a rush to create a history and to introduce it to a larger,...