The King of Mambo arrives March 5th!

It was serious fun filming this video book trailer for Tito Puente Mambo King/Rey del Mambo [Harper Collins 2013] at my loft/studio with author Monica Brown. Together we published our very first children's book back in 2004, My Name is Celia/Me Llamo Celia. As you can imagine we put so much passion and effort into it and then we got to actually meet each other at the Pura Belpré honor and Americas Award celebrations. When our initial efforts were recognized it solidified our friendship and launched two new careers in the world of children books.
Reuniting to tell the story of Mambo King Tito Puente has been exciting and in the book trailer we hoped to create a sense of the dance between a writer and artist as the words and images comingle.

I had the great opportunity to create the Latin Music Legend stamp celebrating Tito Puente for the United States Postal Service. During that time I read everything I could find about the godfather of salsa.  I poured over old videos of his exhilarating performances, scanned old photos and immersed myself fully into his music.

Tito Puente Jr. at a stamp release celebration

That stamp gave me the chance to meet Tito Puente Jr. and our conversations reinforced my notions of his father's electric personality. I learned that Celia Cruz was his godmother. I showed him the illustrations and genuinely appreciated the support of Tito Puente Jr. for this book " Now his name and likeness will reach a brand new group of young fans who will appreciate his genius and talent".

Before he could walk, Tito was making music. He banged spoons and forks on pots and pans, windowsills and cans.

He was so loud his neighbors in Spanish Harlem said, "Get that boy some Music lessons!" 

On weekends Tito played magical mambos and beautiful cha-chas with different bands at the Palladium Ballroom 

Sketching Tito

He made music with Celia Cruz, Santana and La Lupe.

The dancers twirled, the lights swirled, and the mambo went on and on...

I'm looking forward to connecting with children about Tito's unforgettable legacy and vibrant music.

New website all about Books

It's been in the works for over a year. Please check out my new website
Rafael López Books

If you click the images on the homepage it leads you to links. When you select the Books you can view a slide show of book spreads from each title.

Picturing the President: Inauguration Day 2013

In a grassroots effort I painted this portrait of Presidential candidate Barack Obama
in 2008 and together with friends we shipped it to swing states. The image was
popular with field workers who brought it to the attention of the national campaign.
I was asked to create Voz Unida based on this image and it became
an official poster at Artists for Obama.

I will never forget attending the inauguration of President Obama in 2009 and
created this portrait to commemorate the event. It was part of the Manifest Hope
Show in Washington D.C. and Shepard Fairey purchased the original painting.

In 2012 I was honored to participate once again as an Artist for Obama
by the national campaign. My contribution Estamos Unidos targeted the
Latino vote. With permission I printed this poster Adelante.
I felt my art coming full circle when once again we shipped it to the swing states
in grassroots support of President Obama's re-election effort. 

"We head home: through the gloss of rain or weight
of snow, or the plum blush of dusk, but always -- home,
always under one sky, our sky. And always one moon
like a silent drum tapping on every rooftop
and every window, of one country -- all of us --
facing the stars
hope -- a new constellation
waiting for us to map it,
waiting for us to name it -- together"

Listen to the powerful words of America's first Latino inaugural poet Richard Blanco. His poem gives tribute to our American experience. In an artist's voice this is a call for unity that will keep our nation moving forward.
One Today by Richard Blanco in the Los Angeles Times.

Feliz Año Nuevo

From our rooftop to yours.

Making Something out of Nothing

This post was inspired by an incredible video about the Landfill Harmonic Orchestra.
A community in Cateura, Paraguay started to craft recycled instruments from garbage. Trash is literally transformed into mesmerizing music made by young people.
As 2012 winds to a close here at my studio in San Miguel I've been reflecting on my passion for music. Growing up in Mexico City I had the life-changing opportunity to study with members of Los Folkloristas when I was twelve years old.

Los Folkloristas

This group of musicians were pioneers in rescuing the folkloric roots of traditional Latin American music. I learned to play guitar, violin, charango, quena, sampoña, bombo and harp with Maestro Gerardo Tames. He's the young man with a beard on the far right of the photo above. I remember my mother knitting patiently outside while I practiced long hours twice a week. I formed a musical group with 5 other young people and each time we would bring our instruments and voices together it was like making something out of nothing. I was completely swept up in the music. When my family could no longer afford lessons one of my elementary school teachers insisted on paying half the tuition because she wanted me to continue.

That's me in the center playing the quena at 12 years old

I'm the skinny guy next to the girl with the bombo
playing the charango 

Here in San Miguel de Allende, I've been grabbing every opportunity to make and listen to live music. I entertain myself by making posters for my friends that express their sound as a way to thank them for all they bring to my world. I never imagined I would go on to make books and stamps about many of the musicians I so admired. Ironically, Gabriel Hernandez featured in the poster below played piano with Tito Puente.
The connections I'm always finding with music and my work as an artist continue to surprise me.

I spent an unforgettable Christmas eve playing guitar with friends late into the night. It always takes a serious dose of courage to keep up with my compadre, master guitarist Gil Gutiérrez. He introduced me to a great musician Camille who in his seventies. It seems he was back in town after spending the better part of the year in his native France. He brought along his acordoneón, a blend of an accordion and a bandoneón popular in Argentina. His passionate wife sings La Boheme with the same energy of Nina Simone. An old friend Jimena Giménez Cacho who now lives in San Miguel was there too. As fate would have it I had studied with her brother Daniel and the Folkloristas so many years ago.  Jimena's voice was equally as thrilling as the uniquely, haunting sounds of her cello. The smallest things remind me of the big impact music continues to have on my life and work. 

Minuscule guitar hand-carved from amber by an amigo Alex
in the Mercado de Artesanias in San Miguel.

Blues Angel for San Diego Blues Festival

I've painted many compositions trying to express the dynamic power of different genres of music. After painting Tito, Celia and other incomparable performers in 2010 for the United States Postal Service, Latin Music Legends stamps I found my love for music coming full circle. It was vitally important for me to get it right as I was a huge fan and their music mattered to so many.

Looking forward to the new year as my latest children's book My Name is Tito will be finding it's way to libraries and schools.

Luckily, I paired up once again with a good friend, writer Monica Brown. We've already traveled around the country connecting to kids and teachers about reading and music.
Monica and I collaborated together on my first children's book My Name is Celia and I had so much fun.  After that experience I couldn't wait to visually introduce the music and life story of Tito Puente to a whole new generation of kids. I hope the words and images will get them moving to the rhythms of the King of Mambo. I've dedicated the illustrations in our book to all those who work to bring music to children from California to Cateura.
I will always remember what a difference music made in my young life.
Feliz Año Nuevo.

Tianguis: Market Day in San Miguel de Allende

Waking up in San Miguel de Allende on Market Day

A fat cactus greets me

Local shops decked out for the holidays

Papel Picados add color to the streets

Christmas Pinatas adorn a downtown shop

Visual refreshment

Street musicians strolling

Hat vendor

Mariachis mingle

Explosions of color in everyday objects

Textures for the senses: Wrenches

Nail Polish

Machetes

Electrical cords and plugs

Fresh herbs bring spice

Bolsas to take it all home

Mezcal from Oaxaca

Fresh lime from the garden

Set the table with salsa

Hit the hammock at the end of the day

Books and the Art of Giving

Each year I look forward to creating an image that expresses the spirit of the season. Here's what came out of the studio yesterday. Just in time to make holiday cards and gifts for our friends friends. When thinking about giving gifts, I want to continue a favorite tradition of pairing just the right book with something unique and artful. As an illustrator, naturally I'm captivated by heart stopping imagery and the blending of well crafted words and pictures.
Here's a few of my selections for the special someone on your list.

It's no secret that as a painter I'm wild about birds. Artists and poets have used them as visual and verbal metaphors for centuries. John James Audobon was a French-American ornithologist, naturalist and gifted painter. In this amazing book he documents in glorious detail The Birds of America. An artist explorer, he boldly traveled the wilderness of Kentucky, the Carolinas, Louisiana, up and down the Mississippi River, into the Florida swamps and up to Eastern Canada.
The Audobon Society got it's name from this great artist.
My son Santiago studied his adventures this year in 5th grade and convinced me to pick up the book. He created this drawing in the center but added a yo-yo to Audobon's Florida flamingo on the right which proves this book is great for kids and adults alike. Together with your children you can have fun and make whimsical bird seed ornaments and wreaths. Use a red ribbon to tie one of these onto Audobon's glorious book Birds of America and forget the wrapping paper. After the presents are passed out, tie the seed ornament on a tree and give a gift to your local birds.

Esperanza Rising, an inspiring book by Pam Muñoz Ryan tells the tale of a young Mexican girl's courage. Born into a world of comfort and privilege on a ranch. The 13 year old heroine of this story finds her life changed when her father is killed by bandits. She flees with her mother to the U. S. where they survive as migrant farm workers. When her mother falls ill with Valley Fever she learns the value of family and friends. Caring for her mom she remembers her grandmother's lessons to not be afraid to start over and there are no roses without the thorns. Pair this treasure of a book with magical rainbow rose seeds and gardening tools for children like this set from Trumpety Trump.

Gotta Love a Classic. My son and I created a game we like to play on weekends. We visit our local Goodwill, thrift stores and used book stores to search for Roald Dahl books. These fantastical stories are punctuated with clever illustrations by Quentin Blake. Our pick for this season is Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox, James and the Giant Peach, The BFG, Matilda, The Twits, The Enormous Crocodile and The Witches. You simply can't go wrong with someone like Roald Dahl who so easily enters a child's mind. Not only do his inventive books charm and entertain but they are addictive and turn any kid into regular readers. Wise parents will decide to go for the whole collection and find they end up getting hooked themselves.
Bundle them up with a Make your own Chocolate Kit. Willie Wonka would be proud as this tasteful gift for children 8 and up mixes chemistry with world culture and history.

Growing up as the only brother of 3 sisters and a dynamic mom I became a big fan of strong women. I fell hard for Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst with captivating pencil drawings on pastel paper by Lane Smith. Make sure to check out his new book too Abe Lincoln's Dream. Used to getting what she wants Lulu decides a pet like Mr. B would be a wonderful thing till she realizes that he believes she would be the ideal pet for him. Smith's illustrations blend perfectly with Lulu's snarky attitude. Pair this clever book with a 3D Jigsaw Brontosaurus a child can put together to hold their favorite colored pencils.

Lastly I encourage you to check out a remarkable book called Drawing from Memory by Caldecott Medal winner Allen Say. This incredible story details the artist's own journey growing up in Yokohama, Japan. At the age of six he longed to be a cartoonist despite his father who dismissed his dreams describing artists as lazy and not respectable. His parents divorced and when he was only twelve Say apprenticed himself to his favorite cartoonist and lifelong mentor Noro Shinpei. You will get lost in his amazing drawings, vivid watercolors, cartoon strips and photographs. This introspective book showcases the courageous spirit and path of an artist in such a compelling way. When first learning to draw Greek and Roman sculptures Say used charcoal sticks and wads of fresh bread as an eraser. Pair this treasure of a book with soft chalk pastels great for budding young artists and don't forget the baguette.