El Cantante - The Movie
by Chris Soto
Ok so this post is not intended to argue against the negative feedback surrounding "El Cantante." The purpose is to inform others that they can watch the movie and actually take some positive things away from it. I would hope that people don't JUST listen to the negatives and see the movie for themselves and formulate their OWN opinions.
When was the last time someone saw a great movie and posted something about it?
Not too often... but of course when something 'sucks' everyone has their opinion.
I totally respect the comments of Willie Colon and Milton Cardona (posted below) and agree with what they said. But the reality is, unless Willie Colon or Milton Cardona were producing the movie, they don't have much say about the content they provided. It is unfortunate their input wasn't used as much as they (and many others) would have hoped. In fact! There is another Hector Lavoe movie being produced (for these reasons) and that is great! People took action on what they didn't like and they are trying to do Hector a little more justice.
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Did the movie OVER-emphasize Hector Lavoe's Drug Addiction? YES
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Could the movie have highlighted more of Lavoe's positive contributions? YES
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Was the movie inaccurate in some aspects? YES
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Did the movie have a lot of J-Lo? YES
Let's get that out of the way... There were plenty of areas in the movie that needed improvement. Moving on....
First is the drug use... I would venture to say that about 80-90% of salsa fans at most have read a bio or two on hector from somewhere online. Most bios may have a sentence or two about his drug use and that's it. That's a good thing because we want to hear about the positives. At the same time, it leaves the majority not knowing that Hector was heavily addicted to drugs. When these people see the movie, it comes as a 'shock' that he was "SUCH" a drug addict. Through interviews and research, many will tell you that what was seen in the movie was in fact the truth.
So... was it true, yes.... Should they have emphasized it as much, probably not....
Let's think about this for a minute... As soon as word got out that Marc and J-LO were doing the movie, there was immediate criticism... Interestingly, I didn't hear about or see a movie from those who criticized, made about Hector. I am talking about musicians with money and influence with the potential to make a movie of this magnitude... Nope no movie from them, but plenty of criticism. Brings us back to "want something done, do it yourself"... Cliche yes but it's the reality.
Going back to Marc and J-Lo... who I am not big fans of; but think about the impact this movie has. An ALMOST ALL latino cast, latino director, and Latino producers. Wait, let me think back to another recent movie with the same credits.... hmmmmmm... kinda hard to think of one....
Is it a negative portrayal of latinos? ABSOLUTELY... I don't disagree one bit. But ultimately, Hector Lavoe's name as a "SALSA SUPERSTAR" will be known through anglo suburbs and households. Can't say that was the case before this movie. In addition, I can't tell you how many non-spanish speaking supporters of Lavoe loved the translation within the songs during the movie. A famous quote that I have heard following the movie "I always sang the lyrics but didn't know what he was saying or what he was singing about."
Again, was is the movie somewhat inaccurate, YES..... BUT.... there was plenty of accurate information for anyone wanting to learn more about Hector Lavoe and these individuals should really go see this movie... add it to everything else you learn from youtube.com and any other interview/bio you've read. Just more info to keep you better informed.
Aside from the historical and controversial aspects, I thought the movie looked good. This wasn't a low budget independent film with a chippy chop editing job. It was quality and I wouldn't expect anything less than with J-Lo producing it.
So in conclusion... see the movie for yourself. Don't let the negative feedback disuade you from seeing a decent movie, especially if you are salsa/Lavoe fan.
Will I buy the DVD? Damm right, cause who knows when the next time a latino decides to step up and make a movie about one of our great legends?
Chris Soto
LaVoz Magazine - Executive Editor
http://www.myspace.com/themamboproject
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