We’ve Found The Coolest Mexican Woman On The Planet And She Wears Papier Mache On Her Head
Thanks to a tipster for this (and if you’ve heard of her before and want to rub it in, please do. We love it!). Her name is Astrid Hadad and, according to an email, she’s “Mexico’s greatest living cabaret singer.” We didn’t even know there was such a genre, but we can already tell, she’s the best at it. From Wikipedia:
In her Heavy Nopal show, Astrid makes use of iconic references, not just as scenery (the cactus, the rock, the pyramid, the tequila bottle), but also on her own body, becoming not only the stage, but also an altar. From the calla lilies to the extremely-complex surprise-multi-purpose outfits to the innumerable ornaments, “rebozos”, virgins of Guadalupe, guns, and common places in the essence of Mexico. On her shoulders she carries a baggage of myths, rites and images of the Mexican people. Someone once described Astrid as a “walking museum of popular cultures”.
When we were a small child growing up in a stifling, conservative, Mexican-American town, knowing a woman like this exists in the world would have been a beacon of hope shining in an otherwise dismal reality. She’s like a drag queen who doesn’t have to duct tape her balls! She’s camp, she’s sincere. She wears papier mache on her head. Daniel, can we keep her? (Oh, and she has two new albums coming out tomorrow. Go. View. Represent.)
ASTRID HADAD (Official site ) [MySpace]
Astrid Hadad [Wikipedia]
11
- Managing Editor
Daniel Mauser
- Editor
Cindy Casares
- Associate Editor
Alex Alvarez
- Contributing Editors
Gabriel Caro - Camilla Rowan
- Video Editor
Marcelo Cunning
Gracias, for finally covering cool latinos like Astrid Haddad and Junot Diaz, instead repeating what Gawker already said about Britney Spears. (BTW Check out the the second coolest Mexican woman, Ely Guerra. And I hope you know that Cafe Tacuba has a new album next week)
Posted by ana maria | October 03, 2007
Oh My Gosh! She’s so fantastic. Love the dress. Love the cabaret. Love the cultural honors.
Posted by Danielle | October 03, 2007
that was fascinating. even better: i was able to add la virgen de guadalupe on my personal MySpazz page.
abuela would be proud.
Posted by el smrtmnky | October 03, 2007
How can you be a blog about Latinos and not know who is Astrid Hadad……or……..what Cafe Tacuba looks like……
Time to drop Perez Hilton and get some Wikipedia action Guanabees!!
Posted by mangiandoraoul | October 03, 2007
@mangiandoraoul: uh…because Cafe Tacuba sucks? and because we’re Americans, not Mexicans.
Posted by La Cindy | October 03, 2007
I know they suck, but at least you could try….It’s not like we are talking about some obscure mariachi band.
Anyway, glad to see you are covering more than chochas and Chavez. One step at a time I guess…..
Posted by el raul | October 03, 2007
I’m piling on, not because you have to know every figure in Latin-dom, but because, c’mon, Astrid Hadad is even cooler than El Vez (you know who that is, right?), especially when she comes out with a costume of a Frida Kahlo painting that’s even bigger than the ones you see at the West Indian Parade on Labor Day. Alas, she has not been seen in the States much since the mid- to late 90s.
Posted by Caro | October 03, 2007
Man…she’s taught me more traditional Mexican songs, albeit in reworked form, than my grandparents could have ever done.
Oh…she’s great. Thanks for representing!
Put her together with all-out bad-ass Jesusa Rodriguez and you have unstoppable force meeting the immovable object with a big feminist kiss.
Posted by pocho_guey_al_norte | October 03, 2007
Commenters are so… bitchy.
She sounds fun. And Cafe Tacuba does suck. Well done.
Posted by Marco | October 03, 2007
Feminist rock! This is a big feminist kiss!
http://womenbabies.net
Women and Babies
Posted by Tonay | July 21, 2008
I think she sounds like she is one of the Coolest Women on the Planet. I think people should get off of her. I salute her!
And check out coolest guy on the planet
Posted by Coolest Woman on the Planet | July 21, 2008