Valentin Sandoval
Valentin Sandoval received the 1st Award ever at UTEP for Independent Filmmaking in 1996. He won 1st Place for Documentary at UTEP’s International Film Festival 2006 and The Rasquache Film Festival, where he received an award for Best Documentary for the film “Clamor”. The awards allowed Valentin to work on industry films that came into El Paso through 1996-2002 (films include working with Miramax, TriStar, Paramount Pictures, Wavemount Productions).
Valentin became SAG eligible at the age of 21 in the film “On the Border”, where he acted with Pedro Armendarez Jr, Brian Brown, Daniel Baldwin, to name a few). He then worked as a lead actor in the acclaimed Cuban playwright Maria Irene Fornes’ play, “The Conduct of Life”. He went on to act on multiple plays in El Paso, and was the co-creator of a comedy troupe, “Chuco Town Raize”, that performed in Austin.
He then decided to leave to Austin where he worked with famed Cinematographer of cult classic films such as: “Slacker”, “Dazed and Confused”, “Boyhood”.
In Austin he also did technical work, such as light and sound for the pioneering theatre troupe, “The Latino Comedy Project”.
In Austin. Valentin also befriended, and in some cases, mentored with activist and acclaimed writer Raul Salinas.
Valentin then returned to El Paso to work at Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe, Inc. where he produced Public Service Announcements, and health education plays and videos that were pertinent to the Segundo Barrio Community.
He then produced a documentary titled, “Corrientes de la Frontera”, that covered the complexities of NAFTA throughout the Southwest region and how it impacted the agricultural communities throughout both Mexico and the United States Borders.
Valentin then went on to work at Univison as a TV show Producer for 4 years. After that experience he began his career as a freelancer, mutlimedia content creator. He worked on Chihuahua, Texas, and New Mexico political campaigns, everything ranging from Juarez mayoral races, to Senator Shapleigh campaign against Dee Margo, and Senator Linda Lopez in New Mexico as well as the governors race with Gary King going up against, now governor, Suzana Martinez.
Valentin then worked with the SEIU and Mi Familia Vota, (America’s largest voter registration non-profit). The job was to create a documentary process, archiving the “Get the Latino Vote Out” for President Barrack Obama’s reelection campaign. The project required him to travel to 24 cities throughout a 3 month duration with famed organizer that trained with Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta and was called “the most important Latino you don’t know about” by The New Yorker.
Valentin recently edited a feature film in Manhattan associated with Magnolia Pictures and spent 4 months in New York City. He’s also taught for Adobe’s Premiere Pro for Adobe Certified Training Center Lumenbrite based in Austin, TX.
Gloria Castillo
Gloria Castillo is the Founder of BioRegional Strategies (BRS). BioRegional Strategies is dedicated to the promotion of sustainable strategies to improve the quality of life for individuals, families and communities. BRS was established in 1993 as a direct culmination of her lifelong involvement in the Southwest as an organizer in Texas and New Mexico.After attending the University of Texas in the mid-seventie at the age of 17, Gloria began her life- long work within her community as a community activist, and advocate for the civil rights of all people.
BioRegional Strategies was founded to promote economic development based on Regeneration and Renewal. At BRS, we believe that the technology exists to enable families, neighborhoods, and communities to plan for a peaceable transition from an economy based on Scarcity and unnecessary Depletion of our remaining natural resources, to an economy based on agri-fuels and agri-fibers that promotes bio-regional self-reliance. A BioRegional Economy is one that values strengthening local, economies and can assist individuals and local communities to make the transition to a more self-reliant and sustainable lifestyle.
Ms. Castillo is a member in good standing of Tap Pilam Clan, Nacion Coahuilteca, registered with the State of Texas as American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions (AIT*SCM). In addition to attending the University of Texas, Gloria studied ed theology at the Institute for Christian Studies (Texas) and also studied Oriental Medicine & Acupuncture at the Institute for Traditional Medicine (Santa Fe, NM).
This is her latest endeavor coordinating the artists that reflect the ongoing work of the Aztlan Fund. To be associated with the collective of artists that continue the mission of community activism, as we fondly describe as the “movimento” is an honor. “I’m proud to be associated with the Aztlan Fund and play a role in featuring the many gifted artists that have contributed to the struggle and defended our communities with grace and elegance.”
Chaman Tania Rodriguez
Born and raised on the US Mexico border town of El Paso, TX, Chamán (Tania Glenn Rodriguez) had the unique experience of being immersed in bilingual culture, art and music. Her musical influences had enormous range. Her grandmother had trained as a classical pianist, was an admirer of performers like Pedro Infante, Agustin Lara, and enjoyed a range of operas . Her grandfather was a singer, and together her grandparents would often gather members of her family to play and perform a wide range of corridos, tangos, boleros. The border environment also introduced Chamán to performers like Juan Gabriel and Maldita Vecindad, while growing up in American culture inspired a love of American classics such as Billie Holiday, Janis Joplin, and The Beatles. With these diverse influences Chamán does not limit her music to one language nor does she limit her ability to step out into different genres.
She began singing traditional Mexican music with her grandmother when she was three years old and she learned guitar by the age of 12 to facilitate her songwriting abilities. Her parents were activists who encouraged her political leanings, leading her to participate in several youth groups that promoted the rights of immigrants, female garment workers and women's empowerment. By the time she was 18 she became the lead front woman for the highly political and unique latin cumbia-ska band named FUGA, writing and singing original songs in collaboration with her brother Kiko Rodriguez. She completed several tours throughout the southwest and Mexico and two albums with them.
After 10 years of touring, Chamán decided to take a break in order to raise a family and pursue her other interests; mindfulness, yoga and martial arts. These pursuits would help with the anxiety she began experiencing from living a musician's unpredictable lifestyle. She lived in Thailand for 5 years at a retreat center where she delved deeper into these practices. Upon returning to the United States with her new family she lived in the Bay area for a few years while enjoying playing music with different groups until finally deciding to move to New Mexico.
In the last few years Chamán has pursued her love of music, women's empowerment and mind-body techniques. She has grown in her abilities as a songwriter and as a teacher of music and mind-body movement. She is currently working on writing/producing her first album in English while teaching children and adults guitar, piano and songwriting. She is the director of the artist's collaborative Las Almas Collective which seeks to promote women's empowerment through latino culture and music. Check out more information at www.chamanin.com!
Completed albums:
Desde la Frontera -FUGA 2006
Lucia Veronica Carmona
Lucía Verónica Carmona is a native of Cd. Juárez, Chihuahua, fromRarámuri (Tarahumara) ancestry, and learned to play the guitar at the age of 16 and sings traditional Mexican music, especially songs promoting social justice. Lucía has lived in Las Cruces, NM for the last 14 years. She emigrated to the U.S. where she was involved with the Bi-National Organization for Human Rights and Environmental Justice (COREF), a lead organizer for the Colonias Development Council, board president of the farmworkers Sin Fronteras Organizing Project, and the Regional Project Coordinator in Southern New Mexico for the National Immigrant Farming Initiative. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a Minor in U.S./Mexico Border Studies from New Mexico State University. In January 2013, she joined Ngage NM, a nonprofit organization based in Doña Ana County, to advance an Initiative on Education from prenatal to Career County wide as the Community Engagement Coordinator. On May 2014, she become a W.K.Kellogg Foundation Fellow as part of the 1st Class of Community Leadership Network Program hoping to create an interactive educational project based on Mexican indigenous tradition. Recently, in July 2015, she was awarded as new fellow member by the Native American Community Academy (NACA) Inspired Schools Network Program. Ms. Carmona will be working over the next two years in the effort to open a Charter School K-5 utilizing Mesoamerican Indigenous Concepts as part of the curriculum. This project will be opened in Las Cruces, NM area.