Achy Obejas

Various artists Tango: The Rough Guide (World Music Network) This Rough Guide collection suffers from much of the same failings as its predecessors: exquisite selections with virtually no context. In...

In pre-Columbian Mexico and Central America, the jaguar -- an imposing jungle cat native to the Americas -- was worshipped as a god. It symbolized war and sexuality, power in...

DLG Gotcha! (Sony Discos) A few years back, it looked like Ralph Mercado's RMM label was about to conquer the world with two bright new stars and their startlingly fresh...

Elvis Crespo Pintame (Sony Discos) Pretty amazingly, for a few weeks this guy was actually chasing Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias on the Billboard charts -- and not just the...

Playing the tabla -- the double-headed Indian drum -- is not just a matter of picking it up and letting the spirits move you. The techniques and teachings are so...

T'was a time poetry was simple in this town: You trotted down to the Green Mill on Sunday nights, scribbles in your hand, and had Marc Smith toss you to...

Various artists Voices of Latin Women: Holding Up Half the Sky (Shanachie) This is a curious compilation put together by writer Daisann McLane, a frequent contributor to national magazines on...

Outside the Admiral Theatre, there are disappearances. People -- usually men -- will be walking along, then vanish. It's only on close observation that the phenomenon is revealed: The casual...

He's a big guy, the guard at the door. Most people have to tilt their heads to look him in the eye, which he doesn't exactly encourage with the huge...

Going to the Village Inn -- a loud but surprisingly pleasant and friendly sports bar in the heart of Skokie -- can also be a, well, artistic experience. On any...