Mathew Gabriel Gonzales, aka Philthy Dronez: Wepa Life: West Coast Cumbia From Eastside San Jose
Art Heals All Wounds
04/12/23
•25m
About
Comments
Transcript
Featured In
Today, I’m joined by Mathew Gabriel Gonzales (aka Philthy Dronez), musician and music producer, to explore the roots behind his signature West Coast Cumbia sound. As an Eastside San Jose native, Mathew draws inspiration from the hip hop, funk, and cumbia rhythms he grew up around in his vibrant neighborhood.
In Mathew’s words, music doesn’t have borders, which is why he celebrates the multicultural melting pot of Eastside San Jose. In our conversation, Mathew gives an overview of the history of cumbia and why it’s had such a major impact on his life. He describes the throughlines of the genres he mixes, namely how they’ve all emerged from collective oppression.
Between the flashy lowriders, steaming bowls of pho, and lively music streaming from every direction, outsiders might write Eastside San Jose off as ‘rowdy’ or ‘disorderly.’ But to Mathew, that’s what makes the city so beautiful and what he hopes to portray in his innovative music. He shares his plans to travel through Europe this year and show people around the world what West Coast Cumbia is all about.
Listen, rate, and review to Art Heals All Wounds on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Castbox, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Topics Covered:
● Mathew’s musical background and how he started developing West Coast Cumbia
● The history of Eastside San Jose’s old nickname, “Sal Si Puedes” to United Farm Workes “Si, se puede”
● How the Vietnamese and Latino cultures intersect in San Jose
● What drew Mathew to experiment with cumbia music
● Mathew’s vision for expanding the reach of West Coast Cumbia
Guest Info:
Follow Me:
● Art Heals All Wounds Website
● Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
● Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Facebook
Previous Episode
Today, I’m joined by Roy Miles, aka Ghetto Geppetto, a filmmaker, motion graphics artist, puppet maker and puppeteer, toymaker, and animation artist. On top of his impressive resume, Roy is also a former student of mine who stands out as one of the most creative people that I’ve had the pleasure of working with.
Roy has an animated universe called “Hoodland'' that's somewhat of a West Coast version of Sesame Street. Growing up in the 70s and 80s in East Oakland, Roy looks back fondly on his childhood of biking around the city with his friends and experiencing the liveliness of different neighborhoods. In our conversation, he describes how he draws on those memories to create the multidimensional characters and storylines in the Hoodland series.
Even though we can laugh at some of Oakland’s unique qualities and reflect on the rich history and culture of the city, there’s no denying how gun violence and disparity have deeply impacted the community. Roy looks back on how he leaned into his creative practice to cope with depression after his wife and children were caught in the crossfire of a shooting. He also explains why he’s not planning on leaving Oakland.
Listen, rate, and review Art Heals All Wounds on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Castbox, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Topics Covered:
● Moments and people from Roy’s life that are represented in Hoodland
● Celebrating the multiculturalism and close-knit communities in East Oakland
● Struggling with creativity and a sense of artistic purpose after tragedy
● Honoring the creative ingenuity and expression of people from East Oakland
● Why Roy is committed to staying in East Oakland
Guest Info:
Follow Me:
● Art Heals All Wounds Website
● Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
● Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Facebook
Next Episode
Today, I’m joined by Jason Wyman, an artist, creative coach, and co-founder of Queerly Complex, a creative hub and community platform. In our conversation, Jason shares what led them to creating a gathering space for making sense of the world and helping other creatives find their place in it. In a society that demands simplicity and easy-to-consume ideas, Jason likes that they’re willing to sit with the pain, trauma, and suffering of the world to question their personal beliefs and find where they fit in. Between getting kicked out of a seminary for being an openly queer person to becoming estranged (and then reuniting) with their family, Jason has always sought refuge with people who know what it’s like to move in the margin. They describe how their queerness became directly tied to understanding racism and committing to anti-racism work, which has eventually expanded into Queerly Complex. Jason emphasizes the importance of giving space for the entire emotional spectrum and learning how to show up even in the face of depression, anxiety, and overwhelm. Instead of bypassing the reality of social injustice, Jason encourages people to create change on an individual level, which infinitely ripples out into the world. One of the greatest tools in that process is to surround yourself with other people who celebrate your complexity and how you create amongst the chaos.
Listen, rate, and review Art Heals All Wounds on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Castbox, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Topics Covered:
● What Queerly Complex is and the story behind the name
● What brought Jason to the idea of creating space and community for ‘queerdos and comrades’
● An beautiful example of what's possible between a straight father and a queer child
● How Jason came to tie their visual work and consulting work together
● Why Jason doesn’t believe that balance exists in activism
● Current projects and initiatives at Queerly Complex
Guest Info:
● Immigrant Artist Network Website
Follow Me:
● Art Heals All Wounds Website
● Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
● Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Facebook
If you like this episode you’ll love
Promoted