Watching the annual Macy’s Dia de Gracias parada, I was enthralled by the preciseness and Diva-ness of the one and only Radio City Rockettes. The red coated ballerinas kicked, smiled and posed thier lovely bums in front of Macy’s @ Herald Square…but where in the world did they come from?

The over seventy-five year old precision dancing troupe was conceived by a choreographer from St. Louis, Missouri named Russell Markert. In el ano 1925, Markert took his adoration for the John Tiller Girls of the Ziegfeld Follies and enhanced them based on his personal belief that “if the girls were taller and had longer legs and could do really complicated tap routines and eye-high kicks…they’d knock your socks off!” That year the Missouri Rockets were born and began captivating St. Louian audiences with their in sync dance routines just like Markert once dreamed.

Soon after their well embraced Missouri conception, skilled artistic Manhattanite, Samuel “Roxy” Rothafel negotiated with the dance troupe’s papi in bringing the girls down to the “hustle and bustle” of la Gran Manzana. Markert’s desire for the girls to become household names and the envy of all entertainment seekers of the times erged the New York City debut of the Roxyettes.

The collaboration of Markert, Rothafel and the 16 all female member, “quintessental American chorus line” was impressionable. The Roxyettes dazzled the stage of the Rothafel owned Roxy Theatre, sharing programs with top acts of the era; The Flying Wallenendas, Ray Bolger and dance impresario, Martha Graham.

When Rothafel said ”Adios!” to the Roxy Theatre  due to dinero issues in 1932 he took Markert and the glamourous, lovely-legged ladies with him to open Radio City Music Hall. On Diciembre 27, 1932 the Missouri based, Missouri Rockets got their final re-birth and the presently popular Radio City Rockettes were born. 

Desde 1932 over three thousand mujeres have danced as world renowned Rockettes. The once all white, 16 member chorus line has grown into a present day internationally faced, 36 member kick line admired by millions worldwide. Hoy, a Rockettes’ stats are still based on Markert’s 1925 formula with slight modernizations. Las chicas still have to be between 5’6” and 5’10 and have fabuloso skills in tap, jazz, ballet and modern dance. The girls also need to have vibrant and welcoming personalities, for various members of the troupe travel and are representatives for numerous media outlets. In 1987, Rockettes’ casting was finally deemed “colorblind” (pretty late in the game if tu ask me), allowing ethnic girls to take part of the Diva-ness.

Las Rockettes of course are mostly known for “America’s #1 live theatrical event”, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Since 1933 the ladies have helped spread Christmas cheer by tapping alongside Santa here in NYC and in various other big city productions of the over 2.1 million annually seen holiday spectacle.

Yo have had the pleasure to personally know two Rockettes within my theatrical involvements and Markert’s concept is still present. Both ladies are blessed with amazing dance abilities and piernas to die for along with having a high regard of  their artistic expression.

Un gran BRAVO to Markert’s sueno, it came true and is still prosperous…Feliz Navidad!

Lady Lambert went back to hiser raizes when he performed on the Letterman show the other noche. Whataya Want From Me showcases the almost Idol’s seductive, androgynous and raw vocal stylings.

Por favor te lo suplico, stay on this carrera Lady and save the freakiness for Splash Bar on Sabado nights!

Earlier this semana Peruvian police arrested the below Pishtacos for committing the acts that Pichtacos are known for, murdering people to drain them of their body fat. Yes, you read right, BODY FAT. The word Pishtaco derives from a Peruvian urban legend used to keep people off dark and lonely roads. The Pishtaco is said to be a devilish vampire that haunts the Andes mountain area of Peru in search for wanderers. These fish tacos Yo mean Pishtacos regard human body fat as a prized gift for their god, Viracocha aka Sea of fat. 

Peruvian armed forces detained four members of the Pishtaco crew who oddly testified that they have been matando habitants of the Andes mountain area, pueblos of Huanuco and Pasco for over thirty years solely for the trafficking of human body fat. Peruvian authorities are skeptical towards the information that was freely provided by the modern-day vampires but admit that the gang’s claims could explain for the over sixty missing persons reports filed within the region over the last two years.

The grasa loving marditos even detailed their gruesome formula on how they extracted the human substance. Serapio Veramendi bragged how him and his disturbed teammates lured innocent victims to makeshift laboratories by offering them false jobs,  decapitated them, cut off their limbs, hung the dismembered corpses over several candles and awaited dos to tres dias for the fat to drip into bottles. Los degraciados would then sell the human liquids to “European” cosmetic engineers for @least fifteen thousand US dolares per liter.

Veramendi and his mignons were arrested after a routine bus raid on vehicles traveling to the capital, Lima from the alejano towns. The suspicious bunch were carrying postal ready packages of lemonade bottles filled with what they called, grasa humana. Later after the group was rounded up and interrogated by la policia, scientist verified that the grasa was indeed, human body fat. 

The investigation is an ongoing one as per investigations director, Eusebio Felix. He stated that seven other suspects are still @ large along with the “European” buyers. Yo guess that authorities will need more than just cloves of garlic and holy water to stop these freaks!

Here’s to that routine bus check and to the victims of these ruthless acts. May the good guys kick these punks in their asses and throw away las llaves!

Una noche searching the infamous viral world of Youtube for videos of my native island, Cuba I came across a scary pair of sideburns that belong to an immensly talented Senor, Alex Cuba. Alex hails from the same town where part of mi familia is originally from, Artemisa, Cuba. Alex was born into a music loving familia in 1974 and by age four he was performing in a banda run by his padre. Alex trained in numerous musical intruments ranging from the delicate claves to the complicated rythms of guitar and bass which clearly are major influences in his funky latin jazz steeeelo. In 1999 Alex married a Canadian muchacha and was able to travel to Canada, his current home and where he is presently the talk of the town. Since movin up norte Alex has recorded three albums, Humo de Tabaco (2004) and Agua de Pozo (2007) which have both won him Juno Awards aka Canadian Grammys. Alex’s third and latest album, Alex Cuba was released this past October in Canada and will drop here in los estados en la primavera de 2010. 

Alex’s unique soulful blend of mellow beats and eclectic grooves forces your cuerpo to do just that, GROOOOOVE. His native rhumba influences are placed into his tracks in just the right dosages which not only reminds you of how great the heart of Cuban music is but also exposes you to a brand new sonido. Alex’s personal style is also not to go unnoticed. His 70′s fashion sense and signature sideburns-fro included definitely makes a statement and can be spotted from miles away or for those Canadians, kilometers away.

Senor Cuba’s popularity and musical talents are gradually making their way across the globe in diferente ways. With four Itunes singles making various visible dents on the internet charts Alex Cuba is being heard! Alex provided some major blood, sweat and tears collaborating with Promiscuous Girl herself, Nelly Fertado on her debut espanol album, Mi Plan released this past Septiembre. El also is routing an EEUU tour for when us Americanos welcome his new album next year.

Yo brindo al Senor Cuba for his comforting yet authentic sound and passionate suaveness. His approach to keeping his roots alive via creating a signature sound is in mi libro, highly regarded and well respected. Que viva the Fro and Cuba…a  Cuba-libre!

“Less is more, less is more!” Is what Yo was internally screaming while Adam Lambert belted aka screeched on stage @ the AMA’s last night. Lady Lambert’s new single For Your Entertainment was the closing performance @ anoche’s highly anticipated American Music Awards. Lady Lambert strutted hiser stuff while singing, dry humping and even daringly tonguing a fellow male band member.

It might have had been anoche’s closing number but it was more like the grand opening of that once ajar door known as his sexuality. “I’M GAY, QUEER and HERE so get use to it!” Yo must give Lady Lambert credit for anoche’s risqué performance but honestly it was a bit too much even from a fellow gay’s perspective. We all know how homophobic the music industry is Yo mean sexy NeYo is still fooling the chicas! But anoche’s performance could have been an opportunity to simply introduce Lady Lambert to the world minus the American Idol label but instead Lady Lambert jumped out of el close  just like any other stereotypical sex-ed crazed gay. @least we all know the girl can sing. I would have had love to have been a fly on the wall in George W. Bush’s living room last night, “THERE GOES ANOTHER ONE OF THEM SILLY GAYS, AND THEY WANNA BE ABLE TO MARRY, NO WAY IN HELL!”

In regards to the real ladies de la noche, Alicia Keys blew it out of the venue with her performance of Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart. Her roof top set and intricate dance moves won me over and once again validated for me her classy yet sassy status.

Lady Gaga keeps astonishing me with her original, freaky yet attractive take on creative expression. The Gaga’s rendition of Speechless actually had me speechless due to her inventive choice of breaking liquor bottles against her burning Steinway.

J-lo did indeed bust her big ass but kept it moving like a true performer. Her latest, Louboutins though catchy will probably not make a dent in the charts but hey, “what do Yo know, ” those little chicas, Jon and Edward are still contestants on Britain’s X-Factor.

 Whit-whit’s tired-ass I Didn’t Know My Own Strength was actually bearable. Yo was mainly watching and waiting to see how much the “ex-druggy” would sweat and if Bobby would pop up behind her with mop in hand either to hit her with or to dry the floor underneath her.

Ms. Country Underwood was flawless like always showing off her tight-ass physique with Cowboy Casanova giving Fergie-ferg a run for her lovely lady lumps. 

All in all the noche was filled with striking performances; as viewers we can either accept the artist for who they truly are, loud and over the top or recognize them for their hard work and inquisitive individualism.

Hasta la proxima!

Hopefully Castro is indeed dead.

Feliz dia de la Virgen de la Providencia.