BARACK OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT of the United States

Last Year in July at the NCLR National Conference in Miami, Florida.

How quickly time passess. Thoughts become things... this is a thought that can be materialized.

Barack Obama for President of the USA

Here I was, right before Obama's speech, at the Latina's Brunch with Hillary Clinton, but I didn't take a picture with her.

PALOMA NEGRA @ FESTIVAL DE LA FAMILIA

Hi All.

Please join us at Festival de la Familia at Cal Expo tomorrow, Sunday, April 27, 2008 from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. for an amazing show.

Performing with us on percussion will be Maestro Carlos Caro as well as Eddie Diaz. Our usual gang, Dominic Garcia, our Musical Director and Bass player, Rene Paul Diaz on pecussion, Patricio Morales and Guillermo Villagomez on guitar and of course, me- Araceli Collazo :)

We will have cd's available for purchase and will be giving out a few and some Tshirts and posters:)

For years I envisioned performing at this Festival and this day my dream becomes a reality.

The entire Festival de la Familia team deserves our gratitude for putting this on and allowing us the opportunity to showcase our music.

Please come and enjoy!

PALOMA NEGRA LIVE - TWO COOL DATES

PALOMA NEGRA @ REYNOSO GALERIA

Paloma Negra performed during the inauguration of Reynoso Galeria in Sacramento. Hundreds of people walked through the gallery, enjoyed the art work from artists like Ivan Rubio, Leonardo Ceballos and Gustavo Reynoso, among others. Visitors enjoyed wonderful food and drinks and of course, our music!

Thank you, Gus for putting this hot party together. Your gallery is way too cool.

Paloma Negra is busy these days. So many more amazing performances coming up such as The Fleet Feet's Shamrock’n Half-Marathon in Old Sacramento on March 16 at 8:00 a.m. Thank you Brian Fischer for all the help with bookings. And a wonderful event everyone should attend at Zocalo's on March 31 for the Sacramento International Film Festival's after party. Please check out their website under "Festival Guide" and "Special Events" for screenings and after parties.

Also, stay tuned and visit Paloma Negra's web page for upcoming shows, videos, sound files and news- and of course, the date for our CD Release Party.

Here are some photos from last night's event. Enjoy!

PALOMA NEGRA

Our handsome Percussionist from Merced, California, Rene Paul Diaz...

Our awesome Guitarist Guillermo Villagomez....

Our quiet but exceptional Guitarist Patricio Morales....

Dominic Garcia, our cool Band Director and Bass player. Love your hair, Dom- oiste!

Our PR Manager (and Beauty Control) - Nevenka y yo.... Thanks for all the help, Nevenka.



The food from Vallejo's Restaurants... was so wonderful, except I didn't have any.... I never eat before a performance- darn! But my boys sure did :) I'll have to take a break and go to Vallejo's for a little lunch one of these days.

The crowd(s)



The Music :)


Paloma?

VIP GUESTS!

My dear friends and colleagues JoAnn Penn and Graciela Ramirez from Los Escritores del Nuevo Sol:



This cutie is Mike Simms, our Recording Engineer from Skyrider Studios.

One of the founding members of the cultural collective the RCAF (Royal Chicano Airforce) Juanshi Orosco.

My dear friend Xochitl Arellano. I love this photo!




El guapo Esteban Villa from the RCAF.


Armando Enrique Botello, his lovely wife Leti and friends:

Joseph Paez from Festival de la Familia

La Estrella de la Noche, the incredibly sweet and beautiful Carmela:


There is more to come. I am sending you my heart.

Happy Birthday to Me/Feliz Cumpleaños A mi

Con mi Paloma Negra celebraré mi cumple... grabando voces para nuestro primer disco. Está sonando tan bien! Gracias Dominic Garcia, Patricio Morales, Rene Paul Diaz, Guillermo Villagomez y Nevenka por estar aquí. Gracias a Enrique Acosta de Sancho Daddy Studios por arrancar nuestro proyecto y gracias a Mike Simms de Sky Rider Studios por tooooodo el trabajo y dedicación.

Te amo Paloma Negra. Feliz Cumpleaños a mi!


I'll be celebrating my Bday with Paloma Negra, recording final vocals for our first cd. It's sounding way too cool! Thank you Dominic Garcia, Patricio Morales, Rene Paul Diaz, Guillermo Villagomez and Nevenka for being here. Thank you Enrique Acosta from Sancho Daddy Studios and Mike Simms from Sky Rider Studios for all your work and dedication.

I love you Paloma Negra. Happy Birthday to me!

Illustration by Saul Escobedo de Leon February 2008

BE MY VALENTINE PALOMA NEGRA

Goodbye - Adios

It's amazing how quickly time passes by. Has it really been a year since...? Goodbye for ever 2007. Hello 2008!

Es sorprendente como el tiempo transcurre. En verdad hace ya un año...? Adios para siempre 2007. Hola-Hola 2008!

This is a picture of my fire place at my old address in Sacramento. Goodbye 1523 27th Street.

Esta es una foto de mi chimenea en mi antigua casa en Sacramento. Adios 1523 27th Street.



I would like to introduce to you the star of our new video, produced by Saul Escobedo, of a song titled "Solo Sal", written by Patricio Morales, Guitarist of Paloma Negra and I. Please look for the official release of both the song and the video.

Les presento a la protagonista de mi último video. Producido por Saul Escobedo, de una canción, titulada "Solo Sal", que escribimos Patricio Morales, Guitarrista de Paloma Negra y yo. Por favor esperen el lanzamiento oficial de ambos la canción y el video.



May 2008 be filled with wonderful challenges and excitement, financial stability and love and friendship for all of us. May we have our calendars full of activities. May we see our most profound dreams materialized.

I wish you all peace and harmony. We have 12 new months to do it again, to do it better, to be better, kinder and more loving to ourselves and others. Look only up and forward, take time to heal and care, take time to give and to listen. Take time to be exactly who and what and where you want to be.

I want to thank everyone who was a part of my life during these past 12 months and I welcome those who will be in it this year.

With love.

Que el 2008 esté lleno de maravillosas y excitantes retos, estabilidad económica y amor y amistad. Que nuestros calendarios estén llenos de actividades. Que veamos nuestros sueños más profundos materializarse.

Deseo para todos paz y armonía. Tenemos 12 nuevos mees para hacerlo todo de nuevo, hacerlo bien, para ser mejores y más compasivos hacia nosotros mismos y hacia los demás. Vean sólo hacia arriba y hacia adelante, tomen el tiempo para sanar, para dar cariño, tiempo para darse y para escuchar. Tomen el tiempo para estar y hacer y ser exactamente lo que quiren ser.

Agradezco a todos los que fueron parte de mi vida en estos pasados 12 meses y doy la bienvenida a quienes formarán parte de ella en este 2008.

Con amor.

Season's Greetings from Paloma Negra/Felices Fiestas de Paloma Negra

Tanto ha sucedido desde mi último posting, principalmente la grabación de nuestro disco- yeah! Gracias a toda la gente que nos escribe para pedir la música. Gracias a Enrique Acosta por viajar desde el Sur de Califonria para trabajar tan duro por nosotros. Gracias a todos los integrantes de Paloma Negra- Dominic Garcia, Patricio Morales, Saul Escobedo Rene Paul, Guillermo Villagomez y a nuestro nuevo amigo y músico invitado el Maestro Carlos Caro por acompañarnos en ensayos y nuestro concierto en San Jose. Más noticias pronto.

So much has happened since my last posting, primarily the recording of our cd- yeah! Thanks to everyone who has written requesting our music. My deepest gratitute as well to Enrique Acosta for traveling from southern California to work on our cd. Thank you also to my colleagues, my family- the members of Paloma Negra for their work and dedication- Dominic Garcia, Patricio Morales, Saul Escobedo, Rene Paul, Guillermo Villagomez and our new friend and guest musician, Maestro Carlos Caro for joining us in rehearsals and our concert in San Jose. More to come!

I Love You - Paloma Negra

Illustration by Saul Escobedo 2007

Did you know that whenever you whisper, "I'm sorry..." to someone quietly in your mind, Araceli, someone over here sheds a tear and healing begins?

Did you know that whenever you whisper, "Can I help you..." to someone quietly in your mind, someone over here sheds a tear and an army of angels are sent?

And, did you know that whenever you whisper, "I love you..." to someone quietly in your mind, someone over here sheds a tear, healing begins, an army of angels are sent, and 10,000 bells are rung?

Actually, you even have your own marching band that follows you everywhere....

I love you,
The Universe

www.tut.com

My Baby

Araceli Collazo & Abner Collazo
Photograph by Saul Escobedo 2007