About Me
La Mano Fria is a graphic artist, audio hacker, vj, record selector, a label owner, a visual soldier against the global and fake democratic system which engulfs the world today but most important a simple worker. Son of Colombian and Costa Rican immigrants that fled their country to settle in the urban jungles of NYC in the late 60's, he was born in the 1970's in a mainly South American community of Queens, NYC. Later moving to Miami and South Florida, before the record label his involvement in the Miami scene ranged from organizing events to involvement with pirate radio stations. As a visual artist, La Mano Fria influences are music: all types of sounds (latin, hip hop, electronic, techno, roots reggae, experimental, etc.). And visual: old punk rock record covers, Cuban OSPAAAL posters, and NYC graffiti movement as well as his own experiences of being a immigrants struggling and being on the go in the US. Founder of the Beta Bodega Coalition in 1998 (Beta Bodega (RIP), Rice and Beans (RIP) and Botanica del Jibaro and Arepaz record labels), La Mano Fria has always fused his ideas and work with those of artists to form a creative relationship and record label which is not only unique but with reason and meaning. Through his travels, he now is expanding into the realm of books, video and other collectable limited specialty items. Also the clothing brand, Rice and Beans, which started in 1996 on the shelves of Bobbito Garcia's Footwork shop (RIP) in NYC, was brought back in 2006. Rice and Beans can now be found here . La Mano Fria has also done a variety of art exhibitions from galleries in Tokyo, Porto, Den Hague, Dresden, etc. The point is to use skills not violence as true weapons, media as a tool which can give a voice and shine a light on issues and concerning the "Third World" and it's immigrants worldwide.Various works. La Mano Fria has designed almost 100 different record, cd and labels for music labels over the last 10 years. Exhibitions include giant print outs to canvas paintings, the most popular series being Jibaro Times: La Mano Fria Report in Tokyo at Uplink Factory , which is on it's fourth edition. Other Exhibits included Auditorio Serralves in Porto, Portugal in 2005 and Tag Gallery in Den Hague, Holland in 2004
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Tour in February 2008 of Tokyo , Niigata, Sapporo and Tomakomai. Most of the footage is from Meer Lounge in Sapporo, where a La Mano Fria art exhibition was held and we did an opening night for the Rice and Beans vs Natural Bicycle collaboration. Ending footage was at Club Hidden in Tomakomai, with the Z.O.I.D. crew! The footage on the train was riding from Niigata to Tokyo on the Shinkansen (Japanese bullet train). For more information about La Mano Fria's clothing brand check our shop listings or check out our exclusive limited series at Beams T . Music by Chris Devoe .
La Mano Fria performing with his crew, Arepaz Immigrante Orchestra, at Medelink 2008, in March. Two day festival in Medellin, Colombia. Other AIO members included Deviant , Soarse Spoken and Epstein . More footage here .
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__________For La Mano Fria exhibition/festival/show booking info contact us hereLa Mano Fria is a member of Arepaz Immigrante Orchestra, AIO. Music, culture and immigrants. For more information click on the slip mat!
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__________BBC broadcasting on the web worldwide! Check out La Mano Fria and BBC related videos on the Arepaz Channel . Subscribe today!
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