VOA – CONNECT
EPISODE # 245
AIR DATE: 09 23 2022
TRANSCRIPT

OPEN ((VO/NAT))
((Banner))
Singing
((SOT))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Thanks to the music, I was able to change the direction of my possible destiny in the hood. Music made it easy for me to just say, no to do something stupid in the streets.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
and Sipping
((SOT))
((John Loughner
Co-owner, Mt. Pleasant Club Whiskey))
We’re reviving an old 110-year-old brand. There’s some really, really interesting stories out there through the Mt. Pleasant Club Whiskey brand.
((Open Animation))


BLOCK A

((PKG)) SON JAROCHO
((TRT: 12:38))
((Topic Banner: LA Fandango))
((Reporter/Camera/Editor/Producer: Arturo Martinez))
((Map: Los Angeles, California))
((Main character: 1 male))
((Sub characters: 1 female; 1 male))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher and Luthier))
My name is César Castro. I am a musician from traditional music from Mexico called, son jarocho. I also teach that music in different places.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Son jarocho is festive music played with [the string instrument] jarana. And we sing stories, different ones. They're not songs. Your verse is your own version of the night.
((NATS/MUSIC))
Ariles and more Ariles, Ariles back and forth.
With times and travels, things got messed up.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
I came to the US probably 17 years ago, knowing how to play, how to sing, how to dance and how to make instruments. And I use this work to avoid going to get those day jobs: stamp things, serve things, clean things. And it has an impact on my cultural project. Because I feel part of this project of son jarocho in L.A.
((NATS/MUSIC))
Bringing in new songs
coming from Afro-Andalusia
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
It was never a job. No, it was creating community, creating this music scene. I didn't even remember that part.
((Xochi Flores
Musician, Community Worker))
Chuy and I have better memory.
((NATS))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
My little taller [workshop]. This place is being my man cave, as they call it here in the US, for years. We call this job laudería [string instrument making]. I've made hundreds of instruments.
((NATS))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
This one comes from a center where they…it's called Tia Chucha's in Los Angeles. This is from 2010. A lot of people learned on this jarana. They practiced a lot of hours, a lot of smiles, some frustration at the beginning. So, I'm going to send them back with a new top, ready to keep going for another ten years.
((NATS))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Look, my workshop is not fancy at all and it's on purpose. It's like a little ranchito [simple ranch]. This used to be a very important income. I knew that the demand for instruments was coming because people were very excited about son jarocho. And I'm carrying this knowledge from Veracruz. I was 15 years old when I started. And that's the reason I keep fixing instruments so they can make more fandangos [Veracruz-style dance party] so we can have kids out of trouble. I think, thanks to the music, I was able to change the direction of my possible destiny in the hood.
((Photo Courtesy: César Castro))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Growing up in a poor neighborhood, music made it easy for me to just say, ‘no’ to do something stupid in the streets. And when you carry a guitar, no matter where in the world, people already think of you like, "He is not a danger."
So, that's something that I didn't know but the guitar was doing that to me.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Video Courtesy: Eric Coleman))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
So, when I go to schools or different places and also teach in state prisons here in California, I hope that someone has a similar shift in their life.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
All right. Congratulations. You just played your first song.
Yeah, actually, I forgot. It's a conscious movement of culture in order to keep the good things that we believe, good things in our society. And that’s one of them.
((end Video Courtesy))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
With my class, what I can offer, I feel that, okay, here. There's some of us who want to help you in supporting your decision of going in the right direction. And I enjoy it because you have no cell phones, nothing. It's just there. You focus. It's pretty much like old school.
((Video Courtesy: Eric Coleman))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
So, we write things on paper, a lot of conversations, and the attention is amazing, the best.
((end Video Courtesy))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Chuy Sandoval
Musician))
KQBH-LP, Los Angeles, California, 101.5 FM, a community service of Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory, broadcasting live on your FM dial and streaming on LPFM.LA.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Hi there, friends. How are you? Good morning, afternoon or evening. Welcome, welcome once again to this, your show, Radio Jarochelo, with Chuy Sandoval, who feels very excited today.
Rogelio Delgadillo says, "Greetings from San Luis Potosi. Super radio show to set a long early morning of work.”
Well, Rogelio, with coffee and son, you're good to go. And if there is someone listening from Europe, enjoy the morning with a little son. And Chuy, what do you have for us?
((Chuy Sandoval
Musician))
I'm going to play it first and then we'll talk about it.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
This is a community radio station. I got invited to be part of it since its very beginning. Doing Spanish radio in L.A. is very important to us, to the immigrant communities, to the elders who might be sometimes lonely.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Chuy Sandoval
Musician))
There are communities in and around L.A. that listen to and practice and learn about son jarocho. It should have its own platform, even if it's just twice a month.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Fandangos,...
((Chuy Sandoval
Musician))
All good, sorry.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Lucía is Ramón Gutiérrez's daughter...
((Chuy Sandoval
Musician))
Los Tigres del Norte [norteño music band]
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Which song did they play?
((Chuy Sandoval
Musician))
They played...
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
I'm setting up L.A. van, the party van, the traveling boom, boom. I just go where there's an event happening.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
So, it's more like a mobile DJ kind of thing. Very Caribbean, too out of place here, but it represents part of my culture. So, it's something that excites me.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Boss, that's the van playing music, for all kinds of events outdoors, you get the permit, I'll bring the music.
((NATS))
Thank you.
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
This is a neighborhood market. Right now, what I'm expecting is to get some contracts for another event, just in case one day, they see this in a different place. They're the ones moving. I don't move that much. You see, coffee in a tricycle, sound in a van. We're creative people here.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
So far, I haven't been like making money. So, I'm hoping that that picks up because I put a lot of hours and sweat, but only one paid gig.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Part of me feels that this project is going to end up being that, you know, that weird thing that people develop in their lives, like going fishing, playing domino. It's fun.
((NATS))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
This is El Sereno, with a very old school. My wife went to this school. So, she's from this area. I came here to L.A. via the Chicano-Chicana community and I'm an honorarium Chicano, definitely. I married a Chicana
((Photo Courtesy: César Castro))
and her family is very Chicana. So yes, I'm definitely with them.
((Xochi Flores
Musician, Community Worker))
Chicano-Chicana, it's like someone who is of Mexican descent, who was born here and who is politically aligned with working people. Son jarocho is a tool that Chicano-Chicanx movement has
((Photo Courtesy: César Castro))
kind of enveloped and morphed into something
((Xochi Flores
Musician, Community Worker))
that we use as a form of expression as well.
((NATS))
No Dream. No Deal.
No Dream. No Deal.
((NATS))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Son jarocho finds its place on people who work in social justice and that's how we started to develop these projects together. And then you start seeing jaranas on demonstrations around the city.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
I beg you,
I beg you from the bottom of my heart for a permanent residency.
For a permanent residency and the reason behind it.
And if I don't fight, I won't win.
I won't win. I won't win.
((NATS))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Well, Chicano culture has influenced me a lot. I see L.A. through their lens. And you start driving around and you see gentrification. You see homelessness. You see the discrimination. And in my music and my verses then all that comes out.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
One day as you go for a walk,
One day as you go for a walk,
One day as you go for a walk,
like normal, like normal.
And out of nowhere,
And out of nowhere,
And out of nowhere,
you get fatally shot,
fatally shot.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
So, let's all go by bike, and let's all go by truck.
And I'll carry the [protest] sign, the sign, the sign.
And you'll carry the [protest] banner.
And let's go by train...
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
La Manta [son jarocho-adapted song], that one came with the Black Lives Matter movement. So, I just put out a little story, like imagine yourself going out to…in the streets, all of a sudden, you get attacked because the way you look. That's not just. That's not right. Who does that? Why?
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Many don’t like it.
Many don't like it.
And I'll carry the sign, the sign, the sign.
And you'll carry the banner.
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Yes, this way of life, yes, of course, can be difficult. But which one is just easy? So, I always have to think of that. It's like, oh, okay, come on, why are you complaining? You are able to live in your house and spend a lot of time near your family. And then through son jarocho, I've met beautiful people. Like I got uncles, aunties, grandparents through son jarocho community. And I am thankful.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
And I'll carry the sign, the sign, the sign that I'm writing.
((NATS/MUSIC))

TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up
((Banner))
A Good Pour
((SOT))
((Troy Hughes
Co-owner, Mt. Pleasant Club Whiskey))
I thought it was such a cool bottle and it had William Barry, 2024, 14th street. It was intriguing to me just like digging up what I could on Mr. Barry.


BREAK ONE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))

BLOCK B


((PKG)) MT. PLEASANT CLUB WHISKEY
((TRT: 09:50))
((Topic Banner: Whiskey Revival))
((Reporter/Camera/Editor: Jeff Swicord))
((Map: Washington, D.C.))
((Main characters: 2 males; 1 female))
((NATS/MUSIC/SOT))
Got a good whirlpool going in here.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((John Loughner
Co-owner, Mt. Pleasant Club Whiskey))
I’ve always had an entrepreneurial itch. I work in consulting, specifically working on data science. Making whiskey was a fun side project that we started during COVID as something to keep us busy.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((John Loughner
Co-owner, Mt. Pleasant Club Whiskey))
There are a lot of smaller craft distillers that are out there and really changing, changing the world of whiskey.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Troy Hughes
Co-owner, Mt. Pleasant Club Whiskey))
I am a government contracts attorney. I got into whiskey many years ago and I started to learn as much as I could about it. We have no background in doing this. We had no idea what we were doing but…and we are learning on the way and it’s a great ride so far.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((John Loughner
Co-owner, Mt. Pleasant Club Whiskey))
We’re reviving an old, 110-year-old brand for a few reasons. One is, we have a passion for history. And there’s some really, really interesting stories out there through the Mt. Pleasant Club Whiskey brand.
((NATS/MUSIC))
And we want to bring those out in the products we bring to market.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Mara Cherkasky
Mount Pleasant Historian))
Mount Pleasant was originally a village established after the Civil War. Streetcar came up Mount Pleasant Street here, and the end of the line was at Park Road. And at that point, this land became valuable to develop. It hadn’t been developed yet.
((NATS/MUSIC))
Then businesses started locating along Mount Pleasant Street, and one of the first was this one-story building. It’s now a laundromat. And then some of these other businesses appeared in this block.
((NATS/MUSIC))
Today, it’s a bus turnaround but the streetcar stopped down where the bus stops and there was a platform and people got on and off.
((NATS))
((Mara Cherkasky
Mount Pleasant Historian))
Row Houses mostly started being built along here and all of these blocks West of Mount Pleasant Street. Still a beautiful neighborhood. Mount Pleasant was originally a New England village and it was dry [no alcohol]. So, that was one of the virtues of it.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Mara Cherkasky
Mount Pleasant Historian))
Temperance [anti-alcohol] movement was a huge thing in the 19th century and into the 20th century. There were no liquor establishments in Mount Pleasant.
((Mara Cherkasky
Mount Pleasant Historian))
Prohibition hit in [Washington] D.C. earlier than nationally. It started November 1st, 1917.
A big premise of the temperance movement was that it was
((Mara Cherkasky
Mount Pleasant Historian))
bad for families. So, it was bad for women and children because
the husband would take his whole paycheck and drink it up in the saloons. Then they’d be impoverished
((Mara Cherkasky
Mount Pleasant Historian))
and then he’d, on top of it, you know, be abusive.
((NATS/MUSIC))
This Mt. Pleasant Brand Whiskey came about when somebody in Mount Pleasant found a… an old whiskey bottle in their house when they were renovating. It was practice, workmen drinking on the job. Some people say that it’s to celebrate finishing the house, to put a bottle in. I’m not sure about that. But I know, lots of people who have renovated their houses and pulled out walls and found bottles in there, among other things.

TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up
((Banner))
Whiskey Revival continues

((SOT))
((NATS))
((Troy Hughes
Co-owner, Mt. Pleasant Club Whiskey))
November 1st, 1917, that’s when prohibition came to Washington DC. It became illegal to sell liquor.

BREAK TWO
BUMP IN ((ANIM))



BLOCK C


((NATS/MUSIC))
((Troy Hughes
Co-owner, Mt. Pleasant Club Whiskey))
This all got started when my wife and I bought the house that we currently live in. The lady that lived there, back in the [19]80s, they did a renovation. During that renovation, they found a bottle from 1911. And it just sat in her living room, dining room, for the next 30 years.
I was fascinated. I thought it was such a cool bottle and just, I mean, I almost immediately started to like look up because it had William Barry, 2024 14th street. It was intriguing to me just by digging up what I could on Mr. Barry. And I was able to find a little bit about him.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((John Loughner
Co-owner, Mt. Pleasant Club Whiskey))
During COVID, we found ourselves hanging out with nothing to do, trying to get outside. While hanging out, we had this idea and said we were going to bring this, this old brand back.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Troy Hughes
Co-owner, Mt. Pleasant Club Whiskey))
We weren’t going to go sell our houses and try to buy a distillery. So, I had a friend who owned this distillery in Virginia and she was willing to help us. It’s such a cool thing that we should try to revive it and that’s really how it started.
((NATS))
((Troy Hughes
Co-owner, Mt. Pleasant Club Whiskey))
William Barry. Mr. Barry was a Irishman
((Photo Courtesy: The Barry Family))
who, I think, around 1905,1906, he decided to go into the liquor business and he bought a liquor store from Patrick Nelligan, who was the
((end Photo Courtesy))
original producer of Mt. Pleasant Club Whiskey.
((Troy Hughes
Co-owner, Mt. Pleasant Club Whiskey))
And it was here at 2024 14th street, The Reliable family liquor store and Barry started to sell Mt. Pleasant Club Whiskey at that point. Back then, the brand used the Mt. Pleasant name but had no connection to the neighborhood. So yeah, this is U Street, one of the most famous Black neighborhoods in the country, really.
((Troy Hughes
Co-owner, Mt. Pleasant Club Whiskey))
This was Harlem before Harlem became Harlem. All the jazz clubs up and down U Street, this is where it was at. I mean, [musicians] Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington was born or he lived right around the corner from here. Very historic neighborhood. So, I imagine there were a lot of African American foot traffic going up and down here buying, buying the whiskey.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Troy Hughes
Co-owner, Mt. Pleasant Club Whiskey))
November 1st, 1917, that’s when prohibition came to Washington, D.C. They shut down every, it became illegal to sell liquor.
((John Loughner
Co-owner, Mt. Pleasant Club Whiskey))
William Barry, he tried to fight prohibition. He served on a couple of different organizations, committees to try and push back against prohibition.
((Troy Hughes
Co-owner, Mt. Pleasant Club Whiskey))
I mean, he appeared in the papers a number of times, in the Post and the Evening Star a number of times, speaking out against the temperance movement.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((John Loughner
Co-owner, Mt. Pleasant Club Whiskey))
Barry restarted the brand when prohibition ended. And after a few years, he passed away as well. And at that point, the brand stopped. It ceased to exist.
((NATS/SOT))
So, this is, this is a Mt. Pleasant whiskey bottle.
((John Loughner
Co-owner, Mt. Pleasant Club Whiskey))
We will continue to take forward Mt. Pleasant Club brand, releasing two to three batches a year, each named after different streets, each with a different flavor profile.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Troy Hughes
Co-owner, Mt. Pleasant Club Whiskey))
Most definitely, it’s a neighborhood pride thing. Just living here and raising our kids in Mount Pleasant, it’s all about neighborhood pride.
((NATS/MUSIC))
There is an altruistic purpose for doing all of this. We are giving a portion of our proceeds to local community organizations.
((John Loughner
Co-owner, Mt. Pleasant Club Whiskey))
We are putting together a vodka product in which we will donate 100 percent of the profits to refugees of the war in Ukraine. Give back to the neighborhood. That’s a big part of what we’re doing.
((NATS))


CLOSING BUMPER ((ANIM))
voanews.com/connect



BREAK THREE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))


SHOW ENDS