- More than 150 photos on the urban subculture born out of the rich 'sonidero' tradition in Monterrey: Regio-Colombians or Cholombians- More than fashion, a way of understanding life that takes on courage, tolerance and vitality "The unrestrained ostentation of a young culture that comes from a social class that is also the repository of the fears, prejudices and frustrations of the middle and upper classes." Leticia Saucedo They wear white Converse sneakers and brilliantly-hued Hawaiian shirts printed with religious images (mainly, the Virgin of Guadalupe and San Judas Tadeo); their accessories, handkerchiefs, caps, and scapulars hanging around their necks to distinguish where they belong and who they are, which is their message to the world. Amanda Watkins collection of portraits from the community of Cholombians in Monterrey is more than the evidence of the growing violence that has stricken the country in recent years and the many ways youth is responding to it. It s about cultural migration on the border cities: how it can be so rich and colorful in contrast with the poverty, marginalisation, and disenchantment of an urban concrete environment. With brief descriptions that take us to a hot night in downtown Monterrey with cumbia music softly playing on a far away radio station, these "photo albums" demand to be seen and recognized, as Cholombians themselves, too. Text in English and Spanish. Mas de 150 fotos, entrevistas y ensMas de 150 fotos, entrevistas y ensayos para conocer a una cultura propia dentro de Monterrey, caracterizada por su forma de vestir y sus gustos musicales, por su marginalidad y estilo. Desde finales de los sesenta, Monterrey se ha ido convertido en el recipiente de sonidos provenientes de diversos ritmos de Colombia, principalmente cumbia y vallenato. De ahi surgio una cultura urbana derivada de la rica tradicion sonidera en Monterrey: la colombia. Ser colombia es una identidad que ostentan principalmente los jovenes de los barrios populares de la ciudad. Los regio-colombianos, cholombianos o colombias son una combinacion de los clasicos cholos mexicanos con gustos musicales por la cumbia colombiana. Ellos definen su estilo como punk tropical. Sus atuendos son tenis Converse blancos, camisas tipo hawaiano de colores intensos con estampados de flores y palmeras. Usan tambien imagenes religiosas (el escapulario, la Virgen de Guadalupe y San Judas Tadeo) y algunas veces sus atuendos hacen referencia a la violencia creciente que se vive en todo el pais desde hace anos. Se cuelgan tambien letreros hechos a mano o tejidos con sus sobrenombres, barrios y a veces imagenes.
About the Author: Amanda Watkins (England) is a photographer and fashion designer who for the last four years has traveled incessantly between London and Monterrey, documenting Cholombians. She has a Masters in fashion design from the Royal College of Art in London, and has taught fashion at the University of Monterrey. Her collections have been featured in magazines like Elle and Commons and Sense (Japan), and Dazed and Confused (London). She created an exhibition entitled Cholombianos together with Trilce, to complement this publication.