Rafael "Rafa" Saavedra | |
---|---|
Born | 1967 Valencia, Mexico |
Occupation | Writer |
Nationality | Mexican |
Genre | Short story, cultural journalism |
Notable works | Crossfader. B-sides, hidden tracks & remixes (2009), Lejos del noise (2003), Buten smileys (1997) |
Rafael Saavedra (Tijuana, 1967[1]—17 September 2013[2]) was a Mexican author who contributed to magazines Letras Libres,[3] Generación,[4] Moho,[5] Nexos, Replicante,[2] Pícnic, among other publications and literary spaces, including online publications.
In 2010, his book Border Pop won the Baja California State Literature Prize (Premio Estatal de Literatura de Baja California) under the category of cultural journalism.[19]
Rafa Saavedra was editor for various fanzines and independent magazines. His first fanzine, Psychocandy appeared in 1985;[20] then, in 1991, DJ Tolo joined him to edit El Centro de la Rabia,[21] which offered texts that proposed ideas for another generation. A few years later, in 1993, Velocet[21] came out, espousing the motto "Agitación y revival" (agitation and revival), and was focussed on electronic music, alternative culture and new narratives. In 2005, he and Sergio Brown edited Radiante,[22] a publication dealing with media, culture and society. His literary and journalistic texts have appeared in magazines (Generación, Moho, Nexos, Letras Libres, Replicante, Picnic, Viceversa, Quo, Complot Internacional, Zona de Obras), supplements (Laberinto, El Ángel del Diario Reforma, among others) and many online spaces.
He produced the alternative radio programs Sintonía Pop from 1987 to 1991, Selector de Frequencies from 2001 to 2011[23] and then from 2011 on La Zona Fantasma,[19] which specialized in post-punk music, international indie-pop, weird new wave, Spanish pop, italo-disco, twee-pop, early punk and electro-pop.
As a DJ, he was known as Dj Rafa Dro.[19][21][24] He has performed as the opening act for bands such as Aviador Dro, Stereo Total, Ana D, Adanowksy, Casiotone for the Painfully alone, Pigmy, The Whitest Boy Alive, among others. He also maintained a nonmusical project called Arnik Family[25] based on samples and loops.
He is the author of the phrase "Tijuana Makes Me Happy,"[19][21] which was made famous through its use as a song title by Fussible from the Nortec Collective.[26]