Ok, so it looks like Napster is truly dead. A search of my favorite Latin artists turns up nothing. They've all been screened out. But there is some good news. I've been using a program called BEARSHARE (you can download it at www.bearshare.com) and I can still download whatever I want! I've found some cool music files that I never saw on Napster (like various versions of the "Kiss Kiss" song.)Not only that, but you can also download free porn! Wow!

you know alot of the users on Napster are encoding the name of artists now. Anywhere from truncating the name of the artist to spelling it in pig latin (first letters moved to end of name)to just listing an album name rather than artist.

All methods to get around the copyright infringement thing, which is of course still not legal, but it's only a crime if you get caught, right?

Basically, it is an enormous pain in the ass to find what you want now, but the system is still usable. I don't blame you for moving on though. If this Bearshare works the same as napster, then certainly its days are numbered as well, no?

Shy Guy

Shy Guy: Yes, I know about changing the names on Napster, but there are fewer users now because of all the file encryption hassles. Therefore, there are less files to share. I've also noticed some server problems with Napster and this may have something to do with the lawsuit as well (because the record companies are trying to sue them as well.) However, Bearshare is a file-sharing program that doesn't tell you what to share. It also uses the Gnutella network and you can link up to servers all over the world. It's working very well and should get better as the program gets more popular. We'll see what happens next!

Try Napigator, just do a search on your browsrer. It works along with Napster, actually adding a a few more tabs on your Napster program. It allows you to use Napster on other servers that don't have the filters. Just hook up to one of the other servers and your Napster works just like it did in the good old days.

If you live in San Diego or can make it to the Spring Valley Swapmeet, you will find two vendors (you can not miss them). They will play the cd for you and they have all of the music you hear in the zone. All cd are new and they are priced from 5 - 15 with most of them at 10.

Chargers, tried Napigator like you said and it works without the filters. Unfortunately, I have a 56K modem and the servers that I can connect to are limited. Therefore, the amount of users that use that server are limited. Less users means less files and choices and ultimately I can't download an obscure Latin song like "Toca Tres Veces" by Priscilla y Sus Bandas De Plata. Unless I get DSL (which seems to be the standard now) I guess I'll have bette luck with Bearshare. But if you've got a DSL or higher connection, Napigator seems like the way to go!

Two good Napster alternatives are WinMX (www.winmx.com) and Audio Galaxy (www.audiogalaxy.com).

My personal favorite is WinMX. Audio Galaxy is growing in popularity, but be careful of the SpyWay that installs with it. I have been using WinMX for two weeks now and it is just as good as Napster IMO. A good SpyWare removal program is Ad AdAware 4.1. Go to www.shareware.com to search for that.

What exactly does this "SpyWay" install do?
Does it pop up advertisements? Or provide your information to "potential" advertisers?

Some only track your sufing habits to provide tagerted advertising without sending the information to a central server. But some are more invasive than that. Some track your surfing habits and also send the info back to the central server. And even worse, some stay open even after the program that installed say (like BearShare) are closed.

Here are two links. One with information about some programs that use spyware. And another about how to find and remove them.

http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-5921593.html

http://cnet.com/software/0-8888-8-3217791-1.html

Xenono, I have been using LimeWire as my replacement for Napster. It is the Gnutella system and is plugged in the current issue of Forbes as the best of that type. (side note: when a magazine like Forbes comes out and openly promotes file sharing and all that it implies you know that the traditional manner of music retailing is stone dead).

LimeWire has a nice clean look. Unlike Napster, it will restart a download if you lose it for whatever reason. It also permits video, still images, and software. You can get a running list of things people are looking for. Incredible!!!! Everything from porn to major movies to stuff that makes no sense at all.

A major disadvantage is that you cannot listen to the song as it downloads. Also, I have yet to be able to browse anyones files. There is apparently no way to i-mail anyone nor any chatrooms. Finally, they don't yet have the selection of music that you could find on Napster but it is getting better all the time.

Tight Fit

Did Forbes compare Limewire with Bearshare?

Where do you find LimeWire on the Net? URL?

Limewire.com. Easy download and instalation.

Best of the Web, summer 2001, Forbes.com (www.forbesbest.com but this acticle is only available in the print version)

"Recommendation: Napster has become nearly useless for sharing mainstream music. Its legal woes have forced it to impose filters to prevent pirating. A search for "Rock Lobster" yielded zero matches on Napster. Gnutella software users still freely share MP3s, vieos, and other files. LimeWire is the best of a dozen Gnutella programs."

I have never used Bearshare but I did look at their manual. Limewire does not allow you to do much in the way of selecting parameters. Bearshare seemed to have layers within layers of dropdown windows. I do miss being able to browse other people's files as some of the best things I have are songs (sic?) that I have never heard of before. But then I love watching Limewire's incoming messages. Man, I thought I had perverted tastes.

Ive found winmx to be even better than limewire. Try it out.

Dapple, you got it. Just downloaded winmx and am putting it through its paces. I like it. A lot.
Thanks.

Hey, I tried Winmx too and had success downloading some hard to find files (like some of the new songs by El Simbolo. I love that group.) Unfortunately, with my 56K connection I'm having a tough time connecting at a decent speed to the Winmx servers. I have better luck with Bearshare (I'm currently downloading a Noelia tune with it.) So I guess it's best to have both programs running and take your pick. Nevertheless, they both beat Napster and its restricted content at the moment.

This makes two or three long days downloading from Winmx so I am starting to get a good feel for the site. Lots of music available but I am having a hard time finding a download much of the time. Especially in the evening. Kind of reminds me of the dark days when I was still using AOL. Too many busy signals or lines where I time out. Still, I like the format.

Cantinfas, I would love to have a 56k connection. My ISP is poking along at 26,400bps. The top speed I can download seems to be around 3 kbs and that's if the other guy has bandwidth at his end to share. I envy these people that can download songs in a matter of minutes.

TF, I just started downloading from WINMX.. Like you, have had problems with some files aborting or not being available... Can you recomend some musica mexicana?
ag

This links to a site for a radio station in Mexico City. It have 3 video clips of Paulina Rubio from a concert. If you click on some of the other links there concert footage of many other Latin artists.


http://www.radiocentro.com/joya93.7/fjoyas.htm

Actually after I tried it it links to the main page. Just click on "Notche de Gala" on the left. Then just click on the artist you want to see.

Los Angeles Azules of Como Te Voy a Olvidar fame are playing tonight at Las Pulgas.

AG, I don't know much about Mexican music. I do have a CD downloaded by a group called Los Bukis and I get a LOT of hits.

For something different, real different, and with a great beat and sense of humor try anything by Elvis Martinez. A good one to start with is Vuelve which was made famous by Ricky Martin. This kind of music is called bachata and is real down home Dominican. My ex sister in law claims the guy comes from her town and was a nobody back then.

A Spanish group (Canary Islanders ?) is called Los Sabandenos (tilde over the last n but it will download without it). Someone here a while back recommended them. Their stuff sounds kind of folklorish at times and other times very bolero.

Los Angeles de Charlie donated two songs to my list. They are definitely the "sound" of the Zona bars. Los Angeles Azules have two songs also. Both groups can be found easily on Winmx.

For something totally different look for Camilo Sesto. Jamas and Amor Amor are my favorites. This Chilean was hot when I was in the Peace Corp in the 70s and is still very popular. This is romatic storytelling. The type that certain women fall head over heels for. Get a room at the Cascadas, bring your boombox, some candles, perfume or incense, and some munchies, and leave the door opened slightly. You will score, I am positive.

Finally, for the amargados here (bitter from bad love) who have passed their Sunday in a bottle in the tradition of a true Latin male, download Medicina de Amor by Raulin Rodriguez. The best part of the song is at the end when he goes full out in describing the evil woman who tortured him with her treasoness behavior. Man, this is the kind of stuff you play in a small bar filled with meloncholy drunks lamenting the ones who got away.

A couple chicas I was drinking with this weekend told me Los Angeles Azules was playing on Sunday night at Las Pulgas like ReyTJ says above. Anybody check it out? If so, how was it? Gracias.

Los Angeles Azules is going to be in concert at LA Sports Arena July 7. It's a Saturday and I intend to be there...they are great.

Missing in action. ReyTJ was looking for this thread.

Any fans of Pepe Aguilar around? Besides his classic "Por Mujeres Como Tu" I have found a number of other ballads courtesy of WinMx. "El Amar Y El Querer" has such a great title that I knew it would be good. This guy not only has a great voice and band to back him but the words of the songs are dripping with emotions of love.

Could you imagine, assuming you knew how to sing, hiring one of those TJ street groups and serrenading some SGs in the alley with this guy's music? They probably wouldn't know how to respond.

Anyone make it to the "Los Angeles Azules" show sat at the sports arena? There were a number of bands playing, sounded like it might have been a zoo. Another show I wanted to see was Aterciopelados at the greek (same night), had to pass at $55 for the cheap seats, saw them last year, great show. Ended up going to the Compton Rodeo and watching a bunch of Bandi Nortena acts (groan), at least it was cheap.

I'd be interested in knowing about the Los Angeles Azules concert also. I debated to go or not to go, but thinking like you that it would be a zoo. Is there a new CD out or coming out?

I did see Los Angeles de Charly last month in Anaheim. They were great and really drew the chicas, many chicas as beautiful as any in AB.

I haven't heard anything about a new CD, seems like their due for one though, I'm hoping to catch them at a smaller venue sometime.

Los Angeles De Charly must have been a fun show, I liked their Un Sueno CD alot, sorry I missed it.

Couldn't agree more about the beautiful Latinas at these shows, the Rock en Espanol bands seem to attract the most.

Speaking of Rock En Espanol, I've been downloading a lot of tracks from ALEKS SYNTEK lately. I discovered his music when they were playing "Tu Necesitas" at the strip club bar around the corner from Adelita's. He's got a very distinctive sound. His other hit is "Sexo, Pudor Y Lagrimas." I've also been using the WINMX program with great success. It's a lot better than I originally thought and it's the only file-sharing program that I use now.

Toehead and Whistler, I went to the Los Angeles Azules show and it wasn't quite what I expected. It was a Baile. There was no assigned seating, everybody just stood up, sat where they wanted or danced. I had a good time and loved it when they played, but two things about it really pissed me off. There was this loud DJ guy that kept talking over the music when there wasn't live music and Los Angeles Azules did not come on until after 1:00am. But they sounded great and I was glad I went. I wish I hadn't missed Los Angeles de Charly. My novia told me Rayito Colombiana is playing sometime this week at Las Pulgas...some of the same guys are in that band too.

Adelito, how do we find out what night Rayito is at Las Pulgas?

Los Angeles de Charly was a Baile also, but the place was so big, it was easy to get within 25-30 feet of them. Plus no one danced when they did their 1 hour set. They were on about 9:30 PM. They had a 1 AM gig in S.D.

Whistler, I will ask my novia today when I talk to her. I think she knows which day. I wish I wasn't so damn busy...I would love to take her to it.

First of all props to Xen for turning us on to Winmx. "Te debo una, mano." After napster started filtering I was using Bearshare with only limited success. Today I went ahead and deleted napster.

I'm getting tired of listening to my mp3's through headphones since I don't have computer speakers. My understanding is that for about 100 bucks I can buy some kind of device that will transmit the mp3 files through my stereo speakers. Anybody else gone this route?

Reytj, I deleted Napster as well. Bearshare too. I'm also using another file-sharing program called KAZAA, which is growing in popularity. KAZAA uses a more stable server system. So it's nice to have to good programs like WinMX and Kazaa, to rely on.

FWIW,

I got the info on the song I was trying to find,
Joselito is the artist and the song is chica bon bon

Definitely worth downloading. Did so with WinMx.

Me too, WinMx seems to be working pretty well.

Los Bukis. Anyone listened to this Mexican group? I bet there isn't a day that I don't get at least one request via WinMx for one of their songs. Another group I notice being downloaded a lot is Los Angeles de Charly.

Hey I heard a song on the radio, it's a Spanish version of Shania Twains "Still the One", only it's done by a guy. Anyone got the artist and song name so I can find it online?

Chica Bon Bon is from Joselito's "No Pares" CD, the whole CD is pretty dam good (for Rap en Espanol), no cuts as strong as ChicaBB but still worth listening to.

Los Bukis is (I believe) Romantica Grupera, they've been around for awhile, changed their lead singer around the mid 90's. Think their from Michoacon.

, it's a Spanish version of Shania Twains "Still the One",

Rogelio Martinez "Sigues siendo tu"

THANK YOU REYTJ! YOU ARE THE BEST! YOU ARE SWELL! YOU ARE NEAT-O! YOU ARE MY BEST FRIEND. WANNA PUPPY?

ReyTJ:

Are you sure that the Spanish version of Still the One isn't the original?

Explorer,

Now that's an interesting possibility. However the fact I'm hearing it on Super Estrella radio up here in SoCal would tend to make me think otherwise as they tend to play more recent music. However going by the rotation frequency it could be an older song as newer music is usually on a hotter rotation.

I'm pretty sure Explorer. I seem to recall reading an interview with Rogelio Martinez where he said he really liked the english version and wanted to do one in spanish. Of course this isn't the first time a country hit has been translated into spanish. They seem to go over very well with the banda crowd. As I recall someone did a spanish version of achey-breakey heart that the chicas invariably line danced to.

OK, it's finally dawned on me that you guys care more about 'panocha' than music which accounts for the fact that this thread is not very active. Well not me. I moved to Tijuas for the music!

And speaking of music there's going to be a huge free concert at the race track on Wednesday August 1. Complementary tickets are available at the radio stations that are sponsering it. 107.3 and La Invasora.

The lineup is a mix of banda, pop, and rock en español. I don't know who is headlining but the announced pop and rock performers include Emmanuel, Uff, La Gusana Ciega, Elefante, and others whose names escape me at the moment.

Rey once again adds insights that nobody else knows about. I'm sure such an event would be a great place to see some beautiful Latinas ... and i'm sure 'qualified' guys searching for non-zona girls could have a field day.

This Wed. huh? Is it at night or during the day or both? It sounds great, thanks ReyTJ. Maybe I can take the night off.

So, ReyTJ, amigo mio, whither the Venga Boys???

85000-eighty five thousand-people turned out for the 10 hour free concert and no your correspondent was not one of the them. The Venga Boys were not invited