Latest news with #Quesada
IOL News
06-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Gonzalo Quesada praises Italy's resilience despite defeat to Springboks
Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada was proud of his charges shift against the Springboks on Saturday, despite losing 44-24. Photo: Backpagepix Image: Backpagepix Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada said increased self-belief and discipline were key to his team's strong second-half showing against the Springboks on Saturday — as was the contribution of the 'Grenade Squad', Italy's answer to South Africa's famed Bomb Squad. The Azzurri lost the Test match at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria 42-24 but received plaudits for a gritty second-half performance against the world champions, having pulled within 11 points with 10 minutes to play. The coach said he was proud of the effort from his youthful squad. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ 'No one is really happy after a defeat, but I'm really proud of the team today. I have a huge number of reasons to be proud of them,' Quesada said, during his post-match media conference. 'It was a really tough week for the team with a lot of injuries, a lot of changes, and a lot of things we couldn't control that didn't go our way. But the team never lost focus.' Italy's touring squad is a young one, with several senior players rested following the Six Nations. Quesada admitted that the lack of international experience showed early on. 'In the first half, we made some mistakes because we struggled — we had so many guys with less experience playing against this Springbok squad at home. In the second half, we released a bit of pressure and it was better,' he said. 'With the ball, I think we didn't believe enough in ourselves. We didn't try enough or respect the things we had prepared. So we worked on building belief in the players, helping them realise they could do much better and match that intensity.' He added that they had also emphasised improved defensive discipline, after conceding easy penalties in the first half that gave the Boks entry into the 22. Captain Niccolò Cannone, the experienced second-rower, was praised for leading the second-half turnaround. Italy had trailed 28-3 at the break. Cannone was among the try-scorers for the visitors, alongside Manuel Zuliani and Pablo Dimcheff. 'A lot of the credit goes to the captain and the leaders for the incredible way they handled the second half. We had our 'Grenade Squad' that did pretty well,' Quesada said with a laugh. 'The team that started the second half did well. The bench all brought something, even though for some of them it was their first match for the national team. The key thing was discipline and believing a little bit more in ourselves.' The Springboks struggled in the lineouts, and the Azzurri also enjoyed success at the breakdown. Quesada was asked whether this had been a specific target going into the match. 'We knew we needed to take as much space and time away from them as we could. It was their first Test of the year, so with a bit of luck, we thought that if we disrupted their rhythm, they might not be as fluid as they usually are. 'We're a team that normally has less possession than the opposition, so we are more used to defending. We have excellent jackals in the squad, and it's something we work on regardless of the opponent,' he revealed. 'It was all about effort and commitment. We talk a lot about that. "(Sunday), we had 17 players who usually start that were not here. So, it was important to be brave and confident in each other — to commit to a big defensive game. I'm so proud of the team.' The Azzurri mentor now braces for a Springbok backlash in next weekend's second Test in Gqeberha.
The Citizen
06-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Proud Italy hail their ‘grenade squad', defence against Boks
Italy's coach and captain said they were very proud of their team's performance while good-humouredly poked fun at the Springbok 'bomb squad' and praised their own. Italy were proud of their performance against the Springboks. Picture: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images Tenth-ranked and understrength Italy were all smiles after their relatively narrow defeat against world champions South Africa at Loftus on Saturday. They especially praised their second-half performance and 'grenade squad' from the bench, who turned a 28–3 deficit at the break into a 35–24 deficit, before a 42–24 defeat. Italy had made seven changes to the starting XV after their comprehensive 73–6 victory over Namibia the week before, though several experienced players had already been rested after the Six Nations. Nicolò Cannone also played his first Test as captain. Still, he and coach Gonzalo Quesada told the media they were pleased with the result, while the Springboks and coach Rassie Erasmus said they were frustrated. ALSO READ: 'There is going to be disappointment': Faf and Kriel admit fans expected dominance Italy 'very proud' The Springboks boasted close to 400 more caps than the Italians in their starting line-up, with a host of double World Cup winners in their ranks. But Italy are a team on the up. They finished fifth in the Six Nations but with a scrum win percentage that was better than Ireland's and Scotland's. Since the beginning of last year, they have beaten Wales (twice), Georgia, Japan, Tonga and Scotland, drawing to France and losing to Ireland by five points and England by three. Bok stand-in captain Jesse Kriel was right to warn fans not to write them off. 'I am very happy with our performance,' Cannone said. 'It was a very tough game, a very physical game, but we prepared for this.' The captain said it was not easy playing against the Springboks in South Africa, especially as players they are familiar with in the United Rugby Championship step up their game when they put on a Springbok jersey. 'But we had a good performance. We have to prepare some little things for next week, but we are very proud.' Italy coach hails bench's performance against Springboks Coach Quesada said it was important for his side to show courage in defence with 17 players missing out on the night. 'I am so proud because the Springboks came hard at us and we showed a lot of effort and commitment. I am proud for a huge amount of reasons,' he said. Quesada praised his 'excellent jackals' for winning the breakdown battle. 'Maybe we did not believe enough in ourselves in the first half and did not try the things we prepared. So the players were made aware at half-time that they could do much better.' He good-humouredly poked fun at the Springboks' bomb squad, which was loudly announced over the speakers to huge applause from the near-capacity crowd on the night, by praising his own 'grenade squad' who had a greater impact on the game. 'The way our leaders handled the second half was really critical, and our grenade squad did really well when it came off the bench,' he smiled, as journalists laughed at the quip. 'I am very happy that we did not concede a try from the mauls because that is one of the Springboks' strengths,' he said.
Eater
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
A Guide to Eating in Austin by Adrian Quesada of the Black Pumas
Adrian Quesada is an Oscar nominee and Grammy award-winner who makes up one half of the Black Pumas, one of Austin's most beloved bands. A producer in his own right, he's also a legendary guitarist who has played with Prince, Los Lobos, and even GZA from the Wu-Tang Clan. His latest album, Boleros Psicodélicos II , was released on June 27. Quesada is an Austinite through and through, with a studio in the heart of East Austin. He moved to Bat City from Laredo, Texas for college and has been around since 1995, watching the city go through myriad changes, including the restaurant and bar scene. Quesada talked to Eater about his favorite restaurants in this town, from the spaces that capture the vibe of 'old' Austin from the 1990s and 2000s, to the new guard pushing the dining scene forward. 'Nixta might be my favorite restaurant in Austin. I'd heard of it for a while after it first started, but after it reopened during the pandemic, I went, and it blew my mind. It still blows my mind to this day. It feels like elevated cuisine, but it doesn't feel pretentious. It's such a casual hang that, even though it's a newcomer relative to how long I've been in this city, it feels like Austin to me. It feels like an extension of places I used to go in college. Everyone I take from out of town, it absolutely blows their minds also. It's worth every bit of hype it gets. I usually get the duck fat carnitas, which are good. There's also a cauliflower taco that's good. When I was there last, they brought something from the kitchen I didn't order, some kind of steak taco. I was already done eating, then I ate that, and it was so insanely good. Another thing worth noticing about the restaurant is that co-owner Sara Mardanbigi is of Iranian descent, and she hosts a lot of curated Persian-influenced meals that my wife and I go to whenever we can make it. You can taste a lot of her influence on the menu.' 'Justine's has become such a classic, such a staple. I have been there through multiple chefs, staff, managers, and people, and it is consistently one of the most fun restaurants for a late-night hang. It's two blocks from my recording studio, and it is one of the places I make sure to take people when they visit Austin. It is always the Hey, we're working late. Where does everybody want to go? spot. You just can't top Justine's for cool ambience. A lot of Justine's thing is that they can change the menu over and over, and we're still going to go. I have stopped drinking cocktails there too much, but the L'Enfant Terrible is what I get. The Sazerac is really good. I joined the wine club, because I'm trying to not get sloshy with cocktails at restaurants before my food. The club is amazing, too. I'm trying to get into wine, and it is so daunting. I need guidance because it's a big world. Justine's club curates a few bottles a month that we learn about.' 'This fairly new taco truck is between my studio and Justine's. The people are so cool and down to earth there; it has become my breakfast taco hang. Everything they do is good: carnitas, beef, even the veggie taco. This is another spot I take bands when they come to my studio. I had a band in from Mexico City on and off for three weeks, and I was a little afraid to take them there. It got the seal of approval — they wanted to go there every day. I grew up in Laredo, Texas, and we had breakfast tacos, but they are called mariachis. You eat them every day. Moving to Austin, it's been great, and I can list 10 breakfast taco spots I go to. They're so convenient, good, and taste like home to me.' 1628 East Cesar Chavez Street 'Oseyo is a fun spot that my wife and I stumbled into a few years back. I'm a meat-eater and she isn't, and with this Korean menu, we can both get what we want. It's also a fun experience there. It is never so insane that you can't get in spontaneously, and that reminds me of the days of Austin's past — it's pretty hard to go anywhere in the city without a reservation or knowing somebody now. There are great drinks always, and it has offered one of the most consistent restaurants around here with the menu and service. This is also one of the restaurants where I don't have a recommendation of what to eat because I bounce around the menu, trying everything.' 'My family's Friday night tradition at home with the kids is Indian food. This spot has become a staple that we love to get delivered. Me and the two kids all order chicken tikki masala with varying levels of spice — I go spiciest, and I've actually gone one notch down because the last time was a little too intense. It's our weekend comfort food, and it's fun having this routine that's almost ceremonial. I don't know if Tarka is making any best-of lists around the world, but it's amazing to us.' 'I am a big fan of everything that chef Fermin Nunez does. The restaurant's offerings have elevated Austin in general with its approach to Mexican seafood. I went really early on, and have seen it grow, including Bar Toti in the back. Este is a place we go when we want a fancier experience or to impress people from out of town. Most people seem to know Nunez's other restaurant, Suerte, better. We take them to experience the fine dining Mexican seafood dishes. One time, Nunez had this hash brown type of thing on the menu, and I asked what the inspiration was. He said McDonald's hash browns [laughs]. As well-recognized and elevated as it is, he isn't pretentious at all.' 3801 South Congress Avenue, #107 'I love Ethiopian food and, behind Mexican food, it is tied with Italian in my favorites list. Back in the day, there weren't a lot of options in Austin for Ethiopian food. This one is really fun — it's such an experience to eat using injira and with your hands. I love that stew-y type food, it's very similar to a lot of stuff in Mexican food. Every culture has a version of flatbread. Having it close by is great. A long time ago, when my wife and I started getting into Ethiopian food, we tried making injira, and it is hard, so going here is a treat.' 408 North Pleasant Valley Road 'Mercado Sin Nombre is a coffee shop with a creative Mexican influence on the drinks. Unique flavors, like an atole cappuccino, a horchata cold brew — fun, different takes. There are so many good coffee shops in Austin, but you can get the same thing with your home espresso machine as you do from this or that place. The food here is pretty great, too. There's a healthier breakfast burrito and sandwiches that I like. Most items use masa and Maseca. It's cool to go here and shake it up now and then.' 'This taco truck also has great breakfast tacos, and I go there quite a bit. It's right by Flitch Coffee and there's another at Cosmic Pickle. There are really good and really bad breakfast tacos in Austin. If you think you can't mess up a breakfast taco, you absolutely can. Pueblo Viejo has fun items on the menu, and when I go, I try their creations — and I am a person who usually orders the same thing in breakfast tacos. When I was growing up, I worked at my dad's trucking company, and we ate at the same little place for breakfast tacos for a decade. It put a thin layer of refried beans on them, whether you asked for it or not, and I got used to having it. Now, I always order beans with my breakfast taco. The beans at Pueblo Viejo are incredible. It's probably a lot of lard and bad stuff, but they're amazing.' 1400 South Congress Avenue 'Perla's has been a consistent spot we go to if we're going to see a show or going Downtown. It's a fun spot to sit outside with a drink and have oysters. I am such an amateur still with oysters. I eat them so much but I have a hard time remembering what people tell me about. I always used to go with the bigger ones, thinking it was more bang for my buck, but now I'm starting to get into the smaller East Coast oysters. The salads here are also stellar. My wife and I go there on a lot of special occasions. You can get in without craziness, lines, or reservations. I've never had a bad experience there; it's super fun and casual.' See More: Dining Out in Austin Eater Guides
Los Angeles Times
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Adrian Quesada steps into his star power in new LP ‘Boleros Psicodélicos II'
Speaking with musician and producer Adrian Quesada elicits a calming effect, as if a salve has been applied to the people conversing with him. His voice moves and bounces with intrigue and interest, but never catapults itself upward in decibels. The soothing and entrancing qualities of his disposition mirror that of his latest album, 'Boleros Psicodélicos II,' a 12-track sonic field trip through Quesada's Latin American influences — and a testament to teamwork — that dropped on Friday. It shouldn't come as a surprise that the mellow Austin-based musician prefers to kick it in the background, fancying himself more of an Izzy Stradlin than a Slash — despite having his name splashed across his imminent record. 'I always consider myself more of a producer than an artist. Being a solo artist is a very recent thing for me,' Quesada told The Times on a recent sunny day by Echo Park Lake. 'It's really raw and kind of a weird thing for me because it's not my style to be in the forefront. I just like to make the music. I try to move in silence.' He managed to maneuver the music industry by flying under the radar up until a few years ago by playing in large ensembles. His former band, Grupo Fantasma, had 10 members; his mid-2000s Latin-funk group Brownout was also a dectet; and his Grammy-winning group, Black Pumas, had seven (sometimes eight) members. While he obscured himself physically, his musicianship and production skill always stood out. Grupo Fantasma's 'El Existential' won a Grammy for Latin rock or alternative album in 2011. Black Pumas were nominated in the new artist category in 2020, then received three more Grammy nods in 2021 — which included record of the year for the track 'Colors' and album of the year for the group's eponymous album. Black Pumas also nabbed two Grammy nominations in 2022 and another one in 2024. Quesada embarked on his journey as a solo artist with 'Boleros Psicodélicos' — the spiritual precursor to his latest album. It featured covers of boleros from across Latin America, as well as original material, with Quesada enlisting artists such as iLe from Calle 13, Mireya Ramos and Gaby Moreno to lend their voices to the project. The Times called that 2022 album a 'tropical mystery-thriller of a record,' imbued with a 'crispy, 1960s psych-rock feel [that] ... sets the scene for Latin indie's best and brightest vocalists to truly sparkle.' 'Boleros II' finds Quesada as aurally slick as ever as he tackles the oft-covered romantic Spanish standard 'Cuatro Vidas,' plus Los Pasteles Verdes' 'Hoy Que Llueve' and brand-new tracks — all while integrating his signature three-over-two rhythms. Born and raised in the border town of Laredo, Texas, Quesada always felt he was 'at the crossroads of a crossroad.' 'It's not quite Mexico, but it's not quite Texas and it's not quite the Rio Grande Valley,' Quesada said. 'Laredo is completely bilingual, everybody just speaks Spanglish. I didn't have a distinction between English and Spanish and it was a couple of different cultures together. Now with music, people seem really caught up on genres — this is in Spanish and this is in English. And none of that really fazes me.' Like most American kids of the '80s and '90s, Quesada's biggest source of musical consumption came from binge-watching MTV, with a sprinkling of recommendations from friends. 'I was home a lot by myself and I would just watch MTV, so I used to watch all the shows: 'Yo! MTV Raps,' 'Headbangers Ball,' 'Alternative Nation' and '120 Minutes,'' he said. 'That was where I was discovering stuff. And then friends had an older cousin who used to make me cool tapes, and other friends would pass around hip-hop tapes.' Quesada says he finally became curious about what a music producer does after listening to N.W.A in his teen years. He recalls sitting in front of his Casio keyboard with its pre-programmed drum machine and trying to dissect the intricacies of what producer Dr. Dre was able to craft. Revealing the arbitrary nature of self-imposed borders — of both countries and genres — is one of Quesada's artistic goals, opting to build bridges and not walls. 'There's a thing called the narcissism of small differences, which means we can't get over our differences that we have with other people that are so minuscule, we have to differentiate ourselves,' Quesada said. 'And I'm starting to finally feel a responsibility for showing people nothing is that different. Latin rhythms are not that different from soul rhythms, or funk rhythms, or rock 'n' roll. That's probably the biggest [impact] my upbringing has on me.' Despite his deeply Texas roots and sensibilities, Quesada's 'Boleros II' and his recent life experiences have been immensely L.A.-coded. Quesada was nominated for original song at this year's 97th annual Academy Awards, for writing the track 'Like A Bird' with Abraham Alexander, as featured in the Colman Domingo-led film 'Sing Sing.' 'I had fun with that. I was catching key things in the movie, seeing what they did visually, and what I could do musically on the song,' he said of working on the piece. That process led to him spending more time in L.A. than anticipated. 'The Oscars kind of flipped my world upside down,' he said. 'I had to be here a lot between the nomination being announced and Oscars night. That was the first three months of the year.' Carrying the L.A. momentum from the Academy Awards to 'Boleros II' is the notable presence of Angelenos on the album, including Hawthorne's perpetual sadboi Cuco, El Monte native Angélica Garcia and Carson soul singer Trish Toledo. (L.A. producer Alex Goose may not be Latino, but his intrepid hip-hop production chops blend seamlessly with Quesada's eclectic sensibilities.) 'L.A.'s such a predominant Latino town,' said Quesada. 'All the references I was showing Angelica, Trish and Cuco, they were very familiar with all that stuff. It came really natural to them. So I do think there's something with L.A. where they get it culturally here. I leaned on a lot of L.A. artists.' Quesada is currently touring as part of Trio Asesino, in support of Hermanos Gutiérrez on their U.S. tour. Quesada will perform songs from 'Boleros II' at L.A.'s Grand Park on Aug. 2, as part of a free summer concert series by Grand Performances. (Editor's note: De Los will be a co-presenter of Quesada's performance.) ''Sing Sing' was about rehabilitation through the arts and how it can change people's lives, not just reaching people as a fan, but also reaching more kids who can take up art,' Quesada said of the mission of the Grand Performances series. 'I believe in the power of art. Everything from a song inspiring a whole movement to a song just making you smile for the day, that's the power of music.'
Boston Globe
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
The Latino police chief championing inclusion in Massachusetts
Quesada's commitment to inclusion extends beyond Swampscott. He's Advertisement For Quesada, a fourth-generation Mexican American who spent most of his career in Arizona, arriving in Massachusetts was like a literal cold plunge. The frigid weather was one thing, but realizing that the blue state doesn't necessarily live up to its national reputation as a progressive bastion was something else entirely. Prior to his Swampscott appointment, Quesada was the deputy chief of police at Northern Essex Community College in Haverhill, the job for which he moved to Massachusetts in the first place in 2020. Advertisement When he first arrived in the area, 'I remember seeing very few women in policing,' Quesada told me. And he remembers noticing that some departments still used 'policemen' instead of 'officers' or a more inclusive label. Last year, Quesada noted proudly, the Swampscott police had its first all-female patrol shift in the history of the department. Inclusivity shows up in other ways, too. 'We celebrate almost everything in this department,' Quesada said. 'St. Patrick's Day, Pride, Armed Forces. So I said, 'Let's have a Black History Month patch, too.' ' The latter one is a commemorative patch to be worn by officers on their uniforms and features a prominent, embroidered portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. framed by the red, yellow, and green colors that symbolize Pan-African unity. The patch also displays the date 'June 19th, 1865,' or Juneteenth, the holiday marking the emancipation of some of the last enslaved African Americans in the United States. 'That patch was designed by a local Black Metco student,' Quesada said. Quesada also brings a critical perspective to the fraught intersection of immigration and policing: He understands what it means to be seen as 'other' in his own country, even while serving it and even as someone whose Mexican American family has had roots for generations in Arizona. He's worn the uniform, navigated the tension between law enforcement and immigrant communities, and witnessed firsthand how policy decisions play out on the ground — especially during Advertisement Amid increased activity from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in Massachusetts, Quesada is quick to point out that local police departments are not responsible for federal immigration enforcement. 'Local law enforcement and municipalities are already strained in personnel and resources simply trying to meet current public safety needs. … If we local law enforcement were to 'target' undocumented immigrants, whose interests and power are we serving to protect? It would run counter to any mission statement, values, and ideals of any PD in the country.' But he also points out that 'We cannot obstruct, hinder, or impede other law enforcement operations' — meaning that when ICE comes into communities, the police can't stop them. The national task force, which includes law enforcement leaders from across the country, In today's political climate, when immigrant communities are living in fear, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are under attack from the highest levels of government, Quesada's presence in law enforcement is more than symbolic. It's a powerful statement. His unapologetic embrace of DEI principles, rooted in personal experience and professional conviction, is both bold and necessary. Advertisement Two Swampscott Police Department commemorative patches honoring Pride month and Black History Month and Juneteenth. MARCELA GARCÍA/GLOBE STAFF Marcela García is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at
