In collaboration with Sol Channel we’re proud to present our first Andalusia Top 5 video podcast. This month we’ll be presenting five creative minds from the realms of literature, comic art, cinema, music and photography who we think you should know about. But that’s not all. Here are our top five recommendations for events in Andalusia during May 2010.

After the success of the short film La Patrulla Perdida, the Cordoba-born director Gullermo Rojas and his production company Dosdecatorce are behind the short film Tchang. Directed by Gonzalo Visedo and Daniel Strombeck, the film tells the true story of two members of the ETA organization rescued on Mulhacen mountain in Sierra Nevada (Granada) by the Civil Guard. Tchang premiers in winter 2010.

Our second creative mind is Carlos Pacheco a comic book artist born in San Roque (Cadiz) who has managed to cross the Atlantic with his work. Pacheco has reached the big time in the comic book world with drawings for comics such as Superman, The X-Men and The Fantastic Four. In June 2010 he presents the new saga of The Avengers, his latest work with Marvel Comics. Directed by Joss Whedon The Avengers are set to hit the big screen in 2012.

Another Carlos, this time Carlos Sisí, is the third creative mind on the list. His debut book Los Caminantes, roughly translating as The Living Dead, is selling out across the country. In Los Caminantes the Malaga-born writer submerges us into a story filled with zombies. Set on the streets of Malaga and published by Dolmen, he’s been awarded the Imagina Malaga Award for New Writer in 2010 and is working on the second part of the saga due to popular demand.

Our fourth creative mind is photographer Héctor Garrido. The powerful images by this Huelva-born photographer draw us into the heart of Doñana Natural Park. Armonía Fractal is a collection of spectacular aerial photographs of the marshes of Doñana that show off the geometry hidden in nature. We recently joined him in on his monthly bird census in a light aircraft to watch him taking images from the sky. It’s incredible to see him in action. In 2010 his exhibition continues its journey through Spain.

The band Guadalupe Plata came to our attention when they won the 2009 Andalusian Young Pop Rock Circuit. This gave them the kick-start they needed to launch the career of this band from Úbeda. Old-style blues and contemporary lyrics which they recently took on tour to the United States when they took part in the South by Southwest Festival in Austin (Texas). You can follow their blog Ecos del Pantano at Tertulia Andaluza. Here’s a taster with their new video Pollo Podrido.