Political hip-hop at SOB's
BY DIEGO GRAGLIA
Today's hip hop is not all about bling and gangsta life - and an international coalition of Puerto Rican, Chilean, Mexican and African-American artists is getting ready to prove it.
Springing from a variety of U.S. and Latin American cities, the performers at this Sunday's Grita/Say Something show at SOB's (www.sobs.com) share similar concerns, reflected not only in their combative lyrics but also in their community activism.
The lineup features BocaFloja, a rapper from Mexico City; Intifada, a duo from San Juan; Rebel Diaz, a trio out of Chicago with Latin roots, and the Boston-born emcees Foundation Movement.
"Social and economic inequality, also racial and political issues," says BocaFloja (literally Loose Mouth), describing his lyrics.
"Social and economic inequality, also racial and political issues," says BocaFloja (literally Loose Mouth), describing his lyrics.
Born Aldo Villegas, the 29-year-old BocaFloja started rapping in 1997, becoming part of the founding generation of Mexico City's hip-hop scene.
"I also try to go back to storytelling, which has been lost in rap," he says. "We're like social communicators, that's the function for which I use music."
At the same time BocaFloja was getting started, would-be emcee Luis Díaz met DJ Yalzee at the Universidad Interamericana in San Juan. They created a group that evolved into today's Intifada.
"I speak about political issues, social concerns, anti-imperialist causes, the independence of Puerto Rico, class struggle," says Díaz, 32, who by day is a high school teacher. "I believe in the equitable distribution of wealth."
The project's name, adds Díaz, is a reflection of Puerto Ricans being in a "similar situation" to Palestinians. "There's someone who dominates us and threatens our existence as a people," he says.
Rebel Díaz was formed in Chicago by brothers RodStarz and G1 (Rodrigo Venegas, 26, and Gonzalo, 22, sons of Chilean exiles) and Lah Tere (Teresita Ayala, 22, the daughter of Puerto Ricans.)
"We are the children of rebelliousness, which was our parents' experience," says Rodrigo Venegas.
The group recently moved to the South Bronx to continue their community activism through hip hop.
"We live here because it's where there's the biggest need for political work," Venegas says.
Also recently arrived in New York are Bostonites Eroc (Ernesto Arroyo) and Optimus (Banjineh Brown) of the Foundation Movement. They have performed in Kenya, Tanzania, the Palestinian territories, and Cuba.
Also recently arrived in New York are Bostonites Eroc (Ernesto Arroyo) and Optimus (Banjineh Brown) of the Foundation Movement. They have performed in Kenya, Tanzania, the Palestinian territories, and Cuba.
"The way I would describe it is life music, it's things representative of our life," says Brown, who prefers not to reveal his age.
"It might be love, it might be community building, it might be having fun, it might be social injustice, it might be guerrilla warfare or the political system."
No comments:
Post a Comment