WORDSLINGER

Ladybug by Rodrigo Sanchez-Chavarria

2011-11-23T23:59:00.001-06:00

Ladybug is the first single off my upcoming EP titled "Don’t Let Them Erase You". Ladybug is an attempt to highlight the wonders of being a father and at the same time challenge the preconceived notions society has of a Latino father. I hope you enjoy it as much as i have enjoyed creating it.
as always, thank you all for your support!
-rsc

Watch Rodrigo explain the story behind his new song here:

For your convenience, Ladybug is available for download below:

http://RSCSpokenWord.bandcamp.com

http://soundcloud.com/RSCSpokenWord

http://reverbnation.com/RSCSpokenWord

For those of you who prefer streaming, we have also posted Ladybug on the most popular and user friendly sites on the web:

http://youtube.com/RSCSpokenWord

http://vimeo.com/RSCSpokenWord

About Rodrigo:

Rodrigo Sanchez-Chavarria is a writer and spoken word poet of Peruvian heritage, heavily involved with Palabristas, a local Latin@ poets collective. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and is an involved activist in the Latin@ community. He writes about fatherhood, the duality of two cultures in English, Spanglish and Spanish, and issues pertaining to his community and life experiences. In 2006, he was a member of the poetry collective, “Found In Translation,” which was commissioned for the Minneapolis Mosaic Festival and one of the recipients of the 2005 SASE VERVE Spoken Word Grant. He has performed with Yellow Rage, Los Nativos, Chicano Messengers of the Spoken Word and Big Quarters. Sanchez-Chavarria hosted El Café Open Mic, located at El Burrito Mercado in the heart of the Westside of St. Paul. He also takes the power of his work to local high schools, colleges, and universities, both in the Metro Area and in Greater Minnesota, in which he engages in conversation with students in regards to the art of spoken word and how they can use it as tool of liberation. He manufactured and independently released a Spoken Word CD in 2006 titled “Desconocidos” with the collaboration of other local poets, and is featured in the Palabristas Chapbook titled “Outside the Lines.”

Artist Management by Larry Lucio, Jr. for AmplifiedLife.com

Introducing Ladybug

2011-11-23T15:18:00.000-06:00

A video introducing the soon to be released single Ladybug from my upcoming EP titled DON'T LET THEM ERASE YOU. Ladybug will be available 11.24.11

Indigenous People Day Poem

2011-10-10T02:47:00.002-05:00

Today is Columbus Day in the United States.

i started writing this poem last year and the point of it is to raise awareness about the effects of Columbus travels and to ask you to reconsider calling it Indigenous People Day.

Hope you enjoy it!

en la lucha,

-rsc

Indigenous People Day Poem

by Rodrigo Sanchez-Chavarria

Today 518 years ago a man got lost

And found a ticket to fame

se persigno con la santa maria, la niña y la pinta

and left with god

traveled oceans

crossed timeline

towards the end of his world

lost years of human life

All to discover nothing.

landed on occupied land

and stole it

appropriated it

raped it

and called it HIS PA NIO LA

All in the name of the holy 1st world

he placed the blade on each side of their shoulders

anointed the soldiers metal

and declare holy war

treated natives as cattle

slaughtered butchered, conquered

it doesn't matter what noun you use

massacre still has the same effect.

and he continued on...

in the name of precious metal and spices

Enslaved thousands

to give them diseases

inject them with greed and rabies

expose them to a religion that

calls them

savages

murderers

ignorant

not human

and he continued on...

erased their way of life by force

enforced their ways

brick by brick

layer by layer

until their buildings replaced ours

hoping we forget

but we havent..

518 years and counting..

we have been speaking

you never chose to listen..

u gave us second class citizenship

yet you never chose to listen

you called our meeting a cultural exchange

but you never chose to listen

you gave us names because you couldnt pronounce ours

and you are still not listening

so we keep speaking

we keep asking...

Why do we build statues,

name avenues,

throw parades

for a man who got lost and discovered nothing?

-rsc

TROY DAVIS HAIKU

2011-09-23T00:58:00.001-05:00

We are Troy Davis!
Tell me why we are dying?
Death penalty us.

-rsc

Ed Bok Lee and Bao Phi Book Release Show 9/24/11!

2011-09-22T14:20:00.000-05:00

There are many great thing happening to my friends/artists lately, and i will address them in due time but coming up this Saturday, September 24 at 8pm at Minneapolis Central Library spoken word power house's Ed Bok Lee and Bao Phi will be doing a co-book release event and its free!

Bao Phi is not only one of my favorite artist's in the Twin Cities, but he is also a great community activist. Bao was the first one to ever give me 5 minutes to spit a poem at an Equilibrium Spoken Word Series at the Loft and get paid for it. His support not only for my work and for Palabristas has been influential to everything i create. I have endless love and support for the work that he does in our community and I am extremely excited about his first book of poetry titled "SONG I SING" being published by Coffee House Press.

(review of Song i Sing by Tom Horgen)

You see Bao's poetry is not only real, with images and experiences, but as an immigrant, as my family was transplanted to MN from Peru, i see myself often in what he writes.

Which brings me to another amazing poet/writer whom also happens to be co-releasing his new book with Bao Phi this Saturday ( i am really glad they decided to make this a co-release because i could not see myself in 2 places at once) and that would be the amazing Ed Bok Lee.

(Review of Ed Bok Lee Whorled on the Star Tribune)

Ed Bok lee, is well, one of the most humble people i know, a damn good forward when it comes to soccer (P.O.C. soccer reference) and just one of the most mesmerizing performers/poet i have met. His previous book Real Karaoke People is one of my local favorite poetry books. But to really immerse yourself in the levels of amazing that Ed creates you need to watch this beautiful video made from his poem American Woods, a poem about the Chai Vang case. I first heard a draft of this poem at an Equilibrium series and was blown away.

I am so glad that Coffee House Press decided to give these two artist a chance to publish their work!

So this Saturday st 8pm we plan to sell out the Minneapolis Central Library, to honor the great art and work these two amazing artists create. I love it when my people/friends have great things happen to them. hope to see you there.

-rsc

A MOMENT OF SILENCE BY EMMANUEL ORTIZ (POEM ABOUT MORE THEN 9.11.01)

2011-09-11T04:33:00.000-05:00

It has been 10 years, since the towers fell, since our lives for many of us changed. But to me 9/11 is more then just the towers falling, there are many other things that happened and are continuing to happen that are caused by that day were religious zealots decided to hijack planes and erase any sense of vulnerability that this country had.

i mourn the loss of life just like everyone else, as i have dealt with many fatal blows since this day. Not only do i question my mortality on a daily basis but i understand more the value of life, mine and the loved ones around me.

Emmnauel Ortiz, a member of the collective Palabristas : Latin@ Wordslingers wrote this wonderful, beautiful poem that not only address that day of mourning but brings to light other things we forget to remember. I've been fortunate to see this poem performed lived by Manny and it brings me to tears and joy.

And its been 10 years, and this poem is more powerful now then ever. Take a listen, read it and breathe the power that poetry can have.

-rsc
**********************************************************************************************

A Moment of Silence

by Emmanuel Ortiz

Before I begin this poem, I’d like to ask you to join me in a moment of silence in honor of those who died in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11th, 2001.

I would also like to ask you to offer up a moment of silence for all of those who have been harassed, imprisoned, disappeared, tortured, raped, or killed in retaliation for those strikes, for the victims in Afghanistan, Iraq, in the U.S., and throughout the world.

And if I could just add one more thing…

A full day of silence… for the tens of thousands of Palestinians who have died at the hands of U.S.-backed Israeli forces over decades of occupation.

Six months of silence… for the million and-a-half Iraqi people, mostly children, who have died of malnourishment or starvation as a result of an 12-year U.S. embargo against the country.

…And now, the drums of war beat again.

Before I begin this poem, two months of silence… for the Blacks under Apartheid in South Africa, where “homeland security” made them aliens in their own country

Nine months of silence… for the dead in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where death rained down and peeled back every layer of concrete, steel, earth and skin and the survivors went on as if alive.

A year of silence… for the millions of dead in Viet Nam - a people, not a war - for those who know a thing or two about the scent of burning fuel, their relatives bones buried in it, their babies born of it.

Two months of silence… for the decades of dead in Colombia, whose names, like the corpses they once represented, have piled up and slipped off our tongues.

Before I begin this poem,

Seven days of silence… for El Salvador

A day of silence… for Nicaragua

Five days of silence… for the Guatemaltecos

None of whom ever knew a moment of peace in their living years.

45 seconds of silence… for the 45 dead at Acteal, Chiapas…

1,933 miles of silence… for every desperate body

That burns in the desert sun

Drowned in swollen rivers at the pearly gates to the Empire’s underbelly,

A gaping wound sutured shut by razor wire and corrugated steel.

25 years of silence… for the millions of Africans who found their graves far deeper in the ocean than any building could poke into the sky.

For those who were strung and swung from the heights of sycamore trees

In the south… the north… the east… the west…

There will be no DNA testing or dental records to identify their remains.

100 years of silence… for the hundreds of millions of indigenous people

From this half of right here,

Whose land and lives were stolen,

In postcard-perfect plots like Pine Ridge, Wounded Knee, Sand Creek, Fallen Timbers, or the Trail of Tears

Names now reduced to innocuous magnetic poetry on the refrigerator of our consciousness…

From somewhere within the pillars of power

You open your mouths to invoke a moment of our silence

And we are all left speechless,

Our tongues snatched from our mouths,

Our eyes stapled shut.

A moment of silence,

And the poets are laid to rest,

The drums disintegrate into dust.

Before I begin this poem,

You want a moment of silence…

You mourn now as if the world will never be the same

And the rest of us hope to hell it won’t be.

Not like it always has been.

…Because this is not a 9-1-1 poem

This is a 9/10 poem,

It is a 9/9 poem,

A 9/8 poem,

A 9/7 poem…

This is a 1492 poem.

This is a poem about what causes poems like this to be written.

And if this is a 9/11 poem, then

This is a September 11th 1973 poem for Chile.

This is a September 12th 1977 poem for Steven Biko in South Africa.

This is a September 13th 1971 poem for the brothers at Attica Prison, New York.

This is a September 14th 1992 poem for the people of Somalia.

This is a poem for every date that falls to the ground amidst the ashes of amnesia.

This is a poem for the 110 stories that were never told,

The 110 stories that history uprooted from its textbooks

The 110 stories that that CNN, BBC, The New York Times, and Newsweek ignored.

This is a poem for interrupting this program.

This is not a peace poem,

Not a poem for forgiveness.

This is a justice poem,

A poem for never forgetting.

This is a poem to remind us

That all that glitters

Might just be broken glass.

And still you want a moment of silence for the dead?

We could give you lifetimes of empty:

The unmarked graves,

The lost languages,

The uprooted trees and histories,

The dead stares on the faces of nameless children…

Before I start this poem we could be silent forever

Or just long enough to hunger,

For the dust to bury us

And you would still ask us

For more of our silence.

So if you want a moment of silence

Then stop the oil pumps

Turn off the engines and the televisions

Sink the cruise ships

Crash the stock markets

Unplug the marquee lights

Delete the e-mails and instant messages

Derail the trains, ground the planes

If you want a moment of silence, put a brick through the window of Taco Bell

And pay the workers for wages lost

Tear down the liquor stores,

The townhouses, the White Houses, the jailhouses, the Penthouses and the Playboys.

If you want a moment of silence,

Then take it

On Super Bowl Sunday,

The Fourth of July,

During Dayton’s 13 hour sale,

The next time your white guilt fills the room where my beautiful brown people have gathered.

You want a moment of silence

Then take it

Now,

Before this poem begins.

Here, in the echo of my voice,

In the pause between goosesteps of the second hand,

In the space between bodies in embrace,

Here is your silence.

Take it.

Take it all.

But don’t cut in line.

Let your silence begin at the beginning of crime.

And we,

Tonight,

We will keep right on singing

For our dead.

Videos of People reading/performing a Moment of Silence

Photo Shoot & Verve Grant 2011

2011-08-02T14:07:00.016-05:00

It's been a while folks!

i know its been daunting, but my life right is full of great things. To start off on Wed Aug. 3 i celebrate 10 years of marriage with my best friend, Nubia. We are also expecting the arrival of our new family member Santiago anytime soon. So my focus as of lately has been on family. =)

the girls with Santiago's new bed!

But besides that i've been developing new pieces, i participated in my first slam not too long ago and placed 4th. Not too bad for a first try. i was nervous, but i think i did well enough, so i am gonna try to do it more often.

Slamming at the Blackdog Cafe photo by Rudy Aviña

In addition i have been working on EP project titled DON'T LET THEM ERASE YOU, in which i am writing and experimenting with music. Yes! you heard right! i am currently working with local musicians and looking to release it this upcoming year.

But the things that i am mostly looking fwd (besides Santiago's arrival) is that i am one of the recipients of the 2011 VERVE SPOKEN WORD GRANT along with Michael Lee, Naadirah Tha Great, Aimee Renaud, Jake Virden and Chaun Webster. You can get more information about the artists here.

I am excited because i get to start a new project, do something that its a long time overdue, tell the stories of new and already established latin@ immigrants in Minnesota. The idea is to interview folks, have them tell me about their experiences, about their stories and my job is to give life to their words through spoken word. I have had the fortune to run into all types of writers/poets from all types of backgrounds and from different parts of what we call AMERICA. All of them have taught me things not only about the Minnesota experience, but also about life. i hope to be able to give life to their story.

I also got new headshots thanks to family friend Sue Stirling! she has recently moved back to Philly, so if you are in the area and like her work let me know and i will shoot her info!

here are a few from the photo shoot!

En Lucha,

rsc

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T09:32:00.002-05:00

Madre

Ponme cerca de tu Corazón
Para sentir el latido
El calor que me das
Dame las caricias
Que nunca te dieron
Enséñame como caminar con orgullo
Protégeme con tus palabras
Dime cuanto te hago falta
Ríe conmigo
Olvídate de tus males
Dame de comer de tu espíritu luminoso
Enséñame como querer como tu
Cuéntame tus sueños
Tus Milagros
Llora conmigo
Soy tu esponja
Enséñame
Enséñame
Camina conmigo
Tomemos pasos juntos
Crea nuevos lenguajes solo para nosotros
Alardea tus ambiciones
Habla de las riquezas que tienen los libros
Cuéntame de los antepasados para siempre saber
De donde vengo para poder llevarlos conmigo siempre
Y siempre mantenme cerca de tus latidos
Porque para mi
Eres todo y mas
Y siempre te llevare conmigo.

Rodrigo Sanchez-Chavarria © 4/12/2010

MIKE SWOOP: UP LATE VIDEO

2011-02-16T15:03:00.008-06:00

last year i was introduced to Mike Swoop at his New Love CD Release Party that i attended with my brother. We had a great time!, I was vibing to the music i heard that night and i was compelled to purchase Mike Swoop album. Since then New Love gets many of plays on my ipod/iphone/laptop and when i heard that he was releasing a video from his CD i wanted to check it out.I am a little late on posting this and it took a reminder from Mike to check it out. But good things are worth the wait, i really like the video. It makes me miss NYC and we usually don't see many videos for instrumental tracks, but the storytelling flows really well! Good Job Mike Swoop!

If you haven't yet support Mike Swoop you should.

here is an excerpt of a review of new love, which really resonates with me

"Having honed his skills as a DJ for Twin Cities’ rhyme collective Diametrix, Swoop is rooted in Hip-Hop, but for his own album he definitely straddles genre lines in order to create the most heavenly loungin’ music I’ve heard in quite awhile. Containing elements from Dancehall, Dub-Step, Afro-Beat, Electronic and even Blues, Swoop cultivates magnetic arrangements that effortlessly get ya head groovin’. The basslines are thick and rolling, the instrumentation is crisp and sultry and every track has it’s own identity. "

New Love Review by Above Ground

Here is me with my New Love Package:

Mike Swoop-Up Late

Settin' In & Midtown Livin' Videos

2011-02-04T09:34:00.015-06:00

This week we have been fortunate to receive the release of 2 music videos from Minneapolis based Rap Artists. The first one is from Danami titled SETTIN' IN, who honestly I did not know much about until this past Sunday's Amplified Life Showcase. In all honesty, i am a sucker for horns in rap music, but overall good music + good lyrics = must check it out. I will be adding this to my music library. Also check out cameos by TC artists, Freeze, Mally, Felix and more.

The second video, the one that makes me smile from ear to ear, is the debut of local powerhouse and southside homies Illuminous 3, with their music video titled MIDTOWN LIVIN'.I've know these fellas for a long time, since the formation of Illuminous 3 and I have been a follower and supporter of their music. It always makes me feel good when friends are getting the respect they do. The video pays homage to what we from Palabristas refer to as Frontera Lake Street, an essential area of south minneapolis the breathes diversity. i can go on about how great this video is, but i let you all be the judge. Shout Out to Greg Grease for the directing of the video and King Karnov for the beat.

For all you rap music fans. get your fix of Twin Cities and Midwest talent at Midwest Broadcast.

New Poem: Man in Nevada

2011-01-23T02:09:00.003-06:00

been meaning to get this out sooner. here is an audio version. hope you enjoy it. leave me some feedback!

*** so the story behind this poem is a tv add run by Latinos for Reform and the fact that my mother had recently become a US Citizen. i decided to speak on the matter.***

NOTE: THERE IS A SMALL CHANGE FROM THE POEM TO THE AUDIO.

A MAN IN NEVADA

there is a man
in Nevada
that wants my mother not to vote.
that tells her that her voice doesn’t count.
that her calloused hands
that are soft to the touch
and rough to the rest of the world
dont matter.

this is the woman.
who’s 4 ft frame
somehow hides the 10 ft person
she really is.
and i know
cuz i’ve seen her shadow
mix in with those
who marched down the capitol of St. Paul.
down the avenues of Arizona.
to prove that her voice won’t be silent.
that her invest in her family will not be forgotten.

this is the woman who traveled thousands of miles,
swallowed her pride and crossed borders in exchange for college degrees.
to arrive to a land where the door never opened her way,
where shit wasn't free.

where she was shun for her dialect.
where MN Nice lacked respect.
where the ice on the sidewalk
reflected an image never seen by her
and yet she pushed on.

through the waves of assimilation
with heavy doses of depression
medications and a fuckin wooden spoon.
to raise 2 babies
so one day, they could vote with her.

there is a man
in Nevada
that wants my wife not to vote.
that tells her voice doesn't matter.
that change does not fuckin' matter.
that the thousands of hours she spent away from her babies
while working on getting her education don't mean shit.

this woman was the first from her family to graduate from high school.
she fuckin dominated college!
in a place where the bronze skin
faded with the cold winters.

she accomplished things no one in her family did before
opened and kicked down doors
for her daughters and others born
A legacy she leaves with every step she takes.
A Dream that Acts with every breath she takes.
A vote for change with every word (every baby) she makes.
A scream against the inequalities with every vote she casts.

A woman, like my mother that taught me that without struggle there is no hope.

so don’t you dare fuckin' tell me that what they think does not matter.

It fuckin matters!!

it matters to me, our children, our community.

and if god wants to prove me to that she is real.

She will make this Man from Nevada run into these ladies in a dark alley in Vegas and my $$ will always be on the (sun) brown goddesses.

-Rodrigo Sanchez-Chavarria

Man in Nevada by rscspokenword

Lady Bug Poem

2011-01-10T08:31:00.002-06:00

Today is Giselle Daniela Sanchez-Esparza's 4th Bday. there are many reasons she makes me smile on a daily. but the most important one, is that she lets me be part of her life.

Giselle Papi loves you! <3

Lady Bug

For Halloween i was a TMNT

Michaelangelo to be exact

The year before I wanted to be Bruce Wayne

and lets say, i might have enjoyed that a bit too much

In her case, her infatuation for the past two years (2/3 of her life)

Has been lady bugs

I ask her why lady bugs

And she says because they are small and cute like me.

And who can argue with that.i know i cant.So I tell her

You are right and you will always be right.

you see, she is 3 feet tall and our adventures include

climbing mt everest, all the way up her bunk bed

we make train sets, be our mode of transportation into her make belief world

make couch cushions and blankets be our fortress

we make up words like achabatuba

except she can’t say tuba so she replaces it with tuga

practice rolling our rrrr’s

our colors in ES-PA-NOL

because language is culture

tickle her sister cuz its the fun thing to do

we hide and seek for new adventures

and look for each other when life gets hard.

i never thought i would have 3 of my best friends live under my roof

i never thought i would be so happy with less, but she is my living proof

so we construct lego inequities that only make sense to her

stack dominos into mansions like quadratic equations

we color circles, squares, triangles and call it family

we dance to beat of our heartbeats

and to the rhythm of snare drums

we recite lyrics and make her magic wands be the microphone

she says she is a water bender and i her last airbender

we haduken our way through the strife

and embrace each other, so we can taste life.

i tell her i love her, and i miss her.

even though she hasn’t left my side.

she says i know.

and thats when i bow to her innocence.

make a promise to protect it by any means necessary.

with my pen and my machete of a tongue

i will show no mercy to those who stand in her way.

will make the massacres at the hand of the conquistadores

look like soap bubbles.

i will fight for her until she tells me she is a big girl.

then i will let go and try to find where i hid my innocence.

hoping and waiting that she still wants to be a ladybug.

New poem-needs feedback

2010-11-24T01:00:00.001-06:00

Hello all,

I wrote this at the airport as i saw my parents exchange good byes. I am sure they thought I was textin someone. I wasn't. Feedback please.

In struggle ,

rsc

-------------------------------------------------

I've never seen them hug
Much less kiss
32 years I waited for this.

He watches as she checks in
Carries her bags for her
Like he has done for all her trips
Walks her to her security check point
And I wish that the glass on the wall could talk
All it does is show me the reflection
And let's me write the story.
It's her turn to part
So she turns around
They embrace like it was the first time
I am aware that these times will end
I think she does too
She kisses him on the cheek
And heads to a routine well known
But always unprefered
I watch for his reaction
All he does is watch her
Until she fades away into
Conglomerate filled halls
I know that there is love
Even if brief
All I can do is wait
Wait for the next embrace
It will happen at the same place
And the glass will not talk
Just show someone
That love is/was there
Even if it was brief
It was there
I know
Because I am their creation.

Jason Yang- developing news...

2010-11-23T08:08:00.003-06:00

Jason Yang’s wife: “I, myself, with my own eyes, viewed a bullet wound right shoulder (his right, not right while looking at him)”,

some of you might have been following the case of Jason Yang, the man who supposedly jumped off a bridge while being chased by the cops in downtown MPLS. well.. now we get this. so all i know, is that cops got some explaining to do. my thoughts are with Jason Yang family, i can't wait to see what the MPD says about the bullet... Justice for Fong Lee, Justice for Jason Yang

must read,

click here http://donny-allen.us/?p=2428

and words by brother Tou Saiko Lee.. in the memory of Injustice

Audio Perm- Permed out Wednesday

2010-11-18T08:23:00.010-06:00

i've been known to dwell in the great local rap scene in Minneapolis. You gotta support the local scene if you are part of the local scene is what i say. in one of dwelling tours i was introduced to audioperm. group member Taylor Madrigal kept on asking me to download their beat tape. i am so glad he did because I instantly became a big fan and could not wait till their second beat tape dropped, Audio Perm in Full Effect Once that dropped it was inspiration to my ears. Then they came out with this Permed out Wednesday and its been damn good. someday i like to work on a project with them, till them this will do.

-rsc

Bobby Richardson, Yakub, Big Dylan, Niles Miller - 4th & 4th (Prod. Julian Fairbanks) by AudioPerm

download track

The 3rd installment in our “Permed Out Wednesdays” series, featuring special guest Niles Miller. Produced by Julian Fairbanks. Bobby, Yakub, Dylan, and Niles got together over a Julian Fairbanks beat, and wrote and recorded their verses all in one session. Niles Miller is featured on the track, representing No Static, along with Permed Out regular, Big Dylan. The song was recorded at Hogwarts Thugs Mansion 4th & 4th Studios, on November 18th.

Homelessryank -Magic feat. RiversRivers Cuomo Remix

2010-11-15T09:20:00.006-06:00

i've had a eventful monday. this always puts me in a good mood. support the homie homelessryank. dope artist. watch the video and vibe like i am right now.

-rsc

(Chorus: Rivers Cuomo)
I've got the magic in me
Everytime I touch that track it turns into gold
Everybody knows I've got the magic in me
When I hit the flow the girls come snappin' at me
Now everybody wants a burst of magic

Magic, magic, magic
Magic, magic, magic
Magic, magic, magic(ahoo)
I've got the magic in me

(Verse One: Homeless)
It's some wizardous trickery, spittin' sick with ability
I've been pleadin' with the people and it seems to be killin' me
When you set those those sights high, tryin' to take aim
Makin' a lotta long hours, in the name of your pocket change
It's funny really, feelin' weight on your brain
Knowin' if you stopped, you'd probably go insane
So I'd like to present you with a present I sent you,
It's an honest acknowledgement of the things that you been through
From a lotta forethought and a dose elbow grease
I magically made flowers appear from my coat sleeve
Tryin' to set records, world book of Guinness
Making something outta nothing is all in my line of business

(Chorus: Rivers Cuomo)
I've got the magic in me
Everytime I touch that track it turns into gold
Everybody knows I've got the magic in me
When I hit the flow the girls come snappin' at me
Now everybody wants a burst of magic

Magic, magic, magic
Magic, magic, magic
Magic, magic, magic(ahoo)
I've got the magic in me

(Verse Two: Homeless)
So for the sake of breakin' habits, take a deep breath tonight
I got a skyline, my friends, and a ten speed bike
Seems like, we might, be right around the lakes
taking common sense to realize we all need a break
did we make it home, a-a-are we there yet?
Criss-crossin' highways, chasin' down a sunset
Silent on the ride home, no soundtrack to speak of
back to my inner monologue riding a weak buzz
Seems like these days everything can kill you
And every bad prophecy they wrote is coming true
If I spoke too soon, then pardon my doom and gloom
There's a lot I wish I knew, I'm just tryin' to prove

(Chorus: Rivers Cuomo)
I've got the magic in me
Everytime I touch that track it turns into gold
Everybody knows I've got the magic in me
When I hit the flow the girls come snappin' at me
Now everybody wants a burst of magic

Magic, magic, magic
Magic, magic, magic
Magic, magic, magic(ahoo)
I've got the magic in me

ORDER YOUR COPY OF WRITING LIFE!

2010-06-22T13:56:00.004-05:00

$5 Dollars + Free Shipping!

Order Writing Life here!

Its here, after a year and half of work. please support!

EPIDEMIC FROM THE WRITING LIFE CHAPBOOK

2010-06-08T10:50:00.005-05:00

Epidemic

Chalino rides the bus
Wears a mask because of the fear of the brown planet
Fear of the sixth sun
Montezuma’s revenge
Figures its karma
And this time it does not pay in pesos
Or land promises
Written in invisible ink
On sobbing red tears
wrapped in small pox covered blankets

this time its delivered by the FDA
Assuring that the swine have no flu
media flashes bronze people on TV
Commentators blame a demographic

they want to repatriate the flu
back to Mexico
like in the great depression

people blame my complexion
every time they sneeze
they cough
they sniff

don’t blame the man made disasters
blame us for terrorism
the stock market falling
the lack of jobs
the expenses of health care

being a tax burden they can’t write off
depleting their 401k’s
exposing the truth
the dollar runs the USA

They call for the return of Jim Crow
The decapitation of ethnic studies
They say we need to be colorblind
Forget what’s in the past
I am sure that’s what the fore fathers had in mind
Rewrite history books so we can never
Know the dark history
The one that talks about our existence

The FDA was right; the swine don’t hold the flu
We do, and this is our epidemic.

WRITING LIfe Chapbook Release Show/Party 6-24-2010

2010-05-28T17:47:00.004-05:00

Its been 4 years since my last project, For the past year i have been working with photographer Andrew Macdonald in creating my next project a chapbook inspired by his photographs titled WRITING LIFE. i believe that we are all writers, that we all write in our own way. Mine happens to be in the form of poetry. Andrew's in the way of photographs, its our way of storytelling and this is what this project embodies. You will find spoken word pieces, haikus, etc in this chapbook. i must say that it has been a challenge to produce this work but i am proud of it.

I want to be able to share this latest work with you all, but i need your support.

First i need you to show up on June 24 @ 7pm at the Loft Literary Center (Free)

then i need you to let people know about the event, via email, Twitter, Facebook or word of mouth!

i am attaching the event flyer here and i hope you distribute it to people that might be interested.

if i have spoken in your class or programs i hope you can let those individuals know about this event.

Remember!

Date:
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Time:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location:
The Loft Literary Center
Street:
Suite 200, Open Book, 1011 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55415
City/Town:
Minneapolis, MN

here is the link to the facebook event

for all of you i will be having the chapbook available for pre order soon..

thanks for all of the support!

South Minneapolis Poem Preview

2010-05-11T09:59:00.001-05:00

**This poem is still a rough draft..but here it is for you to read..what i have so far**

South Minneapolis

Why do they hate you
Why do they beat you
Then rape you
Why do they hate you
Why do they chase you for
What do you got that they need
Why do the cops hate you more then they hate me?

Why

Is it on 26th and Chicago where my daughters were delivered
to unmachista hands blocks from what we called frontera lake street
where sore feet and callused hands, smell like home to me
where broken sidewalks, potholes let me breathe
where lightpoles and smell of fresh tortillas shed tears
where the colors in the buildings don’t speak paranoia
street corners that frequent me , myself and i
where eat street resembles my kitchen
where poetas walk to blend in with the letterings
a place I can finally call my own
where the smells scream WELCOME HOME!

tell me South Minneapolis

why do they hate you,
why do they beat you down
then rape you
what do they chase you for
what do you got that they need?
Why do the cops hate you more then they hate me?

Does your body tense
Heart skips a beats
When the siren scream police?
Wondering if they will plant the evidence next to your body
Ask us why we run
Tell me who holds the gun?
Are our shades to brown for them
Are they mad we made this town for them

Papers Please (Land of the Free?) Featuring Rodrigo Sanchez-Chavarria

2010-05-07T23:29:00.002-05:00

I love it when a plan comes together. Jay Escobar-Haskins shared with me the lyrics for this song and i said i wanted in on this. he then sent me the track, said you have 50 seconds, went over to his place, wrote it there and recorded. Just in time for SB 1070. enjoy..and download and spread it wordwide!

<a href="http://anonimust.bandcamp.com/track/papers-please-land-of-the-free-featuring-rodrigo-sanchez-chavarria">Papers Please (Land of the Free?) featuring Rodrigo Sanchez-Chavarria by Anonimust</a>

Toki Wright: By The Time I Get To Arizona Redeux

2010-04-28T08:19:00.007-05:00

Friend, rapper and Rhymesayers artist Toki Wright just sent me this. A Remix of Public Enemy's "By The Time I Get to Arizona" the 2010 version. Your job is to listen and repost , repost, everywhere.

Enjoy!

please contact Toki Wright at booktoki@gmail.com

Download here!

Song: By The Time I Get To Arizona Reduex

Artist: Toki Wright

www.tokiwright.com

They say 400,000 workers

Crept across the border

Hell yeah

I need to get to Arizona

But my money’s spent

On food clothes and rent

Neither party is mine

So middle finger to the government

20,000 brown skinned people in the corner

of the cell

some from Tiajuana some from California

populus none

in the desert and sun

where the whip cracker

sucka minuteman

get his new job from

look hard at prison guards

Isn’t it odd and unique

Seeing people beat down

In the heat

120 degree

til my people get free
More Fiya to your tower

til it burn to our feet

why wanna pass a law

well fuck it

cause they wanna

separating kids from their

daddy and their momma

they aint selling no rock

standing out on no block

I got a 9 in my mind

So blam blam

I’m the trigger man

Looking for the govenor

Huh, she aint loving ya

Ha, But here to trouble ya

She’s rubbing you wrong

Get with it and ride along

Let me get to the point

I urinated on the law

While I was kicking this song

Yeah

She appear to be fair

Whip cracker over there

She trying to keep it yesteryear

The good ole days

The same ol ways

That keep us poor

Mad that theres more of us

And less of yah’ll

Indeed

What she need

Is less Jim Beam

Read between the lines

Then you see the lies

Politically planned

But understand

That all she wrote

With the evil inside

You hide behind your vote

And now they want to ban us

damn

I’m speaking bout my people

You live on stolen land

So you’re illegal

Wait

I aint waiting for no date

My people need respect

So yah’ll can shove your laws

C’mon!

I'm on the one mission

To tell the politicians to honor

Or be a gonner

BY THE TIME I GET TO ARIZONA

Well….

I got about 100 days to do it

If a walls in the way

Watch me kick right through it

Cause I gotta do what I gotta do

Toki’s number 1

Gets the job done

When it's done and over

police got a quota

Its simple mathematics

Not stick but automatic

That's the way it is

Now something’s got to give

SB 1,0,7,0 got to go!

Make the state pay

Lookin' for the day

Hard as it seems

This ain't no damn dream

Gotta know what I mean

It's team against team

Lets wash the slate clean

So I pray

I pray everyday

I do and praise Jah and Buddha

Blocking off blocks

Make coppers have to come and move ya

Pushin' and shakin' the structure

Bringin' down the babylon

Hearin' the sucker

That make it hard for the brown

Was hard on the Boulevard

But now

More now than ever now

Who's sittin' on my freedom

Oppressor’s the soul eaters

We deep in the streets

No justice no peace

What we screaming now

Reparation a piece of the nation

And damn we got some nerve

Another terrorist they say and classify

We want too much

My peoples in here deep

Touch one of us

You’ll see a ton of us

Here's a brother my attitude hit 'em

Let me know

They come into your front do

You come into they front do

The blind get a mind

No more fearing

And we gone clear it out

There will be the day we know who’s down and who will go

Go, go, go, go

BY THE TIME I GET TO ARIZONA

NAPOWRIMO 5/30 Teddy Bear (for the mama and papa bears)

2010-04-16T14:02:00.000-05:00

Teddy Bear

She calls me over to sit with her
We talk about cartoon characters
And the fact she doesn't like witches.
She motions me to lean closer to her,

She has a secret,
shhhhhh! she says,

Then whispers,

Could you be my teddy bear?

I welcome the request and cuddle next to her.

Her warmness soothes me.
I feel at home in her embraces

Her love and devotion is priceless
Me limpia el espiritu

With each cariño.

She gets up and points to the TV in excitement

Commercials are over.

She watches tv with her Teddy bear

And waits to see
Who snores first.

NAPOWRIMO 4/30 Lullaby

2010-04-15T10:10:00.000-05:00

Lullaby

Air smells heavy with dew,
The grass looks like it was
Painted with green crayons.
Bright and full of life.

The breeze whispers in my ears.
Ahhhh! The lullaby of spring.
I breathe it and hum along,
Close my eyes while the sun
Greets me from the east.

And for an instant I walk without thinking,
Walk and let the souls of my feet guide me.
I find myself in the belly button of the world
Delivering news in poetic rhyme format
In quechua,
Aymara,
Ese Eja,
Shipibo,

Languages dormant in me
That only come out when inner peace
Is reached, no matter how brief.
I write for these moments.
Where metaphors speak in quipus
And similes just smile.

The smell of exhaust wakes me.
I remind myself not to step on the worms
walking on the street,
But greet them
As they ready la pachama for harvesting.

On this sping morning.
I breathe on the way to bus stop.

NAPOWRIMO 3/30 Taco Truck

2010-04-14T12:38:00.000-05:00

Its a bit rough..but i like it.

Taco Truck

I wish there was a taco truck
For every time someone mispronounces my name.
So then I could feed this hunger.

A taco truck for every time
People forget where I stand
And maybe then I will be counted.

2 taco trucks with a 5 gallon container of horchata
for every time they looked down upon the grace of my mother.

5 taco trucks and a torta bus
for every time I get asked where I come from
never asked where I am headed.

you all can’t see in this fog I call your vision
but I got the eye drops you need saturating in my saliva.
Just say when and I’ll gladly spit shine your pupils.

No Charge!

7 taco trucks 2 torta buses, 3 cases of beggar’s pizza and a never-ending supply of Don Pablos Chips and Salsa,
for every dumb motherfucker who said our love would not last and that we were too young to spend the best years of our lives together.

8 taco trucks and a semi full of mango Snapple’s
for the times the cops decide to play Russian roulette with my anxiety.

But I would give almost all of it back, if you would acknowledge our presence.
Say our names right,
even if it takes you a couple of tries,
we’ve been patient this long.
We can bear another 35 seconds
Then look us in the eye
And say
It’s your turn to lead.

NAPOWRIMO 2/30 Madre (you will need your spanish dictionary for this one)

2010-04-12T23:09:00.003-05:00

photo by Andrew MacDonald

Madre

Ponme cerca de tu Corazón
Para sentir el latido
El calor que me das
Dame las caricias
Que nunca te dieron
Enséñame como caminar con orgullo
Protégeme con tus palabras
Dime cuanto te hago falta
Ríe conmigo
Olvídate de tus males
Dame de comer de tu espíritu luminoso
Enséñame como querer como tu
Cuéntame tus sueños
Tus Milagros
Llora conmigo
Soy tu esponja
Enséñame!
Enséñame!
Camina conmigo
Tomemos pasos juntos
Crea nuevos lenguajes solo para nosotros
Alardea tus ambiciones
Habla de las riquezas que tienen los libros
Cuéntame de los antepasados para siempre saber
De donde vengo para poder llevarlos conmigo siempre
Y siempre mantenme cerca de tus latidos
Porque para mi
Eres todo y mas
Y siempre te llevare conmigo.

Rodrigo Sanchez-Chavarria © 4/12/2010

NAPOWRIMO #1 On The Bus (for the lady on bus #3)

2010-04-07T07:53:00.001-05:00

My friend and poet Christy asked me to h write with her 30 poems for poetry month. I am getting a late start. But here is my piece .

***********************************************

On the bus

A lady gets on the bus and sits across from me

She squints her eyes to blur the words I am wearing.

tries to read my jacket with malice

It reads P-E-R-U

Then asks me where I work

I say Chicano and American Indian Studies at the U of M

She says there are Chicanos here?

I told her, all around you,
asleep, awake, working.

And we know where you live

I Wink at her and get off the bus.

International Women's Day- These Hands-Red Queens of the World

2010-03-08T09:15:00.007-06:00

Photo by Andrew MacDonald

When i wrote this poem back in 2005 my intention was to pay tribute to all the hard work that the women in my life have done in order to make me as a person, but to also speak on the lack of recognition that women get, specially in Latin America.

this has become one of my favorite pieces to perform and with today being International Women's Day (we should celebrate this on a daily basis is my opinion) and the fact that today it was reported that 25% of the households in Peru are being held by single mothers.

it seems write (like my pun?) to post this, To all the Red Queens of the world!

These Hands

These hands are an extension of me like the pen is an extension of the writer
Like the mic is the extension of the MC.

These hands have crossed borders time zones, ideologies trying to break free
as they caress the paper through the ink in found in my words.

These hands have been the focus of ridicule because of their size and texture.
Too smooth to be hands of labor.
Too small to be able to provide.
Too feminine.

Like that is suppose to be an insult,
When in fact that’s the best compliment these hands can receive.
Because to me women are the center of the world.
They make the household run and run the household
And let men think that they are in charge.

They will do anything to feed their families while men sit drinking disgust mixed with depression.
Some work after street lights come on
Others balance corporate worlds and families.
Others study, work and are mothers and husbands.
Many have the innate urge to survive that
I am glad that the women in my life have passed it down to me.

Because I never craved the taste of disgust always craved the feeling of action
And my hands are that action.
When I write
When I raise the fist
When I stop the ignorance blinding my people
Who think we are treated equal.
Who think that the white picket fences is the epicenter of acceptance.
Who think that the white picket fences is the epicenter of acceptance.

And honestly these hands have never been accepted.
And I am glad because without the rejections, the stares, the putdowns
That fueled my perseverance like it has fueled the women in my life to survive
I would not have the power and will to do this (raise the fist).

So if you want to offend my machismo
Get in line because it left me.
When I held my daughters in my hands
And realize that women are healers
They are precious, they are the center
Givers of life, whether through the womb or through indigenous myths.
Red Queens programmed to survive
To keep their seeds alive
Because a woman’s job does not end with the 9 to 5.
And if these hands still look feminine to you
All I have to say is two words
Thank you.

LATINOS ARTS IN MINNESOTA: A VIDEO DIARY

2010-03-01T15:20:00.002-06:00

**more updates to follow soon!**

LATINOS ARTS IN MINNESOTA: A VIDEO DIARY

A first-of-its-kind project, this one-hour documentary will capture the work of some of Minnesota’s finest Latino artists as they address issues of importance to the State’s Latino community. This program will be produced by Twin Cities Public Television (tpt) and will air on tpt’s Minnesota Channel. It will also be distributed for use in classrooms and will be available in libraries throughout the State.

Artists in all genres: Photography, poetry, dance, theatre, music, media arts, performance art, sculpture, etc. are encouraged to apply.

To Apply Please Submit the Following Required Materials:
• Current Artistic Resume or CV – can be of any length.
• An artist statement which includes 3 dominant themes in your work as they relate to the Latino community (for example: faith, isolation, language.) 1 page maximum (12 point, Times New Roman or Arial font, 1 inch margins.)
• 3-5 examples of your work. Images in JPEG format. Audio in MP3 format. Video on DVD or in WAV files. Text in Word (DOC) or PDF format. Written examples not to exceed 20 pages total.

Deadline: March 17, 2010 – Received, not postmarked.

Send to: Lorena Duarte, Project Coordinator,
lorena_duarte@hotmail.com,
Please put SUBMISSION in the Subject heading.
Or mail to: 4234 39th Ave. So., Minneapolis, MN 44506

Artists will be chosen by CLAC and the Humanities Center and can expect to be notified by March 20. An honorarium will be paid to selected artists.

If you have any questions, please contact Lorena Duarte, Project Coordinator, at lorena_duarte@hotmail.com. Please put LATINO ARTS VIDEO in the Subject heading.

About CLAC:
The Chicano Latino Affairs Council (CLAC), is a statewide government agency created by the legislature in 1978. The primary mission of CLAC is to advise the governor and the state legislature on the issues of importance to Minnesota's Chicano Latino community.

In addition, CLAC serves as a liaison between local, state and federal governments and Minnesota's Chicano Latino community. CLAC also serves as an information and referral agency to ensure that Chicano Latinos in Minnesota are connected to the appropriate government agencies and community based organizations to address their concerns, which range from immigration and education to discrimination and social welfare.

About the Minnesota Humanities Center:Through its emphasis on the humanities, the Minnesota Humanities Center works to build a thoughtful, literate, and engaged society. A Minnesota-based national center and clearing house for the best in the humanities, the Humanities Center: conducts professional development opportunities; creates and disseminates one-of-a-kind educational resources; partners with other organizations to offer humanities programs statewide; and operates a full-service meeting and event center.

Founded in 1971, the Humanities Center is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the National Endowment for the Humanities.

From Vices to Verses: A New Era of Hip Hop and Action

2010-02-26T10:22:00.001-06:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 1, 2010

From Vices to Verses: A New Era of Hip Hop and Action
Three-day conference at the University of Minnesota to highlight the transformative power of hip hop.

From April 9 to April 11, the University of Minnesota will be hosting “From Vices to Verses” a conference featuring workshops, performances, discussions and educational events centered on how hip hop pedagogy, activism and culture can educate, empower and transform communities.

Organized by Voices Merging at the U of MN, along with University and community partners, the conference will focus on three central themes:

· April 9: “I Used to Love H.E.R.: Bring Back the Love,” exploring hip hop feminism and women’s roles—past, present and future—in the culture. Keynote speaker: hip hop activist and former Green Party Vice Presidential candidate Rosa Clemente.
· April 10: “Remixing Borders, Transcending Boundaries,” focusing on using hip hop as a tool to create unity and move beyond generational, national and cultural boundaries. Keynote speaker: hip hop activist and author Bakari Kitwana.
· April 11: “Us,” focusing on hip hop’s power to heal and transform individuals and communities through organizing, activism and youth engagement. Keynote speaker: educator and multidisciplinary artist Marc Bamuthi Joseph.

Other presenters include filmmaker Rachel Ramist, Chaka Mkali of the Hope Community Center, Sage Morgan Hubbard of Northwestern University, Ruth Nicole Brown of the University of Illinois, poet and activist Tish Jones, rapper/poet/writer Kyle “Guante” Myhre, photographer B-Fresh and many more.

On Saturday, April 10, noted Twin Cities performers Toki Wright, Maria Isa, PosNoSys, Ill Chemistry, the Tru Ruts crew and others will take over the Cabooze for a special concert. More details TBA.

Registration for the conference is free. For updates, see http://vicestoverses.blogspot.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Moira Pirsch | vicestoverses@gmail.com | 608.772.2597

Neza Graphic Poem

2010-02-20T23:38:00.006-06:00

i got this pic from andrew macdonald and i wrote this. its still new. but if you can give me some feedback. it be greatly appreciated.

syncretism demanded by catholic churches
they build over indigenous beliefs
with thick biblical coats of paint
covering lies
lives
and culture

hoping we forget
the severed limbs
of the fallen

Found buried deep in the soil
under smog cities
Concrete jungles
& manifest destiny

These are our birth marks ,
we cover them
With Revlon mascara
and NAFTA

people are oblivious to them
believe they are advertisements
but they are foreshadowing the return.
They say it will come from the mountains
But its here on our streets
Mixed with code switching and aerosol cans.
It speaks

Are you listening?

They grow

Are you watching?

Its coming.
Its coming.

Cultural uprising.

Its here.

Urban Youth Poets: Quest for The Voice

2010-02-13T12:31:00.004-06:00

i have had the honor to be a judge for QUEST FOR THE VOICE many times, many of the new faces making waves in the spoken word scene got their start there. members of one of the best open mics, Voices Merging, came from there. regardless. this is so dope to see on TPT.

The Nature of Avatar by Paul Udstrand

2010-01-21T08:54:00.007-06:00

So, whomever says there isn't intelligent conversation going on facebook is truly mistaken. Most of you have probably seen AVATAR by now either by 3D or IMAX. well i for personal reasons (if you can't figure it out, you don't know me very well! but if you have no clue here #BAGUA) won't be paying to see it.

My wife Nubia, went to go see it and i quote, "you would of walked out 20 min into the movie" (thats why i love her!) Everyone else tells me not to criticize it without seen it, but i am, not because i hate James Cameron, my issue lies on the portrayal of the blue people and the white messiah savior complex that oozes out of the movie.
Trust me, i am writing a poem about this with Guante. But in regards to the movie Well my fellow wordslinger Carter Meland posted this as a note on his facebook page. its a response to seeing the movie and it brings great questions. Now taking a page out of MIKE MYERS in "Coffee Talk" read and discuss!

Thanks to Paul for letting me repost this. you can reach him at paugle@gmail.com

" One of the many really big ideas that Avatar bombs us with is the interconnectedness of nature. We’re all connected and our planet is a living thing. Of course this is too difficult to imagine here on earth so we have to go Pandora, and with the help of the Indians we find there we can learn our lesson. But what does Avatar really tell us about nature and this whole interconnectedness thing?

To begin with, despite their proximity to this nature we’re going to connect to, apparently the natives are helpless until a white guy comes along. They are incapable of recognizing the danger they face until the white guy warns them, but why? Well, they can’t comprehend the danger because they can’t comprehend the white man’s technology, that much is obvious. But how is it that the natives of this amazing neurally networked planet can be so helpless in the face of the white mans technology until a white guy shows up? Turns out it’s not just the white mans technology the native don’t comprehend… they don’t comprehend their own technology either, and that’s where nature comes in.

Here’s what Carlota said to me this morning: “We were talking about Avatar in the car pool, and I was talking about the history of Cameron waiting his whole life since he was a teenager for the technology to catch up to him, so he could make the movie. The problem is you can tell this story is the product of a teenage boys mind. Once they got the technology he should have found an adult to write a movie”. First, note, I’m not the only one thinking critically about Avatar. Carlota nails it. What happens when a teenage white boy confronts complex issues like indigenous sovereignty, spirituality, and sustainability? You get Avatar. One characteristic of the teenage boys mind is it tends to be rather concrete, not a lot of room for subtlety. The problem is, how do we connect with nature? Well, the indigenous answer is “we don’t have to, we ARE nature”. But remember this teenager is a white guy, so people stand outside of nature, which makes it necessary to connect with nature. So how do we make this connection? Well obviously we need an interface, like a USB connection. On Pandora we can interface with nature via our hair. So the way to understand nature is realize that it’s a technology like a computer. The reason the natives are so helpless is they don’t understand the technology at their disposal until the white comes along and shows them how to use it.

So is this promoting sensitivity and appreciation for the Indian world view? Is this an opportunity to learn about our connectedness to nature and appreciate natural diversity? On the contrary, it perpetuates the very colonialism it claims to be speaking against by re-stating the European notion that we stand outside nature, and that natives who live in nature just don’t get it. We come as liberators but some of us are assholes. The real treasure of Pandora isn’t “unobtainium”, it’s the power of nature, the technology at our feet, if the natives understood that they’d be invincible. Does treating nature like a technology enhance our appreciation of nature or does it reduce it to an underutilized tool? Does such a world view promote sustainability or confirm that natural resources are an untapped potential. Is the future of Pandora now to become a laboratory for white guys to understand the nature of neural nets? Is Pandora destined to be the big computer that will finally answer the big question of life, the universe and everything? Will the white man ever grow up? We can only hope these questions will be answered in the sequel".

written by Paul Udstrand

AMPLIFIEDLIFE.com Showcase 1-10-2010

2010-01-06T10:26:00.003-06:00

My good friend and fellow Palabrista Larry Lucio Jr. is having a showcase of a bunch of artists i admire this Sunday! Including a special performance from members of Palabristas. so if you are in town...$5 dollars lets you see amazing acts and help us start the year off right with AMPLIFIED LIFE.

LINEUP:

The lineup for 01.10 is astounding. More artists are being added all the time, but here are the confirmed Performances featuring multiple Twin Cities Hip Hop Award winners and nominees in alphabetical order:

• Danami [from Detroit, Michigan and holds a B.A. in Music Business from McNally Smith]

• DJ Snuggles [2006 Scribble Jam Beatbox Champ, 2005 MN State Fair Talent Show Champ, and 2003, 2004, 2005, & 2006 Twin Cities Celebration of Hip Hop Beatbox Champ]

• eg bailey (truruts) [MNSWA Urban Griots Spoken Word Awards Winner: Community Organizer Award AND Nominee: Track of the Year]

• Globe Gang [feat. Traci Coward of youthrive: LIVE!]

• Heatherlyn Hamilton Chronis [Singer Songwriter & youthrive: LIVE! contributor]

• HYPEL [youthrive: LIVE! contributor, 2009 TCHHA Nominee: Best Kept Secret, and recently featured on FOX9]

• Justin Johnson [Singer Songwriter from Madison, Wisconsin]

• Maria Isa AND her BAND! [2009 TCHHA Nominee: Album of the Year AND Best Female MC]

• Mike Dreams [2009 TCHHA Nominee: Song of the Year, Mixtape of the Year AND Best Knowledge Spitta]

• Palabristas [MNSWA Urban Griots Spoken Word Awards Winner: Best Collective (People's Choice) AND the Cultural Award. Nominated for Best Poetry Book]

• Shá Cage (truruts) [MNSWA Urban Griots Spoken Word Awards Winner: Female Artist of the Year AND Community Organizer Award]

• Tish Jones (TruArtSpeaks) [MNSWA Urban Griots Spoken Word Awards Winner: Female Artist of the Year]

• Twin Kingz (Mayhem the Truth & Kaust) feat. K-Bone

ON THE TURNTABLES: (in alphabetical order)

• Brandon Allday of Big Quarters [2009 TCHHA Nominee: Album of the Year, Best Group AND Best Live Show]

• DJ Miguel Vargas (Funk Mass)

• DJ Ren (Funk Mass)

• DJ Snuggles [Performing and DJ'ing too!]

New Verse for the Swine Flu Poem.

2010-01-02T18:20:00.005-06:00

SO me and Brandon Lacy Campos have been working on this SWINE FLU POEM, i honestly have had writer's block for the last 6 months..but last night i broke through. i thought i share. Of course, its raw, but damn it. its great to feel this excited about writing again!

"Its been decided I am having my tia give this whole country a cleansing
Let her pass the egg over this nation
Get rid of the illness we call racism
And if that’s not enough i am bringing the shaman
That took me in that day in Cuzco
So he can show me the truth with coca leaves
And if that don’t work i'm calling for an insurrection so it does leave.
Cuz this illness has caused famine
Brought back manifest destiny
Now we killing Mexicans cuz we feel like it
Shoot fathers in the back and broadcast it worldwide
Kill Hmong youth and plant the evidence
Shoot up houses and always ask questions later
Question, do you all still wanna call me a hater?
Walk a block in my frontera and quarter of a mile in my shoes
And you will find it the longest trail of tears
And the heaviest shoes filled with lies and broken promises
Perhaps then you might begin to see why we write
And if I could transform our words into a vaccine
i make sure to call Obama and over a beer convince him and the FDA
to bypass congress and make this mandatory
so we can be infected with the truth
take a page out of Hans Carlson a la carte
and call this a POEMdemic and the virus Contagious Poesis
yes I am diagnosing this nation and tell them we hold the vaccine.
COME FIND US!"

and here is a video..forgive my eye movement i was reading it.

My Favorite Things of the year 2009

2009-12-31T23:26:00.021-06:00

Yes, i know. i am late. but if you have had a not so great 2009 you would understand what i am feeling.

i have compiled the things that have great impact on me in 2009. Some are performances and others are events in my life. thought i share, minutes before we bring 2010. btw Nubia makes the best cookies! (besides my mom).

*This list is very bias, so there. start hating*

BIG QUARTERS-FROM THE HOME OF BROWN BABIES AND WHITE MOTHERS CD RELEASE

I've know Brandonallday about 10 years or so. Ever since i saw them perform back in the days of EPL i knew that he and his brother mediumzach would do great things in the music aspect. Well i loved their first Album The Cost of living and could not wait till there second release. Nubia and I went to the Triple Rock (one of my fave spots) and enjoyed all the tracks with nubia, specially, ladies know, barter system and wipe the dust.

Must say, if you have not gotten their album. do so now here.

UP IN ARMS EVENT (FONG LEE FUNDRAISER)

This has to be one of the most fulfilling events that i have taken part in quite some years. Fong Lee was a Hmong youth that was gundown by MPLS police. (Read Article)and done so unjustly, framed as a gang member and other malicious accusations, i could see myself in him and honestly it could of been me. The line up of performers were amazing. i gave out free cd's but the highlight for me was watching my girls reaction when they saw a lot people i respect hit the stage. here is some videos taken by Justin Schell. i also debuted my poem For the Homeland (A Poem for Bagua)

BENZILLA & BK-ONE-RADIO DO CANIBAL

Benzilla is one the best producers in my opinion, and the release of this Album is proof enough. Proud of the homie Benzilla even though he likes Taco Taxi.

If this beat and collab does not make you move to the music, you all need some insulin. buy album here.

TOKI WRIGHT-DEVIL'S ADVOCATE VIDEO

I am always proud of homies who keep their nose to grind. well in 2009, Toki became part of Rhymesayers, Released his album "A Different Mirror" and released a video for "Devil's Advocate" (produced by Benzilla) that got airplay in mtv and national attention. he also gave me one of the best statements "they are from over there"- Toki Wright.

URBAN GRIOTS AWARD SHOW

So MNSWA put together a great event to recognize past and present spoken word artists in the Twin Cties, not only was it an honor being nominated but also it was great when PALABRISTAS got recognized and won 2 awards! but for me the highlight was watching fellow friend, poet Ed Bok Lee Kill it with this Performance.

Ed Bok Lee - "Thrown" from Justin Schell | 612 to 651 on Vimeo.

MN STATE ARTS BOARD GRANT

I got a grant. writing a chapbook with the help of Andrew MacDonald. It started this. Releasing sometime in 2010. big things!

BAGUA

So in synopsis, the events that happened in Bagua, Peru pushed me to write this. it got a great response and it started the project title "The Homeland EP"

ADAMS SPANISH IMMERSSION SCHOOL

My oldest started kindergarten at Adams Spanish Immersion School. Being Bilingual is a gift we will passed down to our children because as Franz Fanon said "Language is culture".

must say, this was one of my proudest moments. She is rocking Kindergarten, speaking more and more. =)

EQUILIBRIUM SPOKEN WORD SERIES AT THE LOFT

I got my start as a spoken word poet in this wonderful place. So its dear to my heart and its curated by one of the best spoken word artists i know, Bao Phi so i was glad i got to attend 2 out of 3 events.

EL CAFE OPEN MIC

i host(ed) an open mic at El Burrito Mercado Called El Cafe Open Mic. i was blessed this year to have been part of it. right now, i am taking a break to focus on projects, we hope to bring it back soon. enjoy some pics.

GUANTE & BIG CATS "AN UNWELCOME GUEST" CD RELEASE SHOW

So Guante is not only an amazing poet but a damn good rapper. he released a damn good CD. read what i had to say here

FUNKMASS

so 2 of my fave dj's Dj Ren and Dj Miguel Vargas put out some great mixtapes. download them here. http://www.funkmass.com/

and last but not least, i am a geek for electronics and a voltron fan. so when my brother informed me about this game on iphone i was like dammnnnnnn!

there you have it. enjoy. i know i did writing it.

Guante + Big Cats= An Unwelcome Guest Release Show

2009-12-14T14:28:00.035-06:00

I will not go into to detail on how dope Gaunte is. But this is one of the unique rap albums i've listened to this year. Sure there are rap albums with themes, many never seem to grasp those themes as well as Guante + Big Cats "An Unwelcome Guest" Album. , buy his album and the lyric book! and if you got kids or lil nephews, nieces, etc the stickers make great gift stuffers! Rapper created! kid approved!

so i arrived at the Bedlam theater in the middle of The Tribe's set with help from Chantz Erolin which i was dissapointed in missing the majority of it, The last track that Truthbetold did was good and so was the the one Chantz did off Cay-Riss "In The Red/Green EP,"

then came on No Bird Sing, i had never seen them performed but they did a good job!had nice stage presence. so i was glad i was there!

Kristoff Krane was next and toki wright had mentioned to me that he was on the Mcnally Smith Rhymebook CD Sampler that i was also featured. so i was intrigued to see what he came up with. I must say he was really innovative towards the end of his set, got the crowd involved, but then came the "lets do some crazy" and took a chair, guitar and went to the middle of the floor and started singing. nice change of pace!

But it was time for the main act,and after a couple of technical difficulties Guante + Big Cats + Band started rocking out. the stage set up was good. i had never been to the Bedlam theater for a show, but if we get the sound fixed in there, it be a great new venue.

From the beginning Guante delivered with energy and the crowd was reciprocating.He put all the engergy he had and the guests from Truthbetold, Chastity Brown, Big Quarters and No Bird Sing as well as the band rocked it! my fave track right now is the collab with Big Quarters titled "the Stockholm Syndrome", others like "the national anthem" and "dragons" seem to find themselves in my ipod. My best suggestion is order the cd for $9.99 through Strange Famous Records because it comes with tons more goodies then having Guante hand delivered to you himself (i am speaking from experience folks. So order away, tell me what your fave tracks are. till then enjoy the pics i took and the videos from the show!

Guante Raps, that means you should listen.

2009-12-02T00:37:00.002-06:00

so when kyle aka Guante raps...you all should listen.

and since he is dropping a cd on Dec. 12th at the Bedlam Theater you should really go and buy a cd and me a beer. gotta support great artists.

watch him rap.."michelle bachmann the game/ get on the mic say something insane:"

remember..

December, 12 2009 10:00 PM - AN UNWELCOME GUEST CD RELEASE @ BEDLAM THEATER w/ No Bird Sing, Kristoff Krane, The Tribe (18+)
1501 S 6th St, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454 -

Sponsored by Tru Ruts/Speakeasy Records, SUBSTANCE, CultureBully.com, Youth Against War and Racism and Socialist Alternative. The Bedlam is right on the light rail line, and also has a parking lot. BIG FUN. TELL YOUR PEOPLES.

Say His Name, Until He Recieves Justice; RIP George Steven Lopez Mercado

2009-11-18T23:03:00.004-06:00

This entry is taken from fellow Blogger/Palabrista Brandon Lacy Campos. He resonates my feelings about the injustice done to young GLBT Youth through hate crimes. And just today we learned about another GLBT Youth that was murdered. please read and distribute. Lets Stop the senseless violence

George Steven Lopez Mercado Murdered in Puerto Rico

Say his name: George Steven Lopez Mercado. Say his name every day, out loud, until he receives justice. George Steven Lopez Mercardo was brutality murdered, his legs and arms ripped off, his body partially burned, decapitated, and his torso ripped in half near Cayey in Puerto Rico. Thanks to an iReport by Christopher Pagan we know about this tragedy. No thanks to CNN or any other major U.S. News Source.

Puerto Rico is a colony of the United States. Since 1898, the U.S. has owned Puerto Rico and used it as a fat cash cow. Each year the island pumps more than $20 billion in tax and other revenue into the U.S. economy, yet the island exists as a third world country, its per capita earnings each annum is about half that of Mississippi or roughly around $8,000. As a colony, the island is required to follow federal laws, the FBI has jurisdiction on the island, and the U.S. is responsible for enforcing basic human rights standards. The fact that there has been almost no coverage of this heinous murder of a well known queer youth in Puerto Rico is endemic to the role of Puerto Rico in the U.S.: most people don't know we own it, it's a cheap vacation spot for U.S. tourists, and we don't care about the island unless the islanders get restless.

I do not support the recent hate crimes legislation signed into law by President Obama specifically because it is going to increase sentences for people of color. But, since it has been passed and signed into law, and since Puerto Rico is under federal jurisdiction, the law needs to be applied thoroughly to this case. And since every damn news outlet in the country covered the murder of Matthew Shepherd, here is a chance to set racism and colonialism aside and remember George Steven Lopez Mercado.

It's bad enough that this young man's life was brutally ended, but the detective, Angel Rodriguez, in charge of the investigation has basically said that based on George's sexual orientation, he deserved what he got. Excuse me?

I am willing to bet that the police detective has had his cock sucked more than once. Bugarrones make me sick.

I lived in Puerto Rico. I know that the queer community there is vibrant. I also know that I met more "straight" men that liked to take it up the butt than anywhere else I have ever been.

First off the F.B.I needs to take over investigation of this crime.

Secondly the police detective that made the fucked up comments regarding this tragic murder needs to be fired and charged with compromising an investigation, obstruction of justice, and intentional assholery.

Then the individual or individuals responsible for this crime need to be locked in an iron cage and dropped off the tip of El Morro Castle directly into the ocean.

Thank you to Christopher Pagan for bringing this to our attention, and thank you to www.towleroad.com for ensuring that Christopher's iReport has gotten the coverage it deserves.

George Steven Lopez Mercado, you will not be forgotten.

UP IN ARMS: FOR THE HOMELAND

2009-11-08T09:18:00.006-06:00

I will add more to this entry. i have been busy doing tons of things. but i wanted to share one of my brightest moments at one of the best events i have performed at this year.

DEAR DAUGHTER OF SOUTH AFRICA a poem by Brittany Delaney

2009-09-15T14:02:00.005-05:00

Brittany Delaney is an amazing poet, writer and spoken word artist from the Twin Cities. i have had the privilege to see her perform in many places and i am glad she is getting the spot light at the best Spoken Word Event in the cities. The EQ Series. She will be at The LOFT, Sat. Sept. 19th @ 8pm. $5. Be There!

**this poem is in respond to the gender controversy regarding the South African WOMAN runner (South African Runner Gender Controversy) Brittany, eloquently put her feelings (and mine) about the issue in this poem.**

DEAR DAUGHTER OF SOUTH AFRICA

I'm sorry your jaw bones are so well pronounced,
thats your hair is platted without beads hanging off them,
and your legs hold more muscles than that of a run way model.

I can't describe what it feels like when you don't have a womb,
but I'm sure you are not empty.
Women do more than just give birth to children.
And as far as I'm concerned
you ran your race pregnant with the hope of your people
The flattery of being called a hero by your own country creates enough blush for your cheeks than people magazine can ever put on your face
to make you look enough like the woman America will say rightfully won her award
and not the
“IT”
“SHIM”
OR “BOTH”
who had an advantage for being born different

I'm not sure what America thinks legitimizes a woman if a vagina is not enough.
and even if the hospital you were born in Africa could have known that you,
In a politically correct world,
are considered a hermaphrodite,
the fact that your father calls you his little girl makes you enough of a woman for me.

You smile through the comments that come attached to your gold medal like a lady of extreme grace
pose with your legs crossed
and conservatively cover your body
for the sake of not being overly suggestive
and I can only bet that you are well mannered
and determined to take on America with the heart of a queen
stretch your legs out and run
tracking pieces of south Africa everywhere you step
including the winning circle

I don't know how to say sorry for the fact that men and women are not equal here
and the fact that you create more testosterone due to lack of a uterus means your are different or better than a woman
hence the repeated word “advantage”
maybe all women who have had hysterectomies should start running track so you can be considered equally placed with those who create less estrogen
I can only imagine being on a cold exam table trying to prove humanity past the more than obvious vagina
because the reality is
you can be entered
and as long as that is the case
you are also being spoken of when they say 1 out of 3 will be sexually assaulted by the age of 13
no advantages included
you are a woman
in the same glories and dangers that I am
and carry the same look of compassion in your tear ducts as the corneas I stare into daily
rather you bleed once a month or not at all
we are apart of the same cycle
life or menstrual
The only advantage you have received
is the opportunity to be born in the mother land
and not have to travel abroad through pan African study groups just to be united with your original home
meaning you have more sense of belonging than a lot of us who have to constantly read Roots in junior high
and high school
just to be in your back yard
with enough understanding to eat at your table

you might be confused by the fact that we have a black president
in the sense that maybe racism isn't still present here
but the fact is
had your skin not been the shade of African sand
and your hair not natural like the air you breathe
had your pigment experienced failure during the time that you were waiting for us to tell you if you would be allowed to come into our country on a plane without shackles
instead of a boat
before you grabbed your television VISA
you would not have been asked to prove your sexuality before your standing ovation was complete
now unsure hands stop mid clap
until the results of what sits inside of your stomach beyond Gatorade
are ready and printed in every news paper willing to support international discrimination against someones child
until ever paper that needs to be covering health care plans and the current status of our soldiers
prints what sits in between your legs

Dear young south African woman
Daughter of your father
congratulations on your award
you ran the race with the heart of a true athlete
I'm sorry this is coming so late
but it's hard for a compliment to survive a storm of blatant insults
you did a beautiful photo shoot in people magazine
but I must say that the greatest angle was from you breaking through the ribbon at the end of the track in first place
I want you to know that we don't usually measure the level of testosterone or estrogen in our athletes before they run
and that we should be ashamed for how you have been exploited as your intro to our country
but we have broken
and quote on quote “rebuilt”
countries for the past 150+ years
so as to make them fractured just like us
we are clearly shameless

please don't be broken by us
do not except the complimentary zipper that we place on individuals in order to pull it down and stuff them with our zero calorie ideas of beauty
you do just fine how you are

blush from flattery
not from what we put on you
you don't have to stoop down to except able
when you are extraordinary

sincerely your,

Delaney

Visit to Arco Iris and Billy's Quince

2009-08-27T21:39:00.017-05:00

I had a great long weekend in Chicago/Blue Island/Harvey for billy's quince. it was good to see family and see the kids be kids. many thanks goes out to Belinda and Family for housing us. Marisa and Willie (mi comadre y compadre) for feeding us and hosting us. Bill for throwing a party and billy for making us padrinos de aretes.

anyways we got there..and we got served some yummy food.

then the next day we had to go to the ceremonies, but every time i drive by Blue Island i think about Burr Oak Cemetery and the person who is buried there, but with sadness comes happiness. its part of the life cycle and we need to be thankful for that. it was wonderful been able to see the quince. the entry dance was cool! but what i was waiting was the attempt of thriller on the dance floor.

i must say, they did a good job.

you can judge yourself, here is some video i took with my old phone (more news on that later, thanks Belinda!)

after recuperating i traded phones, and now i am a proud owner of a 2g iphone, i updated the firmware and jailbreaked it...so if you need tips on doing that holla!!!

we left late on monday..but we made it home.

the next day i went to Arco Iris/El Colegio/La Escuelita ()
to do a presentation about spoken word to some youth. i enjoyed this very much,cuz i got to meet up with fellow artists in the community that are active in the community (shouts out to Maria Isa and Orikal!) and i also got to kick it for a bit with andrew macdonald, one of my fave photographers. we are working on a chapbook, some of the poems are in this blog!

so me and andrew went out to check out the murals that the students make every year, some really dope artwork!

this picture stood out to me because of the message and also because the homie andrew helped put this together.

then i did my presentation where i performed 2 new poems from the upcoming EP the homeland. Tight Rope and For the Homeland. they wanted some feedback about their piece. so they acted it out. here are some stills.

overall it was a good day. kids liked me, i might be doing some more collaborating with some peers. and work on the EP continues. but i had to stop to play some board games with my lil ladies!

=)

good way to start my week if you tell me!

don't forget to come to Arise Book Store this Sunday @ 8pm! i will be performing new pieces!

check the blog,

follow me on twitter..

word 2 big bird..

Tight Rope

2009-08-25T23:29:00.004-05:00

*this is a poem from my upcoming EP The Homeland*

Tight Rope

I must confess, that this life, is not easy, it’s full of stress,
Its like a balancing act, it don’t make sense, and that’s a fact
And there will be days where your will as human being will be tested and violated

Days where things will seem to pour on to you from all four winds
Days where it seems that the best solution is not to react
Days when no one seems to know what you need
Where family will not call and no one will offer to help and even ask how you doing
Where the only option seems the cold one and trust strolls in the shadows

On those days, I want you both to look for each other, from where ever in the world you may reside and close your eyes
Extend your arms like the condor and aguila preparing to take flight
And turn the palms of your hands toward the sky
Ready to receive the rays from Inti, the sun
Then take a deep breath like papi taught you when you feel like crying
Open your eyes and look for that imaginary line
That generations and millenniums have called our border land
And take your first step
Embrace the unsteadiness of your legs
Feel the muscles tense and fight to stand
To find balance
The innate reaction that has been handed down by generations, empires and grandmothers
That are found in the bone marrow of our families imprinted in shapes only la pachamama understands
laying dormant but ready
like the spirits of macheteros, Zapatistas and the real tupac amaru
who revolted in order to find balance, to find justice.
Mis hijas, take that second step and you will find it easier then the first
But still awkward and challenging trying to find balance without having something firm to hold on to
That has been the truth, as long as we have been in territorio norte
with nothing firme to call ours
We’ve had to rely on us, nosotros, familia, cultura, spanglish and our pens to keep our wings flying bent to embrace the tightrope that gives us dual citizenship
Found in borders, boxes, lineas, forms, fences white or multicolor that at times hate us for what we look like and despise us as fuereños en nuestra tierra.

Mis Niñas, they don’t know about being ni de aqui ni de alla, los no se quien y los no se cuantos, don’t know about Woolworth clothes, thrift stores, discount shopping, food coupons and government cheese, tools that they say are suppose to make us belong but distant us from what is deemed normal.

But you know about these things
you seen us, you been us
at playgrounds when kids don’t wanna play with you
The stares and looks, when you ride the waves of code switching and ask for things in the native flint tongue, the tool of liberation mami and I passed down
Stored in your voice, grito, hands, wings that both of you have started flapping for every step you take while walking the tight rope
And as those steps turn to strides, turn to gallops; flap those wings so they can match your heartbeat
And when they do you will see the horizon under you, while you exhale freedom in each breath
As you take flight, following el dueño de los andes and began to understand the union of heaven and earth through the serpent and eagle, you will look back and see us, familia, nosotros, cultura, flying behind you
because my ladies
the truth is that you never have to walk the tightrope alone.

HAPPY END-DENDENCE DAY PERU!

2009-07-28T04:55:00.007-05:00

Its been 20 plus years since i celebrated a 28th of july in Peru. Its been a long time,away from home. But this year it will be the most memorable one in my lifetime. Mostly, because of what is happening in Bagua but also for the fact that both my parents are there today and that adds to the mounting yearning to write and to be at the homeland. i mus admit its not easy, but i always remember the pride that came from el 28 de Julio and now as an adult( most of the times!) i've learned to see this day as one of reflection.
Reflect on the past and acknowledge that there is much work to be done in the land of the incas.

the recent events in Bagua have brought up issues of class, race, Indigenous Rights (#nosamsclub) and Free Trade (NO DRILLING IN THE AMAZON!) and the ongoing issues in the United States with race and politics really foreshadow my feelings of END-DEPENDENCE.

We never seem to find this idea to be free. we exchange this feeling of freedom for dependence. Please no Global Economy speeches! it seems to me that all we have done is changed owners.

but what can we do about it?

i know what i will do.
i will write,
i will speak,
perform to inform
raise my pen in defiance
and my fist in alliance
with mi gente
que siempre estan en mente
until the we can breathe freedom under each breath.

So on this 28 de Julio, while we celebrate our rich history lets remember that we are still DEPENDENT on the system that was implanted when the Spaniards left. Not much has change, but hope in the Homeland and in the hearts of peruano's world wide drives me and many others.

So one day my ladies (pictured below) can see my homeland and call it their own as well.

HAPPY END-DEPENDENCE PERU!

Feliz 28!!!!!!!!!!!

Swine Flu Poem Verse

2009-07-17T00:55:00.005-05:00

This is taken from a collaboration with Brandon Lacy Campos. He said my verse was FIERCE! so i figure i let you all read it.

Photo by Andrew MacDonald

Swine Flu Verse

I say its hard been brown
Harder living in a border town
But now chalino has 2 wear a mask to protect free trade from getting infected
Human right activists, tell me who needs to be protected?
We got babies dying south of the rio grande and every where in my homeland
Yet all fox news and the patriot can talk about is how this is an immigrant infection
Now let me sharpen your recollection.
We blamed mad cow disease on who?
And who took responsibility for the avian flu?
But we get to the this piggy flu and you all got a demographic to blame
This must be a casting for conspiracy theory, cuz we all got framed!

The only swine I know dress in blue and when I see them cruise I let my middle finger loose
Now think twice, when you tell me to turn and cough
I’m being nice cuz u never let me choose.

more to come stay tuned...

For The Homeland (A Poem for Bagua)

2009-06-18T06:56:00.007-05:00

last night Peruvian President Alan Garcia went on national tv to save face. i figured it was time to release this poem. Please feel free to copy and paste and send to listserves, friends, post it on your blog. all i ask is that you give credit to me and post the link to my blog.

i've put links to youtube videos on some of the words so you can get some info on what went down.

Thank you/Gracias

Rodrigo

**NOTE: i have added the mp3 poem for your listening pleasure, this poem will be featured on my upcoming EP The Homeland**

For The Homeland (A Poem for Bagua)

by Rodrigo Sanchez-Chavarria

With my hands I write these words for the homeland

Today my heart stopped
My blood spilled
On land that will be given
To oil companies that will rape it
Brand it, and sell it with my name on it

Today my body is motionless on the road
With no one to claim it
Until the bullets stop flying
Until they stop crying
Because no one asked them
if they wanted to perforate their people
asked them if they wanted to witness babies dying

The ground sobbed red tears as bodies fell
Painting a brief picture of living hell

With my hands I write these words for the homeland

Today Peru lost 2-1 and
people said they played with no heart,
I know where it lays.

In Bagua
where blood mixes with brown soil
In rivers
where brothers and sisters float boca abajo.
And mothers try to identify body parts
While I am trying to identify self worth

Remembering that the blood spilled is pumping through my veins,
that the land where I was born to the land where I stand
will always be indigenous land.
Remembering.
That when we left in 88 Alan Garcia was fucking up the economy
Then ran to hide in Paris
Only to come back for a reconquista
to kill people he sees as second class

Today the bullets cried
My brothers and sister died
Media blinded to the lies
That the cowards use to hide

With my hands I write these words for the homeland

Today I died in bagua
But when my funeral comes
Don’t put me in a casket
Or bury me 6 feet under

Instead baptize me in the Marañon River
So my soul flows south with the blood spilled

Bury me next to the mass graves
With my eyes wide open
So i can see
What others say is not there

Then broadcast these words over radio waves
Banned for speaking the truth

Indigenas nunca son cuidadanos de segunda clase
Indigenous people are never 2nd class citizens

This is for my people
In the homeland
Fighting in the trenches
Blocking streets, police
While we overseas fight the oasis painted by white picket fences
This is for Alfredo,Pelusa, Mariana, rodrigo, camilo y Apu
Who remind me of home and fuel the purpose of what I do
for our babies, who asked why we cry at this injustice

For jose Antonio Encinas who taught me about power
And how politicians’ abuse it, we call them cowards

This for Santiago Manuin
Because 8 bullets could not stop his heart beating
His strength
His fight for his people
Their land

This is for Pizango finding refuge in Nicaragua
While his heart and spirit stays in bagua

And for the rest of us
Who are away from home
In strange lands that we can’t call our own
Some of us facing death for the first time and
Raising fists, pens, and words in defiance
To form a global alliance with you, our people.
Because borders, time zones, years, guns and oppression
Cannot stop our love for you.
Today I died in Bagua
And was reborn to use my hands to write these words for the homeland

A Poem for Bagua by Simon Ortiz

2009-06-12T07:57:00.001-05:00

in the last couple of weeks have been an emotional ride for me, i am writing about it and will share soon, but i am glad that my peers feel the same way.

Please spread the word

Rodrigo

Simon Ortiz is a famous poet, from Acoma Pueblo.

Here's the poem:

Remember Sand Creek.
Remember the Black Hills.
Remember Chiapas.
Remember Bagua.

Always the land, culture, community. Always the land, culture, community.
Always the land, culture, community. Always the land, culture, community.

Always Indigenous land, culture, and community must keep speaking.

Always, always, always. Speaking, speaking, speaking.

Listen, hear the land speaking.
Listen, hear the culture speaking.
Listen, hear the community speaking.

Speaking against power and greed.
Speaking against power and greed.
Speaking against power and greed.

Last week, President Obama spoke about the "pain of dislocation" suffered by
the Palestinians.
This week, has he heard the pain of dislocation suffered by Indigenous
peoples of Peru?

Listen, hear the land, culture, community speaking.
Listen, hear the land, culture, community speaking.
Listen, hear the land, culture, community speaking.

We must make sure Obama hears the pain of dislocation in the Americas.
We must make sure Obama speaks about the pain of dislocation in the
Americas.

Simon Ortiz

PRONUNCIAMIENTO FEDERACIÓN NATIVA DEL RÍO MADRE DE DIOS Y AFLUENTES (FENAMAD)

2009-06-09T10:57:00.003-05:00

Queridos Herman@s, no estamos solos, luchamos por nuestra cultura y derecho, nuestros antepasados siempren estan con nosotros!

PRONUNCIAMIENTO
FEDERACIÓN NATIVA DEL RÍO MADRE DE DIOS Y AFLUENTES (FENAMAD)

La Federación Nativa del Río Madre de Dios y Afluentes, FENAMAD, organización matriz de los pueblos indígenas de Madre de Dios, ante la gravedad de los últimos acontecimientos suscitados en la ciudad de Bagua, en la selva norte del Perú, nos dirigimos al gobierno peruano, a la opinión pública nacional e internacional para expresar lo siguiente:

1. Nuestra más enérgica condena ante el asesinato de más de veinte hermanos indígenas Awajún y once compatriotas de la Policía Nacional, además de un centenar de heridos, caídos en el marco de una justa lucha histórica de reivindicación de nuestros derechos, después de dos siglos de postración y, en particular, ante la emisión por el gobierno aprista de decretos legislativos orientados a despojarnos de nuestras tierras en beneficio de las grandes empresas transnacionales.

2. Responsabilizamos de estos hechos de genocidio al Dr. Alan García Pérez y al Gobierno que lo ampara puesto que un gobierno dialogante y abierto a escuchar diferentes posiciones, jamás hubiera permitido que la situación se polarice de tal modo que llegue a los extremos a los que ha llegado, manchándose las manos con la sangre de vidas inocentes.

3. Rechazamos del mismo modo la actitud represiva mostrada por este Gobierno hacia los pueblos indígenas que se han manifestado democráticamente, de acuerdo a la ley. Contrariamente, la respuesta del Gobierno ha sido siempre desproporcionada, abusiva, antidemocrática. Esto lo hemos visto en la emisión unilateral, inconsulta e ilegal de los decretos legislativos mencionados, la violación de nuestros derechos fundamentales, y la actitud represiva y violenta contra nuestros hermanos indígenas.

4. La sangre derramada por nuestros hermanos Awajún no quedará en el olvido. FENAMAD, reafirma su voluntad de continuar luchando, sin descanso, por la defensa de los derechos de los pueblos indígenas y declara la Unión de los Pueblos Indígenas Amazónicos del Perú frente a la amenaza que se cierne sobre nuestros derechos y nuestros territorios ante la ilegal, injusta y destructora política económica del gobierno.

5. Los pueblos indígenas de Madre de Dios y la sociedad civil retomaremos el paro amazónico indefinido hasta que el Gobierno escuche, atienda y solucione nuestras demandas.

HERMANOS Y HERMANAS: ¡NO ESTAMOS SOLOS EN ESTA LUCHA! ¡ESTAMOS CON LA FUERZA DE NUESTROS ANCESTROS QUE NOS IMPULSAN A SEGUIR LUCHANDO, CON LA FUERZA QUE EMANAN DE NUESTROS BOSQUES MILENARIOS!
Puerto Maldonado, 05 de junio de 2009
Consejo Directivo de FENAMAD

El Burrito Open Mic-Featuring Emmauel Ortiz

2009-05-30T15:08:00.003-05:00

Emmanuel Ortiz, a boricua wordslinger and one of the founders of Palabristas, will be doing a special performance reading from his new Chapbook "brown unlike me"

Join Us!

Saturday, May 30, 2009
Time:
7:00pm - 9:00pm

Location:
El Burrito Mercado

Street:
175 Cesar Chavez Street

City/Town:
Saint Paul, MN

Emmanuel Ortiz. Brown unLike Me is the poetic narrative of one man’s exploration of the world through Latino eyes, a collection of poems celebrating identity, language, family, and community while confronting issues of racism, colonialism, assimilation, and war. Brown unLike Me takes the reader from the political battlefields of Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and Chiapas to the shifting ethnic landscape of the Midwest, where basketball courts, bookstores, airports, islands, fields and factories are all a part of a bittersweet backdrop for a range of figures whose stories contribute to a deeper understanding of what it means to be Latin@/Brown/Other at such a critical political moment.

http://www.calacapress.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=81&Itemid=1

May 1st Reflection

2009-05-01T08:24:00.003-05:00

No poem for right now, but if me and Brandon Lacy Campos get our gears cranking we can have a "swine flu poem" ready to counter attack all the bad press the brown people are getting so far.

but today is May 1st. 1ero de Mayo and if some of you remember in 2006, there was a national call out for action to show support for immigrants, i am happy to say that on that day 40,000 plus showed up to the steps of the cathedral in St. Paul and marched as one to the steps of the capitol. i have never seen so many people in one place, it was beautiful and as i was listening to piolin and calling my mom to pick her up all i could think was that this memory is a special one, cuz i got to share it with my madre. she always told me that she thought i shoulda been born in the 60's , but hey las cosas se repiten.

Its been 3 years now and people have asked me what the purpose of the marches were, since no legislation was passed and i tell them that in my opinion it was a show of force, a stand against injustice and a call to action. a resistance. sure, extreme right wing people used it as a tool for their propaganda but WE used it to show the world, que no somos invicibles, and we can unite across cultural and geographical differences. Man, it was beautiful to see all types of brown faces that day.

but its also important to understand that the fight is not over. Just cause we have a POC presidente does not mean that things will be easier. Como se dice LA LUCHA SIGUE!

so today, if you don't get a chance to go out to a march, or protest, at least printout this flyer! and post it in your office,car, home, apt donde sea. show some solidarity.

you can print it out off the CIMARRONES website May Day Flyer

Tell Me What you Think?

2009-04-26T20:56:00.003-05:00

Once Again thanks to Brandon AllDay, Magdalena from Palabristas, Tou Saiko Lee,Bao Phi, Eric and Luis from Quilombolas Jeron Mariani and David for coming to El Cafe Open Mic and my Birthday Celebration. For those who sent me txts and called me, thanks it means a lot for me.

If you haven't heard yet..

i have received a grant to create a zine/chapbook with photographer and fellow agitator for change andrew macdonald

i have posted some poems (rough) on here..and people have been receptive to the idea. its different but still good!

i am also starting to record my first EP which will consists me doing poetry to music (quilombolas) and collaborating with some members of palabristas and other local artists.

here is a link to a rough collaboration with the Famoso Paul Flores its titled wordslingers. let me know what you all think.

A Truth worth Hiding?

2009-04-10T10:10:00.002-05:00

A truth worth hiding?

McCarthyism on store windows
Profiling me from the airport
To frontera lake street
To the souls of my feet
Midwest nice resides in these words

No bums
Street people
Terrorist or loitering
Allowed

48 years ago
No dogs or Mexicans allowed
No rights
Nor freedom
No justice
Nor peace
Street people are my poets
Terrorists of words you are afraid to hear
Who loiter for inspiration
A mark that they wear proudly
Allowing only those who want to hear truths to listen
To corners, Payphones
Sidewalks, Alleys
Pennies and train tracks
To show us that everything is living
Even if it doesn’t breath
They still bleed with stories.

New Poem: La Muerte

2009-03-31T08:26:00.004-05:00

This poem is part of the collection of poems i am writing due out this fall. the poem is in Spanish but i gave a literal translation so people could understand. tell me what you think.

La Muerte

La muerte, me decia mi tia
Espera con paciencia
Pintada en paredes
Es nuestra pasajera en el bus
Disfrazada de ser humano
Tratando de infiltrarse en nuestras vidas
En lugares donde niños juegan
Ella descansa
Sin temor ni ansias
Su pasion es la nuestra
Conocer la belleza de la vida
Tras el rodar de la pelota de futbol
Que nos hechiza con su simbolismo y danza
La muerte lo entiende muy bien
La envidia se nota en su boca abierta y ojos de carbon
Nunca dice de quien es hincha
Pero los niños lo saben
Ellos tambien no dicen nada
Porque la muerte vive con nosotros.

**************************************
Death, my aunt tells me
Waits with patience
Painted on walls
She is our passenger on the bus
Disguised as human
It tries to infiltrate our lives
Where the children play
It rest
Without fear or anxiety
Its passion is the same as ours
To know the beauty of life
Through the movement of a soccer ball
Which casts a spell over us with its symbolism and dance
Death knows this too well
The jealousy can be seen in its open mouth and eyes
It never tells us who its rooting for
But the children
They don’t say anything because they know
that death always lives among us.

Urban Griots Award Show! 4/3/09

2009-03-26T13:04:00.005-05:00

NEWS!NEWS!NEWS!

I and Palabristas got nominated for a couple of spoken word awards! yay! so come show us some support!

don't forget the Open Mic this Saturday! Here is the flyer for the Urban Griots Award Show!

The MN Spoken Word Association Presents

The URBAN GRIOTS Spoken Word Awards Celebration
An 8 Year Retrospective Honoring One of the Nations Most Vibrant Communities
The Official National Poetry Month Kick-Off!
Friday, April 3, 2009

WHAT: An evening of historic recognition, noted nominees, awards, music and dance highlighting the magnitude of the celebrated Spoken Word community in the Twin Cities and beyond. Not to be missed performances by Twin Cities finest spoken word artists, bands, and DJs. The official 2009 National Poetry Month kick off, this evening is one of the most culturally diverse artistic gatherings held this year. A night to Celebrate and Remember!!

“What you all have here is special…don’t ever forget that.” Amiri Baraka (2008)

“I’ve been saying for years, the Twin Cities Spoken Word Community is one of the most advanced, and innovative, in the country, and a number of artists here can stand toe to toe with many of the top artists nationwide. It just usually doesn't get the attention it deserves.” …e.g.bailey (MN Spoken Word Association/Tru Ruts)

WHEN/WHERE:
Friday, April 3, 2009. Doors at 8pm. Event at 9pm. The Varsity Theater.
1308 Fourth St. S.E., Minneapolis.

COST:
$3 Before 9:30pm, $5 After 9:30pm
Advance Tickets Available at www.varsitytheater.org | 612-604-0222

RESERVATIONS:
Group Reservations are being taken now for reserved seating via email at mnswa.mail@gmail.com

ABOUT THE EVENING AND ARTISTS:

Master of Ceremony: Tiyo Siyolo

Music By: DJ Mixwell
Awards: Over 20 categories of awards, ranging from New Artist of the Year to launching MN’s 1st Spoken Word Hall of Fame.

Performances By: J. Otis Powell, Truthmaze, Bao Phi, Edupoetic Enterbrainment (Frank Sentwali, Tiyo, Queen Drea), Hyder Ali, Ibe Kaba, Palabristas, Ed Bok Lee, Poetic Assassins, MPLS and St. Paul Slam Teams, Marie Chante, Guante, Chantz, Tish Jones, Lady Lit, October, Karma, Niyah Bengai, Chantz, and other surprise guests.

SPONSORS: KFAI Fresh Air Community Radio and KMOJ Radio

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES:
Interview opportunities, digital photos and video are available upon request.

PRESS CONTACT:
Sha Cage, MN Spoken Word Association
(612) 288-9491 or sha.mnswa@gmail.com

MN Spoken Word Association (MNSWA) is one of the premier Spoken Word organizations in the nation with programming solely dedicated to spoken word and urban arts. It strives to empower youth and community through leadership, literacy, and spoken word! Programming includes: workshops and residencies in schools and community centers, regional/national travel, social justice work, area slams, radio shows, consulting and producing projects, youth leadership groups, and sustainable partnerships.

Things to do Week of 3/16-3/20

2009-03-16T13:22:00.005-05:00

Spring is in the air!

which means outside, outside outside and poetry.

I like to report that things are going good in the project i have embarked in. I will be posting poems for your feed back on a weekly basis. so check http://www.mnworldslinger.com every monday evening and i will have poems for you all to read.

i also got a twitter account for all you twitter heads. you can follow me at http://twitter.com/rscspokenword

This thursday is the last installment of Last of The Record Buyers a producer showcase featuring the amazing Medium Zach ( 1/2 of the dynamic rap duo Big Quarters, 2 chicano brothers making great rap music)

below is a video for the show, check it out...i got friday off work for this reason..well not really, but you get the drift. Minnesota come show support

Also don't forget that on saturday March 28th it will Open Mic time @ El Burrito Mercado from 7-9pm. I will send reminders soon. NO SPECIAL GUESTS. so bring all the people to come hear you. spread the word.

Also Mark Down This Date!

URBAN GRIOTS'
Spoken Word Awards Show

An evening of historic recognition, noted nominees, awards, music and dance highlighting the magnitude of the celebrated Spoken Word community in the Twin Cities and beyond. Not to be missed performances by Twin Cities finest spoken word artists, groups and DJs. A night to Celebrate and Remember!!

Dress to Impress!!!

Friday April 3rd
The Varsity Theater - Dinkytown
Doors at 8pm. Music 9pm.
$3 before 9:30pm • $5 after
18+

Presented by the MN Spoken Word Association and community allies. For more information email mnswa.mail@gmail.com
www.myspace.com/mnspokenwordassociation
call 612-288-9491.

YO AND OTHER PALABRISTAS WILL BE PERFORMING. SO...IF YOU LOVE BROWN POETS..YOU BETTER BE THERE!!!

Big Quarters Sophmore Album will be released on Cinco De Mayo

here is an interview with Brandon All Day provided by Funk Mass

Funk Mass Interview with Brandon AllDay

also here is a review i wrote of their album debut Cost of Living

Review of Cost of Living

Finally, much love and respect goes out to my hermano of the palabra, Paul Flores for spending time with me and helping create some inspiring words that will be released sooner then later...much love PFLO!

Stay Tuned, Big News Coming soon...

New Project: Poem-Lorenzo Martinez

2009-02-24T23:22:00.003-06:00

photo by Andrew MacDonald

Lorenzo Martinez

flexed brazos and the sun melt
color into sugar beets adding that
special ingredient
making it sweeter
manos harvest the ground
to find micas, permisos
and reasons for living
callused skin crossed over
on the year of the rat
still holding the papers
to prove one’s worth
in the creases you can smell the labor
still read the misspelled name
see the hours labored and money earned
by just another number
wonder why no one ask the paper for its story
as it sits in box, tucked away with forgotten history.

rodrigo sanchez-chavarria

San Francisco: Day 3-Galeria de La Raza Performance

2009-02-23T00:46:00.010-06:00

After a long night in San Jose, This last day we had the morning off. so i cooked some lomo saltado! and i actually ate fish (I am ashamed to be peruvian and not enjoy seafood). then we got down to business, we practiced our set, hoped lorena's health would improve. checked in with the kids ( a daily thing that made the travel much easier on my family,thank god for video chatting!)

chillaxed and then went to Galeria de La Raza.

i had heard about Galeria and the wonderful Mission District, for reals, this made me more homesick (for the motherland) but i loved being surrounded by brown people, brown stores and spanglish overall ( there was a washeteria and a burbujeria)

had some cafe con leche, then thanked the lady who let me use the bathroom at the washeteria ( i am really liking this term)

we saw las manas 3 perform, it was amazing. they were really good and gave us a glimpse into what Palabristas can be like.

it was our turn, we did our thing, brandon read his stump speech, lorena talked about her flint tongue and i flew in condor's wings. We let them know that Minnesota has some pretty good Brown Poets or as BLC puts it, brownies.

we received alot of love from the bay, from artists, like paul flores, marc, milta, las manas tres, molina soleil.

we had a great time...now time to create.

Day 2: Mission District School and MACLA Performance

2009-02-11T23:48:00.011-06:00

On our second day, brandon, myself and David decided to get a brief tour of the uppity oakland area that mr. lacy campos found himself. as we walked around getting mean mugged by residents, we walked around the neighborhood and saw the flora and fauna and let the time get the best of us.

we ended up running a bit late to our workshop at a mission district high school. Milta (Marc's Fiance) has a writer's workshop with some 9th graders, all of them poc. We came in to talk about what we do, and share our work then get to writing. It was a wonderful experience! the kids loved us and mostly we loved them, for their willing to write and listen to us. they wished we could come every friday. We also wish the same thing.

after putting feelings with words on paper we went home and got ready for our show at MACLA, in San Jose.

At MACLA, we had 2 shows. met someone from ANOKA! we Minnesotans are everywhere. Met some new people, ate some pupusas ( pics will be provided by lorena) and went on our merry way back to oakland.

enjoy the pics.

visit to the school

MACLA, San Jose

more pictures

San Francisco: The Arrival

2009-02-06T10:42:00.006-06:00

the flight got delayed twice, but overall the flight was good. there was this weird noise coming from the plane but if you been on planes in latin america, that is the least of your worries. me and lorena watched Man of the House on my psp and then got our isht and waited for marc.

The bay are reminds me of home, with the hills and the lights, kinda like lima at night.

but we got to brandon's and the beautiful home he is at!

brandon showed us around his place and the room i will be staying at. then we settled in. called home, and got ready to meet some local artists marc piñate gather at his place.

when we got to marc's place it so reminded me of the times of a peña in peru, people gathering in small places and great food (it was off the hook! the rice and the plantains). Made me feel welcomed and at home, talked to Paul Flores and his lovely family, talked about plays and what people are doing. how the arts scene in the bay area is strong. gave me hope and new inspiration to push what i am doing and show people what not only palabristas can do but what minnesota poet@s can do!

thanks marc and all the artists! thanks brandon! thank you all for the support!

i can say..

i am ready to rock the bay!

Remember tonight!

Friday Feb. 6th- San Jose

MACLA (Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana)
Show Starts at 730pm

Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana, Inc.
MACLA
510 South First Street San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 998-2783
info@maclaarte.org

http://www.maclaarte.org/2009events.html

One Year Later: El Cafe Open Mic Anniversary

2009-02-01T00:04:00.007-06:00

"Its been more than a year and it started as a simple of discussion about exchanging work with an emerging writer.One event made it possible and now it has developed into a place in the heart of the Westside of St. Paul where voices young and old can express themselves"

This past Saturday January, 31st was a the anniversary of something that has become permanent event in my calendar but also in my life.

Open Mics gave birth to what i guess i can call my artistic career and i always wanted to be able to give that opportunity to someone else and over this past year, young kids, older poets, established poets, people like me and you have been able to express themselves through a microphone and shear determination.

I can say that it has been a journey filled with ups and down, but one worth fighting for. Call me old school, but for me the Westside has always been a special place. Whether its the history or the artists coming outta the green stairs (westsiders know what i mean) it has always had its grasp on the ever expanding Latin@ community of the Twin Cities.

that is the main reason for the creation of the open mic.to expand the possibilities of self expression through the power of the word.

i am fortunate to have a good support system ( thats you Tomas!) and determination to see this through.

The second year, shall be oh so much sweeter.

keep the last saturday of every month open and you will find out.

Thank you Tomas, El Guante and Katie Ka Vang for making this a memorable night.

rsc

Pictures from Anniversary

Katie Ka Vang

El Guante

People standing in the back

Tomas Silva

Jesse Ramirez

Hugo Wong Cardona

Toki Wright

for more pictures click on link
El Cafe Open Mic Anniversary Photos

New Project & New Poem: North Minneapolis

2009-01-29T23:18:00.000-06:00

i was fortunate to receive a Minnesota State Arts grant. But i am also fortunate to be working with a great friend and amazing photographer Andrew Macdonald (http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewmacdonald/)

I am really excited about this project!

with Andrew's photos and my words we plan to put together a chapbook/zine out in september of 2009 of poetry inspired by pictures or vice versa. i am trying to push myself to explore other facets of writing and expression. this is new to me, but i am enjoying it. here is a work in progress i wanted to share with you all. drop comments.

North Minneapolis

Sunlight blinds people when they wake up together
But trees embrace them, like family reunions
They touch the tips of the tree for nourishment
As they stretch like babies arms looking for someone to pick them up
While smoke stacks and the city look on.
Sunlight punctures the smoke and wakes the cold hard pavement
Cracks and ice look for shadows to hide in
Stop signs to be in
Bridges to call home
Human flesh detest these mornings
And shadows do too
Clear skies call it a new day
Trees call it more life
Rivers see it as seasons
Minnesotans call it real winter
Writers call it inspiration avant-garde
But the sunlight
Sees all through a magnifying glass
Up close and intimate
It has seen millenniums of mornings like this one
More than we care to count or feel
Millions more with out us
But nothing like this one
The sunlight calls it freedom
We call it north Minneapolis

Rodrigo Sanchez-Chavarria January 2009

Quilombolas Cd Release and Open Mic Anniversary

2009-01-28T14:41:00.000-06:00

This friday! i will be performing with quilombolas!

then this saturday is the return of El Cafe Open Mic! Come celebrate the our Year Anniversary with Special Guest: Katie Ka Vang and El Guante!

And from Feb. 5th to feb. 8th Myself and Lorena Duarte from Palabristas will be in San Francisco. So spread the word!

Events this week! 12/15-12/21/08

2008-12-17T21:18:00.000-06:00

I just got some news about some events you all need to know about.

For young rap music producers, The Last of the Record buyers is a show/event where producers get to showcase their talents, get feedback, and listen to a local respected producer. Its hosted by Brandon All Day of minneapolis based rap duo Big Quarters and DJ Nikoless. Every 3rd Thursday of every month! write it into your calendars!

watch the video

This month's feature is DJ Last Word 12/18/08

The flyer

http://www.myspace.com/lastrecordbuyers

****************************************************************************************
Also on 12/19/08 Yo! the movement is having this great event!

FREESTYLE FRIDAY!! THIS FRIDAY DEC. 19, 2008

This month will be a Kwanzaa Youth Celebration.
6:30 - 7:00 Kwanzaa Lighting Ceremony
7:00 - 8:00 Kwanzaa Community Dinner
8:00 - 9:00 Talent Showcase!!!
9:00 - 10:00 YOUTH DANCE, GAMES, MUSIC!!!

We will be honoring community elders, eating free food (fried chicken,
ocra, black eye peas, sweet potato pie, cornbread...), listening to music,
and celebrating Kwanzaa.

Come and bring your youth!! Every 10 youth need to be accompanied by one
adult.

need more information? alicia@yothemovement.org
***************************************************************************************

Last but not least, great friend and fellow st.paul slinger of words Katie Ka Vang has put her first collection of poems and publish her first chapbook. Her chapbook release is on 12/21/08. A must see event! i am really happy and excited for her! you should be too!

if you can't make it, you can still order her chapbook online!

visit www.myspace.com/emptyyks

i got some great news for you all lined up!

but i won't reveal it until the open mic on 12/27! so show up!

Poem: Tonite We Bake Cookies

2008-12-03T01:13:00.000-06:00

Tonite we bake cookies

Traditions passed down should be guarded but not locked away
So with those same hands, that nurtured, disciplined and pushed me to explore
That are strong, full of life
Rough to the world but soft in-house
That used trial and error to feed us when there was nothing there
Until the sazon was just right,solo faltaba un poquito de knorr
Those hands not much bigger then us
When the winds blew icicles to bundled fingertips
When the ground no longer gave
And the trees hid
Those hands baked cookies
Quemados until we got the ingredients right
Replacing noches de paneton
Because none where there
Those hands made cookies and chocolate from scratch
that delivered the taste and smell of the homeland
In a land where we seem to be the only breed
And when the wind blew harder and whiteness was the color of nature
Those hands dug out the wooden spoon
La harina, huevos, sal, azucar and many small hands
To bring a warmness that only is produced by love
Implanted in bake goods
Nestle might have the recipe
But they can’t patent the taste

this tradition is not for sale
you cant sell what you don't own
and with that in mind
we sip our warrior's brew
and ban ginger cookies from entering our household

and on a night like the one you created our tradition
we dig out wooden spoons and ingredients
mix the dough with our hands to leave our imprints for little hands and tummy's to absorb the love you left behind
tonite we bake cookies mother, not only porque tu no puedes, not because you cant, but because we need it to survive
we bake cookies so we don't forget
and so you know that you are not alone.

Culture Bully: Interview with Rodrigo Sanchez-Chavarria

2008-11-26T16:16:00.000-06:00

Kyle aka El Guante, is a spoken word/ rap artist that not too recently relocated himself from Madison, Wisconsin. Not only is he an amazing poet full with energy other poets envy, he also raps and teaches poetry at school as well writes for blogs, is on the MN slam team etc etc. The man is talented and he interviewed me, here is a little excerpt:

"I get the feeling that a lot of people still don’t realize that the Twin Cities spoken-word scene is one of the strongest in the country—from our arts programs to our organizations to our slam teams to our youth—Minneapolis and St. Paul are doing some amazing work (Full disclosure: I’m the 2008 Minneapolis poetry slam champ and work with some of these great organizations… but you can trust me!). Highlighting this scene is quite a challenge—so many talented artists are doing so many different things all the time.

For me, however, a good place to start is Rodrigo Sanchez-Chavarria. One of the scene’s most respected writers and performers, Rodrigo has released an album, Desconocidos, and, along with his collective Palabristas, a book, Outside the Lines. He also runs a monthly open mic at El Burrito Mercado in St. Paul, and can be found performing all over the Twin Cities".

To read the rest of interesting interview (must read!) follow the link Culture Bully Interview.

Check it out, check him out and spread the word! Thanks Kyle! Your Words are Much Appreciated!

P.S. you all have a good time off, i am about to splurge on some pavo, potato salad, lomo saltado y asado. Pepto Bismol here i come!

Remember Open Mic This Saturday!

11/22/08 ¿Nation of Immigrants? Minnesota spoken word artists and poets question the world

2008-11-18T11:34:00.000-06:00

I AM SAD THAT I CANNOT ATTEND THIS EVENT. THE ARTISTS FEATURE ON THIS AMAZING COMPILATION ARE NOT ONLY GOOD FRIENDS OF MINE BUT AMAZING ARTISTS I ADMIRE AND LOOK FOR WHEN INSPIRATION IS NEEDED. PLEASE ATTEND AND SPREAD THE WORD!

¿Nation of Immigrants? Minnesota spoken word artists and poets question the world

A CD featuring spoken word artists and poets Robert Karimi, Marcie Rendon, Juliana Hu Pegues, Tatiana Ormaza, Ibe Kaba, Khalid Adam, Preeti Kaur, Bobby Wilson, Lorena Duarte, Ka Vang, Ed Bok Lee, Tish Jones, Diego Vazquez, Christy Namee Eriksen, and Charlotte Albrecht.

Produced by the Loft Literary Center
Curated by Bao Phi, Associate Program Director, Equilibrum: Spoken Word at the Loft
Recorded, Engineered, Mixed and Mastered by Antonio Del Rosario
Original CD Cover Art by Ricardo Levins Morales
Graphic Design by Douglas Kearney

CD Release Party
Saturday, November 22, 8 p.m.
Featuring short performances by featured artists
At the Loft, 1011 Washington Avenue South
Free.
Food and beverage provided at reception following performances

www.loft.org

New Poem: Feverish Waters

2008-11-14T15:38:00.000-06:00

It was a short question.
That took me to a moment
Where I had been before
I felt Like Denzel in déjà vu
But this time, I wanted to bite my tongue
Show the other cheek
Be the better person
But who really is nowadays?
It was a winter day
Not too cold or hot
But feverish
In the sense that my essence
Had been sick with who knows what
Been lethargic like the babies with soiled diapers on TV after Katrina hit
I had been fighting that urge, that insanity that my mother had passed down to me
The neurotic feeling
obligation to take my kid to the doctor every time they sneezed
I thought I could bypass that genetic or social trait
But after spending two whole nights putting cold compresses on her head
Watching the fever rise like the water levels at the levy’s protecting New Orleans from the obvious
Watching the life of an exuberant child being drained slowly like the hope from the people trapped in houses that cnn could reach but not the authorities
We rushed her to the urgent care
Looking for some answers
Looking for some hope
And after, answering question, filling questionnaires, feeling her fever mix with my warmth and paying to be seen.
We were squeezed in to see a doctor when there was none
I felt gracious
thankful
relieved
rescued
Like when my people were being rescued off rooftops then being broadcasted live on channel 5, another episode of rescue 9/11
Magical realism in its purest form ready to be made into a live tv movie.

And as I carried her in my arms to the dr.’s exam room…the nursed asked me, “ was she born here?”
The question hit me so hard like the cold rushing water must have hit the human flesh when the levees broke and hope was gone.
Overwhelmed by drowning
I was trying to find a reason for her question
Trying to give her the benefit of the doubt
Maybe, Maybe it was a miscommunication
Maybe, maybe it was my misunderstanding
Maybe, maybe she thought she was adopted
Yes! That’s it! Uprooted from her homeland like the communities of color in New Orleans
You know, because her logic states that 2 brown parents should have brown children and not a light skin lil girl
Of course reinforcing
The racial norms that state that 1 brown parent + 1 brown parent= always brown baby.
But all the answers I created brought me back to the same question..
What the fuck did that have to do with her illness?
So I bit my tongue and grunted yes
But then, the complacement, the melting pot, Columbus. Pizarro, Cortez,
The zoot suit riots, bracero program, treaty of Guadalupe hidalgo. La noche triste, Tupac Amaru, Ruben Salazar, Cesar Chavez, Jesus unjust death by the gun, The MPD, SPD and RPD who taught me that brown kid in beanies and ford ltd’s means DWB citation.
Flashed before my dark brown eyes and my thoughts were magnified as they ran through my head
As fast as FEMA said that everything would be under control
And the young boy who was shot by border patrol or a border vigilante cried out for me
And the playback of the newsreel of the study that pawlenty had stated that illegal immigrants were stealing health benefits.Bullshit!

The studies stating that undocumented families were a tax burden for the ER’s everywhere
Made me wonder if the part they gave to john leguizamo was another taste of tokenism
Made me wonder if this was cheech marin’s message in born in east L.A.
The times I was called spic
The times I was used for tokenism
Made me split my tongue and respond in an angry manner a la kanye West…what does that have to do with anything?

As she nervously tried to tell me that it was a question they asked everyone…I had been on the offensive
Being proactive
Broken her comfort level
As the burning from my wife’s eyes told me that this was a battle not worth starting.
I fought within myself
Embracing that borderland culture that is my identity
Trying to answer that curse of a question
That makes question everything that happens to me and forces me to ask
Did I get this because I deserve this or because I fulfill some personal quota?
Did Olmos have right when he said, “we have to be more Americans then the Americans”
And my thoughts left me and landed in NO where people were asking the same question…is it because…I live here…that this is happening to me….gentrification..by natural disaster.

Where the motto to protect and serve is only delivered by hummers
And delivery of forgotten promises are found inside body bags
And the question still remains, still needs answers like the lost souls swept up in the feverish waters.

Rodrigo Sanchez-Chavarria

Palabristas featured on Metro Magazine! (with some editing by me)

2008-11-12T16:14:00.000-06:00

Hot Dish+ Hot Sauce

By Stephanie Wilbur Ash

In Bowling Alone, political scientist Robert Putnam’s landmark 2000 book about America’s social breakdown, he writes of “bonding” social capital between homogeneous groups of people and “bridging” social capital between heterogeneous groups.

The group of Latino poets living and working in Minnesota known as Palabristas (literally “wordslingers”) balance both, and that’s exactly what they’re all about. As individuals, the Palabristas—which formed in 2002 for the National Poetry Slam in Minneapolis—are a heterogeneous “who’s who” in the local art scene: Co-founder Larry Lucio is also a co-founder of the Twin Cities Celebration of Hip Hop. Lorena Duarte is a former editor at Spanish-language newspaper La Presna de Minnesota and a board member at The Loft Literary Center. Dessa Darling is an emcee in the critically acclaimed rap family Doomtree. And that’s just to name a few members.

Together they teach poetry and spoken-word workshops to youth in Minnesota, and perform live at local and national poetry slams and local music venues. And they publish chapbooks of their poetry: The recently released Outside the Lines is their second collection, with ¿Under What Bandera?, a 2004 Resource Center of the Americas Book of the Year, their first.

“What binds us is a shared Latino identity,” Duarte says. But, she notes, “It doesn’t mean we write ‘Latino’ poetry. We write love poems, poems about language, our families, our personal struggles. That’s a more true representation of Latinos than just the ‘We Are Brown’ poems.”

Most of the poems in Outside the Lines are definitely working through identity in some way—straddling the divides of language, culture, politics, the economy, education, opportunity, romantic love and love of self. Some are quiet, meant for the interior of the head. Others are loud, for shouting. The language is a mixture of English, Spanish and hybrid dialects from all over.

Palabristas, it seems, collect their divergent work in print and performance as a way to both empower a community and to promote the disparity of it; to show together that their individual selves are beyond the “Latino” tag. “We defy conventions just from graduating from college,” Duarte says. “By getting up and speaking and not being gang bangers. We aren’t defiant in the ‘stick it to the whatever’ sense, but more in the sense that we define ourselves. The comments ‘Oh! You have no kind of accent! Oh, you went to Harvard?’ Those things, they bore us.

“Being Latino doesn’t mean being one thing or the other, especially in Minnesota where you are an amalgamation of hot dish and hot sauce—it’s a psycho-frenetic mix. And that’s very much at the core of what we are.” +

GETCONNECTED

Palabrista Rodrigo Sanchez-Chavarria holds an open mic for Palabristas, and anyone else, the last Saturday of every month at El Burrito Mercado in St. Paul. 175 Cesar Chavez St.; 651.227.2192

Outside the Lines is available wherever Palabristas are, and you can find that out at
palabristas.com.

¿Under What Bandera? is available from Calaca Press, calacapress.com.

Is the revolution over? words about the election from Immortal Technique

2008-11-06T09:53:00.000-06:00

this was taking by a message posted by immortal technique an afro-peruvian rapper from NYC.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I watched something necessary the other night, necessary for the legitimacy of America and it’s interests around the world. Necessary for it’s religion of capitalism and it’s imperial ambition, which were not curbed in anyway with the election of an African American. Instead they gained perhaps the greatest spokesperson for their cause that they could have ever received. People that never felt inclusive now feel like part of America, like they have a personal stake in its success and for people that truly love this country, isn’t that what you wanted? To have more people who live here proud of being an American? For many people Bush was never their president, to them he stole the first election and railroaded the second one with mired swift boat attacks on John Kerry’s character while dodging facts about the mischaracterization of Iraq as somehow being involved in 9/11 and how the intelligence that led us to war was so badly distorted. Some surrogates even went as far as to suggest that Mr.
Kerry might have inflicted the wounds on himself in Vietnam to receive a Purple Heart…

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=JoM90bAsr1M

The same smear tactics were used all throughout this election, the same fear mongering and questions brought about Obama’s faith, place of birth and his “relationship with terrorists.” This cost the McCain campaign and it’s supporters, opportunity and legitimacy about their complaints of the future 44th President. They went beyond the simple implications of the Clinton campaign deep into the territory of arousing the fear and hatred ingrained in the minds of white citizens all over America. And yet they were denied yesterday for good reason. The mob would not have tolerated it. His victory was a restoration of the crumbling belief in our democracy, because the loss of faith; that, my brother’s and sisters is how empire’s fall, not from simple military failure but when their people no longer believe in it. During the last few years of Bush, this is what I saw. I cannot answer if there would have been rioting would he have not won, but his ascension to the Commander in Chief has made a strong case for the people’s choice being what and who control’s America. When in truth the strength and power of Military Industry and Corporate Conglomerates saw more of a champion than any urban working class citizen could have, in Obama.

Through careful planning, timed responses, tactful alienation and one of the best organized campaigns, at long last the people of America have a man that they WANT to believe in, a man they can point to as an example of the death of racism, the birth of hope and the inclusion of member’s of disaffected society in the United States.
But is this to be?

Michelle Obama was right when she talked about feeling proud to be an American for the first time. And white conservatives took it out of context. They assumed that the Black and Latino community who have had the right to vote for the past 40 of the 221 years of this countries existence should kneel and kiss the ground of a land that is only now acknowledging their service and contribution. Truthfully I am more inspired by her words than most of his. And, I am reinforced in my understanding that a man (especially one that aspires to achieve anything significant) without the right woman to support him and offer him guidance will never amount anything. Her words were prophetic for they truly did speak to the manner in which urban Black and Latino people have embraced the USA.

As I said before this was necessary for America to do… To not follow in the footsteps of the Roman Empire in its alienation of the people’s that it conquered. Their great mistake was NOT to include their allies and offer them the benefits of citizenships and partaking in the glory of what the empire gained as a reward for assimilation. Africans were on this side of the world before Columbus, but in US history they were brought as slaves, kept subservient through a Europeanized Christendom, and lied to about their glorious past, and their contributions to the history of humanity. After all it was Africans who comprised the power ranks of the early church, Africans who nursed the philosophy of the ancient Greeks and African Muslims who ruled Western Europe for over 700 years, that’s more than 3 times as long as the United States has existed as a country.

They are a people who have fought hard for every small victory and seemingly insignificant right taken for granted nowadays. They fought and died in every major US war going to back to the very founding of this nation when Crispus Attucks was the first person to ever die for American Freedom from British Imperial rule. Yet every time they proved their bravery and willingness to lay down their lives for the nation of their captivity, subsequent birth and allegiance to, they were denied the honor of a well-deserved recognition. They were denied loans, given substandard housing, redlined into the ghetto, had their communities filled with drugs and their addictions criminalized whereas the upper class of white society had theirs treated as an illness. Africans have had their commitment to family and values overlooked by a media highlighting of the worst sections of society. The Black family did not fall apart until the crack era, for even during the times of slavery, it came together with more strength than ever! Because there were sisters who were looking after children who weren’t theirs and brothers who played the father when their father’s were sold off and gone.

Black people for all intents and purposes have a right to have certain cynicisms and grievances with America. Perhaps not as much as Native Americans but they wouldn’t be the only ethnic group in the world to have a difficult relationship with the nation they live in. After all the world’s nations are actually comprised of many nations most of which are included by right of conquest and not willing consent.

And yet November 4th I saw Black people in Harlem waving American flags proudly and loudly. I saw them painted red white and blue, chanting and cheering “USA, USA”. I saw cops shaking hands with brothers from the hood who hate cops. I saw white college students who have gentrified Harlem and the last of Harlem's bulk of Black residents welcome them with open arms dancing in the streets because they were wearing Obama buttons or carrying Obama posters. He truly is a unifying force. He has changed the FACE of America, but now the question remains can he actually change America? Can he stop the war? Or can he just change it.

America has a new leader. To me personally I have always seen race a great illusion to justify slavery and build the capital for capitalism. His race is not as important as his design for the economy. But those who would think that we live in a post racial America are blind, and those who think that his minor experience will prevent him from acting with all the force of the greatest military power in the world will be surprised. His great strength is in his ability to listen and remember, to communicate and to inspire. To convince and to come up with the best explanation possible instead of perhaps some of the worst excuses for leadership, rationale for war and political nepotism that we have seen in America’s history during Bush II.

But his victory, he was right to say was not his victory alone, it was also the resounding failure of the Right Wing Republicans. So much so that it seems as if people from the very onset on the right might have aided McCain’s downfall to have the president they thought would be better for business in the neo liberal world of globalization.

McCain lost this election for many reasons though.

-McBush: His inability to distance and separate himself from George Bush and the fiscal crisis that came as result of economic policies of the 43rd president’s administration. His pathetic attempt to make the difference known at the end of the 3rd presidential debate was too little, way too late.

-The “Right” Enemies: A person is often judged by their enemies, McCain lost to Obama because of his inability to curb what was first seen as the fringe of his party and eventually came to be seen as a significant % of the base. In some videos you can even see his own surprised and disturbed reaction to what his supporters believed. The rallies became more and more about hatred and not any issues of real consequences. I know Christians and Right Wingers that are logical independent voters and when they saw the Republican base questioning him being a Muslim (as if that was a crime), an antichrist, a socialist, and screaming out “terrorist”, even the many of which had planned to back McCain/Palin were disgusted.

They looked at their own party as if to say I can’t really believe that you’re doing this to us now. If I were Obama I would have not feared these people, I would have engineered these people, and right now I would thank God for them. They cost McCain the election. Any rational debate that true fiscal and family values conservatives would have had were mixed in the same bag as these people.

www. youtube. com/watch?v=xVFWahLTdUo
www. youtube. com/watch?v=Gl2EndLZv7w
www. youtube. com/watch?v=KjxzmaXAg9E

I would like to personally thank these idiots should they ever muster the courage to actually leave their Petri dish rural environment.

-The Palin Factor: Like I said, I know a few conservatives, most of them aren’t religious zealots (although I do have some family like that) and they told me that in good conscious they couldn’t vote for their ticket. The right wing talking points said that Obama and Palin had the same amount of experience. To which a Military officer who is a friend of mine snidely but honestly from the bottom of his war hardened heart responded, “experience being the same, she’s incapable of answering a straight question, she’s incompetent, she can’t stand up to Putin or anyone else. I voted Obama.” Truly her champions were people who cheered during the procession of The Emperor’s new clothes. She was no Hillary.

http://www. youtube. com/watch?v=nokTjEdaUGg

Smart move old friend...

Right Wing Defectors: Colin Powell put the nail in McCain’s coffin for all Republicans who were creatures of logic over blind faith. He spoke for those who wanted understanding about the real issue, the economy. McCain choose to focus on Ayers and other old professors instead. He lacked vision, thinking his party could influence the moderates and the independents with this. Instead Scott McClellan, Christopher Buckley, etc… became a testament to Obama being able to win over not just working class whites, but conservative whites, which he proved to be able to do in the home stretch.

http://tips. webdesign10. com/politics/more-conservatives-back-obama-346. html

Duh, Economy: These are all compelling arguments, but none of them more of a resounding factor than the economy. Which McCain avoided!!! Had McCain chosen for example Mitt Romney as VP this race would have been much closer in some key states. Here was a well-spoken, respected and successful businessman. He was the most well known Republican after McCain. He made millions from his business, he understood the crisis from a definitively fiscal Republican base, and would have won independents who found no answers in the 2008 GOP ticket. Instead the economy became the blow that McCain/Palin never recovered from.

But what does this all mean?

Is the Revolution over? Hardly. Are the world’s problems solved, not at all. Is Mumia going to get out of jail? I hope Mr.Obama looks into that but I bet it’s not high on his list. The threat of terrorism isn’t over nor is the threat of preemptive strikes. Should people of color now sign up for the Military now that the president looks like someone in their family? Stop it.

In order for Mr. Obama to have become America’s president, he had to back Israel 100%, not mention of the suffering of Palestinians, so the Middle East will not change drastically. Rahm Emanuel whose father was a soldier in the Zionist paramilitary organization called “Irgun” was recently selected as his Chief of Staff. I reserve my judgment and approach with an open mind so as to not give into hypocrisy because a man is not always his father. I just hope Obama can inject different opinions as well as his powerful logic into that conversation. I hope he will normalize relations with Cuba, for the sake of everyone who has family they cannot see, but in order to win Florida he had to change his tone about it. He will not investigate 9/11 although I think that now that he has the power do to so he should not be afraid to use it. I hope he will look into that and into the origin of the faulty intelligence that led us into Iraq.
He will be everyone’s president, but the majority of white America doesn’t see Malcolm X the way I do, nor did they see the Black panthers as freedom fighters, they saw them as terrorists, are we to give up our history and whitewash our heroes and praise those who kept us subservient because of this victory?

Racism hasn’t disappeared and you can always tell a racist/ignorant person by their notion that because Obama is president that we live in a post racial America. It is a sign of progress, it is a great triumph for all people, (after all we forget Barack is half white too.) It is very inspirational, but inspiration alone doesn’t complete a crusade.

I am sometimes accused of being too serious, which fools mistake for negativity. No I just understand that now the idea of Reparations for Blacks in America will be completely off the table. The powerful will remain powerful, the rich will stay rich and we gain advancement only in serving other’s causes that we then accept as our own. He cannot change the past but he can change the future, and this more than anything is what I, and others are hoping he will be able to do expeditiously.

After all he only has 18 months from the time he is elected, until the next congressional election really gets into the swing of things, and Congress turn to the their own races. He will need to act quickly.

The price of having hope is sometimes disappointment, but the price of having no hope is always failure… That said I have a few main concerns for America’s new Caesar: Repairing, regulating and reforming the economy, Healthcare for all the people of the richest country in the world. Bringing logic and reason to the war on terror and “war on drugs”. And lastly the reason that many Latinos and Indigenous people voted for him and delivered in key battleground states. Stopping the criminalization of hardworking immigrants upon whose backs our great nation is built.

I am just a man, one of 300 million, and though my support base is massive, one of the largest in the underground. I know Mr.Obama will never read this. But I have hope for the future you are trying to fight for us to have Mr. Obama and any change from the last 8 years of this record gas price, record home foreclosure, record incompetence (Katrina & Bin Laden’s 8 yr holiday) government is a good start to me. My cup of hope is full, but I sip it slowly, because hope is a powerful drug.

Remember, all politics is local, our job hasn’t ended with the election it has just begun.

Que Viva La Revolucion,

Immortal
Technique

Dec 11, 2008-7st Entry is the Place to be!

2008-11-05T21:44:00.000-06:00

I've know of illuminous 3 for almost 10 years, and ever since i got them to open up for delinquent habits, they have been one of the upcoming rap groups in the twin cities that i truly respect and admire. Well its a long time coming, but finally ILL3 is releasing their album.

Dec. 11, 2008= Freshness on the stage.

Be there!

i will..check the you tube

McCain Calls Obama "That One"

2008-10-08T10:19:00.000-05:00

For those who watched the second Presidential Debate, did you catch the part where McCain referred to Obama not as the senator but as “that one”?

The reason I ask is that there has been a lot of talk lately on blogs, news, talk radio about McCain not showing respect to Obama in the debates and in a sense using some racial undertones in his actions towards Obama. If you don’t know, in early 2000 McCain referred to Vietnamese as gooks, a racial term when he was referring to his prison guards (http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/news_cut/archive/difficult_issues_to_talk_about/)

Even though he eventually apologized for it, (it still doesn’t make it ok!) it lead to many responses from the Vietnamese and the APA (Asian Pacific-Americans) communities in the United States (read a great reaction piece by Michelle Myers feat. poetry by Bao Phi http://www.yellowrage.com/blog/2008/09/revisiting-dear-senator-mccain.html)

But yesterday, the republican presidential nominee stated ‘Discussing a 2005 Senate vote, McCain said, "There was an energy bill on the floor of the Senate loaded down with goodies, billions for the oil companies, and it was sponsored by Bush and Cheney. You know who voted for it? You might never know. That one," he said, motioning toward Obama. "You know who voted against it? Me."’ (http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20081008/cm_thenation/45369738)

That one? Are you for real? THAT ONE? There wasn’t any other term you could have used? At least I can say that was a poor choice of words, because in my social life and cultural experience the phrase “that one” has never been used in a friendly context or environment. In fact, it has mostly leaded to heated arguments and in some cases fights. Because its history is filled with discrimination and racial connotations, because the person who’s always said that phrase has been in power or trying to exert power over someone and when I heard that coming out of McCain’s mouth a “ that motherf***er!” came out of mine, now am I over reacting or am I on to something?

Con Safos Radio- Interview with Melisa from Emetrece Productions

2008-10-06T00:09:00.000-05:00

you know for brown people in MN, its a small world, and this interview was no exception, i had taken a class by melisa riviere at the u of m and i was fascinated by her knowledge of the culture of hip hop but most importantly about her focus on cuba and puerto rican hip hop.Melisa is one of the few individuals who have turned her love for hip hop to a phd degree (please no reference to the puff daddy song!!)

if you don't know by now how influential Melissa is , well lets put it this way she is one of the organizer of the successful b-girl be festival as well as the first one to bring tego calderon (to my knowledge!) to MN. She also happens to be the manager of Maria Isa, but her mom and my madre, well they know each other. Regardless..this interview was one of the highlights of the con safos era, we dig deep into meanings, as well as many other topics and we also played some music you all have never heard. enjoy!

www.emetreceproductions.com

Con Safos Radio- Purest Form performance 2004

2008-10-05T02:09:00.000-05:00

Back in 2004, in the basement of a hamline university building. the birth of Con Safos Radio formed. A radio show that touched on many different styles of music, from local rap music, hip-hop to marvin gaye to herp albert to bocafloja. with the belief that local music needed to heard. we set on a mission to get this accomplished. volunteering time, effort and pizza $$ we delivered a 2 hour show every week. It was hard, it was stressful, it was art and it was us. but most of all it was fun. the shows were never scripted, everything was live like the dj's.

Here is a show we did in the middle of 04 winter. Purest Form (www.purestform.com)a st. Paul based rap group who revolve themselves around the belief that hip hop is a tool of liberation melted the snow as dj suede an activist and fellow vynil junkie spun lp's that led to a cypher. the mics were never the same. enjoy.

Lazy Sundays

2007-07-28T21:40:00.000-05:00

Lazy Sundays...was one of my favorite cartoon books that feature the ever defiant Calvin and Hobbes. Not only for the reason that lazy Sundays meant cartoons, comic book Sundays strips and futbol. but it was the chilaxing day for the family. In a life style where mom would hit the books and dad would try to keep us afloat. busy trying to make ends meet. living on an international student wages. i still wonder how we did it. I remember the days were shopping carts were our mode of transportation because we spend most of our days in goodwill. Woolworth. thrift shops. looking for another's families fortunes in mothball smelling clothes, and outdated hyper color shirts. but it was us. I wasn't ashamed. while other kids might have been, i felt that it was normal. i mean i would do it all over again. because it was the only time i remember we would spend time together. many have memories of vacations that brought them closer. i remember, when i found my first pair of nike's and designer knock off polo shirts, that i would wear with pride. remember the days were dad taught me about cooking rice and slicing government cheese, because those things require skill. these things were found in our Sundays. even watching futbol had a purpose. learning to hope, for change, opportunity that would bring a release of happiness for a brief second. Those were the lazy Sundays. Those were our lazy sundays. Just like hobbes and calvin, using those days to understand each other. embrace the moments that made this our familia.

first blog attempt,

RSC