Can We Pacify the Population?

Picture from: http://www.zulunation.com/afrika20.jpg, Africa Bambaataa

see http://www.zulunation.com/afrika.html


Whether the authorities can pacify the population, in this time of economic and financial collapse is an open question. The real estate bubble has reached even to the South Bronx, where following from Harlem in Manhattan rents are up. Nevertheless the party goes on.

The Hip Hop Nation enjoyed a party at the Bronx Museum, at 1040 Grand Concourse, Friday night November 2nd. This is third offering of the First Friday program which will continue at the beginning of each month featuring film and video screenings, art performances, music and other special events. This month’s event, “Bronx Rap is Back” was a celebration of Hip Hop History Month. The event was made in honor of the Bronx’s own Afrika Bambaataa and the Zulu Nation and was a totally free, public event.

The night featured Latina turntablist DJ Chela spinning old and new school hip hop mixed with go-go, dancehall, and salsa; the Puerto Rican/Dominican lyricist Patty Dukes from the Bronx performing with the emcee RephStar; the hip hop trio Rebel Diaz rhyming about immigration, politics and life in the South Bronx; Eli Efi, of Brazil, rapping in Portuguese with DJ Laylo spinning a blend of samba and salsa; and the Spanish rapper El Meswy, mixing a Latin vibe with a hardcore New York hip hop style.

Here’s a little about Mr. Afrika Bambaataa, also known as Bam, known as the “Grandfather” and “Godfather” of Hip Hop Culture as well as “The Father of The Electro Funk Sound”. His network is the Zulu Nation, inspired by studies of African history. The Zulus are a famous warrior tribe in South Africa who defeated the British Empire several times. As Bam continued his deejaying, more DJs, rappers, break dancers, graffiti writers, and artists followed him and became members of the Zulu Nation. The official birthday of the Universal Zulu Nation is November 12, 1973, and November has been designated Hip Hop culture month.

Bam and other music stars worked on the anti-apartheid album Sun City with Little Steven Van Zandt, Run-D.M.C., and Lou Reed in 1985. By 1992, Bam had his own Planet Rock Records label, and in1994 Bam and his SoulSonic Force put out the album "Lost Generations". In that same year he began deejaying on radio station Hot 97 FM. For more information see http://www.zulunation.com/afrika.html.

Ariel Fernandez is the producer of the First Friday series at the Bronx Museum, and his production company is Asho Productions. Hip Hop, he says, has four elements: rap, the DJ, the MC and break dancers, though it wasn’t possible to bring break dancers on Friday. With 125 or more people at the event, Mr. Fernandez was very happy. He has been a DJ in Cuba and since 2005, in New York.

The next First Friday event will be on December 7th, 6:00pm and will feature- Salsa & Bachata to Merengue & Son: the Popular Music of Two Islands, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. There will be live band performances and DJs covering popular musical genres. First Fridays are supported by Deutsche Bank and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Additional marketing support is provided by The New York Community Trust. For more information, call 718-681-6000.