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Welfare Poets: HAITI!!! Rhymes, Cop Watch, Hoods, Barrios and Teaching KIds
Message Board > Album Reviews > Welfare Poets: HAITI!!! Rhymes, Cop Watch, Hoods, Barrios and Teaching KIds
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Lordpatch
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"As this trend towards representative democracy grows, so does the distance between the representatives and the allegedly represented . Despite this international trend, it can also be argued that those who hold representative power exercise that power in the interest of narrow segments of society; or, those who can afford their services. For the poor, and for working people (most of us), whether one votes or not, or even who one votes for, is increasingly irrelevant." -- mumia abu jamal

“Uninformed is the worst way to be unarmed.”
--The Media

http://victoria.indymedia.org/news/2005/05/40601.php

Welfare Poets: HAITI!!! Words, Rhymes, Cop Watch, Hoods, Barrios and
Teaching KIds

NB. more Hip Hop crews (The Welfare Poets) who take their skillz to
teach kids and put back into the hoods and barrios they come from -- the
deed we need in Victoria: "the Welfare Poets have joined and led
campaigns for the Freedom of Political Prisoners, for the establishment
of Cop Watch, Environmental Justice in NYC, Vieques, and fighting for
human rights worldwide...."

http://bc.indymedia.org/newswire/index.php


“Uninformed is the worst way to be unarmed.” – The Media, Welfare Poets
RHYMES FOR TREASON Welfare Poets Celebrate New Album MAY 12TH @ REMY
LOUNGE 104 Greenwich Street, Doors Open 9pm $10 Admission HOSTED BY:
Flaco Navaja and Russell Shoatz III PERFORMANCES BY: M – 1 of dead prez,
Don Divino, Alkebulan, Yaya and Special Invited Guests NEW YORK CITY,
Spring, 2005 – Mind-Stirring! Inspirational! Heart-Thumping! The
socio-political collective, the Welfare Poets have compiled a 14-track
lyrical masterpiece entitled Rhymes for Treason. Following the release
of their successful first album, Project Blues, in 2000, Rhymes for
Treason promises once again to deliver transformative, thought-provoking
lyrics with Afro-Caribbean beats, Hip Hop, funk and jazz. Haiti,
Vieques, Iraq, the current state of Hip Hop, and the role of the media
in today’s society are only a few of the issues that have been given a
voice in the new album. Rhymes for Treason is not only information and
inspiration, charging America with hypocrisy in its brand of democracy
and its attempts at capitalist globalization, but it is also an
indictment on the continuing erosion of our civil liberties, evident in
the passage of laws like the Patriot Act(s) and the Anti-Terrorism Bill.
“Our work is to bring information and inspiration to the welfanos of the
world living under a system where we don’t fare too well in order to
collectively determine our shared future,” said the Welfare Poets.

The Welfare Poets:

THE COLLECTIVE: Educators, Organizers and Performers

The Welfare Poets interpret indigenous forms of poetry and music,
including Hip Hop, Bomba, Plena, Afro-Cuban Jazz, Funk, and Blues. Using
the power of arts and culture, the Welfare Poets bring together people
to realize the collective potential, and ultimately address social,
political and economic issues critical to the survival of all
communities. In addition to facilitating literacy workshops for
students, parents and teachers, the Welfare Poets have joined and led
campaigns for the Freedom of Political Prisoners, for the establishment
of Cop Watch, Environmental Justice in NYC, Vieques, and fighting for
human rights worldwide. They are also releasing an independent
documentary about the death penalty due out the summer of 2005 called
“Cruel and Unusual Punishment.”


Most recently, the Welfare Poets performed at a tribute to Malcolm X,
held at the Abyssinian Church in Harlem (New York City) on February 21,
2005, and at the Anti-War protest this past March 19th in Central Park,
marking the 2nd anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq.

ABOUT THE ALBUM

Sak Pasé
From its monumental revolution and establishment as the first free
Black nation in the Western Hemisphere, to its current crisis, Sak Pasé
is a cry for liberty and freedom for a nation that has contributed so
much to the world; Haiti. The song is played in Cuban Cha Cha Cha with a
touch of Hip Hop, with usage of Haitian Creole. Some terms used are Sak
Pasé, Nag Bulé, Liberté a Ayiti translated to What’s up/Burning or I’m
hot/Emancipate Haiti, respectively. Also mentioned is Bwa Kayman, the
spiritual site in Haiti where Vodou Priest, Boukman held the ceremony
that started the revolution in the 1790’s, which is still inspiring
ideas of freedom and revolution in the minds of millions around the world.

The Media
Written before and after 9/11, The Media examines the role of the press,
its relationship to multinational corporations and their desire to
manufacture an illusory consensus. The epic poem connects the struggle
to free Vieques (Puerto Rico), the genocide committed against the proud
people of Palestine by the imperialist governments of both Israel and
the United States, and the American occupation of Iraq. The Media was
first performed at the historical “The World Says No to War” Rally in
NYC on February 15, 2003 for a crowd of more than 500,000 protestors
against the US’ illegal war in Iraq.

Rhyme For Reason
This song is another call for our modern day griots (Hip Hop emcees) to
live up to the 5th principle of Hip Hop, which is Knowledge, Wisdom and
Overstanding. It is also a show of force in the face of all our civil
liberties being deprived due to the enactment of laws like the Patriot
Act(s) and the Anti-Terrorist Bill. We boldly claim that we fight for
the abolishment of this cruel system of capitalism as we attempt to
expose the contradiction in America’s democracy and their continued plan
to dominate the planet.

The Welfare Poets are: Ray Ramirez (Rayzer Sharp – vocals, coro), Hector
Rivera (HecOne - vocals, coro), Djibril Toure (bass, vocals), Jamaki
Knight (drums, vocals), Emi (keyboards, trumpet, vocals, coro), Angel
Rodriguez (congas, vocals, cuás, chékere), Jorge Vázquez (barriles,
cuás, maracas, panderetas, güiro, congas, bongó, drums, coro), Fidel
Paulino (guitars, coro), Kwami Coleman (keyboards, coro), Camilo Molina
(barriles, panderetas, trumpet, drums), Elliot Cabrera (sax, coro) and
Dahu Ala (trumpet, vocals).


http://www.welfarepoets.com

"Sak Pasé" Free Downloads:

http://victoria.indymedia.org/news/2005/05/40601.php

or

http://bc.indymedia.org/newswire/index.php

Sak Pasé
From its monumental revolution and establishment as the first free
Black nation in the Western Hemisphere, to its current crisis, Sak Pasé
is a cry for liberty and freedom for a nation that has contributed so
much to the world; Haiti.

http://bc.indymedia.org/newswire/index.php - Sun, 8 May 2005 8:48pm
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