The first I heard of Bolivian rapper Abraham Bojorquez was, unfortunately, his tragic and untimely death in May this year. Aged 26, he was run down by a bus in the city of El Alto (the huge sprawl which sits above La Paz.) I read an article on this website and since reading it have been on the lookout for some of his music. Thanks to Ghetto Bassquake I have managed to find an album by Ukamau y Ké, his group, and it lives up to the reputation.
Bojorquez learnt his trade in Brazil while working in a textile factory. Intrigued by the role rap played for the young people of the favelas (as a means of expression), when he returned to Bolivia in 2003 he went about creating a rap scene in El Alto. Founding the group Ukamau y Ké and starting open-mic sessions, Bojorquez was, as Ghetto Bassquake puts it, The Godfather of Bolivian Rap.
Wayna Tambo radio community station where Bojorquez had a showHe was first and foremost a rapper of the people, his songs often political and social, dealing with the problems faced by the native Bolivian people in light of the years of opression and struggle against autocratic and racist regimes, or indeed individuals. He brought Aymaran, (The first language of 73% of El Alto's population and 25% of Bolivia's) culture to hip-hop and to the world, changing between rapping in Spanish and Aymara. The personal account given by
Benjamin Dangl on the above site or here is a testament to the young producer and MC.
Here is another interesting article by Dangl from 2006 about Aymaran hip-hop in El Alto.
My own tribute is a remix of the Ukamau y Ké track La Coca, download below:
Ukamau Y Ké - La Coca (El Buho Remix)
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Another month passes and it is time for another Rhythm 'n' Roots mix. This time inspiration came from the latest ZZK Compilation and includes four tracks from the album as well as a few other ZZK tracks from other releases and a whole host of great music drawn from my collection and new discoveries from scouring the internet. It has lots of rhythm and lots of roots for the arrival of summer in the northern hemisphere and winter down here in the southern.
Winter is a comin' in (Photo from here)
Download, listen, spread it around and enjoy! (Click the snow or the link below.)
- Lulacruza - Soloina
- Doña María - Doña María
- Marta Gómez - Chicharra
- Caballeros Con Descuento - El Francés
- The Knife - Got to Let You Go (Tropical Mix)
- Chancha Via Circuito - Selva
- Omzo - Li Guen Pt II
- Kingdom - Jump Up Step Back
- Princessa - I Feel So Good (El Remolón Mix)
- Petrona Martínez - Un Niño Que Llora en Las Montes de María + El Hueso (King Coya Remix)
- Frikstailers - Cumbia Kamisama
- Kirat - Mamma
- Balkan Beat Box - Habibi Min Zaman (BBB Remix)
- Passaic (?) - Goza New Jersey, Baile New York
- Systema Solar - Mi Kolombia
- El Remolón - Escape a Barcelona (Ft Blitto & Jahcoozi)
- Flying Lotus - GNG BNG
- Chosan, LF & El Gambina - O.N.E. (One.Nation.Emerging)
- Kinksi - Badunk Gadunk (VS Burial)
- Daleduro - La Poli
- The Heatwave - Piano Riddim (Rubidan Vocal - Higher Heights)
- Theophilus London - Grey X Stage (El Buho Remix)
Earlier Mixes:
March 09 - Rhythm 'n' Roots Volume I
April 09 - Rhythm 'n' Roots Volume II
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Illuminate, the Argentine hip-hop group, have turned their talents to promoting and showcasing DJs spinning something original. Every Thursday in May they are putting on a night of music and images with a uniting theme: Grassroots (pretty good for this blog then?)
Going back to the roots of many now mutated styles, they wil be showcasing:
07/May - Hip-Hop: LA TEJA PRIDE - DJ ROB
14/May - Dub: HUMANIDUB - DJ DALEDURO
21/May - Funk: AFROMAMA CREW - DJ CASABLANCA (100% Vin)
28/May - Dancehall:: DJ NELSON - DJ SANTI PALAZZO
What's more, they will be performing live at each show (under a different guise!) have a human beat-box on call and VJ Pablo DSG doing the images.
@ MAKENA CANTINA CLUB (Fitz Roy 1519 - Palermo) 22hs, 10pesos entrance. Get on the list here: raizdepasto@gmail.com
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