Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Venezuelan MOVIMIENTO Hits T.O.

by Hassan Reyes
Basics #11 (November 2008)

Three of the members of Venezuelan rap group Familia Negra: Aja (Axe), Scott, and DJ Ancho.


On October 18th, Toronto’s VIDA Lounge was graced by some of the best revolutionary hip-hop in any language.

The Movimiento show featured 2 of Venezuela’s premier hip –hop acts: AREA 23 from the infamous 23 de Enero neighbourhood and artists/ community activists Familia Negra blessed the stage for their first visit in Canada and Quebec. The Venezuelans were accompanied by Toronto latin hip-hop pioneers Code Blue who are about to release a new album, ‘Premature’.
The concert was part of the 1st round of FRENTE NORMAN BETHUNE, a movement started by Barrio Nuevo to build people-to-people solidarity with Venezuela, as well as to coordinate on-the-ground community-organizing training for organizers in Canada, Quebec and First Nations territories to train in Venezuela.

Other acts who also lent their talents for the night included Vaughan and Oakwood’s Wasun, spoken word artist’s Sun and Spin as well as DJ D Boyz from Cuba and eLman from Dos Mundos Radio on the turntables.

Movimiento capped off a successful first tour that included similar performances all over Toronto as well as Montreal and Ottawa.

The crowd was treated to some of the best conscious hip-hop culture that this hemisphere has to offer, as well as being shown that the people of this hemisphere are coming together to fight for our common struggle.

Venezuelan rap group Área 23 at the House of Reggae in Montreal, Saturday, October 11.