A Road Scholar Program by Catalina Maria Johnson

Latin hip hop artists are advancing the poetic traditions of their countries in unique ways. Mala Rodriguez of Andalucia certainly knows García Lorca; Ana Tijoux from Chile was raised on protest songs and Pablo Neruda; Residente from Calle 13, Puerto Rico spits out rhymes as carefully crafted as any poet’s; Niña Dioz from Mexico reads dictionaries to find the precise words to fit her ideas and rhymes. Nevertheless, academia and poetic circles have surprisingly not embraced and celebrated these artists as poets. This program, with video and lyric examples will make a case for hip hop as the new poetry with a focus on Latinos in the U.S., the Americas, and Spain. The presentation, paired with slides and musical samples, is lively, light and fun, and focused on participation, discussion, and musical enjoyment! The presentation can be in Spanish, English or Spanglish.

This event is Free and Open to the public. For more information, please contact Christina Abreu at cabreu@niu.edu.