EL CUATRO – Aysha and the boys take it to the streets

So the goal of “La Semana de Hip Hop” was to present the four elements of Hip Hop to Santa Cruz.  Claudia did an AMAZING job in assembling our crew of four: 

DJ Ark and the kids

Yogui 13 freestyles for the crowd

DJ Ark is not only a great DJ, but he’s Bolivia’s primary Hip Hop DJ.   Yogui 13 is a dope emcee.  Dibustyle and 1979 are two incredible graffiti artists.   And then, well, there is yours truly holding down the dance component.  

We visited three cultural centers located throughout Santa Cruz (La Cuchilla, Alto San Pedro, and Villa de 1 de Mayo).  Underneath sunny skies, we each took our turn covering the key information about our respective element and then did some kind of demo with the students.  We had 70-120 students at one time.  The students learned how to scratch a record, the art of freestyling, basic top rocks and the four principles and how to make bubble style graffiti. 

Dibustyle & 1979 showcase their art

I get the kids moving

I really enjoyed working with my five Bolivian brothers the whole week.  We were able to collaborate on the spot because we all spoke the same language, well besides Spanish…we were all versed in the true roots of Hip Hop. I am positive the students left knowing so much more about this culture than when they came and I know that the Hip Hop scene in Santa Cruz is going to grow. It's great to know that there are artists right there committed to sharing the art and the history.