On November 29 at Mojitos Café in New York City, an incredible night of progressive music began with the singing of “Despierta Borinqueña”, the original anthem of Puerto Rico written by Lolita Rodriguez de Tío. The song was interpreted by Juan Cartagena, director of the NJ Based Bomba & Plena group Segunda Quimbamba. During the anthem, fists were raised in the air in respect and honor for the freedom fighters of Puerto Rico past and current.
This was the third fundraiser for the Puerto Rican Freedom Project, spearheaded by the Welfare Poets to produce a CD in which all profits go towards the support of the Puerto Rican political prisoners. In the similar fashion, El David, vocalist for Segunda Quimbamba, produced a CD in 2007 called “Word War I” where many artists of all genres donated their artistic works to raise money for the Puerto Rican Political prisoners.
The Welfare Poets have always been at the forefront of every fight for social justice, political prisoner issues and community activism. Their music, a mixture of Hip-Hop, Latin/Caribbean, Jazz and Spoken Word, contains lyrics
of social justice anti oppression and anti capitalism. They are the Public Enemy of today. The Welfare Poets have put this event together calling it the Puerto Rican Freedom Project and have been organizing a series of fundraisers to raise enough money for distribution of the album. The event on November 29th included, Bomba & Plena group Segunda Quimbamba, the sultry R&B Jazz of Alkebulan, underground Hip-Hop Group Division X and of course the Welfare Poets. Hosting the event was legendary Nuyorican Poet Jesus “Papoleto” Melendez.
After the inspirational rendition of “Despierta Borinqueña”,
Segunda Quimbamba performed a song called “Juanita cruza el Charco” and “No lloren por mi”, a song which paid tribute to the late revolutionary Comandante of los Macheteros, Filiberto Ojeda Rios.
The Welfare Poets followed with their own hip hop tribute to Filiberto Ojeda Rios. Division X took the stage and ripped serious conscious hip hop lyrics that sent shockwaves through the minds of everyone present. The extremely talented Alkebulan, her band and beautiful & talented back up singer Melissa Rivera were clearly the highlight of the evening with sultry jazz & R&B fusion that had the entire audience entranced. At one point Alkebulan stopped singing to speak to the crowd over her bands music to advise the people not to get too excited about the new president as if he is going to “fly out of the sky with an O on his chest and save the world, because oppression and injustice for people of color and women is still present in this world”.
The most touching and inspirational part of the evening was the closing when everyone was given a piece of Pedro Pietri’s “Puerto Rican Obituary” and beginning with Papoleto, read the poem out loud. Each person read a section of the poem until the end. This was clearly a night of serious word and drum. Word and drum as a weapon.