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Greetings,

It is with great pleasure that I announce a wonderful program for Black and/or Latino History Months. For many decades Brazil has occupied the imagination of Americans. In recent times, films like City of God have brought that fascination to a younger generation. Within the hip hop generation, City of God has become a constant point of reference much like the film "Scarface" and many others.

It's time to go beyond the images presented in the film. Legendary Brazilian rapper/activist, Eli Efi will be touring college campuses, schools, and community organizations to speak about the realities of Afro-Brazilian youth, violence, drugs, and hip hop. He is available for performances, workshops, and speaking engagements. Panel topics include but not limited to:

* From Samba to Hip Hop: The Black Arts Movement in Brazil
* Hip Hop & Grassroots Organizing in Brazil
* Afro-Brazilian Identity: The 20th Century Black Movement
* Hands on Brazilian Percussion workshop

For booking: bookingeliefi@gmail.com /917-607-8590

BIO:


Eli Efi is a hip hop artist/activist, born and raised in São Paulo, Brasil. In 1988, he founded the politically charged rap group DMN. DMN recorded their first single for the Consciencia Black compilation in 1991. In 1992, they released their first album Cada Vez Mais Preto followed by H.Aço in 1996, Saida de Emergencia in 2001, and Essa É A Cena in 2003.

The group has been nominated for best video and best rap group at the MTV Brazil Video Music Awards, best rap song of the year at the Hutus Hip Hop Awards Festival, and won best music video at the São Paulo Shorts Film Festival. In addition, Eli Efi was one of the founding members of Hip Hop DJ, Brasil's premier annual DJ championship.

In 2004, he left DMN and now continues his musical career alongside DJ Laylo. Blending banging beats with sharp lyrics, Eli Efi & Laylo bring forth the best of Brazilian Hip Hop. Together, they bring hip hop back to a place where MCs rocked alongside DJs to move the crowd but with an international flavor with Eli Efi rhyming in Portuguese and Laylo always finding a way to blend some Samba or Salsa into the brew. They have performed throughout the United States, Brasil, Mexico, Colombia, and Chile and have shared the stage with all the biggest names in international hip hop as well as U.S. based artists.

Eli Efi has become well-known and respected for his hard-line stance against racism, poverty, and injustice not only onstage but in his community as well. Eli Efi has worked in numerous community based and political projects. He is a member of Abevic, a neighborhood association that uses hip hop culture to work with young people to promote critical thinking and cooperative work and offers alphabetization classes to adults and elders. In 1998, he was one of the organizers of the now historic Hip Hop, Juventude, e Lula Festival which brought some of the most progressive rap artists together in support of Lula, the current president of Brasil. Most recently, he was an educator for a series of arts and political education workshops sponsored by Zulu Nation Brasil in São Paulo.

Booking: bookingeliefi@gmail.com /917-607-8590
www.myspace.com/eliefi