Thursday, June 11, 2009

ESTILO HIP HOP





Familia I wanted to put you on (if you are not already put on) to a film by DJ Laylo (Liberation Lounge/Fania Live!) about the global impact of Hip-Hop...peep below for the official press release...and be sure to check it out when it airs on Global Voices Series on PBS WORLD Channel Sunday June 28 at 10PM.



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTShana Louallen 646.359.8448 ShanaLovesPR@gmail.com
For more information about the program, visit: http://wwwestilohiphop.net/http://www.pbs.org/itvs/globalvoices/estilohiphop.htmlFor downloadable images, visit http://pressroom.pbs.org/

NEW DOCUMENTARY, ESTILO HIP HOP, REVEALS THE POWERFUL ROLE HIP HOP PLAYS IN BRINGING SOCIAL CHANGE TO LATIN AMERICA

Film to Premiere on Global Voices Series on PBS WORLD ChannelSunday June 28 at 10PM

(San Francisco, CA) – Hip Hop music has the ability to give a voice to the disenfranchised in any country, and as music with a message it is a form available to all societies worldwide. Directed by New York based filmmakers, Loira Limbal and Virgilio Bravo, ESTILO HIP HOP chronicles the lives of three hip hop enthusiasts from Brazil, Chile and Cuba who firmly believe that hip hop can change the world. These three inspirational leaders mobilize young people to become politically active. However as the stakes assume greater risks, the leaders are faced with challenges and have to make life-altering decisions that ultimately impact the course of their lives and of the hip hop movement. ESTILO HIP HOP will air nationally on Global Voices on PBS WORLD on Sunday, June 28 at 10 PM.

Within vast breathtaking landscapes we meet, Eli Efi, Guerrillero Okulto, and Magia. As we delve into their lives, we learn about the movements they lead and the personal price they pay because of their political stance. Eli Efi is a hip-hop artist born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil who addresses his community’s dire living conditions through his lyrics. Inspired by American Rap groups such as Public Enemy, he founded the politically charged rap group “Defenders of the Black Movement” (DMN). DMN recorded five albums, receiving praise from the hip-hop community and music industry. As the group becomes successful, DMN is approached to sign a new record deal with a label that has nationwide distribution through SONY. When faced with the choice to “lighten” his lyrics or to remain true to his political beliefs, Eli makes a drastic decision that alters the trajectory of his burgeoning rap career.


In Santiago, Chile, we meet Guerrillero Okulto, hip hop recording artist and absentee father to two pre-teen girls. As one of the most respected and effective youth organizers in the nation’s capital, Guerrillero is propelled to bring change to his community. He leads a citywide collective known as Hiphoplogia [The Logic of Hip Hop] whose primary focus is to conduct alternative political education workshops throughout marginal neighborhoods in Santiago. Guerrillero spends his time conducting free workshops on the media, rallying teenage kids to become politically active while struggling to hold down a construction job in order to provide for his daughters. Despite his daughters feeling the void created by his absence, Guerrillero pursues his first solo album; not only to spread his political messages further but to keep his commitments to his family.


In Havana, Cuba, Magia and her husband Alexei, form the popular rap duo Obsesión. Using limited resources to create their music, Magia reflects on the contradictions of Cuban socialism and the often times repressive role that women face within it. Obsesión’s music has created an afro-centric movement among black youth challenging the Cuban Revolution to address the racism and sexism that often times goes ignored by the government. Their well-defined sound has caught the attention of many across the world, allowing Obsesión the privilege of performing in the UK, France, Venezuela, Canada and the US. Magia is also one of the founding members of La Fabri¬_ka, a collective of artists dedicated to using hip hop to promote messages of political involvement and social change. As La Fabri_ka prepares for their next event, Magia comes face to face with a government that wants to silence their voice.
ESTILO HIP HOP is a journey through the lives of three modern day freedom fighters who truly believe in the power of hip-hop to bring awareness and social change to their countries. The film will be available for download to own on ITunes Summer 2009.

***
http://www.estilohiphop.net/