Jewish MLK Event!

[Kfarcenter <Kfarcenter...>]

Realize the Dream:  Unity, Diversity & Hip Hop

Latinos, Blacks and Jews celebrate the vision of Martin Luther King Jr. 
through Hip-Hop.

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On the weekend preceding the commemoration of the life of this century's most 
revered civil rights leader, a unique set of Hip-Hop concerts will bring 
together African-American, Latino and Jewish musicians and audiences for a 
show of diversity of which the late civil rights leader literally dreamt.

The performers include two bands whose rosters alone might achieve that feat. 
 Making their Chicago debut is the Latino-Jewish band Hip Hop Hoodios, whose 
name is derived from a twist on the Spanish word for Jew, or Judio.  Drawing 
on their dual Latino-Jewish heritage, Los Hoodios combine the vitality of 
Latin alternative music with American-Jewish culture for fun-filled, 
trilingual mayhem.  

Led by Josue Noriega, the four band members have roots in Puerto Rico, 
Colombia, and Mexico as well as Jewish culture.  Using a mix of live 
instrumentation and samples, they meld Hebrew with merengue and layer 
Jewish-themed rhymes atop salsa rhythms to create tracks like "Havana Nagila" 
off their CD, Raza Hoodia.  The band features members of several acclaimed 
Latin alternative bands, including La Barranca and Jaguares.   Samples of the 
band's music are available on its website, http://www.hoodios.com.

Organic Mind Unit (www.organicmindunit.com), the Chicago-based ensemble 
performing with Hip Hop Hoodios, has been gathering acclaim of its own.  They 
recently opened for hip hop pioneers De La Soul in Denver and have drawn 
strong crowds at their local performances, during which they use lyrical 
intellect and live instrumentation to bring hip-hop to new heights.  Organic 
Mind Unit's three African-American and two Jewish musicians don't tout their 
ethnic makeup, but lyrical references are made to certain cultural cues, 
according to band member Dan Weiss, aka Verbal Kent..

The events are part of Kfar Jewish Arts Center's music series,  <A 
HREF="http://www.kfarcenter.com/tzitzitindex.html";>Tzitzit: 
Voices from the Jewish Fringe</A> and are sponsored by the Alliance of Latinos 
and Jews (www.latinosandjews.org) and the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs 
(www.jcua.org)  Additional information and advance tickets are available at  <A 
HREF="http://www.kfarcenter.com/emailindex.html";>
www.kfarcenter.com</A> . 

Vital Event Information:
Saturday, January 18th, 10pm  @ The Note, 1565 N. Milwaukee in Chicago.
Sunday, January 19th, 8pm  @ The HotHouse, 31 E. Balbo in in Chicago.
Tickets for both shows are $10.

Contact information: 
Adam Davis 773.550.1543, adamrdavis (at) kfarcenter(dot)com,     <A 
HREF="http://www.kfarcenter.com/emailindex.html";>www.kfarcenter.com</A>  

About Kfar Jewish Arts Center:
Kfar Jewish Arts Center serves to stimulate, promote and produce the next 
generation of Jewish expression.  Hebrew for "village," Kfar brings together 
a community of Jewish musicians, writers, performers, artists and audiences 
to celebrate contemporary Jewish culture through the arts.