Music: Krip-Hop and Sins Invalid

In January, a cd of hip-hop music by disabled artists was released. It's called Krip-Hop, Vol. 1, and information on how to get the cd is here. Participating artists come from the UK, Spain, Zambia, Haiti, and all over the United States. From the press release:

Artists with disabilities are in the music industry from Blues to Hip-Hop. From Blind Willie Johnson to Professor Blind F8 and Cripple Clarence Lofton to Four Wheel City, our music has helped shape the world we live in. Krip-Hop continues this legacy with many voices from the US, UK, Spain, Africa & Haiti rapping not only to the Hip-Hop generation but to society and the world as a whole about the talents, politics and sexuality we embodied and at the same time fighting against the discrimination that isolates us from one another. Krip-Hop displays the beauty and strength of collaboration and disabled music history, present and future.

On this mixtape you’ll hear gospel rap by Pastr S’wayne, old school, Crank (from Down South) by da Southern Boyz, Deaf Krip-Hop by the Helix Boyz, international Krip-Hop, by Jake of Spain, C.R.I.$.I.$ of Africa, political Krip-Hop by DJ Quad smooth radical spoken stories by ‘ron daniella and more. This is Vol. 1 and we know that there are many voices that are not on this CD. Please help us with Krip-Hop Mixtape Vol. 2. Krip-Hop is a promotional product. Our aim is to get the musical talents of hip-hop artists with disabilities into the hands of media outlets, educators, and hip-hop, disabled and race scholars, youth, hip-hop conference coordinators and agents etc.. On Jan 15, 2007, Krip-Hop will be on cdbaby.com and www.poormagazine.com and www.leroymoore.com

Producer Leroy Moore also announces the Sins Invalid call to artists:

Sins Invalid is a night of resistance to invisibility, celebrating the power of the disabled body as beautiful. We know that the world of embodied and enforced norms oppresses all of us, regardless of where we identify on the spectrum of sexuality, gender or ability. The event is a gift for participants and audience alike, encouraging a healing for all who challenge themselves honestly when unearthing sexual expression.

Sins Invalid is directed by people with disabilities; the majority of the artists identify as disabled; all of the artists will address disability and embodiment and/or sexuality.

Sins Invalid: An Unshamed Claim to Beauty in the Face of Invisibility

CALL TO ARTISTS

A performance event to reveal poetic bodies and hot activism, Sins Invalid invites a re/view of embodiment, with performers and video artists speaking truths about their bodies and stripping taboos off of sexuality and disability.

In 2006, disabled artists put disability and sexuality on San Francisco's culture map, knocking the doors of silence open to bare wide the beauty of disability and the pain of dehumanization. Our stories reflected our lives in the community, our homes, our bodies and in the body politic.

This year, Sins Invalid invites YOU to get it up and put it on stage –- stories of gettin' some, gettin' none, the wanting of self and the embrace of difference. We seek stories of our living and tales which spin against policies that negate us and institutions that seek to deny us. And this year, we continue this artistic healing celebration, expanding our sights to seek parents with disabilities / people with disabilities who have thought about parenting inviting stories that talk back to the fabrication that we are un-fit.

Sins Invalid 2007 is open to artistic expression in all its form -- performance art, videos, spoken word, storytelling, song and visual media -- whose core expresses sexuality, power, healing and activism. We are looking for artistic expression that invites the audience to re/view sexuality & disability. We want artists who assert a personal/political statement on sexuality relating to constructions of disability. This call is open to artists with and without disabilities of all ages and ethnicities.

If interested, please submit your work to:
Sins Invalid
1370 University Ave. #316
Berkeley, CA 94702
sinsinvalid07@yahoo.com

You can send a CD or DVD. If you do not have examples of your work on cd/dvd, please contact us for alternate formats. Please feel free to email any questions to sinsinvalid07@yahoo.com or call (510) 689-7198. We will contact you to confirm receipt of your work.

Deadline for entries: May 2007.

If you need more info, please don't hesitate to contact me at: sfdamo@yahoo.com

Thank you.

Leroy F. Moore Jr.
On The Outskirts: Race & Disability Consultant
sfdamo@yahoo.com, www.leroymoore.com www.nmdc.us www.poormagazine.org www.molotovmouths.com