El Vuh continues building Winter Solstice momentum At Dragonfly Nightclub in Hollywood, CA

On Friday December 10 at the Dragonfly Nightclub in Hollywood, El Vuh performed as part of a hard-hitting hip-hop line up which included 5th Battalion, Olmeca, 2MEX, and Chino XL. With such an array of artists on hand, the crowd filled the Dragonfly early.

On the eve of the release of El Vuh’s Winter Solstice, E-RISE and Zero performed three songs from their 4-track EP. They did this without the services of their brother Victor-E, who was representing the Vuh tribe in Mexico at a native dance ceremony called 4 Tonantzin Tlalli. Wanting to equally represent in the “City of Angels”, E-RISE dropped an a capella from “Curanderos” and highlighted the spirituality embedded in the chorus to the crowd. At the end of “I Can Remember”, Zero engaged the crowd with an extended conversation on love. His message was that if you haven’t found that love in your heart for whoever it is you care about in your world, you need to find it. E-RISE emphasized how women are not only an important part of the family unit, but also the backbone of society. Needless to say, the crowd responded with a strong ovation.

El Vuh came with a couple of surprises that night. They dug deep into the vaults and performed “Open Mic”, a classic hidden track from the Jaguar Prophecies album. For those that have never heard it, check it. El Vuh had the crowd hitting the roof on that one. Between songs, Zero addressed the crowd regarding the surplus of self-proclamation and beefing in hip-hop. Showing the power in unity, El Vuh brought the legendary 2MEX on stage even before he was scheduled to perform. 2MEX delighted the crowd with a freestyle before El Vuh went into the song they collaborated on with him, “Son of the Sun” from the Elvuhlution album. Over an ocean of arms in the air, the Vuh brought it home with that track. Nothing like hip-hop unity to excite the crowd.

2MEX went into his set not missing a beat, telling the crowd in more elaborate words that he doesn’t need myspace or facebook, he can make his point live. One of the best lyricists out of LA, 2MEX shows no signs of slowing down. As always, he kept the crowd moving with his high energy.

Chino XL continues to amaze with his lyrical arsenal, making people have to analyze his clever metaphors and similes a second time. Fans clearly appreciated the lyricism he brought amidst the oversaturation of suboptimal hip-hop music presented through mainstream media. In fact, all of these gifted artists have made their noise without the help of those outlets, proving that radio is only as good as what you are listening to.

Shout out to all the artists that performed that evening. The Dirty Apes performance to open the show threw down the hip-hop gauntlet and set the tone for the rest of the evening. El Vuh, short one Victor-E, was able to harness that energy and deliver the lyrical medicine we’ve come to expect from these spiritual warriors.

El Vuh Battles Against Anti-Immigrant Sentiment and Joins the Struggle to Maintain Ethnic Studies

This past weekend (Dec. 2-4) El Vuh returned to Tucson, AZ to participate in "Combating Hate, Censorship, and Forbidden Curriculums." This conference/concert was a gathering of community activists, artists, students, and academics from all levels. Organized by University of Arizona professor Dr. Roberto Cintli Rodriguez, the conference and concert were held at the University of Arizona, YWCA and El Rio Community Center. The purpose of this conference was to create a dialogue and highlight the trickle down effect of legislation like SB1070. Laws such as this have not only unfairly targeted and profiled citizens, but have also stirred up negative emotions that proposed more changes, such as recent campaigns by politicians favoring the elimination of ethnic studies in K-12 and institutions of higher education. El Vuh brought the indigenous energy indicative of the moral and cultural elements in danger of being omitted completely in American society. The group reiterated that as long as we continue to have dialogues like this one, that feat will not be easy to accomplish.

Among others, El Vuh was part of a collection of artists that shared the stage at the conference with well known scholars that included Rodolfo Acuña and Cherríe Moraga. Getting a spectrum of perspectives from supporters of ethnic studies and immigrant rights is what made this conference so special. Many times we find that institutions of higher education tend to exclude the issues directly affecting our communities, and we do not always see example of how to make those connections between art and reality. For example, El Vuh emphasized the miseducation of the masses through artificial outlets like media and popular culture in their song "Curandero." The knowledge passed on by our ancestors was always done so through dialogue. The spiritual meanings and metaphors of ancient wisdom that give us direction and purpose can be found in our most cherished places, like our communities. Similarly, Moraga explained the dual nature of Ometeotl and how it relates to the issues of freedom and hate that are currently issues of primary concern. The surplus of hateful sentiments by the powers that be revolving around immigration and ethnic studies creates a dangerous imbalance in our society. As history has shown, when the people come to this realization, they organize and resist these injustices.

Bringing together activists, scholars, and artists like El Vuh sends a powerful message. Dr. Rodriguez made it clear that these are not just issues being analyzed at the university level. Communities overlap across institutions, and maintain the solidarity needed to combat inequality. At the forefront is our youth, which make up a large portion of our future leadership. El Vuh always points to the power of the youth, which also represent an intricate part of their fan base. The youth is so diverse that their inspirations are not always the same. Sometimes their inspiration can be found in a book by Rudolfo Acuña. Other times, in an El Vuh cd. Understanding this concept, activism across different platforms is always needed. When there is an active dialogue within student/community activists and individuals like Cherríe Moraga and El Vuh, you realize that universal knowledge cannot be categorized, nor contained.

PS-Shout out to Taqueria Rodriguez in Eloy, AZ for their hospitality on the journey back to Cali!

-Samuel Robinson

The Vuh - Wu Connection

If you missed the El Vuh/Ghostface Killah show at the Roxy this past Friday Nov. 12th, you missed two of the great Hip Hop acts that have combined to make up a music catalog that is two decades in the making. With notable industry insiders and media in attendance, such as allhiphop.com and TheSource.com, El Vuh performed three new songs from their forthcoming EP. They opened the set with their ceremonial Danza, which bled into the song “Tonatiuh”, a tribute to the sun. Zero once again exhibits his production talent as his musical mural continues to grow. With “Tonatiuh”, El Vuh conveys the message of knowing and understanding the Sun’s purpose from an ancient scientific perspective.” With the crowd fully receptive, the Vuh went into “Curanderos.” As Victor-E put it, the concept behind “Curanderos” is that “everything is vibrating energy, words and even thoughts create movement in the space around us and in us. We can hurt or heal with these two.” E-RISE sparked the crowd with a reference to a character from George Orwell’s 1949 classic novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four.” When he spits that he is “viewing the world as if he was Winston Smith,” it brings to mind how many times history has been rewritten to conceal the true beginnings of our ancient roots.

“I Can Remember” is an extended love poem for the women. The song is more of an introspective song about the personal feelings El Vuh has had for the significant other in their lives. Although anonymous in nature, “I Can Remember” brought the audience at the Roxy closer to the group by revealing some of their inner most thoughts about the meaning of love. The crowd clearly embraced their poetry. El Vuh got the best reaction from the crowd by far
leading up to Ghostface. A lineup which included Sheek Louch of The Lox amongst others. After meeting and greeting with fans, El Vuh sat back with everyone else and enjoyed Ghostface Killah absolutely killing the Roxy with past hits such as “Cher Chez La Ghost” and “4th Chamber.” When Ghost finished his set, he approached El Vuh just to
break bread with the group. With cameras flashing, two of the most
unlikely crews gathered for a moment under one roof. The eclectic world of real hip-hop never seems to disappoint.

By The Time El Vuh Gets To Arizona

This past weekend hip hop group El Vuh took the journey out of Los Angeles, CA for performances in Phoenix and Tucson with Talib Kweli. While crossing the border, you could see signs that revealed the environment created by state laws like SB 1070. Surveillance cameras on the freeway took photos of the caravan as it entered Phoenix. However, this trip was made for righteous reasons. El Vuh was in town to help support the local community at the historic Santa Rita Center. Located in one of the poorest barrios in Phoenix known as “Campito”, the Santa Rita Center is a place where the community has been able to gather together during turbulent times. This is the place where the phrase SI SE PUEDE was born. Cesar Chavez fasted here in 1972 to protest anti-union policies that the government was trying to implement. Fast forward to May 22, 2010. On this day, El Vuh would add to the rich history of this community center.

El Vuh was asked to stop in Phoenix to not only support the Santa Rita Center, but to also give a voice to all the people that are suffering due to unjust state laws. The recently passed SB 1070 in Arizona is the result of legislation that has made profiling immigrant status a reason for law enforcement officers to pull you over. Essentially, SB 1070 makes it a criminal offense if an individual is not able to sufficiently prove U.S. citizenship to law enforcement officials. The danger in this law is that it puts communities in a state of fear where there should be none. El Vuh came to Arizona with a message to the people: In the spirit of solidarity, we are with you.

Before they performed, danzantes opened the ceremony through song and dance. It was an emotional event, as people from the community expressed gratitude for the support artists like El Vuh showed by coming to Arizona during this time. It gives the people strength, and more importantly, hope. At the same time, El Vuh thanked the local community for inviting them, as their message of love and unity has helped make the connection that is needed to reach out to all people that are fighting for change. As the group hit the stage, the heat was intense. Appropriately, they opened with their own rendition of “By the time I get to Arizona” by Public Enemy. The crowd moved closer to the stage, absorbing the energy of the moment. There were children and elders singing along as they performed Mexica Tiahui, or the nauahtl translation for “The people move forward.” La Prensa Hispana, the largest circulating Spanish newspaper in Phoenix was also there capturing everything on camera. El Vuh left it all on stage, as evidence of group member Victor E becoming ill towards the end of the performance. As they ended their set, community organizer Jose Cortez came on stage to present the group with a commemorative art piece made by local artists. The art was a painting of Hunab Ku, the Mayan symbol for duality. As they left the stage, a young man in the audience registered to vote at the voter registration stand towards the entrance of the Santa Rita Center. The performance was a great success. Not only did El Vuh come to Phoenix to support community action, but also in the process the community reciprocated the love right back. On that note, it was on to Tucson for the second show of the day.

While making the trip from Phoenix to Tucson, the group reflected on the significance of what they had just experienced. Zero recalled the emotions of one particular elder, as she almost came to tears when she was addressing the struggle that lied ahead. Tonight, they would be taking the energy of this elder to the stage as they performed with Talib Kweli.

Arriving in Tucson, the DV8 nightclub had a line forming outside. The show had been sold out days before, indicating that anticipation for the show had been building for some time. The venue was packed, as the crowd near the stage danced to some of the local hip-hop acts that preceded the headliners. At approximately 11pm, El Vuh hit the stage with danzantes opening the ceremony. The crowd grew around the stage. The set began with ERISE lyrically educating fans about the problem with laws like SB 1070. El Vuh was in full bloom. The hit song “Heavy” from their album Jaguar Prophecies blasted across the club as the crowd pumped their fists in the air. Between one of their songs, Victor E recited a poem that was analogous to the current state of SB 1070. He posed the hypothetical scenario of how the existence of unjust laws could have impacted the birth of Jesus Christ. Mary and Joseph would have arrived in Bethlehem only to be turned away from inns not because there was insufficient room, but because they were Mexican. As Victor E concluded, if laws like SB 1070 had existed back then, “Jesus would have never been.” The crowd erupted as they went into the song “Mexica Tiahui” from their Elvuhlution album. All the energy the group had harnessed during their time in Arizona culminated into this performance. When they had finished their set, El Vuh was embraced by some of their long time fans, and greeted by some of their new ones.

A short time later Talib Kweli hit the stage. I was not sure what kind of message, if any, he would send out about SB 1070. He and HI-TEK were greeted with love from their fans, as they went into their hit “The Blast” from their Reflection Eternal album. Talib’s delivery was on point, even going into a Guru tribute with covers of Gangstarr classics “Mass Appeal” and “Skills.” With the crowd fully attentive, Talib directed their attention to a big screen overhead. A public service announcement came on, featuring Zack De La Rocha from Rage Against the Machine. He spoke on behalf of the Alto Arizona campaign against SB 1070. The crowd roared in approval. Talib followed up De La Rocha’s words with his new song “Papers Please,” a response to the new law in Arizona.
Talib flowed about how “this is the same mentality that put Blacks as slaves” as images of American Black heroes like Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King flashed across the screen. During his performance of “Just to get by,” I was thinking of how El Vuh and Talib Kweli came together this weekend to show the people of Arizona love and support. This was Hip Hop unity at its finest. Talib Kweli and El Vuh made an important statement about SB 1070- ITS NOT JUST ABOUT RACE, IT’S ABOUT DIGNITY AND RESPECT FOR ALL THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY.

As the summer approaches, the heat is different depending on which part of the country you reside in. The Southwest, already burning ahead of time, mimics the political climate that has been the inevitable result of questionable immigration policy. There has been a surplus of resentment to SB 1070 from the communities in Arizona and throughout the U.S. Political actions have been organized to address the issues and concerns over this law. During the past few weeks, there was a feeling by some that we should boycott Arizona. There were certain artists who cancelled shows in the state to align themselves with this sentiment. However, we should not forget the communities in Arizona who need our support. There were many families in Phoenix and Tucson who thanked El Vuh for making the journey to Arizona. For all those concerned remember to boycott unjust legislation, not the people. Protest through art is just as effective as boycotting anything. By the time EL Vuh left Arizona, they showed that resistance to laws like SB 1070 will come from every direction…through every dimension….

KRS-ONE And El Vuh Sell Out Roxy Theater

By Samuel Robinson

In the eclectic world of hip-hop, deference and respect is perhaps more amplified than in any other music genre. Artists are not only negotiating approval from a fan base, but also from their peers, who can be very skeptical at times. One only needs to look at the vast array of diss songs to see why this dynamic is so prominent. As in any other organization or social group, to be accepted means that you are dope, that people are feeling you.

I recently attended a KRS-1 show at the Roxy in Hollywood, CA. It was raining hard that night, but as always, KRS had a long line of fans waiting to get in. When I finally made my way into the sold out show, the diversity that is the signature of LA was obvious. As I approached the bar, I recognized former Laker and NBA player Sean Rooks. Latinos, Asians, Blacks, and Whites, all packed the Roxy to see the Blastmaster. Throughout the night, I occasionally noticed individuals wearing shirts with the words “EL Vuh.” This was a reference to the Mayan book of life, but I had not made that connection to the show…yet.

A lineup of hip-hop artists on the rise highlighted the majority of the night. Most were met with a fair response. Others were not so lucky. It was a little after 11pm and the crowd was growing anxious. During these tense moments, an artist with a very similar style to R&B singer Frankie J hit the stage. No offense to Frankie J or to this artist, but this was not an R&B crowd. As soon as he sang his first line the crowd burst out in loud boos. Chants for KRS started to form. Unfortunately for the Frankie J prodigy, his set went relatively unappreciated, to put it mildly.

As the crowd grew louder for KRS, the host announced that one more group would perform: El Vuh. In my head I was thinking this is it-the only thing left is for the crowd to start throwing drinks on stage. Just then, a group of Aztec, or Mexica dancers went on stage. The shadows of fans stood still, silent and skeptical. The dancers performed a dance that signified an opening ceremony. The ritual energized the crowd. Their cheers were greeted by the opening vocals of Zero, Vic tor E, and ERISE, also known as EL Vuh. Their songs were full of themes that emphasized the Mayan philosophy: our relationship with the Earth, and Mother Nature, universal principles of virtue, and a revolutionary ideology. El Vuh was well received by the crowd. By the end of their set, they had made their connection. The crowd was feeling them, and as the Mexica dancers returned to the stage to close the ceremony, the audience at the Roxy was at their highest point, and ready to receive KRS.

When KRS hit the stage, he was quick to point out that the “demonstration” El Vuh had just made was “Real Hip-Hop.” Hmmm. This was quite a compliment from the living legend. As a fan of KRS since his days of BDP, it is rare to see him give any artist praise in public unless they are his contemporaries. Of course, KRS went on to rock the mic…Southside Bronx…Sound of the Police…needless to say, the crowd loved it. The show made me recall my own childhood in hip-hip, specifically growing up in a strict catholic elementary school listening to X-Clan and Public Enemy. Did I fully understand their ideas on Afrocentrism and Black Nationalism back then? Not really. Was I feeling them though? Absolutely. That night at the Roxy, those that came to see KRS were feeling El Vuh, and vice versa. That is the beautiful thing about hip-hop. It is multi-cultural, bringing together people who in most instances would not share the same space or ideas. I was curious to find out more about this hip hop group El Vuh, so I made my way backstage. However, before I got the chance to engage them, something special happened within their private space.

The anthropological definition for a rite of passage is a ritual event that marks a person's progress from one status to another. Every culture has these ceremonies. Hip-hop’s rites of passage can be seen in a couple of ways that symbolize acceptance and respect. One of these well known rituals occurs when an MC is handed a microphone. Another is when those around you acknowledge that your lyrics are on point. But there will always be those rituals that are more intimate, as the following clip affirms:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F99SlsCUG0E