Ruben 'Beny' Esguerra Ruben “Beny” Esguerra arrived as a child to Tkaronto from Bacatá (Bogotá, Colombia) as a political refugee with his parents, who were receiving threats for their human rights activism. Today, he is a JUNO nominated multi-instrumentalist/producer, spoken-word poet, arts educator and community worker. in 2021, he was…
Aisha FukushimaAISHA FUKUSHIMA is a Performance Lecturer, Justice Strategist, Singer/Songwriter, and RAPtivist (rap activist). Fukushima founded RAPtivism (Rap Activism), a hip hop project spanning 20 countries and four continents, amplifying universal efforts for freedom and justice. She is a multilingual, multiracial African American Japanese woman who has done lectures and…
Amalia Ortiz Amalia Ortiz appeared on three seasons of Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry on HBO. She was awarded the 2020 American Book Award for Oral Literature. NBC Latino listed her book, Rant. Chant. Chisme. among “10 Great Latino Books of 2015.” She won an Alfredo Cisneros Del Moral Grant,…
Jaime OspinaJaime Ospina started his musical journey singing with his classmates. He then started playing the bass guitar and performing in the bar circuit of his native city, Bogota, Colombia. In 1994, he joined the blues-rock band VERTIGO and performed with them in the first three editions (1995-1997) of FESTIVAL…
DecoraDeora is a rap artist and performance poet based in New York. He is best known for his unique brand of composition, which blends electronic and rap music with visual art."To me, hip-hop is a form of expression that was based out of the ghetto, people who were underserved, under…
Tem BlessedComing up as a young artist Tem Blessed was inspired by more than just a great sound. He stood strong to ideals like intelligence and integrity. His idea was to build something constructive as opposed to being destructive. A positive message sounded throughout Tem’s work as he developed a…
Shea RoseShea Rose has had numerous titles throughout her career: singer, songwriter, style icon, and music curator are just a few. Her music, influenced by soul, hip-hop, rock, and folk, speaks to identity, self-acceptance, and transformation.Her collaborations include live and in-studio performances, event curation, and workshop facilitation. Rose served as…
Tanaya Winder Tanaya Winder is an author, singer / songwriter, poet, and motivational speaker who comes from an intertribal lineage of Southern Ute, Pyramid Lake Paiute, and Duckwater Shoshone Nations where she is an enrolled citizen. She received a BA in English from Stanford University and a MFA in creative…
Kristen Graves Kristen Graves is a folk/americana singer, songwriter and humanitarian. Mentioned by both Rolling Stone and the New York Times, and given her own day across the state of Connecticut by Governor Malloy for her musicianship and activism, she has shared stages with Pete Seeger, Harry Belafonte, Peter Yarrow,…
Vanessa Lively Vanessa Lively is an eclectic, bilingual songwriter and nonprofit founder who brings passion and fire to her heart-centric writing style and way of living. Margaret Moser of The Austin Chronicle describes Vanessa’s music as “folk music on fire with worldly rhythms and a Latin pulse.” In 2017, Vanessa…
