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….
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