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GUESTS: “Lea” and “Melinna,” two US-based attendees of the 3rd Annual Cuban Hip Hop Symposium

The third annual Cuban Hip Hop Symposium took place late last month at the cultural center in Havana, Cuba. Organized by La Fabri_K, a Cuban Hip Hop collective of groups like Obsesion and Hermanazos, the symposium featured conferences, workshops, and concert performances focused on issues within the Cuban Hip Hop movement. Psychologists and sociologists spoke to gender issues, while other workshops addressed artistic aspects of the culture such as graffiti writing and theater. The five day gathering was sponsored by numerous Cuban state institutions. Roberto Rossell, a member of Hermanazos and a principal organizer of the event, said that the symposium hoped to “encourage cultural institutions to take greater interest in this music.” International delegations also participated in the event, with the group “Pastors for Peace” donating musical equipment to bridge the digital divide on the first day of the symposium. US based participants also attended the symposium and have brought some lessons back to the birthplace of Hip Hop culture.

Uprising co-producer Gabriel San Roman spoke with two US-based participants “Lea” and “Melinna” about their experiences at the symposium.

To reach Lea and Melinna, email us at mail@uprisingradio.org.