ART BY:
DESIGNERS:
Phoebe Delmonte: p. 1, 4, 5 Hannah Blauner: p. 2, 3, 7 Adrian Alvarez: p. 6, 8
BOSTON LATIN RISE 2 FAME Dominican Artist “Skip2Dip” never knew that music could be an outlet for his emotions. By diving into the arts at his local youth center, he discovered his calling—and ever since then, he’s been making hits. Skip relays that being surrounded by such a diverse music scene and talented group of friends drove him to curiosity, and he initially started off in the scene as a photographer. He began taking it very seriously in college while balancing two full-time jobs and actively staying engaged with the diverse melting pot of students on campus. For this Latin star, music is life. And because of music’s powerful ability to bring people together, he’s thankful to be traveling all around the world and making new friends. After years of packing up his equipment to finish his music during overnight shifts at work, Skip feels like at this point in his life he is creating some of his best music. Seeing the fruits of his labor pushes him and everyone else on his team to work harder. Bry, his manager, was introduced to his music as an insurance salesman who used to be a rapper back home in the Dominican Republic. The pair grew together through all the mishaps that come with the music business and have helped fulfill each other. Skip’s mantra and vision is to create connections & contributions, while also making timeless music. You learn the level of your time and art; at this point in his music career, Skip wants to take off with a serious plan—but he prioritizes believing in himself. For the next couple of months, this artist will be focusing on blending fashion with house music—so be on the lookout. When asked what new artists should be doing to follow in his footsteps, Skip had a few gems of knowledge to drop: “If you’re a new artist starting off, invest in yourself and your craft, learn how to record and use social media. Spend more time listening to yourself and less time listening to your favorite people. You don’t
want to mimic your favorite artist. Surround yourself with creative, like-minded individuals. Share your music with your inner circle first and create a plan. Create, connect, contribute, and have fun.” Dominican Artist Lia Nicole came to Boston with a very positive attitude—despite the fact that listening to certain music in her country was illegal. She grew up in a very strict household with two educators for parents who let her express herself, making Lia a learner and lover of the world. Being surrounded by so much knowledge has always been rewarding to her success, attributing to the creation of her powerful Latin music. Lia started making music in 2019 and only recently began making songs in Spanish last year. Although she’s only released singles so far, expect to see the Debut of her first EP “Santa” in the fall—with features from Bori Rock and a heavy Latin vibe. When it comes down to the creation process, this Latin star says her mood takes a big play on her songs. No matter where she is throughout the day, if a line or catchy bar comes to mind, she’ll write it down and wait for the perfect beat to make her feel something. She feels very honored to have made promising professional musical connections that help her work flow effortlessly. Growing up some of her biggest inspirations were Lady Gaga, Mozar, Nicki Minaj, and Melli Melli which we can now see influencing her vast caliber and the dedication that she had for illegally downloading music overseas in the Dominican Republic. Lia Nicole is excited for the future of New England as Boston talent is on the rise and is showcasing many established artists that she favors such as Chelley Marie, Kid Fob, and Caev—some of Boston›s most talented creative individuals.
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— Poetic Pattie
the day “Italian Heritage Day” alongside BOSTON DEMANDS declared IPD. In Massachusetts—where the state flag, which depicts a white arm brandishing a sword above an ON OCTOBER 7: Indigenous man’s head, still flies three years after the State House voted to change it —intransigent INDIGENOUS legislators continue to defend the Columbus myth, PEOPLES DAY NOW! holding Indigenous Peoples’ Day bills in committee United American Indians of New England (UAINE), the North American Indian Center of Boston (NAICOB), and others have called for a march and rally on October 7 to demand that elected authorities in Massachusetts forever replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day (IPD). The decades-long struggle of Indigenous peoples in Massachusetts, where the Pilgrims carried out “first encounter” land thefts and genocide, aims to overturn centuries of entrenched racist mythology wrapped up in the triumphalist federal holiday known as Columbus Day. The 2017 murder of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, Virginia, at the hands of fascists, and the police lynching of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, sparked a national wave of actions targeting racist icons, including Christopher Columbus. On June 10, 2020, a statue of Christopher Columbus in Boston’s North End was beheaded, and statues in Richmond, Virginia, and St. Paul, Minnesota, were similarly targeted. Indigenous organizers succeeded in winning IPD declarations in cities and states coast to coast, but not in Boston, where a 1675 law banning Native Americans from entering the city remained on the books until 2004.
Past time for Massachusetts officials to replace colonial myths UAINE and NAICOB succeeded in 2021, appearing at the press podium with Kim Janey, Boston’s first woman, first Black mayor, to witness the signing of an executive order replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day. “Observing Indigenous Peoples’ Day is about replacing the colonial myths passed down from generation to generation with the true history of the land upon which our nation was founded,” said Janey. Unfortunately, in 2022, the incoming Democratic mayor, Michelle Wu, bent to racist political pressure and
year after year. This is despite persistent efforts by the Massachusetts Indigenous Legislative Agenda and thousands of supporters across the state. Mahtowin Munro (Lakota), co-leader of United American Indians of New England (UAINE) and lead organizer for IndigenousPeoplesDayMA.org, explained: “We call on the MA State Legislature to step up now and pass our statewide Indigenous Peoples’ Day bill and our other legislation currently before them, including bills to ban Native American team mascots, to provide for Indigenous curriculum content in the public schools, to protect sacred Native American heritage, and to improve educational outcomes for Indigenous students.”
IPD action to also target Faneuil Hall For many years, IPD supporters have joined Rev. Kevin Peterson and The New Democracy Coalition in their movement to rename Faneuil Hall, one of Boston’s most popular tourist traps. Faneuil Hall’s namesake, Peter Faneuil, was one of Boston’s wealthiest settler capitalists who perfected for profit the buying and selling of enslaved Black and Indigenous persons. Many in Boston’s Black and Indigenous communities have joined Rev. Peterson in speaking out and protesting at the very site where Faneuil conducted his despicable auctions of hundreds of enslaved children, women and men. This year’s IPD march plans to again encircle and rally at the site, typically thronged with thousands of tourists, before marching to the waterfront Christopher Columbus Park, to demand an immediate name change there as well. “In a city and country that largely erases Indigenous people, Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a day to learn about and celebrate Indigenous history and contemporary Indigenous peoples and cultures,” said Munro. “It should be only a first step for Boston to begin to build relationships with Indigenous people and begin to address the many injustices faced by us here and elsewhere. It is time for us to stop being ignored and erased.”
— Workers World Party, Boston Bureau
THIS PROGRAM IS SUPPORTED IN PART BY A GRANT FROM THE BOSTON CULTURAL COUNCIL, A LOCAL AGENCY WHICH IS FUNDED BY THE MASSACHUSETTS CULTURAL COUNCIL, AS ADMINSTRATED BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF ARTS + CULTURE