INTERMISSION
Welcome to “Intermission”, a blog by Ishami Dance Company. Through “Intermission”, we hope to use the medium of writing to engage critically and thoughtfully with our art, histories, and unique perspectives. We aim to spark conversations, question, and encourage dialogue surrounding our diverse relationships with our artistry and culture, and we hope you will pause and ponder our words — and enter into these conversations yourself.
The roots and evolution of Desi Hip Hop
Before we answer this question, we need to briefly talk about Hip Hop. Hip Hop is a cultural movement that began in the early 1970s in the Black and Latino communities of the South Bronx, New York City. During a time when social and economic conditions were extremely volatile, Hip Hop gave the Black and Latino youth an outlet for self expression. Afrika Bambaata, also known as the godfather of Hip Hop, identified the five elements of Hip Hop as graffiti, DJing, breaking, MCing and knowledge.