New England United

Bojah & the Insurrection

From their MySpace page: "How come soulful artists never get political? Why has hip hop lost all of its political traditions outside of a few marginalized groups? Bojah and the Insurrection helps fill a void that has been left since the days of Marvin Gaye & Curtis Mayfield. Fusing soul, funk, rock, and hip hop, they create anthems that reverberate in your head, that you can sing to, that say something. And in these days we need consciousness more than ever. Why do they make it look easy? Because the lyrics aren't based on impressions and emotions, but years of political work in the trenches, making the music even more authentic and dangerous to the status quo."

The Foundation Movement

From their website: Foundation Movement members Eroc, Optimus, and DJ El are a diverse group of young artists with origins from Puerto Rico, Liberia, and Guatemala, who all met in Boston and united to form the group. This cultural fusion, as well as their experiences growing up in Boston, has influenced The Foundation’s music. Not another rap group with watered down lyrics, and messages of misogyny and materialism...

In the Public Interest

The group features: Stanley Pollack (vocals, guitar), Greg MacKinnon (bass, backing vocals), Michael Glenn(drums), Ken Selcer (lead guitars, slide). See Ken's webpage for photos and MP3s.

Ketchup

In her own words: "I am from Boston and am a senior in high school at Boston day and evening academy. I started writing in January 06. My first open mic was at Cloud Place. My first poem Save A LIfe. My main point for writing is writing for people who will never get a chance to either because they died before they get words about the life they have lived in Boston, or because no ones given them the proper chance to speak up and speak against the things going on in Boston. My influences are people like Sofia Snow, VCR and other poets and emcees I have met throughout my time performing."

Cate Levin, Willie Sordillo & Jonathan Singleton

Cate Levin is singing, accompanied by jazz saxophonist Willie Sordillow and Jonathan Singleton on keyboard.

Cate Levin, 20, is a junior at U. Mass Amherst majoring in art education. She has a background in children's theatre and she was a featured soloist with the Mystic Chorale from the age of 12 until she left for college. She has a wide repertoire including jazz, R&B, pop, rock, gospel, blues, and folk. Cate has sung at peace and civil liberties rallies and concerts. Cate performs at weddings and has won several karaoke contests.

Willie Sordillo: From such exotic locales as Singapore and Hawaii to major music festivals throughout North America, alto saxophonist Willie Sordillo’s music has taken him around the world. With the band, Flor de Caña,which he co-founded and co-led, he is a three-time Boston Music Award winner. He has seen an album he produced and which features his playing and compositions become a top 10 hit on the Billboard Magazine World Music listing and heard one of his co-arrangements played on the ever popular "ER" television program.

Jonathan Singleton: Jazz and gospel pianist, composer, choir director and, lately, singer, Berklee alum Jonathan Singleton, received the prestigious New England Conservatory Gospel Music Award for 2005.
Commended by his peers for “changing the profile of the Boston gospel music scene” as well as for being a “really cool jazz musician” who does “everything,” Jonathan was selected largely for his outstanding musical artistry and leadership of many local church, college, and community gospel choirs over the past decade.

Jonathan Singleton

Since graduating from the Berklee College of Music, Jonathan Singleton has been actively involved in the Boston musical community.

He has directed several church and college gospel choirs including the Berea S.D.A. Inspirational Choir, the Kuumba Singers of Harvard, the Boston College Voices of Imani and currently, the Twelfth Baptist Church Youth Choir, the Bunker Hill Community College gospel choir, and the Unity Gospel Ensemble. Through these groups he has sought to preserve and present to the college community the rich variety of African-American cultural expression.

In addition to directing the Unity Gospel Ensemble, he is currently musical director for Orpheus/EMI recording artist Andre Ward and also musical director for City Stage Co., a non-profit children’s theater company that provides arts programs for schools that do not have formal arts education. He recently released his debut CD, “soulfood”.

Son of Nun

From his website: A Baltimore city high school teacher, organizer, activist, and poet, son of nun (s.o.n.) doesn't just entertain his crowds he empowers them. s.o.n. has performed at universities, activist conferences, demonstrations, rallies ­ such as the Sorry State of the Union in front of the U.S. Capitol, and at nightclubs in Baltimore, DC, New York, Pennsylvania, and Chicago to name a few. He's opened for Mr. Lif, Akrobatic, Buck 65, Odd Jobs, Roni Size & Reprazent, and performed with Adam F., Diesel Boy, DJ Die, DJ Krust, and others.

s.o.n. has appeared on the Invisible Records two disc compilation notes from thee real underground volume 2 with King Rhythm, and on the critically acclaimed WHAT’S LEFT album by King Rhythm on the Quatermass label (visit www.kingrhythm.com for reviews). s.o.n.'s range extends from hip hop, to spoken word, to drum 'n' bass, to freestyling with a live band. An active member and organizer in various social justice movements, s.o.n. brings a fresh, thought provoking, and much needed perspective to an art form plagued with violence, materialism, and sexism. Do a google search on “mc son of nun” to get a sample of what he's been up to.