Welfare Poets Biographies

Hector Luis Rivera Jr. (vocals, congas) Hector has been writing and performing poetry for the past 12 years. His poetry was commissioned for "Blind Alley," a Puerto Rican travellig theater production written by Nancy Nuevez. His poetry was also included in Taller Boricua (NYC) 30th. Anniversary exhibition. As an activist Hector has participated, organized and led many community struggles around housing, environmental justice, police brutality, political prisoners, and most recently, Vieques. Hector has participated in two acts of civil disobedience against the immoral presence of the US Navy in Vieques. Hector is also an educator at many New York city-based schools.		Ray Ramirez(vocals, congas) - Ray is a third generation Puerto Rican, born in El Barrio, New York. He is the cofounder of the Welfare Poets and has worked as an educator in various Comminuty-based centers. For the past 3 years he has consulted as a Writer-in-Residence at over 25 schools through out the city, working through Teachers and Writers Collaborative, The Carribean Cultural Center and The Frederick Douglass Creative Arts Center. He has published dozens of student anthologies and spoken word Cds. He was an Assistant Engineer on the Project Blues album and is a plaintiff in a class action suit against NYC Street Crimes Unit, for racial profiling. His work has been published in various antholgies including A Gathering of the Tribes, and the award winning publication, Aloud: Voices from the Nuyorican Cafe
Angel Rodriguez (congas, timbales, chekere) Angel has been playing percussion for 35 years with the likes of Vanessa Williams, the Apollo Rockers (house band of the Apollo), Seventh Star, Paquito Guzman, Latin Jazz Coalition and many others. Angel has been teaching percussion to South Bronx youth for free for six years at the Point CDC. Angel is a master percussionist who documents and preserves the vast cultural legacy Puerto Ricans and Latinos have in this country, particularly in the Bronx. Angel recently was featured in the New York Post's 200th Anniversary issue Djibril Toure (bass guitar) Producer and Electric Bass player, Djibril has performed with and alongside a wide array of artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Ayers, The Roots, Fat Joe, Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Slick Rick, Q-Tip and Jeru the Damaja. His work can be heard on several recordings by Wu-Tang Clan, Hedrush, Rise & Shine, Rha-Goddess, and the Welfare Poets. He is also a committed grassroots activist and has been involved in organizing efforts around police brutality, political prisoners, and Vieques PR.		Jorge "Georgie" Vázquez (congas, drum-set, assorted percussion) was born in "The Bronx, Puerto Rico," where he has lived all his life. Captured at an early age by music, he has played everything from heavy metal to reggae, bomba, plena, rumba, jíbaro music and salsa. For him, music has been a vehicle to get in touch with himself and his Puerto Rican roots. A well-rounded percussionist, Georgie plays the timbales, barriles, bongo, and a wide variety of Afro-Caribbean drums. Georgie is a well-known percussionist within the New York City Puerto Rican music circles. He has been a member of Los Amigos de la Plena, and is a founding member of the urban jíbaro group YerbaBuena. He has performed with a variety of musical groups in the city, including, Viento de Agua Unplugged, Taíno, Los Instantáneos de la Plena (of El Rincón Criollo), and Los Bomberos de Brooklyn. Dahu Ala (vocals, trumpet) Papa-hu is a mentor to many youth in East Harlem where he lives and grew up. Dahu is a poet and heads the horn section in the Welfare Poets. ME (keyboards, trumpet) ME plays keyboards and is also a teacher in NYC public school.
Awards and Appearances: Honorary Album of the Year, 2000, Latino.com appeared: CBS NEWS: Eye on America,1999 coming: December 2001, PBS:Nuyoricans: the Spirit of Puerto Rico.