South American Journal

Freestyling in El Alto, Bolivia. Photo by Noah Friedman-Rudovsky for The New York Times.

If you're a fan of hip-hop, especially intelligent and politically charged hip-hop, you probably know that rap has become a global language of protest.

Bolivia, in the midst of its new crisis (or, depending on your point of view, in the 473rd year of its age-old crisis) has given birth to a new form of rap. All thanks to one rapper, 22-year-old Abraham Bojórquez, who brought back North American urban culture from his stay in...Brazil. The movement is small, with just 20 rappers, but it's growing.

This Bolivian brand of rap might sound familiar to an American ear, but it is fueled by indigenous anger and culture. The lyrics are spoken in Aymara. The rhythms and instruments are also Aymara.

Juan Forero of the New York Times covers this nascent artform in a recent article and a killer audio slideshow -- highly recommended!


Aymara culture, old skool and new. Photo by Noah Friedman-Rudovsky for The New York Times.