Upcoming Events: The 5th Annual Trinity College International Hip-Hop Festival

Coming up this week is one of the year's biggest events in Hartford, Connecticut: the Trinity International Hip-Hop Festival.

Every year since 2006, Trinity College (my college!) has held a weekend-long festival meant to combat many of the social ills on campus and in the surrounding area of Hartford. The medicine? Hip-hop! The festival, while featuring hip-hop performances from artists the world over, is also about education, art, and film surrounding the genre. There are gallery exhibits, panel discussions, film screenings, and many other activities throughout the campus.

If you happen to be in the Hartford area this upcoming Friday and/or Saturday, you should definitely come through and enjoy everything that hip-hop has to offer! To find out more information, visit http://www.trinityhiphop.org.

Below is a list of some of the events happening at the festival (thank you to my girl McKenzie for providing all of the information). To make sure you find everything ok, I suggest visiting www.trincoll.edu, downloading a campus map, and marking where everything is. Or, you can visit the help desk at Mather Hall to assist you.

SCHEDULE (courtesy of the Temple of Hip-Hop @ Trinity College):

Friday, April 9

Morning: artists in Trinity language classes
Afternoon: artists in after school programs

2:00pm-5:30pm --- Registration and Urban Arts Exhibit @ Gallows Hill

**9pm-1:30am CONCERT @ Vernon Social Center (114 Vernon Street):
{Hosts: Flex Mathews and Toni Blackman; Performances by: DAM (Palestine); The Reminders (Congo/Belgium/Colorado); Wagable (Senegal); Shokanti (Cape Verde); Toni Blackman; Self Suffice (Hartford); Open mic freestyle session following hosted by Flex Mathews} 

Saturday, April 10

10:00 am – 5:00 pm – Registration @ Gallows Hill 
10:00 am – 5:00pm – Urban Art Exhibition @ Gallows Hill

10:00 am – 4:00 pm– “Block Party” style programming @ The Cave Patio
- Graffiti Mural Painting and Graff body painting – featuring local crews
- Product and food vendors
- Live DJs

10:00 am – 12:00 pm Film Screening: "Slingshot Hip Hop" followed by Q&A with director Jackie Reem Salloum and Palestinian hip hop group DAM @ McCook Auditorium

12:00 – 1:30 pm – Artist Showcase @ The Cave Patio
Guest emcees from all over the world will throw down 5-minute jams

10:00am - 3pm - Youth programming (middle and high school students) @ Terrace Rooms, Rittenburg Lounge, Washington Room --must pre-register--http://www.hartford.gov/YouthServices/default.html
“Hip Hop, No Pop” (Nomadic Massive)
“Beatboxin’ with Butta Beats” (Nomadic Massive)
“Hip Hop and Poetry Saved My Life” (ReadNex Poetry Squad)
"Freestylin with Flex" (Flex Mathews)
"Beatboxin' with Jaro" (Jaro from Beatburger Band)

1:30 – 2:30 pm – Panel Discussion: “Global Moves: Social Change Through Hip Hop”
Moderator: Prof. Vijay Prashad (Trinity College); with Gaston “Cenzi” Gabarro (Chilean producer/activist); Marie-Agnes Beau (Afrolution/French Music Bureau); Toni Blackman (American Cultural Specialist); Waterflow (Senegalese hip hop artist) @ Gallows Hill

3:00 – 4:00 pm – Film Screening: Turn It Loose @ Washington Room (Mather Hall, Trinity)

4:00 – 7:00 pm International Bboy/Bgirl Battle @ Washington Room (Mather Hall, Trinity) 

8:00 pm International Bboy/Bgirl Battle Final Round @ Vernon Social Center (114 Vernon Street)

9:00 pm – 1:30am CONCERT @ Vernon Social Center
{Hosts: Flex Mathews and Toni Blackman; KRS-One (Temple of Hip Hop); Nomadic Massive (Montreal); Anita Tijoux (Chile); ReadNex Poetry Squad (Haiti/Colombia/PR/NJ); Flex Mathews; Zee Santiago; Siete Nueve (Puerto Rico)}