Erik Andrade

BIOGRAPHY
Erik Andrade is a Cape Verdean and Irish American father, artist, activist, and organizer living in New Bedford, often recognized for his poetry and environmental and social justice activism.

As a spoken word poet, Erik was invited to present at the 2016 TEDx New Bedford. The same year 2016 he was also crowned the Slam King at the award winning Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam in Boston. He  ranked 87th in the world at the 2016 Individual World Poetry Slam in Arizona and 52nd at the 2017 National Poetry Slam in Denver as a member of  the Lizard Lounge National Slam Team. His poetry has been featured on over 17 recording projects, including the Foundation Movement’s ‘Greatest Hits”, which was awarded the 2006 New England Urban Music Award’s “Best Hip Hop Album” and Afrika Rainbows’s “Identiadi”  which was nominated for two International Portuguese Music Awards and two Cabo Verde Music Awards in 2015. Erik’s poem “I Can’t Breathe “ (for Eric Garner) was published international on MixedWorldMusic.com and nationally by CNN Headline News.

In Spring of 2016, Erik organized for the International Hip Hop 4 Flint fundraising initiative that took place in 47 cities including New Bedford and he was a featured perform at the water filter give-away in Flint, Michigan. In the Fall of 2016, Erik served as national organizer, graphic designer, and performer for the Mni Wiconi Universal Benefit Concert in Standing Rock, a fundraising effort that raised 1.7 million dollars for the Standing Rock Lakota Sioux Tribe’s legal fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline.

In Spring of 2017 he was a national organizer and performer at the 1st Water is Life Expo bridging the communities of Standing Rock and Flint in a three-day environmental activism conference and fundraiser for water filters.

Erik was awarded 2016 Trailblazer Award by New Bedford N.A.A.C.P. for his environmental and social justice activism. Additionally, he is a 2016 and 2014 SouthCoast Emerging Leader Nominee, recognized for the passion, advocacy, and commitment he brings to the SouthCoast Community.

Erik has presented nationally and internationally touring  the Islands of Cabo Verde, Canada, and across country. With experience opening up for Mos Def, Angela Davis, Sonia Sanchez, Dead Prez, Taboo of Black Eyed Peas, Vic Mensa and many others, he continues to perform at music & poetry venues, college campuses, poetry and music festivals, slam poetry competitions, high schools, community organizations, conferences, cultural festivals, protests, rallies for intimate gatherings and large showcases with audiences of 3,000 plus.
 
"Erik has more integrity than any poet I have seen in his generation. He's one of the most positive and life-affirming spoken word poets I've ever heard" Everett Hoagland, Globally recognized Poet and 2015 Langston Hughes Award Recipient