Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
“The actor-writer Joe Hernández-Kolski pivots on the hyphen in his name, and on other internal divisions, as exuberantly as a break-dancer…The show’s steady counterpoint only sharpens its point.” -Rob Kendt, August 26, 2005 - The New York Times
“This is one of the most outstanding pieces of theatre I’ve seen in a long time. Joe Hernández-Kolski is a spoken word poet with a wise and very human heart – he’s also a fabulous actor who asks his audience to think about what it means to live consciously – his style is hip, accessible and very original. I highly recommend it – it is full of the unexpected, lots of humor and best of all – hope.” -Leigh Curran, Artistic Director - Virginia Avenue Project
"The two talented performers onstage at the Kirk Douglas Theater -- Joe Hernandez-Kolski and Justin Huen -- barely stop moving during the hour-plus show...The idea here is to capture the feeling of boys at play, and it works. Jacques Heim's choreography is impressive for its lack of self-consciousness: The two adult actors playing teenagers crawl all over the set, and all over each other, with a reckless abandon that feels far less controlled than it really is." -Steven Oxman - Variety
“Joe Hernández-Kolski…does comedy with remarkable energy and panache.”
- Chicago Tribune
“Joe Hernandez-Kolski is one of the most brilliant, courageous and gifted artists on the globe. He tells difficult truths with unsparing honesty leavened with glorious wit and humor. Joe is also one of the most humane and compassionate visionaries working today, and if you are fortunate enough to stand beneath the fountain of his irrepressible wisdom and his relentless eloquence, you are blessed indeed.” -Prof. Michael Eric Dyson
- Georgetown University
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
As a Spoken Word Poet, Joe just performed on the sixth season of HBOs Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry. He previously performed on the season finale of the fourth season. He currently tours around the country with his lecture/performance entitled, Refried Latino Pride. His blend of comedy, social commentary and personal stories attracts fans from all different backgrounds. The audience response at colleges and universities nationwide has been unbelievably positive. He is represented by the American Program Bureau: www.apbspeakers.com.
As an actor, youll be able to see him in the upcoming 2008 summer blockbuster Hancock, starring Will Smith. He recently finished shooting a scene with Robert Downey Jr. in the upcoming film The Soloist, directed by Joe Wright (Atonement.). Joes short film Afterschoold, which he wrote, produced and acted in, was chosen as one of seven finalists in NBCs Comedy Short Cuts Festival. He recently opened the Say Word Hip-Hop Theater Festival at Lehigh University with his hip-hop solo showYou Wanna Piece of Me?with DJ Jedi (Digable Planets, Def Poetry Jam Tour). The show has been performed all over the country, including the San Francisco Hip-Hop Theater Festival and the New York International Fringe Festival where the show received much attention from both theatrical producers and press including a great review in The New York Times. In addition, Joe received glowing reviews from both Variety and The Los Angeles Times for his dual-performance in Center Theater Groups production of The Stones at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Joe played both Yahoo, a 15-year-old boy in trouble with the law, and Russo, the detective investigating the case. Currently, he can be seen mixing it up with actors like Esai Morales, Danny Trejo and Judy Reyes as the host of Si TVs Not So Foreign Filmmakers Showcase, a nationally-televised show dedicated to independent film. The second season is currently airing. Before that, he was touring with The Bomb-itty of Errors, a Hip-Hop version of Shakespeares The Comedy of Errors. The cast performed in Londons West End at the famous New Ambassadors. The shows also been to Dublin, Chicago, Florida and won the STAGE Award for Best Ensemble at the 2002 Edinburgh Fringe Theater Festival in Scotland.
As a teacher, Joe continues to work with several organizations throughout Los Angeles teaching Hip-Hop Culture and Spoken Word Workshops. He currently hosts DownBeat 720, an open-mic for high school youth sponsored by the City of Santa Monica. The televised version, Downbeat Showdown, that Joe hosts and produces, just received an LA Emmy for Outstanding Youth Programming.
To see him perform or read his poetry online, check out his website: www.pochojoe.com
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