Shining Soul
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Shining Soul

Phoenix, Arizona, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2009 | INDIE

Phoenix, Arizona, United States | INDIE
Established on Jan, 2009
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"13 Phoenix Bands We're Thankful For"

Tis the season for giving thanks. And here in Phoenix, we have to admit we’re pretty spoiled — especially when it comes to music. Here are 13 Valley-based bands we’re thankful for.

Shining Soul
It’s just as well that the trio Shining Soul didn’t win the three Native American Music Awards they were nominated for this year. It would have put a label on the rhymes and rhythms of DJ Reflekshin and MCs Liaizon and Bronze Candidate. And, frankly, that’s not something they’re interested in. The Chicano/O’odham hip-hop group relish making music that’s both universal and socially conscious. Want proof? Watch Shining Soul’s powerful video for “All Day.” It was filmed along the U.S.-Mexico border, and shows they have the courage and passion to make personal and political statements. Jason Keil - Phoenix New Times


"Shining Soul Nominated for Three Native American Music Awards"

Shining Soul have been around for years. So when the Phoenix hip-hop trio was nominated for “New or Debut Duo/Group of the Year” by the Native American Music Awards and Association (N.A.M.A.) for their 2016 album Politics Aside, it was a little surprising.

“It’s the first time [N.A.M.A.] has heard our stuff,” laughs MC Liaizon. “What do they say? It takes 10 years to ‘make it.’ We’ve been doing it in some form or fashion for roughly that long.”

Comprising Liaizon, Bronze Candidate, and DJ Reflekshin, the O’odham/Chicano rap group also received nominations for “Best Rap/Hip-Hop/R&B Recording” (also for Politics Aside) and “Best Music Video-Performance” for the powerful short All Day.

That video was filmed along the U.S.-Mexico border, and serves as a reminder that part of the land President Donald Trump wants to build a wall on is part of the Tohono O’odham Nation, not the United States. It is considered sacred. That point becomes clear when the music stops midway through and Wynona Larson, a friend of the trio, speaks about the issue in her native tongue.

“The border issue that video addresses affects my community directly,” Liaizon says. “[Larson] is someone who does not try to put herself out there. From her perspective, it’s not just about one person. It’s about everybody. It was a good way to let people hear who is really being affected by what is going on.”

Recently, Liaizon sold some of the group’s albums to tribal radio station KOHN-FM, which broadcasts from Sells, Arizona, to an area about the size of Connecticut. The station wanted to send three of Shining Soul’s albums to N.A.M.A. and submitted the paperwork on the group’s behalf. Shortly after, Liaizon heard that Shining Soul had received nominations.

DJ Reflekshin grew up on the reservation and remembers how inspiring it was to have the Native American Music Awards. “I always thought it was cool to be nominated for [an award],” he says.

Liaizon has complex feelings surrounding the nominations.

Shining Soul has always made socially conscious music, but they want it to feel universal. The Native American Studies major says the group has worked hard to make music that speaks to everyone, not just those in the Native American community. They accomplish this through the laid-back samples and scratches Reflekshin uses or the words Liaizon and his fellow MC Bronze Candidate, who is Chicano, use for their flow. They do not want to come off as if they are working an angle.

“I try my best to keep it in the middle,” Liaizon explains, “We play shows at Club Red, Valley Bar, and Crescent Ballroom, but we’ve also done community events on the reservation. [The nominations] show that my peers and contemporaries in the Native American music industry recognize [our work], but it wasn’t like I had to cater [our music] to them. I grew up with hip-hop rock, pop, and jazz just like everyone else. It’s on my own terms instead of pandering to the choir.”

“One thing we’ve never really said is that we are native hip-hop,” says Reflekshin, “We’re just hip-hop. We just happen to be Native Americans who do hip-hop.”

“We all come from a different tribe and have our own extensive music history,” Bronze Candidate says. “As far as coming from [the Chicano] community, we have our own traditions of using the arts to express ourselves. I can see why [N.A.M.A.] did not include who I was because [Chicanos] is not an officially recognized indigenous tribe.”

This year’s Native American Music Awards take place in Niagara Falls, New York. Voting continues until right before the ceremony begins on October 14. Shining Soul will not be attending. The winners will be announced at the ceremony, and they will be recognized at next year's event. Liaizon is eager to attend in 2018.

“Bring us out so we can do what we do,” he says.

Correction: A previous version of this article referred to Wynona Larson as Wynona Laron. - Phoenix New Times


"Rise"

Alex Soto grips his microphone. He moves around the stage and spits rhymes with purpose and grit. Mothers grab babies from the floor, elders watch from wheelchairs and teens radiate for a music that's speaking to them. Soto's audience, many from the San Xavier Indian Reservation are into it.

In the little recreation center, next to San Xavier Mission, Soto, aka Liaizon, and Franco Habre, aka Bronze Candidate, take turns rapping while their guest DJ holds down the beat. It's Shining Soul's sixth year participating in the O'odham Unity Run Benefit, honoring native peoples' legacy through the tradition of running and carrying prayers of unity and healing.

Shining Soul is Soto, Habre and Lawrence Martinez, their award-winning DJ who's originally from the Navajo Nation in Shiprock, New Mexico. They create hip-hop that speaks to current political turmoil, systemic oppression of minorities and real life.

Soto's family is from Sells, Arizona, in the middle of the Tohono O'odham Nation. Born and raised in Phoenix, he often visited his family's home on the res. He grew up in a hip-hop-loving household. His parents played stuff like Run-D.M.C., Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and The Sugar Hill Gang.

As a teenager, Soto remembers getting stopped at Border Patrol checkpoints close to the res. He remembers his grandfather, who was never a political man, repeatedly explaining to the agents who he was and that this was his home.

"It hit a chord with me," Soto says. "It just wasn't right."

In middle school, Soto found graffiti and the emerging underground hip-hop of the late '90s.

"That whole culture was really exposed through the graffiti scene," Soto says. "It opened a whole other door. Like, it's not just my mom's music."

Habre also got involved in the hip-hop world through graffiti. By middle school, his grandmother donated a section of wall on her property to his art.

Growing up in Phoenix, Habre's dad worked for the city's Parks and Recreations. As a child, his dad frequently took him to parks in historically underserved neighborhoods, where he came across B-boy park jams.

"The park was the place to go because it was either a refuge from your quote-unquote home or a place for recreation, a place for hanging out," Habre says. "That's where I was first exposed to hip hop. It rocked my world."

Later, in college, Habre studied classical guitar, jazz guitar, music production and studio recording. He had dreams of teaching music one day. In college, he met Soto, and they started playing music together—early incarnations of Shining Soul.

"At the time, I was becoming more politicized, coming from strong Chicano roots," Habre says.

Shining Soul didn't form with political motives. But life forced it that way in the face of Sheriff Joe Arpaio and SB 1070. In response to policies targeting people of color, Soto wrote "Papers," which appears on Shining Soul's 2011 album We Got This.

That song and other political ones got Shining Soul on playbills with big-name, underground acts like Aceyalone, One Be Lo and Myka 9.

"You gotta reflect the times," Soto says. "The politics have always been there, inherently, because we live in this state with all this crazy stuff—and that was before Trump."

He also believes in the importance of native peoples, and all people, finding their voices.

Shining Soul helps youth do that through beat-making and rhyme-writing workshops, which they teach at schools and libraries. They have a four to five-week curriculum that ends with the kids producing their own songs.

Soto and Habre encourage the kids to be themselves and to tell authentic stories through music. Often accompanied by Martinez, aka DJ Reflekshin, they teach the kids that dreams are tangible.

Last Spring, they did a weekly after-school program at the reservation high school.

"I don't wanna hear you rap about something someone in L.A. would rap about, or New York," Soto told the kids. "You're not from those areas. You're from the res. I wanna hear what's happening here."

It was workshops like these that brought them to Germany in 2015 for a week-long youth workshop. It culminated with the kids opening for a huge music festival, playing three songs they produced under Shining Soul's guidance.

Shining Soul played the main stage of the festival, which began a 15-show tour all over central and eastern Germany. Their hosts arranged places to stay and home-cooked food in every town they went.

Their hosts also guaranteed them two vans, which turned out to be one old, beat-up van with a logo of a lawnmower company on the side.

Toward the end of the tour, they got pulled over in Berlin. At first, Soto thought they were being profiled, but the police told them to take out their gear and step away from the van.

"On the spot, they do an emissions test," Soto says, laughing. "Apparently, the vehicle was so shoddy, they said, 'Nope, you can't drive another kilometer. This is ours.'"

So there they were, with all their merch, their turntables and gear. They filled a taxi and walked the rest of the way to the venue.

They ended the tour in Dresden at a citywide fest Soto calls "South by Southwest times 10."

They were well-received in Germany. People there were already dealing with a sharp political divide that the U.S. was building up to. They embraced Shining Soul—their style, their lyrics and their message of resistance.

In February, Shining Soul made a video for their song "All Day." Young people of color hold signs that read "Fight Back" and "End Border Militarization." Behind them, the border fence towers overhead.

At a checkpoint on Highway 86, a mile off the reservation, about 20 people from the res, old and young, hold a sign that reads "Indigenous people for migrants' rights."

In the middle of the video, a woman raises her hand, and the music falls silent. She speaks in O'odham. The native people will take care of their own land. They don't want a wall, she says.

"It's always about speaking to the times that you're living in," Habre says. "Be fierce. Push back, using music, using hip-hop." - Tucson Weekly


"How a new generation is breathing life into an old Phoenix building with ties to Cesar Chavez"

Franco shared the stage with Alex Soto of the Tohono O’odham Nation. Together, Franco and Alex make up the hip-hop group Shining Soul. When they’re making music, Franco goes by Bronze Candidate and Alex goes by MC Liaizon.

At Santa Rita, they spit rhymes about days that are good not because they won, but because they are with family and friends, and about the days when they fight to change politics, racism, immigration laws, border restrictions and to preserve Native American lands and rights.

"All my people, from Phoenix to Hermosillo, treated not equal cause our last names are Castillo"

Franco introduced the last rapper, a young man whose nervous rhymes started and stopped in uneasy fits.

Franco told the crowd to show their support: “Make some noise!”

Just as the rapper's rhymes flowed with confidence and others joined in for a freestyle session, the generator rumbled lower and slower until it finally gave up. The power went out. There was silence.

Franco called out: "Don't stop, don't stop!"

In the darkness at Santa Rita Center, about 40 people started clapping, a steady, unified rhythm echoed off the walls and laid down a beat for the musicians to keep going.

One rapper put the mic to his mouth, and spoke up: We got electricity in our souls. - AZ Central


"Hip-Hop Trio Shining Soul Shoots Incendiary Music Video on the U.S.-Mexico Border"

Filmed on location at border checkpoints by director Klee Benally (of Native punk band Blackfire and Indigenous Action Media), the video took more than six months of planning. The end result juxtaposes scenes of protest with the stark desert landscapes and street art. Inspired in part by Public Enemy’s “Night of the Living Baseheads,” the video aims to illustrate a sense of community, featuring tribal members, activists, and friends from Tucson, Phoenix, Nogales, and the Tohono O’odham Nation. - Phoenix New Times


"Trump’s wall"

Since the beginning of his presidential campaign, President Donald Trump promised Americans a wall along the U.S.- Mexico border. He signed an executive order to start construction. But the likelihood of that wall the way it’s envisioned is called into question by the Tohono O’odham Nation. They share 75 miles with the Mexico border. One councilman says he’d rather die than see a wall built through his homeland. Tribal members, and those against the wall say it will further separate tribal people on both sides of the border and cut cultural ties the people have to the land. We’ll talk about the wall and immigration.

Guests:

Jacob Serapo (Tohono O’odham) – rancher

Amy Juan (Tohono O’odham) – member of the TOHRN Tohono O’odham Hemajkam Rights Network

Alex Soto (Tohono O’odham) – Hip-hop MC/Shining Soul - Native America Calling


"SHINING SOUL ARE “ON THE ROAD AGAIN” (VIDEO)"

Phoenix, AZ’s super crew, Shining Soul, are “On The Road Again” as they bring the heat in this “Politics Aside” visual helmed by DJ Reflekshin. Take the adventure & watch below! - Insomniac Magazine


"Shining Soul - On The Road Again"

The new video from the Shining Soul album "Politics Aside" for the track On the road again. Shot and Edited by Shining Soul's Dj Reflekshin. And a Huge shout out to Chuck Huus from The Coolin Out Crew for lending his camera for the footage. - VisionBombing


"Tucson Hip-Hop Fest is more than dope flow and strident rhymes"

Faculty from the UA's hip-hop studies will host a panel on the making and content of the program that delves into themes such as appropriation, race, class, gender and identity.

Another panel will discuss the Native American influence on hip-hop culture, with Arizona State University professor Charles Norton, radio-show host Daniel G and indigenous hip-hop group Shining Soul.

Pike Romero, who's been a hip-hop promoter and manager for 11 years, and in Tucson for three, sees a need for local artists to understand the business aspect, from making a press-kit to writing a professional email.

"We really just want to help the Tucson scene grow, not just as a community, but on a professional level," he says. "Especially if you're trying to do this for a living, there's fundamental stuff you need to learn." - Tucson Weekly


"Shining Soul "ALL DAY""

Shining Soul's newest video for their song “ALL DAY” was filmed along the international Mexico/United States border and at a United States Border Patrol checkpoint in the Tohono O'odham Nation by Klee Benally of Indigenous Action Media. Community members from the Mexico/United States borderlands appear in the video from Shining Soul's third album POLITCS ASIDE, unapologetically contesting Berlin Wall-era foreign policies from the current U.S. President.

With "ALL DAY", Shining Soul does not hold back their message or music production to confront oppressive policies. Shining Soul emcee Bronze Candidate samples an "old school rola" from his early childhood musical influences and gives the original tune a new life with a thumping 808 punch. Emcee Liaizon's lyrics "Gotta make 'em bounce with the war cry we announce/Or with the O'odham I pronounce” is a statement of cultural pride and hip hop swagger.

Shining Soul recognizes that border militarization is bigger than one group or one community and bigger than Hip Hop. So for the “ALL DAY” video, they received help from supporters in Phoenix, Tucson, Tohono O'odham Nation, and Nogales to highlight people from the beautiful and enduring resistance to border militarization.

Preview and purchase song and album POLITICS ASIDE at : https://shiningsoulmusic.bandcamp.com/ - VisionBombing


"SHINING SOUL RELEASE “ALL DAY” (VIDEO)"

Phoenix, AZ’s super group, Shining Soul, take to the International Mexico/U.S. border to contest Berlin Wall-era foreign policies from our atrocity of a President. Check out the group in action “All Day!” - insomniac Magazine


"Shining Soul: “All Day” World Premiere"

Shining Soul’s newest video for their song “ALL DAY” was filmed along the international Mexico/United States border and at a United States Border Patrol checkpoint in the Tohono O’odham Nation by Klee Benally of Indigenous Action Media. Community members from the Mexico/United States borderlands appear in the video from Shining Soul’s third album POLITCS ASIDE, unapologetically contesting Berlin Wall-era foreign policies from the current U.S. President.

With “ALL DAY”, Shining Soul does not hold back their message or music production to confront oppressive policies. Shining Soul emcee Bronze Candidate samples an “old school rola” from his early childhood musical influences and gives the original tune a new life with a thumping 808 punch. Emcee Liaizon’s lyrics “Gotta make ’em bounce with the war cry we announce/Or with the O’odham I pronounce” is a statement of cultural pride and hip hop swagger.

Shining Soul recognizes that border militarization is bigger than one group or one community and bigger than Hip Hop. So for the “ALL DAY” video, they received help from supporters in Phoenix, Tucson, Tohono O’odham Nation, and Nogales to highlight people from the beautiful and enduring resistance to border militarization.

Tina Vavages-Andrews of the Ak-Chin/Comobabi villages of the Tohono O’odham Nation appears in the video and said, “I support Shining Soul because I love their music, but more importantly because the “ALL DAY” video shows some of the struggles and frustrations that Tohono O’odham have lived with for years since checkpoints intruded upon our homelands. The video expresses our opposition to Border Patrol policing us and our movements.”

Leilani Clark, who was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, says border militarization impacts the O’odham and migrants. “Borders will never end migration. All they accomplish is appropriating Indigenous lands as corridors of enforcement, and protecting the movement of commercial goods while killing people on those same routes. The “ALL DAY” video is a platform to inform the masses and to challenge power.”

Ruben Rivas from the Sells Community/Sells District of the Tohono O’odham Nation stated, “In a time of oppression, we need to remind Native America that we are survivors, that we existed before borders, and that we are intelligent and beautiful. That is why I wanted to help with the video. It was perfect that I am holding the “No Borders” sign, to document O’odham resistance to what they do.”

View the video at : https://youtu.be/hIaGI1L00Co
Purchase song and album POLITICS ASIDE at : https://shiningsoulmusic.bandcamp.com/ - It's Going Down


"Trump’s Border Wall Builds Apprehension Across Tohono O’odham Nation"

The U.S.-Mexico border has become “an artificial barrier to the freedom of the Tohono O’odham. . . to traverse their lands, impairing their ability to collect foods and materials needed to sustain their culture and to visit family members and traditional sacred sites,” according to the Tohono O’odham Nation website.

There have been groups formed, like Tohono O’odham Hemajkam Rights Network (T.O.H.R.N.), that is a network for O’odham who are opposed to militarization on their jewed (land). Music artists like Shining Soul are raising awareness about the border through their songs and activism. - Indian Country Media Network


"6 Acts You Should See at the 2016 AZ Hip Hop Festival at Comerica Theatre"

This band made a name for itself by making fiery, politically charged rap songs. The group returned this year with Politics Aside, an album featuring local musicians like Camille Sledge of Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra and rappers Nefftys, Mr Miranda, and MegaRan. The group focused on amping up the soulful production and aimed to inspire people more to dance rather than to activate — and if the latter comes as a result to the former, all the better. - Phoenix New Times


"Video: Shining Soul uses poetry, hip-hop to celebrate Native American Heritage Month"

Members of the community gathered Saturday at the Burton Barr Central Library to show their support for Native American Heritage month through a fusion of hip-hop and poetry.

The event highlighted Shining Soul, a local Phoenix hip-hop group. Shining Soul’s goal is to use poetry and hip-hop as a tool for minority voices, such as those of Native Americans, to be heard.

“It’s rooted in our culture, our traditions,” said Alex Soto, who performs by the name ‘Emcee Liaizon’ for Shining Soul. “We’re here in the cities whether it’s arts, through hip-hop, graffiti and various contemporary mediums that Native people are still here expressing.”

Soto’s performance with his partner, Francisco Habrique, focused on conveying their message that Native American people are still fighting for recognition today.

“I stay persistent in my fight for existence,” the duo sang.

The Arizona Consortium for the Arts, in partnership with the Barton Barr Central Library, facilitated the Native American hip-hop and open mic poetry showcase. Elena Thornton, founder of the Arizona Consortium for the Arts, said she hoped the event would act as a vehicle for bringing together the diverse community — a goal of the organization.

“We are a community organization, and it’s inviting the community to share, to learn, explore,” Thornton said.

Suzanne Sosnowski, an attendee, performed an original poetry piece at the open mic period to honor the peaceful nature of the culture she experienced on a trip to a reservation.

“Vengeance. A weapon he chooses not to use,” Sosnowski said, describing a man she met on the reservation.

Sosnowski said she also believes in the power of the arts to link members of the community. Her nonprofit organization called Arizona Masters of Poetry works to help the young people of Phoenix use spoken word poetry to share their experiences and feelings.

Events like Saturday’s have opened the doors for groups featuring Native American cultural aspects to have a stage to express their concerns to the community.

“I think we ‘don found our niche. It don’t get much better than this,” the Shining Soul duo sang.

Contact the reporter at ljmarsh1@asu.edu. - Downtown Devil


"Arizona-Based Native Hip-Hop Trio, Shining Soul, Drop New Video for “The H.E.A.L.I.N.G”"

“The H.E.A.L.I.N.G” promises to be a disclaimer for what’s to come and a wake up call for all those sleeping on Arizona’s favorite rap trio. - R.P.M.-Indigenous Music Culture


"Shining Soul Deliver “Doing My Thang” (Video)"

Shining Soul drop a new Sal Robledo directed clip for their “Politics Aside” cut, “Shining Soul.” Check out the action in “Doing My Thang!” Phoenix stand up! - Insomniac Magazine


"Shining Soul "Doing My Thang""

Shot on location at South Mountain Community Library (phx, az) and various cities in Germany.

Camera support by Shiloh and additional footage provided by DJ Reflekshin and Sam Gomez of Phoenician Clothing. - VisionBombing


"Wednesday, September 28, 2016 – Music Maker: Shining Soul"

Shining Soul, with Tohono O’odham, Diné and Chicano roots, has a new album, “Politics Aside.” Once deemed “Arizona’s Public Enemy” the Hip Hop trio takes their musical inspiration inward, but don’t hold back on substance. And you can still dance to it. The album contains over a dozen tracks that wrangle in urban styles with lyrics that resonate in their Indigenous communities. For them, the music is so meta, and that comes straight from one of the songs on the album. Join us to find out more about their musical statement on the world.

Guests:

Alex Soto/MC Liaizon (Tohono O’odham)

Franco Habre/The Bronze Candidate (Chicano)

Lawrence Martinez/DJ Reflekshin (Diné) - Native America Calling


"Shining Soul Release Third Full Length Album ‘Politics Aside’"

Politics Aside reaffirms that Hip Hop rooted in substance can make the stiffest revolutionary wallflower hit the dance floor, and the most apolitical fan give a fuck about our world. - R.P.M.-Indigenous Music Culture


"Shining Soul "Good Times" Ft. Nefftys & Frank E. (official music video)"

The homies Shining Soul are back with another heater. Fresh off of the new album "Politics Aside" is the first single "Good Times". Feel this. - God Made Me Funky-The Great Adventures of Darrell D


"Shining Soul – “The Healing” (Video)"

Let’s travel back to July & revisit Shining Soul as they dropped a video for their “Politics Aside” track, “The Healing.” Watch below & revitalize your soul… - INSOMNIAC MAGAZINE


"SEVEN RISING NATIVE AMERICAN MUSICIANS TO LISTEN FOR"

In case you were unaware, November is officially Native American Heritage Month -- a time dedicated to celebrating indigenous identity, cultural revival, and resistance on all fronts. But of course, Native America wouldn't be where it is today without the innovators, artists and thought leaders challenging the status quo, so here's to the up-and-coming Native American musicians fighting to tell their stories as the voices of their generation. Transforming the way indigenous culture is heard, while making damn good music in the process, we found seven of our favorite, up-and-comers whose styles range from hip-hop to hummy harmonics.

Shining Soul

Hip-hop duo Shining Soul is the real deal -- two Chicano/Tohono O'odham emcees, producers, and beat makers creating jazzy, underground music that represent the Southwest with outcries against indigenous oppression, border militarization, and Red-Brown solidarity. And with multilingual, politically-charged rhymes with ample mariachi and salsa influence, they're definitely ones to watch when it comes to cultural pride and resistance. - Paper Mag


"Caught in the Crossfire: U.S.-Mexico Border Militarization Threatens Way of Life for Native Tribe"

President Obama has deployed thousands of new U.S. Border Patrol agents to the southern border of Arizona, a state known for its controversial crackdown on immigrants. Caught in the middle of the border militarization are about 28,000 members of the Tohono O’odham Nation. Their federally recognized reservation is about the size of the state of Connecticut, and for a 76-mile stretch it spans both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Broadcasting from Flagstaff, we speak with both Klee Benally, a Diné (Navajo) activist, and Alex Soto, a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation and organizer with O’odham Solidarity Across Borders. He is also a member of the hip-hop duo, Shining Soul. "The Tohono O’odham people, which translates to desert people, are caught in the midst of colonial policies that are now militarizing our lands, from just the amount of Border Patrol agents, to checkpoints, to drones, to just the overall surveillance of our community," Soto says.

TRANSCRIPT

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

AMY GOODMAN: "Papers" by Shining Soul, a hip-hop duo that our next guest is a member of. Yes, this is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. I’m Amy Goodman. We’re on the road in Flagstaff, Arizona, a state known for its controversial crackdown on undocumented immigrants under Governor Jan Brewer, who announced this week she is not running for re-election. President Obama has also deployed thousands of new U.S. Border Patrol agents to Arizona’s southern border with Mexico.

Well, caught in the middle of this are about 28,000 members of the Tohono O’odham Nation. Their federally recognized reservation is about the size of the state of Connecticut. And for a 76-mile stretch, it spans both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Many O’odham must now pass through checkpoints when traveling through their land, and some members living in Mexico are almost completely cut off from their tribe.

Our next guest was part of a protest in 2010 where demonstrators opposed to border militarization and checkpoints occupied the U.S. Border Patrol offices at Tucson’s Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Alex Soto is a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation and organizer with O’odham Solidarity Across Borders. He’s also a member of the hip-hop duo, Shining Soul.

Staying with us, Klee Benally, Diné, Navajo, activist.

Alex, welcome.

ALEX SOTO: Hello.

AMY GOODMAN: It’s great to have you here in Flagstaff, quite far, actually, from the border.

ALEX SOTO: Yeah.

AMY GOODMAN: Talk about the key issues right now.

ALEX SOTO: Well, currently, my community is in the middle of just the current push to militarize the border region. The Tohono O’odham people are—which translates to "desert people," are caught in the midst of colonial policies that are now militarizing our lands from just the amount of Border Patrol agents to checkpoints, to drones, to just the overall surveillance of our community. So, right now, you know, our way of life as O’odham are being affected, you know, from traditional practices to seeing family and friends, and just overall just being affected by the militarization.

AMY GOODMAN: Describe the wall to us.

ALEX SOTO: Well, on our reservation, keep in mind, the border region that you shared, 76 miles, is not necessarily a wall yet. All it is, is vehicle barriers. So, in my lifetime, at one point, you know, early childhood, there was no fence. There was nothing there. So, through my lifetime, I’ve seen the changes due to the current immigration policies that are acted out by the U.S. government. And now it’s to the point where we have vehicle barriers. But the current push for comprehensive immigration reform is now pushing towards a Berlin Wall-like scenario in my community right now.

AMY GOODMAN: Describe how you’ve seen the border militarized over the years of your growing up.

ALEX SOTO: You know, growing up—and I’m only 28 now—just being young, I was always raised to know that, as O’odham, you know, the land on both sides of the so-called U.S.-Mexico border is our land. And so, when I was young, there was no border there, other than chicken-wire fence for ranching or, you know, practices within the community. Only until—since the early '80s to the early ’90s, in particular with the passing of NAFTA, did we see the push to then regulate the border due to the level of migrant communities or indigenous people from Mexico now migrating here due to policy, economic policies by the U.S. So, you know, through the ’90s, it has escalated more and more just due to that, into 2001, with 9/11, where it pushed more policies towards militarization. So right now we're currently in that state, along—more or less because of immigration policy, as well. So, hand in hand, these issues are impacting us that are not necessarily O’odham issues, but the global context is now pushing that militarization on our land.

AMY GOODMAN: I mean, it’s so interesting that we’re talking about immigration issues when you’re the original people of this land.

ALEX SOTO: Yeah.

AMY GOODMAN: Talk about the Know Your Rights trainings that you’re involved in.

ALEX SOTO: I’m part of a grassroots effort in the community, along with many other young people, who are taking initiative to now know our rights in relation to Border Patrol, because in our community the Border Patrol operates as if—you know, with no accountability. I mean, they—keep in mind, our reservation is not in an urban setting; it’s in a rural area. So, agents, they pretty much act out, you know, whatever they want. And that being said, community members are in a position where they don’t know what their rights are. So, my friends, in particular, the collective that I’ve been involved with, solidarity work, they’ve been putting that out there as far as what are the dos and don’ts. And in particular, when it comes down to Border Patrol interactions, they really are only supposed to ask your citizenship. They’re not supposed to ask where you’re coming from or who’s your family or who is this person in the back that looks, you know, in their eyes, illegal and so forth, even though, as you mentioned, we are the first inhabitants of the land. And keep in mind, we’re all indigenous people, as was mentioned.

AMY GOODMAN: I mean, it’s interesting you’re here at Northern Arizona University, which has a large criminal justice department. Students move on from here, many go into Border Patrol. Isn’t Border Patrol the largest security force in the United States?

ALEX SOTO: From my understanding, they’re getting up there to that point, because in our community, we have nearby border towns, such as Ajo, such as Casa Grande, where Border Patrol agents are—you know, that the push have been—you know, the escalation of what’s going on. Small rural towns are becoming just havens for them to now live. You know, there’s thousands of residents, in particular in Ajo, who now have Border Patrol agents housing there. So, it’s pretty sad in that regard.

AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to end by asking both of you about your music as a part of your resistance and your political activism. Talk about Shining Soul.

ALEX SOTO: Shining Soul is myself and my other colleague, who’s from South Phoenix, who’s a Chicano, Franco Habre, aka The Bronze Candidate. My hip-hop project is called Shining Soul, so together we’re a duo. You know, we rap. We make our beats. And with our music, we’re able to express what’s happening in our communities, you know, in the spirit of Public Enemy, in the spirit of NWA, to let not just our communities know, but the outside world, that these issues are affecting us, but it’s not just an indigenous issue or a Chicano issue or, you know, any—it’s everybody’s issue. So, from music, you know, dope beats and dope rhymes, as they say, you know, as an emcee, in the spirit of hip-hop’s—you know, in its early starts, you know, I spread that message in that regard, including his own regard is through his music, as well.

AMY GOODMAN: Klee, talk about your music in Blackfire.

KLEE BENALLY: Well, music is a tool for social transformation and change. I mean, in an era where we see capitalism as the enemy of Mother Earth, and indigenous people are tokenized, and we are—continue to face the ongoing genocide of our people—because, I mean, you asked what is the impact of global warming on indigenous people. It is genocide. I mean, the resource extraction on our lands is the result that you see with the symptoms of global warming. And so, music, for me, is an opportunity, a powerful opportunity, to get that message out there and to let people know that we need hope, but we need action. We have to meet that, match that.

AMY GOODMAN: And, Klee, also talk about Outta Your Backpack Media collective.

KLEE BENALLY: Outta Your Backpack Media was started in 2004 as a response to the need for media justice in indigenous communities. So what we do is we offer free workshops and resource kits for indigenous youth and empower them to be able to tell their own stories, because we know, and as you know, corporate media is not going to do the job for us. We need to do it ourselves.

AMY GOODMAN: And who are you training?

KLEE BENALLY: I work with indigenous youth, primarily high school ages, and we’re a collective. We’re all volunteer. And what we do is we train youth to become mentors themselves, to participate and educate other youth. So, really, it’s a spreading, it’s a growing movement. It’s connected to the music that Alex is doing; it’s connected to my music. And really, there is a strong upsurgence and uprising of indigenous people, not just with Idle No More, because we’ve never been idle. We are still part of this struggle. We’re still here.

AMY GOODMAN: Idle No More being the indigenous movement in Canada.

KLEE BENALLY: Yeah, and we’ve never been idle. My elders never gave up. When the U.S. government forces were coming to take their land up in Big Mountain and Black Mesa, which I believe you’ve been there—

AMY GOODMAN: My first radio documentary in 1985 was called A Thumbprint on Mother Earth, and, yes, I came out here to Flagstaff, went to Big Mountain and looked at the plight of the Diné and Hopi people. Often it was cast as a battle between these two tribes. But, in fact, when you came here and looked, you saw Peabody Coal behind the whole thing.

KLEE BENALLY: And that’s the connection to global warming. I mean, as long as people are tied up in these unsustainable lifestyles and continue down this destructive path that fuels this war against our mother, the Earth, then we’re going to have this conflict. And that’s—the resistance is still going on today. People are still on the land. They are still staying strong, carrying on our ways of life.

AMY GOODMAN: We’ll link to that documentary, A Thumbprint on Mother Earth, and also to the work of our guests. Alex Soto, thanks so much for being with us, O’odham Solidarity Across Borders, and Klee Benally, Diné, Navajo, activist. - Democracy Now!


"Shining Soul: A Phoenix Hip-Hop Duo Raps on Border Militarization"

Shining Soul, a Phoenix, Arizona-based hip-hop duo, is made up of Franco/The Bronze Candidate, who makes beats and instrumentals with a distinct underground, jazzy flavor, and Alex Soto/MC Liaison, who spits politically subversive rhymes. The chorus of Shining Soul's song, "Papers," includes the line, "Sayin' that shit you can't say/ Like smash borders,/ Chinga la imegra (fuck the border patrol) / Middle finger/ To la lina (the border)." The duo sat down with Occupy.com and talked with us about how their music is a tool to inform audiences about border militarization, oppression of indigenous peoples, and capitalism.

***
Carl Gibson: Where are you originally from? And how does that influence your music?

MC Liaison: First and foremost, I'm Tohono O'odham (pronounced tone-OH-tum) which translates to desert people, and is the second largest tribe next to the Navajo in the so-called US. Our land mass is as big as the state of Connecticut and shares 79 miles of so-called US/Mexico border. The line was drawn since 1848 with the Gadsden purchase, so our nation and community has been divided in half. Our tribal lands go to Rocky Point, Hermecito, and spans as far north as Phoenix.

Just like any indigenous tribe around the world, there are different bands. There's desert people, but up here, the other O'odham, or people, are the river people. Any MC back in New York knows that Hip-Hop began with that cultural pride of people who were living in the ghetto, living in the hood, living on the rez. That's one thing I communicate through my music. I share my culture and flavor down there, but I'm also rocking it in Phoenix with people up here.

CG: How long have you two been making music? Talk about how you began and the evolution of your sound.

Bronze Candidate: Alex and I have known each other for 9 years. Shining Soul has been through many phases and mutations. We used to be a live band at one point, I was playing bass and guitar for the group. I'm still using those musical influences as music for the group, but I'm making the beat-driven, rhythm-driven music.

It's basically about cultural pride, and pride about where we come from. My mom and pops were into Earth Wind and Fire, Gap Band, El Chicano, really funky stuff, you know? I supplemented it with Mariachi here and there, with some Salsa infused. And that's all kind of what I gear myself and the audience for. With the beats coupled with the critical, crucial and sometimes urgent messages you sometimes need to put in the music, people are really feeling it. It's a serious message, but it's constructive, as well.

CG: This is Arizona, the home of SB 1070, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Jan Brewer. It seems like there's a lot of stuff to inspire your lyrics in Arizona. Talk about how these current battles influence your music.

BC: It's also the home of Si Se Puede, as we say. And the house of insurrection. It's in our rhymes. It's the front lines of this new white supremacy we're seeing, and that's what we call it, because that's what it is. It comes from colonization and this domination of the social order, you see the disparities in the distribution of quote-unquote wealth.

CG: And you see it in high unemployment rates in indigenous communities compared to white communities, incarceration rates and all that.

BC: Right. You see the--it's the allegiances that are there that are not talked about and kind of invisible. There's destitute people across the board. Whatever you look like, whatever your pigment is. It's that allegiance to what we call whiteness. Because that gives you privilege over people who are darker than you. And at the end of the day, I mean, you don't want to be criminalized for being poor. You want to pass the buck to someone else. And look at who's historically been marginalized and how violence has been projected upon certain groups of individuals.

I'm a Chicano, I come from generations in the valley of what we call Phoenix. I'm pretty much a desert person as well. But three generations is not that long, people like my boy Alex, MC Liaison, he's been here since time immemorial. So what does that look like when I'm trying to claim space here? So my music comes from me as a human being, as a Chicano, and as an MC and beat maker. So that brings it back to this imperialism we try to address in our music. We have these draconian laws like SB 1070, and the streamlining of "secure communities" laws which allow federal agents and local pig to collaborate.

MCL: In particular, it relates to SB 1070, but it also relates to border militarization. This has been happening before SB 1070 became law. SB 1070 just made us more of a police state. In the Tohono O'odham nation, my people have been stuck literally in the middle of this war that's been happening. With the push of NAFTA i - The Huffington Post


"Tohono O’odham rapper takes his music and message internationally"

But, Soto doesn’t just want to just inflame people with his music, he wants to create a discussion.

“You might have that frustration at the checkpoint,” said Soto. But, while he may experience frustration because of harassment, he said
he wants to talk “...in a way that’s more about healing, so we can talk about it instead of getting mad. In terms of our music, I want to do it in a way that empowers. I feel hip hop has always been that medium
to talk, to talk about things that sometimes we can’t talk about out loud.” - Tohono O'odham Runner


"The Best Indigenous Music of 2013"

#7

Shining Soul burst onto our playlists with their commanding album Sonic Smash just in time to make an appearance on the #NationHood Mixtape with their lead-off single “Get Up”. But the whole album goes deep with soulful hip-hop anthems that strike back against oppression wherever they find it and find root in the strength and vitality of their creative expression. Listen/download: http://shiningsoulmusic.bandcamp.com/album/sonic-smash - RPM.fm - Indigenous Music Culture


"'Red-Brown Solidarity Is a Must!' Says Hip Hop Duo Shining Soul"

'Red-Brown Solidarity Is a Must!' Says Hip Hop Duo Shining Soul

ICTMN Staff
5/28/14

Phoenix-based hip hop duo Shining Soul consists of Tohono O'odham rapper MC Liaison (Alex Soto) and Chicano rapper The Bronze Candidate (Franco). The two create highly political music, focused on the Southwest's many issues with racism and violence in the name of border security. Shining Soul are particularly concerned about militarization on Indigenous lands and the divisive effects of arbitrary borders. In November, the group discussed their philosophy and the single "Papers," which is about guilty-until-proven-innocent spirit of Arizona's SB 1070.

"SB 1070 just made us more of a police state," Soto told Occupy.com. "In the Tohono O’odham nation, my people have been stuck literally in the middle of this war that’s been happening. With the push of NAFTA in 1994, we had an influx of economic refugees migrate here from the so-called line to the South, and of course, the state cracked down. So Nogales, El Paso, the bigger cities, Tijuana -- all got locked down, because that’s a given to lock that spot. So what happens is [immigrants] have to go through the hottest, most rural, and craziest areas, which happen to be where I’m from."

RELATED: 12 Tracks of Native Hip Hop That Crush Emerson Windy's "Peace Pipe"

"I’m a Chicano," Franco added. "I come from generations in the valley of what we call Phoenix. I’m pretty much a desert person as well. But three generations is not that long, people like my boy Alex, MC Liaison, he’s been here since time immemorial. So what does that look like when I’m trying to claim space here?"

The duo's latest track, "No Mercy," addresses some of the same themes. "Profiting off our demise as a raza and converting Indigenous territories to paramilitary police states is big business for government officials, corporations, and NGO's promoting these reforms," says the text at YouTube. "We need to be in the business of asking critical questions to be a stronger, united force in responding to this attack and fight back!"

For more on Shining Soul, visit shiningsoul-music.blogspot.com. Here's the clip for "No Mercy," followed by "Papers"


Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/05/28/red-brown-solidarity-must-says-hip-hop-duo-shining-soul-155056 - Indian Country Today Media Network


"U.S.-Mexico border wreaks havoc on lives of an indigenous desert tribe"

A blessing in song

"Outside Jesús Manuel’s uncle’s home, eight family members gathered under a tree adorned with rusting horseshoes and other metal tools and trinkets. After a hearty breakfast of tortillas, beans, and fresh chicharrones cooked over an outdoor fire, a handful of O’odham youth from the reservation said goodbye to Jesús Manuel’s family.

Alex Soto, of the hip-hop duo Shining Soul shared a rap from his new album critiquing U.S. immigration" policy. - Al-Jazzera America


"Shining Soul calienta motores para gira en Alemania"

Su música es de denuncia, en sus rimas Shining Soul saca a la luz las injusticias sociales que hacen parte del día a día de comunidades marginadas en el país y el estado

El grupo de hip-hop local Shining Soul anunció recientemente que en junio estará de gira en Alemania representando el talento urbano de Arizona.

Por 16 días, empezando el 6 de junio, recorrerán 11 ciudades en donde tocaran en festivales de música al aire libre, discotecas y ofrecerán un taller a los jóvenes de Chemnitz (ciudad ubicada al este del país, al sur de Berlín) sobre el significado de la noción de comunidad.

Para los que no los conocen, Shining Soul (que se traduce literalmente a Alma Radiante) está integrado por Franco Habre y Alex Soto, cuyos nombres artísticos son Bronze Candidate y Liaizon, respectivamente.

Habre creció en el sur de Phoenix y es de ascendencia mexicana y Soto es nativo americano de la Nación Tohono O'Odham.

Su música es de denuncia, en sus rimas Shining Soul saca a la luz las injusticias sociales las cuales hacen parte del día a día de comunidades marginadas en el país y el estado. En especial, Shining Soul ha dedicado su trabajo musical a denunciar la criminalización de comunidades de indígenas e inmigrantes en Arizona. Sus canciones incitan a la resistencia y plantean críticas sobre la política para elevar el diálogo y el arte en Phoenix y sus alrededores.

El domingo 17 de mayo estarán dando un concierto junto a otros artistas locales para recaudar fondos para su gira por Europa. El grupo busca el apoyo de la comunidad para que DJ Refleskshin, artista Navajo oriundo de Nuevo México, los acompañe en su viaje.

El concierto será en el Phoenix Youth Hostel and Cultural Center, empieza a las 6 p.m. y habrá vino y comida para los que atiendan el evento.

Twitter: @Laura_GomezRod



Qué: Concierto benéfico con varios invitados especiales. La entrada incluye vino y comida.

Cuándo: Domingo 17 de mayo a las 6p.m.

Dónde: Phoenix Youth Hostel and Cultural Center, 1026 N. 9th St., Phoenix

Precio: 15 dólares por persona, 20 dólares por dos personas. Niños entran gratis.

Contacto: 602-254-9803 - La Voz


"Navajo DJ to take his beats across the pond"

A Navajo disc jockey is headed out of the country for a tour with hip-hop group Shining Soul.

DJ Reflekshin, also known as Lawrence Martinez Jr., will be headed on a 16-day tour with Shining Soul across Germany this June.

According to their website, Shining Soul is a Phoenix-based hip-hop duo, made up of Franco Habre/The Bronze Candidate, who makes beats and instrumentals with a distinct underground, jazzy flavor, and Alex Soto/MC Liaison, who spits politically subversive rhymes.

Soto, a native from the Tohono Oo’odham tribe, said that as part of their visit to Germany the guys of Shining Souls will be hosting youth music workshops from June 1-5, and June 6-23 will be their tour dates.

Soto said their group gives youth the tools to make hip-hop music by providing them hands-on experience demonstrating the basics of beat making.

He added that he is looking forward to “being able to connect with a whole different community, and hear why hip-hop speaks to them.” - Navajo Times


"Arizona Hip Hop Duo Finds Music Inspiration From Immigration And Border Issues"

Rap and hip-hop have often been used as a way to get across messages about racial and social justice. Arizona-based Shining Soul has used frustration with U.S. border policy and the immigration enforcement law SB1070 as inspiration for their music.

We spoke with Shining Soul MCs Franco Habre and Alex Soto. They’ll be performing on Sunday night at the Phoenix Youth Hostel and Cultural Center. - KJZZ 91.5


"Feb: Native Now festival celebrates an evolving culture"

As part of Shining Soul, Alex Soto expresses his Tohono O’odham background and his thoughts on contemporary Native American life through a decidedly modern medium: hip-hop.

“Young, gifted and red / us Indians ain’t dead,” Soto raps over a jazzy beat in “Get Up.” He and bandmate Franco Habre, who identifies as Chicano, rap about immigration reform, cultural pride and “not living in tepees,” Soto said.

Shining Soul will be part of the second annual Native Now festival this weekend at the ASU Deer Valley Rock Art Center, a free festival that illustrates the changing identities, thoughts and artistic expressions of indigenous people today.

“The hope is that we will all come to understand that culture is something that is lived. It’s a practice; it’s not something that is bestowed on us that is fixed or static,” said Casandra Hernandez, interpretation and programs coordinator at the center.

Soto performs under the name “Liaizon” and Habre as “Bronze Candidate.” They both live in Phoenix and have performed their brand of socially aware hip-hop at the Marquee Theatre and Crescent Ballroom.

“It’s more conscious. It reflects who I am as a Native person,” Soto said. “It’s a way to let people know that Native people are still here.”

The festival will also feature a screening and discussion with filmmakers Dustinn and Velma Kee Craig, music by DJ Byron Phoenix, a performance by Melanie Sainz about the daily transformation between her Native and mainstream identities, and another by Wilana White-Coyote with songs and stories about her Cocopah culture.

“I want to bring about more mentors, put a spotlight and showcase talented indigenous people that have paved their own way doing what they love and finding a purpose in their life,” said Eunique Yazzie, guest curator of the festival.

Yazzie said she was inspired to create the festival with Hernandez after she saw many Native Americans, including friends from where she grew up near Canyon de Chelly on the Navajo Reservation, leave their reservations to go to college or pursue a career, only to experience such culture shock that they returned home within a few years.

“It’s pointing out there’s people who have done what they love and they didn’t necessarily have to sacrifice a lot of who they are to be a functioning citizen in a city,” she said.

Many Native Americans struggle to blend their heritage with the culture and demands of a city such as Phoenix, Yazzie said, a topic that Soto writes about frequently.

“You can feel the frustration in his lyrics but also just trying to put it out here that we’re in an evolving society,” she said. “It kind of gets you in that activist mood.”

There will also be an art project that guests can help create and food from the Emerson Fry Bread food truck and Navajo-inspired food from chef Harrison Watchman, who is Dine, the Navajo word for the Navajo people. Watchman will be making potato and squash soup with sumac, a spice common to Middle Eastern food that grows in Arizona, as well as blue corn mush with prickly-pear syrup and Navajo tea.

Whether indigenous or not, Hernandez said she hopes the festival helps people realize that every culture is complex and dynamic.

“These artists in particular … create their own understanding of what it is to be indigenous,” she said. “They’re performances that really get to the ways in which all of us negotiate our identity every day. - AZ Central.com


"Internationales Jugendtheaterprojekt in Chemnitz"

Fünfzig Schülerinnen und Schüler des Chemnitzer Schulmodells erarbeiten unter professioneller Anleitung eine mehrsprachige Inszenierung eines Theaterstückes namens "be:longing".

In mehreren Workshops können die Teilnehmer dabei aktiv werden - ob beim Erlernen von Breakdance-Tanzschritten, dem Herantasten an die Schauspielerei oder beim Produzieren eigener Hip-Hop-Sounds.

Die Workshop-Leiterinnen und Leiter kommen dabei aus den Vereinigten Staaten, Kanada, Australien und Deutschland.

Interview: Karina Falke - Mitorganisatorin, "Walden e.V."

Die Achtklässler werden im Rahmen ihres Schulunterrichtes bis zum Freitag an ihrer Performance arbeiten.

Neben den künstlerischen Dingen sollen mit dem Projekt weitere wichtige Bausteine auf dem Weg zum Erwachsensein vermittelt werden: Eigenverantwortung, Kompromissfähigkeit, aber auch Durchsetzungsvermögen.

Interview: Karina Falke - Mitorganisatorin, "Walden e.V."

Die Premiere des Stückes "be:longing" wird am Freitag um 18 Uhr das zweitägige Kulturfestival "fuego a la isla" auf der Schlossteichinsel eröffnen. - Sachsen Fernsehen (Germany media)


"Shining Soul ilumina Arizona con su rebeldía"

Una ventosa tarde de octubre, cuando los calores del desierto ya sufren de timidez, Franco Habre (Bronze Candidate) y Liaizon (Alex Soto), miembros de Shining Soul, un dúo local de Hip-hop, hablaron sobre la importancia de crear arte que no solo tenga el propósito de canalizar una expresión creativa, pero que pronuncie la disconformidad con el estatus quo.

Este concepto de música no es casualidad, es producto de la combinación de sus herencias culturales: Franco tiene ascendencia mexicana, y Alex es nativo americano.

La Voz: ¿Cuándo decidieron formar un dúo de hip-hop?



Bronze Candidate: Al principio comenzó con una banda completa de 6 personas, luego con el tiempo y como en todas las agrupaciones, las cosas cambiaron y desde hace 5 años la agrupación somos nosotros, nosotros hacemos nuestros 'beats'...

Liaizon: Básicamente la agrupación no tuvo constancia y nada más quedamos los dos y desde entonces hemos experimentado. Ambos hemos sido expuestos a este género musical y desde adolescentes hacemos esto de una u otra forma, ya sea en la escuela, en fiestas o con amigos. Pero este fue nuestro interés desde siempre.

LV: ¿Por qué Shining Soul?

BC: El nombre vino de forma imprevista, un miembro del grupo lo sugirió y creo que iba muy bien con la identidad que tenemos y nos gustó la resonancia.

L: Si, nuestro amigo era fanático de los video juegos y creo que en realidad es el título de un video juego. La verdad sonaba muy bien y creo que a través de los años ese nombre se ha convertido más en parte de nuestra identidad y ya no nos parece coincidencia que ese sea nuestro nombre.

LV: ¿Qué significa Shining Soul?

BC: La traducción literal es alma radiante.

LV: ¿Cuál es su identidad y cómo ha evolucionado desde el inicio de la agrupación?

BC: Creo que ha sido una progresión que continuará, aunque la esencia no va a cambiar o el mensaje no cambiará. Desde que iniciamos esa era una meta que teníamos, exponer a quienes nos escuchan a nuestros orígenes, a nuestras luchas que, en realidad, no son distintas de mucha de la gente que nos sigue.

LV: ¿Cuál es ese mensaje, qué es lo que quieren transmitir?

BC: Nuestra agrupación toma este canal creativo para denunciar injusticias sociales a minorías en el estado y el país; creemos que el hip-hop es un género musical que se presta para eso y que tienen una conexión muy fuerte con las comunidades marginadas. Nuestras canciones presentan experiencias cotidianas y lo que pasa en nuestro entorno dentro las diferentes comunidades.

L: Si, también hablamos sobre la vida en general, no es como que sólo hablamos de política, economía o de cuán jodido está el mundo, no pretendemos ser dogmáticos, alienar o darle un sermón a la gente, simplemente somos seres políticos y se da la casualidad -o causalidad, como lo quieras ver-, de que vivimos en un estado donde es casi obligatorio tener una posición definida, y en nuestro caso esta es la justicia social.

LV: Ambos pertenecen a grupos minoritarios en el estado. Liaizon, tú tienes raíces en la comunidad nativo americana de la Nación Tohono O'odham y Bronze Candidate, tu creciste en el Sur de Phoenix ¿Cómo su experiencia influye en el contenido de sus canciones?

L: Desde muy temprano en nuestras vidas nosotros estamos consientes de algunas situaciones que sólo cuando somos más grandes y tenemos acceso a educación podemos determinar o categorizar, pero desde pequeños se nos graba cierta información sobre la política y como ha afectado a nuestra gente y continúa haciéndolo desde hace siglos. En mi caso especial yo he visto injusticias en mi reservación y lo estoy denunciando fuera de ella, pero no se trata solamente de mi gente, sino de todas las minorías.

LV: Mencionan que ustedes utilizan su arte como un medio para exponer injusticias y cosas que están pasando en nuestro estado. ¿Creen que sus letras o que su identidad artística se ha radicalizado luego de la aprobación de leyes como la SB1070 y otras similares que afectan a grandes grupos de personas?

BC: La agrupación tuvo un foco social desde el principio, pero recientes leyes que no solo afectan a hispanos o a minorías, han despertado un interés más fuerte en este tipo de temas. La SB1070, pese a lo que digan y lo que se debata en cortes, es un ataque a la comunidad. Y pese a que yo nací en este país, y que tengo "privilegios", siento el dolor de las familias y tengo la oportunidad de discernir cuales son las fuerzas que ejercen y que determinan el estatus quo.

L: Shining Soul también es parte de una estrategia para brindar información y exponer lo que pasa a un nivel institucional.

LV: ¿Por qué no utilizar su música para hablar de carros, mujeres, dinero, estatus económico, diversión, etc.?

BC: Creemos que ya existe mucho de eso y nuestra identidad es abordar temas más trascendentales y no tan superficiales.

L: Tenemos algunas canciones que son divertidas o 'de fiesta', pero creemos que la gente necesita saber también lo que pasa fuera de esa burbuja. La industria del entretenimiento funciona en muchas instancias, para distraer a la gente.

LV: Liaizon, tu brindas una perspectiva similar en este dúo, pero en otro contexto con ¿Cómo se vivió la SB1070 en las reservaciones?

L: En la reservaciones nosotros vivimos esto desde mediados de los noventas, mucho antes que en otras comunidades con políticas como la operación "Hold the Line" y "Gatekeeper", en el sentido que han convertido áreas donde viven comunidades indígenas, en corredores donde el tráfico humano y de drogas es prominente; y eso ha logrado que se militaricen zonas fronterizas, muchas veces invadiendo comunidades indígenas y desencadenando en muchos problemas como en la detención de gente inocente.

LV: ¿Cuál es propósito de Shining Soul?

BC: Como dijimos antes, no queremos dar sermones, pero a veces para que las cosas cambien tienes que incomodar a tu audiencia, abordar temas que no son "divertidos".

L: Tenemos la oportunidad de que gente se involucre, de que se informen que no solamente esta es una ley o un manojo de políticas estatales y federales, es una cuestión sistemática, que antes del Sheriff Arpaio, de Brewer y todos los actores políticos en este sistema, esto es parte de un ataque de mayores magnitudes.

LV: ¿Por qué hip-hop y no otro género?

BC: Porque eso es el hip-hop, porque sentimos que su estructura, lo que representa y como se infiltra en todos lados, porque tiene una cualidad urbana, pero al mismo tiempo sirve para concientizar sobre cosas reales.

L: Cada artista utiliza el medio en el que más se siente cómodo para expresar lo que lleva adentro, y creo que en nuestro caso este género musical es el mejor formato para expresar lo que queremos. Creo que el hip-hop ha sido una constante en nuestras vidas y realmente nos gusta.

LV: En noviembre lanzaron su nuevo disco denominado Sonic Smash ¿cómo les está yendo?

BC: A la gente le gusta y recién se están familiarizando...

L: Pero hemos tenido muy buena respuesta y creo que estamos experimentando un buen momento.

LV: ¿Dónde se les puede encontrar?

L: Si visitan nuestro portal de internet www.shiningsoul-music.blogspot.com/p/about.html o en Facebook.

LV: Gracias por su tiempo.

BC: Gracias a ustedes. - La Voz Arizona.com


"FIFA GO HOME! THE BATTLE AGAINST THE WORLD CUP IN BRAZIL."

"Music break: Hard beats and solid decolonizing rhymes by Shining Soul." - Submedia TV


"SHINING SOUL PREPARES TO TEACH HIP-HOP TO GERMAN CHILDREN"

“If you’re down with the SS say yes yes,” is one ad-lib that Bronze Candidate and Liaison of Shining Soul are going to be leaving in Phoenix this June when “the most targeted band in Arizona,” as Liaison AKA Alex Soto likes to say, takes their first tour outside of North America.

Soto and Bronze Candidate AKA Franco Habre will be taking the concept of “cross border solidarity” to new lengths when they take their militant indigenous/chicano hip-hop across the Atlantic Ocean for a 16-Day tour of Germany.

Habre and Soto will be arriving in Germany on May 29 and will be leading beat making workshops for German youth from June 1 until June 6 and then touring the country until June 22 along with Phoenix DJ Reflekshin who will be arriving in Germany shortly after Shining Soul.

“If David Hasselhoff had a good rapport out there in 1989 performing at the Berlin Wall, then I’m sure we will do fine,” joked Habre. The group will be performing 10 show all throughout the country and then spend their down time visiting cultural landmarks.

Soto said he intends to bring an offering to the Berlin Wall in remembrance of his grandfather, who was stationed along the wall during his military service.

“On my reservation they are trying to make an O'odham Berlin Wall," Soto says. "He’s seen that shit first hand and it's obviously wrong and that's my personal level.”

While Habre added, “This will be a learning experience I just won’t grasp until I’m there. I only know the history I’ve heard through the American narrative which is a little to neat and very surface level. I’m just open for anything and I hope people are open to talking and sharing and getting their story across to us.”
Social, political, and historical curiosities aside all three music makers say their number one goal with the tour is introducing their brand of hip-hop to an inter continental audience. An audience which Shining Soul associate Rebel Diaz from New York City assured is primed up for hip - hop shows and likened Berlin to the New York City of Europe when it comes to rap music.

“We got invited to do beat making workshops that we've been doing around here for the past seven years,” said Soto. “We are doing workshops for kids 8 a.m to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, they are going to make beats, they’re gonna do some rhymes and perform a song. That’s more or less what paid for the ticket, and they were like ‘you’re out here anyway, want to go on tour’ and we were like ‘fuck yeah.’ Our first priority is to get our music across.”
For the tour Shining Soul is updating the live show a little bit with Reflekshin coming along to add another layer to the live performance, as well as having Habre do live beatmaking on stage. Shining Soul is usually able to put on an energetic show when it’s just the two of them and an i-Pod for the beats, but when they bring out a DJ it really does make a difference for the two piece.

They will be giving Phoenix a taste of the touring lineup on Sunday, May 17, at the Phoenix Youth Hostel for their tour fundraiser show. They also have an Indiegogo.com campaign collecting donations through May 21.

“You’re going to hear good music with some real substance, they may not connect with what we’re saying or with where I’m from or where he’s [Habre] from. But you’re going to say alright they have something to say, it sounds urgent, shits fucked up, and I can bob my head to it, and I want to do something about it, and I want to relate it back to where I’m from,” said Soto. “We are more than some typical movement rappers pointing fucking fingers. It’s going to come off as we have our shit together and yeah we got something to say.” - Phoenix New Times


"The Red-Brown Border Politics of Phoenix Hip-Hop Duo Shining Soul"

In May, Phoenix-based hip-hop duo Shining Soul -- Franco Habre, a.k.a. Bronze Candidate, and Alex Soto, a.k.a. Liason -- made a video for their track "No Mercy," off their album, released in September 2013. The video mostly is protest footage mixed with clips of the group performing in concert, but the simple video goes well with the song, and the group's simple message: Smash borders.

The video includes footage from Arizona demonstrations such as 2010's Diné, Tohono O'odham, Anarchist bloc (known as the DO@ bloc), which was a protest against Tent City, as well as an anti-fascist demonstration that took place in downtown Phoenix in 2009 known as The Inglourious Basterds Bloc, and footage from a lockdown at a Tucson border patrol station.

Also mixed into the footage is video of a 2000 detention center breakout in which demonstrators took out the front gates of a jail while inmates overtook the guards and escaped.

"We showed videos of people getting free and liberating themselves," Habre says.

Soto adds, "In the States, you don't see resistance. You just see people trying to manage the struggle and anything that's a threat to the state. Outside this country, from hearing stories from comrades from Canada or Mexico, the U.S. view of protest or activism is to cry to power, and theirs is very different."

Shining Soul consistently has been pushing its radical anti-border politics for more than four years and has grown a reputation throughout the Phoenix hip-hop scene for being unrelenting when it comes to indigenous and Chicano issues. The group's reputation is getting noticed outside Phoenix as well, as recent features in the Huffington Post and Indian Country News attest.

The group also got a nod from Al Jazeera America when Soto was part of a delegation on his reservation to host a reporter doing a in-depth story on conditions on the Tohono O'odham reservation in southern Arizona. The Tohono O'odham reservation straddles the United States-Mexico border, which makes the militarization of the border a shared issue for both Mexicans and Soto's people.

Habre refers to borders as "arbitrary lines" and says that Shining Soul's music is meant to "fight back in the face of a heightened police state in our city and in the face of a larger military presence. Border to border, Palestine, the so-called United States and Mexico border, and the U.S.-Canada Border and beyond."

While events on the U.S.-Mexico border have always been real for both Soto and Habre, the duo recently was given a not-so-polite lesson on some of the problems facing indigenous people living on the northern border of the United States. While Shining Soul was trying to enter Vancouver via bus, the duo was stopped and detained for nearly three hours by the Canadian border patrol.

The group was heading to a Canadian reservation to perform for the Secwepemc Nation, an indigenous tribe of Canada.

"We had documentation. We had a letter from the tribe that was hosting us on that side formally recognizing our trip as a cultural exchange," Soto says. "So we had all our shit together, and we were still targeted and denied and deemed unfriendly by the Canadian government and barred entry until our friend from that tribe came and got us. And after that three-hour process, we were allowed in."
Soto and Habre both felt profiled by the border patrol agents, as they were the only two brown people on the bus.

"The occupants of the bus were mostly white, older folks," Soto says. "We came to the realization that we were profiled for being brown, and then they found out we were a hip-hop group and started asking us about guns and drugs, and then they found some of our political literature, which they also scrutinized while we were held."

The literature dealt with the CANAMEX Corridor, the anti-South Mountain freeway movement, and a pamphlet called "Accomplices Not Allies," which pictured a burning police car.

The two say that their fellow passengers went through seamlessly, while the rappers were continually asked what their business in Canada was -- they felt the border agents tried to make them confuse their stories, essentially interrogating the pair. Eventually, they were left by the bus driver and given a free ticket to either Vancouver or Seattle, depending on the discretion of the border patrol.

"Apparently, it happens all the time, especially with non-white and natives, in particular. The tribes up there are very fierce about their recognition of their nations, and they don't recognize the Canadian government," Soto says.

Habre adds, "We had a commitment. We said we were going to be somewhere and were going to be there, especially because people are calling for folks to come to their communities and share the struggle. And sometimes music is the best way to communicate that."

The pair was steadfast in its commitment to perform for the Secwepemc Nation earlier this summer and is not letting racial profiling by border patrol agents stop Shining Soul from going back. The rappers already have their return trip to Canada booked, with September dates in Montreal and Toronto, as part of their "Hometown Foreigners" Tour, which also will visit Chicago and Manhattan, Kansas.

Neither rapper is scared of bumping into border patrol again, but they admit it was on their minds.

"The threat is always there whenever artists -- especially hip-hop artists who are brown and who are indigenous, especially with a politically conscious message such as ours -- travel. But I'm ready for anything, because you never know how the state is going to operate with their regulation of movement," Soto says. "I wouldn't say we have any fear, because we aren't doing anything -- except for being who we are and traveling across Mother Earth, and Mother Earth has no boundaries and no borders."

Shining Soul says the focus of the tour is the cultural exchange of music and ideas, and while the pair is out of town is when it plays big club shows. But Soto and Habre also left plenty of space between shows to meet with "communities of resistance," as Soto put it, and share their ideas to make for a "broader and bigger connection."

Soto acknowledges that part of the reason they are going back to Canada so soon after encountering problems with the border patrol is because it's a "fuck you" to the state.

"But at the same time, it's about the music because people on both sides of this so-called line want to be able to hear and be a part of our music," Soto says. "Of course, we deal with militarization on the North American continent, but we don't have any fear, as far as sharing our opinions through our music, anywhere." - Phoenix New Times


"Shining Soul's Anti-Border Hip-Hop Gets Militant on Sonic Smash"

Militant chicano / indigenous hip hop duo Shining Soul have been putting their gritty brand of rap out for more than three years, and they've got an impressive rep to show for it. Alex Soto and Franco Habre, also known as Liaison and Bronze Candidate, have opened for Mala Rodriguez at Crescent Ballroom and also played Save the Peaks benefit concerts at Rusty Spoke -- basically the Phoenix equivalent of being respected from the streets to the boardroom.

With a battle cry of hip-hop is resistance, Shining Soul has earned their reputation as a preeminent local hip-hop act through passionate live performances and walking their talk. Resistance for Liaison and Bronze Candidate, is more than just a lyric.

Alex and Franco are both Phoenix political organizers well known to both activists, and local police who have gone as far as to reach out to the Tohono O'odham reservation looking to tarnish Soto's reputation.

On September 10 Shining Soul released Sonic Smash, the follow-up to their 2011 debut, We Got This. Their second release is reminiscent of a time when hip-hop was less refined and the beat took a backseat to the emcee; across the album the beats carry the feel of a late 80's to early 90's West Coast rap.

But the lyrics are where Bronze Candidate and Liaison really shine.

Both are well-read and intelligent in a way that shows through in their sharp, biting, and often inflammatory lyrics. Throughout Sonic Smash, Shining Soul pull no punches when attacking issues of racism, border politics, police repression, and a wide array of other politically charged topics.

"My inner compass has no reluctance for injustice / Hence why I bust this dope rhyme with substance / spiritual wonders while saying fuck Columbus" Liaison spits on the album's second track, "Make A Militant Move" and on "No Mercy" Bronze Candidate is even less equivocal "You can bet that/calling me wetback will get your head cracked" on a track that outlines economic interests behind the militarized Mexican-American border.

But the song goes past the liberal party line of looking for more humane treatment of those crossing the border. Shining Soul makes no apologies for their anti-border stance, and point out that "Self-defense is a human right / despite what the liberals and the fascists say".

The 22-track album, which can be downloaded for a price of your choosing on Bandcamp, features 18 new songs and four remixes of tracks from We Got This. The holdovers include their Rage Against The Machine "Bulls on Parade" remix of their single "Papers" as well as remixes of their songs "Affinity"--featuring Amber Dirks--& "Hard" featuring Mykr Friendx and Mr. Miranda--and "Niche".

The album also has a slew of guest appearances including DJ Alias on "Make A Militant Move" ; Definition Rare on "Time"; Nutmeg on "Remember"; and Brad B of The Insects as well as DJ Reflekshin on "Work". - Phoenix New Times


"Shining Soul Release Party - The Lost Leaf - Friday, November 22"

Shining Soul has been relentlessly promoting their newest release Sonic Smash in both the hip hop and activist community over the past few weeks, including interviews, radio appearances, and their Sonic Smash Tour (we talked to them back in September.) The entire endeavor culminated with their welcome home CD release party at The Lost Leaf.

For a group like Shining Soul "The Leaf" is the perfect venue for a release show; the venue is free, which holds true to Shining Soul's anarchist leanings, allowing their supporters to celebrate with them at no cost. The intimacy of the venue area allows for a hip-hop group without instruments to pack the room better than most bands--not that the room takes a lot to pack, another positive of The Lost Leaf.

The venue, which is also one of the arts district's most popular hangouts, always attracts an eclectic crowd, which allowed Shining Soul to not only perform for their followers but also to get their militant message of revolutionary struggle out in front of a crowd of scenesters who otherwise would probably never hear it.

DJ Reflekshun got the growing crowd moving with some hip-hop jams, and The Lost Leaf's "stage area" doubled as a dance floor while host Michelle Ponce of Mujeres Del Sol encouraged the crowd to dance.

The first act up was Shining Soul's direct tour support I.D., who got the house moving with a more partyish vibe than the politically motivated Shining Soul. "The energy was really good" he said. "Once you get that connection with the crowd and they start dancing and they're kind of bouncing around you're kind of like vibrating off that, you know what I mean? There was really good energy in there that made for good energy for me"

I.D. spent the last five days on the road with Liaison and his running buddy, Bronze Candidate, as part of the Sonic Smash Tour. "We've had a relationship for a while; they recorded some tracks at my studio the Green Room. When they went on tour and they said they needed a roadie I was like, yeah, cool. Just happy to be there for the trip and rock wit them."

But while on the road with Liaison and Bronze Candidate, AKA Alex Soto and Franco Habre, I.D. saw the difference in the club hip-hop fans and those who rock with Shining Soul. "I just saw how supportive the fans were for Shining Soul, and it was so dope that they could share their platform with me or let me get on it and get a platform that I can rock on too" he said.

Habre shares this sentiment with I.D. describing their reception in Tucson, Las Cruces, and Albuquerque as "a home-cooked embrace."

Next on the mic was N.M.-born but Phoenix-based emcee Realistic of hip-hop group Divine Essence. He really got the crowd going with his catchy track "MC Means" as well as bringing I.D. up on stage to rock the mic with him.

Realistic had a stellar set, and the Phoenix crowd responded with loud cheers and hands in the air, but as well as he performed his best raps of the night may have been directed at the drunkard in the etnies shirt at the afterparty.

Realistic was abrasively challenged to a battle while just hanging around the fire, so he responded by dominating his opponent in every way possible, to the point that the opponent decided a fight fight would be appropriate.

The opponent was escorted out and Realistic went back to his beverage.

Following Realistic, Connie Muhammad, formerly Nutmeg, grabbed the mic and held it down as the lone female artist of the night. Once Muhammad took the stage even more people somehow crammed themselves into the tiny area that The Lost Leaf calls a dance floor to get down to Muhammad's more soulful style of hip-hop.

Following Muhammad, Ponce called for a brief dance intermission where DJ Reflekshun got back on the ones and twos and got the crowd boogying again with a good mix of classic and current hip-hop tracks.

The never shy Ponce showed off some of her dance moves as well.

Following the intermission Def-I of Albuquerque-based rap crew Definition Rare Chief Rockers took to the front and gave Phoenix his all, while celebrating his 28th birthday. Def-I was a passionate rapper, perfect to take the stage before Shining Soul, and he delivered songs that carried the same motifs as Shining Soul but in a smoother, less abrasive way.

"I've been on tour with them this past week, they had a great time a great run. I'm honored to be a part of their project as well" said Def-I about his tourmates for the past five days. "If you caught the set much, thank you for being part of this movement. It was a privilege."

Bronze Candidate and Liaison took the stage around midnight, and were attacking their songs with a ferocity usually reserved for racist lawmakers, neo-nazis, and police officers.

"They straight killed it for like an hour" said Realistic, and the cr - Phoenix New Times


"Best Anti-SB 1070 Hip-Hop Group 2012: Shining Soul"

One of the best songs to put Senate Bill 1070 and the whole police state mentality that reigns in Arizona on blast is "Papers," by Phoenix hip-hop duo Shining Soul. Shining Soul's lyrical depiction of a Sand Land on lockdown for the brown is especially relevant. And the video's footage of a landscape infested with Border Patrol vehicles and a desert patrolled by vigilantes illustrates the situation all non-whites in Arizona find themselves in. The group comprises Alex Soto and Franco Habre, both border activists who have engaged in defiant acts of civil disobedience, showing that Shining Soul not only can spit rhymes, but walk the rap, as well. - Phoenix New Times


"Shining Soul's Anti-Border Hip-Hop Gets Militant on Sonic Smash"

by Jeff Moses
Militant chicano / indigenous hip hop duo Shining Soul have been putting their gritty brand of rap out for more than three years, and they've got an impressive rep to show for it. Alex Soto and Franco Habre, also known as Liaison and Bronze Candidate, have opened for Mala Rodriguez at Crescent Ballroom and also played Save the Peaks benefit concerts at Rusty Spoke -- basically the Phoenix equivalent of being respected from the streets to the boardroom.
With a battle cry of "hip-hop is resistance," Shining Soul has earned their reputation as a preeminent local hip-hop act through passionate live performances and walking their talk. "Resistance," for Liaison and Bronze Candidate, is more than just a lyric.

Alex and Franco are both Phoenix political organizers well known to both activists, and local police who have gone as far as to reach out to the T'ohono O'Odham reservation looking to tarnish Soto's reputation.

On September 10 Shining Soul released em>Sonic Smash, the follow-up to their 2011 debut, We Got This. Their second release is reminiscent of a time when hip-hop was less refined and the beat took a backseat to the emcee; across the album the beats carry the feel of a late '80s to early '90s West Coast rap.

But the lyrics are where Bronze Candidate and Liaison really shine.

Both are well-read and intelligent in a way that shows through in their sharp, biting, and often inflammatory lyrics. Throughout Sonic Smash, Shining Soul pull no punches when attacking issues of racism, border politics, police repression, and a wide array of other politically charged topics.

"My inner compass has no reluctance for injustice / Hence why I bust this dope rhyme with substance / spiritual wonders while saying fuck Columbus," Liaison spits on the album's second track, "Militant Move." On "No Mercy" Bronze Candidate is even less equivocal-- "You can bet that calling me wetback will get your head cracked"--on a track that outlines economic interests behind the militarized Mexican-American border.

But the song goes past the liberal party line of looking for more humane treatment of those crossing the border. Shining Soul makes no appoligies for their anti-border stance, and point out that "Self-defense is a human right / despite what the liberals and the fascists say."

The 22-track album, which can be downloaded for a price of your choosing on Bandcamp, features 18 new songs and four remixes of tracks from We Got This. The holdovers include their Rage Against The Machine "Bulls on Parade" remix of their single "Papers," as well as remixes of their songs "Affinity"--featuring Amber Dirks--"Hard"--featuring Mykr Friendx and Mr. Miranda--and "Niche."

The album also has a slew of guest appearances including DJ Alias on "Make A Militant Move," Definition Rare on "Time," Nutmeg on "Remember," and Brad B of The Insects as well as DJ Reflekshin on "Work."

- Phoenix New Times


"SB 1070 Civil Disobedience Must Escalate"

"For pro-immigrant activist Alex Soto, a member of the Tohono O'odham Nation and half of hip-hop duo Shining Soul, the action was a means of striking back at an enemy that effectively occupies O'odham land in southern Arizona, where Border Patrol vehicles are as common as cactus.

"They're already escalating," Soto says of the increased militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border. "I understand the necessity [of working for change by registering more Latino voters, for instance]. On the other hand, anger is not bad." - Phoenix New Times


"SB 1070 on Blast by Hip Hop Artists Shining Soul"

Click-clack/Where your papers at?/We under attack/Fight back/Its war

One of the best songs to put Senate Bill 1070 and the whole police state mentality that reigns in Arizona on blast is "Papers," by the Phoenix hip hop duo Shining Soul.

With the U.S. Supreme Court scheduled to rule on SB 1070 by the end of June, Shining Soul's lyrical depiction of a Sand Land on lockdown for the brown is especially relevant. And the video's footage of a landscape infested with Border Patrol vehicles and a desert patrolled by vigilantes illustrates the situation all those who are non-white find themselves in.

The song is also part of the album Bigger Than Hip Hop, which features politically-conscious songs such as "Party Over Here" by Treble Army, "Uncle Sam" by Bob Domestic, and "Land Ain't Yours" by Kite 93.

If you like the video above, download the whole album. You won't be disappointed.

One-half of Shining Soul is Alex Soto, a border activist and member of the Tohono O'odham Nation, whose defiant acts of radical civil disobedience I've documented in the past. Like the time he and others locked their arms with PVC pipe and their necks with bicycle locks in an action at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson.

Shining Soul performs regularly in the Phoenix area. The best way to catch their next gig is by checking out the act's Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/ShiningSoulMusic. - Phoenix New Times


Discography

LP "Politics Aside"-Released September 2016 ((tracks available at: https://shiningsoulmusic.bandcamp.com/album/politics-aside)

LP "Sonic Smash"-Released September 2013
(tracks avaiable at:
http://shiningsoulmusic.bandcamp.com/album/sonic-smash )

LP:
"WE GOT THIS" -Released May 2011
(tracks available at: http://shiningsoulmusic.bandcamp.com/album/we-got-this)

Single:
"Hard"-Released December 2011
(track available at: http://shiningsoulmusic.bandcamp.com/album/we-got-this)

Photos

Bio

Straight outta the Desert Borough, Phoenix's premier Hip Hop duo Shining Soul, shows that the element of rap still is a conduit for revolutionary change. Fronted by MCs Liaizon and Bronze Candidate, Shining Soul's been steady rising since independently releasing their first album “WE GOT THIS” in 2011. Featuring the song “Papers” which was hailed by Phoenix New Times as “one of the best songs to put racial profiling Senate Bill 1070 and the whole police state mentality that reigns in Arizona on blast”, Shining Soul’s diversity in flavor and subject matter has gained the respect and approval from Hip-Hop admirers and the Human Rights Community alike. Through Hip Hop, Shining Soul brings to light the social injustices that attack their daily lives, such as the criminalization and militarization of Indigenous and Migrant communities, while sharing and maintaining the essence of Hip-Hop culture. Shining Soul's second full-length album "SONIC SMASH" further exemplified their skills, diversity, subject matter, and overall comment to revolutionary change through the element of rap. Songs such as “Get Up” and “No Mercy” were featured in The Huffington Post, Indian Country News, The Phoenix New Times, The Arizona Republic and RPM.fm-Indigenous Music Culture, who also ranked SONIC SMASH in their Top 10 Indigenous Albums of 2013 list.


Shining Soul's emphasis on skills, style, and substance, has made them a potent force in the Arizona Hip-Hop community, which is fully exhibited in their explosive live shows. The duo’s versatility in message, and commitment to quality live performances has made them a natural fit when sharing the stage with the likes of Phife Dawg, Pharoahe Monch, Rhyme Fest, Immortal Technique, Ana Tijoux, Aceaylone, Gift of Gab, Open Mike Eagle, Myka 9, Lucky.I.Am, Oddisee, One.Be.Lo, Raashan Ahmad, Invincible, Rebel Diaz, Bocafloja, Jasiri X, Mala Rodriguez, Random aka Megaran, Supaman and Lightening Cloud and even rock/punk bands Blackfire and Outernational, to name a few. Let alone proven that their music and message is universally accessible with their commitment to touring. Other than Phoenix, Shining Soul has played various gigs and college events in Tucson, Flagstaff, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, Farmington, Colorado Springs, Fort Lewis and various Native American reservations throughout the Southwest region. Additionally, they have performed in Seattle, Oakland, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Washington D.C. and Kansas University. In the past few years they have took their music and message abroad and performed in Canada (Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal) and even as far as Germany (Berlin Leipzig, Dresden).

While “SONIC SMASH” was unafraid to challenge the mainstream mentality on issues that affect their respected communities, their long awaited third full-length project “POLITICS ASIDE” seeks to share a bird's eye view of what makes Shining Soul tick and what keeps them fighting the good fight. And with the addition of DJ Reflekshin to the crew, POLITICS ASIDE promises to be their best musical effort yet. So stay tuned, keep your ears low to the ground, and check for SHINING SOUL in a big city, small town and Native reservation near you...

Contact us at: workwithshiningsoul@gmail.com

Band Members