Inktober 18 - ESG

Emerald, Sapphire, and Gold is a band of sisters, there was a brother in there too. They are from the Bronx, NY and to stay out of trouble their parents got them musical instruments and encouraged them to play. They released a record in the early 80s which bent genres of funk, rock, techno, and some sounds that couldn't be described as anything but new. I wrote about them for Muphoric Sounds back in 2011 for the "In the trunk" series and the thing I love about them is that they're a family, the are still playing and recording new music, and their style was striped down and to the point. No extra BS on top, just raw music. In some ways discovering them and listening to their sound through samples first, then through the original songs is quintessential New York because it is about dancing and having a good damn time. Shout out to Mister Bouncer who played songs like "Erase you" and "Ufo" for me first.

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Inktober 17 - Sheila-E

Born and raised in Oakland and one of the best musicians to come out of the Bay, Sheila has recorded many albums as a band leader and as a collaborator with other musicians. She has been performing since she was in elementary school and has toured the world playing music that is influenced by funk, jazz, salsa, country, and hip hop. She is a treasure to the Bay Area and is not only still playing, but is giving back by mentoring younger musicians and giving to music programs in schools. Some of the notable artists she has worked with are George Duke, Herbie Hancock, her dad Pete Escevedo, Marvin Gayem Gloria Estefan, Prince, and Beyonce. She is one of the best drummers in the world and plays multiple instruments. This is one of her playing the "timbales".

Dig this? Check out this one of Dorothy Ashby

Inktober 16 - The Royal Jesters

The Royal Jesters I found through Madlib. Chicanos have always had soul. Influenced by African American musicians of the 50's and 60's many Latinos (men and women) began to form groups in California and Texas. One of the gems of the 60s is the "Royal Jesters" a band from San Antonio Texas. Some of their hits in english and spanish are "I won't love you", "Wisdom of a fool", "You succeeded" and "Yo Soy Chicano". Check out the reissue of their works on the Numero Group label called "English oldies".

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Inktober 15 - Indigena

Indigena, meaning a woman who is indigenous to the land. I guess it could be a woman from any where in the world. But I'm referring to women from the Americas, Las Indigenas.

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Inktober 14 - Raza

EDIT 2020 

New sticker with the phrase "RAZA" which means meany things to different people. Simply put, it means "The People", gente, your folks, your family, and for many people it means a mixture of races/peoples that make up one. People who come from Indigenous, African, and European blood-mixed together through conquest, slavery, and some many other factors. I first heard the term "La Raza" from MC Kid Frost from LA, then from my Chican@ studies teacher Maestra Luna in high school. Often in protests or you'll see the term because this is a group of people who both know their whole identity and have had it erased. Some people call themselves Indigenous, Hispanic, Latino/a, Spanish, or Latinx. Whatever term you use just know the story behind it.

José Vasconcelos came up with this term in 1925 in his piece "La Raza Cosmica". What I wrote below is not actually correct. But I keep it on here because...growth.

Raza. Simply or more complexly meaning "the race". The human race? Not really. More like the race of Latinos, the mixture, pride, love, and history all in one. I don't know the root of the word and where it came from but I remember the first, second and most recent time I heard it. The first was from an MC known as Frost from L.A. (I grew up in Northern Cali-hanging mostly w/ African American kids until jr. high and high school) The second was from a beautiful teacher that I had a crush on in high school named "Ms Luna" who described it with a smile. Mot recently I heard it in the lyrics of Bay Area MC Deuce Eclipse in the song "Que Pasa?" Can you remember the first time you heard this term? I know its more of a west coast thing, but I'd call myself Raza any day over "Spanish". I might have some traces in my blood but I am not Spanish.

Want a sticker of this? LINK

Inktober 13 - Mestizo

Mestizo is a word that was created to describe the mixture of Native indigenous peoples from the Americas and the caribbean and Europeans. Most of the time this was done through rape figuratively and literally. Some people use the word to mean a mix between black and white, or dark and light skinned Latinos. I just take it to mean "mixed" because Latinxs come from African, Indigenous, and European roots and traditions; some more than others. But its all mixed in there.

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Inktober 12 - Idalys Ortiz

Idalys Ortiz is an Afro Cuban Judo practitioner who has not only competed all over the world, but has either won or placed in over 20 championship matches including the Rio, Beijing, and London Olympics. She was 18 in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and is one of the youngest fighters to win.

Want this original drawing? $60 or Print? $20 (includes shipping)  
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Inktober 11 - Mariana Pajón

Mariana Pajón is a BMX rider/racer from Colombia. She's 25 and she's a gold medal winning rider who has competed internationally in the US, Brazil, London, and Denmark!

Wanna see more cyclists? Check out Greg Liggins

Inktober 10 - Carla Esparza ( Mma fighter)

Carla Esparza, Mma fighter. Just dug the pose.

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Inktober 9 - Janel Martinez

I relate to Janel a lot just hearing about the mix of cultures she grew up with and having to "explain" to people who you are w/o constantly getting asked "what are you"? For those that are not up on her work, she is a young Journalist out of the Boogie Down who works in culture, current events, tech, etc. She writes about her culture too making it more possible for other young brothers and sisters too identify with both their African and Latino roots and to be damn proud of it. The difficult part of this is not just explaining it to white people, it's breaking it down for Latinos and for African Americans and getting a better understanding of who "Afro-Latinos" are. Self love first. Check out the work she does with her business and blog "Ain't I Latina?" On the social media platforms and blogs she not only talks about her experiences but highlights those of other Afro-Latinas in the world; past and present. This is dope because it lets everyone know that folks have so many more dimensions and complexity to them. And it allows people to follow many more change makers and successful entrepreneurs. Right on Janel.

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Inktober 8 - Arturo Schomburg

The way I first heard about Arturo Schomburg was from living in NYC. And I was 26/27 when I first moved to NYC. One of the reasons I think ethnic studies is so important in all schools at all levels is that both white and children of color are getting a fraction of their history. Imagine how many people still don't know about him, the center, or his work. This brother was Afro-Latino. What does that mean? He was born in Puerto Rico, spoke spanish but was Black. Why? Because Africans were stolen from the continent and dragged to work in slavery in the US and caribbean and South America. Arturo was a journalist and a scholar who collected articles, papers, and books about who Blacks and Afro-Latinos are. He collected so much of it that it became the basis for a library in Harlem where countless people have gone to research and go back to find out who we are. One of the reasons why he searched for our history is because a teacher told him that he and his people had no history. And if you look out most forms of media today that depict or retell history-it is like they're saying the same thing. One day we'll see a narrative film about him.

Peep this: Puerto Rico book

Inktober 7 Rosa Clemente

I appreciate Rosa. I appreciate her commentary because whether its a political, hip hop, or cultural issue and she's speaking...I want to hear what she has to say. She's sharp, on point, and is proud of who she is.  I know being proud to be Black and Latinx confusing some people still, but the fact that she claims both in her identity signifies a tiny part of a much larger changing tide. If you're not familiar with this scholar/activist look her up. She ran for vice president with Cynthia McKinney in 2008 as a Green Party representative. She has written many articles as a journalist and I love that she loves hip hop and will challenge it. Respect for working on police brutality with the Malcolm X Grass Roots Movement as well. 

http://rosaclemente.net/

Peep this: Roberto Clemente 

Inktober 6 - Joel Rayon Paniagua

Keep dancing. I imagined Joel soaring through not only the dance floor but the sky. Keep flying.

This goes out to all the family members who lost a loved one to this summer's tragedy at a sanctuary for dance, music, love and life. My heart goes out to you and all those who've been bullied or hurt physically or mentally by a society who does not truly understand who you are. I can't say that I truly understand, but I can say that I see you and I support your right to love and to dance without fear. When starting my residency with Mobilize the Immigrant Vote, during a morning exercise I was handed three names of people who passed away and I'm drawing an imagined vision of those three people. Keep dancing.

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Inktober 5 - Amanda Alvear

Keep dancing.  Rest in peace Amanda Alvear- I imagined you swinging your arms and legs wildly to the music. 

This goes out to all the family members who lost a loved one to this summer's tragedy at a sanctuary for dance, music, love and life. My heart goes out to you and all those who've been bullied or hurt physically or mentally by a society who does not truly understand who you are. I can't say that I truly understand, but I can say that I see you and I support your right to love and to dance without fear. When starting my residency with Mobilize the Immigrant Vote, during a morning exercise I was handed three names of people who passed away and I'm drawing an imagined vision of those three people. Keep dancing.

Want this original drawing? $60 or Print? $20 (includes shipping)  
Got an idea for an org to donate 30% cost to? Email me info@robdontstop.com

Inktober 4 - Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz

Keep dancing. This goes out to all the family members who lost a loved one to this summer's tragedy at a sanctuary for dance, music, love and life. My heart goes out to you and all those who've been bullied or hurt physically or mentally by a society who does not truly understand who you are. I can't say that I truly understand, but I can say that I see you and I support your right to love and to dance without fear. 

When starting my residency with Mobilize the Immigrant Vote, during a morning exercise I was handed three names of people who passed away and I'm drawing an imagined vision of those three people. Rest in peace Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz- I imagined you grooving to the beat. Keep dancing.

Inktober 2 - Water is Life

Throwing another up for the folks in Flint Michigan who still don't have clean water to drink, bathe in etc. Here's to the many tribes protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline. To all the folks actively dealing with water shortage, dirty and contaminated water. We can't drink oil. We won't drink empty promises or excuses. Another world is possible.

Want this original drawing? $60 or Print? $20 (includes shipping)  
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Inktober 1- Solidarity w/ Standing Rock (No DapL)

It's Inktober! I'm finally getting started for maybe the 3rd or 4th year doing this drawing exercise using ink only, no erasing or editing. This one is for the folks holding it down up there at Standing Rock, which is an Native American reservation on the border of North and South Dakota. There is a corporation called "Energy Transfer Partners" which is illegally building a pipeline to carry oil to a refinery from North Dakota to the state of Illinois. The Native folks started a protest back in April of this year I believe to demonstrate against this. Why? The corporations have not gotten the Native communities which they plan to build in and over to agree to this. Why don't they agree? Because they do not want this pipeline going through a river there which is a primary water source for so many people, or the companies desecrating Native land (which they've already done). If the pipe breaks or ruptures it will poison the water. I encourage you to do research on your own in corporate owned media and media that is community funded to make up your own mind about this protest.  What has been done to Native Americans from Canada to South America in terms of genocide, theft, and exploitation is not just historic, it is present. It has been happening since European Americans got here. What I mean by that is the US government has over the centuries supported practices that kill Native people, take their land, or exploits them. Or, they have looked the other way while European Americans or Immigrants did so. This is not an argument, this is a fact. One thats left out of perspective when discussing this historic protest. And it is historic, not in decades have we seen so many different tribes/ nations come together to fight against this. If you're interested in seeing more artwork in support of the protest go to here  to Melanie Cervantes. Then if you wish to donate to the camp of folks who need supplies and support go to https://fundrazr.com/d19fAf  . If you do not support this corporation building this pipeline on Indian land sign this petition as well www.change.org/RezpectOurWater

Dig this? Check out this drawing 80 Days and No Justice (Mike Brown)