Colombia's Hip-Hop Family

INTERVIEW / Diana Katerine Ortega

It all began with a Colombian hip-hop fashion line. A group of young people from the hostile streets of Bogotá decided to record their lyrics, rife with complaints of social exclusion. They chose to express these sentiments through clothing, and through a micro-enterprise, they would be sold exclusively to hip-hop artists.



Ayara clothes, as it was called, was an instant success among hip-hop artists, but money was never the goal. The baggy pants, screen-print shirts and other items were intended to achieve more noble and complex ends. Ayara's creators wanted to engage Colombian youth—particularly young afro-descendants and mestizos, traditionally the most excluded in Colombia.



Fifteen years later, the Ayara Family Arts and Social Foundation (FA) is one of the country's (and Latin America's) strongest youth foundations. Ayara's creators have created a center for leadership training through various elements of hip-hop culture, like music, break dance, rap, graffiti, street theater, and clothing design, among others. Today, the project has 1,500 direct beneficiaries throughout Colombia, with more than 10,000 indirect beneficiaries.



But the FA has faced its share of adversity. Recently, three hip-hop artists in Comuna 13 in Medellin were killed. They were part of the platform for youth non-violence and peaceful conflict resolution, which was co-founded  by the FA.

FA urged its members to continue to demand protection from authorities and from society—for each of the young participants and the project itself; the Família Ayara does not rule out the possibility that the crimes were part of a strategy to weaken youth leaderships in the community.

Diana Katerine Ortega (pictured) is a Família Ayara success story. She came to the group when she was 14 to participate in theater workshops with female rappers. Today 23 years, Diana is Família Ayara's public affairs coordinator, who plans to continue her studies with a master's degree in public affairs. She hopes to apply what she learns to the development of Família Ayara.

Diana spoke to Comunidade Segura about FA's work, the aftermath of her colleagues' deaths, and the need to continue to create alternatives to violence for marginalized youth.

How and why did you join Família Ayara?



I always dreamed of being part of Ayara, but it seemed like an unattainable goal. When I was 14, I went to an open call for the FA workshops. When they asked me to join a theater group for women rappers, I was very happy and I realized that this was the way for me to realize my dreams.



At the same time, I was studying international trade and designed my career focused on culture and art, especially hip-hop. Família Ayara gave me the opportunity to apply my knowledge to the organization. When I finished my studies, I began work full-time at the foundation. Today, I am example of FA's empowerment of a second generation of leadership.

What is the purpose of the organization's work?



We are an organization of young afro-descendants and mestizos Colombians, which conducts social, artistic, educational activities through hip-hop, with the aim of improving opportunities for youth and build a sense of civic activism. Since its foundation, around 1996, the schools use hip-hop and urban art, such as break dancing, graffiti, rap, DJs, theater, capoeira, and fashion to enact change in society.

We train and empower young people to be involved in leadership, influence policy and entrepreneurship, to create alternatives to violence and social exclusion.

We also have a cultural center with space for workshops, seminars, film screenings films art exhibitions, recording studios, and music video editing. 

Why the specific focus on young people from black or mixed race?

Família Ayara was created by young people of color, who, by tracing their roots, opted not to forget their identity. Moreover, chose to integrate it in their work. Ayara is a diverse and inclusive organization, which aims to ensure that this identity is maintained, while also making it clear that FA does not promote any kind of discrimination.

Why hip-hop?



Hip-hop was already recognized as a tool for social activism worldwide—as indicated by parts of UN-Habitat's "Messengers of Truth" campaign, which was released in 2004 and which used hip-hop as a means to spread the UN 'Millennium Development Goals' among youth around the world.

"Hip-hop has become an effective tool for communicating with young people, it uses a language they understand. Socially aware hip-hop artists use the microphone to speak with these young people about crime and drugs, and have conducted workshops at local bases to alert them about the risks of a dangerous life," says the document.



The movement of the hip-hop in Colombia is perhaps one of the strongest urban subcultures of all time. The Heritage Institute did a study of Bogota and declared hip-hop culture as an intangible cultural heritage of the city. Victor Manuel Rodríguez, director of art, culture and heritage of the capital city, says that hip-hop has proved an effective vehicle for strengthening the basis of reconciliation and the socialization of young people who live or lived through conflict, and thus, it is "...a culture that generates forms of association, affiliation and identification among young people in Bogota."



But is Colombian hip-hop unique?



Hip-hop from the United States was an inspiration for millions of young people in impoverished or violent environments around the world. The leaders of the Ayara Foundation pioneered hip-hop in Colombia, going back 21 years. The Familia Ayara is the first organization of hip-hop artists made by and for the country, which has spawned an industry and opened schools for expressions of this culture.



Our hip-hop culture has never emulated 'bling-bling' hip-hop that worships violence, sexism and consumerism. Ayara artistic groups—which today are among the most recognized artists in the country—remain faithful to its origins and use their talent for creating a better world for young Colombians.

What political influence has Ayara achieved?



Ayara has been involved with the creation of public policies for youth in Bogota and other cities in Colombia; participatory budgeting in Medellin, Cali and Buenaventura, participation in advisory groups and advising institutions like the Ministry of Culture, UN-Habitat, OFB (hip-hop in the park), among others. We have also advised Antanas Mockus' election campaign; the National Hip-Hop Campaign for Peace; youth shelters and rehabilitation centers like Hogares Claret and Redeemer; and the Secretariat of Social and Political Integration for Women.



What happened in Comuna 13? Why were the young men killed?



Andres Felipe Medina, the leader of the Afro-Colombian group Son Batá, the rapper Marcelo 'MC Chelo' Pimienta Sánchez, and Sebastián "Sebinche" Calle, the leader and beneficiary of the La Elite hip-hop network, were all shot and killed in that neighborhood in June. They were young artists, parents, managers and promoters of peaceful coexistence in their communities.



Today, other youth organizations and youth leaders working for peace face death threats. These deaths and threats are not isolated acts; they are manifestations of the internal conflict in our country. We are concerned that these acts are part of a systematic plan to attack young leaders and artistic organizations for providing alternatives to gun violence.



Is this the first time that members of Ayara have been attacked? Have there been similar cases in other youth organizations?



Last year one of our young beneficiaries was murdered at a party. Andres Felipe (coordinator of the National Platform in Medellin) was killed over a territorial dispute in Comuna 13 and, more recently, Dairo, a fellow volunteer, was killed. Members of many youth organizations nationwide have been threatened and sometimes attacked, but I don't know specific cases.

What is the key to working with young people living in urban areas that are lacking opportunities, infrastructure and services?



Young people are often victims and perpetrators, but we're also the solution! Ayara doesn't work with the problems of young people, but rather with their skills and artistic talents. Young people have a lot to offer in terms of: political, social, economic, cultural and environmental solutions. They have the ability and responsibility to positively change the world.

On other sites:

Fundação Artística e Social Família Ayara

Photos:Courtesy of Familia Ayara

Translated by Danielle Renwick