JAYFORCE

Something very Hip-Hop about this story. We (Hip-Hop Nation, Black people, all people) know about griots who tell stories they were told, preserving history through generations, how slaves communicated stories (and plans) through song, and how Hip-Hop built on those traditions, speaking to and through the Culture… Well, Renata is doing that at the essence; not just speaking stories, but attempting to save the mode of speech (her language) itself using songs.

Renata Flores is a 16-year-old singer from Peru who is using her voice to save an ancient language. Though Quechua is the second-most spoken language in Peru, native speakers have suffered from discrimination and social stigma for generations, and today, many young people aren’t learning the language at all. But with her powerful vocals to covers of pop songs by Michael Jackson and Alicia Keys in her native tongue, Flores is sparking a renewed celebration of Quechuan language and culture.
– Great Big Story

– @ojones1

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