Rainbow Cafe & LGBTQ Youth Center to Present Music Journalist, Beat Latino Radio Host and Road Scholar, Catalina Maria Johnson, and her presentation “Latin Hip Hop as a New Poetry.”

Catalina Maria Johnson, Ph.D. is an enthusiastic individual who has been an invited speaker and panelist for programs at universities, libraries, schools for at least 15 years in relationship to language, music, cultural studies, history, Latinx Heritage Month and similar topics. She is a popular Road Scholar who has shared many amazing experiences with the people throughout Illinois. She will share her program “Latin Hip Hop as a New Poetry", which centers Latin hip hop artists and how they are advancing the poetic traditions of their countries in unique ways, including the use of many languages including Spanish, English and Nahuatl–an ancient indigenous language.

Her program uses video and lyric examples to make a case for hip hop as the new poetry with a focus on Latinos in the U.S. and the Americas. The presentation is lively, light and fun, and focuses on participation, discussion, and musical enjoyment!

This event is presented by Southern Illinois Culture & Arts in Bilingual Education as part of Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Bureau in celebration of Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month in southern Illinois.