Maria Isa

...audio-visual // hip-hop // production...

MARIA ISA

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Maria Isa

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Ritmos UnidosAnnual Afro-Latin Tribute to MLK Day

Anth of Hip-Hop

"Son Dos Alas "Anonimo Consejo feat. Tego Calderon

"Guasabara"SieteNueve feat. Magia

"Sin Permiso"Los Aldeanos feat. Intifada

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MARIA ISA

Emcee // Singer // Songwriter

Born and raised in the Twin Cities to Nuyorican parents, emcee, singer, and songwriter Maria Isa is recognized for her dedication towards celebrating her cultural diversity through music and her political activism. Influenced by the traditional Afro-Boricua ritmos of Bomba and Plena, along with Soul and Funk of Motown and Fania’s fusion of Salsa and Bugaloo, Isa plants an organic blend of call and response with lyrical "Spanglish" rhymes through the various drumbeats and snares of Hip-Hop, Reggae, Dancehall and Reggaeton. In 1992 she started her performing arts education at El Arco Iris Center for Arts, forming Raices in 2002 with other advanced students to conserve their ancestral Puerto Rican folkloric music. Joining Emetrece Productions in 2006 to promote her music in the Twin Cities and in Puerto Rico, as well as to study the curriculum of Hip-Hop and Reggaeton, Isa recently released her first independent album M.I. Split Personalities (Emetrece) in May of 2007. Known for delivering her message through a unique flow, many believe Maria Isa to be a young woman with the rays of revolutionizing the next generations of voices.

"M.I. Split Personaities" (released May 29, 2007, Minneapolis, MN)

M.I. -
Function: noun, adjective

Maria Isabelle
Ms. Improvisation
Spanish for “My”

Split Personalities-
Function: noun

The indication of two or more characters sharing one mind to express its actions.

Maria Isabelle’s Split Personalities

Moochie - The Boricua girl from the Westside of St. Paul who found a ‘golden ticket’ through her passion and dedication towards faith, family, cultural values, the arts, and education from two curriculums: the system and the people. Special Forces: Handling a basketball, free-styling in ciphers, bombazos, a Twins cap, the pit bulls crew and the ability to compete with the homeboys who won’t give her a shot.

Lolita - The activist focused on creating a unifying balance between human rights and revolutionary change. Special Forces: Uncovering the hidden textbooks, public speaking, peer-mediating, fellowship of comrades and community leadership.

Maria Isa - The spotlight diva bringing out Moochie and Lolita’s experiences to the masses. Special Forces: a notebook and pen, a microphone, bomba drums, an Emetrece sword, speaking Spanglish, and a supportive community of family, friends, and fans.


	MARIA ISA : "M.I. Split Personalities" A manifestation of her multifaceted talents and tastes, María Isa covers a wide gamut of musical genres and styles that never leave out her Latin roots, particularly in Puerto Rico's folkloric bomba ("Sabrosa"): from American R&B ("Wine and Cheap Champagne"), to tango-tinged Spanish-language hip hop ("Dicen de mí"), reggaetón ("Yo lo quiero"), soul/reggatón fusion ("No son celos") and crunk hometown anthem (MN Nice). The result is a varied, engaging album, uniting her with stateside hip hop producers such as Benzilla, and The Goodfellas and guest MC's I Self Divine, Gitana MC, and Mavin MC, Puerto Rican hip hop artists Tek 1 and Velcro and renowned bomba singer Nellie Lebrón Robles, among others.
	Maria Isa is featured in the first track of this CD compilation titled "Land of 10,000 Homeless," written by Andrew Turpening, produced by Danny Burke. Click on the link to purchase Give Us Your Poor. The CD project is an eclectic collaboration involving homeless musicians and celebrity artists (such as singers Bruce Springsteen, Natalie Merchant, Jon Bon Jovi, Bonnie Raitt, Keb' Mo', Dan Zanes, Jewel, Pete Seeger, actor Danny Glover, Madeleine Peyroux, Buffalo Tom, Sweet Honey in the Rock, John Sebastian, Sonya Kitchell, Michelle Shocked, Mario Frangoulis, Mighty Sam McClain, actor Tim Robbins and our own Maria Isa) produced and released by Appleseed Recordings (www.appleseedrec.com). The CD project represents a partnership between the University of Massachusetts Boston (www.umb.edu), Appleseed Recordings, and the Berklee College of Music Internship Program (www.berklee.edu).
	B-Girl Be 2007 B-Girl Be is an annual summit and series of events, workshops, exhibits, and performances that celebrate women in hip-hop. The mission of B-Girl Be is to influence and inspire leadership to change the perceptions and roles of women in hip-hop for current and future generations.
	GITANA MC: "Matando Las Gatas"
	M. RIVIERE President // Producer "Reggaeton Animal" Maria isa featured in the Minneapolis City Pages cover story!