In today’s current political climate, it’s hard to ignore the many social injustices going on both at home and in the world. Whether it’s regarding immigration, police brutality, the increase in racial tension, war, etc., you cannot not be involved as these issues affect our everyday lives. The minority is the majority, and the luxury of not being engaged is one that we don’t have. We’ve heard countless tales of people using their positions in power to lie, cheat, steal and spread misinformation to the public. And with the continued rise of social networks and applications, means of obtaining and spreading information is greater than ever before.
It is imperative that artists and creatives use their platforms for progression. This is not just geared towards influencers, we all have a responsibility to perform due diligence and stay up to date. Social media is not only a means to speak your voice, but also a tool to educate, mobilize and empower communities, and our featured artist is using her platform to do just that. Say hello to Ecuadorian-Lithuanian producer, DJ and cultural activist: RIOBAMBA!
Photograph by Tania Apolinar
Blending reggaeton and underground music urbana, Riobamba’s music is an ode to the sounds of her Ecuadorian and Latinx heritage. A reminder of “nightlife’s power as a site of joy and resistance”. Based in Brooklyn, NY, RIOBAMBA has used music and created spaces to fight for equality, immigration reform & social justice. After working for years as a performer and in editorial and project management, she was motivated to produce a platform that would help broaden the scope of artists depicted in the media–artists who don’t conform or fit into society’s little boxes, artists who are ni de aquí/ni de allá (neither from here or there). So, she founded her record label, Apocalipsis, as a way to celebrate works by those that are underrepresented and provide opportunities for Latinx creatives in media and music culture.
Hailed by publications as a DJ who is making NYC’s nightlife scene more inclusive, Riobamba has shared the stage with the likes of Ivy Queen, Nina Sky, Toro y Moi, and Swizz Beatz (just to name a few). She is also a member of techno-feminist booking agency DISCWOMAN, co-produced Boiler Room's first reggaetón showcase, and solidified music education partnerships with The Loisaida Center, Abrons Arts Center, Sonic Arts for All, and the Brooklyn Juvenile Detention Center.
Her motto is simple: Let's look out for each other. And her work exemplifies that. Get to know more about Riobamba and her work below.
What does ni de aquí/ni de allá (neither from here or there) mean to you?
To me, it means celebrating that people do not fit neatly into one or another box of identity, or in reductive/binary understandings of lived human experiences. So, ni de aquí/ni de allá is really celebrating those spaces in between and providing nuance and a deeper understanding to contextualize them. For me personally, growing up first-generation and in Massachusetts in a predominantly white area, and also coming from an Ecuadorian and Jewish family, I've always felt by default that I’m in a position of understanding a couple of different worlds at once. That understanding has really guided my whole trajectory personally, professionally, creatively.
Photograph by Guarionex Rodriguez Jr
Photograph by Guarionex Rodriguez Jr
As you continue to use your platform to fight for immigration reform, gender equality, diversity and inclusion, what drives you to care and fight for these causes?
It’s a deeply personal thing. This outlook started when I was young, witnessing the way my family was treated as immigrants living in the United States and seeing the subtle and sometimes not subtle ways they experienced racism and classism. As a white Latinx woman, it’s important to acknowledge my privilege in regard to these issues. The intention always is to look out for each other and to call out the ways that systemic oppression manifests. No one is good if all of us aren’t good. Because of how these issues impacted my family, it’s been deeply ingrained to talk about these issues early on. So as I started my career as a performer, it didn't ever feel right to not integrate social justice issues into work I was doing because in my view you can’t have one without the other.
How has your past influenced who you are today?
When I first graduated from college, I spent some years working as a community organizer. I spent a year at the West Side Campaign Against Hunger in Manhattan, which is a direct service organization. And then I worked for two years in Roxbury, Massachusetts at an organization called 826 Boston, which provides creative writing and literacy programming. I think those years gave me a good foundation for understanding the non-profit model of organizing, but that’s not the only way to organize. I'm inspired by learning more deeply about non-hierarchical, cooperative ways of organizing, especially with leadership that centers the communities most directly impacted by issues.
What role do you think creatives have in society?
I feel that creatives have the capacity, and the choice to, speak to issues that impact them. As performers, and with public visibility, we have the opportunity to amplify information and accessible action steps to tackle issues.
How do you feel the conversation around woc and queer woc is changing within the music industry?
I think that the conversation is shifting to not just expecting folks to speak to their struggle and challenges, but to highlight and celebrate the ways that new systems are being created. It’s about amplifying the hard work going into creating viable solutions and new, truly inclusive economies that will ultimately shift structures of power and equity in the music industry. There are platforms like DISCWOMAN, Half Moon Radio, SKILLSHARE, CLLCTV (Boston), that are owned and operated by people of color and that are transforming things in a positive way.
Photograph by Guarionex Rodriguez Jr
What do you want to achieve with APOCALIPSIS?
I want the artists that I work with to feel centered and represented in a way that's true to themselves, and I hope that the experience contributes to building a foundation for them to go on to continue doing projects that they feel aligned with. It’s important that we know our value because inclusion doesn’t go far enough; let’s strive instead for equity, the right to be decision-makers, to be compensated fairly.
What are some notable causes in the city currently happening that people should be aware of and how can they help?
I’m interested in learning about and understanding immigration issues on a policy level, but I think it’s important to also center community-led solutions to an oppressive, racially-biased legal system. For example, sharing toolkits that explain how to respond if an ICE officer shows up at your door, tactics for de-escalating conflict without involving police, or information about what companies are funding the rapid expansion and privatization of detention centers. Organizations like Detention Watch Network, Immigrant Defense Project, Casa Arcoíris, Al Otro Lado, RAICES all provide direct legal services as well.
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Interview by Rahel Tekle