Bonafide Rojas

Bonafide Rojas (born 8 October 1977) is an Puerto Rican poet and musician. He is the author of "Pelo Bueno: a day in the life of a Nuyorican Poet" (Dark Souls Press, 2006); has made five chapbooks: "A Day in the Life, The Brief History Of Bonafide Rojas, Tragically Beautiful, Holler!, When The City Sleeps (pt. I). He was the 2002 Slam This! Champion and has been on two National Poetry Slam teams, New York City/Union Square 2002, Chicago/Wicker Park 2003. His first performance was at The Nuyorican Poets Cafe in 1996 at "All That". He became a fixture on the Brooklyn Poetry Scene of the mid 90's, Nuyorican in the late 90's, then moved to Chicago in 2001 teaming up with Kevin Coval and establishing himself as a performer with substance as well as aesthetic.

After staying in Chicago three years, having his first born John Pablo Rojas in November 2003,in January 2004 he decided to move back to NYC with a new fire to get his music out of his head and into the streets. The Mona Passage is a experiment formed by Bonafide Rojas and Vincent Ramirez. The Mona Passage has performed singularly or collectively in various venues: CB’s Gallery, Sin-E, Otto’s Shrunken Head, Binghamton University, Siberia, The Underscore, The Baggot Inn, and month long residencies at The Pussycat Lounge and The Alphabet Lounge, The Bowery Poetry Club, Acentos Poetry Series, Capicu Poetry Series. No stranger to the poetry scene in the United States, Bonafide Rojas started to infuse loud guitar dynamics in his poetry performances, the earliest coming in 1999 with Ramirez at "Sol in The Heights", three years before the duo would have anything resembling a song. At "Tourette’s Without Regrets" in 2003 with Ying Sun Ho from Dialectic forming the duo, Rojas gave up his spot to rock a crowd on Cinco De Mayo to do covers of Dylan, Bowie and Hendrix, that was the turning point for him. “If I can give up a huge poetry spot here in Oakland, then I need to finalize the band already.”

The latest line up in The Mona Passage are more experimental, more powerful, and more noisy. The Mona Passage is a progressive experiemental art rock band made up of entirely Puerto Rican and Dominican Musicians. They are loud, brash and obnoxious just like you and wear their brains on their sleeves and their hearts in their pockets. The Mona Passage, your favorite new band.

He has appeared in Russell Simmon's "Def Poetry Jam" Season 4 and has worked with several non profit organizations such Louder Arts Collective (NY), Teachers and Writers (NY), ASPIRA of NY (NY), Muevete! (NY), Youth Speaks (CA), The Guild Complex (IL), Young Chicago Authors (IL), and is currently on the roster of teaching artist at Urban Word NYC. He has been published in the anthologies: "Bum Rush the Page: a Def Poetry Jam" (Three Rivers Press, 2002), RoleCall: "A Generational Anthology of Social and Political Black Literature and Art" (Third World Press, 2002), The "Centro Journal" (Hunter College, 2001), Blu Magazine's Puerto Rico Issue, Columbia's Roots and Culture, NYU's Calabash Journal, SUNY Binghamton's Vanguard and was featured on the CD’s Nuyorican Dreams, Yemaya y Ochun, The Freedom Song (Dark Souls Press) and New Skool Poetics (Hermit Arts Chicago).

Bonafide Rojas has shared the stages with Lucy Anderton, Amiri Baraka, Oscar Bermeo, Roger Bonair-Agard, Cheryl Boyce-Taylor, Joel Chmara, Michael Cirelli, Kevin Coval, Shaggy Flores, Celena Glenn, Carlos Andrés Gómez, Guy LeCharles Gonzalez, Suheir Hammad, Bassey Ipki, Tyehimba Jess, Dennis Kim (Denizen Kane), Mike Ladd, Al Letson, Giles Li, Marty McConnell, Rachel McKibbens, Tony Medina, Flaco Navaja, Ishle Yi Park, Pat Payne, Willie Perdomo, Lynne Procope, Louis Reyes Rivera, Raul Salinas, Shappy, Beau Sia, The Suicide Kings, Fish Vargas, Saul Williams, and Emanuel Xavier. (and many more just cant name everyone)

more information on
www.myspace.com/bonafiderojas

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