Vivo per Questo--Home Edition: A performance and discussion on anti-racist activism with Italian rapper Amir Issaa

Oct
26
10:00 am
Event Status
As Scheduled
Presenter
Amir Issaa
Amir Issaa is an Italian rapper, hip-hop artist, producer, writer, and social activist who has worked in the Italian music industry since the late 1990s. Born and raised in the diverse working-class neighborhood of Torpignattara in Rome, he is the son of an Egyptian father and an Italian mother. Issaa was one of the founders of the Rome Zoo, a collective of rappers and musicians that helped to define the rap scene in Italy and launched the careers of many artists. He has won several awards for his music, in particular for his work on the 2012 film, Scialla!, which garnered him the David di Donatello for best song and best soundtrack. Issaa's work as an activist began as a reaction to his own family's struggles; his father, an Egyptian immigrant, was incarcerated for most of Issaa's childhood. In 2017, Issaa published an autobiographical novel, Vivo per questo (This is What I Live For), in which he reflects on his formative years growing up in Torpignattara and the prejudice and racism that he faced. Issaa has long been an activist for immigrants' rights, particularly those of the children of immigrants living in Italy. More recently, Issaa has been involved in the Italian Black Lives Matter movement and published the song "Non respiro" ("I Can't Breathe") in response to the murder of George Floyd. ​Register Here: https://pitt.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GJDIU1dFTLGApPc0uiu_RQ
Location
Zoom
Event Type
Performance
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