[OutVoice] Robert Urban to speak at International Hip-Hop Conference

[THEMUSENYC at aol.com]

MEDIA RELEASE - For Immediate Release -
CONTACT: URBAN PRODUCTIONS
212-932-1044 - themusenyc at aol.com - www.roberturban.com

SUBJECT:  Openly gay musician/producer ROBERT URBAN of URBAN PRODUCTIONS, NYC 
will speak at the Hartford, Connecticut TRINITY COLLEGE INTERNATIONAL HIP-HOP 
FESTIVAL on Saturday, April 22, 2006 at 1pm - www.trinityhiphop.org.

WHEN/WHERE: Saturday April 22 - 1:00pm Presentation - "The International Homo 
Hip-Hop Scene: Popular GLBT Rap Artists Worldwide", by Robert Urban - 
RITTENBURG LOUNGE, Mather Hall, Trinity College - 
http://www.trinityhiphop.org/speakers.htm
_________________________________

Through a weekend celebration of diverse music, dance, film, and spoken word 
traditions, The Trinity College International Hip Hop Festival seeks to bring 
Trinity closer to the community around it. Hartford is an international city. 
It is home to large Puerto Rican,
Brazilian, Cape Verdean, and West Indian communities. Hartford is also home 
to large African refugee/immigrant communities, specifically from Somalia and 
Ethiopia. With the help of Trinity’s African Studies department, Music 
department, Human Rights Program, Tutorial College, and Modern Language department, 
and many other generous supporters
this conference will be a free large-scale event, open to the entire Hartford 
community and greater New England area.

A three-day event, the festival boasts a line up of performers from Brazil, 
Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Haiti, India, Mexico, Iraq, Korea, Puerto Rico, the 
Philippines, Australia, France,
Uganda, and more. Performances will be in over seven different languages: 
Spanish, Swahili, and Portuguese among them. Several award- winning documentaries 
will be presented and screened by their directors. The conference will also 
include lecturers and
artists leading discussions about the global phenomenon that is hip hop music 
and culture and the role hip hop plays in increasing social and political 
awareness and uniting communities
________________________________________________________

SYNOPSIS OF PRESENTATION: Speaking from his many years experience as a 
musician, sound engineer, producer and music reviewer who has worked with gay, 
lesbian, bisexual and transgendered hip-hop artists; Robert Urban will present this 
conference paper to bear witness to the high artistic content and genuine 
"hip-hop" credentials of gay male
rappers worldwide. They are part of a vibrant, growing GLBT hip hop scene, 
complete with it's own loyal fan base, live performance venues, tours & 
festivals, GLBT owned record labels, CD distribution networks and record buying 
audience.

Robert will also use music excerpts from the lives and works of "out" gay rap 
stars to let gay rap speak foritself. These popular queer artists from all 
over the U.S. are important social critics and observers of not just their own 
GLBT culture and establishment, but also of mainstream society as a whole.

Via the words of these brave & creative performers, hot-button social topics 
such as gay rights, white/black relationships, inner city ghetto poverty, 
anti-gay discrimination, romance and masculinity issues, homoeroticism, 
gay/straight conflicts and black on black violence are illuminated. Additional insights 
into gay hip hop are revealed in the new film about today's artistically 
groundbreaking new Harlem Ball scene - "How Do I Look?"
_______________________________

ROBERT URBAN/URBAN PRODUCTIONS - Born and raised in Fairfield, CT,this 
award-winning queer rock artist, singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, 
producer and published literary writer is also owner/operator of the 
NYC-based URBAN
PRODUCTIONS recording studio and music creation facility. Robert has composed 
music scores for a wide variety of glbt professional dance, theater, and film 
productions. He is also accompanist, session-musician, arranger/sound 
engineer and private music teacher
for many glbt artists.  As record producer, Robert has worked on songs and 
entire CDs for a wide variety of musical artists, including many glbt artists.

Robert performs everywhere, including numerrous Connecticut pride festivals. 
In addition to his own 4 CDs, Robert's work (especially as guitarist) can be 
heard on the recordings of many other musical artists. He supports the GLBT 
music community through producing/
hosting “Urban Productions BOLDLY Presents”, the all-GLBT multi-artist 
live-in-concert music series (now in its 6th year). Robert is the author of the 
published poetry collection ABOMINATIONS and a contributing writer to 
www.AfterElton.com gay arts & entertainment
magazine and www.StonewallSociety.com. He is the proud founder of GAY 
GUITARISTS WORLDWIDE  More info and contact at: www.roberturban.com.
_________________________________________

URBAN PRODUCTIONS, NYC
www.roberturban.com
www.myspace.com/roberturban
GAY GUITARISTS WORLDWIDE
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gayguitarists