Happy New Year

This is Hector Rivera, poet, songwriter, and activist since the 1990s.

I am asking for your help in funding this amazing project, the production of this important song: Tierra Sagrada by Hector Rivera and Julie Laporte.

Project: I am asking for your help in funding the recording, mixing and mastering of an original Puerto Rican bomba song written by myself and Julie Laporte, produced by Beto Torrens for Adrian Daniel Roman Perez aka Viajero's incredible art project: Citizen.

Yes, that's right, all these incredible people are involved in this project: HecVortex (that's me!), Julie Laporte from Colectivo Umoja, Beto Torrens, producer and musician, and Viajero, currently one of my favorite Boricua visual artists.

I was humbled and excited when he asked for a bomba song for his project, CitiCien. I marinated on it for several months, and when I finally reached back out to him, I suggested Tierra Sagrada.

I then reached out to producer Beto Torrens, who recently released Colectivo Umoja's amazing album, La Rueda.

Viajero, Julie, and Beto all gave the green light!

As this is such a labor of love, I thought to ask for help raising funds to try and offset everyone's hard work. We appreciate your donations.

What is CitiCien - <--------click link

A collection of art that examines the complexities and facets of Puerto Rican identity 100 years after U.S. "citizenship." Curated by Adrián Román

The original Citicien exhibit was a traveling exhibition. It was shown at: The Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Arts Center, Lower East Side NY Taller Boricua, El Barrio NY Casa Ruth Hernandez, PR Seed on Diamond Gallery, Philadelphia PA

Now CitiCien going from an art exhibit to a printed book that will include the art from the exhibition, with the additions of poetry, essays, and music dedicated to the theme of Citicien.

Current sponsors for the book are: Centro: Center for Puerto Rican Studies Library,   The Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Arts Center, Loisaida Center

Story of the development of the song: Tierra Sagrada

This song came as I was headed to Rincón, Puerto Rico to lead Peace Inside Out's first reiki retreat in 2022.

In Rincón, residents and allies were fighting continued privatization and encroachment on Puerto Rico's public beaches. The struggle was tense, and people were determined to fight money interests violating public law.

I meditated on the battle and, like a good poet, played with words until a melody and these words found me:

"Boriquen, es tierra sagrada,

y en cada rincón, hay que honrarla".

I sent a voice message to my great friend Julie Laporte, bombera, poeta y reiki master just like me! I asked her what bomba rhythm she thought fit the song.

She responded with an audio message of her own but with 6 complete verses!

Collab! I fell in love with the song even more and, in fact, consider it an anthem of Boricua identity in the 21st century. An identity deeply connected to defending ALL of Boriken, from the beaches to the mountains!

Later, as the reiki retreat was nearing its end, the trained reiki practitioners, participants of the reiki retreat, joined me in marching and singing "Tierra Sagrada" at the site of struggle. Coincidentally, a people's victory was declared the next day!

pic from march in solidarity with the people of Rincón

Where donations will go: mixing, mastering of song + Colectivo Umoja

300 friends x $10 donation = $3000!