The General is a makeup artist, designer, event emcee, blogger, and in her own words “a bunch of other shit.  Ask about me.”

On SOULAJU:

“It’s the kinda shit that makes you wanna just lay back and close your eyes so you can feel every word. It’s like dark smokey vintage lounge sexy meets earthy nature sexy meets 3am urban sexy meets revolution sexy. If that makes any sense at all. But yeah, its that good.”  READ MORE.

“Trinidad Undaground”

Our main goals in working with these young people were to empower them to tell their own stories and engage in a process of creating their own media.  Before we put cameras in their hands we ran some workshops with them, talking about their experiences, identity, their dreams, life beyond Trinidad, getting them writing their thoughts on paper.  The following video is a “making of” look at our work with this group of youth.

The Making of “Trinidad Undaground”

COLORADO STAND UP

The “Colorado Stand Up” Project is, in two words, Colorado Hip-Hop. The design will focus on the Hip-Hop Community in Colorado and feature those who have put in blood, sweat, and tears to make the scene what it is today.   

Thomas Evans of Hip-Hop Congress Denver is the chief architect of Colorado Stand Up.  Check out the entire series at http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?aid=426035&id=501575696&ref=mf

“SOULAJU’S POSITIVE HIP-HOP IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL”

Write-up by Eryc Eyl for the Denver Post. Eryc is a veteran music journalist, critic and Colorado native who has been neck-deep in local music for many years.

“Molina Soleil and Aju released their first full-length album earlier this year. Produced in collaboration with Oakland-based DJ Icewater, the self-titled, 15-track collection bursts with head-bobbing beats, rhymes that flow like melted butter and melodic hooks that stick like maple syrup.

Its soulful jams and socially conscious lyrics recall Marvin Gaye and Gil Scott-Heron as much as the Roots and the Fugees. Strikingly professional and just plain good, ‘Soulaju’ would be a highlight for more mature artists, but is all the more remarkable as the duo’s debut album. In a way, though, it’s been years in the making…”

CLICK HERE to read the entire story.

The arrival of SOULAJU: Soul flows like water.  The long awaited album is finally complete.  15 solid tracks available for $5 mp3 download.

This story has many beginnings.  This moment is a culmination of past reflections.  The focus is on the Present, in these times, as we shape what will be.

SOULAJU is a fusion of lives, stories, styles, and cultures; this fusion is personal and universal.  Each track stands on its own, but the true jewel lies in the journey of the album, start to finish.

In the words of photographer Ric Urrutia, “Soulaju is creative, conscious, energetic, sexy, intellectual, and overall: bad ass.”

The reviews, the hype, and the celebrations will come in waves.  The album will soon be distributed by Itunes, Amazon.com, and other major distributors.  For now, as independent, community-based artists, we are excited to share this release with our friends, our supporters, and your networks and communities.

Thank you for your support.  Please help us spread the word.

Official SOULAJU album release: 15 tracks, $5 download: http://soulaju.bandcamp.com/album/soulaju

After many hours of learning pains and frustration, offset by a good dose of  inspiration, we present an edited short film documenting the SOULAJU Youth Jam and Youth Climate Justice workshop, organized w/ Josh Watkins and Jennie Nevin in conjunction with Green Spaces Denver.  The event took place on January 15, 2010.  We look forward to hosting future green events in the mile high city, fusing art and music with conscious and sustainable living.  Enjoy!

For more info on the event, click here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 20th, 2010

Peace to our fans, friends, and supporters.  We came to a difficult decision this week.  We will be pushing back the release date of SOULAJU with DJ Icewater until March 23, 2010.

The album’s release date was set for next Tuesday, January 26th.  We planned a month-long series of events in Denver to celebrate this release with our friends and fam here.  Last week, we hosted an album listening party at the Gypsy House Cafe in Denver, giving several dozen people a sneak peak at the album.  We also co-hosted a successful SOULAJU Youth Jam and Climate Change workshop at Green Spaces Denver on January 15th.  We will move forward with the other events we have planned to celebrate the work that has been done, and the work that is to come.

DJ Icewater will be in town for pre-release events next week, including a free youth DJ Workshop at the Flobots Community Center and a pre-release party at the Walnut Room in Denver, CO on January 29th at 8:30PM.  Tix for the Walnut Room show are $8.  We are also excited to announce that the Secret Techniques B-Boy crew at the University of Wyoming will be hosting us for a show on January 28th.  The performance is free for UW students.  Doors open at 9PM in the Union Ballroom of the Student Union.  Crowds at both of these events will have the exclusive opportunity to see the SOULAJU set performed for the first time.

We appreciate your continuing support in our decision to delay the release of SOULAJU.  Combined, we have released four solid projects in less than a year and a half, including Molina’s release of Up Before the Sunrise in August 2008 and the My America benefit cd for Papers the movie.  We have kept a hectic touring schedule and have spent a great deal of time working with youth in schools, community programs, detention centers, and group homes.

We are confident in our decision to take a little more time with the release of SOULAJU, which we have been working on since the fall of 2008.  Several of the earliest tracks will be re-written, re-recorded, and re-mastered to better reflect the work we are doing now.  We want to give our best and most honest work to the fans and communities we represent.

We have released a free download of “Like Magic” —the first international single off SOULAJU, which you can download at http://www.mediafire.com/?zoe4lmj5zyl.  We will continue to leak bits and pieces of the 15-track album to the broader public in February and early March. 

As for our most energetic fans who are really jones’n for the new tunes, we appreciate your patience.  Keep spreading the word.

In solidarity,

Molina Soleil & Aju

SOULAJU

Filmed by Jai Harris & Ro1 Films in Arvada, CO, benefit show for Family Tree, November 2009.

Music by Mannequin Rituals

DJ Icewater is the tour DJ for The Pharcyde.  Highly respected for his support of independent artists, DJ Icewater has put out over 40 mixtapes.  Most recently, he has mixed albums for international phenom Shing02 and up-and-coming Bay Area artist Jern Eye.  More events are being planned in connection with Icewater’s visit to the Mile High City.  Stay tuned…

Paper Chase: Hip-Hop for My America

By Geoffrey Dobbins, November 26, 2009

Read the article:  http://www.wiretapmag.org/arts/44697/ 

Purchase the cd: http://papersthemovie.com/myamerica.html