Dani Cornejo of Debajito on Beats, Borders, and Building Solidarity

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19d ago 59:59

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On this powerful edition of Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D sits down with educator, musician, and cultural worker Dani Cornejo of the group Debajito to unpack the urgency of resistance, the attack on Ethnic Studies, and the healing role of rhythm. With war, genocide, and repression defining the global moment, Cornejo delivers a timely call to action from both the classroom and the stage.

Cornejo, who teaches Ethnic Studies at Diablo Valley College, spoke candidly about the escalating right-wing assault on education, diversity, and free expression. He traced today’s backlash to a broader white supremacist backlash, pointing out how legacy media and tech platforms censor voices challenging genocide in Palestine while amplifying vile rhetoric like Ann Coulter’s “feed them to the alligators” comment about Latinos. “The quiet part is being said out loud now,” Cornejo noted, stressing that these attacks are designed to instill fear and fracture solidarity.

But Cornejo didn’t just name the problems—he brought the solutions too. Through his group Debajito, he’s helping reclaim the drum as a political and spiritual weapon. Their upcoming EP Entre Mundos fuses Cumbia rhythms, indigenous melodies, and bilingual bars, drawing a throughline between African and Indigenous resistance traditions. “Cumbia is where the Andes meets the Caribbean,” he explained, “and that fusion is an act of solidarity.”

The two also dug into the trauma of constant exposure to ICE raids and police brutality online. Dani pointed out that the oversaturation of pain and spectacle on social media creates hopelessness and passivity—something he says must be countered with education, critical media literacy, and intentional cross-racial organizing. “The right has figured out how to cherry-pick human rights,” he said. “But we can’t. You’re either down for human rights or you’re not.”

The conversation ended with a reminder: movement music must move people. Entre Mundos is built to do both—make you dance and make you think. As Cornejo put it: “You can’t have one without the other.”

Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.

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