Ghetto Brothers
 | This article may lack focus or may be about more than one topic. In particular, the article covers mainly a gang, but the infobox musical artist, Discography, and Category:Musical groups established in 1969 pertain to something else; should probably split off Ghetto Brothers (band). (June 2016) |
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2016) |
Ghetto Brothers | |
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| Also known as | The Ghetto Brothers |
| Origin | United States Puerto Rico |
| Genres | Funk Soul Latin Hip Hop Rock Salsa Garage rock Rock en Español |
| Years active | 1964-Present |
| Labels | Salsa Records |
| Members | Benjamin "Yellow Benjy" Melendez (lead vocals) Victor Melendez (bass) Luis Bristo (drums) Franky Valentin(timbales) Chiqui Concepcion (Congas) Angelo Garcia (Bongos) David Silva (lead guitar) Robert Melendez (rhythm guitar) |
The Ghetto Brothers were a gang (or club) and music group[1] founded in New York City's South Bronx in the late 1960s. The gang eventually spread to much of the Northeastern United States. Like the Young Lords, they were involved in Puerto Rican nationalism, including, in the case of the Ghetto Brothers, an association with the then-new Puerto Rican Socialist Party. This gang had political motivation to uplift young Latino and Black men in the community.[2]
The name Ghetto Brothers was chosen by Hui Cambrelen one of the original founders along with Ray delaVega and Benji Melendez. Benjamin Melendez, who left the organization in 1976, was also known as a guitarist. He led a band, also known as the Ghetto Brothers, which included his late brother Victor Melendez on bass. They released one album Ghetto Brothers - Power-Fuerza in 1971, which had only informal, local distribution. It has since been re-released on CD.[3]
The Ghetto Brothers, especially in their early years, had a reputation as one of the more politically minded and less vengeful of New York-area gangs. After Cornell "Black Benjie" Benjamin was killed in 1971 trying to prevent a fight between two rival gangs, the Ghetto Brothers did not seek the expected revenge on those responsible for his death.[4] Instead, under Melendez's leadership (and that of Carlos Antonio Suarez, also known as Carlos Melendez), they were instrumental in achieving a moderately successful truce among South Bronx and other New York-area gangs[5] at the December 7, 1971, Hoe Avenue peace meeting.
Under Melendez's leadership, the Ghetto Brothers represented one end of the spectrum in terms of how they treated the women involved with the gang. Referred to as the Ghetto Sisters—the respectful term contrasted sharply with the names used for the women attached to other New York gangs of the period—the women were generally viewed as organization members and as girlfriends, whereas many other gangs treated women almost entirely as sexual property.
Former Hartford, Connecticut mayor Eddie Perez was a member of the Ghetto Brothers when young. New York Daily News columnist Robert Dominguez was the leader of a Ghetto Brothers division in the Bronx when he was a teen. In the Connecticut prison system, during the 1990s, the Ghetto Brothers and the Savage Nomads joined together to form Los Solidos (the Solid Ones), which is now one of the most powerful Puerto Rican gangs in the state.
Other uses of the name
- The name Ghetto Brothers was also used by an unrelated 1990s techno duo featuring Orlando Voorn and Blake Baxter.
Discography
- 1971 – Ghetto Brothers - Power-Fuerza (Salsa Records - SLP 2008) Recorded at Fintone Studio. Produced by Bobby Marin.
References
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "The Ghetto Brothers".
- ^ Jack Hamilton (2012-11-26). "One of the Greatest 'Lost' Albums of All Time Has Been Found". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2016-12-09.
- ^ theroseycross (January 17, 2011). "Ghetto Brothers - Power Fuerza".
- ^ Bryan Schwartzman (2015-08-17). "A Graphic Tale of the Bronx's Toughest Jew". The Forward. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
- Michael Alan Goldberg (2016-12-03). "Street-Gang-Turned-Band Ghetto Brothers Attract "All Classes, All Races, All Ages" Years After Making Hip Hop History". Village Voice. Retrieved 2016-12-09.
Further reading
- Jeff Chang, Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation (2005), ISBN 0312425791.
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