Performance Biography

 

Jeremy Tagle Bautista aka “KILUSAN” is an independent performance artist/ director, a youth empowerment worker and community organizer.  In Tagalog, the national language in the Philippines, ‘KILUSAN’ means Movement and Jeremy believes with all of his heart that he is an artist that contributes to the larger movements for Social Justice and Human Rights.  He believes in living everything that he says and represents on stage because art is a lifestyle not a momentary illusion.  Originally from San Francisco, Ca, and currently based in New York City, Jeremy cultivates the artistic aesthetics of Hip Hop Theater, Spoken Word Poetry, Emceeing and Interpretive Movement.

 

PERFORMANCE BACKGROUND:

 

“UNIVERSAL FILIPINO” is a new solo Hip Hop Theater  Production that Jeremy is currently developing for late Fall 2009.  This play offers a creative and cutting edge presentation of the contemporary struggles for working class, Filipino Americans.  The purpose of “UNIVERSAL FILIPINO” is to let it be known once and for all that the talents and struggles for Filipinos in the Diaspora will not be ignored, rather celebrated and affirmed in history. 

 

He was a core member of the Bay Area based, Filipino American spoken word collective known as 8^th Wonder, which was fiscally sponsored by Youth Speaks and  toured nationally.    He has evolved his craft as the artistic director of a Hip Hop Theater production known as ‘Dream Cypher’ which was sponsored by the Contemporary American Theater Scene and Movimento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana in San Jose, Ca, April 2004.  He has worked with a Hip Hop Jazz band known as Soul Searchers Entertainment, as the Poetic Vocalist/ Emcee, where they performed throughout the Bay Area from 2004-2005. In 2007, Jeremy toured Northern California with a Hip Hop Theater organization known as Colored Ink, a group of multi-cultural artists dedicated to social justice.

 

After 2 years of travel and research, Jeremy wrote and directed his first theatrical playwright production entitled, “A Tuyo in the Sun” at the University of California, Santa Cruz in March of 2002.  This play reveals the story of 3 generations of his family’s history of immigration from the Philippines and settling in America.

 

He has performed on some amazing stages such as:  Power to the Peaceful Festival in San Francisco, 2007 & 2006; Kimball’s East in Oakland, 2005; University of California at Santa Cruz- Rainbow Theater 1999-2002; NuYorican Poets Café in New York, 2000; Bay Area Hip Hop Theater Festival at Yerba Buena Center in SF, 2005.  In 1999, he was blessed to perform in Palawan, Philippines for the graduation ceremony of a study abroad program known as ‘Tagalog On Site.” 

 

 

He has recently been a featured artist at New York City venue’s such as the Bowery Poetry Club; Community organization fundraisers for the United Playaz in the Bronx and Ugnayan chapters in Manhattan; and at Sarah Lawrence College.  In November of 2008, Jeremy opened up for Top Rank boxer Nonito Donaire aka the ‘Filipino Flash’ at Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

 

PRINT AND MEDIA HISTORY:

 

Jeremy’s written works have been published in Newspapers such as the Philippine News- Art and Culture Section, Listen and Be Heard in Vallejo, Ca.  He was a Ca-wide grand prize winner for an essay he wrote to the New America Media and California Council for the Humanities in 2005. 

 

He has recorded on CD compilations such as the “Intelligent Movement,” produced by Romedigs of Open Line Media, which brought together Filipino American Hip Hop Emcee’s from across the U.S. and; “The Package,” produced by Chuck Mayes of Namau Records, which comprises of an international group of Emcees from Puerto Rico, London and the Bay Area; and a local spoken word CD through 8^th Wonder.  His artistic work and activist commentary has been aired on 94.1 FM (KPFA) and 106.1 FM (KMEL).

 

COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT WORK:

 

Jeremy is constantly using his talents to service the needs of the larger community.  He does this by hosting community events as the master of ceremonies:  Destiny Arts Center’s Winter Celebration in Oakland 2007; Bayanihan Community Center Hip Hop Showcase in 2008; All Oakland Talent Show sponsored by Oakland Leaf in 2007; Fiesta Filipina in SF, 2005; Asian Heritage Street Festival in SF, 2005 & 2006; Pistahan Festival in SF, 2006.

 

 

Jeremy has used his artistic and activist background to empower youth throughout San Francisco public schools through the United Playaz, a gang prevention and violence prevention community organization.

He has organized ‘Silence the Violence’ cultural productions, speak outs, mediations and fundraisers throughout the Bay Area.  For over 2 years, Jeremy has taught Hip Hop theater classes for youth at Destiny Arts Center in Oakland and the Walden House for young women (a foster care facility).

 

As a Pre-GED Literacy Instructor with the Brooklyn Public Library from Nov 2008-July 2009, Jeremy has helped empower 17-25 year olds by incorporating poetry, theater and community building activities within the curriculum.