Enrique García Naranjo
Poet. Performer. Pocho.
Enrique García Naranjo was born in Salt Lake City, Utah to Mexican parents and raised with superstition and an ear for stories. He moved frequently as a child, living in Nampa, Idaho and his parents’ hometown of Estipac, Jalisco, before settling in Tucson, Arizona and figuring out: Mexicans are made for warm weather.
García wrote raps starting at the age of 13, and began performing poetry at the Tucson Youth Poetry Slam at 15. He went on to win nine consecutive slams including the second annual All-City TYPS Championship in 2012 and formed part of the first Southern Arizona team to compete at the Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Festival.
In 2013, García was recognized for both his literary work and activism, winning the National Association for Bilingual Education Essay Award for his essay
On The Power of Bilingualism, the La Zona de Promesa: Promising Leader Award for his community organizing in South Tucson, and the Mary Ann Campau & Will Inman Poetry Award.
In 2014, García published his first collection of poetry, Tortoise Boy Says, through Spoken Futures Press. He also began DJ-ing professionally under the alias
DJ Q. Specializing in Chicanx soul and funk, Q rocks house parties and public events. He is Resident DJ of the Steve Daru Boys & Girls Clubhouse.
In 2015, García made his acting debut with Borderlands Theater, appearing in El Ausente and Más. He was also recognized as a Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund Grantee, a grant awarded to student activists creating social change in their communities.
Currently, García is collecting dusty vinyl to make beats and writing short stories about his neighborhood.
Enrique García Naranjo was born in Salt Lake City, Utah to Mexican parents and raised with superstition and an ear for stories. He moved frequently as a child, living in Nampa, Idaho and his parents’ hometown of Estipac, Jalisco, before settling in Tucson, Arizona and figuring out: Mexicans are made for warm weather.
García wrote raps starting at the age of 13, and began performing poetry at the Tucson Youth Poetry Slam at 15. He went on to win nine consecutive slams including the second annual All-City TYPS Championship in 2012 and formed part of the first Southern Arizona team to compete at the Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Festival.
In 2013, García was recognized for both his literary work and activism, winning the National Association for Bilingual Education Essay Award for his essay
On The Power of Bilingualism, the La Zona de Promesa: Promising Leader Award for his community organizing in South Tucson, and the Mary Ann Campau & Will Inman Poetry Award.
In 2014, García published his first collection of poetry, Tortoise Boy Says, through Spoken Futures Press. He also began DJ-ing professionally under the alias
DJ Q. Specializing in Chicanx soul and funk, Q rocks house parties and public events. He is Resident DJ of the Steve Daru Boys & Girls Clubhouse.
In 2015, García made his acting debut with Borderlands Theater, appearing in El Ausente and Más. He was also recognized as a Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund Grantee, a grant awarded to student activists creating social change in their communities.
Currently, García is collecting dusty vinyl to make beats and writing short stories about his neighborhood.
Enrique García Naranjo
Poet, DJ, teaching artist.
Selected Performance History:
Casting Credits:
Selecting DJ Performances/Residencies:
Teaching:
Awards:
Organized Events:
Selected Performance History:
- March 2016 Tucson Festival of Books - Featured Author & Panelist
- April 2015 Tucson Poetry Festival's Locals Only Reading - Featured Performer
- March 2015 Border’s Edge: On the Edge of Performance – Featured Performer
- November 2014 Tucson Youth Poetry Slam: November Edition – Featured Performer
- April 2014 Words on the Ave Open Mic – Featured Performer
- March 2014 Dolores Huerta Luncheon & Award Ceremony – Featured Performer
- November 2013 Tlakatl: What It Means to be Human Symposium – Featured Performer
- November 2013 Man Up!: Re-imagining Modern Manhood w/ Carlos Andres Gomez – Opening Act
- March 2013 OuterSpaces: Power in the Margins (With Liberty & Hip-Hop for All) – Opening Act
- May 2012 The Indigenous Alliance Without Borders: A Night of Indigenous Voices – Featured Performer
- November 2011 Everyday Resistance: Noche de Lírica & Art Exhibition – Featured Performer
- October 2011 2nd Annual Scholarships A-Z Benefit Dinner – Featured Performer
Casting Credits:
- April 2016 Borderlands Theater Presents: Ghosts of Lote Bravo by Hilary Bettis, El Reloj
- September 2015 Borderlands Theater Presents: Más by Milta Ortiz, Poder
- February 2015 Borderlands Theater Presents: El Ausente by Víctor Hugo Rascón Banda, Pablito
Selecting DJ Performances/Residencies:
- November 2015 All Souls Jam @ the Global Justice Center w/ DJ Turtle Kutz, Lingos & Alias - Featured DJ
- October 2015 5th Annual Barrio Centro Neighborhood Picnic - Featured DJ
- September 2015 PCC West Voter Registration Celebration Event - Featured DJ
- August 2015 Anything Goes @ R-Bar: Firme Edition w/ Herm - Featured DJ
- 2014-Present Hotel Congress Plaza: Live Music Fridays - Guest DJ
- 2014-Present Steve Daru Boys & Girls Club - Resident DJ
- 2013-2014 Tucson Youth Poetry Slam Monthlies - Resident DJ
Teaching:
- February-April 2016 CRiA Research Project @ Sunnyside Highschool - Teaching Artist
- June 2015 Tubac Center of the Arts: Summer Arts Camp - Teaching Artist
- April 2015 Rising Voices Youth Summit by 101 Space - Keynote Speaker
- April 2015 ArtSpeak: Slam Poetry 101 @ Himmel Park Library - Poetry Facilitator
- February 2014 Native Voice Poetry Slam @ Arizona State Museum – Poetry Facilitator
- June 2013 Corazón de Aztlán: Cultural Retreat – Poetry Facilitator
- January 2012 TYPS Presents: Slam 101 @ UA Poetry Center – Poetry Facilitator
- October 2011 "Slamming Emily Dickinson" Slam Poetry Workshop Series – Poetry Facilitator
- June 2011 Upward Bound: Slam Poetry Workshop Series – Poetry Facilitator
Awards:
- July 2015 Davis-Putter Grant, Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund
- May 2013 Mary Ann Campau & Will Inman Poetry Award, University of Arizona Poetry Center
- April 2013 La Zona De Promesa: Promising Leader Award, La Zona de Promesa Community Fund
- April 2013 TUSD's Recognition of Achievement, Tucson Unified School District
- February 2013 NABE's Bilingualism Essay Award, National Association for Bilingual Education
- April 2012 All-City Slam Champion, Tucson Youth Poetry Slam
Organized Events:
- April 2016 33rd Annual Tucson Poetry Festival - Organizer and Artist Outreach
- November 2015 Flowers & Bullets Presents: Urban Skribes - Organizer
- July 2014 Brave New Voices Poetry Festival (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) – Future Corps Member
- May 2013 Branching Our Community, Strengthening Our Roots w/ Alejandro Chávez – Organizer
- October 2012 South Tucson School Board Election Forum – Organizer
