...the hip hop stars' advocacy

Hip hop stars to raise funds for PH orphanage

by Loui Galicia,

ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

11/23/2011

AMSTERDAM - The Netherlands’ hip hop stars are returning to the Philippines to raise funds for an orphanage for street children.

Noah Smidstra, John Boy Denekamp, Muztafa Ozdemir, Andy Huber, Ersin Kelekci, Sabina Mehic and Albion Gaxherri are the members of the “All Style Division”, which won the 2008 Mars World Championship, among other international and national hip hop competitions.

All the dancers are half Dutch, with Noah and John Boy being half Pinoys.

The hip hop world champions are going on an SM Mall Tour from February 18 to March 10, 2012.

The tour is part of the group’s continued efforts to raise funds for Bahay Aurora, an orphanage in Baras, Rizal.

Bahay Aurora was founded by Filipina Arleen Smidstra and her Dutch husband in 1992.

All Style Division already visited the Philippines in May, appearing as a guest at Calla Lilly's concert in Morong, Rizal, as well as ABS-CBN shows Showtime and

Pilipinas Got Talent.

The dancers paid for their own expenses in the Philippines yet donated all their talent fees to the street children of Bahay Aurora.

“It's all for the orphanage. We can help others by doing what we love to do and that is by dancing. So if we can help anybody just doing the thing we love and maybe we can teach them, then it's just very fulfilling for us,” Noah said.

Noah is the son of the Bahay Aurora founders, who was still a young boy when it was established almost 20 years ago.

The orphanage is very close to his heart and even suggested the idea for the hip-hop group to visit the Philippines and to perform to raise funds for Bahay Aurora.

While other hip hop champions take full advantage of their youth and status in order to perform full-time at gigs and other competitions, the All Style Division members always allow space in their busy schedules to help the less fortunate.

John Boy, who is considered the acrobat of the group with his love for somersaults, said that performing without compensation is not a waste of their time at all.

“It's just to exchange my knowledge to the orphanage, to express myself through dancing. Even if we are world famous or something like, we hear all the people’s voices so we like to help everyone,” John Boy said.

Looking at their loose sweatpants, shirts, hoodies, baseball caps and snappy moves, one would think these young men only speak street language, which might have a negative connotation to some.

But these young adults have a pure spirit, believing that hip hop is not just a dance, but a serious form of expression.

“I know we're blessed because we come from Holland, we have a better life than in other countries…but that doesn't stop us from exercising our love, our passion through our four goals of peace, love, unity and having fun,” Andy said.

“Love is the first place. And money, it's not the most important thing. The most important thing is that we can dance together like a family and we try to share our skills, talent, with another people,” Muztafa said.

“In the end, dance is what connects all of us. It is not that we're only doing it for ourselves but also for others if we can help them, then we will,” Albion added.