Bio

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Tufawon (2 for 1) is a Dakota/Boricua singer songwriter, producer and teaching artist from Minneapolis. His name represents mixed identity, and his music is an honest reflection of his life experiences, personal struggles, his hopes and dreams for the future, spirituality, connectedness to the land, love, and the realities of the world. Musically, he creates a broad spectrum of styles including Hip Hop, RnB, Dancehall, Reggaeton and Afrobeats. He has put his life on the line to protect the water and our planet through protest and community organizing. Not only is he dedicated to making music at the highest quality, he is an active youth worker, teaching what he knows and setting the bar high for the next generation of songwriters.

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​The past few years have been incredibly active for the hip hop artist and activist. He continues touring in and out of the country, performing at a high level, and living out his dreams as a performer. He was awarded the Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship a few years back, one of his biggest accomplishments to date. He participated in the inaugural First Nations SongHubs, where he recorded with Indigenous artists from around the globe at the world famous Abbey Road Institute in Melbourne, Australia. Tufawon was also featured on the Breakfast Club and Hot 97 Ebro In The Morning speaking on issues that affect Indigenous communities. He completed his first headlining hip hop tour in Europe “Resilience", and stays active in his community. From fighting the Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Rock to organizing efforts to Stop Line 3, to speaking at the United Nations in Geneva Switzerland and doing several tours around the world, he continues to carry out his message and impact the people in a powerful way. Tufawon is currently releasing new singles regularly, playing and booking gigs, and working on video projects.

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Artistic Vision

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"I don't create for fame or attention. At its foundation, my music is a way of healing for self. But I do want my music to reach people who would be moved by it. To inspire future generations. I do not wish to manufacture my art like some product being packaged for mass consumption. I want it to spread far and wide like sage on the prairie, providing medicine to the people. My work is a reflection of the styles of music I love. I am influenced by the genres that I grew up listening to, as well as styles that are connected to my culture and beyond. My artistic vision is rooted in the idea of liberation, using sound frequencies to make the people feel free. To decolonize through the intersection of ancestral and contemporary music. To make people dance and provoke thought. To interrogate and address societal issues that impact our communities. To make people laugh, cry, and feel the most raw emotions. The western colonized way of living is determined to see us erased, so my music is here to make us visible and to project our voices as we inspire an uplift the most marginalized. To embody the sacredness our ancestors passed down to us. My music exists to evoke joy in the hearts of the people. When we feel joy, we actively fight colonialism. I aim to do this through my art, not only as a form of self expression, but as an act of resistance."