Taína Asili is a singer, composer, educator, interdisciplinary artist, and activist carrying on the tradition of her Puerto Rican ancestors, fusing past and present struggles into one soulful and defiant voice. For over 25 years she has brought the music of love and liberation to venues across the globe – From the Women’s March on Washington to Lincoln Center to San Francisco Pride. Taína Asili combines powerful vocals and an energetic multi-genre fusion – traversing salsa, rock, reggaeton, Afrobeat, and other global sounds – with multilingual songs that beat with the heart of social change. Her performances are adaptable to a wide range of venues, from electrifying full-band sets featuring a dynamic ensemble of 6 to 8 musicians—including guitar, bass, drums, congas, horns, and backing vocalists—to intimate solo shows accompanied by vibrant, high-quality backing tracks. Taína’s performances exude strength of Spirit, inspiring audiences to dance to the rhythm of rebellion! Watch Taína Asili perform live!
Fever Pitch
Fever Pitch is a groundbreaking multimedia show rooted Taína Asili’s prolific two-decade artistic journey creating music that addresses the intersectional issues related to the urgency of climate change. Fever Pitch seeks to use Asili’s original body of work to inspire climate justice action on local, national, and global scales. Learn more about Fever Pitch.
For booking inquiries email info[at]tainaasili.com
“…the high energy of the band is simply impossible to ignore. The exotic, incessant rhythms reel you in, and the stabbing horns, hypnotic bass and Asili’s urgent voice draw you closer.”
Taína Asili not only brings truth, hope and inspiration through her singing voice, but also as a speaker at conferences, colleges, and community events throughout the nation, including: TEDx Greenville; UC Berkeley’s Empowering Womxn of Color Conference; San Francisco State University’s Women’s Conference; Columbia University Beyond the Bars Conference; Connecticut SERC Dismantling Systemic Racism Conference; and NYC Pride Human Rights Conference. See a full list of past presentations. Asili creatively weaves together teachings she has gathered from over 25 years of experience as a professional artist, educator and community activist. Taína is dedicated to using her art as a tool for personal and social transformation. The liberation themes in Taína’s writing are based in her activism in racial, gender, and climate justice movements. She has received numerous awards for her artivist work, including the Leeway Foundation’s Transformation Award, In Our Own Voices LGBT Community Advocacy Award, Citizen Action NY’s Jimmy Perry Progressive Leadership Award, and an award from the City of Albany’s Commission on Human Rights.
Rhapsodies of the Radical Imagination Keynote
Taína’s latest interactive keynote, Rhapsodies of the Radical Imagination, delves into the transformative power of music as a catalyst for activating the radical imagination. Taína Asili demonstrates how creativity can inspire liberatory possibilities, empowering individuals and communities to envision and work toward a more just and equitable future. Taína uses her own artistic work as examples of the radical imagination in action, including the lessons, stories, and community wisdom gathered on the Fever Pitch Pilgrimage, a 150-mile journey carrying her multimedia show on foot from Albany to New York City. Together, these stories offer a powerful invitation to imagine boldly, act collectively, and create the just and thriving future our communities deserve. Note: This keynote can be customized to align with the theme and goals of your conference or event.
Watch a preview from the 2025 National Community Leadership Summit:
To invite Taína Asili to speak in-person or online email info[at]tainaasili.com
Taína Asili offers creative and engaging workshops pulling from her decades long history as a social change songwriter and community organizer. For over 20 years Taína has offered a variety of workshops at high schools, colleges, and conferences. She has experience working with both children and adults, and with marginalized populations, including incarcerated women and refugees. Taína Asili has a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in Women’s Studies from Binghamton University, and a Master’s of Arts Degree in Transformative Language Arts from Goddard College. At Goddard she began the development of her original social justice arts curriculum. Today she offers several different workshop options, which can be presented in-person or online. See a full list of past presentations.
To book a workshop email info[at]tainaasili.com
Reclaim the Thunder: Songs For Social Change Workshop
This interactive workshop shares methods Taína Asili has gathered from her long history writing poems and songs that seek to reclaim power, break barriers, inspire, and unite. The workshop begins by looking at historical and contemporary examples of social change songs and songwriters. She then guides participants in a hands-on songwriting exercise, first turning our ideas into lyrics, and later, bringing these words to the music. This workshop is open to people of all ages and artistic levels, from beginner poets to experienced emcees and singers. Join us in this interactive radical music jam to reinvent our world! Approximate time is 1-2 hrs.
Songs For Social Change Series
This curriculum expands on the singular Reclaim the Thunder workshop to be six 1-2 hour classes that can be presented over the course of a week or an academic year. This series has been taught in a variety of settings, from college students at Rutgers University, to 9-12 grade students at Brattleboro High School, to community members at Albany Public Library.
Taína Asili’s dynamic and engaging performances can be tailored for all ages, and they can be combined with the talks and workshops listed below. She has offered numerous presentations for elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as youth programs and conferences. See a full list of past presentations.
Grades 5-12
Somos Semillas / We Are Seeds Presentation
Through an interactive blend of music and speaking, Taína shares the wisdom she has learned from her Puerto Rican Ancestors, as well as her own artistic journey, about the role of music and art to help us to reclaim our humanity in the face of inhumanity, to ignite and inspire movements for social change, and to help us plant seeds of change for future generations. She will also share ways that young people are using music to bring positive change into the world today. Approximate time is 30 min – 1 hr.
Reclaim the Thunder: Songs For Social Change Workshop
This workshop shares methods Taína Asili has gathered from her long history writing poems and songs that seek to reclaim power, break barriers, inspire, and unite. The workshop begins by looking at historical and contemporary examples of social change songs and songwriters. She then guides participants in a hands-on songwriting exercise, first turning our ideas into lyrics, and later, bringing these words to the music. Join us in this interactive radical music jam to reinvent our world! Approximate time is 1 – 2 hrs
Grades K-5
Somos Semillas / We Are Seeds Presentation
This K-5 version of Taína Asili’s presentation uses the metaphor of seeds to talk about how music can be a tool for kids to help foster a kinder and healthier world. Through an interactive blend of music and speaking, Taína will share what it was like growing up in an artistic Puerto Rican family with a singer and drummer father, a mother who was a dancer, and a grandmother who was a poet and cook. Taína will discuss what her family and culture taught her and her sister about the power of music to help us move through challenges and find our joy, and what harmony can teach us about bringing our unique voices together into one unified and beautiful song. She will also share ways that young people are using music to bring positive change into the world today. Approximate time is 20 – 40 min.
Taína Asili has been a beacon in my equity work bringing solid information through engaging workshops and uplift through her music. I am happy to say that Taína has worked with us almost every year for the past seven years. She has offered both in person and virtual programming. Our community has been pleased with the results of her work with our students and staff. Taína is an asset to any community of educators. I highly recommend her as an invaluable source of knowledge, and experience. She is collaborative and always willing to adapt to meet the needs of our students and other learners.” – Mikaela Simms, Windham Southeast East Supervisory Union Director of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Social Justice
In March of 2020, soon after schools were shut down due to the pandemic, Taína led an online workshop for my theater students. Her workshop came at a time when there was much fear and we were collectively feeling the initial impacts of isolation due to the pandemic. She led her Somos Semillas / We Are Seeds Presentation. In a time where zoom was new to our world, Taína was able to inspire students to not only participate in thoughtful conversation, but also to engage in creating and sharing new songs. It was clear that the workshop reached us in a way that was crucial. Taína is incredibly gifted in guiding students through transformative artistic experiences.” – Noelle Gentile, Albany High School Drama Teacher
