Maybe those days are coming back. Recording artist, J.G. Boccella is a musician on a mission. His mission is to bring people together through music. His debut CD, The Divided States of America is based on the premise that before we can truly come together as a nation, we must first acknowledge how we are still divided.

Rege Behe of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review writes, "J.G. Boccella is a man out of time, a throw-back to the socially aware 1960's. The Divided States of America confronts society's ills with a mix of styles ranging from jazz to reggae, with lyrics that are unabashedly hopeful."

ECLECTIC MUSIC AND A TIMELY MESSAGE
Boccella's CD offers listeners a new lens through which to view race relations in America. In songs such as "Denial," "Unbroken Chain" and "Propaganda," he challenges us to go beyond guilt and denial.

In "If a Dog Bites You," he sings: "Feeling guilty won't help the situation/Building resentments will only lead to a conflagration/We've got to put down the weapons that we carry in our minds/Before we can trust each other, we've got to break the denial."

A dynamic performer with a soulful vocal and piano sound, Boccella creates pulsating music that is catchy and upbeat, and yet thoughtful and serious at the same time. This is music for people who want something to think about as well as something to move to.

Boccella also acts as producer on his recordings, creating an eclectic signature sound that has been called "hybrid soul" and "poly-rhythmic, reggae-inflected folk-pop."

MODO MIO MUSIC
Fiercely independent, Boccella has chosen not to sign with a major label. Instead, he is releasing his music on his own label Modo Mio Music.

He is currently taking his music and message to colleges, churches and organizations across the country. He has created a lecture/workshop program that uses the music as a catalyst for dialogue. Says Boccella, "We don't get to choose how, when or where we come into this world. But, now that we are here, how do we choose to deal with the legacy we have all been given?"