Frank Collymore Hall Presents LXP in Word! Sound! Power!

presents

Word! Sound! Power!

Poetry with Purpose and Passion!

Date: March 11, 2014 Time: 6:15 pm SHARP

Location: Frank Collymore Hall, Central Bank, Bridgetown

ENTRY: FREE

The Artistes

Matthew ‘Kupawashe’ or ‘Kupa’ Murrell, is a multiple award winning actor, playwright and director. As a student at Errol Barrow Centre of Creative Imagination, he travelled to Mona Campus’ ‘Tallawah’. His 6 of 7 written works have been directed either by him or Levi King have won over 20 awards. His works have won several awards including Best Supporting Actor, High Commendation for Best Performance Poetry and three High Commendation for Acting Awards among other awards.

Kupa is co-founder and the Creative Director of Yardie Boy Theatre. As the director of the group, he has directed several plays including ‘De Angry Black Boy Tantrums’, ‘Demons in Me’ which won him LIME’s Creator’s Award and ‘Gone’.

In 2013, he was commissioned by the Pan African Commission to co-direct with Cecily Spencer-Cross George Lamming’s ‘In the Castle of My Skin’, commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the publication. He became the first thespian to do a residency at a local arts residency Fresh Milk doing ‘The Brightest Red’ a theatre piece dedicated to I’Akobi Maloney.

Meet the Director

MATTHEW MURREL

KATHERINE FELIX Putting pen to paper, or brush to canvas has always been a necessary creative outlet for Katherine.

She works as a Project Manager by day, but is making more time to write, paint and share her works publicly and has found a new family in the Spoken Word community.

Katherine is based in Barbados although she is a citizen of both St Lucian and America, with a strong passion for development of the Caribbean Region’s Cultural and Private sectors.

She is a multiple Bronze and Silver Award winner in both Literary and Visual Arts at NIFCA, Barbados’ National Independence Festival of Creative Arts.

Katherine is a founding member and Director of the Non-Profit group, League of Extraordinary Poets, Inc.; which was established in 2012 in order to establish a regional development group for the Spoken word and Poetry in Barbados, and the wider Caribbean.

Adrian Green Adrian Green is a two time Gold Award winner in Barbados’ National Festival of Creative Arts, a three time Barbadian Slam Poetry Champion, and two time winner of the Emancipation Roots Experience Show.

Green represented Barbados at Carifesta X in Guyana and has performed to audiences in several countries, including the U.S.A., Ghana, Grenada, St. Vincent, Dominica, Nevis, St. Thomas and Tortola.

He has released two albums of poetry, “Random Acts of Conscience,” and “Hard Ears.” As the co-founder of “Iron Sharpen Iron”, Green has been instrumental in producing the longest running and most successful open-mic session in Barbados.

His academic background in the arts, marketing and journalism has given him a broad view of the human condition and the world which he brings to his art. Through his poetry, he places a historical and sociological lens on his community and the issues of the day.

Serenity the Poet Kathy-Ann Fletcher is a spoken word artist and poet from the League of Extraordinary Poets (LXP).

Her words inspire others to love themselves and live holistically and healthily on their own terms.

Known as Serenity, Kathy has been writing poetry from late 2011 encouraged by Robert Gibson and inspired by the work of D. J. Simmons, Adrian Greene and Blake Broomes among others.

Performing for the first time at Iron Mic in 2012 and being nurtured by the LXP, Serenity’s work has grown to tackle diverse topics such as self-love and determination, the pain of heartbreak, as well as national identity.

In 2013, Kathy-Ann won a NIFCA Bronze Medal in Literary Arts.

Passion Poet Robert R.Gibson (PassionPoet,or Passion, for short) is a member of the League of Extraordinary Poets (LXP) in Barbados. He enjoys painting sensual images with his words, leading his audience into a sensory experience.

Although sexuality and sensuality are his main forte, in his own words he says, “Passion is not always about sex.” Passion is anger, sorrow, enthusiasm - his poems are written to evoke intensity. He has been writing from age 14 and recently published is first anthology of Poetry “Erotic”.

In 2011, Robert entered the National Independence Festival of Creative Arts (NIFCA) with three poems – Luscious, Rain, and Goblet. All three of the poems achieved awards – Luscious received a silver award, and Goblet and Rain received bronze awards.

He also received the Most Promising Poet award for the year.

In 2012, Robert entered NIFCA again and one of his poems – Tribute – received a bronze award. The winning NIFCA entries have been published in the Winning Words anthology produced by the National Cultural Foundation (NCF), the producers of NIFCA.

Damani Re Damani Re has been writing poetry from 9 years old. His passion for hip hop developed in Secondary School and he wanted to write rap music.

The drive to try something new led him to enter a star search competition at his work place. He won this competition for two consecutive years.

This experience allowed him to develop a love for the Art of Spoken Word. He entered NIFCA and gained several medals.

Performing and writing Spoken Word for the past five years, his words inspire his listeners.

He draws his inspiration from God, the Ancestors and life.

Adaeze

Adaeze is a 24 year old emcee/musician who is known for her unique flow, inspiring messages, and dynamic performances.

Over the past 5 years, she has had performance and media features both locally and internationally. She has shared the stage with various Def Jam poets, and in 2012 she was nominated for and received awards in Florida -including Lyricist of the Year, Poet of the Year and Female Poet of the Year.

In Barbados, she has brought to life many stages, most notably her performances at Mahalia’s Corner and Honey Jam/Honey Jazz, and been featured in the trend-setting magazine,Pompasette.

Recently, Adaeze has received acclaim for her fashion-sense, being titled one of Barbados’ “Up and Coming Style Icons” (Stylewise Magazine).

Though she has released 2 projects and many songs in between, “One Love” is Adaeze’s debut single, and already, the reception to the track has been phenomenal!

Adaeze seeks to spread the #DaeDream movement, share a message of hope and encouragement to her audience, and is especially passionate about reaching out to young people through her music.

Kerry-ann Waithe

Kerry-Ann Waithe is a thirty-seven year old spoken word artist who believes in living life authentically and with passion. For this artist, creator, mother, educator, the expression of unconditional love is the be all and end all of all that she does.

Heavily influenced by the works of Adrian Green and D’bi Young, Kerry-ann made her debut on the spoken word circuit in 2009, gracing the stages of open mics all across Barbados. She is the co-founder of the Soapbox, a forum where creatives and academics come together to share ideas through performance and discussion.

Kerry-ann is a two time finalist in Barbados’ premiere cultural arts festival, NIFCA, where she has wowed audiences with powerful delivery on sensitive topics ranging from the perception of the womb to the standard of beauty as portrayed by society.

For Kerry-ann art is a “weapon of mass construction”. As such she believes that it should be used first and foremost as a spiritual salve, but when necessary to interrupt the steady stream of societal dogma, and encourage, even force critical analysis of individual and collective beliefs and norms.

In her short career, Kerry-ann has grown tremendously and aims to continue this growth by taking her art beyond Barbados’ shores.

Chaitali Soudatt is a past student of the Lester Vaughan Secondary School and the Barbados Cummunity College.

She is an avid writer and poet, a volunteer with variety Childrens’ Charity, a volunteer with the Justice Committee and an assistant with My Empowerment My Way. She recently became a member of a dance company called Of Another Nature.

She is also a part of an up and coming music group called The Vine which blends poetry and song.

She is also a proud member of the League of Extraordinary poets and a familiar face to the poetic community.

A volunteer with the justice committee in memory of I’AKOBI TACUMA MALONEY, she also takes part in the group’s letter writing marathon for justice internationally.

Chaitali Soudatt

Inity Fyah Inity Fyah, born Bernard Warden, is a Spoken Word Artist, a spiritual warrior, but a man of peace-full intent.

A humble visual artist and poet, Inity has been performing Spoken word for several years in Barbados, and beyond. Having performed in Jamaica, his country of birth, Dominica, and here in Barbados among other Caribbean countries, Inity is Regional in his outlook and his work is relatable to people from all walks of life, willing to listen.

His first CD, Tings Tight, is filled with the rhythm of the ancestors and fiery lyrics that speak to the situations and society we live in.

Triple X Triple-X is a Bajan singer/songwriter whose songs reflect life lessons and provide a voice for the everyday man trying to uphold a life of values and respect.

His best known single, Leaf in the Wind was released in 2013, finding airplay in the States, if not here at home in Barbados.

His influences are many. Having lived overseas, but a fiercely proud Bajan; he has experienced, or seen firsthand the issues he sings of.

Triple-X considers himself first as a poet since all songs are Poetry in his view. Spoken Word, Chanting and high energy are woven together throughout his performances.

As one of the Core members of the League of Extraordinary Poets, his words express his own unique brand of social commentary.

Lamarr Coward This 18 year old Spoken Word Artist is the youngest member of LXP (League of Extraordinary Poets).

He won Silver and bronze awardee at NIFCA 2012 also receiving “Most promising newcomer “ award in the drama/ speech category Notable Performances at NIFCA Gala 2012 and Crop Over visual arts exhibition 2013.

The interest in Spoken Word originally piqued around late 2011 after being inspired by well known local spoken word artists Adrian Green and DJ Simmons.

The interest continued to grow, leading lamarr to join LXP in 2012 where he gained insight about poetry and spoken word allowing him to improve his skill at both writing and performance. To this very day, still continuing to hone his skill, using spoken word as his main artform.

D. J. Simmons

D.J Simmons simply put, is a pure Bajan poet. No matter the theme this versatile writer is discussing, one could always recognise that style that is distinctly D.J. He has been writing short stories and poems from a young age, but made the decision to make writing and creating his lifestyle with the turn of 2006 by founding Dojangles Publishing, which was responsible for producing his first book “Feelin’ A Way: D.J’s Book ‘O Rhymz”. D.J has been busy since the launching of his first book; taking part in monthly NCF Poetry Read-Ins and Bajan VOICES Collective meetings, and winning awards at NIFCA. D.J has made many memorable appearances with his performance poetry. D.J has published two books, “Feelin’ A Way” and “Riddim And Flo” and a spoken word CD by the same title.

N’Zingha Keisha “Nzingha” Griffith, also affectionately known as Empress Zingha, is a 29 year old post grad student of the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus. Playwright, Director, Actress, Poet and Storyteller, she believes that it is her calling to be an artist. She is the four time award winner at the inter campus theatre competition “Tallawah” at Mona Jamaica, Founder and Creative Arts Director of Fade To Black Productions and is currently a part time tutor at the Barbados Community College.

Empress Zingha believes in the people of her country and the priceless stories which they share. It is her hope to be an inspiration to those who experience her art and to fulfill her country’s stories with dignity, integrity and truth.

Keegan Maharaj Often referred to as the Poetic Punch-Man from Penal, Keegan Maharaj is a founding member of the musical/spoken word group Freetown Collective and owner of Bob’s Punches located in Penal. From a young age Keegan’s performing prowess was evident.

He has performed at numerous forums including Best Village, Youth Assembly and Secondary School’s Drama Festival in Trinidad, as well as festivals in the United States, London, Dominica and Guyana.

Described in literary circles as a soul awakening performer and fiercely original writer, Keegan is known for his ability to pen and perform remarkably long pieces, while still being able to capture the audiences attention until the very last word. A huge Reggae fan, he cites Bob Marley and Nasio Fontaine as his biggest influences.

Upcoming projects for Keegan include a collection of poems both written and spoken, as well as numerous youth oriented, culture driven community initiatives.

Thanks to the following: The Frank Collymore Hall for hosting this show and putting Spoken Word on this stage.

Andrew Browne for being our official photographer.

All those who agreed to exhibit their collateral at the show.

Our friends and fellow artists who will assist on the day or before in any way by spreading the word, working the tables or ushering.

To the artists who are on stage a special thank you for your dedication.

Photo credits where available go to: Andrew Browne Photograpy Amrita Chandradas Deolivere Originals Chameleon Arts Promo and Tours Ward Photography