WORD IS BROOKLYN

Friday, November 19, 9 - 10:30pm; Doors at 8pm 
BAM Cafe Peter Jay Sharp Building
30 Lafayette Ave. (Fort Greene)

Spoken word performances range from traditional to contemporary in this evening of poetry, rap, ghost stories, chant, word games, verbal duels and signifying. Hosted by Tai Allen, featuring Edwina Tyler, Pamela Sneed, mTkalla keaton, Sabrina Gilbert, Hanifah Walidah, James Lovell, Patricia Spears Jones and George Davidson. 

FREE! 

BK Art Lovers get reserved VIP seats. Visit brooklynartscouncil.org/bkartlovers to join. Presented by BAC in cooperation with City Lore, which is supported by National Endowment for the Arts 

ARTIST BIOS

Edwina Tyler is a percussionist, composer, vocalist, dancer and actress, who blends these entire elements into more than just a performance, but into jubilation. She has pioneered the playing of traditional African percussion instruments by women. A practice long thought to be forbidden in African culture. Her performances feature a combination of drum, djembe, songbey, conga, steel drum, calabashes, bongos, marimba, kalimba, shekeres, bells, conch shells, slit drums, as well as rattles and wood blocks. Tyler has appeared at Alice Tully Hall, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Dance Theatre Workshop, La Mama E.T.C., the Michigan Festival, and has toured throughout Europe, Africa and Korea. Tyler taught dance and was director of percussion studies at Dance Theater of Harlem. For more info, visit www.edwinatyler.com

Pamela Sneed is a New York based poet, performer, writer and actress. She has been featured in the New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, The Source, Time Out, Bomb, Next, MetroSource, Blue,VIBE, HX, Karl Lagerfeld's 'Off The Record,'and on the cover of New York Magazine. She is a professor of Speech and Theater at Long Island University. She holds a 2008 M.F.A in New Media Art and Performance. In 2004/5/6, She became the television voice over spokesperson for Merck and IBM's Linux and On Demand Campaigns. Her current publications include work in The 100 Best African American Poems/edited by Nikki Giovanni & Emispherica /NYU journal. To Be Left with the Body, edited by Cheryl Clarke and Steve Fullwood, Essence Magazine/June 2010, The Best American Plays 2005-6 edited Barbara Parisi, Downtown Brooklyn, an LIU journal, 110 Stories, New York Writes After Sept 11, 'Brown Sugar,' an anthology of Black Erotica,'Role Call' and - Voices Rising, The Other Countries Journal. She is the author of the forthcoming manuscripts, 'America Ain't Ready,' and a novel, Motherland or Chitlin Chimichanga.

Sabrina Gilbert is an upcoming actress and poet who has performed at college conferences, venues and theaters along the east coast and in the Midwest. She continues to push the envelope in her work as she allows her writing to constantly evolve and defy the laws of gravity. In 2008 she became the Grand Slam Champion of Slam Richmond's 2008 team, making her the first woman to do so! She also helped start Lyric Ave in 2003, which today is the largest poetry show on the east coast (consistently serving an audience of over 800 people). Her debut album "Come Get Me" took her colleagues by storm with it's electrifying tracks and powerful messages! The album (executive produced by Ainsley Burrwos) has earned rave reviews from several internet radio shows, magazines and has not only touched fans in the U.S. but also those living in Toronto, Paris, London and Germany.

Patricia Spears Jones is an African American poet and playwright. She is author of three poetry collections Painkiller (2010), Femme du Monde (2006) and The Weather That Kills (1994)and editor of Think: Poems About Aretha Franklin's Inauguration Hat/ (2009) and Ordinary Women: Poetry by New York City Women (1978) Anthologized in Black Nature: Four Centuries of African American Nature Poetry; Bowery Women Poets; broken land: Poems of Brooklyn, and Best American Poetry, 2000. Mabou Mines commissioned 'Mother' with music by Carter Burwell and Song for New York: What Women Do When Men Sit Knitting with music by Lisa Gukin.. Contributing editor to BOMB Magazine and columnist for Calabar, www.calabarimports.com. Grants received from the National Endowment of the Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts, the Foundation for Contemporary Arts and the Goethe Institute. Fellow of the Black Earth Institute (a progressive think tank) and residencies at Yaddo, VCCA. Bread Loaf and the Millay Colony. Recent readings/panels/workshops held at California College of Arts, Poets House, the Studio Museum of Harlem, Sarah Lawrence College, Arkansas Literary Festival, University of Rhode Island, Columbia College, Chicago State University, Pine Manor College, Naropa University, The Poetry Project, and for Cave Canem.

Hanifah Walidah is an artist amongst the artists. First introduced as Sha-Key with the 1994 Hip Hop LP release "A Headnadda's Journey to Adidi-Skizm" she has since, along with reclaiming her birth name (Hanifah Walidah), developed a vocal and performance style that is rooted in the midnight of blues, the backrooms of house, the silent moments of soul and the unshaken will of hip hop. In the early 90's she laid the foundation for the hip hop poetic revolution in New York with collectives Vibe Khameleons and The Boom Poetic. She signed to Imago records in 1993 to release her debut album" A Headnadda's Journey to Adidi-Skizm" (Imago) which produced the infectious single "Soulsville". She continued to perform with the Boom Poetic which was an early platform for groups like the Roots and Rahzel the Godfather of Noyze. She and the Boom Poetic were also featured on the Lollapolooza tour of 1994. In 1995, she toured Europe on the 19 city Vibe Khameleon Trans Euro Tour. Along with music Hanifah Walidah's theatrical background is just as rich. A long standing member of the WOW Theater collective in NYC she was producer and host of Rivers of Honey, an improv and open theater night for women of color. She was also co-writer and actor of the stage play Bloom (Ain't I a flower), which had runs at both WOW and the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in 1999. The debut of Hanifah Walidah's one-woman stage play Straight Black Folks Guide to Gay Black Folks at the Black Box Theater was received with tireless standing ovations and amazing reviews. Hanifah is also featured on current music recordings such as the Shame the Devil, War Times, and Adidi (9 years later), a mini opera created over nine years.

James Lovell is a Garifuna originally from Belize in the early nineties. Born with a gift to sing, this ability gave him the opportunities to perform in elementary and high school talent shows in Belize, and neighboring countries. James is also the Music Director as well as the Vice-President of Ilagulei (roots) Garifuna performing Arts Company Inc. In 1995 he produced his First CD Titled Cabasa Numari (who is going to be my wife); James is the original author of this song, however it was first recorded by La Tribu Garifuna. In addition Estrellas Ubow pre-recorded Hesientibunu (I like you) which was also written by James. James is currently signed to Punta Rock Records, one of the largest Record Label Companies promoting the Garifuna Artist/ Bands.