Poetry/Spoken Word: Poetrical, Jun 10 2011 @ Goethe


Date: June 10, 2011
Venue: Goethe-Institut Auditorium
Time: 7 – 10 pm
Entry: Free

The project Poetrical is an interdisciplinary and multimedia performance which incorporates African contemporary dance, Hip Hop dance and contemporary dance improvisation, spoken word and visual art. Poetrical was developed by Evanson Ng’ang’a on the basis of his solo contemporary dance piece The Poem which includes spoken words in between the movements. For Poetrical it was enriched by three recitals from different settings, which will be projected during the live performance.

The concept in the poetry is based on personal, local and regional issues, both political and social. The poems deal with their direct influences on humanity at the social level and try to find different perspectives and responses.

Since the evening is centered on poetry, there will be an open Mic for interested poets and also a Hip Hop dance improvisation before the première of Poetrical.

Kwani? Open Mic, Jun 7 2011 @ Club Soundd

Message: Kwani Trust is inviting you to Kwani? Open Mic on Tuesday 7th June 2011 7pm at Club Soundd, Hamilton House Kaunda Street Entry ksh 100/- only.

Featured Poet will be Sitawa Wafula
Featured Artists will be . Tamasha Beats

Sitawa is a Feather Awards Kenya nominee, 2010, an Actuarial Science drop-out and poetess who writes, performs and hosts poetry forums and workshops in Nairobi. She started writing in 2003 after a rape ordeal and began open mic performances in Nov 2008 when she was fired from her last job after getting a seizure attack and falling on a client. Being a rape-survivor, most of her pieces centre round the girl-child and socio-political issues and is involved in advocacy work, leading a sanitary-towel campaign in partnership with Sanibank Consortium for girls from disadvantaged backgrounds. She is also an Ambassador for Mental Health in Kenya under BasicNeeds UK in Kenya given her own illness. She also blogs for Southern Sudan’s widows and orphans charity, Hope Ofiriha and loves eating and reading during her free time.
Check out her blog for more about this wonderful poet.
http://sitawa.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html

Open-Mic: Launch of Flowetree, Jun. 18 2011 @ Hotel Metro


Date: June 18, 2011
Venue: (Club) Hotel Metro
Location: Koinange Street, Opposite Consolidated Bank near Java restaurant
Time: 6-10pm
Tickets: Kshs 300 (Inclusive of a soda)

Flowetree presents;
Open Mic Alliance: A collaboration of all our favourite open Mic events in Kenya

Get ready to see Wamathai, Adelle’s Open Mic, Slam Africa, Monaja with Nairobi’s Finest, Talented Immah with Circles of Poetry, Carol with Poetic Mic, Koa with Poetry Spot, Oliver with Bar Stool Open Mic, and Namatsi Lukoye with Hisia Zangu.
There will be a fresh Re-Introduction of Sitawa Open Mic for that day into the scene.

Flowetree, is an organization with a parent company that is working to join hands with the above listed people to take poetry and spoken word industry to its zenith.

Performances by: Nemesis (Man Njoro), Checkmate, Adelle, Wamathai, Samo Bryton, Kenneth B, Monaja, Abu Sense, Tolboy, Achieng Odhiambo, Sitawa, Namatsi, Nuru Bahati, Pepe Haze, Peace, Earnest, USIU (Michezo Africa), Paul Mbuvi, Kuni Mbichi, Immah, Wanjeri, Wairema, Wanjiku Mwaura, Karen, jaju, Bundu Bandit, Nuru Bahati, Queen Moraa, Jemedari, Black skillz among others.

Bhupi will arrange for his artwork to be displayed and Bernard Muhia will grace us with his concept, (Fern Poetry: www.bernardmuhia.com)

Expect: To get electrified with dazzling punch lines and verb plays, and beat boxing that will leave you wordgasmic.

Hosted by: Entertainer Martin “Daddie Marto” Githinji and the compelling Radio Personality Marcus Olang’

Spoken Word/Poetry/Hip Hop: Nairobi’s Finest, May 27 2011 @ Dass Restaurant

Monaja in conjunction with Dass Restaurant present Nairobi’s finest;

Date: May 27, 2011
Venue: Dass Restaurant
Time: 7pm
Tickets: Advance Kshs 250, Gate Kshs 300

Performances from: Kaffy Mwangi, Preach, Achieng Odhiambo, Karen, Urban Scorch-HAPA (Hip Hop Artists & Poetry Alive), Posh, Wajalejo

Special Guest Appearance by: Malawian-Hip Hop Artist-Third Eye

To register for Open Mic Session call: 0723 745 703

Poetry/Open Mic: The Spoken World, Apr. 14 2011 @ Dass


The Spoken World is a special evening of poetry from Ghana, Zimbabwe and Denmark.

Date: April 14, 2011
Venue: Dass Restaurant
Time: 7-10:30pm
Tickets: Kshs 300

Louise Cain, Sir Black and Outspoken are in town for some workshops in some Nairobi schools, but made time to share their words and thoughts with Nairobi’s poetry community.

There’s an Open Mic to reserve a place Call 0728 026735.

For Spoken Word artists who’d also like to have a chat with the guests catch them at Dass from 5pm

ABOUT THE POETS::
Louise Cain combines the word and the stage. She has explored poetry slam for the last four years, but is also involved in various other performing art projects. The stage is her home and she casts herself in many different roles, both on and behind the stage. She attacks and masters the words, alone or together with other artists. In her grip words are combined and intertwined in new ways in a landscape of irony and humour, where surprise and reason challenge each other. Louise Cain is a performer and a poet, who masters words and manages to exude and delegate power.
www.louisecain.dk

Sir Black is a multi-genre artist. He is a singer-poet, a creative writer, visual artist, social commentator, a culture activist and a dramatist. He calls his performances EHALAKASA meaning talk singing or songs of talk. He also is a visual artist who creates symbols influenced by Akan icons that he calls PANOPTIC ARTLOSOPHY- it is an art of drawing symbols that tell a philosophical message. PANOPTIC ARTLOSOPHY. He plays traditional music, which he plays on unconventional wood instruments. He has recorded three albums, two of poetry and one of music.
http://www.modernghana.com/news/179897/1/the-man-black-with-many-parts.html

Outspoken the alpha I is an underground emcee and spoken-word artist from Zimbabwe and is one half of the hiphop duo Dialectric Blue with rhyme partner Upmost a.k.a My Bruthaz Keepa. Known as Outspoken Alpha Intellect (pronounced eye-ntellect), he is an activist in social movements advocating for the empowerment of the Zimbabwean masses and “busts socially relevant issues in a positive-projected mind state.” He is also the frontman of his band, Outspoken and the Essence.

Outspoken is a projects facilitator for Magamba! The Cultural Activist Network, an organization created to fight social and political injustice through the spoken-word events. He has held skills sharing workshops in schools and has been a hiphop mentor in Harare for the British Council program, Power in the Voice.

He has performed at numerous Zimbabwean arts festivals and has shared stages with greats such as Pops Mohammed, Kwani Experiance, Likwid Flo, Tamika Harper, Imani Woomera, Comrade Fatso and Chabvondoka, Cajus, Bianca Williams, Kabomo, Soul Dada, amongst others.

Outspoken has toured the East Coast of the United States with his band, performing with K’naan, Poetic Pilgrimage, Wagable, Mohammed Yahya, Self Sufice, Baay Musa and Nomadic Wax African Underground All Stars.

He has started his South African tour with a performance in Johannesburg at the Bassline dubbed Make Some Noise! A Campaign for Freedom in Zimbabwe. He has also performed at The Darling Festival, Highway Africa in Grahamstown, the Arts Alive Festival, and Speak The Mind in Cape Town.
www.myspace.com/outspokenthealphai

Musical Open Mic Night: Apr. 11 2011 @ Kengeles, Lavington Green


The intention is for this to be an event where musicians come together to share tunes, skills and just jam. The idea is to keep it as relaxed and informal as possible, but if turns out we have throngs of performers, then time on the mic will be rationed.

Bring an instrument or just yourself. Perform or simply enjoy. The more the merrier!

IF YOU DO PLAN TO PERFORM, PLEASE DROP A LINE TO MICHAEL AT freelancelogan@fastmail.co.uk SO THAT HE HAS AN IDEA OF NUMBERS!

respond to facebook event