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Third Annual African-American
Spoken Word Festival
A Report by Larry Ukali
Johnson-Redd
So the Third Annual African-American
Spoken Word Festival was broadcast about 20 minutes late due to
technical difficulties but once it started it lasted 2 and half
hours without a hitch. Larry Chew, a KPOO radio personality (www.kpoo.com),
called and said the Festival was broadcasting loud and clear.
Ukali Flowing at the Second Annual
African-American Spoken Word
Queen D
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Queen D started it off with
thoughtful smooth Spoken Word. Queen D was followed
by smooth and cultural Charles
Chatmon and Shakeel Ali with
Lexo with some street
level Hip Hop Spoken Word. More to come on this
sister that is for sure with her poise and
confidence from a real sister’s heart!
I listened to the great Queen
D, the Poet, on MP 3. She was clear as if she was in
the room, I met this intelligent beautiful sister
and heard her read some of her poems that had such a
hard edge that I wanted to let the sister know we
Black Men were not all bad. She read one evening (in
January 2007) in Terry Moore’s The Show: the biggest
clean mouth poetry show in Sacramento.
No doubt though this sister
Queen D is an African Queen to her heart! Well,
Queen D floated into the venue on a cloud with her
fiancé. She belted out a couple of hard-edged pieces
and then melted everyone at the end of her
performance, viding on love! She did two lovely
love-filled poems on African culture and one much
more personal. |
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This prompted the Cameraman Brother Lyn
interviewing her on the video to ask if she was in love and you
have to see the video for this interview and to see how Queen D
blushed while saying, yes. Black Love is not a dinosaur but
alive and well. I wished we had a professional photographer
there who could have taken a picture of Queen D with her man.
You see, I too believe in Black Love!! May Black Love Flourish!!
I wish Queen D and her Man all of the happiness in the world.
Charles Chatmon
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Then came South Central Los
Angeles born Charles Chatmon
in a deeply cultural, contemporary and
historical well-spoken presentation all
acknowledging African-American History Month
Charles brought it to the
audience from South Central with his honest sincere
and heartfelt feelings and I strongly urge you to
make plans to attend the June 14 2008 LA Black Book
Expo in LA at 3980 Menlo to hear this brother and
buy his books. I prefer The Voices from South
Central but Charles delivered from both of his
books and announced he is working on his third book.
The 07 LA Black Book Expo (LABBX) in August 07
was off the chain with Spoken Word, African authored
books including children’s books! The next LABBX
will also be off the chain so make plans now to be
in LA June 14,2008 from 10 AM to 6 PM. |
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Charles
Chapmon
andChandra Adams |
Charles next book is titled The Depths
Of My Soul!
Shakeel Ali and
Lexo
Shakeel and Lexo
came on stage at first with classical Hip Hop moves and banging
beat, aura, (Shakeel respectfully requested more bass but there
was no more bass to be had in a library setting) and spoken word
with Big Thingz! Then Shakeel began
showing how heavy he is by free style rapping again with more
Hip Hop music praising Joe Marshall Ph. D and Mc Arthur
Foundation Black Genesis award winner and originator of Omega
Boys Club-Potrero Hill- and Street
Soldier. Shakeel and Lexo worked in
praise for KPOO!
Then Shakeel pointed out that this should
be African History Month linking our identity to our motherland
Africa saying also that Marcus Books was part of his university
education, praised Haki
Madhubuti of Chicago, the late John
Hendric Clarke whom I met in Harlem
years ago and saw speak in Oakland and Ivan Van
Sertima. Then. Shakeel flowed about
African pyramid builders, advised we buy relevant DVD’s and
turnoff network TV, praised Fred Hampton Jr. and the POCC, their
Block Radio Show, Minister of Information JR and Shakeel
mentioned Audio Rebellion. Shakeel then switched to a jazzy beat
and music while speaking about Pathways For Kids where he is
doing big things as the program director and read a letter of
award for a $50,000 grant from the Gap Foundation that mention
him in particular for doing big things!
Terry Moore
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It was now time for Terry Moore
from Sacramento to step to the stage! Terry arrived
right at that moment, from Sacramento by car. So in
order to give my brother Poet from Sac a few moments
to build up his aura I jumped out after one of those
great Pat Womack-Clarke introductions and did a
couple of my Spoken Word pieces. When I thought
Terry was ready and he appeared on stage I
introduced Terry Moore and he brought it spoken word
about love sisters his daughter and the loves past
of his life including a salute to African-American
History
Then Terry, who I met 4 years
ago, brought it. He was hot passionate and with
history and love for our Black women and his love
for his daughter Tyra!
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Terry Moore, what can you say, the folks in
Sacramento give Terry so much love and support that San
Francisco could not compare to that.
So Terry asked why the sisters in the audience were so quiet.
One sister answered they were in awe of the 6 foot-plus Slam
Champ award winner, who has won so many awards every type they
are too many to mention. Check him out at
http://www.terrymoore.info/
He Said She Said Black Relationship
Forum
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Charles
Chatmon, author of Voices of South Central,
read a piece he stated was appropriate for the He
Said She Said about the status of Black Love.
Charles asked our sisters “to stand common ground
not elevated ground.” The combination of Charles
Chatmon and Mrs.
Patricia Womack-Clarke and their rotating rapid fire
of questions made this the best He Said She Said
yet!
Charles
Chatmon introduced Pearl and it was on.
Charles and Patricia Womack Clark began rotating
asking—shooting questions at Pearl
Jr and with their
2-minute limit on time to answer their questions
enjoyed
presenting his Spoken Word and the reception after
the flow of his Spoken Word at the Third Annual
African-American Spoken Word Festival at the San
Francisco Public Library earlier! |
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Larry Ukali Johnson-Redd,
Patricia Womack-Clarke, and Charles
Chatmon |
The time went so fast that we ran through
our Question-and-Answer period proving we would need to do
another San Francisco Bay Area again to allow for more audience
participation. We could not get it all done and said in that
time frame but we made a good down payment on it.
The Feast
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Then we the Festival Poets,
Artists and Participants feasted on a great and
healthy meal by Southern Hospitality Caterers
operated by Chef Lester Clarke and his wife Patricia
Womack: We had bite size Sweet Potato Pie and Pecan
pies that could not be resisted!
If you are in the San Francisco
Bay Area contact Chef Lester and Patricia to cater
your affair at 510-932-8337 or at
lesterclarke@comcast.net!!! Thank you
Chef Lester.
Looking Forward
Many thanks to Charles, Pearl
(and her Man/Video person Cecil) for coming up to
San Francisco from Los Angeles and keeping it real!
When they do return I hope the San Francisco Bay
Area will come out and support the effort as well as
buy their great books. |
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Because we had a great Festival and many
people heard it around the Bay Area and around the world through
www.kpoo.com
and KPOO FM 89.5! Many thanks to the KPOO Radio Station
Management.
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Ukali
on YouTube
Ukali Flowing at the Second Annual
African-American Spoken Word
Loving Black Women, Part 1
Larry Ukali
Johnson-Redd Live In Nigeria 2005
Larry Ukali
Johnson Redd on Lovin Black Woman
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Announcement for
The Third Annual
African-American Spoken Word Festival
Saturday February 9, 2008
from 2 PM to 5 PM
Co-Sponsored
By
The San Francisco Public
Library African-American Center
http://www.sfpl.org/
And
Conversations On Africa Forum
www.coaforum.com
For more information 415–425-6711
Broadcast by
KPOO
Radio.com and KPOO Radio Station 89.5 fm
Please make donations to KPOO in behalf of broadcasting this
Spoken Word Festival!
All participants will be asked to sign a pledge not to use the
N Word, B. Word or H word
As well as pledge not to use any other profanity with the
penalty being immediate loss of airtime.
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Sharp 2 PM
Shakeel Ali
introducing a new Spoken Word CD
www.myspace.com/bayshobusiness
And
the VOB, the Haitian Rapper
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2:40 PM to 3:00 PM
Charles
Chapmon
Poet from South Central Los Angeles
www.labbx.com
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3:25
PM to 3:30 PM
Introductions by He Said She
Said Moderators
Wanda Sabir, and Charles
Chatmon and Patricia Womack
of
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3:30 PM to 4:10 PM
The Moderators will ask questions
of
Pearl Jr
and
Larry Ukali
Johnson-Redd
about Black Relationship issues
Questions will be invited from
the audience
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4:10 PM to 4:45
PM
Open Mic and
Autographing of books
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Leave
by 5 PM
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Soul Truth
By Larry Ukali
Johnson-Redd
I love your
Dark deep tone
And your light brown skin
Really turns me on
Love your
Hazel to dark eyes
Love your curves
And historically close ties
Love to see you while
I'm walking down the street
Really love to see you
Even if we do not speak
Dark and lovely
Light and out of sight
And every sister in between
Know what I mean
Sister you are
Sweet and tight
One race, one destiny
You know that's right
Springing from
A common root
Black Women are beautiful
And that's the soul truth
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Millions of Black
Women
By Larry Ukali
Johnson-Redd
Millions of Black Women
With us on the ship
Millions of Black Women
Together we made the trip
Millions of Black Women
Fine, beautiful and intelligent
You are heaven sent
We can share a house
Or even a tent
Millions of Black Women
of African origin and decent
Millions of sisters
Stand by their Black Man
On African, Caribbean
Pacific and American Land
Throughout the African World
From the woman to the girl
Millions of beautiful sisters
Assisting the Black Man
Brothers love our sisters
The best way you can!!
Brothers say it loud
We love you
And my sisters
We need you too
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5 Reviews by 5 Strong Black Women
Of
Loving Black Women
By Larry Ukali
Johnson-Redd
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Larry
Ukali Johnson-Redd—Report
on Third Annual African-American Spoken Word Festival--
Listen to
Conversations of Africa by following this link:
http://www.conversationsofafrica.asmnetwork.net/ You are
invited to listen to this and join in the conversation and make
it a discussion by calling in and participating at 347-215-7831!
Remember this segment will begin at 8 PM Pacific Standard Time!
Conversations
of Africa
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