"I Transcender: The Gender Expression of Haitian Gods and Goddesses" (c) 2010. Created by MilDred Gerestant, the artist formerly known as DRED. Choreographed by the fabulous and talented Sokhna Heathyre Mabin!!! "I Transcender: The Gender Expression of Haitian Gods and Goddesses" is a mix of dance, poetry and music experiencing the spiritual dance expressions of the fabulous Haitian God/desses: sexy Danbala, cross dressing Baron Samedi and beautiful Erzulie. MilDred has performed internationaly, from college campuses including NYU, Penn State, Vassar, MIT, NYU, Amherst, and Smith College; to theaters such as Lincoln Center, and Henry Street Settlement. Cameos of her performance have been featured on HBO, MTV, and Oxygen television. She also appeared in the award-winning film "Venus Boyz." MilDred was featured on Go Magazine's "100 Women We Love”- Class of 2009 List, along with Ellen DeGeneres and Wanda Sykes. She was also awarded the 2009 Spirit Award, from OUTMusic, for 14 years of dedicated service through her acting & performing. MilDred has been featured in over 8 books including: Female Masculinity, Assume Nothing, Long Live the King: A Genealogy of Performative Genders, and Social Justice: A Journal of Crime, Conflict, and World Order. MilDred is also a Yoga teacher, Reiki Practitioner, and Thai Yoga Massage Bodywork Practitioner and is available for private sessions. www.DredLove.com
Also in these three evenings wonderful Tantra Zawadi presents, "Soldier Blues" An exploration through word, music, and movement of the battlefield of the soul and heart. Soldier Blues is an interpretation through poem/movement, that examines the hearts and circumstances of Americans who enlist in the armed forces. The accompanying original sound track explores the "blues" which also has deep roots in American history. The music progresses as does the poem/video presentation; from the opening poem by Blis Blis, the mother who is praying for the safe return of her soldier girl, the lover-man longing for his woman back in the states, to the married mother who left her family behind. Soldier Blues, written and performed by Tantra-zawadi, was inspired by poet/musician Xavier Kemp and is a call for America to help our soldiers recover when they return home. Music created by Stevie Gee, Leviticus, Russ Mitkowski and BooBoo Cousins. Art work by Shanna Melton. Video edited by Oliver Covrett, XYAYX Multimedia with choreography by Von Jacobs. Tantra-zawadi, an award winning international poet, recording artist and filmmaker, is a native of Brooklyn, New York. She has performed in South Africa, London and Germany and her new documentary, "A Silent Genocide A Brief Insight Into HIV/AIDS" offers a glimpse into the lives of those living with HIV along with commentary by Betty Makoni, a 2009 Top Ten CNN Hero and founder of Girl Child Network Worldwide. For learn more about Ms. Zawadi or to view her documentary, please visit her on-line at www.tantra-zawadi.com.
Also introducing a new performance by Sokhna Heathyre Mabin!!! called snapshots from the underground forrest - 1 line description: snapshots from the underground forrest is a choreocollage of how this sister deals with betrayal, abandonment, revelation, joy, birth, healing & maintanance to a higher level of being. Performance description: snapshots from the underground forrest, is a choreocollage of music, dance, vocal soundings, poetry, & her reality - be it real or semi-fictitious. Working her way thru luv, betrayal, be(lie)fs, by way of the daily commitments, sokhna intuits how 2 alchemically transform the mundane 2 the sacred. sokhna heathyre mabin is a multi-artistic performance artist who uses her life experience, dance, music & trust to express her revelations...sokhna is the mother of 2 other multitalented, passionate artists, a doula, & yoga instructor.
WOW Cafe Theater is located at 59 East 4th street between 2nd and 3rd avenue
R train to 8th street
6 train to Astor Place or
F train to second avenue
TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT THIS LINK:
http://fabnyc.org/calendar.php?month=3&year=2010&ctype=month&type=event&mids[0]=17#event_2010_03_11_1359
Make reservations at 646 342 5660 - or mildred_gerestant@yahoo.com
Join us this Thursday (March 4th) for a high quality installment of First Thursdays at Fresh Cafe!! As always, this HawaiiSlam show will be hosted by Kealoha and will feature:
-- Kat Mcdowell, a singer/songwriter who mixes Japanese and English lyrics and has given over 1000 live performances alongside artists such as Gwen Stefani, Avril Lavigne, Nelly Furtado and Linkin Park. In 2009, she became the official artist of the Association of Surfing Professionals. Her first full album, Echoes Over the Ocean, was produced by the internationally renowned Yashiki Gota, known for his work with Bjork, Simply Red, Seal and Depeche Mode. Kat was born in Tokyo and raised in New Zealand, but returned to Japan to pursue a career in music.
-- Makana (Hawai`i’s own guitar virtuoso), who fuses slack key guitar with elements of cultural music, classical, alternative, rock, folk, bluegrass, blues and jazz. He was nominated for two Grammy awards for his work on the “Hawaiian Slack Key Kings Volumes I & II” albums and he has opened for Santana, Sting, Elvis Costello, Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson, No Doubt, Chris Isaak, Foreigner, and Michael Franti. He was a top 3 winner in Guitar Player Magazine's 2008 National Guitar Superstar Competition. Makana and Kat Mcdowell will also collaborate together.
-- The last official qualifier for the 2009-2010 HawaiiSlam season (a.k.a. the “Last Chance” Slam). The top two poets will secure the last spots for the 2010 Grand Slam Finals on April 1st at Fresh Cafe)
-- Turntable Sorcery by DJ Monkey (Broken Liquid)
-- Live painting by the resident artists (including Solomon Enos, Erin McCullough, Kimi Werner, The Storekeeper, Dhyana Zagri, Stanstill, Nabahe, Wes Ka`uhane, Neal Uno, Pancho Abalos, Mike Fresh, Manny P, Patti Bruce, Aaron Char, Mark Agnir, Jeff Lum, Samantha Goldman, Earl Washington, Clinton "Clean" Haness, Carol Tagawa, and TJ Howe)
Coming Next Month: the GRAND SLAM FINALS at Fresh Cafe (April 1st... HawaiiSlam’s 7th Anniversary)!! The 12 best poets from the 2009-2010 First Thursdays season will square off in a three-round elimination match to determine the 2010 HawaiiSlam Team!! Featuring Mighty Mike Mcgee (National Poetry Slam Champion, Individual World Poetry Slam Champion, and HBO Def Poet) and C.R. Avery (a world class beatbox-harmonicist/singer-songwriter). Pre-sale tickets will be available at this Thursday's (March 4th) show for $10. After this Thursday, tickets will be available at various stores and on our website for $15... so get yours early for you AND your friends!! This will definitely be THE slam poetry event of the year (proceeds from this fundraiser go towards sending the team off to St. Paul, MN for the 2010 National Poetry Slam).
___________________________________________
First Thursdays (March 4th)
$100 Slam Poetry Competition & Open Mic
LOCATION: Fresh Cafe
831 Queen Street (between Ward Avenue and Cooke Street)
Plenty of street parking or $2 valet available
Doors & Poet Sign-In 7:30pm, Show 8:30pm
$3 before 8:30pm, $5 after
Phone: (808) 387-9664
Email: info@HawaiiSlam.com
Website: www.HawaiiSlam.com
First Thursdays is the largest registered poetry slam in the world (600+ in attendance)!! HawaiiSlam has official 501(c)(3) non-profit status through Poetry Slam Inc. Please forward to anybody who may be interested...
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About Freedom Verse Cafe
Freedom Verse Café (FVC) was created as a venue for spoken word artist in the winter of 2008 from a previous venue called "Mic Check" which began its broadcast in June of 2007. Since this venue's inception, it has gone through evolutionary processes to better accomplish its premise of promoting the art of spoken-word poetry and the artists who perform it in a major capacity, but we have also expanded to blending poetry with jazz and soul to create the ultimate experience of spoken word/poetry.
Freedom Verse is geared to promote the artists—who hit the stages, spoken-word venues, and publish their works anywhere that they can—while entertaining and educating listeners all over the world. In FVC we focus on imparting those who audience the genre of spoken-word poetry to its history, disciplines, and its potential impact on mainstream culture. This venue hopes to touch its patrons mentally and spiritually. In this we learn to appreciate the creativity, relevancy, and intentions of the artists.
FVC promotes using online broadcasting and digital downloads of mix-tapes that focuses on providing a positive form of entertainment and educational programming in poetry, jazz, and soul of artist who are destined to change the world.
1st & 3rd Saturdays of each month at 2pm EST/1pm CST
If you have any of the following:
Comments| Air Drops | Venue Announcements | Shout outs
Please call (206)338-1187 and leave a message and we'll get it on the air for FREE!
~Live Chat and Call-in Line!~ reaching more than 490,000 listeners globally, with listeners from S. Africa to Vladivostok, Russia and all across the United States to Europe.
Are a compilation of Spoken word poetry, jazz, and soul blended for the ultimate listening experience. These mixtapes are free to download and are designed to promote the artists who make it possible to provide positive music in a less positive industry. So please support the featured artists by purchasing their work and stopping by their pages and showing some love.

click image to download
also available on

Let's Talk Spoken Word | Abiodun Oyewole (The Last Poets)
Komplex | MahogonyDiva | Sekou (Tha Misfit)
Taalam Acey | Maximus Parthas | Queen Sheba
Autum Ashante | Kamal Imani | Abyss One Truth
S. Pearl Sharp | Future | Ngoma | Chenyelu Bomani
...and many others here
Freedom Verse is geared to promote the artists—who hit the stages, spoken-word venues, and publish their works anywhere that they can—while entertaining and educating listeners all over the world. In FVC we focus on imparting those who audience the genre of spoken-word poetry to its history, disciplines, and its potential impact on mainstream culture. This venue hopes to touch its patrons mentally and spiritually. In this we learn to appreciate the creativity, relevancy, and intentions of the artists.
FVC promotes using online broadcasting and digital downloads of mix-tapes that focuses on providing a positive form of entertainment and educational programming in poetry, jazz, and soul of artist who are destined to change the world.
Show Schedule
1st & 3rd Saturdays of each month at 2pm EST/1pm CST
If you have any of the following:
Comments| Air Drops | Venue Announcements | Shout outs
Please call (206)338-1187 and leave a message and we'll get it on the air for FREE!
Freedom Verse Cafe MixTapes Edition
Are a compilation of Spoken word poetry, jazz, and soul blended for the ultimate listening experience. These mixtapes are free to download and are designed to promote the artists who make it possible to provide positive music in a less positive industry. So please support the featured artists by purchasing their work and stopping by their pages and showing some love.

click image to download
also available on

Interviews
Let's Talk Spoken Word | Abiodun Oyewole (The Last Poets)
Komplex | MahogonyDiva | Sekou (Tha Misfit)
Taalam Acey | Maximus Parthas | Queen Sheba
Autum Ashante | Kamal Imani | Abyss One Truth
S. Pearl Sharp | Future | Ngoma | Chenyelu Bomani
...and many others here
What is Spoken Word?
Spoken Word poetry is a very newly revived form of poetry that has been around since the 90’s. Spoken word is a transformation from an art that began deep in the heart of what was known as the beat poet era of the ‘40s and ‘60s. These were poets who challenged mainstream politics and culture to incite mental revolutions against what I would dub as “idle conformity or assimilation” by government rule; speaking out against oppression, racism, and war. In most cases this was the only form of thought expression albeit a dangerous one regardless of the first amendment that is designed to protect all of our citizens. Spoken word as a genre has always been seen as non-musical selections like famous speeches and orations, but never as a poetic art deserving of it's on section. Even today this still is the case when you walk into a record shop or shop on iTunes you won’t find a legitimate genre for this beautiful and ageless art form. Poets today are working diligently and hard to change this mindset.
Today, Spoken Word poetry is a very general category of poetry that is meant to be both performed and to make a powerful statement. Unlike some of the Beat poets who focused mostly on the corruption of government, economic and social status, and world awareness, Spoken Word has taken a major turn which some like myself observe with a watchful eye. Spoken word has gone from just being a revolting art, but has become more interested in voicing the thoughts of love, life and still that resounding need for revolutionary thought.
All Spoken Word poetry is meant to be read aloud, but not all poetry that is read aloud is Spoken Word. Spoken word has a select few elements that are best known for identifying its class of poetry. I like to call this technique “R3” for Rhythm, Repetition, and Rhyme; these are key element that the artist generally focuses on when performing this style of poetry also called performance poetry.
This is an important part about spoken word poetry, as I often see this as a common mistake amongst new poets who don’t study the art or its history and are elated to lay their vocals down on a nice melodic track and will dub it “Spoken Word”; spoken word poetry is sometimes performed with music, and sometimes without music. If a poet uses background music, it is only to enhance or compliment the poetry and to add a rhythm. The poetry itself is center stage and not the music, this is the case in any good piece of work.
host and producer of Freedom Verse Cafe
Tshombe (the Poet)
Today, Spoken Word poetry is a very general category of poetry that is meant to be both performed and to make a powerful statement. Unlike some of the Beat poets who focused mostly on the corruption of government, economic and social status, and world awareness, Spoken Word has taken a major turn which some like myself observe with a watchful eye. Spoken word has gone from just being a revolting art, but has become more interested in voicing the thoughts of love, life and still that resounding need for revolutionary thought.
All Spoken Word poetry is meant to be read aloud, but not all poetry that is read aloud is Spoken Word. Spoken word has a select few elements that are best known for identifying its class of poetry. I like to call this technique “R3” for Rhythm, Repetition, and Rhyme; these are key element that the artist generally focuses on when performing this style of poetry also called performance poetry.
This is an important part about spoken word poetry, as I often see this as a common mistake amongst new poets who don’t study the art or its history and are elated to lay their vocals down on a nice melodic track and will dub it “Spoken Word”; spoken word poetry is sometimes performed with music, and sometimes without music. If a poet uses background music, it is only to enhance or compliment the poetry and to add a rhythm. The poetry itself is center stage and not the music, this is the case in any good piece of work.
host and producer of Freedom Verse Cafe
Tshombe (the Poet)
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