Jumoké Fashola talks about her passion for Jazz and poetry and tells us about her special line-up tonight for International Women’s Day at The Jazz Verse Jukebox. She writes:
The Jazz Verse Jukebox, a monthly night of spoken word and Jazz, Upstairs at Ronnie Scott’s, is something I am really proud to have created. I have loved poetry all my life. When my family moved from England back to Nigeria, I became fascinated by Franco African poets such as Rabearivelo and Senghor and Harlem Renaissance poets like Langston Hughes. I dreamt of having a literary salon where people would come and share poetry, meet new people and listen to great music. Dreams do come true! With the support and belief of Ronnies Scott’s Jazz Club and all the poets and musicians that have performed, The Jazz Verse Jukebox is approaching its 6th birthday next month.
Tonight, Sunday 8th March, we are focusing on International Women’s day. We’ve got female poets and musicians from around the globe – singer Edana Minghella, poet Toni Stuart, the mighty Burn After Reading poetry collective represented by Sunayana Bhargava, Belinda Zhawi, Shoshana Anderson, Amaal Said;and singer-songwriter Flynn.
The fabulous Jazz Verse Jukebox Trio featuring Simon Wallace on piano, Davide Mantovani on bass and Steve Taylor on drums, will take up the challenge of musical improvisation. Only at the Jazz Verse Jukebox do poets ask the band to play something that sounds ‘philosophical’, ‘like water’ or ‘something you would hear whilst getting a massage’. Don’t believe me? Try this video
And there are even open mic slots for singers and poets. It will be a night of sound, words and surprises. I do hope you can join us. Special guests on March 8th include:
– TONI STUART (@nomadpoet)
Toni Stuart
Toni Stuart is a poetry writer, performer and developer. Her poetry has been published in numerous anthologies including The Grounds Ear (Quickfox Publishing, 2011) and Agenda Journal on Teenage Fertility and Desire (Unisa Press and Routledge, 2011). As a performer she was part of And the Word Was Woman Ensemble, from 2004-2007, with Malika Ndlovu and the 2010 Ingrid Jonker Prize winner Tania van Schalkwyk among others. She has performed locally and internationally, at numerous events including Urban Voices International Poetry Festival in 2010, Bridgewater International Poetry Festival in 2013, and alongside UK poet Lemn Sissay in 2012. In 2013, she performed with the Cape Cultural Collective at the Festival d’Automne a Paris as part of France South Africa Seasons 2012-2013. Her work uses poetry to interrogate a range of social issues such as the stories of place and displacement (The Calllings Performance as part of GIPCA’ Exuberance Project, Emancipation Day Commemoration at Reminiscence Theatre Festival), HIV/Aids (commission of Breath and Blood for University of Cape Town) and gender-based violence (Woman.Object.Corpse exhibition for Centre for African Studies, UCT). She is the curator of Poetica, at Open Book Festival, and runs The Silence That Words Come From writing workshops that enable people to explore their own voice. In 2013, she was named in the Mail and Guardian’s list of 200 Inspiring Young South Africans for her work in co-founding I Am Somebody! an NGO that uses storytelling and youth development to build integrated communities.
– With music from EDANA MINGHELLA (@edanaming)
Edana Minghella
Born into the most wonderful Anglo-Italian family where music, food and wine – and ice-cream! – were the basic stuff of life, Edana Minghella has been singing forever. In the last five years she has established herself as a successful jazz performer, regularly playing to full houses in England and Italy. Festival performances include the Isle of Wight Jazz Festival and Jazz on the Meadow, in support of Courtney Pine. Edana’s debut CD Still On My Feet was released in November 2011. Featured musicians include Guy Barker, Guillermo Rozenthuler and James McMillan – and the magnificent Liane Carroll on backing vocals! Still On My Feet is dedicated to all Edana’s much loved family, and to her brother Anthony especially. Anthony was the multi-talented, Oscar-winning film director who died at the age of 54 in 2008. Two of the tunes on the album were featured on the soundtrack of two of Anthony’s films: A Case of You, was in Truly Madly Deeply, and You Don’t Know What Love Is featured in The Talented Mr Ripley. Guy Barker worked with Anthony on the Talented Mr Ripley, and it was after having the opportunity to sing with Guy’s quintet, that Edana took the plunge into the deep blue sea of the jazz world. The album was produced by Liane Carroll and engineered by James McMillan, at Quiet Money Studios, Hastings.
– With Poetry from BURN AFTER READING (BAR) Collective (@BARpoetry)
Amaal Said
Established by Jacob Sam-La Rose and Jasmine Cooray as a community of rising poets, BURN AFTER READING (BAR) is recognised as one of the most exciting poetry and performance collectives currently at work in London. No strangers to the Jazz Verse Jukebox stage, BAR poets representing on the 8th of March include Amaal Said, a Danish-born Somali poet whose work explores notions of home, womanhood, and what war has meant for her family.
– With Music from FLYNN (@flynn_sings)
Flynn
Hailing from Vancouver, Canada, emerging Singer-songwriter FLYNN performs a fabulous cocktail of modern and classic hit songs together with her own self-penned material. With a cool yet strong vibe and compelling tones reminiscent of the likes of Amy Winehouse, Jessie J, Adele and Pink, the flame-haired songstress has already made a splash on the London music scene since arriving late last year, having completed her music studies at Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA).
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