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Thursday 30 September 2010

NEWS: Apples & Snakes gets ONiT!


ONiT! PR is pleased to announce its new, exciting relationship with Apples & Snakes the UK’s leading organisation for performance poetry.


Apples & Snakes has enlisted the services of ONiT! to execute a ground marketing and PR campaign for a selction of forthcoming projects, starting with Rooted Scratch Festival of Spoken Word.


Rooted is a scratch festival borne out of Apples & Snakes and The Albany’s shared passion with artists and producers within spoken word, to find new and ambitious ways to develop their art form.


Press and Marketing Coordinator of Apples & Snakes, George Palmer, “Apples & Snakes recognises the excellent and grass-root connection ONIT! PR has with London’s spoken word scene and looks forward to working with them”.


Apples & Snakes has built a stellar reputation for itself in the genre of performing arts and is continually working on new ways to create fantastic and value led opportunities for artistes, in an art form which is progressively breaking free from its underground roots.



-ENDS-


Notes to Editor

· Apples & Snakes is a registered charity (No. 294030) based in London

· Apples & Snakes stretches the boundaries of poetry in education and performance, by inspiring participation and giving voice to a diverse range of dynamic poets.

· More information on Apples & Snakes can be found by visiting: http://www.applesandsnakes.org/

· More information on Rooted Spoken Word Scratch Festival can be obtained by contacting one of the following:

· General Information: Albany Theatre: 020 8692 4446

Marketing Enquiries: george@applesandsnakes.org

· Website: http://www.thealbany.org.uk/

· ONiT! PR is a Public Relations, Events, Marketing and Management Company specialising in providing services to, as well as supporting and representing, the Performance Art and Live Music scene, with particular emphasis on Spoken Word and Performance Poetry.

· ONiT! PR can be contacted as follows:

· Telephone: +44(0)7790 443 834 / +44 (0)7958 327 811

· Facebook http://www.facebook.com (Group: ONiT! PR)

















Friday 17 September 2010

BEFFTA Awards 2010: Poetry Nominations

It is with delight, that we share the 2010 Black Entertainment Film Fashion Television & Arts (BEFFTA) Award nominations for 'Best Spoken Word Artist/Poet' category with you, (in alphabetical order):

Comfort (Art Without Apology)

James Massiah

Kat Francois

Michaela The Poet

Phenzwaan

Suli Breaks

Tshaka Campbell


Voting will begin on 24 September.


For full information on this years awards, click on BEFFTA AWARDS 2010


Friday 10 September 2010

POEM of the DAY: Words | Zena Edwards

Today's 'Poem of the Day, is 'Words' by Zena Edwards.

For information on
Zena Edwards, check out the link(s) beneath the video and if you like what you see and hear, get ONiT! and let her know!




Thursday 9 September 2010

POEM of the DAY: Of all the boys of Plateau Private School | Inua Ellams

Today's 'Poem of the Day, is 'Of all the boys of Plateau Private School' by Inua Ellams, followed by an interview with Kayo Chingony.

For information on
Inua Ellams, check out the link(s) beneath the video and if you like what you see and hear, get ONiT! and let her know!





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Wednesday 8 September 2010

POEM of the DAY: Unknown Direction | Mesinjah

Today's 'Poem of the Day, is 'Unspoken Direction' by Mesinjah.

For information on
Mesinjah, check out the link(s) beneath the video and if you like what you see and hear, get ONiT! and let her know!




Tuesday 7 September 2010

POEM of the DAY: The Teen's Speech | Kate Tempest

Today's Poem of the Day, is 'The Teen's Speech' by Kate Tempest.

For information on
Kate Tempest, check out the links beneath the video and if you like what you see and hear, get ONiT! and let her know!




Monday 6 September 2010

POEM of the DAY: My Confession | Phresh Mentality

Today's Poem of the Day, is 'My Confession' by Phresh Mentality. This is a filming of a live performance at AdLib filmed during 2009.

For information on
Phresh Mentality, check out the links beneath the video and if you like what you see and hear, get ONiT! and let her know!




Friday 3 September 2010

INTERVIEW: Louise Golbey | Soul-D-Out (UK) Live!


Short. Sharp. Facts!


Name:
Louise Golbey

Birthplace:
North West London

Lives:
North London

Type of Artist:
Singer/Songwriter & Musician

Accomplishments & Career Highlights:
Performing at Glastonbury, and cool venues such as Jazz Café and Ronnie Scotts, Recording at Maida Vale Studios, and a recent interview with Ronnie Herrel at BBC Radio 1Xtra.

Performance Debut:
The Arts Depo in Finchley – perfoming own material for the first time.

Likes:
Dancing, clothes, accessories, dresses, comedy and Sex & The City

Dislikes:
Overly drunk people, spiders and hardcore house music.

Quirky fact:
All of my (paternal) family are short and I speak fluent Frech.



Q&A


Can you tell us how you got involved in this event?
I’d heard of Soul of the UK and a good friend of mine, singer, J’nay was doing a featured run there. I've also been on Bang Radio and so had heard of d’nyce before. The show has a great reputation so I went along and ended up doing the open mic, which I won! After some fumbling of dates, we managed to find one that worked for us both. I’m excited about this show because I supported Kele [Le Roc] before at Jazz Café, so it will be great to share the stage with her again.


How did you first get into singing and songwriting?
I’ve always sung and danced as well as played the piano and growing up, I loved Hip Hop and RnB. Whilst at Uni, I started to do cover gigs as a way to make some money and one day a friend of mine put on a variety night which I wanted to perform at. She was up for it, but all material had to be original so I nerve-wrackingly did three of my own songs and they went down really well. That was about 4 or 5 years ago and I’ve been doing my own material since.

Who would you cite as your influences?
70’s soul music, people like Marlayna Shaw and Minnie Ripperton influenced me, as well as neo soul sounds. Production-wise, artists like D’Angelo and Jill Scott, but in my music I like to stay true to my British accent too.

Who is/are your favourite UK artist(s) and why?
Vula of Basement Jaxx, Sharlene Hector, Natalie Williams, J’nay, Elisabeth Troy and Omar, as a UK male vocalist.

What inspires your work?
Lyrics come from life really, situations, love, how I’m feeling that kind of thing. I tend to write as and when experiences happen. Melodies come to me at random times, so I try to always write them down, sometimes using my phone to save them until I can work on them.

How would you describe your style?
UK Soul

What can an audience expect when they hear you perform?
Passion! I really like to perform and put on a show. I like to connect with my audience. Myself and the band have a great relationship, so it’s nice to vibe naturally with the audience and create a warm atmosphere. That’s really important to me.

What would you say are your greatest challenges as a song-writer and performer?
Hmmm, working out what is going on in the industry, that’s a big challenge. Getting radio play is great, especially as an independent artist, but the independent route is hard, you know? I still do a day job full time and it’s hard work. I’d love to be able to pay more people that I work with, but it’s difficult. Most projects are done on a callaborative basis. It can be difficult to keep up with the industry but I don’t want to switch my sound to become more commercial, I believe in what I’m doing, so I’ll keep at it.

Personal favourite gig?
A couple of weeks ago at the Jazz Café supporting Terri Walker. It was completely sold out and had such a great atmosphere. I really felt like the audience was with me the whole way through my set. An amazing buzz.

Nightmare gigs, if any?
Generally when I’ve played at venues that are more rock/Indy ones. Where the sound guys are used to loud bands and don’t know how to get the sound right for soul.


What do you enjoy/prefer about the Live London/UK scene, in comparison to anywhere else?
London scene is great as I feel I am really a part of the soul scene here. I love being asked to do the big gigs here along side some incredible vocalists and musicians who I really respect and admire.


As a UK performing artist, how do you feel about being compared to artists in the US?
I don’t mind at all – especially if it’s artists I love!

If you could perform alongside any other artist(s), dead or alive, who would it/they be, and why?
John Legend – I love what he does and I actually really think our voices would blend well!

Ultimately, what would you like to achieve with your performance career?
I guess I’d love to be signed or at least be in a situation where I am making a living from my own music. That would be amazing. The dream for me is success not necessarily fame. I want to be respected for my music as a credible artist with the music I write.

Complete these sentences:

Soul is…where the heart is
Song is…my passion
Louise Golbey is…full of soul and passion…


Can you tell us about any forthcoming performances/projects, in addition to Soul of the UK?

Projects: I’ve got two new music videos coming out for my next two singles on iTunes! Very exciting. And continuing to work on new material with various producers (Alex Morris, Drew Horley and 8Trak)

I did an interview on 1xtra with Ronnie Herrel the other day and he has been so supportive with playing my tracks.

Next gigs:

Tuesday 14th Sept | Ronnie’s Bar (Upstairs at Ronnie Scotts)
Thursday 30th Sept | The Yellow House, Surrey Quays
Tuesday 5th Oct | The Elgin, Ladbroke Grove
Saturday 6th Nov | The 100 Club with Vula (Basement Jaxx headlining)


Where can people find out more information about you?



You can see Louise Golbey live, TONIGHT, at Soul-D-Out (UK) Live! presents Soul of the UK



For dinner reservations, please contact Cottons, inadvance, on: 020 7833 3332


|




Doors open at 6pm
Show commences at 9:00pm sharp
After party
until 2:30am with music from RAMPAGE (BBC1Xtra)


Entry
£8 before 9:30pm/£10 after on door


Venue
Rhum Jungle
Cotton's Caribbean Restaurant
70, Exmouth Market
London EC1R 4QP

Nearest Tubes
Angel (Northern Line) / Farringdon (Hammersmith & City or Circle Line)


Listen to the Soul-D-Out Radio Show with d'nyce on BANG Radio 103.6fm | http://www.bangradio.fm/ at 19:00 BST every Thursday for the very best in Soul music.




Soul-D-Out (UK) Live! where the soulful reside


POEM of the DAY: Apparently | Natalie Fiawoo

Today's Poem of the Day, is 'Apparently' by Natalie Fiawoo. This is a filming of a recent live performance at Ronnie Scotts.

For information on
Natalie Fiawoo, check out the links beneath the video and if you like what you see and hear, get ONiT! and let her know!




Thursday 2 September 2010

POEM of the DAY: Monarchy | Indigo Williams

Today's Poem of the Day, is 'Monarchy' by Indigo Williams. This is a filming of a live performance at the iTunes Festival, 2010.

For information on
Indigo Williams, check out the links beneath the video and if you like what you see and hear, get ONiT! and let her know!




Wednesday 1 September 2010

INTERVIEW: Natalie Fiawoo | Soul-D-Out (UK) Live!


Short. Sharp. Facts!

Name: Natalie Fiawoo

Birthplace: Sunderland

Lives: North London

Poetry Debut: The second ever Poetry n Motion, around 6 years ago


Accomplishments: I feel accomplished when someone knows my work already or when someone seeks me out to perform at their event.



Likes:

Being by the river (Thames) on a Saturday evening when they’re just closing the book market, and they switch on the fairy lights.



Dislikes:

Mushrooms – I don’t believe in eating fungus!

Animals – I hate cats and dogs, plus I’m allergic, so that adds to the dislike.



Quirky fact about you:

I always have to remove the chicken from the bone before I can eat it.




Q&A



Can you tell us how you got involved in this event?

I’ve been a few times before. Last month, I went along and was being encouraged by friends to do the open mic, which was cool, but didn’t realise it was a competition, so was stunned to win!



How long have you been performing Poetry/Spoken Word?

I’ve always written. The first thing I remember writing, was called ‘The Magic Rose’ about a red rose that lived in a greenhouse. There were about 6 stories in the collection. At 17 or 18 I started to do poetry, but prior to that, I didn’t really know that poetry was an option when I was younger, so kind of fell into it. I wrote a piece at church one day and performed it. I’ve been performing on the circuit, on and off, since about 21 or 22.


Is Poetry your full time occupation or do you do other stuff simultaneously?

No, it’s not, I work in accounting! I don’t think I’d want to do poetry full time; I wouldn’t want to compromise what I love doing because I have to pay bills and I think it would change my work. I write all the time, it’s my release, it’s what I do, so I don’t know if I’d want it to be my full time job - but I do envy those who are brave enough to do it and are able to marry effectively, the quality and quantity. I’m not sure how much my work would suffer, if I had to force it, to reach a certain level, so I’m happy with the way it is.




Can you tell us who and/or what inspires you to write and perform?

Creativity inspires me. I love to sit in the audience or to reason with other creative souls. We think differently. The way we live our lives and think is inspiring. It could be just a word or a small phrase that instigates that need to write. I write because I need to, it’s a natural release for me. Whenever I peak on any type of emotion, I write as soon as I can.




Who would you cite as your influences? Corinne Bailey Rae, the way she describes things, makes you feel you wish you’d thought them out in that way, it is obvious that she loves and respects words. There’s no one that I want to ‘be’ as such, I think that could be dangerous, you start to loose your own identity, because you start following how someone else delivers, structures, etc. I’ve seen it happen to younger artists, who seem to clone other artists and they loose their own identity/originality. Also, words, they could be coming from anyone, but just the right combination.




Who is your favourite Performance Poet and why? At the moment... hmmm, it’s hard. It’s the men, definitely. The women, we are slacking! [laughs] I don’t think there is any one artist, but the men on the circuit, the ones making moves, they’re my favourites at the moment. Tshaka Campbell, GREEDS, Inua Ellams, Dean Atta all serious Poets and Performers for very different reasons.




Who is your favourite UK artist (excluding Poetry) and why?


This is a hard one but off top, lyrically, for his flo, creativity and use of artform, Kano, and Obenewa – the way that she performs, how she commands an audience, it’s easy to get lost when you watch her. Plus, the creative way that she performs and uses her band really draws you in.




What would you say are your greatest challenges as a writer and performer?

To be honest, I feel like my performance is weak, that I write better than I perform. I go on stage and share my stories. For example, at Style and Substance, I pulled a man on stage and sung a little to him, which was really, really nerve wracking.


The challenge is trying to be a better performer. Also, as a writer, it’s to remember that sometimes, you can’t take it back. Because I write my life, sometimes I may perform a piece that I can’t take back, you know...you can hurt someone without intending to. I never use names or anything, but it’s like a gift and a curse in one – it’s my creative outlet, but sometimes, sometimes it just has to be said. I try to be mindful though, that it can affect someone else’s life.



How would you describe your style as a Performance Artist?

I’m not sure I have a style, as such, but pushed, I’d have to say simply Freeverse.




What can the audience expect from you on the night?

Honesty. They can expect to see and hear me, and to travel on my journey with me. They can expect poetry and song.



Is there a particular piece you are looking forward to performing?

I’m looking forward to performing my song, the first I wrote, which I haven’t performed for a long time. Which is weird because singing really scares me and of course, first and foremost I am a Poet.




Ultimately, what would you like to achieve with your Poetry?

For people to understand that poetry isn’t what you learned in GSCE. It isn’t stuffy, it isn’t restrictive, it doesn’t have to be that typical miss one, rhyme one stuff. To be able to think that they should forget everything that they think it should be and to give people a different perspective. Also, it’s the Year of the Poet for a reason! Myself and a friend, Matthew Peltier, recently held an event called Fresh.INK at the BBC bar and our tagline was “The rejection of the misconception, screw what you thought you knew” that kinda says it all for me.




What is Year of the Poet?

Hmmm, I feel like a publication said it somewhere and everyone just kind of ran with it, including me! [laughs] but in retrospect a lot of amazing things have been happening for the artform, its moving in ways that it hasn’t seemed to for a long time. It’s beautiful.





Complete these sentences:



Soul is that little piece or thing, inside of you that makes you compassionate, creative and human. That thing that connects with another person.



Poetry is a piece of me.



Natalie Fiawoo isa lady?




What other performances/projects do you have coming up?

I’m working on some projects that the moment, but I’m not ready to share yet. Do check out my blog (dontthinkjustfeel.blogspot.com) though, to keep up with what I’m doing and stuff.



Further info:




You can see Natalie Fiawoo live, on Friday 3 September, at Soul-D-Out (UK) Live! presents Soul of the UK



For dinner reservations, please contact Cottons, in advance, on: 020 7833 3332


|





Doors open at 6pm
Show commences at 9:00pm sharp
After party
until 2:30am with music from RAMPAGE (BBC1Xtra)


Entry
£8 before 9:30pm/£10 after on door


Venue
Rhum Jungle
Cotton's Caribbean Restaurant
70, Exmouth Market
London EC1R 4QP

Nearest Tubes
Angel (Northern Line) / Farringdon (Hammersmith & City or Circle Line)


Listen to the Soul-D-Out Radio Show with d'nyce on BANG Radio 103.6fm / http://www.bangradio.fm/ at 19:00 BST every Thursday for the very best in Soul music.




Soul-D-Out (UK) Live! where the soulful reside