d'bi young. dub poet. actor. playwright.

BLOODCLAAT.NET

rivers ... and other blackness ... between us
February 18, 2008

WOMEN’S PRESS CELEBRATES
RIVERS…AND OTHER…BLACKNESS…BETWEEN US
(dub) poems of love by D’BI.YOUNG.ANITAFRIKA

“d’bi is a passionate word-warrior with originality and ingenuity to match her creative courage. In rivers... and other blackness... between us, she gushes freely, blending contemporary currents with ancestral resonance to create a daring collection that demands attention." – Blakka Ellis, Jamaica writer, performer, and educator.

anitafrika is one of Canada’s most celebrated young artists, winning the ‘07 Toronto Arts Council Foundation Emerging Artist award. She has performed, published, and lectured internationally. Women’s Press has just released her second print collection of poetry, rivers and other blackness between us (97 pp, Can $14.95; U.S. $14.95). This new collection is a continuing poetic dialogue on the nature of love, particularly amongst diasporic African peoples.

A dynamic artist, anitafrika is also the author of art on black (Women’s Press ’06) as well as two plays: yagayah co-written with Naila Belvett and blood.claat, for which she also received a Dora award for outstanding new play. Her other writings have appeared in publications such as: Theorizing Empowerment: Canadian Perspectives on Black Feminist, Notes From Canada’s Young Activists and Wasafiri: Queer Postcolonial – a London based quarterly.

As a dub poet, anitafrika has headlined numerous festivals including Calgary International Folk and Spoken Word Festivals, Vancouver Folk Festival, Havana International Reggae Festival, and Toronto’s International Dub Poetry Festival. She has self-produced five dub albums. Her latest album is rivers and other blackness between us; it accompanies the collection of said title.

Her stage work include: Staceyann in da kink in my hair which garnered her a Dora nomination for outstanding performance, the upcoming run of Zandile in African Theatre Ensemble’s ‘08 production of Gcina Mhlophe’s South African play Have You Seen Zandile and mudgu in her very own blood.claat; for which she received a Dora award for outstanding performance ‘06. blood.claat is the first piece in anitafrika’s biomyth-trilogy three faces of mudgu sankofa. She is currently completing the second and third plays: androgyne – a poetic two-hander and word!sound!powah – a dub opera.

anitafrika studied theatre at The Jamaica School of Drama during the eighties and early nineties, while learning the art of dubbing poetry from her mother Anilia Soyinka (aka Anita Stewart – one of jamaica’s pioneer dub poets and an original member of Poets in Unity). In Canada she trained with the rAis’n ensemble of b current theatre under the mentorship of artistic visionary ahdri zhina mandiela, and with Soulpepper Theatre; where she worked with visionary Hungarian director Lazlo Marton, in Three Sisters as Olga.

Television appearances include lead role Crystal in Lord Have Mercy (Canada’s first multi-ethnic sitcom), HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, Cuba’s Cuerda Viva, and Bravo’s Playwrights and Screenwriters. The films Borderless about illegal immigrants and Kicking Aids Out on aids education both feature anitafrika’s narration. she recently returned from a nine-week arts residency in Ghana where she filmed her second documentary rivers in ghana.

At thirty years old anitafrika’s work is a testament to the old afrikan proverb it takes a village to raise a child. It is her village who have awarded her with such accolades as: The Professional Theatre Artist grant; The Professional Mentorship grant; Best Solo Artist (National Post / Eye Weekly); Best Play blood.claat (Eye Weekly / Gayguide Toronto); Spoken Word; Harold Theatre award; Spotlight award blood.claat; Best Storytelling actor & dub poet and Artist-Educator grant.

Presently, d’bi young anitafrika is continuing her menteeship in dub theatre with ahdri zhina mandiela and is conducting research for her next book, on dub poetry’s process, performance and pedagogy. She resides in Toronto Canada and Kingston Jamaica with her shining son, Moon.

WOMEN’S PRESS ISSUES RIVERS AND OTHER BLACKNESS BETWEEN US

rivers … and other blackness … between us is a must-read for fans of dub poetry, feminist poetry, and post-colonial poetic forms – all dynamic parts of the global cultural landscape.

androgyne dub and Women’s Press are launching rivers…and other blackness…between us:

date: monday, february 18, 2008
entrance: $20
time: 7pm doors / 7:30pm show
film screening: rivers...in ghana 8pm
location: lula lounge /1585 dundas st. west of dufferin
artists: lola lawson + cassandra walker + jodyann campbell
special guests: anita stewart / blakka ellis
jamaica pioneer dub poets
dub duo: channel one projekt / d'bi.young + rakesh tewari
art exhibit: suritah wignall
dj: soulsistah
info: 416.434.1823 / 416.875.5514 / arts at dbiyoung dot net
lula reservations: 416.588.0307

 

 

Have you seen Zandile?
January 30 - February 9, 2008

PREVIEW – Wednesday January 30, 8pm at Workman Theatre.
OPENING NIGHT – Thursday January 31, 8pm

African Theatre Ensemble presents the Canadian premiere of “Have You Seen Zandile?”, a much-loved story based on the childhood memories of South African playwright Gcina Mhlophe. The stellar cast includes Toronto’s multi-talented d’bi Young as the child Zandile and one of Nigeria’s most acclaimed actors Joke Silva as her grandmother and Olivia Duodu who plays Zandile’s friend, Lindiwe.

Directed by Bunmi Oyinsan, “Have you seen Zandile?” takes us into the country of childhood and puberty and allows us to partake of its magic and sometimes startling realities. It shows us facets of South African history, life and social values which have tended to be overshadowed by the charged politics of South Africa's apartheid and post-apartheid eras by utilising an accessible story-line, dialogue, music, dance and storytelling from an authentic African cultural context.

Plot: Zandile is an eight-year old being raised in a city by her grandmother who gives the child the great gift of stories and the magic to transmit them. In return, the child gives the grandmother a purpose. It is not long before Zandile “finds” a girl her own age. The girl, Bongi, is a creation of Zandile’s imaginative mind. When not playing with Bongi, Zandile transforms her grandmother’s flower bed into a music class, determined to teach the sunflower, the violet and the marigold to sing. Into this idyllic childhood a white car intrudes; it has come to take Zandile away. The kidnapped girl is forced into a new routine of rules calculated to turn her into a “traditional and proper” woman. Back in the city, Zandile’s grandmother looks in vain for the kidnapped child. Time passes. Zandile grows and her consciousness develops. As soon as she is independent, she goes in search of her grandmother. But is she too late?

The play’s theme of the power of nurturing love and respect represents a significant shift from the persistent rhetoric of victimhood that has dominated the black experience in South Africa and other places and provides a positive and stimulating play to mark Black History Month.

In order to maximize accessibility,“Have You Seen Zandile?” will be staged in three theatres: The Workman Theatre (1001 Queen St. W) from January 31 to February 2; Burton Auditorium (York University) February 4 to 8, and Equity Showcase Theatre (651 Dufferin St.) from February 7 to 9.

For detailed dates and times, please visit africantheatre.org.