Where: Café Deux Soleils (2096 Commercial Dr)
When:
Doors at 7:30 PM
Sign Up at 8:00 PM
Open Mic at 8:30 PM
Slam at 9:00 PM
Cover: $5-10
The Vancouver Poetry Slam is tremendously pleased to present as our feature for June 29th, canadian spoken word icon, Dwayne Morgan.
Dwayne Morgan began his career as a spoken word artist in 1993. In 1994, he founded Up From The Roots entertainment, to promote the positive artistic contributions of African Canadian and urban influenced artists.
In 1998, Morgan received both the African Canadian Achievement Award, and the Harry Jerome Award for Excellence in the Arts. He is also the winner of 3 Canadian Urban Music Awards (2001, 2003, 2005). In 2005 he was recognized as Poet of Honour at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word in Vancouver, and in 2008 Morgan’s contribution to the Arts and Canadian society were recognized on the Official Black History Month poster.
Dwayne has performed for the Governor General of Canada, The Honourable Michaelle Jean, and has shared the stage with many of Canada’s top artists including Russell Peters, Kardinal Offishal, Jully Black, K-OS, Tamia, and Nelly Furtado, while also opening for international artist Alicia Keys, Mutabaruka, Ursula Rucker, Saul Williams, and Tevin Campbell.
Dwayne has published 4 books, most recently, Le Making of d’un Homme, by Maelstrom ReEvolution in Brussels, Belgium (2009), which has followed The Making of A Man (2005), The Man Behind The Mic (2002), Long Overdue (1999), and chapbooks, The Revolution Starts Within (1996), and Straight From The Roots (1995). His albums include, Another Level (1997), The Evolution (2001), Soul Searching (2003), A Decade in the Making (2004), and Mellow Mood: The End of the Beginning (2007). In 2008, Morgan released a commemorative DVD entitled, Dwayne Morgan The First Fifteen.
To further explore his creativity, Dwayne collaborated with Driftwood Studios to film, Three Knocks, a ten minute film based on his domestic violence poem of the same name, which premiered in Toronto’s Reel World Film Festival. In March 2008, Dwayne hosted his first photography exhibit, The Sum of Her Parts, which explored female body image. The National Eating Disorder Information Centre has used one of Dwayne’s images for a PSA. Dwayne has also filmed a video for his poem, E-Males, while also premiering his one man show, Grade 8, at the 2008 Hamilton Fringe Festival.
Dwayne’s work ethic has taken him across Canada, the United States, Jamaica, Barbados, England, Scotland, Belgium, Budapest, Germany, France, and Holland. His emphasis on quality has driven his success, and has made him a well respected component of Toronto’s urban music community, as well as the North American, and Global, spoken word scenes.
This is another qualifier for the IWPS playoffs in September and will be sure to seel out. Please get there early.
