The mulatto in America functions as a canary in a coal mine. Canaries were used by coal miners to gauge how poisonous the air underground was. They would bring a canary in with them, and if it grew sick and died they knew the air was bad and eventually everyone would be poisoned by the fumes. Likewise, mulattos have historically been the gauge of how poisonous American race relations were. The fate of the mulatto in history and literature will manifest the symptoms that will eventually infect the rest of the nation. We are the first generation of canaries to survive, a little injured perhaps, but alive! (Danzy Senna, Caucasia)
CANARY SING is Madlinez the Lioness (Madeleine Clifford) and Ispire (Hollis Wong-Wear). Poets, emcees, students and teachers, Canary Sing represent for the youth, the Others, and those who navigate between borders. We are mentors for the literary arts organization Youth Speaks Seattle , and were members of the 2006 Seattle Youth Slam Team that placed 4th in the nation and performed at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. Active in Seattle since December of 2006, we have performed at events also featuring Gabriel Teodros, Dead Prez, El Dia, Piece, Khingz, DakC, Cristina Orbe, Skim, Medusa, Talib Kweli, Kiwi, Southern Komfort, The Physics, Rajnii Eddins, Yirim Seck, TNT, Umi, The Suicide Kings, Buddy Wakefield, Language Artz, DJ B-Girl, Alpha-P, Beyond Reality, Abyssinian Creole, Choklate, and extraordinary youth poets across the nation.
for bookings, please contact us at canarysing(at)gmail.com
