Mahlikah Awe:ri profile picture

Mahlikah Awe:ri

AncestralTies2DeDrum My Songs; My Poems; My Nommo

About Me

"My raps are a decision, rabble rousing, spiritual, like gospel music. I don’t want to dance. We have so many things to deal with, we need to talk straight up and down." Tupac Shakur"Radical simply means "grasping things at the root." Angela Davis’You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.’ Malcolm X, Malcolm X Speaks, 1965(May the stars carry your sadness away, May the flowers fill your heart with beauty, May hope forever wipe away your tears, And, above all, may silence make you strong.) - Chief Dan George About Me: Mahlikah is Kiswahili for Angel and Awe:ri is Mohawk for Heart.In 1992, Mahlikah Awe:ri made her debut as a Spoken-Word Artist as a member of the Ottawa-Toronto based group The Young Poets of the Revolution. In 1994 she founded three spoken-word collectives,Warriors 4 Revolution, Poetic License, and One Wombmon: Many Voices. From 1993-1995 she was an original artist instructor and mentor for the Fresh Arts Summer Works Program where she met many of the young people who would comprise her performance collectives. While in Fresh Arts she staged her first a choreopoem-stylized full-length play, Black Curse, which ran at the Poor Alex. From 1994-99 she became a fixture at the annual Phemphat Honey Jam Showcases and traveled as a solo spoken-word artist internationally.In 1994, Mahlikah Awe:ri founded her own Arts and Media Education Company, Ancestral Ties 2 De Drum, which speaks through both her African and First Nations bloodlines. In 1997 she became the first oral artist to receive the Chawkers/Frontier Award for Excellence in Writing and Publishing. For 10 years Mahlikah Awe:ri and Ancestral Ties 2 De Drum Artists has provided Cultural Arts programming in partnership with the Royal Conservatory’s Learning and Living Through The Arts Programs.Since 2000 Awe:ri has provided Creative Life Coach Training in the area of Communications, Self-Awareness and Self-Direction and Anti-Oppression & Diversity for the Toronto Centre for Community Learning and Development. In 2003 and 2006 she was a facilitator for the Annual International Learning Through The Arts Conference. In 2003 she also participated in the Cultural Arts Festival for Diversity in Ottawa, as an artist mentor.2007 marked Awe:ri’s return to the stage after returning from community arts touring in Trinidad and Tobago. Awe:ri was featured in the November 2007 issue of City Post Local Hero Column. She is currently a regular poet at Acoustic Soul Tuesday Nights @ Trane Studio and Cloud 9 Entertainment Thursday Night Showcases. She was the featured poet @ Underground Sounds and Auralfixations in 2007, Toronto Poets.com Saturday Night Love Showcase, and Speak Out! Fundraiser in 2008.She holds a B.A.A. in Radio and Television Arts, Bachelors of Education and OTC from York University, and Certifications in Family Literacy, and Interactive Media and Design.Currently Mahlikah is a Creative Coach and Performance Artist working on her debut full spoken word CD with the support of Internationally accalimed musician, songwriter, producer and singer Waleed Kush, documentary film and media arts projects, song writing, and an internet radio show....stay tuned for all truths spoken being poetry in motion.Big shout outs to Pablo. Nyame, Tallawah and Nodin!!Peace Out to La Bomba, Stacia, Lorraine "Songstress Reid", Shaki Zulu, Innocent, Dre "Sage" Bryan, Native Canadian Centre Youth Program, Cyn Leung, Dave and the Chocolate Factory, Victor M, The Empire, Anik, The Elders, Brother Kefensah, Spy, Elaine, Elder Saddleback, Danika, Darlene, Zoe, Waleed, Jeff.K, Dwayne Morgan and Up from the Roots Family....MySpace Layouts - Get This Layout }
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My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 4/7/2007
Influences: Nina Simone, Afua Cooper, Janette Armstrong, Jani Lazon, Stevie Wonder, Maxwell, George Elliot, Maxine Tynes, Lee Maracle, John Trudell, Maya Angelou, Tupac, Queen Latifah, Joi, Erykah Badu, Abbey Lincoln, Tracy Chapman, Outkast, Pharell, Robbie Robertson, Dángelo, Eve, Wu-Tang Klan, PE, Nas, Arrested Development (BITD), Fugees, Lauryn Hill, Angie Stone, Sweet Honey and the Rock, Sade, Raphel Saddiq, James Brown, Parliment, The Gap Band, 4 the Moment, Mutabaruka, Toni Morrison, Betty Carter, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, EPMD, Rahkim, Missy Elliot, Gang Starr, Brand Nubians, Sout 2 Soul, KRS One, The Roots, Digiable Planets, Nikki Giovanni, Sonia Sanchez, Paul Laurence Dunbar, The Last Poets, Claude McKay, Langstan Hughes, Dudley Randall, Margaret Walker, Gwendolyn Brooks, Lucille Clifton, Yusef Iman, Don L. Lee, Baraka...More 2 Come
Sounds Like: My writing style has been compared to Ntozake Shange. My lyrical content has been compared to Erykah Badu. My performance style has been compared to Lauryn Hill and Nikki Giovanni. At the end of the day I am what I am and I be who I be.
Record Label: unsigned
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

In the honour of My Earth Day...Rebirth Day 2008

I have entered a new stage of life. I am no longer planning or seeking truth. I am doing and living that truth to the fullest. I wanted to dedicate one of my own poems to myself today:   In The S...
Posted by Mahlikah Awe:ri on Sun, 09 Mar 2008 01:33:00 PST

This Is About More Than Jus The N Word!!

To: YUBSA Family and Friends,York University's Black Students Alliance held a protest in light of recent anti-black hate literature found on our door. We will continue with this tomorrow by holding a ...
Posted by Mahlikah Awe:ri on Thu, 24 Jan 2008 08:46:00 PST

Darfur

Save Darfur!Sign the No-Fly Zone PetitionOver 450,000 have been killed. "President Bush, we urge you to implement a NATO enforced No-Fly Zone over Darfur."http://www.LifeNets.net/nofly/nofly....
Posted by Mahlikah Awe:ri on Sun, 17 Jun 2007 12:20:00 PST

Strength and Survival

No Earthly FearsSistah Caroline  '02..I am unbounded by no earthly fearsI am unbroken by no chains of hateI am understanded by no being of fleshI am unused by no touch no feelI am so real I am un...
Posted by Mahlikah Awe:ri on Wed, 13 Jun 2007 03:08:00 PST

Spiritual Awakening

Weh UU Mah I am eager to learn your wayssecretsancienthealing wayssilentspokenfighting wayspatientforgivinginspiring waysI am eager to hear your messagesullenalluringheartfelt messagestirringstron...
Posted by Mahlikah Awe:ri on Wed, 13 Jun 2007 02:58:00 PST

Dreams

Live Your Dreams Dream Unseen Believe U Me Floating A Cross the Universe Will I B Blessed  Will I B Curzed Transformation/Anticipation Free My Mind of Expectation Live 2 Give Live 2 Love Live 2 R...
Posted by Mahlikah Awe:ri on Sun, 10 Jun 2007 12:13:00 PST

7 Generations: Don't Call It A Come Back!!

Question: Where have you been these past 7 years, girl? Answer: Being a mother to three beautiful children, providing educational services to the Adult Education and Arts Education Fields. Working on ...
Posted by Mahlikah Awe:ri on Wed, 30 May 2007 08:30:00 PST

Let It Go

Letting Go   Sometimes I think the hardest path of a journey, isn't necessarily the one you haven't taken before, but the one you must someday revisit. Past hurt often is bound by shackled f...
Posted by Mahlikah Awe:ri on Wed, 11 Apr 2007 11:48:00 PST