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Member Since: 30/04/2006
Band Members:copyright photo by:Michelle Cruz2006copyright photo by Michelle Cruz2006copyright photo by Michelle Cruz2006
......... Yunus Abdul-Quddus.... father,an underground poet, would take him to various jazz clubs and open mike venues, exposing him to art of spoken word poetry. Yet, it was not until the sixth grade he decided to write his first poem..... Bored with conventional story telling and books he read in grade school, he would skim through, take phrases from the sentences, and try to make them rhyme. His ability to take words and write completely different stories, showed his vast literary talents. His teachers classified him as a daydreamer. Yet, who knew that years later this daydreamer, who rewrote school books, would be answering to a higher purpose.....and that purpose was to be a spoken word artist. At the age of 19, Yunus went public with his poetry for the first time at Brave New World in Philadelphia. He has set a life long goal to be heard globally. Currently, Yunus can be found hosting two open mike venues, The Brooklyn Coffee and Tea House and The Black Repertory Theatre Company. He is also founder and President of Johnson & Wales Underground Poetry Club, which brings together other artistic minds to share their literary talents. Yunus has appeared on , Brown University Radio, and WDAJ am The Drive with Angelo Marinochi. He has set a goal to create music that can bring all ethnic cultures and background under one umbrella, without disrespecting oneself or belittling women. "Pick up a dictionary like Malcolm X and tell your story. Write clean pure music and words that still tell true experiences of love, spirituality, and poetic testimonies on life. Yunus states, " Music can have a positive, realistic message and still be entertaining." The man, who only saw the art of poetry as a hobby, is not only performing it, but also teaching others. Currently, he teaches poetry at the Met Technical Center, Johnson & Wales Poetry Club, and Community College of Rhode Island. Last year, he was granted the opportunity to perform on the same stage as Philadelphia legendary poet Ursula Rucker and HBO Def Jam Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo, when he opened Sound Session 2005 in Providence, RI. Yunus has competed in poetry slams at the Lizard Lounge, Boston where he would finish second place, with only his Mentor claiming first prize. He also, would finish second place at AS220s Poetry Slam in Providence. Currently, Yunus has released three tracks on a poetry mix CD entitled Know Words- Volume I with the Quiet Nation Label, and is working on an solo album entitled The Lost Thoughts. All from a man who never planned to share his work with the world. This is only the beginning for a student/ poet/ teacher/ counselor who puts passion into his art of poetry. A glimpse in the life of a lost voice in the wilderness crying out to be [email protected]
Get this video and more at MySpace.comCHRISTOPHER E. JOHNSON POET/ ACTOR/ WRITER/ TEACHER/ ACTIVIST.......It has been said that Christopher’s Johnson’s work “accurately captures the heart rending portrayal of urban life...in all of its ugly glory, with a sense of a hope for a better future.”.......Growing up in Newark, New Jersey, Chris’s "spoken word" captures stories and experiences of an urban world where complex everyday lives, move to staccato rhythms of the city without loosing the human spirituality necessary for survival. Chris moved to Trenton where he was given the nick name Transit Thought, for the broad range of “real issue” works he performed on street corners, train stations, high schools and colleges.......Feeling the need to grow poetically after making the 2001 Trenton Slam team, Christopher moved to Boston, Ma, to attend a workshop given by “The Godfather of Slam” Professor Michael Brown. Johnson’s raspy voice, dynamic approach to controversy, and self-reflective style earned him the 2002 Cambridge poetry Award for best Male Slam Poet. In 2004 Chris won the right to represent Boston’s Lizard Lounge at the first ever World Individual Poetry Slam as well as earning himself a spot on the 2004 Boston L.L. Slam team.......Now residing in Providence RI, Chris gives Spoken word workshops for surrounding area High Schools and after school programs as well as book features for and host a verbal arts series at the Providence Black Repertory Theatre. He has opened for acclaimed artist Ursala Rucker, Bohamadia, and as the featured poet in Black Dove’s “Neon Soul Collective”, he opened for world renowned “Tortured Soul.”.......Christopher Johnson is the present Poet Laureate for the Black Repertory theater and has performed his "spoken word" on radio for such stations as Power 99.5 in Philadelphia, the “MA Radio Network for the Blind” and WMBR of the MIT campus, both in Ma. Chris has been featured in cities across the Eastern sea board and has won slams at the Urban Word in Trenton, Euphoria in Newark, Serengeti Plains in Montclair, Brenner’s Brew in Bridgeton New Jersey, as well as AS220 in Rhode Island, Lizard Lounge and the Cantab, both in Boston Ma. He has given "spoken word" workshops at the Proctor Academy in Trenton and for First Light Youth Project in Lynn Ma........ACHIEVEMENTS:... Performed for the 2000 “Take Back the Streets”... Performed for the 2000 Million Mom March, Trenton NJ... Member of the 2001 Trenton Slam Team, National Poetry Slam... Inc. Voted 2002 Best Male Slam Poet, Cambridge Poetry Awards... 2004 Boston Lizard Lounge Individual World Poetry Slam Rep.,... National Poetry Slam Inc. Member of the 2004 Boston Lizard Lounge Slam Team... Member of the 2005 Providence Poetry Slam Team... 3 Chapsbooks entitled “Munhattan” “Urban Reality” and “As I See It”...
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