Dwayne Morgan

With performances throughout Canada, the U.S., England, Germany, Barbados, France, Hungary, Jamaica, and Amsterdam under his belt, Dwayne Morgan is well on his way to becoming an internationally recognized artist. Beginning his career in 1993, Morgan is the founder of Up From The Roots entertainment, which he established in 1994 to promote the positive artistic contributions of African Canadian and urban influenced artists. Dwaynes hard work and persistence were recognized in 1998 when he received both the African Canadian Achievement Award for Youth Achievement, and the prestigious Harry Jerome Award for Excellence in the Arts. Dwaynes live album, The Evolution, entered the world in late 2000. The Evolution received the 2001 Inaugural Canadian Urban Music Award for Best Spoken Word Recording. In 2003 Dwayne released his highly anticipated follow up album, Soul Searching, which took home the 2003 Canadian Urban Music Award for Best Spoken Word Recording. In 2004 Morgan produced his ten year anniversary album, A Decade in the Making. Mother I Understand, one of the pieces from the double album received the 2005 Canadian Urban Music Award for Best Spoken Word Recording. Dwayne has shared the stage with many of Canadas top artists including Glenn Lewis, Maestro, Kardinal Offishal, Choclair, Jully Black, K-OS, Nelly Furtado, and Saukrates, while also opening for international artist Alicia Keys, Mutabaruka, Ursula Rucker, Saul Williams, Les Nubians, Christian McBride, and author Colin Channer. Dwaynes most recent book, The Making of A Man, is his fifth. The Making of A Man, follows on the heels of The Man Behind The Mic, Long Overdue, and chapbooks, The Revolution Starts Within, and Straight From The Roots. Dwaynes popularity has lead to mainstream recognition in the National Post, Word Magazine, and the Toronto Star. Dwayne has also been featured on the CBC's Evening News, TSN's Off The Record, Much Music's DaMix and Rap City. Dwaynes work has also been used by the Canadian Race Relations Foundations See People For Who They Really Are, print and television ad campaign. As a producer, Dwayne has now produced over 100 events, the largest of which are the annual spoken word concerts, When Brothers Speak, and When Sisters Speak, in addition to the Toronto International Poetry Slam. He is the Executive Producer of the Carte Blanche Comedy album. Dwayne is a motivational speaker, who currently hosts Diasporic Music, a monthly spoken word show on CKLN 88.1 FM, while also serving as an advice columnist in the free daily paper, 24 Hours (Sun Media), and an occassionaly writer for Word Magazine. 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 will be premiered at the 2006 ReelWorld Film Festival in Toronto. Dwaynes work ethic and emphasis on quality has driven his success, and has made him a well respected component of Torontos urban music community, as well as the North American, and Global, spoken word scene.For more information, please visit Up Ffrom The Roots