Due to an unforeseen illness, Jamaican poet Jean Binta Breeze will not perform at Urban Voices 2003. In her place, Urban Voices will introduce Jo’burg, Durban and Cape Town to rising poet, Staceyann Chin. This provocative writer and performer appears in South Africa fresh from her debut on Broadway as a featured poet in the Tony-award nominated theatre production, Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam on Broadway.

A lyricist of Black and Chinese ancestry who now calls New York City home, Staceyann Chin was born and raised in Jamaica. Much like her life, Staceyann’s words push the boundaries of race, gender, sexuality, and nationalism. “If we don’t speak, who will?” is the motto that drives Chin to keep challenging audiences in America and Europe with spell binding performances. She observes then obliterates the boxes that suffocate true identity. 

Although this hard-hitting, hard working artist has only been a “practising” poet since 1998, her resume reads like that of a veteran performance poet. Chin has performed at universities across the United States; is the winner of six Slam Poetry titles in Chicago, New York and Denmark; is published in newspapers, magazines and anthologies from New York to London; has conducted poetry workshops on two continents; has produced two one-woman shows off-Broadway; has performed on national television; is the subject of a documentary film; and in 2003 performed in Russell Simmons Poetry Jam on Broadway.

“Imagination is the bridge between the things we know for sure and the things we need to believe when our worlds become unbearable” – and excerpt from her poem entitled … and these are only some of the things I believe. 

Staceyann Chin performs at the Urban Voices 2003 International Spoken Word Festival together with Ursula Rucker (USA), Black Ice (USA) and a formidable selection of South African poets.

Joburg – Mega Music 18 and 19 July

Durban – Bat Centre 20 July

Cape Town – Baxter Theatre 23 July 

All Other Enquiries:

Ticket Bookings: Computicket: 011 340 8000/083 915 8000

For more information on South African Arts Exchange and Urban Voices 2003 – International Arts Festival – please contact the website:

http://www.artsexchange.co.za

Submitted by: admin