August 1, 2011
The evening brought out an array of talented Spoken Word artists and singers, who throughout the night took turns belting out poetry and anecdotes that expressed everything from self-discovery to a overcoming of prejudices. Antoine Duke, Hersi the Poet, Tish Jones, and Fabulous Fe were among some of the highlights that evening.
“I write poetry for the small things,” Antoine Duke tells Insight News.“I believe that’s the purpose of Spoken Word. You have the opportunity to bring a perspective of your life to a crowd of strangers who may not know what Spoken Word is. With that in mind, when you present yourself to them, it amplifies your experience and their experience of you, and what you have to offer to the stage.”
Also on deck for the festivities was (i am) Isis, a one-time writer here at Insight News, and a national sensation ala poetic prose and musical undertakings. This newly turned Brooklynite made a special trip back to her home away from home to be the main attraction for this sold-out event.
“To be asked to perform here in Minnesota at this event was an honor and a joy,” Isis states. “I am very appreciative to everyone that came out to perform their own piece, and to see me perform mine. I am truly inspired by the talent that came forth.”
Venturing through different modes of musical expression is what makes Isis stand out amongst the others. Accompanied by a guitarist on the stage, Isis presented a new musical style to the audience that evening; a sound she likes to call Spoken Soul. At the very center, this newly ventured genre mimics the journey through Isis’ eclectic taste in music over the years.
Antoine Duke“As I began doing my poetry, I actually started out just trying to record a Spoken Word album.” Isis recalls. “I had it all planned out, but as I started listening to more and more music, what I was writing became more Rock. I grew up listening to everything, but what stuck with me was Rock. My album just evolved from the Spoken Word and transitioned into this heavy guitar and drum base influenced thing that still keeps the Spoken Word, but explores everything else around it.”
Apart from breezing through her musical endeavors, Isis still maneuvers through journalism by working as the webmaster for Vibe Vixen Magazine, a subsidiary of the Vibe Magazine network. She credits her time at Insight News paper as a pivotal point in the journey of her writing.
“I’m a writer by any way, shape, or form. It’s about expression to me. So to be able to tell stories, either through my poetry or while working for a community newspaper like Insight News and be able to tell the communities stories, is something that is deep for me,” she shares.
Currently Isis is finishing up her debut album, ‘Amazingly Random’, while performing at different venues around New York City. Through her music and continued writing, she hopes to inspire, grow, and evolve as an artist.
For more information on Isis: www.Iamisis.com
