Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Kuumba Lynx presents: Half Pint Poetics

In partnership with Chicago Public Schools and Chicago Youth Initiating Change, this annual 8-14 year old poetry slam brings together students, teachers, community members, and university faculty with diverse backgrounds and institutions. This event allows participants to learn and share with one another on social and Eco conscience issues.
The half Pint Poetics have performed at several events and venues including UIC, The kick-off ceremony for the Brave New voices International Poetry slam, and the Life is Living festival at Clarendon Park. For More information about our Half Pints and how to get involved, contact Ms. Jae (773) 550-4229 or email us at kuumbalynx@yahoo.com
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Here are some pix of the Poetics..









Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Past and Upcoming Events

KLPE's does an annual touring show that can be requested by any organization or event by contacting KLPE co-director Jaquanda Villegas at (773) 550-3849.

This year's show is call SPROUT! {Spitting Powerful Rhymes Organically Unleashing Truth} It is a fierce Hip Hop theater production fusing literacy and performance art. Presented by members of the 2009 Kuumba Lynx performance ensemble [KLPE], Sprout explores bittersweet truths while challenging us to respect our individual lives and collective responsibility to each other, therefore honoring our Mother Earth. Sprout intertwines personal narratives and social commentary with emotional portraits from today's youth. Coupled with spoken word, astonishing street art, and dance, this dynamic presentation of unyielding spirit seeks to re inspire one's life journey.

KLPE is still developing the full production but they toured segments of segments of SPROUT at the following locations this year:
  • KLPE @ Northwestern University presenting SPROUT
  • KLPE opens for Kanye West Stay in School CPS concert
  • KLPE at the Puerto Rican Fest
  • KLPE live at the Taste of Chicago
  • KL welcomes KRS 1 to Clarendon Park
  • KL So Fresh and So Green Kick Off-June 12th
  • KLPE's Half Pint Poetics at the Brave New Voices International Poetry Slam Kick-Off Ceremony
Below are some pics of our artists and some of their performances..





KLPE was also a part of Kuumba Lynx's most recent success story: Kuumba Lynx Life is Living Festival on July 18th at KL headquarters Clarendon Park....Check out the So Fresh & So Green blog page klfreshgreen.blogspot.com for more info on this KL Initiative

General Info

Artist Statement: We believe Hip-Hop's power is edutainment. We want to utilize the Hip-Hop arts movement to increase consciousness, creativity, and universal freedom. We trust that in developing healthy hearts, minds, and bodies we will create strong community foundations of love.

Kuumba Lynx Performance Ensemble (KLPE) brings together diverse groups of people to create interwoven, multi-disciplinary performances that empower us to understand the complexity of the societal issues through working as an ensemble on the production process. KLPE members research, write, and perform their original works for audiences of all ages and backgrounds. The ensemble consists of an international cast from vastly different racial, cultural, ethnic, religious, and socio-economic, immigrant and native backgrounds. KLPE seeks to bring a variety of people together to discover the intricacy of our difference, as well as the power of our unity as it relates to social justice and the Hip-Hop Arts movement. KLPE has been bringing groups of young people together to create live performances since 1996. The complexity of America's imperialistic politics and history makes every individual and community story and valuable. The stories we perform, whether devastating, comedic, utterly compassionate, bittersweet, or terrifyingly realistic, are all presented within the context of a unified multi-race group of young people and their communities working toward a more just world. KLPE serves as a model community; one that has been reinvented in order to fill the gaps that so many of us find ourselves falling into within out respective communities that suffer from the various "isms" & "ills" of poverty and simply growing up in America.
KLPE creates and annual touring show that is presented nationally. A 15 minute post performance discussion is provided with each show. The ensemble has performed nationwide sharing stages with Kanye west, KRS 1, Eryka Bahdu, COMMON, DAMM, Danny Hich, Angle Davis, Dennis Kim, Marc Bamuti Joseph, Mango Tribe, and many more. They have performed in Havana Cuba, Mexico City, Atlanta, California, New York, Washington D.C, New Mexico, and South Dakota. KLPE recognition includes the Hip-Hop Congress' Females in Hip-Hop Award presented to co-founders Leida "Lady Col" Garcia and Jaquanda Villegas for their performance work and community ethics, the Gwendolyn Brooks Poet Laureate finalist recognition recieved by Jacinda Bullie and "King Charles" with Chicago FootworKINGz was able to tour with the hit TV show America's Got Talent. In 2009, KLPE spoken word apprentice artist Cydney Edwards earned herself a slot on the Chicago All Star National Slam Poetry Team. The KL 2008 Slam Team won 1st plance in the "Louder than a Bomb" poetry fest and the 2009 team won the "NIKE Black History Poetry Slam".