Lizard Lounge Poetry Jam

“Whether they’re the fierce undercurrent of a poet’s musings or simply jammin’ on their own, the Jeff Robinson Trio exhibit a power and confidence that flirts with perfection.” Patricia Smith

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July

Omekongo Dibinga – 5

Urban Music Award winner Omékongo Luhaka wa Dibinga was born on June 10, 1976 in Boston, Massachusetts. His parents, Drs. Dibinga wa Said & Ngolela wa Kabongo were Congolese (ex-Zaire) refugees, exiled for their role in aiding in the liberation of the Congo. As a first generation Congolese-American, Omékongo grew up in an environment that led him to experience what he calls “the best and worst of both African and African-American societies”; having grown up in a strict African household in an African-American community in Roxbury, MA. He grew up as the 7th of 9 children who were all taught to remember they were African regardless of where they resided, which is why he embraces the term “It ain’t where your from, it’s where you’re at.” Omékongo was always influenced to write and learn. Education was highly valued in his household, with his parents setting the standard holding 9 collegiate degrees between them including 3 PhDs from Harvard and the Sorbonne. As a child, his parents would buy him encyclopedias instead of toys for his birthdays. He says he gets his creativity from his mother, a seamstress on the side, and his oratory skills from his father, a reverend. Omékongo actually began participating in oratory competitions while in secondary school.

His desire to educate also comes from his parents, both former university professors and school founders. Omékongo began writing in the 2nd grade and hasn’t stopped. His love of learning led him to study at some of the world’s finest institutions, including Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Georgetown, Morehouse, and The Fletcher School, where he received his M.A. in Law & Diplomacy. He is currently a Ph.D. student in International Education Policy at The University of Maryland. He is the co-star of the TV drama series “Ya Ma’Afrika,” which deals with the lives of Africans in America. Though Omékongo has traveled and witnessed poverty and injustice in 16 countries on 3 continents, he has always felt compelled to share the stories of adversity and inequality transpiring in America, his country of citizenship. Watching members of his own family experience police brutality and seeing too many in his community lose their lives over foolishness has led Omékongo to try to speak for all in his local and global community who believe they do not have a voice. His inspiration comes from his parents first and foremost, who taught him to always be humble and only hate evil, not the people who practice it. In terms of poetry, Omékongo has been inspired by many but cites Dr. Maya Angelou, Nikki Giovanni, Amiri Baraka, and Abiodun Oyewole as his primary influences. The shining faces of our future that he has worked with over the years also inspire him.

He writes to encourage dialogue, to bring communities together, and to make people think outside the box. This has led him to performances across the nation and around the world in countries such as South Africa, England, France, Congo-Kinshasa, Tanzania, Cuba, and Canada. He has also shared his poetry on radio and TV through such networks as BET, BBC, NPR, and Voice of America in over 150 countries. He writes and performs in English, French and Swahili, and has also blended Wolof into some of his poetry. He states that: “The stage is my pulpit, the pen is my temple, the paper is my sanctuary, these poems are confessionals, and my heart is my faith.” Omékongo is most proud of his family and their accomplishments, the perseverance of African people worldwide, and his marriage to Kendra, his first and only love who he has been with since the 11th grade (1994), and their 2 children, Ngolela and Ndeji! His key to a successful relationship: “You must grow together and challenge each other.” He has shared the stage with Les Brown, Willie Jolley, Sonia Sanchez, Amiri Baraka, Dennis Brutus, The Last Poets, Askia Touré, Awilo, Felix Wazekwa, OutKast, Wyclef Jean, Reverend Run, Free, and Cousin Jeff. Les Brown was so impressed by Omékongo that he invited Omékongo to join his Platinum Speakers Network. He is an original board member of the Origination Cultural Arts Center. He has released 4 spoken word and hip-hop CDs. The first CD, “A Young Black Man’s Anthem: Love, Afrika, and Revolution Revisited” won the 2003 Cambridge Poetry Award for “Best CD”. His second enhanced CD, “Signs of the Time” was released in 2003. He is also a nominee for New England’s Urban Music Award for “Best Poet.” His first book of poems, From the Limbs of my Poetree, was published in 2004 through Free Your Mind Publishing, which Omékongo founded in early 2004. The book also features a special edition 90-minute DVD.

Omékongo’s second book is an anthology of 8th grade students from Westland Middle School in Bethesda, MD. The book is entitled: Poems From the Future: Poetic Reflections From the Next Generation. His third book is by M.D. Dibinga is entitled “Put Your Shoes On! A step by step guide for Youth Entering the Workforce.” In an attempt to make a positive contribution to hip-hop music, Omékongo released 2 mixtapes in 2005 and 2008 entitled “Bootleg,” & “Bootleg II” where he remixed original work by Tupac, Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Nas, Kanye West and others. The goal was to show young people that they can rap like their favorite artists but not curse or disrespect women. His most recent CD: “Reality Show,” is Omékongo’s first hybrid spoken word and hip-hop CD. Omékongo was a member of the 2001 & 2003 Lizard Lounge Slam Team and has been published in Essence Magazine, as well as several poetry anthologies. A dedicated educator and community activist for over 20 years, Omékongo plans to continue focusing on bridge building between young Africans throughout the Diaspora and improving cultural understanding among all of humanity’s children, because, as Omékongo believes: “We are only as humane as our most inhumane soul.”

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Arthur Collins – 12

A poet who believes that there is extraordinary power in words and considers his poetry to be socially conscious as well as entertaining. He hopes that his poetry will motivate action, provoke thought, and stimulate the mind of the reader or listener.

Growing up in the Four Corner section of Boston, Art was heavily influenced by local groups like the Almighty RSO (Made Men) and Joint Ventures. Writing and reciting rhymes started out as a hobby but soon became a habit.

As a teenager, Art along with four life long-friends created the rap group, Bad Luck Products which soon became known as Twisted Angles.

It wasn’t until 1991 when the most of the group headed off to Clark Atlanta University in Georgia before real signs of success began to show. While there, Twisted Angles was accepted into a national family of diehard Hip-Hop heads called the S.O.L.A.R (Sons Of Light Allah’s Reflection) PANEL which included artists from Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, and Atlanta. During the early 90’s, Art and the group Twisted Angles had ongoing guest appearances on WRFG (89.3 fm) where the S.O.L.A.R PANEL aired a weekly radio show called the ‘Panther Power Hour”.

Throughout his career as a poet/rapper, Art has performed with many notable artists such as KRS-One, Heather B, Pharcyde, and X-Clan. In 1998, after being invited to the Cantab Lounge Poetry Slam, Art established himself as serious poet and spoken word artist. His love for Hip-Hop and poetry progressed quickly and Art gained local recognition and popularity through one of Boston’s premiere poetry and spoken word venues, Afrocentric’s.

Today, Art continues to write and perform his unique style of poetry with the aspirations of reaching a global audience. He looks forward to securing a spot on future Boston Poetry Slam teams.

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Cantab Lounge Poetry Slam Team – 19

Maxwell R. Kessler is a native Idahoan, proud of his Rocky Mountain roots. He started writing poetry when he sang for the heavy metal band Bedlam his sophomore year of high school. He first slammed (and lost) at the Cantab Lounge four years ago. Since then, he has been a member of two Emerson College Slam Teams, including The Gringo Choir and the CUPSI 2009 Finalists, the /B/ Team. He helped found and run the Emerson Poetry Project, a weekly poetry reading at Emerson College. He considers himself quite lucky and extremely blessed to be on the Cantab team.

Omoizele Okoawo (”Oz”) has been a force in poetry slam for nearly a decade, both as remarkable performer and talented coach. A perennial team semi-finalist at the National Poetry Slam, he placed in the top ten individually ranked poets in the 2007 competition. This marks his third year on the Cantab team.

Sean Patrick Conlon is a dedicated student of the page and a firm believer in the power of spoken word. As SlamMaster of the Hampshire College Slam Collective, Sean founded the first Nationally Certified spoken word venue based on a college campus, and has coached teams in two national competitions. Cantab Rookie of the Year for 2005, this is Sean’s first year on the Cantab team.

Carlos Williams (a.k.a. Los! a.k.a. Lo-Down a.k.a. Billiams a.k.a. Thrilliams a.k.a. The Kid), was a member of the 2008 and 2009 Emerson College Slam Team and winner of “Best Male Poet” at the 2009 College Nationals. This is his rookie year on the Cantab Slam team since he stepped through the doors and became an irregular regular four years ago.

Brian S. Ellis has been performing poetry in the New England area for four years and has been traveling nationally for two. He’s been a member of the Cantab Lounge Slam team since two thousand and six and has represented the venue at the the Individual World Poetry Slam. His first full book of poems was published in two thousand eight with Write Bloody Books. He has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize twice.

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Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam Team – 26

2009 Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam Team

Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo is one of the most sought after poetry slammers in the country and a recipient of the 2008 National Performance Network/NCCC Artist of Color Residency Award.

Among her lists of credits is being asked to compose and perform a poem for a dinner event hosted for Paul Kagame, the President of Rwanda, being commissioned by Discovery Channel for their 2008 brand campaign, being commissioned by a top-twenty ad agency to write a piece for a diversity training tool, gracing the inaugural cover of the magazine Leverage, receiving a 2007 Massachusetts Industry Committee Hip-Hop Award for Spoken Word Artist of the year, and a New England Urban Music Award for the Best Female Spoken Word Poet of 2006. .

A 2x National Poetry Slam Individual Finalist, Iyeoka is also the only member of the nationally competing Boston Lizard Lounge Slam team to have earned her position seven years in a row.

Harlym 125, born Jamele Adams, has made a name for himself as an educator, activist, romantic, entertainer, poet and actor who lives the art form with conviction towards preserving its purity?artistic freedom and creativity. and/or 1two5 he will hurt you, if his team doesn’t get you first. I’m low maintenance and high impact. call me on satans old cell phone number; this is why I’m hot!

Marlon “Inphynit” Carey has been a regular at the Lizard Lounge Poetry Jam since 2001. He has represented for Boston LL for the past seven years. He is a dynamic performer with-well written poetry about a variety of topics and many more songs to sing yet. He is an accomplished singer/songwriter and actor who spends his day teaching in inner city schools. His subjects range from Creative Writing to Hip Hop. His students will tell you “Mr. Marlon is the coolest teacher,” and his fans will say that “he’s a genius.” Take it for what it’s worth. Check the Brotha out.

Nicole Rodriguez, known to most as Cole, is a Boston native. Although she has been writing since adolescence, it=s been only two years since she endeavored spoken word.

A mother, sister, friend, writer, teacher, activist, and lover of rhyme, Cole’s poetic work is a reflection of her life experience and vehement desire to tell the truth out loud. Constantly striving to move minds, her raw delivery has captured audience=s attention as a performer at the Nuyorican Cafe, Harvard University and Critical Breakdown, Boston’s only all-ages hip hop event. She has featured for Soulkore and BloodSkinLand Productions, The Providence Black Repertory Company and performed as a part of Rhode Island=s annual Sound Session. Currently, she is a member of Boston=s Lizard Lounge Slam Team. Having competed in the 2008 National Poetry Slam and Individual World Poetry Slam in Charlotte, NC, she heads to West Palm, FL in August to represent the team again. Passionate about working with young people, she performs regularly at community events and conducts workshops for schools in the Greater Boston area. Cole is currently at work on her first book. She loves to dance salsa, is an avid Celtics fan and a beast in the kitchen.

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“The Lizard Lounge is the Blue Note of spoken word. Backed up by The Jeff Robinson Trio, my words felt held, or rather anointed, in the garb of jazz, which, of course, they were. I cannot wait until I can get back!” Award winning poet Taylor Mali