#TaiAllen a singing creative poet: I love being a poet. Yes, I adore singing and designing and production and curating. Still, it all comes back to poetry. It is the form and discipline that sparked my creativity. It is the original creative outlet for my community work and social justice work.
The videos above and below touch on the performance aspect of the work. And, my ability to weave music and poetry with ease. Never forgetting the importance of either is the key.
Some Poems and Writings
Bomb Magazine
God Conscience the Build and Destroy Lesson
1
We build names based on divinity,
then lose our minds to the very brands
we think can save us.
2
At sixteen, I wanted to know how it felt to be a God.
At twenty-five, I’m doing life with two children nine years of age
——
why eye stare at you so much
If your words should suddenly grow wings
and my ears are too slow to net them,
my eyes would be forced to catch
the things you say. So, I’m practicing.
——
Nosotros Necesitamos Zapatos Para Zapatistas
Federico Perez aka Tai Allen
They walk to the square on brown and green feet
to find honest men among the criminals (masquerading politicians)
with abuelas raped by the system (savaging
the soil that holds the old souls of warriors)
who still would die to kill conquistadores.
Creative: I am a poet. I am a singer. I love to create poems and songs. I love to perform both. And, when at my best, I combine the two art forms to entertain or engage. Since 1995, my first form of employment has been creative,
My first collection, No Jewels (Flowered Concrete) 2018, is a conversation starter. It was born out of a conversation with the great Patricia Spears Jones (poet / educator / Jackson Prize Winner / current New York State Poet) while reviewing a book I wrote for another press. This book of 20 poems will offer my personal view of abuse and oppression. It will detail how innocence is easily lost and emergence is difficult but important. I was penned for men, Black & Brown men. Yet. a story of challenges being overcome is healthy for all souls
I am blessed to know we reached thousands. And outlets like Colorlines, Talib Kweli’s book club & Okayplayer believed in the vision — book and book soundtrack.
The ability to play MUSIC is an advantage. It is a birthright. Jazz and blues are my band’s foundations. Soul is found in the cells. And, hip-hop is our childhood. We play music out of ove.
Great conversation about this video and song on IG. A blooper turned into a fun and energy fill tune: Senor Blues…
I was hosting. The post-show cipher became a little dicey. I jumped in…
Places we have rocked, with love: Brooklyn Museum (First Saturdays) | BAMCafe – Brooklyn | Art of Cool – Durham, NC | Miller Theater – Columbia Univ | Beyu Caffe – NC | The Nash – Arizona | Lincoln Center Atrium – NYC | American Jazz Museum – KC | Charles Wright Museum – Detroit | Apollo Theater – Music Cafe/SoundStage | Clement’s Place – NJ/Rutgers Univ | The Nile River – Springfield, MA | Nublu – NYC | The B-Side – Miami | SoHo House – NYC | Vocab – Indianapolis | and more…
And, we like to educate our people with our workshops: The Sample Sale Workshop is a group conversation of (1) the influences of jazz, soul and classic samples; (2) a dive into the future of the culture — gender, styles, equity, control & MUSIC. No story can be only old tales and foggy memories!
And, (3) we bring to life a story that is local and important to the first fifty years. All are welcome but we wish for options with schools and youth organizations.
– UConn | New Jersey City University | UNC- Chapel Hill | New York City High Schools | NC Climate Conference | Mariners – Detroit | and more
We craft shows that execute the musical and cultural legacy of modern music.
– The obvious influence of jazz and soul on Common, Lauryn Hill & Mos Def
– Bad Boy vs The Roc using edgy R&B, Soul & Funk
– West Coast & GFunk traditions that took us from Stax to P-Funk to vocoders
We want folks to moooove. Jazz, according to my momma, is also about moving feet and butts. This leads to a chair dance or a foot-slide across the floor; on the grass; atop the wide stage; gravel for a block party; or, inside a dim lit club.
The team looks forward to talking to you about the future now and classic today of music.
(e) – tai@vicelounge.com
Bonus… I am a published, awarded, book having, agent repped poet… #ShamelessPlug