SEATTLE, WA—Seattle Women’s Chorus (SWC) is set to take the stage for the first live performance in more than two years in Voices Rising. All the way back to Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Black women created music that changed the world. Seattle Women’s Chorus honors Rosetta and sings their way through successive generations of uncharted, unparalleled musical territory. The previously canceled concert, originally scheduled for 2020 when arts organizations shut down due to the pandemic, marks the long awaited return to stage for SWC. The collective voices of the women’s chorus are ready to rise once again!
SWC will be feature two guest artists; Naa Akua and Monique Franklin.
A New York born poet, actor, educator, and sound-word practitioner, Naa Akua is Ghanaian/Bajan and queer. Akua uses the vibratory energy of sound and the intent of word as a vehicle towards healing. Akua, former 2019 Citizen University Poet-in-Residence is a Writers in the Schools (Seattle Arts & Lectures) Writer-in-Residence at Franklin High School, Hugo House teacher, and Young Women Empowered (Y-WE) youth facilitator. When Akua is not writing and performing they are facilitating Sound Healing sessions which focus on breathing, being in the body and multi-sensory meditation.
Monique Franklin (Verbal Oasis) is an activist, poet, performer, scientist, and mother from Rainier Valley, Seattle. She has been referred to as “The unofficial poet laureate of South Seattle,” “the Billie Holiday of Spoken Word,” as well as “the Verbal Manifestation of Nina Simone’s Soul” and “High Priestess of prose, poetry and the art of storytelling”. Monique is a 10+ year member of African American Writer’s Alliance and has self-published two volumes of poetry entitled Acoustic Accolades and Erotic Annals of a Poet. She has released three spoken word albums Acoustic Accolades Volume 1, Hot Summer Nights and Mama’z Muezz. All are available on Soundcloud. She currently co-hosts and co-produces Afrodisiac Erotic Poetry Show celebrating the diversity and sexuality of people of color. Her poetry gives voice to social issues, human relationships, tributes to her many influences, and self-discovery. As a performer you can find her poetry commingling with musicians, vocalist and dancers. The subject matter of her poetry stems from the rich spectrum of her life experiences.
Tickets to the performances are $27-$89 and available here.
Date: 5/14/2022
2:00 pm & 7:00 pm