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LOCAL Announcement :: Peace

Midwest Convergence: Urban Folk-Poetry Meets Hip Hop Blues

Detroit's own Blair and William Copeland join Chicago Musicians Michaela Marchi and Joe Reilly & the Faith Project.
The Uncommon Ground Coffee House will be stirring with the powerful songs and poems of dissent, hope, and cultural strength.
Friday March 18 8pm
1214 W. Grace Street
Friday March 18th, 2005
BLAIR
Joe Reilly and the Faith Project
with Special Guests Detroit poet emcee William Copeland (Namaste Brown) and Chicago Singer and Songwriter Michaela Marchi
8-11pm @ Uncommon Ground Coffee House
1214 West Grace Street, Chicago 60613, Call (773)929-3680 for reservations and secure a seat!
$10 sliding scale admission (pay what you can afford)

BLAIR is an award winning self described Urban Folk Poet/Singer/Songwriter from Detroit, MI. In the words of Metro Times journalist Melissa Giannini, "Blair focuses his work on the hope that rises from the ashes of despair." BLAIR is a 2002 NATIONAL POETRY SLAM CHAMPION-Team Detroit, New York Bowery Poetry Club Queer Slam Champion 2003. In addition to being Poetry Editor of The Furnace Magazine, Blair is also a poetry instructor in Detroit Public Schools as part of the city's Inside Out Literary Arts Project. He is the January 2005 HBO Def Poerty Jam Featured Poet. www.blairpoetry.com

Joe Reilly has been a singer, songwriter, and guitarist for twelve years and has extensive performance and touring experience, bringing messages of hope and peace in his songs to audiences in the Midwest and across the United States. His background in the study and performance of many different musical styles, including Native American music, folk, blues, jazz, liturgical, and classical, as well as academic studies in environmental justice and racism and his spiritual roots in Catholicism and Native American religions has led to a writing style that incorporates these diverse influences into a unique and powerful voice. It is a creative and honest voice that calls for holistic healing of our society for the benefit of future generations. Joe's current band, The Faith Project, includes bassist Alejandro Cornejo, percussionist Camelo Romelus, and drummer Jon Faro. www.spiritboy.org

> Detroit, William Copeland is a poet, emcee, and community organizer. He works at the Ginsberg Center for Community Service and Learning at the University of Michigan. As a board member of the Boggs Center to Nurture Community Leadership, he is one of the founders of the Detroit Artist Activist Community Dialogues. He is an organizer of Detroit Summer’s Poetry for Social Change workshop, helping teens and young adults find and refine their creative voices to take a critical look at the community trends that affect them. They develop leadership as they create their own music and theater performances. William is also a poet who hosts hip hop and poetry sessions, and has performed for diverse youth, community, and school audiences.

Michaela Marchi began her formal artistic training at the age of 14 at the Chicago Academy for the Arts focusing on voice performance, piano and composition. In college, she specialized in ethnomusicology, language systems and education. Marchi is of Italian, Filipina and Isleta Pueblo heritage and performs regularly as a vocalist in various genres including opera, jazz, R&B, musical theater, blues, alternative folk and world fusion.
 
 

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