Poetry Electric: These Red Lights Were Made 4 Us To Make Them Green

Omega “Cipherella” Born is an American musician, song-writer, composer, activist, and humanitarian. Born in Huntsville, AL but raised in the Crimson Nation of Tuscaloosa, AL. Music became a part of her life at an early age. Seven years young, she picked up an electric guitar and joined a summer camp program- formed by Blues Legends Debbie Bond and Willie King, called the Blues Camp Kids. She progressed so well as a guitar player that she was given a Fender guitar by the great Deborah Coleman, who said Omega reminded her of herself. Taking heed to what Deborah had spoken, Omega decided to sing, play, and dabble in writing. The results lead her to center stage in Memphis, TN playing with the infamous B.B. King. As she grew up and started working less on music and more on life, she realized that they are one in the same. In an interview with HipHopWeekly she says ” I have made a conscious decision to liberate the minds through music. Hip Hop has chosen me to be a pioneer for her resurrection, bringing her purest essence of self-expression. In doing so I have embraced the arts of emcee’ing, DJ’ing, producing, engineering, writing, dancing, and most importantly living.”-2008. Those who have followed her career can understand why she credits her unique style to being introduced to a wide spectrum of “scientist” who uses music as a form of liberation. Comparable to Bahamadia, Omega says that she gains inspiration from a wide range of artists like KRS-One, Tupac, Erykah Badu, Tribe Called Quest, Queen Latifah, Missy Elliot, and Outkast; just to name a few. In the last two years, Omega has traveled to California where she was the opening act for KRS-One; Dallas, Texas where she shared the stage with Jean Grae and 9th Wonder  and the featured act in numerous showcases in the city of New York-which is where she has recently sought refuge.

Happy Accident (Anna Diorio) is a multi-faceted songstress and wordsmith, with roots in Jazz and branches in Hip Hop. The words and sounds are intended to tickle the soul, uplift the mind, and inspire the heart to new depths and heights of expression. Anna has completed her first EP, “In No Sense, Lost” in November, with a full-length album to be released through New Artist Records in January 2016. Deeply moved by ancient wisdom in all her work and play, Anna leads a Shamanic drum journey circle at her home in Bushwick, the RAKit Club, a space for Random Acts of Kindness. For more information, please visit www.annamdiorio.com.

Kate Hess (Indigo Moon) is a lyricist, spoken word artist, vocalist, activist, choreographer, inspirational speaker, photographer, and writer of rhetoric. Some of the topics she speaks on are Empowerment, Consciousness, and Sociopolitical Constructs, shedding light on concepts that need surfacing; interweaving luscious imagery with her words and vocal sounds. Her first poem was published at the age of 11. She grew up studying classical piano for six years along with dance, and extensive vocal training and acting. She got accepted to the BFA Musical Theatre program at Emerson College in 2003 and studied theatre/media arts/radio.  In 2005 she attended the experimental theatre program, Trinity/La Mama E.T.C. She then started performing in the NYC poetry clubs, while singing background vocals for reggae and African bands, such as Sekouba & The Bolomba Band (2011). Kate started her band/collective, Moon Frequentzy, in 2013, with the help of guitarist, Gabriel Gordon (Natalie Merchant), backing her up. She is currently finishing her first EP entitled, “Lucid Earth,” with a tribal/hip hop/dub producer named Srikalogy. She founded her dance collective, Earth Vibration Dancers in the spring of 2014. Besides that, she works as a Freelance Event & Nightlife Photographer. Her mission is to stand up for injustice, be a voice to the voiceless, and empower others, especially the underserved, through the use of counseling, voice and movement. Besides that, to continue being a Vessel, channeling all that comes in, and allowing it to flow through the mediums of poetry, lyricism, music, storytelling, and choreography, into experiential soundscape performances igniting all the senses.  Her work is a birthing process of her life experience for cathartic transformation of herself and others.  “If you don’t enjoy the process, choose a different path. The ‘process’ is the result.

James Peach McClory is a husband, spoken word artist, Bronx Court Officer, community activist, youth mentor and published author of the book, ” Rooftop Reflections….Lessons Learned from the Outside Looking In,” all rolled up into one. As a former “Youthful Offender” and now Law Enforcement Officer, his style of poetry adds to the ability of seeing not only both sides of the coin, but also speaking from personal experience. He has performed and featured at countless poetry venues and is a board member of LatinosNYC, a non for profit organization dedicated to community enrichment and activism. He is also a member of the Full Circle Ensemble, a writing/poetry family made up of poets, writers, actors and curators, embracing the love of word through community support and the founder of JesPeachy Productions, a grassroots movement taking the underground eclectic artists to the forefront in order to provoke love, light, and community thru acts of paying the arts forward.

Libby Mislan is a performance poet who draws inspiration from nature, social issues, the body, folk tales and other human stories. Sensory detail, vivid description, and rhyme give her poetry visceral and musical qualities. Through developing work inspired by theme-based research, centralizing the role of community in the artistic process, playing with the rhythm and musicality of words, and collaborating with musicians and dancers, Libby wishes to develop and push the boundaries of the poetic experience. To watch and read her work, visit www.libbylapoet.tumblr.com.

Andres Chulisi Rodriguez is an award winning actor, self published author of his book, “Slips, Trips and Falls,” a collection of personal essays and poetry. A performance poet and facilitator to acting and writing workshops, he has produced and directed a comedy troupe, LoseControltv, which can be found on youtube. His one man show, “I’m Just Saying,” sold out National Black Theater this September and will be back on stage in Feb 2016. Brooklyn born and raised, he now resides in Harlem and is a facilitator to Full Circle Ensemble- a group of writers from the Bronx. He is in the works on a webisode he wrote called, “Girl Talk.”

WhyNotShowLove is an intergalactic artist who’s spaceship crash landed in Jamaica, Queens. He was sent here to transmit love and refine himself and others through the arts. Evidence of this can be found at www.whynotshowlove.com and www.beatnyc.org.