"WHEN SISTERS SPEAK...TORONTO LISTENS!"
By EvE A. Labi Editor-In-Chief

"Smooth. Powerful. Vocally Dynamic." These heartfelt words of praise (and more) rang through the standing ovations and thunderous applause that brought Up From The Roots Entertainment's 5th Annual When Sisters Speak Spoken Word Concert to a fulfilling end. Audience members at St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts whistled and cheered enthusiastically, as a well-chosen group of some of North America's finest female artists gracefully took their bows -- after a night of performances that incited nothing less than countless demands for encores.

The Sisters of Toronto definitely stole the spotlight for the night -- beginning with Bird of Paradise -- whose powerful stage presence commanded attention, even before she spoke. Opening with a soulful version of "Jesus Walks", the vivacious hairdresser/vocal artist captured evoked bursts of laughter with her wit and timely humour -- by speculating on the number of people who were having sex when last year's tsunami hit. The pieces "Remember Me" and "Time" had the audience testifying with shouts of "Amen!" -- a common reaction to the dynamic diva's spoken-word sermons. And, if Bird of Paradise can preach through poetry, then Motion is definitely a singing street-prophet! Setting the tempo with the melodic sway of her hips, the "ghetto goddess" spun tales of "Music" and "Love", set to the rhythm of city streets. From vivid images of making love on a speeding subway train to the painful plight of baby-mothers keeping vigil outside of T.O.'s prisons, Motion pumped lyrical life through the veins of spoken-word...in perfect "B-Girl" style. But, in the words of poet Tracie Morris, "the rhythm must be on a mission"...which describes "dancer extrordinaire" Tamla Matthews to a "t". Once again pushing the boundaries of artistic ingenuity, the multidisciplinary performed a hip-hop infused piece choreographed by Luther Brown of Do Dat Dance Agency, accompanied by a poignant poem by Queen Sheba. With a single chair as her only prop, the petite, yet powerful, dancer proved that her talents span through several mediums, including classical Afrikan and contemporary urban styles. Backed by rows of audibly supportive family members,

Miss. Camesha Cox coaxed the audience with "The Name Game" -- one of the favoured performer's more popular pieces. Her humble stance disguised the ferocity of her delivery and ability to subtly twist the audience's perception, proven by "Sleeping With Your Fantasy Man" and "The More I Grow". With the familiarity of a woman used to lyrically caressing the mic each and every day, FLOW's own Jemeni put all doubt to rest that she wasn't afraid to confront anyone jeopardizing her territory -- by blatantly asking each Sister -- "Have You Fucked My Man?" After entertaining enthusiasts with pieces like "Patricia", the cultural dilemma of a former "black girl-lost" seeped through in an amazing performance of "Egypt IS In Afrika". So, who else could have stepped up to the mic and sealed Toronto's threshold, but the lovely d'bi young -- a multitalented dub poet, playwright, singer and actress -- who had just finished a five-star performance at Princess of Wales Theatre, as a key character in Trey Anthony's Da Kink In My Hair. With a fire only reserved for Sisters who have "eaten crow and blunder bread", d'bi young defined what it truly means to walk through life with the burdened blessing of being an Afrikan woman. From echoing cries of "Revolution"...to the painful shame of sexual abuse...the gifted ingenuity of d'bi young's artistry left everyone in the room breathless.

Proudly performing in Toronto for the very first time, Milwaukee's Dascha Kelly gracefully took the stage to giver her side of what has proven to be the global Afrikan woman's story. From the misconceptions of falling in love ("These Boots") to the fatal repercussions of reckless driving ("Good Hope Road"). Audience members were moved to tears as the mourning mother haltingly performed a piece written in memory of her son -- Chase Alexander Kelly -- who passed away at four months, due to congenital heart disease...before the new heart he had been scheduled to receive didn't arrive in time (www.chasesgift.com). "Self-love" best described the issues affecting New York's Mahogany Brown. Through her poetry, the chocolate-coloured Sister admitted to being unable to love a Brother because of his dark skin...only to have the sentiments returned by a man who failed to show her love and compassion. But, to counteract the sorrow of love-gone-wrong, all the Sisters in the house (and even some well-versed Brothers) rallied with Mahogany brown to sing a popular song from The Color Purple.

2004 U.S. National Poetry Champion, Sonya Renée, was the night's most anticipated artist. She blew all poetry-enthusiasts away with "The Myth of the Super Black Woman", vocalizing issues that affect Sisters across the globe. Then, the full-figured beauty revealed that she was guilty of once being "Dumb Over Dick", something that any love-struck woman can relate to. Reality set in through the rest of Sonya Renée's performance, as she set the standard for all the females who know they deserve better in a relationship...before ending her performance with a well-received declaration of the power of a self-assured Sister.*

Eve A. Labi is C.E.O. of I.S.I.S. CIRCLE, a multidisciplinary performing arts company dedicated to promoting positive images of Afrikan women, in the media. On Sunday, April 3, celebrate I.S.I.S. CIRCLE's 1st Anniversary with "AFRIKAN QUEENS REIGN SUPREME: Lessons In Womb-New-Versal Law"! Featured Queens for this highly anticipated event include EvE, Tiki Mercury-Clarke, Jemeni, Insight & Golidilok-1, Lady Loxx, Tamla Matthews, Sekert, Queen Nzinga, Amani & Chatta. It all takes place at Club Paradise, 220 Attwell Dr. (Dixon Rd). Doors open @ 4 p.m. for the 5 p.m. celebration. Tickets are $5/advance or $10/door. For more info, contact I.S.I.S. CIRCLE @ (416) 875-5514 or isis_foundation@yahoo.com.