Thursday, May 14, 2009

Saturday, May 23: Poetry, Funk & Acoustic Blues Take Over BONK!

The next event in the Racine Public Library's "BONK!" performance series will take place on Saturday, May 23 at 6 p.m. This month's BONK! will feature performances from poet Brenda Càrdenas, singer/songwriter Everett Thomas, poet Roberto Harrison, and funk artist Iberia.

Created to expose the public to both local and nationally recognized artistic talents, the series showcases poets, writers, musicians, film makers and other talented artists. A completely free program, this series is located in downtown Racine at the Blueberries Café, 418 Sixth Street. Food and drink are available for purchase at the events. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with seating available on a first come/first served basis. Each BONK! event features a short question and answer session with the artists.

Poet Brenda Cárdenas is a fascinating blend cultures. Born and raised in Milwaukee she embraces her Midwest American upbringing, but is equally as comfortable in the energetic Hispanic community of Chicago's Pilsen/Little Village area where she currently resides. Her poetry reflects this diverse acceptance through both the gentle storytelling quality of her poetry readings and her more "garage band rock" performances with Sonido Ink (quieto). Using her strong belief in "interlingualism", Càrdenas' poetry is a unique blend of the folkloric traditions of her Mexican culture and her own family legends.

Càrdneas holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and is the co-editor of Between the Heart and the Land/Entre el corazón y la tierra: Latina Poets in the Midwest. Her poems have appeared in Bum Rush the Page: A Def Poetry Jam, After Hours: A Journal of Chicago Writing and Arts, RATTLE: Poetry for the 21st Century, Learning by Heart: Contemporary American Poetry about School, Under the Pomegranate Tree: The Best New Latino Erotica, Prairie Schooner, and others.

Cárdenas is currently writing and performing with Sonido Ink(quieto), a Chicago-based Chicano spoken word and music ensemble that recently released its first CD, Chicano, Illnoize: The Blue Island Session.

Funk musician Iberia has a wide and varied background in performance as a vocalist, songwriter, poet and electric/acoustic bass instrumentalist. She has developed her vocal talent through opportunities with groups such as Generations in Jazz, Rhapsodi, and Black Coffee. She has performed with legendary artists such as
Michael Bolton, Lou Rawls, and Cora Coleman and has leant her skills in roles with Howard University Theatre, the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, Hansberry-Sands Theatre Company, Agape Unlimited Minitstries and Still Waters Church International. Her debut album My Turn incorporates elements of jazz, soul, hip-hop and something she likes to call Iberian funk.

Poet Roberto Harrison is the author of Counter Daemons, published by Litmus Press in August, 2006. He was born in Corvallis, Oregon, in 1962, to Panamanian parents. Raised in Delaware, Harrison has lived in various places throughout the United States including Boston, Bloomington, Indiana, San Francisco, and in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he works as a systems librarian. He edits Crayon with Andrew Levy, and the Bronze Skull Press chapbook series. His work has appeared in Talisman, Jacket, New American Writing, Mandorla, Salt (UK), Cordite (Australia), Antennae, and many other journals.

Also sharing the stage with this exciting line-up is local singer/songwriter Everett Thomas. With influences such as gospel, folk and blues, Thomas' music calls to mind the soulful vocals and feel of artists such as Ray LaMontagne. Visit Thomas' Myspace site at www.myspace.com/everettthomasmusic for a preview of the unique music to be offered.

Local artists and performers are encouraged to consider sharing their talent/craft with the community via the BONK! series. For more information on how to participate or to view past performances please
visit http://bonkperformanceseries.wordpress.com. You may also contact the Racine Public Library at 262.619.2571, Becky Spika at becky.spika@racinelibrary.info , or Nick Demske at nick.demske@racinelibrary.info.

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