Tuesday, October 30, 2012

LONDON: Bones Will Crow – Burmese poetry


Wednesday, October 31st, 2012, 6pm, £3 on the door

Free Word Centre,
60 Farringdon Road,
EC1R 3GA (nearest tube: Chancery Lane)

Thitsar Ni, Khin Aung Aye and Eaindra will read and discuss their work with Bones Will Crow: 15 Contemporary Burmese Poets co-editor and co-translator James Byrne. Special guests are Htein Lin and Ruth Padel. This is a celebratory evening of Burmese performance, film, photography and poetry.

Bones Will Crow (Arc Publications, 2012) is the first anthology of contemporary Burmese poets published in the West, and includes the work of Burmese poets who have been in exile and in prison. The poems include global references from a culture in which foreign books and the internet are regarded with suspicion and where censorship is an industry. The poets have been ingenious in their use of metaphor to escape surveillance and censorship, writing post-modern, avant-garde, performance and online poetries. 

LONDON: Antonia Moura


Wednesday, October 31st, 2012, 5pm, FREE

King's College Brazil Institute,
Strand,
WC2R 2LS (nearest tube: Temple)

Satiricial, spiritual and political, Brazilian poet Antônio Moura launches a week of readings from his new book with Arc Publications, Silence River. He will be accompanied by his translator Stefan Tobler and introduced by Arc's managing editor Tony Ward. An energetic evening!

Antônio Moura is considered to be among the most resilient of Brazilian poets writing today. He has published two previous books of original poetry in Brazil as well as a translation into Portuguese of the Madagascan poet Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo. His poems have also appeared in many Brazilian journals and newspapers, as well as in a number of contemporary anthologies in Brazil and abroad. He is currently being translated into Spanish, Catalan, German and English. Earlier versions of some translations in this collection have appeared in the UK journals Shearsman and Modern Poetry in Translation, as well as in Crossing / Travessia, a pamphlet from the São Paulo small press Arqueria Editorial.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

LONDON: Jazz Verse Jukebox


Sunday, 11th November, 2012, doors open 6.30pm, show from 7.30pm, £8 (tickets available on the door only)
Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club (Upstairs),
47 Frith Street,
London
W1D 4HT
Tube: Tottenham Court Road or Leicester Square


On Sunday 11th November, the Jazz Verse Jukebox celebrates the London Jazz Festival with special guests poets Malika Booker, Keith Jarrett, HKB FiNN, storyteller Rachel Rose Reid plus music from South African jazz songstress Nicola Emmanuelle.

Since its inception in 2009, the Jazz Verse Jukebox (the brainchild of broadcaster and vocalist Jumoké Fashola), has welcomed established poets and musicians such as Lemn Sissay, Soweto Kinch, Michael Horovitz, David Grant, Anthony Joseph, Jacob Sam-La Rose & Katrina Naomi. Join us for what promises to be a thrilling night of diverse spoken word and jazz from some of the freshest exponents on the scene. With cushions to lounge on, cocktails to imbibe & surprises, this is one night not to miss!


PLUS Jukebox Open Mic:
Come & sing with our amazing house band (Simon Wallace-Piano/ Oli Hayhurst-Bass/ Winston Clifford-Drums) or perform some poetry.

Compered by & with music from Jumoké Fashola


LONDON: Velvet Tongue


Monday, 29th October, 2012, 7pm, £3 / free for performers

Bar Kick
127 Shoreditch High Street,
E1 6JE,
London
Entry: 
Contact: 07733263823 or ernesto@sarezale.com
Nearest tube stations: Old Street/Liverpool Street - Overground: Shoreditch High Street

VELVET TONGUE (Erotic Literary Soiree): pre-Halloween edition
In its pre-Halloween edition, Velvet Tongue explores the darker side of desire, celebrating supernatural erotica and the intimate links between death, sex and pain...

Hosted by Erotic Award winning poet, Ernesto Sarezale (http://www.sarezale.com/).

This autumn our featured writers are:
K D Grace (http://kdgrace.co.uk/), novelist

Special appearances: 
Rubyyy Jones' literary burlesque (http://rubyyyjones.wordpress.com/) & Itzi Urrutia's performance art (http://uc-sc-femdom.com/)

Plus the usual open mic slots and other surprises still to be confirmed. To get one of the OPEN MIC slots (5 mins): email ernesto@sarezale.com - Open mic participants get in for FREE. 

Friday, October 26, 2012

INTERMISSION

Updates to Poets On Fire are likely to be fairly sporadic until November 9th - if you've already sent items to be listed, they will appear two weeks ahead of the event.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

GALWAY: October Over The Edge Open Reading


Thursday, October 25th, 2012, 6.30-8pm, FREE

Galway City Library

The Featured Readers are Patrick Chapman, Aoibheann McCann and Cormac Culkeen. There will as usual be an open-mic after the Featured Readers have finished. New readers are especially welcome.

Cormac Culkeen is a writer of poetry, fiction and short stories from Dunmore, Co. Galway. He discovered the power of the written word in National School when he wrote a poem and his teacher stopped threatening him because of it. He has two dogs who obey nobody else when he's at home and a family who keep at him to better himself. Some years ago his work was published in The Burning Bush literary magazine. He lives and works in Galway and has recently been attending creative writing classes at Galway Technical Institute.

Aoibheann McCann is a native of County Donegal. She moved to Galway in 1992 where she attended NUI Galway. She published her first poem in 1995 in The Edge and went on to write the ‘Blow-In’s Guide to Galway’ column in Galway Xposed, followed by the ‘Let’s Talk About…’ column in The Galway Independent. She has been working on her first novel, ‘Hippocampus’, for the past eight years.

Patrick Chapman was born in 1968. He lives in Dublin. His poetry collections are Jazztown (Raven Arts Press, Dublin, 1991), The New Pornography (Salmon Poetry), Breaking Hearts and Traffic Lights (Salmon Poetry, 2007), A Shopping Mall on Mars (BlazeVOX [Books], Buffalo, 2008) and The Darwin Vampires (Salmon Poetry, 2010). His collection of short stories is The Wow Signal (Bluechrome, UK, 2007). Also a scriptwriter, he adapted his own published story for Burning the Bed (2003). Directed by Denis McArdle, this award-winning film starred Gina McKee and Aidan Gillen. He has written episodes of the children’s animated television series Garth & Bev (Kavaleer, 2009); and a Doctor Who audio play, Fear of the Daleks (Big Finish, 2007).  His story ‘A Ghost’ won first prize in the Cinescape Genre Literary Competition. In 2010 his work was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Patrick’s latest collection of poetry A Promiscuity of Spines: New & Selected Poems is just published by Salmon Poetry.

As usual there will be an open-mic after the Featured Readers have finished. New readers are always most welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details phone 087-6431748.

Over The Edge acknowledges the ongoing generous financial support of Galway City Council & The Arts Council. http://overtheedgeliteraryevents.blogspot.com 

LONDON: Arc Poets Bejan Matur & Katherine Gallagher


Thursday, 25th October, 2012, 6.30pm, FREE

Wood Green Library,
187-197A High Road,
Wood Green,
N22 6XD (nearest tube: Wood Green)

Arc Poets Bejan Matur and Katherine Gallagher at the Bejan Matur closes a week-long UK reading tour alongside Australian-born Arc poet Katherine Gallagher. This pairing of two spirited poets will make for an evening of sensuality and heat, a shimmering intensity of wordplay, mythologies and idiosyncratic humour. There will be an informal Q&A after the reading.

Bejan Matur comes highly endorsed by Orhan Pamuk and John Berger, and is a charismatic reader. Her latest book, How Abraham Abandoned Me, is a philosophical pilgrimage in the Anatolian desert, rich in Islamic iconography. Currently, Matur devotes all her time to writing poetry, and contributes to an internet journal and newspapers, writing on Kurdish politics, Armenian and women issues.

Katherine Gallagher has read her poetry at festivals and universities in the UK, Australia, Germany, Italy and France and her poems have been translated into French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Romanian and Serbian. She is currently a member of the Editorial Board of Writing in Education.  In 1978, she was awarded a Writer’s Fellowship from the Literature Board, Australia Council, and in 1981, she won the Brisbane Warana Poetry Prize. Her book Passengers to the City (Hale & Iremonger, Sydney, 1985) was shortlisted for the John Bray National Poetry Award.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

LONDON: Bones Will Crow: Burmese poets Thitsar Ni and Eaindra


Wednesday, 24th October, 2012, 7.30pm, suggested contribution of £5

School of Oriental and African Studies,
Thornhaugh Street,
Russell Square,
WC1H 0XG (nearest tube: Russell Square)

Bones Will Crow: Burmese poets Thitsar Ni and Eaindra and co-editor of Bones Will CrowJames Byrne, read from Arc Publications' new Burmese anthology.

This historic event marks the beginning of a UK tour celebrating the publication of Bones Will Crow: 15 Contemporary Burmese Poets (Arc Publications, 2012), the first anthology of contemporary Burmese poetry published in the West.

The evening will combine readings in Burmese and English with a discussion on censorship, Burmese literary tradition and post-modern and avant-garde poetries.

At a turning point in Burmese history, this evening will contribute to the intercultural dialogue between Burmese poets and English language readers. Thitsar Ni and Eaindra will read and discuss their work with Bones Will Crow co-editor and co-translator James Byrne.

With special guests Fergal Keane, Ruth Padel and Htein Lin, and introduced by Justin Watkins – Department of the Languages and Cultures of South East Asia, SOAS

Supported by English PEN and Arts Council England (Lottery funded)

Monday, October 22, 2012

DULWICH: Christopher Reid and Sam Riviere


Tuesday, 23rd October, 2012, 7.30 pm, £5, redeemable against either Nonsense or 81 Austerities
Dulwich Books,
6 Croxted Road,
Dulwich,
SE21 8SW
tel: 020 8670 1920
website: www.dulwichbooks.co.uk
email: dulwichbooks@yahoo.co.uk

Faber Poets at Dulwich Books: Christopher Reid and Sam Riviere

Christopher Reid and Sam Riviere, two of Faber’s most accomplished poets, will be reading from their new work at Dulwich Books.

Christopher Reid has been a presence on the British poetry scene since his award-winning first collection, Arcadia, in 1979. One of the founders of the ‘Martian’ school of poetry, his recent long poem in memory of his wife, A Scattering, received the Costa Prize for Poetry in 2009. His new collection Nonsense is formally adventurous, the first half taken up with a single narrative poem in which a widowed  academic, Professor Winterthorn, flies across the world to attend a conference on the topic of ‘Nonsense and the Pursuit of Futility.’ A funny and expansive collection, Nonsense shows Reid on fine form.

Sam Riviere has been a strident new voice in London poetry for the last couple of years, and 81 Austerities is his first full-length collection. The book is a sideways response to government austerity measures and very much of its moment. ‘Adversity in the Arts’ could sum up both the vitality and difficulty of writing in Britain at present: ‘it’s no exaggeration to say that/there are not enough minutes/in the day to give each the attention/they undoubtedly deserve.’  

Reserve tickets ahead of time in person, write to us at dulwichbooks@yahoo.co.uk or call us on 020 8670 1920. Refreshments will be included.

Tickets are available from Dulwich Books or online from http://faberpoets.eventbrite.co.uk.

P.S. We’ll also be selling all poetry at a 20% discount on the night, so it’s a good chance to stock up!

Twitter: @dulwichbooks www.facebook.com/dulwichbooks
Rail: Within 15 minutes from West Dulwich, Tulse Hill or West Norwood 
Bus: On number 3 Bus Route. Park Hall Rd. Stop.

Friday, October 19, 2012

LONDON: Camden Poetry Series


Friday, 2nd November, 2012, 7pm, (doors open 6.30pm), £5/£4, Wine 
Trinity United Reform Church,
1 Buck Street,
Camden Town
1-2 mins. Camden Town tube

Ruth O'Callaghan presents Ward Wood poets Maggie Butt, Caroline Carver, David Cooke and                     Pam Zinnerman-Hope.

Poets from the floor very welcome. Please bring a copy of the poem if you wish to be considered for the new anthology.


LONDON: Inc. zine's interactive poetry party


Thursday, October 18, 2012

LONDON: Dodo Modern Poets


Friday, 19th October, 2012, 8pm, £6/£5

The Poetry Café
22 Betterton Street,
WC2H 9BX
0207 420 9880
Covent Garden tube

Dodo Modern Poets October Odes, with:

Ardella Jones - wickedly witty diva makes a welcome return.

Graham Buchan - beautifully crafted verse focusing on people and places.

Frances White - showcasing fine work from an imminent anthology.

Patric Cunnane - wisdom and passion from wilder shores.   

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

LONDON: Bones Will Crow – Burmese poetry


Wednesday, October 31st, 2012, 6pm, £3 on the door
Free Word Centre,
60 Farringdon Road,
EC1R 3GA (nearest tube: Chancery Lane)

Thitsar Ni, Khin Aung Aye and Eaindra will read and discuss their work with Bones Will Crow: 15 Contemporary Burmese Poets co-editor and co-translator James Byrne. Special guests are Htein Lin and Ruth Padel. This is a celebratory evening of Burmese performance, film, photography and poetry.

Bones Will Crow (Arc Publications, 2012) is the first anthology of contemporary Burmese poets published in the West, and includes the work of Burmese poets who have been in exile and in prison. The poems include global references from a culture in which foreign books and the internet are regarded with suspicion and where censorship is an industry. The poets have been ingenious in their use of metaphor to escape surveillance and censorship, writing post-modern, avant-garde, performance and online poetries. 

GRANGE-OVER-SANDS: Grey Hen Press reading


Thursday, October 18th, 2012, 7pm, FREE

The Library,
Grange Fell Road,
Grange-over-Sands,
Cumbria
LA11 6BQ

A reading, with Geraldine Green and Joy Howard.

http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/libraries/events/eventgroups/etol/gslevents.asp

LONDON: Bejan Matur reading


Thursday, 18th October, 2012, 7pm, FREE

Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Centre,
Maple Street,
W1T 5HA
(nearest tube: Warren Street)

Arc poet Bejan Matur reads from her new collection, How Abraham Abandoned Me. The book is a philosophical pilgrimage in the Anatolian desert, rich in Islamic iconography. It is her second book from Arc Publications

Bejan Matur comes highly endorsed by Orhan Pamuk and John Berger, and is a charismatic reader. Currently, Matur devotes all her time to writing poetry, and contributes to an internet journal and newspapers, writing on Kurdish politics, Armenian and women issues.

She is joined by Rogan Wolf, a poet and mental health social worker, whose poems have been published in the UK and abroad. They will be accompanied by violinist/lutist, Cahit Baylav.

GALWAY: Special Over The Edge: Open Reading


Thursday, October 18th, 2012, 6.30pm-8pm, FREE

Galway City Library

A special Over The Edge: Open Reading as part of the Away with Words festival of creative writing for people with intellectual disabilities will take place on Thursday, October 18th.

Away with Words is an innovative arts project which enables people with intellectual disabilities to explore and develop their creativity through writing. At this year’s Cúirt International Festival, Salmon Poetry launched Jessica Casey and Other Works, a rich collection of stories and poems full of heart, humor and fun - by Away with Words writers. For more about Jessica Casey and Other Works seehttp://www.salmonpoetry.com/details.php?ID=257&a=217

The evening will see readings of their work by the Away with Words writers. They will be assisted in presenting their work by their creative writing tutors Mary Madec, Kevin Higgins & Susan Millar DuMars

FOR FURTHER DETAILS PHONE 087-6431748 or 091-721436.

Away with Words warmly acknowledges the support of the Brothers of Charity, Galway City VEC, Galway City Council & The Arts Council.

LONDON: Antonia Moura


Wednesday, October 31st, 2012, 5pm, FREE
King's College Brazil Institute,
Strand,
WC2R 2LS (nearest tube: Temple)

Satiricial, spiritual and political, Brazilian poet Antônio Moura launches a week of readings from his new book with Arc Publications, Silence River. He will be accompanied by his translator Stefan Tobler and introduced by Arc's managing editor Tony Ward. An energetic evening!

Antônio Moura is considered to be among the most resilient of Brazilian poets writing today. He has published two previous books of original poetry in Brazil as well as a translation into Portuguese of the Madagascan poet Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo. His poems have also appeared in many Brazilian journals and newspapers, as well as in a number of contemporary anthologies in Brazil and abroad. He is currently being translated into Spanish, Catalan, German and English. Earlier versions of some translations in this collection have appeared in the UK journals Shearsman and Modern Poetry in Translation, as well as in Crossing / Travessia, a pamphlet from the São Paulo small press Arqueria Editorial.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

LONDON: Gerður Kristný launch


Wednesday, 17th October, 2012, 5pm, FREE

Icelandic Embassy,
2A Hans Street,
SW1X 0JE (nearest tube: Knightsbridge)

Arc Poet Gerður Kristný launches her new book, Bloodhoof. Iceland's phenomenally energetic young writer has produced 18 books of fiction and non-fiction prose, as well as children's books and poetry, in the 18 years since the appearance of her first. She is launching her new book, published by Arc Publications, Bloodhoof (winner of the Icelandic Literature Prize in 2010) at this special reading at the Embassy of Iceland.

Bloodhoof is the recasting into compulsively spare modern verse of an ancient Eddic poem - but this only begins to hint at its attractions. It is a minimalist epic telling of the abduction of Gerdur Gymisdottir from the land of giants to the court of Freyr of the 'wolf-grey eyes', and the subsequent events culminating in the birth of her son and her hopes of being saved by her own kin.

This event is FREE - if you are interested in attending please RSVP to sarah.arcpublications@gmail.com

Supported by the Icelandic Literature Fund

Monday, October 15, 2012

LONDON: Velvet Tongue


Monday, 29th October, 2012, 7pm, £3 / free for performers
Bar Kick
127 Shoreditch High Street,
E1 6JE,
London
Entry: 
Contact: 07733263823 or ernesto@sarezale.com
Nearest tube stations: Old Street/Liverpool Street - Overground: Shoreditch High Street

VELVET TONGUE (Erotic Literary Soiree): pre-Halloween edition
In its pre-Halloween edition, Velvet Tongue explores the darker side of desire, celebrating supernatural erotica and the intimate links between death, sex and pain...

Hosted by Erotic Award winning poet, Ernesto Sarezale (http://www.sarezale.com/).

This autumn our featured writers are:
- K D Grace (http://kdgrace.co.uk/), novelist

Special appearances: 
Rubyyy Jones' literary burlesque (http://rubyyyjones.wordpress.com/) & Itzi Urrutia's performance art (http://uc-sc-femdom.com/)

Plus the usual open mic slots and other surprises still to be confirmed. To get one of the OPEN MIC slots (5 mins): email ernesto@sarezale.com - Open mic participants get in for FREE. 

LONDON: Lumen Poetry Series


Tuesday, 16th October, 2012, doors open 6.30pm for 7pm, £5/£4, WINE

LUMEN
88 Tavistock Place
WC1

Tubes: Russell Square, Kings Cross, St Pancras.


Ruth O'Callaghan presents Soaring Penguin poets Gillian Henchley, Juli Jana, Judyth Knight, Frances Corkey Thompson.

Poets from the floor very welcome.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

LONDON: Jazz Verse Jukebox


Sunday, 14th October, 2012, Doors open 6.30pm, show from 7.30pm, £8 (on the door only)

Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club (Upstairs),
47 Frith Street,
London
W1D 4HT
Tube: Tottenham Court Road or Leicester Square
Web:www.jumokefashola.com
Email: JazzVerseJukebox@me.com

Jazz Verse Jukebox marks the UK’s 2012 National Poetry Day with special guest poets Katrina Naomi, Phil Lucas, underground hip hop star Breis, plus music from Argentinian jazzer Guillermo Rozenthuler and from Ayo-Dele.

Since its inception in 2009, the Jazz Verse Jukebox, (the brainchild of broadcaster & vocalist Jumoké Fashola), has welcomed established poets & musicians such as Lemn Sissay, Soweto Kinch, Michael Horovitz, David Grant, Anthony Joseph, Jacob Sam-La Rose and Katrina Naomi. Join us for what promises to be a thrilling night of diverse spoken word & jazz from some of the freshest exponents on the scene. With cushions to lunge on, cocktails to imbibe & surprises, this is one night not to miss!


PLUS Jukebox Open Mic:
Come & sing with our amazing house band (Simon Wallace-Piano/ Oli Hayhurst-Bass/ Winston Clifford-Drums) or perform some poetry.

Compered by & with music from Jumoké Fashola


Katrina Naomi’s first full collection, ‘The Girl with the Cactus Handshake’ (Templar Poetry 2009), was shortlisted for the 2010 London New Writing Award and received an Arts Council England writer’s award. She has performed at the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival, the Essex Poetry Festival and the StAnza Poetry Festival, among others. From 2009-10 Katrina was the Brontë Parsonage Museum’s first writer-in-residence and a pamphlet ‘Charlotte Brontë’s Corset’ was published by the Brontë Society in 2010. Katrina won the 2008 Templar Poetry Competition with her pamphlet ‘Lunch at the Elephant & Castle’ and recently received a Hawthornden Fellowship. Katrina was brought up in Margate and lives in south London.

BREIS (pronounced breeze) is a dynamic Hip Hop MC constantly pushing the boundaries of what Hip Hop is and can be. He is also the author of educational Hip Hop book entitled ‘Brilliant Rappers Educate Intelligent Students’. His style is a fusion of Hip Hop, Soul and Afrobeat born out of his experiences growing up in both the UK and Nigeria. He has toured internationally and shared the stage with artists such as Angie Stone, Nneka, Dead Prez, Omar Sosa, and Kim Burrell. He is currently recording material for his debut album.
http://www.breismusic.wordpress.com

Writer, poet and pointless word rambler Phil Lucas is the author of 3 poetry books and one novel.  Before being gifted a publisher and deciding to decamp to Brighton to write full-time he took a somewhat messy journey through employment and real life.  He has run school classes on poetry, been a stand-up comedy poet (he hates that phrase) and had an unhealthy dose of proper and largely pointless jobs too.  His acclaimed 2008 debut novel, Seaside Tales From Asper St Jasper, won him a cult (i.e. small) following and his poems have been peppering all sorts of publications for about 15 years.  He also won a poetry competition a long time ago, but he insists he doesn't want that to persuade you that his work has any merit.
When Phil is not writing his books in cafes he's usually writing all sorts of bits and bobs for magazines and websites in cafes. He also spends a lot of time on Twitter, in cafes. Phil is equally at home writing about them technical aspects of The Channel Tunnel or the potential consequences of owls developing hands.

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Guillermo is a versatile vocalist, guitarist and composer. He is the lead singer of Rioplatenses, a band featuring some of UK’s top Latin musicians. They appear regularly in London, performing Guillermo’s originals and their distinctly contemporary take on traditional South American folklore. Rioplatenses have recently released their first live album, A route to the roots.
Guillermo moved to the UK in 2000 after more than 10 years performing and teaching in Buenos Aires, where he grew his reputation as a jazz and Latin vocalist and voice coach. Now based in London, he regularly takes part in several musical and pedagogic projects across Europe.
Guillermo didn't find tango, tango found him after he moved to Europe. From his home base in London, he has now become one of the leading voices of tango in the UK, working regularly with various UK and Europe-based tango bands, La Portatil, Mala Pinta, Los Mareados.
Formerly the vocalist of outstanding sax player Gilad Atzmon’s Orient House Ensemble, winner of the BBC Jazz awards, Guillermo has recorded in their album, Musik, hailed “Best Jazz album of the Year", (J Lewis, Time Out).
After moving to London, Guillermo immersed himself in the melting pot of European, African and Asian influences that define the musical landscape of the city. In 2007 he has achieved a Masters degree with distinction in Ethnomusicology (Middle Eastern music) at SOAS.

Ayo-Dele is currently working on her project ‘Forever Becoming’ which combines her British and Nigerian influences expressed through songs and stories. Her latest collaboration is Naija, the Musical – a three year development project which she is co-devising and writing with UK based renown freelance theatre practitioner, Femi Elufowoju, jr.
Ayo-Dele Edwards is a London based singer/actress, who from an early age has been surrounded by various genres of music. As the fourth child born to Nigerian parents in London, Ayo-Dele has experienced countless blessings that have molded her into who she is today. Her name means ‘Joy has come home’ in Yoruba, a tribe and language spoken in Nigeria, Western Africa.
At the tender age of four, her family moved back home to Africa, where she adjusted to a new way of life, assimilating a new found culture through formative education and formulating new friendships. Surrounded by eclectic rhythms and sounds, Ayo-Dele became fixated with music a huge cultural signpost at every corner she turned. Merging her British musical repertoire with the African heritage was inevitable and grew into her main passion.