Speak Abu Dhabi: Celebrating the Masters Rumi, Darwish and Baudelaire at the Sorbonne, November 14th 2012

It is truly hard to believe that another Speak Abu Dhabi event is just around the corner.
For those of you who were with us for the first in the series you remember that it is night of Poetry and music. It is a night of words and vibrations.  Mostly though it is a night to remember.
Speak Abu Dhabi is the stage that invites and celebrates all voices. We will be celebrating the Masters Rumi, Darwish and Baudelaire. Their poetry will be recited, sung and celebrated.
Our own poetry of love will be recited in English, French and Arabic. The students of Sorbonne will be reciting as will students from local high schools. Also we will hear the poetry of the men at the labor camps where I recite poetry from time to time at their English classes. And the words of the ladies at the safe houses will be brought to us by our transelator.
The young musicians from Bait Al Oud will be joining us as well as their teachers and Masters.

Please join us for a night to remember and not to forget.
Your presence will make the night happen.

There are 700 seats to fill. No reservations necessary. Free to All.
WE WELCOME YOU

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

FIRST SPEAK ABU DHABI VIDEO

RUMI, DARWISH, BAUDELAIRE & US

Speak Abu Dhabi is a night of live poetry and music.  A night of celebrating inclusion in our city where established poets and authors will share the stage with budding poets from our students at the Paris Sorbonne University and the wider community.  A night where we will travel beyond the boundaries of language through creative collaboration of French, Arabic and English. We will be celebrating our own poetry as well as the Masters Rumi, Darwish and Baudelaire.

Meet some of our poets,

Hamdah Khalfan Al Mansouri

Emirati poet Hamdah has been writing poetry since childhood. For her, poetry has proved to be window to share her emotions, triumphs and a unique perspective from the confines of her wheelchair. Hamdah’s deep and insightful poetry in Arabic soars high with notes of courage and determination, as she takes her audience on her journey of surmounting life’s challenges one day at a time. Today, Hamdah’s poetry is on an enlightening and empowering mission to dissolve the perception of physical obstacles and focus on the limitlessness of a person’s being.

Bahareh

Bahareh Amidi is an Iranian-American poet based in Abu Dhabi. She is the founder of the ‘Speak Abu Dhabi’ series of cultural events. Bahareh has written over 50 collections of spiritual poetry and performed live at prestigious events like Dubomedy Festival, Emirates Literature Festival and Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. Bahareh is being trained in poetry therapy by John Fox, Founder of the Institute of Poetic Medicine, USA, and applying its principles through community service in safe houses for women and workers’ shelters in the UAE.

Paul D

Dorian ‘Paul D’ Rogers is an award-winning poet, certified Language Arts teacher and Hip-Hop artist from Georgia, USA. His unique imagery, word play, concepts, and storytelling abilities have solidified him as one of America’s top performance poets. Paul was recently featured on AIB’s Emmy-nominated “Sound of Youth” television programme for his poetry mentoring in Atlanta area schools. He has a poetry book, a spoken word CD, and four rap albums under his belt, and has shared the stage with Amiri Baraka, Nikki Giovanni, and Stevie Wonder to name a few.

Geeta Chhabra

Geeta Chhabra is an award-winning poet from India, mentored by Nissim Ezekiel. Her English poems have been translated into Arabic and published in Al Thaqafiah, Al Ittihad, Al Bayan, Al Rafed and more.  Her website www.geetachhabra.com was recently awarded the Poets Printery International Best Poetry Web Site Award for Creativity and New Age Poetry. Geeta’s first book An Indian Ode To The Emirates commemorated 40 years of the UAE’s Union and her second book No Journey Ends which is a collection of 61 poems accompanied by prose is due to be released soon. She divides her time between Mumbai and Dubai.