Kamau Daaood
Spoken-word
Poet, community activist & Co-founder of World Stage
Kamau Daaood started
his writing career in the 60's with the Watts Writers
Workshop. Daaood credits Horace Tapscott with being
one of his mentors and has performed regularly with
the Pan Afrikan People's Arkestra since the 60's. For
thirty years now, he has been a presence among Los Angeles
poets.
Dedicated to the
community, he established the World Stage as a place
for artists and musicians to meet/rehearse and share
their work. The workshop–performance space seats only
fifty, but has provided a rehearsal space and a nurturing
environment that has fostered important jazz groups
and served as a performance space for jazz greats such
as Pharoah Sanders & Nina Simone, and poets such
as Pulitzer prize-winner, Yousef Komunyaka. It has
given birth to at least two young jazz groups, Black/Note
and B Sharp Quartet and several poets & novelists,
including Pulitzer prize nominated Ruth Forman, novelist
Jenoyne Adams, & Michael Datcher. During the week,
there are instrumental and vocal workshops, Wednesday
night poetry workshops and Thursday night jam sessions.
When a similar venture, Artworks Four folded, Daaood began the World Stage by gathering $3,000 from a small group of people, including Billy Higgins. Using the stage and the chairs from Artworks Four, The World Stage was born.
Daaood has written two volumes of poetry and has a spoken word CD entitled, "Leimert Park." He performs spoken word poetry with his "Army of Healers" around the world, and has just published his first book of poetry for the renowned "Pocket Poetry" series with City Lights Press to much critical acclaim. |