Brave New Voices 2010 ~ World Youth Slam Championships

ABQ Unidos, youth slammers, speaking for New Mexico at Brave New Voices in Los Angeles last week, finished third in the world. As previously posted, the youth team, Reed Adair, Khalid Binsunni, Eva Crespin, Mickey Figueroa and Olivia Gatwood, will be the featured group at Picnic 2010.

NM Slam poet and 2205 National Champion, Kenn Rodriguez, reporting on Facebook:

Saturday: The ABQ UNIDOS youth team took 3rd place at last night's Youth Speaks - Brave New Voices 2010 Grand Slam Finals in Los Angeles. Way to rep the 505! And congrats to the champs NYC - Urban Word, 2nd place Youth Speaks Bay Area & our sister city, Denver who finished 4th after a stunning display! We love you 303!

Slam update

Slamming the week away & ABQ Youth Slam-off recap, from from "MAS Poetry de ABQ"

The Abqq slamscape is down to the last five qualifying slams for the 2009 ABQ GRAND SLAM, Sat. April 11, NHCC's Bank of America Theater.

Two more qualifying slams this week:

1. POETRY and BEER, Wed. March 4 at Blackbird Buvette Downtown; 8 pm (sign-up at 7:30) featuring touring Texas poets Colin Gilbert & Steven Sargeant plus the world famous poetry slam (head-to-head "Boston" style) and the judged open-mic!
2. Also this week is FIRST FRIDAY, the enormously popular all-ages slam, Fri. March 6 at Winning Coffee Co. near UNM; 7:30 pm (sign-up 7 pm, music starts at 6:30 pm with DJ Smartiepants) with the WAREHOUSE 508 SHOWCASE feat. Houston slam champ Seth Walker plus the world famous poetry slam and open-mic.
   

Youth Slam-off recap:

Over 150 people watched 18 slammers battle to gain a spot on the 2009 ABQ Unidos youth poetry slam team. REED BOBROFF, who attends the Native American Community Academy in SE ABQ, took the top spot to earn his first ABQ Youth Slam Championship. Also making the team were fellow NACA slammer ALECIA LIRZANO, ABQ High's MICKEY FIGEUROA, CNM students ANTONIO RAEL and SARAH TAFOYA as well as UNM student CHASE KOLOSY (from the 2007 ABQ Unidos team and the only returning member of a previous team).

The youth team now begins preparations for the international BRAVE NEW VOICES youth poetry slam and poetry conference being held this July in Chicago. The team is slated to host its first fundraiser at the first ever POETRY PROM at the First Friday slam on Fri. April 3 at Winning Coffee Co. If you'd like to donate to the ABQ Unidos team, contact team manager/asst. coach Kenn Rodriguez at 505.379.2666 or by email, kenn@abqslams.org.

Can't make it in? Or can but not familiar with slam poetry and would rather not spew CO2 for something you're not sure you'll enjoy? Here's an easy solution: oodles of slam videos on YouTube. Slam poetry is for listening and watching, not reading in silent solitude.