Saved By Faith & Verse W/ Ladan Osman, Abdillahi Ganey, Amjet Kemet, Caasho Baraanbur, Abdi Phenomenal, Ahmed Assad, Asma Farah, Hersi

“What makes poetry such a pervasive force in Somali society? To the Somalis the question is not so difficult to answer: poetry is the medium whereby an individual or a group can present a case most persuasively…For unlike Western poetry, which appears to be primarily the concern of a group of professionals dealing with, more often than not, an esoteric subject matter intended for the members of a secret society, Somali…verse is a living art affecting almost every aspect of life. Its functions are versatile, concerned not only with matters of art and aesthetics but also with questions of social significance. It illuminates culture, society and history.” -Said S. Samatar SALLI - The Somali Arts Language & Leadership Institute presents Saved by Faith & Verse (the Poetic Voices of the Somali Diaspora)- a bilingual project the uses poetry and the spoken word to shed some light on the Somali Diasporic experiences. Come be part of the poetry party with: Ayan Mohamud (Caasho baraanbur) recites a traditional form of Somali poetry called Baraanbur (composed mainly by women). She inherited her poetic gift from her mother and has been reciting since she was a child. She began composing in the U.S. in 2000 and is one of the most requested wedding poet in the state of MN. Asho baraanbur also does motivational poetry in public events. With her poetry she explores themes around the well-being of women and children. Amjet Kemet is a Minneapolis based poet, Abstract Mixed Medium Storytelling artist and a full time community navigator, founder of Project S.E.L.F Citizen Health Action Team the backyard initiative; Also Co-Founder of Nomadic Expressions open mic Abdillahi H. Ganey is a Somali poet, song writer, and community organizer. Currently, he lives with his family in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Recited in the Somali language his poems and songs focus on wide range of topics such as peace, environment, education, good government and overall social justice. Ladan Osman has received fellowships from the Fine Arts Work Center, Cave Canem, the Michener Center for Writers. Her work has appeared in Apogee, The Normal School, Prairie Schooner, Transition Magazine, and Waxwing. Her chapbook, “Ordinary Heaven,” appears in Seven New Generation African Poets, Slapering Hol Press, 2014. Winner of the Sillerman First Book Prize, The Kitchen-Dweller’s Testimony will be published by University of Nebraska Press in April 2015. She lives in Chicago. Hersi The Poet is a performance artist, mentor and a global citizen who has served in the U.S military, traveled to 22 different countries, and learned to speak several languages. His poetry explores a wide range of topics starting with the of SELF. Asma Farah is an emerging spoken word artist and community activist that was born in Gambia and raised in Cedar-Riverside, Minneapolis. She currently works at the Mix Blood Theater. Ahmed Assad uses the Somali language to compose poetry about the Somali condition and social justice issues both in America and abroad. Abdi Phenomenal (°1987, Mogadishu, Somalia) is a spoken word Artist, teaching artist, actor and a community activist who has been featured at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum, New York times, AL-Jazeera and the project dubbed “The Youth/Dhallinyarada” which focused on the lives of Somali-American youth living in North America. A member of the Minnesota Spoken Word Association, He wants to encourage the youth to promote peace and be a voice for themselves and tell their stories to the world. Throughout the tumultuous years of hardships, alienation and finally reluctant assimilation he found recluse in poetry. Inspired by Maya Angelou, Abdi is a second-generation poet who has decided to revive the great poetic tradition of his forefathers through his new freedom found perspective in a diaspora tongue. Abdi is dedicated to impacting literacy and youth leadership through the art of spoken word. Nimo H. Farah is an artist and activist that uses language to express things she finds too confusing. Her current undertaking is to develop her skills as an orator while blending Somali and English. She thinks herself charming and hilarious in the Somali language, but rarely does thathumor translate into English. Her poetry and short stories have been published in Water- Stone Review, the Saint Paul Almanac, and the Loft Inroads chapter book. As a storyteller she has shared her words at the Black Dog Café, the Loft, and Pillsbury House. She co-founded HUMAAG, a nonprofit organization promoting art and literature in the Somali community. She is a 2014 Loft Spoken Word Immersion Fellow and a 2014 Bush Fellow. Saturday March 14th, 2015 7:30 The Loft Literary Center 1011 Washington Ave S Suite 200 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415 Sponsored by: Loft Literary Center's Spoken Word Immersion Fellowship SALLI - Somali Arts Language & Leadership Institute Curated by: Nimo H. Farah