“In
a vivid extended
monologue ... written and performed by
Kwelismith, she moved from rich prose to marvelous singing and back with
a
seamless ease that disguised her artistry and splendid sense of timing.”
--Joan Reinthaler, Washington Post
Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kwelismith (or just Kweli) is an
interdisciplinary performance
artist, Jazz vocalist and music educator. She earned a Bachelor’s
degree in
Music Education at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and a Master’s
degree
in Counseling Psychology at Trinity University in Washington, D.C.
In her
interdisciplinary work, Kweli examines the psychosocial impact of
American
culture on African American music. She is the author of a poetry
collection, Slavesong
the art of Singing and a music book, Secret Meeting,
Kwanzaa Songs and
City Sounds.
A member of The Center for Research in Black Music,
Kweli has been a workshop facilitator for (NASPAAM) The National
Association for
the Study and Performance of African American Music (an affiliate of
MENC). She
is a member of IBWC International Black Women’s Congress a collective of
women
scholars, artists and activists.
In recognition of her many educational and musical contributions, in
2005, Kwelismith was selected as Washington’s Hometown
Hero by WETA Public Television for her innovative ideas fusing music
with
environmental science and music with social activism. In 1991, She
received the
Mayor’s Art Award for Outstanding Emerging Artist.
Watch Kwelismith's Hometown Hero video interview on Washington, D.C.'s WETA.
Kwelismith can be contacted by postal mail at:
1820 Valley
Terrace SE, Washington, DC 20032
by telephone at: (202) 652-0559
by email at: kwelikwelismith@aol.com
*Samples of Kweli's original children's music can be heard at CDbaby.com*
Kwelismith can be contacted by postal mail at:
