Calendar
UPCOMING EVENTS
13th Annual Love Fest
an alternative valentine's celebration in spoken word & music, celebrating love of self, of spirit, of community & family, of peace & democracy, & of fun & games, & of nappy headed hos!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Hosted by Aya de León
7:30-8:45PM
performances featuring
poet & playwright Robyn Brooks (SF Playground artist, in residence @ Berkeley Rep, Poetry for the People Alum) vocals by Adrienne Maree Brown (community activist, ruckus raiser & stealth diva)
Aya will also read from her new novel-in-progress, Surveillance, as well as her new Grown-Ass-Woman poems
plus special secret surprise guest!
9-10:30PM
dancing with dj fflood (Transdub Massiv, Magic Milkcrates)
+ card & domino party
+ door prizes & goodies!
I heart nappy headed hos t-shirts will be on sale!
complete with the Nappy Headed Ho manifesto on the back.
Fire Don Imus again! Afropuff shirts, too
$12 advance, $14 door
La Peña Cultural Center
3105 Shattuck Av. (two blocks from Ashby Bart)
tix/info: 510-849-2568/www.lapena.org
ONGOING WORKSHOPS
Time to Write Quarterly Saturday Workshop Series -- Are you stalled or blocked? Trying to steal some time to write on that article, novel, memoir, collection, screenplay, dissertation, report or other writing project? Is it hard to sit still and focus? When you carve out the time do you feel isolated? Does everything else come before yourwriting? This workshop can provide the support you need! -- Dates forthcoming...
GROWN-ASS WOMAN! - Aya de León's 40th Birthday Party!
RECENT PERFORMANCES
music, food vendors, djs, dancing, cards, dominoes & hanging out
come celebrate with me!
Sunday November 11th, 2007
3:30pm til midnite
slididng scale $15-1500
this event is a fundraiser to help pay my graduate school tuition...
...because a grown-ass-woman knows how to ask her community for
help:)
toasts & appreciations for Aya at 6 & 9pm
March 5, 11, 16,17, 2007 - Thieves in the Temple: The Reclaiming of Hip-Hop - THE MOVIE!!, Wanna see the show again? Missed the show live? Come see the video! Written & performed by Aya de Leon, Directed by Ellen Sebastian-Chang, Choreographed by Amara Tabor Smith, Cinematography by Paul Ginocchio
2/14/06, LoveFest 2006 - La Peña Cultural Center, Berkeley, CA, a literary & musical celebration of love’s varied manifestations, featuring Tina Bartolome, Cynthia Blancaflor and Aimee Suzara of Kreatibo, Marc Pinate, Mike Molina, Alicia Raquel, plus E. Kay Trimberger
Aya on the Current TV big screen in April 2005, co-hosting Current's kickoff rally with Mos Def in San Francisco
2/12/05, LoveFest 2005 - La Peña Cultural Center, Berkeley, CA, a literary & musical celebration of love’s varied manifestations, featuring Meliza Bañales, Ise Lyfe, Shailja Patel, and Corina Peila, with vocals by Elena & Samora Pinderhughes- AYA DE LEON IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT: a campaign speech remix in poetry and spoken word Fed up with the the theft of the 2000 presidential election, the current administration, the war, the lies, and the downright incompetence, Aya de Leon, critically acclaimed slam poet, and hip hop theater artist decided to declare her candidacy for the white house.
3/7/04, World Premiere of "Thieves in the Temple: The Reclaiming of Hip Hop" at the Yerba Buena
Center for the Arts, presented by Speak Out and the YBCA, sponsored by the San Francisco Bay Guardian. Ongoing shows at the Oakland Box 3/14/04-3/28/04.
2/14/04, Love Fest 2004 - La Peña Cultural Center, Berkeley, CA, a literary & musical celebration of love?s varied manifestations, featuring Meliza Bañales, Shawn Taylor, James Kass, Corina Peila, and Kim Cook, with vocals by Casa Mena recording artist Noñameko (the vocalist formerly known as Noni) - 2/14/04, The Beloved Self: A self-love workshop and mass self-marriage - La Peña Cultural Center, Berkeley, CA, Aya says: “I married myself in 1996, and wrote about it in Essence Magazine. I received letters from all over the country affirming my decision, many people expressed a desire to do the same... This self-marriage will be a joyful, fun, quirky, campy, and spiritual day to celebrate the most profound relationship we will ever have—with ourselves. The only true relationship that will be ‘til death do us part.’”
- 8/4 - 8/9/03, National Black Theatre Festival, Winston-Salem, NC
- 7/17/03,Slam Poetry Performance & Open Mic, Stanford University
- 2/14/03, Love: The Live Version - La Peña Cultural Center, Berkeley, CA, a literary & musical celebration of love?s varied manifestations & CD release party for Aya de León - Live at La Peña, featuring Aurora Levins-Morales, Marvin K. White, Jason ?Creative Dwella? Mateo, Carlos Mena , Sonia Whittle, Hanifah Walidah, Anna de León & Ellen Hoffman, Elaine Chao
- 11/14/02, Hip Hop Theater Festival at UC Riverside, Riverside, CA, featuring the usual suspects...
- 11/7/02, Arizona State University - Tempe, AZ, featuring Danny Hoch, Will Power, Jonzi D
- 11/1/02, Planet Hip Hop - New Jersey Performing Arts Ctr, Newark, NJ, Featuring Danny Hoch, Will Power...
- 10/31/02, One Festival - Phil Bosakowski Theater at Primary Stages, NYC
- 10/21/02, Third Wave Foundation - Cafe Du Nord, San Francisco, CA, featuring Sara Jones & Rebecca Walker...
- 10/20/02, Living Word Festival - Yerba Buena Center - San Francisco, CA
- 10/16/02, Oakland Box - Oakland, CA, featuring Hanifah Walidah
- 10/15/02, MACLA - San Jose, CA
- 10/9/02, NACA Showcase - Marlborough, MA
Critical Acclaim for “Thieves…”:
- "a humorous, feminist take on hip hop culture"-American Theatre Magazine
- "Blatino feminist Aya de León gonna read some hip hop chauvinist pigs the riot act"-Village Voice
- "[a] Witty, upbeat crusade to liberate hip-hop."-Robert Hurwitt, SF Chronicle Theater Critic
- Winner SFBG Goldie Award for Spoken Word 2004
- Best Discovery in Theater by the SF Chronicle 2004
- East Bay Express "Slamminest Poet" 2005
