Say It Loud! Variations on Solitude, Love, Politics, and Life
As part of our mission to showcase young and emerging talents, during Nova Frontier Film Festival, we were honored to have the platform of the historic Billie Holiday Theatre to showcase the works of three talented spoken word artists: singer-songwriter and poet: Zoe Voisin, a Brooklyn based singer-songwriter, poet, and self-ordained Flower-Child, originally from Trinidad & Tobago, ZANIA, an actor, poet, & writer, originally from Charleston South Carolina, and Cito Blanko, a Bronx, New York native, spoken word artist and poet.
Their work draws on the rich cultures of their Caribbean, Latin America, and African roots, reflecting a rich literary and musical heritage, going back many generations that have produced and influenced some of African America's best-known artists working in the genre. All three artists skillfully used poetry and the musical potency of words as a catalyst to defined their struggles and hopes, using their art as a way of remembering, enduring, mourning, celebrating, protesting, subverting, and ultimately a way of triumphing as young gifted black artists living in America today.
ZANIA is an actor, poet, & writer originally from Charleston South Carolina. She moved to New York to pursue her acting career and since then, she graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts & performed in many plays including off Broadway production of Girls of Summer by Layon Grey and CRH by Kelay Gibson. She takes pride in using her platform as an artist to invoke change in the new age of young woman, often writing about self love and using her journey to woman hood as a catalyst to inspire other woman through poetry. She is a proud believer of activism through art. She believes that art is everchanging and so is the world, if you’ve inspired one heart you’ve changed the world.
“I feel like art isn't a creation it's an expression of how you view the world. Everybody is an artist you just have to find what platform you want to use to express your story. Life is way better than what most people think and I use my words to show the world my perspective of how beautiful life really is. Life is wonderful because I accept it for what it is and not for what I wish it was. The same beauty that's in life, is in death Pain and sorrow and is just as important as love and passion. We as humans aren't just one thing we are a collaboration of a lot different things. I use all of the experiences and wisdom and pain and love and I inject into my words. I want your soul to listen my message because most ppl's brains are programmed by matrix.”
Zoe Voisin is a Brooklyn based singer-songwriter, poet, and self ordained Flower-Child. Originally from the beautiful country of Trinidad & Tobago, her roots have always influenced her work and perspective. She has always had a passion for the arts, especially in writing and music. Spoken word and music was her foundation and introduction to the world of live art. She had no idea that her gift of writing and her passion for music would take her to the world of song-writing and lead her to be the powerful vocal performing artist that she has become today. She worked as just a song-writer in the music industry for 3 years and recently moved back home to Brooklyn from Atlanta to step out from behind the curtain and pursue a career as an artist. Zoe has been making waves in her journey as people in all walks of life connect and relate to her words of passion, pain and love. She considers herself a modern day "Afro-centric Flower-Child" because she evokes the true definition of the word. "A young person, who considers Black and African culture pre-eminent, rejects conventional society, and advocates LOVE, peace, and idealistic views."