A small contingent of local spoken-word and music artists descended upon Rehab cocktail lounge July 2 to celebrate the beginning of Black Pride weekend in an event dubbed “Art & Soul.” Featured artists included singing sensation Erthe St. James, hip-hop diva Le Ciel and neo-soul artist Kashan. Keith Romell hosted the standing-room-only event.
Along with the evening’s featured talent, an open mic brought several artists to the stage, including nationally known spoken-word phenom Ra P. LaMar Shelton who, accompanied by St. James on guitar, sang a raspy inspirational piece about keeping your head up during adversity in search of “brighter days.” Transgender spoken-word artist KOKUMO Kinetic recited an emotional poem detailing her struggle with securing funds for sex-reassignment surgery. Kinetic was frank about her efforts to save enough funds from sources like her student loans to pay for what she called an “anticipatory vagina.”
Other artists who performed included the Heavy Poet; actor and spoken-word artist Will Green of “Kevin’s Room 3” fame; and Sharon, a Chicago native now living in New York, who recited a defiant poem in response to anti-gay remarks made by professional basketball star Tim Hardaway several years ago. Romell played host as well as comedian during the two-hour event and ignited the crowd with a sexually charged poem about love, romance and intimacy between two men. Kashan asked audience members seated near him to sing back-up in call-and-response fashion as the sultry sounds of neo-soul tunes escaped his lips. Raised fists and snapping fingers greeted Le Ciel’s lively hip-hop performance as she called for her audience to “evolve” into being better people.
Then it was time for St. James to close out the event with rhythmic covers of nationally known artists. Audience members rocked to funky beats as St. James cooed over the microphone in a soulful twang all his own.