Anne-Marie Woods aka Amani the Award Winning Poet will be the Featured Performer at the 19th Annual Rapso Festival in Trinidad

Anne-Marie Woods aka Amani (The Contemporary Blues Poet of Toronto)... has been selected to be the main feature on Thursday, May 8th, 2008 at the Women of de Oral Tradition Showcase in Trinidad as part of the 19th Annual RapsoFest. RapsoFest is the premier festival of rhythm poetry and world music in the Southern Caribbean region. In 2007 after launching her first Spoken Word CD; AMANI, the Words, the Rhythm, the Music
(Funded by Canada Council for the Arts)…Amani has achieved some international acclaim. She was the featured poet at the Word Power International Black Literature Festival and Book Fair held at the Emirates Arsenal Stadium Conference Hall in London, England. She was also the headline performer at the Drum in Birmingham, England as part of the Nu Century Arts Live Box international performance series. “I have dreamed of being able to perform internationally for many years, and now my dreams are becoming a reality.” To further this dream of performing in other countries Amani has just landed an agent from Diamond and Company in New York City. (Known for one of their featured artists Danny Simmons –Co creator of the award winning HBO Series Def Poetry Jam with his brother Russell Simmons)

She has performed in the National Poetry Showcase When Sisters Speak, and she was the headline poet in New York City at the World Famous "Nuyorican Cafe." "Nothing in this life has come easy to me, I have had to work hard to achieve my career goals" she says... and achieving her goals she is...She is a poet, playwright, producer and a creative consultant... she has a speaker series in the schools where she uses spoken word and storytelling to talk about hard hitting issues like Bullying, Violence and Racism. She has just finished the final edits on her DVD recording “Amani Live” with editor and filmmaker Lucius Dechausay (editor for CBC’s The Hour)…This DVD recording will be released later this year, and she will also be writing and producing the works for a new CD project entitled “A Pause for the Cause!"

Born in London, England, baptized in Trinidad, and growing up in Nova Scotia makes her style eclectic and her sound unique. She can hit you with a Dub Poetry Style one minute, sing you a Love Song the next, and then just when you least expect it, a Hard Core Hip Hop sound will spew from her lips. She has a unique flavour, as she weaves in and out of speaking and singing her lyrics.

Graham Reid producer of the Jazz By Genre Series in Toronto says – “To Amani I dedicate the letter "P" for her artistic Persona is Poised, Professional, Powerful and Poignant!”
Dalton Higgins Artistic Music Associate of Harbourfront Centre in Toronto says “Amani gives you the contemporary modern blues through poetry”
Lloyd Williams of 95.6 FM BBC Radio said “This lady tells it like it is”

Amani will be sure to bring some of her Caribbean Flava to the stage in Trinidad with her pieces
I’m a Caribbean, Brush By and Cut Eye and her new piece Stop Da Violence Break Da Silence

For bookings or further information on Anne-Marie Woods aka Amani
Pease call 416-706-7694 or e mail manienterprises@rogers.com

Or visit www. myspace. com/amanithepoet or www. imanicreativeconsulting. com