RezaRitesRi.com

Did you know that I’ve officially moved? That’s right! The new home for me, ‘Reza Rites,’ and RezaRitesRI is on IsisStorm.com.

The mission of ISIS STORM is to bring forth those voices that are being neglected; to be a vehicle to the generations of women who are fed up with seeing and accepting someone else’s definitions of who [we/they] are; and to give attention to the generations of women who are awakening to the realization that [we/they] are more than what [our/their] generation sees. It is our goal to bring the voices to the table that have long since been ignored, both ethnically and in gender. The way that we encourage these voices to be heard is through the power of art and writing.

Through various events, feature performances and workshops, folks are getting to know the refrain, “When I say Isis, you say…” But to be clear, Isis Storm is a collective of female poets, musicians, artists, writers, media producers and educators. It is also an emerging music label, publishing house, and media group where members of the collective can work to illuminate our causes and ideals.

As co-founder of Isis Storm (alongside hip hop artist Kalyana Champlain, aka 5th Elament), my motivations for moving RezaRitesRI are three-fold: a) to lead by example, b) to demonstrate my faith in the project, and c) to further the original RezaRitesRi.com aim of exposing my readers, friends, and family to “the voices of our ethnically, socially, and artistically diverse.”

I hope you’ll follow me and all the sisters of Isis Storm at IsisStorm.com, as well as my adventures in music at VenusSings.com and my work as health editor at UrbanHealthWatch.net and SheShines.org. You can also see current and archived work of mine at places like:

-> the John Hope Settlement Blog,

-> RIFuture.org, Rhode Island’s Progressive News, Opinion and Analysis blog,

-> WRIU and BSR, two student- and community-run radio stations in RI,

-> The new and old Rhode 2 Africa blogs, where I detail projects I’ve led or worked on dealing with the migration of Africans and African-Americans to RI,

-> Black Perspectives Now, an online project run by the producers of Basic Black on WGBH,

-> On the podcasts and photo pages of RezaRitesRi.com

Thanks for your support and hope we stay in touch!

- Reza Rites

Originally posted on www.IsisStorm.com

Click here to purchase tickets online or keep reading IsisStorm.com to learn about opportunities to pick yours up in the community.

PROVIDENCE, RI - It has been too long. FAR TOO LONG. It is past time for women in hip hop to take the recognition they deserve, and Rhode Island is ready to bring its fiercest women organizers and emcees to the table to do it!

Isis Storm has partnered with SlyShuga to present “WE RUN THIS: Women and Mother’s in Hip Hop” – an event that will happen during May to stress how much we believe that women in hip hop have been mothers both literally and metaphorically to their friends, family, and community. Taking the title from Rah Digga’s track- like the lady herself we are not holding anything back and are not afraid to tell you that we know WE RUN THIS!

In addition, because women spend so much time supporting others that they do not take care of themselves we have added a VIP segment full of self care that will be given to the first 60 women who purchase their tickets at the full price.

Yes Yall…It has been too long. FAR TOO LONG. It is past time for women in hip hop and the community to take the recognition they deserve, and Rhode Island is ready to bring its fiercest women organizers and emcees to the table to do it! CAUSE WE GON RUN THIS!

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Isis Storm and SlyShuga Present:

We Run This!
Women and Mothers in Hip Hop

With a Headlining Performance by
Queen Yonasda

Sunday, May 16, 2010
8 PM – 1 AM
Jerkys Bar and Grill
71 Richmond Street
Providence, RI

18 plus
$12.00 Advanced
$17.00 Day of the Show
Click here to purchase tickets online

Sponsorships are available to businesses, organizations and individuals who want to support the event, and there is a special VIP party for sponsors and the first 60 who purchase their tickets and register for the event. For more information visit www.IsisStorm.com or join “I Support We Run This…” on Facebook. To register for the VIP party or for sponsorships, email beginthestorm@gmail.com or call 401-497-5246.

Celebrate and curse Valentine’s Day all in one show: Venus Sings Radio on WRIU: Saturday, February 13 from 9-11 AM (est) on 90.3 FM.

KINGSTON, RI - Last year, it sounded like Duffy’s “Mercy” and Amel Larrieux’s “Make Me Whole;” Lily Allen’s “Shame for You,” and Sade’s “This Is No Ordinary Love.” What will it sound like this year, during the 2nd annual “Venus Sings Radio for the Lovers and Haters?”

Join me, Venus Sings / DJ Reza Wreckage, and find out for yourself:

Venus Sings Radio
Saturday, February, 13, 2010,
9:00-11:00 AM

Hear it: 90.3 FM or www.wriu.org
Contact: www.VenusSings.com
studio lines: 401-792-9030 or 1-888-303-9748

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Isis Storm Presents…

Finding the Gray:
A Black History Month Film & Discussion On the Diaspora & Identity

Thursday, February 25, 2010
Brooklyn Coffee Tea House
209 Douglas Avenue
Providence, RI 02908

Doors open at 6:30 PM; $5 donations collected at the door.

Can Blacks tell the story of Whites and can Whites tell the story of Blacks? Can men properly reflect women in art, and can women reflect men?

What about everyone in between?

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Join members of Isis Storm and RI’s film community for this special viewing of “Mix,” courtesy of the National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC). Mix is a film directed by South African filmmaker, Rudzani Dzuguda, about “freedom in South Africa after 1994.” Following Tumelo and Dominique, two female, hip-hop disc jockeys (dj’s) – one Black and one White – Dzuguda explores the issues of personal freedom “in ways that genuinely baffle their parents.”

Part of NBPC’s critically acclaimed AfroPop Series, Dzuguda through his filmmaking and Tumelo and Dominique through their everyday lives, “are forging new social realities – between black and white, between males and females, across vast stretches of land – which seem to leave the generation gap as wide as ever.”

For more information about Isis Storm and the February 25 event, visit www.IsisStorm.com or email beginthestorm@gmail.com or call 401-497-5246. For more about NBPC’s AfroPoP series, visit www.afropop.tv. To learn more about Brooklyn Coffee Tea House, visit www.brooklyncoffeeteahouse.com.

Before she passed away on December 27, 2009, Dana Wright was spreading the word about a children’s book she had written called Rolling with Nia. Click on the image of the book cover or here to watch a video to see and learn more about Wright and her book. I, Reza Rites, produced the film for “Black Perspectives Now,” an online initiative of the public media organization, WGBH, and the program “Basic Black.”

by Reza Corinne Clifton

PROVIDENCE, RI - On Sunday, December 27, 2009, a friend, mentor, and colleague of mine passed away, leaving me shocked and saddened. From her activism in the community and online, to her work as a storyteller and published author, Dana Wright inspired me professionally and personally, and for these reasons and more, I will never forget her.

Before her untimely death I had a chance to talk to Wright, about a project she had recently completed, and about the impact she was on having on youth and families. And I wasn’t the only one interested in her story.

Up in Boston, Massachusetts, series producer Valerie Linson had just launched a new online initiative, which was to be tied to “Basic Black,” a television show she runs out of WGBH. Basic Black was created in 1968 - “during the turmoil of the civil rights movement as a response to the demand for public television programs reflecting the concerns of African Americans.” But Linson saw a more contemporary need for “Black Perspectives Now,” and for “stories, events, people and voices of black New England.” Dana Wright’s was one of them.

Learn more about my interview with Wright and see other stories from Black Perspectives Now by clicking here. To learn more about Basic Black, visit www.wgbh.org/basicblack.

And Rest in Peace, Dana.

Join me and tune in to WRIU on Sunday, February 7 from 2-5 PM

KINGSTON, RI - For more than twenty years, Peter Dante has been spreading the sound and gospel of reggae music from a point in southern Rhode Island - the University of RI, Kingston Campus. That is the home and headquarters of WRIU, 90.3 FM, a student- and community-run radio station known for playing independent, noncommercial, and eclectic music. Dante has been holding it down there since 1982, holding different slots but staying steadfast to rocksteady and other forms of reggae.

On Sunday, February 7, I, Venus Sings of Venus Sings Radio and Voices of Women, will try my best at shape-shifting as I fill in for Dante on his Sunday afternoon “Reggae Showcase” program. Every week, from 2:00 - 5:00 PM (EST) on 90.3 FM (in and around RI) and streaming online at www.wriu.org, Dante provides listeners with the best in “roots, reggae, dub, rock[steady] and ska,” and I’ve signed up to be the substitute teacher for his classroom of students and music lovers.

Now no, I won’t be the almost thirty-year reggae playing, radio hosting veteran and guru people know and love, but I am a disciple of Bob Marley, an admirer of Sanchez, and a scholar of Sly and Robbie; a collector of Queen Ifrica, a sister of Tanya Stephens, and a soldier for Etana. In sum, I look forward to the show and I hope you do too.

Sunshine and laughter,
Venus Sings (DJ Reza Wreckage)

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by Reza Corinne Clifton

WASHINGTON, DC - On Thursday, January 28, 2010, Families USA, a national organization, began Health Action 2010 - its conference for consumer health advocates. The three day conference ended on Saturday afternoon, January 30 after being held at The Hyatt Regency Washington, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, DC.

According to Families USA, which is a Washington, DC-based nationally-serving nonprofit organization, the 2009 conference drew approximately 800 participants from more than 40 states.

This year’s conference featured a powerful group of leaders, informants, and advocates who talked about health reform legislation, field strategies for advancing the message about health equity, and strategies to keep constituents engaged. On Friday, January 29, yours truly, Reza Rites - in part representing UrbanHealthWatch.net - co-presented on the topic of “Getting Your Message Out: Strategies for Advancing Health Equity.”

It was day two of Health Action 2010 and after a 10:45 AM start and a preceding talk on engaging the traditional media, your RezaRitesRi.com/Urban Health Watch editor, delivered “Spread the Word in 2010: Health Equity Today, Tomorrow and Right Now,” a presentation which included statistics about diversity in the media to illustrate why advocates need to take matters into their own hands and tips on starting, maintaining and sharing new media projects and social networking accounts.

Photos and additional coverage of the conference are available at UrbanHealthWatch.net, but to catch a glimpse at what I shared, click here to download the presentation.

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12th Annual FUNDA FEST: A Celebration of Black Storytelling
January 17-24 2010
For more information, contact Valerie Tutson at 401.439.7122

Providence, RI—Rhode Island Black Storytellers, otherwise known as RIBS, invite you to join them in FUNDA FEST 12: A Celebration of Black Storytelling, January 17-24, 2010. FUNDA means to teach and to learn in Zulu and KiSwahili. For an entire week, Rhode Island will experience some of the best cultural arts programming across the state for the 12th year in a row.

Headlining this year’s invited national guests is Grammy-nominated Christon Bacon, aka Christylez (pronounced Chris- styles) a progressive hip-hop artist out of Washington, DC.”We are so excited to have Christylez with us this year. Several of us had seen him at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in DC this past summer. He is a young guy with a lot of talent and a great mix of old traditions and new flavor. Christylez is a talented musician and a poet who understands the Black oral tradition,” says Valerie Tutson, FUNDA FEST Director. “We had invited him, and then found out he will be headed to LA right after he leaves Rhode Island.” Christylez has been nominated in the “Best Musical Album for Children” category for a collaboration done with Folk/Children Music Duo, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer.

“In addition to Christylez, we have a wonderful woman, Deborah Asante, out of Indianapolis. She has a children’s theatre company, and has been telling stories all of her life. She will be doing the Intergenerational Storytelling Workshop at the Providence Public Library on Saturday, January 23rd, and sharing some of her Love Stories for grown ups on Friday night, the 22nd”

The FUNDA FEST performers include RIBS tellers Len Cabral, Rochel Coleman, Raffini, Ramona Kolobe, and Valerie Tutson. Festival favorite, Teju Ologboni returns from Milwaukee. Local artists include Christopher Johnson, who will perform as a solo artist, and with the spoken word trio Spittin Images. Drummer Abdul Mateen will add his talents to the mix.

“This year, RIBS and FUNDA are looking to expand our circle of family and friends, “ Tutson explains, “ For several years, RIBS has been a part of the Expansion Arts Program through the Rhode Island Foundation. We have had the opportunity to work with some very fine cultural arts groups in the State. Our program is coming to an end and we had talked about finding a way to showcase these groups; to bring our communities together. FUNDA seemed like the perfect opportunity.” As a result, the Saturday night concert at the Metcalf Auditorium at RISD will include a mix of voices and performances including young African drummers from OASIS International, Thawn Harris, a Native American storyteller from the Tomaquag Indian Memorial and Museum, ECAS Theatre and music and dance from The Hmong United Association of RI. All these groups and more will be a part of the Market Place in the lobby.

It’s a full week, from Sunday to Sunday, from Westerly to Woonsocket, Providence to Newport. See part of the schedule below, and full up-to-the-minute details at www.ribsfest.org.

Sunday, January 17, 2010:
Family Storytelling Concert
Woonsocket, RI
www.ribsfest.org for details and more info

Monday, January 18, 11:30 am, 1 and 2:30 pm:
MLK Amazing Grace featuring Rochel Coleman and Valerie Tutson
Providence Children’s Museum
100 South Street, Providence RI
Free with Museum Admission

January 19-22:
RIBS tellers and invited guests perform for Storytellers in the Schools
Statewide locations. For information, call Carolyn Martino: 401 351.8090

Thursday, January 21, 6-8 pm:
Family Storytelling Concert
YWCA Northern Rhode Island
514 Blackstone Street, Woonsocket, RI
Admission: $1/children .$50/adults

Friday, January 22:
Spoken Word and Love Stories
www.ribsfest.org for details and more info

Saturday, January 23, 12:30-5 pm:
Free Family FUN-Day
Providence Public Library
150 Empire Street, Providence
- 1:00-2:15 pm: Intergenerational Storytelling Workshop with Deborah Asante
- 2:30 pm: Family Storytelling Concert featuring RIBS and invited guests
- 4:00 pm: Story Swap: Tell your own story!

Saturday, January 23, Doors open at 7:30:
Storytelling Concert and Market Place (NEW VENUE)
Michael P Metcalf Auditorium at RISD
20 North Main St, Providence 8 pm
- 7:30 PM: Marketplace opens for Cultural gifts, tellers’ merchandise and more
- 8:00 PM: RIBS’ Featured tellers and Expansion Arts Partners take the stage
- Tickets: www.ArtTixRi.com; $10/advance, $15/door, RISD students free w/ID, RISD Museum members $10 w/ID at door

Sunday, January 24, 2010, 2:00 PM:
Family Storytelling Concert
Martin Luther King Center
20 Marcus Wheatland Blvd, Newport
Donations collected on-site

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FUNDA FEST is made possible with support from The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, The Rhode Island Foundation, The Expansion Arts Program, Project Priscilla, and underwriting from the CITIZENS Bank Foundation.

Community Partners include The Providence Children’s Museum, Providence Public Library, The RISD Office of Minority Affairs, The Martin Luther King Center, Newport, The YWCA of Northern RI, The Westerly Public Library, ECAS Theatre, Tomaquag Indian Memorial Museum, OASIS International, The Hmong United Association of Rhode Island, and RezaRitesRi.com.

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PROVIDENCE, RI - What do Sara Tavares, Esperanza Spalding, Adele, Ceu and Eva Cortes all have in common? They all had songs or albums that played frequently in 2009 on Venus Sings Radio. Learn more about who and what I brought to the air this past year on Saturday, December 26, when I host the year’s final edition of Voices of Women and Venus Sings Radio.

From locally-, nationally- and internationally-recognized singers to field- and studio-acquired interviews, if you listened to WRIU on a Saturday from 9-11 AM, then there was a chance you heard something special, exclusive, or refreshing. Review it all with me and hear more - and start an hour early!

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Venus Sings Radio
Year-End Special

Saturday, December 26, 2009
8 - 11 AM (est)

90.3 FM in and around RI
Streaming live at wriu.org

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Originally sent in the December 8 RezaRitesRi newsletter.

Take 5 with Reza Rites:
Show Some Love with Venus Sings, Isis Storm, and UrbanHealthWatch.net

PROVIDENCE, RI - Sometimes when I speak to people, they are surprised to hear that I’m haunted with regular bouts of self-doubt and withdrawal. The websites, radio show, and, for instance, my position as Social Chair of the Rhode Island Young Professionals – they throw people off. And yes, it’s true that these and other projects show a side of me that is very public and proud, but they also in fact relay one of two techniques I use to address and cope with those shadows: Performance.

Just like at a job interview or on-stage mimicking a character, I create and accept the roles I’m playing when I’m at a certain place or setting. So if I am dj’ing and/or hosting a radio show, I am ready to play songs and talk topics that will catch you even as you go. And if I’m asked to speak at a meeting, I will prepare and organize my remarks to be logical and instructive because that’s the character I’ve agreed to play.

What is my second technique? Well that’s what this week’s Take 5 is about: Show Love. From the beginning, my freelance work and then website, RezaRitesRI, was about promoting “the voices of our ethnically, socially, and artistically diverse.” Since expanding, I cannot measure how much I have received back, personally, through using love as a lens for my work.

What I can do is inform you about funding opportunities for healthcare initiatives because you asked for it, and I appreciate you. I can post your health event because I am a testament to your work and success at bringing people and communities together. And I can post information about your upcoming show because with Isis Storm, we’ve started a cycle of women giving love to other women, and I intend to keep that cycle going. I also thank you for your part in showing and sharing love.

Sunshine and Laughter,
Reza Rites

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Take 5 with Reza Rites

1. Funding Opportunities and Links from UrbanHealthWatch.net and AHRQ,
2. Community Forum Highlights Healthcare, Human Rights, and more – Thu, Dec 10,
3. Bowling, Free Food, and Family Fun: PrYSM’s Rice Bowl Fundraiser – Dec. 12,
4. Men Who Cook Holiday Party and Launch of New Venue – Dec. 15,
5. Join a Team and Get Active: Registration Begins for Shape Up RI

Five More from IsisStorm.com and VenusSings.com

1. Words for Warriors featuring Kalyana Champlain and Jessica Simes – Thu., Dec. 10,
2. Venus Sings Radio this Saturday, December 12 on WRIU,
3. Singer-Songwriter Event at the Ruffstone features Michelle Cruz – Sat., Dec 12,
4. A Winter Concert by Woman Spirit Rising– Sunday, December 13
5. Nataly Garcia to Rip it in Worcester, MA on Monday Dec. 14

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