j’malo torriel & ayele akibulan - louder than words
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photo by steed media service
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Spoken Word Artists, Brotha’s Keepa
Memphis natives J’malo Torriel and Ayele Akibulan are self-described students of African American history. The two spoken word poets known as Brotha’s Keepa use their gift as artists and their wealth of knowledge to address issues pertinent to the black community. In their travels across the country, Brotha’s Keepa maintains their conscientious roots by spreading “the word” to any and everyone who will listen.
“Tupac said, ‘I may not have all the answers but my job is to spark the mind of the one that might have all the answers,’” says Akibulan, discussing the group’s mission. “If you have the people’s ear, it’s our responsibility to give them something other than entertainment.”
Often citing eras like the ‘60s when “everything was political,” says Akibulan, Brotha’s Keepa’s message of enlightenment is prevalent in every performance, book and album they create. In 2005, the group opened for the legendary Last Poets in Memphis, where they were anointed the “New Last Poets.” Whether it’s their Brotha’s Keepa Youth Prison Prevention program or their Summer Youth Theater Camp, Torriel and Akibulan’s words are matched by their actions.
“If I get up and do a poem about black men needing to be black men so that our black babies will grow up and be successful black adults — whoever is in that crowd and heard that, what other inspiration do they have to go on if all they heard was us talk about it and not be about it?” touts Torriel. “We are community activists who happen to be poets.” –gavin philip godfrey
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