ELJAI
She/Her Poet, Writer, Producer, Performer and sometime Drag King. Eljai is Black Lives Natter creator and host.
Born 1973 Berlin, in a British Military Hospital to a Jamaican Father and English Mother during an era of great racial inequality. Eljai grew up in Salisbury, Wiltshire (1979 - 1998) which as a mixed-race child brought about its own challenges.
Whilst studying Performing Arts at Salisbury College (1994 - 1996) Eljai discovered Black Mime Theatre Company, blown away by the raw theatricality and physical ingenuity of the performance at Salisbury Arts Centre. Eljai quickly applied for Work Experience and went on tour with ‘Dirty Reality’ that transformative show. Then spent one week with Black Mime Director, Denise Wong and Adzido Pan African Dance Ensemble in rehearsals.
Eljai formed her first company Frontline, and had already begun writing Feelin’ Different - a work on the subject of race in a rural setting.
After moving to London in 1998, Feelin’ Different was chosen by Talawa Theatre to be performed for eight weeks at Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, as part of the Zebra Crossing season. It discussed many of the topics we now take for granted as given. In the 1990’s these weren’t ideas that were heard at all, allyship had yet to be invented.
Since 1998 Eljai has produced over 30 shows, from performance poetry, comedy, Theatre in Education, to issue based productions that raised money for Domestic Abuse, and the she fell in love with Cabaret.
Eljai formed her Cabaret company Bawdsville in 2011, rebooted to Bawdsville OTHeR in 2017 and is relaunching in 2022.
In 2019 Eljai ran for Parliament as part of a Women’s Equality Campaign, where four survivors of abuse stood against five sitting MP’s who had been accused of sexual harassment or abuse. This campaign was a huge success where one MP was jailed and the four remaining also stood down.
In 2020 after the death of Breonna Taylor & George Floyd, mixed with the contemplative power of Covid isolation, and the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement - Eljai began the process of un-silencing, discussing race, racism and her lived experience. It was at this time she coined ‘Black Lives Natter’ and began a dialogue that led to the concept of the Black Lives Natter Podcast.
LOVES Theatre, reading, cats, history, cooking, naps, comedy, arts, equality, poetry, china tea-cups,
Arif
He/Him Sound Producer, Designer and Black Lives Natter Podcast Engineer and Creative Collaborator.
Arif was born in Plumstead, Southeast. London in 1964 to a Turkish father and English mother. The youngest of 3 boys, Arif was the musical one of the three showing a natural aptitude towards music from an early age. His Mother was an avid pianist and guitarist, as was his Grandmother, and even his Great Aunt used to play the organ to silent movies back in the day.
In 1975 Arif attended John Roan School for Boys in Blackheath where he started to learn the trumpet, and within his first 2 years was leading the school’s swing band as lead trumpeter. In 1978 he became the first pupil in the history of the school to be accepted into the Pimlico School of Music.
At 19 he landed a job being trained as a croupier and began dealing roulette for The International Sporting Club, a prestigious casino in Mayfair London.
On the 13th November 1984 whilst riding home on his motorbike, he suffered a near fatal collision in the Old Kent Road with an articulated lorry, damaging the nerves in his right arm and losing the use of his right hand. After a very long drawn out and painful partial recovery, in 1989 he travelled the world, then bought a studio with some of his compensation from the accident, and returned to the music.
MUSICAL CREDITS
Natural Born Chillers - Rock The Funky Beat
Jungle Brothers - Brain
Busta Rhymes - Dangerous
Silvah Bullet - Chemissinyadiss
Gravediggaz - Unexplained
187 Lockdown - Gunman
PUNX SOUNDCHECK
Dead Or Alive - Spin Me Round
Marc Almond - Neo Burlesque
Boy George - Idiot Crowd
Steve Strange - In The Dark
Soho Dolls - Stripper
Ping Pong Bitches - The Beast In Me
POTENTIAL THEATRE
Girls Spectacular
Room
Alice In Wonderland
Drake De Ville
Machine
BAWDSVILLE
Paster William Eustice Suckock
AMAZIAH
She/Her Singer/Songwriter, Amaziah Rose is a BLN-LIVE Resident.
Born in Wolverhampton to Jamaican parents.
Amaziah by virtue of her acute artistic integrity and sense of creative purpose, has acquired an ever increasing public who truly appreciate her for her work, dedication & honesty.
Amaziah Rose BLN-LIVE March 2022 Bush Theatre Photography Nathan Zenga
One is here talking about an artist initially weaned on the Gospel of Mahalia Jackson, who has flourished to now be consummately at ease with many sounds & styles whether incorporating Reggae, Jazz, soul, blues and tinges of Rock.
Amaziah is an artist who is preoccupied with conveying & transmitting her delivery in order to emotionally nourish her audience to a high standard of feeling, by touching their most intimate musical centres & energising them.
As a singer/songwriter Amaziah's own compositions are both celebratory & healing, & by fully understanding the language of live performance, she is able to project her warmth & passion with potency. By virtue of this, anyone irrespective of age or background is able to connect with her message
Amaziah's music is about Love,Unity, & peace. With a driven belief in the power of the spirit affecting the quality of the art, her singing expression can, at times seem meditative & it is this that attracts soothing the listeners ear.
Amaziah's latest work is with musician, producer & musical engineer Mr DEREK FEVRIER ( A.K.A DEMONDO).
Mr Fevrier contacted Amaziah to work on a new project he started in 2011, called NU-LOVERS. This was a 2 cd album with various artists called Damsels & crooners. This was to be the first of the NU-LOVERS productions. They have since gone on to record the 2nd NU-LOVERS album again with various artists.
Amaziah & Derek Fevrier have also completed Amaziah's second ALBUM. Released in 2015 the Album features CIYO BROWN on guitars.
Amaziah has also worked as a backing vocalist with Max Romeo, Alton Ellis, Dillon from the Ethiopians among many more. Touring Europe and the U.K.
Amaziah was also the lead singer for Maroon Town a Ska, jazz brassy band with whom she also performed around the uk and Europe. They Toured Kosovo playing to several charity organisations on behalf of the British council and the British Embassy. Culminating with one of the main shows which was The Queen Elizabeth 2 birthday party. On their final night they performed at the Beer Festival in the main square to thousands of spectators.
The atmosphere was electrifying!!!
AMAZIAH an artist true to her creative temperament with a stage presence you can feel.
Christine Dean
She/Her Host & Creator of Black Womens Wellness Podcast. Former family Lawyer & former Deputy Leader of the Womens Equality.
Christine is a former family lawyer working in HR for the Civil Service. Christine has always been passionate about fighting for women's equality and improving women's ability to be heard. Christine became politically active when she joined the Women's Equality Party in 2018. Christine has held various voluntary roles within the Party, culminating with her appointment as Deputy Leader responsible for Community and Connectedness in November 2020.
Christine’s term as Deputy Leader expired at the end of 2022, but her work on campaigns to improve black women's health and participation in the Black Women's Reproductive Health Project has inspired her to start a new project, the 'Black Women's Wellness Podcast'. Christine is excited to join the Black Lives Natter Podcast family, which is supporting her in launching her show.
Purrsia Kitt is an award nominated black, neurodivergent, queer, femme, international burlesque artiste with long term lived experience of hidden disabilities. Purrsia has performed and headlined on stages across the UK. Purrsia also produces the kink-positive cabaret “Fetlesque” which centres black artists who are also disabled and/or neurodivergent. Alongside performing and producing, she is a published model, writer and passionately advocates for visibility for other black neurodivergent artists who have so many rich and unique stories to share about the world from their perspective. Away from performance art, she has spent the last decade dedicated to working in autism specialist supportive roles and has a PGCert in Autism.
Purrsia’s publications include The Sassy Show (2023), O The Oprah Magazine (2016), Black Pinups Magazine (2017), Femme Rebelle Magazine (2017), Onyx Vintage Magazine (2018). Purrsia also featured in the documentary “From a Place of Love” which was developed and produced by Tate Exchange and UK Black Pride in response to an exhibition of Zanele Muholi's artwork and focusing on QTIPOC visibility (2020). Another milestone during the pandemic was Purrsia’s first feature in an exhibition titled A Glimpse of Kink, which included images of her taken by Venus Raven (2021). She has since been featured in the "Queer Joy" exhibition (2023) and has featured on podcasts and panel discussions to highlight how art, race, gender , neurodivergence and disability inform her creative practice.
Purrsia’s artistic expression externalises the legitimacy of loving your sexuality and kinks. She creates her work by daydreaming, writing, drawing, dancing in studios or at home, recording herself and layering all the work together after endless hours of decision making. Purrsia's act repertoire is a testament to her authenticity and on stage she invites you into her world, teasing your senses while also making you pay attention to important narratives. Purrsia's sensual performances celebrate the beauty and genderless fluidity of divine feminine energy. With her dangerously divine stage presence and sultry feline energy, Purrsia will leave you hypnotized. She is undoubtedly the Kinky Feline Goddess of Burlesque.
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