On December 8th The Oakland Poetry Slam & Open-Mic continues our 2012 season in stunning style with a feature of AWESOME proportions! We're thrilled to bring you one of the worlds premiere spoken-word poets (The WORLD son!). If you've never heard Joaquín Zihuatanejo then you are seriously missing out. He'll be sharing the stage with tour partner Natasha Carrizosa and promises a set full of powerful multivoice work in addition to his award-winning signature solo work. 

Joaquín Zihuatanejo is a father, husband, poet, and award-winning teacher. In his work he strives to capture the duality of the Chicano culture. The conquered and the conqueror, the Pagan and the Christian, the earth and the sky all find refuge in his voice. He has shared stages with Maya Angelou, Billy Collins, E. Lynn Harris, Saul Williams, and Alicia Keys among others. He is the author of BARRIO SONGS and co-author, along with Natasha Carrizosa, of the collection of poems OF FIRE AND RAIN. Joaquin has recorded seven spoken word CDs and is the winner of the 2008 Individual World Poetry Slam Championship and the 2009 European World Cup of Poetry Slam Championship held in Paris, France. Joaquin along with Natasha was one of two American poets chosen to represent The US at El Proyecto Poesia Slam 2010 in Madrid, Spain.  Joaquin was recently awarded the Artist in Residence Award by the National Hispanic Cultural Center and spent most of the summer writing and teaching at the NHCC in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He recently performed at the La Casita 2011 Project produced by Lincoln Center Out of Doors in New York City in early August of 2011, and joined Natasha for a feature performance at the Inspired Word Reading Series and the Nuyorican Poet’s Café.Joaquin recently became the only poet on the planet to win the $2,000 Arkansas Grand Slam three times, winning the championship in 2005, 2008, and 2011. He has two passions in his life, his wife, Aída and poetry, always in that order.

Natasha Carrizosa is a mother, a dreamer, and a lover of music and life. She is a poet/spoken word artist who celebrates her dual heritage (African- and Mexican-American) with works that weave an intoxicating blend of cultures, languages and impressions. She has shared the stage with Maya Angelou, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, E. Lynn Harris and countless other poets, authors, and artists. Her writings have been featured in Rhapsody, Her Mark, and x magazine (UK). She is the author of mejiafricana, a spoken word CD and nude – a collection of love and erotic poems. She recently recorded her second spoken word CD – the dreamcatcher. In 2008 she collaborated with Joaquín on of fire and rain - a spoken word CD that is a testimony of life/love that spans from the barrios of East Dallas to the ghettos of the west indies. Selections from of fire and rain were published by Poetry in Motion, and organization that promotes the work of young American poets by publishing their work alongside the work of masters from the past on trains, subways, and buses across The United States. Natasha is the 2010 Austin International Poetry Slam Champion.

As always we'll start the show with the patented WIDE-Open-Mic (singers, comics, MCs welcome). If you wanna rep The Bay at The National Poetry Slam in August in Charlotte this is where you go to qualify.

The Oakland Poetry Slam & Open-Mic 
Featuring Joaquin Zihuatanejo & Natasha Carrizosa
Thursday December 8th 2011, 8pm - 11pm
The Oasis Restaurant & Bar
135 12th St (@ Madison)
$5 before 9pm / $7 after