On this version of our Arts24 music present, Jennifer Ben Brahim chats with poet and activist Aja Monet. She began placing pen to paper at simply eight years outdated, because of a fascination with storytelling and typewriters. Her poetry has garnered crucial acclaim, equivalent to the gathering “My Mom was a Freedom Fighter”. Her activism has taken her from New York to Palestine. Aja’s debut album “When the Poems Do What They Do” is a fluid mix of poetry and jazz. It is usually an ode to a few of the greats from the Black Arts Motion like Nikki Giovanni and Amiri Baraka. Aja described how she felt like a “religious archivist” when placing collectively the album. She is on tour in Europe with the report and is about to drop a brand new assortment of poetry entitled “Florida Waters” this June.
Aja Monet: From bard to bandleader
