Delaware Arts Info sat down for a chat with local
storyteller TAHIRA to discover more about her craft and how she shares her
amazing gift with others. Check out our interview below...
TAHIRA is a storyteller, poet, vocalist and percussionist
with a bachelor's degree from Temple University's School of Communication and
Theatre. Whether performing her original works or her vast repertoire of
stories from the African oral tradition, she brings to her audience messages of
courage, hope and spiritual strength. An advocate of using the arts to bring
about social change, TAHIRA says: "My mission is to shed light in dark
places to reveal the brilliance of human spirit."
*How long have you been performing? How did you get your
start? Where do you regularly perform?
In 1993, I was attending a Kwanzaa program at the Please
Touch Museum in Philadelphia with my daughter who at the time was a
toddler. Charlotte Blake Alston, a
renowned national storyteller, was performing. It was a captivating performance and it reminded me of the
Kwanzaa programs I organized in my high school days. After speaking with
Charlotte after the performance she told me about a newly formed organization
called Keepers Of The Culture (KOTC).
Soon after I joined KOTC where I was mentored and nurtured as a
storyteller by Charlotte and Caroliese Frink Reed.
By 1996, I had quit my job as a trainer in the financial
service industry and pursued storytelling as a full-time career. A short time later, I became president
of KOTC, an affiliate of the National Association of Black Storytellers, which
catapulted me on the national storytelling platform where my study continued
under the guidance of renowned storytellers such as Baba Jamal Koram, Mother
Mary Carter Smith and Linda Goss.
Soon I was performing at festivals, conferences, schools, libraries, and
community centers across the country.
Today, my work continues in those venues and has also spread
to behavioral health institutions and detention centers as I found my niche
developing programs tailored for those populations. In 2000, I received the Fellowship Award for Outstanding
Contribution in Oral Literature from the Delaware Division of the Arts, which led
to me successfully obtaining spots on the artist’s rosters within art
organizations across the country.
*Where do your stories come from? Where do you find
inspiration for your content?
Many of the stories come from the African Diaspora with a
particular focus on West African stories.
Additionally, I perform some original works. My content is inspired by my childhood where I was
instructed by my father to use my gifts to positively impact my community and
encouraged by my mother to follow my dreams. Stories that resonate with me are
those that empower my audience to think critically, choose wisely and believe
fervently in their ability to succeed.
*What do you love most about your craft? What do you find
most challenging?
After 20 years as a professional storyteller, it still blows
me away how people are profoundly affected by the stories I tell. Recently in my Women Word Wisdom
workshop that I am conducting at the Walnut Street YMCA, a participant tearfully
recounted to me how the story I told reaffirmed for her the need for her to
spend more time on her own personal development. She confessed that she had
been looking for some direction on how channel her creativity in a positive
manner and my workshop gave her that direction.
The most challenging thing in my work is getting people to
understand that storytelling is not frivolous entertainment for children. Storytelling can be a catalyst for
social change. It is a powerful
tool to inform, empower and heal.
*This might be a silly question, but is there a difference
between poetry and spoken-word performances? If so, what is that?
Not a silly question at all! The biggest difference: Spoken word is a performance-based
art form. Gil Scott Heron and the
Last Poets are some of the legends that popularized this style of performance
poetry, which laid the foundation for the Hip-Hop movement.
*What is your favorite poem or writer/poet that has
influenced you or that you like to draw from for inspiration or inner strength?
Let me first tell you my favorite story as I am a
storyteller first and foremost.
The story of Sudiata, the real Lion King, is my favorite because it
tells of a child who is prophesized to be great; but when born with a physical
affliction was ridiculed and berated.
He not only overcame his physical limitations but rose to be a great
ruler of the Mali Empire. It is a
story many can draw inspiration, strength and wisdom from because it speaks to being
triumphant in the face of great adversity. A message any human being can relate to!
As for poetry, I love Paul Laurence Dunbar because my father
used to read his poems to me as a child.
The poem Mother to Son is my favorite. The lesson of determination and tenacity that this poem
conveys is powerful. I tend to be
drawn to messages of hope and resiliency.
*You have a current performance program entitled "Women
Word Wisdom." Tell us about that program and why you created it. Is there
anyone else involved in the program? Where and when can we experience this program?
An intergenerational group of females are brought together
to engage in a storytelling project aimed at promoting healthy interpersonal
relationships. Storytelling is
used as a catalyst for examining and discussing topics such as self-esteem,
safety in relationships and developing support systems. This free program is sponsored by the
Walnut Street YMCA under the direction K. El-Shabazz and is held on Thursdays
from 6:00-7:00pm until October 10.
*What is your best advice for young poets and spoken-word
artists who want to develop their talents?
Be a perpetual student of your craft. There is always more to learn. Find a seasoned artist in your craft to
mentor you and keep you grounded and focused. The work you do is bigger than you. It is about using your gift to be of
service to your community.
*Where is the best place for Wilmingtonians to find open mic
poetry or spoken word venues to discover or perform themselves?
To be honest, I do not know of any venue in Wilmington that
is offering open mic on a consistent basis.
*What aspects of the Wilmington/Delaware arts scene do you
love the most? Where do you feel there should be improvement?
What I love most about the Wilmington/Delaware arts scene is
that it has that small town feel.
People are warm and encouraging.
What could be improved upon is increasing support. Countless times I have been to venues
which are presenting high-quality art programming to an almost empty
audience. Support the arts!
See http://www.angelfire.com/de/TAHIRA.
