THE AUDIENCE WAS SLAMMED -- WITH WORDS, THAT IS! -- AS HOLLYWOODS TEAM WINS FINALS AT 15th ANNUAL NATIONAL POETRY SLAM COMPETITION"

Poets representing Los Angeles' famous spoken word open mic' venue, Da' Poetry Lounge, scored a decisive win when the Hollywood team took the title at the 15th annual National Poetry Slam Competition in St. Louis on August 3-8, 2004.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) August 15, 2004 -- The joint was jammin when the top poetry and spoken word talents in North America and Europe brought it to the 15th annual National Poetry Slam Competition, held in St. Louis on August 3 -- 8 and sponsored by Poetry Slam, Inc.

After four days of fierce battle, the title of national champion went in a decisive win to Hollywood, whose poets slammed" 69 other teams consisting of some 270 poets.

Slam poetry" is the competitive art of performance poetry, in which multi-member teams perform original work without costumes, props or music. Judges base scores on content, artistry, and the crucial element of audience reaction.

The six members of the winning Hollywood team -- slam-master Shihan Van Cleef, Javon The Golden Child" Johnson, Rives The Storyteller," Omari The Wise O," In-Q, and Gaknew -- are all regular performers at Los Angeles popular Da Poetry Lounge, the largest weekly open mic poetry and spoken word series in the nation.

Held free of charge Tuesday nights in the Greenway Court Theatre at Fairfax and Melrose, Da Poetry Lounge is hosted by Shihan, who co-founded the venue together with other local artists, and in association with Greenway Arts Alliance, a nonprofit professional theatre company based in the Fairfax District and dedicated to fostering the arts in its local community. For four straight years, poets representing DPL have stood on the finals stage at Nationals," states Shihan. That puts into perspective the talent we have as a community."

Last month, Poetry Is The Point: A Slammin Fundraiser" for Da Poetry Lounge, rocked Raleigh Studios with a gala night of poetry and music. Co-sponsored by Greenway Arts Alliance, the event was supported by an all-star line-up of Honorary Co-Chairs that included Denzel Washington, MC Lyte, Angela Bassett, Queen Latifah, Norman Lear, Danny Glover and Simmons/Lathan Group.

A fixture on the LA scene for eight years, Da Poetry Lounge was one of the inspirations for Russell Simmons phenomenally successful Tony Award-winning show, Def Poetry Jam on Broadway," which has branched out into a Peabody-winning HBO TV series and a national tour. Shihan and his DPL co-host and co-founder, Poetri, will be part of the 2004 tour when it kicks off in October, playing Australia, New Zealand, Curacao and Puerto Rico, in addition to many U.S. stops.

In its eight-year history, Da Poetry Lounge has become an important forum for non-judgmental self-expression in a safe and energetic environment, making a huge positive social impact on the community.

DPL represents truth," explains Shihan. Regardless of what truth youre looking for, you can find it at Da Poetry Lounge."

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