New York City Department of Education Region 8 Family Arts Festival 2005 to be Held at Brooklyn Tech High School, Saturday, May 14th from 9am-5pm

Special guest performance by spoken word performance artists Tantra and Fisiwe, and singer/guitarist/arranger Maritri at 12:45p.m.

New York, NY (PRWEB) May 14, 2005 -- Creativity, imagination and diversity are trademarks of the Region 8 Family Arts Festival. The festival, sponsored by the New York City Department of Education will be held at Brooklyn Tech High School, Saturday, May 14 from 9:00am to 5:00pm. and will feature a special guest performance by spoken word performance artists Tantra and Fisiwe and singer/guitarist/arranger Maritri at 12:45p.m.

Tantra
Tantra, AKA Saundra L. Williams, spoken word artist and performance poet, is the author of "alifepoeminprogress" by Pauline Publishing - A Spoken Word Black Press, New York. She is featured on spoken word CDs such as "Natural: Bring That Poem Home" with Fisiwe; "Selling My Diamonds" by Precious Gift, Blu Magazine's spoken word compilation (2001) and Canhead Record's "Urban Avant Garde - Live @ The Nuyorican Poet's Cafe." She is the host of her own spoken word series, WORDSPACE and has recently performed at the Brooklyn Museum's First Saturday project, the Brooklyn Academy of Music as part of Def Poetry Plugged In, hosted by Danny Simmons and the Bric. Her CD, "Natural: Bring That Poem Home," is available on amazon.com.

Maritri
Celebrated vocalist, guitarist and pianist Maritri Garrett made her classical piano debut at Steinway Hall in New York in 2002 and has opened for artists such as Gladys Knight, Toshi Reagon, and the Indigo Girls and performed at Nina Simone's family memorial with Patti LaBelle, Valerie Simpson, Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis. She has recently performed with Ani DiFranco, Sekou Sundiata, Tamar Kali and is currently working with Sekou Sundiata on his new work, "The America Project," through New World Theater. In March 2005, Maritri released her highly anticipated debut CD, "In Your Room.' Produced by Ian Friday and Maritri for Tea Party Productions, "In Your Room," is available at amazon.com

Fisiwe
Fisiwe-singer, poet, author is the current host of Hottest Poets and the former host of "Poetry at The Shack," at the Sugar Shack Café since 1999, one of Harlem's longest running poetry venues, where she has performed with "The No Restrictions Band." Fisiwe is a proud member of the spoken word trio, Precious Gift and is also the female singing voice of the innovative soulful rock band Fuzz Deluxe alongside front man Simon Felice and producer/songwriter extraordinaire Brian Goss (formerly of Dripping Goss). Fisiwe's vocals have been featured on the poetry CDs of Taalam Acey and Faraji Salim "NRGOD," Taalam Acey's "Morally Bankrupt" and "Mood Demistify and the compilation CD entitled "In the Meantime" with Smooth As Jazz Publishing. However, her pride and joy are the CDs "Natural: Bring That Poem Home" with Tantra and "Selling My Diamonds," by Precious Gift.

Brooklyn Tech High School is located at 29 Fort Greene Place in Brooklyn. For information about the Brooklyn Family Arts Festival, contact the Festival Hotline at 718-935-4200. Contact Debra Williams at Diamond & Company Public Relations at 212-247-3692 or debra@diamondandcompany.com for bookings and information about Tantra, Maritri and Fisiwe.

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