Soul artist. A vibrant, poetic voice of this generation. Electric. Moving. Insightful. Present.

15 MP3 Songs in this album (70:51) !
Related styles: Spoken Word: Poetry, Hip-Hop/Rap: Alternative Hip Hop, Mood: Brooding

People who are interested in Mos Def Saul Williams should consider this download.


Details:
âIt is has been a bit since I have heard a poet who rocks well over music, and still maintains the importance of writing a well-crafted piece.â âTai Allen, NY

REGGIE ELDRIDGE is an exciting young voice in spoken word, and is poised to bring a revelation to the spoken word genre with the release of THE AWAKENING, his much-anticipated third album, in October 2010. A meditative LP with the spirit of hip-hop and soul music, THE AWAKENING promises to take listeners on a journey they will not soon forget.

A full-time graduate student and university lecturer in Tampa, Florida, Reggie has featured at countless venues throughout the United States and abroad, including the famed Nuyorican Poets Café, Chicagoâs Green Mill, and the Virgin Islands as a member of the Microphone Messenjahs collective. He has opened for Virgin Records recording artist Dwele, and has shared stages with some of the hottest names in spoken word, including Taalam Acey, Queen Sheba, Lizz Straight, Mahogany Browne and HBO Def Poets Asia, Kristiana Rae Colón, Sunni Patterson, Roger Bonair-Agard and many more.

âI am the dream of Martin Luther and Garvey
I bore the kings who commanded the armies
Who set down the laws for Ghana and Mali
I bear millennia alive in this bodyâ¦â -from âWho am Iâ

More than simply a performer, Reggie lives his art. He has conducted a variety of workshops and given talks on the importance and history of the arts in general, and spoken word in particular. He has performed and workshopped in shelters and prisons as a member of the Lizz Straight prison tour. And in 2008, he led hundreds of university students in a successful protest against the dissolving of departments focusing on educating students about marginalized people.

âEach of us holds a valuable stake
In the sacred exchange of the magic we make
And what god-hands constructed
No mortal can break
In an age of false prophets
Some things you canât fakeâ¦â -from, âTwo Fishâ

As a slam poet, Reggie has found formidable success. A 3-time Southern Fried Regional Poetry Slam finalist and a National Poetry Slam attendee, he is no stranger to the competitive spoken word scene. In 2009, he co-founded Sacred Sounds Poetry, the regionâs only monthly team and individual poetry slam, which has become a staple of Floridaâs cultural landscape, and an important aspect of the future of spoken word in the nation.

With his combination of thoughtfulness, powerful presence and broad appeal, Reggie Eldridge is a valuable addition to any performance lineup. Look for THE AWAKENING October 2010 at a variety of online retailers including Amazon.com, iTunes, and CDBaby.com

www.reggieeldridge.com
www.reverbnation.com/reggieeldridge
www.facebook.com/awakening2010

Responses and Acclaim

âReggie Eldridge's skills as a poet and instrumentalist are merely generous extensions of his magnetic persona as a scholar & community activist. His tireless work ethic, incredible energy, and creative spirit have helped to galvanize and strengthen an already thriving art scene in the Tampa Bay Area. Reggie has committed himself to constantly evolving and growing in and within his craft(s), which challenges his colleagues and contemporaries to do the same. I believe that Reggie Eldridge is one of the vital components in our area's quest to become relevant in the nation's artistic landscape.â
-Walter Jennings, founder of Black on Black Rhyme, Tampa and Heard âEm Say Youth Poetry initiative

âI think you're breathing much-needed fresh air into the genre. Granted, transcendental thought and deep issues has never been all that common in hip-hop (and isn't always needed), but PM Dawn, Public Enemy and X-Clan is proof that intelligent rap can be done and done well. Looking forward to hearing what you have planned for us.â
âSteven Markley, FB

âNow here is a man with a voice, a man who has something to say...we need to listenâ¦Thank you for your art and your voice. I teach in a juvenile prison. I plan on taking your music into the prison and using it to show my students a different and wiser way of seeing the world!â
âEvie Romero Montoya, Tennessee

âI'm really glad I discovered this page...your quotes are really beautiful and your music is great. I hope the world discovers you soon and you achieve the phenomenal success you deserve...one love!â
âIfeanyi Ogbo, Nigeria

âReggie elevates the craft of spoken word. His words are insightful and accessible, inspiring audiences and encouraging poets to raise their literary game.â
-Adrienne Nadeau, poet, Chicago, founder of Warrior Woman, Inc.