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SESSION NO. 01 | #spokenword | #sekouandrews | #steveconnell | ||||||||
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"THEY ARE THE PERFECT COMBINATION
OF SOUL AND SCIENCE "
As the world’s leading “Poetic Voice,” Sekou Andrews is disrupting the speaking and spoken word industry in unprecedented ways. A schoolteacher turned GRAMMY®-nominated recording artist, two-time national poetry slam champion, actor, thought leader, and award-winning spoken word poet, any given day finds Sekou keynoting at leadership conferences for Google, Apple, Mastercard, or hundreds of other Fortune 500 clients. Sekou has also performed pieces in major network shows, award-winning digital content, and even for President Obama in Oprah Winfrey’s backyard!
Co-founder of Spoken Cinema, Steve Connell is an actor, poet, and transformative entertainer whose live performances are as dynamic as the words he delivers. He has entertained at private events for President Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, amongst others, and his work has been seen on ABC, HBO, MTV, as well as at the Sundance Film Festival, Kennedy Center, and The White House.
Together as long-time creative collaborators, Sekou and Steve are known to deliver comedic, heart-wrenching, and inspiring poetic journeys that examine the current cultural landscape, touching on social justice, human relations, love, business, and other relevant topics. Through the vehicle of a spoken word poetry, comedy, theater, and hip-hop blend, the duo has brought important discourse to global audiences and inspired millions through prominent online and network platforms including TEDMED, HBO, Good Morning America, CNN, MSNBC, BET, Showtime, The Grio, ABC, FOX, MTV and countless others.
One fateful day, Sekou Andrews discovered a 7-page poem that his father wrote about him as he was being born. Suddenly it all made sense. Sekou had built a 7-figure company on poetry and had become one of the most successful spoken word poets in the world. He was literally the poetry his father had set in motion. Poetry, however, was not his first muse.
Upon moving from California to Washington DC, Sekou discovered acting and hip-hop, and pursued both artforms throughout high school, at Duke Ellington School of the Arts and Georgetown Day School, and at Pitzer College, where he received his B.A. in Sociology. After working at a few law firms, with plans to pursue entertainment law, Sekou pivoted to becoming an elementary school teacher. As much as he loved the classroom, Sekou’s heart was ultimately in his art. So he bravely quit his job and joined the ranks of that societal anomaly known as the “full–time poet.” He was not, however, resigned to the café and college touring life of a traditional performance poet. He knew that poetry could do more.
A fearless entrepreneur and innovator, Sekou began an extraordinary climb to success. His work was featured on major media outlets, including ABC World News, CBS, Fox, MSNBC, HBO, Good Morning America, Showtime, MTV and BET. He shared event stages with such heavyweights as Drake, Stevie Wonder, Jay-Z, Carlos Santana, Kendrick Lamar, and Maroon 5. He won the National Poetry Slam championship twice, featured in two national poetry tours, and released three critically-acclaimed albums. In 2020, his genre-bending album of poetry with The String Theory, a neo-classical orchestra from Europe, earned him the honor of becoming the first spoken word poet in over 30 years to be nominated for the “Best Spoken Word Album” Grammy.
With creative partner Steve Connell, Sekou inspired sold out crowds at countless high-profile events, from the Pasadena Pops Orchestra to the Inaugural Peace Ball. They performed at private events for Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, and Quincy Jones. Yet, not even their critically acclaimed 2-man play, “The Word Begins,” could satiate Sekou’s plans for this artform. He knew poetry could do more.
Increasingly driven by an unrelenting purpose – to help people find their voice, and to help create a commercially viable industry for spoken word poetry – Sekou pioneered a new category of public speaking called Poetic Voice. His unique fusion of inspirational speaking and spoken word poetry has amassed a platinum client list of global brands, including Google, Viacom, Toyota, Nike, Linkedin, and Paypal.
Yet, for Sekou, all of this is merely scratching the surface. He has a 7-page poem to live up to, and a legacy to leave. He will not rest until spoken word poets can make a purposeful and profitable living off their art; until he has helped millions of people find their most inspiring voice; and until the world recognizes trails he is blazing as irrefutable proof that poetry can do more.
Transformational entertainer, poet and keynote speaker, Steve Connell, knows ideas that change the world require a voice that will make it listen. He creates compelling performance pieces for companies, organizations and non-profit groups— communicating world-changing messages with dynamism, humor, and unbridled energy.
His distinct and engaging approach to storytelling and multi-media performances makes him a sought after speaker for marquee events including performances for President Obama and Oprah Winfrey, world-class conferences for Life Itself, X-Prize, and the American Cancer Society, and festivals like Sundance and the Amnesty International Human Rights Arts Festival.
As a National Poetry Champion and accomplished playwright, Steve’s most recent work IMPERFECT premiered with Lincoln Center’s 2021 Restart Stages Series and his celebrated piece “We Are The Lions”, developed in partnership with YWCA, has 10+ million views & was performed at the UN. His first short film, “the universe is chewing”, co-starring Troian Bellisario was awarded a 2019 Best Shorts Humanitarian Award.
Steve’s work has been seen on ABC, MSNBC, HBO and MTV and he’s entertained corporate giants such as Sony/Universal, Pioneer, Sonic, Farmers Insurance, Gap Inc. and Nike.
