Naila Keleta-Mae
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Naila Keleta-Mae

Toronto, Ontario, Canada | SELF

Toronto, Ontario, Canada | SELF
Band Spoken Word World

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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

Press


"Apuntes Hispanicos"

"Naila Keleta Mae puso el broche de oro a la jornada, con una presentacion narrada a traves del canto, que hizo referencia a las enfermedades mentales y al limite entre la demencia y la cordura"

Mariana Miranda - www.canasanta.com


"This Poetry's Catchy"

"Standing out to this day is her commanding stage presence, intuitive timing and ability to twist everyday situations in ways to make you laugh, think and react. Free Dome, meaning freeing your mind, touches on disparate topics-politically loaded issues like the objectification felt by a black female, the personal ramifications of centuries of racist oppression, a time-stopping account of the police shooting of an unarmed black man, and day-to-day issues of regret, getting paid as an artist, prayers of strength and individual revolution."

T'Cha Dunlevy - The Montreal Gazette


"Chasing the Hyatt Blues"

"It's not just the white suit and gold jewelry that make her radiant; Naila Keleta Mae simultaneously exudes a combination of intense energy and serenity... In a voice as rich and bubbly as chocolate mousse, Mae talks about how she flits between the overlapping roles of dub poet, actress, singer, playwright, musician, student, lecturer, and business woman."

Valerie Howes - Ukula Magazine


"Amiri Baraka & Naila Keleta Mae"

"Poet, actor and vocalist who brings with her a versatility, stage-presence, and articulation that will blow you away." - Suoni Per Il Popolo


"Stuck Soars"

"[Naila Keleta Mae's] play, Stuck, deals with different kinds of entrapment, yet its insights and observations are liberating and cathartic.

Grieving the death of her father, she finds herself, in her early 20s, stuck in an emotional stasis that's partly self-induced - she admits a weakness for spliffs - and partly a result of her cultural hybrid status."

[Naila Keleta Mae] displays impressive range. She's capable of raunchy humour, intellectual argument, self-conscious irony and poetic reminiscence."

Glenn Sumi - Now Magazine


"Sisters With Voices"

"She did not disappoint! Naila moved us with the cleansing of her “psychic trash”, a passionate selection performed with a delivery reminiscent of an impassioned preacher. This piece seemed too brief. On a night where every word was relevant, Naila’s were all too noteworthy, with her commenting on the madness of a society that acquits police officers, guilty of shooting a young black man forty-one times."

Adele Ambrose - AfroToronto.com


"PoeticSoul Spotlight"

"Naila Keleta Mae has been blazing the Toronto arts scene. She is an accomplished artist and educator and her interdisciplinary work has led her to South Africa, France, Brazil, the U.S. and across Canada. Her award winning CD Free Dome has touched the hearts of people as far as Spain and Korea.

Multi-skilled and multi-talented Naila is a writer a performer, an actress a poet, a teacher and list goes on and on. Naila is currently putting her writing and production skills to work on a play called No Knowledge College.

She is definitely an artist worth looking for."

Kevin heronJones - www.poeticsoul.ca


"Poetry Is A Slam"

"[F]rom Toronto was the unparalleled, Naila Keleta-Mae. Naila approached the mic with calm confidence, and a mischievous smile.

[T]he words escaping her lips were so powerful that they touched our souls. Naila poured her heart out and the audience lapped it up."

Ricardo McRae
- Carib Weekly


Discography

"Free Dome" LP (Yah Ga Yah Productions) *Canadian Urban Music Award, Best Spoken Word Recording

"Imani" on Broken Pencil (Wired on Words)

"Gangsta Rap" on Below The Radar (CHRY 105.5 FM)

"A Dollar?" on Wordlife (RevWords)

"Free Dome: South Africa" LP (Yah Ga Yah Productions)

Photos

Bio

official website:
www.nailakeletamae.com

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Naila Keleta-Mae is an accomplished interdisciplinary artist, educator and scholar who makes words come alive with challenging content and charismatic versatility. Her work focuses primarily on literature, theatre and music and she has worked in Canada, France, South Africa, Portugal and the USA.

Naila's recent projects include the launch of her third album bloom and the creation of a commissioned experimental performance installation entitled "on love". Naila is also Faculty Advisor in the MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts program at Goddard College, a PhD Candidate in the Theatre Studies program at York University, a recipient of a SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarship and winner of the 2011 IFTR New Scholar Prize. Her artistic and academic work has appeared in journals and anthologies published by Playwrights Canada Press, University of Toronto Press and others.

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Her Canadian Urban Music Award-winning album "Free Dome: South Africa" is available at iTunes.