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Long Bio |
Short Bio |
Long Bio
10/23/2005
What do you get when you mix literary genius equal to that of Sonia Sanchez, the wit of Oscar Wilde, and the Sass of Mae West? You get Bassey Ikpi, Poet, Performer, Writer, Daughter, Sister, and Friend.
Bassey’s intelligent prose, thought provoking quotes, humorous anecdotes, or timeless poetry-
Bassey takes the human spirit, and makes it dance with the essence of life.
Bassey was born in Ikom, Cross River State, Nigeria. Residing in
her native land until age 4, she and her parents moved to the small
college town of Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA. Although the transition to life in the states was not always an easy one- it didn’t stop young Bassey from finding a love of books, and television, embracing her new cultural existence Bassey was always very outgoing and passionate in her views.
It was a teacher at her elementary school who helped Bassey
cultivate and channel her creative energies. At the age of 8, Bassey was
introduced to the poetry of Langston Hughes and Nikki Giovanni. It was
these influences that became the cornerstone for Bassey to begin penning
her own work.
At 14 Bassey and her family moved from Stillwater, OK to Washington, D.C (metro area)
Soon after, she joined the cast of BET’s NAACP award
winning Teen Summit. Through this experience, Bassey learned to be
comfortable on camera. Her interviewing skills were also honed as
Bassey was given the opportunity to interview everyone from politicians
(including former President Bill Clinton) to entertainment giants.
Bassey remained a regular on the program until her graduation from high school.
In the fall of 1994, Bassey began her first year of college in Baltimore,
MD. While in college, Bassey discovered the world of spoken word. After her
first public reading, Bassey tapped into her love for performing once more, and
quickly became a regular in both Baltimore and D.C burgeoning spoken word
scenes. Bassey and her partners in Spoken World, ran a popular open mike event at a local Baltimore bar,
Which Bassey emceed. Soon Bassey was found juggling crowd control and
schoolwork.
During the summer of 1999, Bassey took a weekend trip to New
York City. She was enamored by, the very soul of the city. Shortly after, Bassey called the
New York home. It was in NYC that Bassey’s career began to take flight. She
has opened for such acclaimed artists and world renowned writers, as Sonia
Sanchez and Nikki Giovanni, the international recording group Lés Nubians,
and Grammy Award winning artists such as India.Arie, Alicia Keys, and the
late Luther Vandross, et al. While in New York, Bassey became involved in
the highly competitive world of slam poetry. At first, Bassey was a
regular at the world famous Nuyorican Poets Café but it wasn’t until she
discovered Bar13 and its Louder Arts Collective that she truly found a
home in slam. It was through “Loud Poets” that Bassey competed in two
critically acclaimed National Slam teams. In the fall of 2000, Bassey’s
work was featured in a compilation CD entitled, “NYC
Slams”. She also won a role as Def Poetry Jam's New York City
representative in the first incarnation of the television and Tony Award
nominated Broadway hit, Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam. She has appeared
on three seasons of the Peabody Award winning HBO program. The show gave
launch to her career on a national level to which Bassey is thankful.
In March of 2003,Bassey along with fellow Def Poets, Amalia Ortiz and Ishle Yi Park
appeared on the 34th Annual NAACP Image Awards. The trio performed an
original poem as part of a special tribute to tennis champions, Venus and
Serena Williams. In June of 2003, Bassey was asked to join the National
tour of the Tony Award winning stage production of Russell Simmons’ Def
Poetry Jam at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. She
spent the following year touring across the country in Def Poetry Jam’s
National Tour. Though performing and writing are Bassey’s first loves, she
has also been seen gracing the pages of magazines such as Bust, Nylon,
Marie Claire and Glamour. Bassey has also continued to expand her resume
and skills to include voice over work for a national HIV/AIDS awareness
campaign. Bassey is currently busy touring, working on publications, and also writing her first one women show.
Bassey’s future plans include launching the production company she has
been dreaming of since she was a child, as well as finding more beauty, truth, and light in the world around her.
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Short Bio
09/03/2004
This Nigerian born spoken word artist has appeared on HBO’s Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry 5 times. She has opened up for Grammy nominated artists India Arie, Les Nubians and Luther Vandross. As a member of the all woman poetry collective, Diva Diction, Bassey appeared on the NAACP Image Awards as part of a tribute to Venus and Serena Williams. Bassey has also been a featured cast member of the National Touring Company of the Tony Award winning Broadway show, Russell Simmon’s Def Poetry Jam. In the Summer of 2003, Bassey was a part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. Bassey has also been seen gracing the pages of magazines such as Nylon, Marie Claire, Glamour and Bust. She also recorded an original poem for the Kaiser Foundations, HIV/AIDS campaign, Knowing Is Beautiful. Bassey’s personal and heartfelt work has made her a much sought after performer. She is currently working on her first collection of Poetry and Prose entitled, From This Safe Space and raising her son. She can be found performing and colleges and universities across the country. For more information she can be reached at www.basseyworld.com.
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