Black Queer archives: Unearthing Jimmie Daniels, Art, Life and Performance
6-8pm
Talk: Kobi Ayensuo on Black Queer archives: Unearthing Jimmie Daniel’s, Art, Life and Performance.
The Soho Poly is thrilled to announce this event, the first of two public celebrations of Kobi Ayensuo’s Soho Poly artist residency, in collaboration with the University of Westminster’s Black History Year and QHT-EDI Programme, and for the Third Annual Queering Academia Conference.
Jimmie Daniels was an internationally renowned cabaret singer and an active part of New York’s nightclub scene during the Harlem Renaissance and beyond. Famous for his interpretations of jazz classics and other musical numbers, Daniels was notable for the open way in which he lived his queer desires.
Daniels’ archives are housed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC and, for LGBTQ+ History month, Black History Year, the Soho Poly, and Kobi Essah Ayensuo will be working together to explore Daniels’ archive and to foster a creative response to his legacy.
In late-January, performer, poet and musician Kobi Essah Ayensuo will visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture to study Daniel’s archive. Then, from February 10th, they will undertake a two-week residency at the Soho Poly on behalf of Black History Year.
Kobi Essah Ayensuo is a poet, musician, playwright, mover and creative of many hats based in London. Their work often explores their black queer, trans identity and coming of age, black queer ancestry, their Ghanaian heritage; navigating relationships and reimagining/decolonising the lens with which black history, black present and black future is told. Musically, their sound can be described as soulful, alternative and harmonic. Kobi’s work is also a reminder that growing into our skin happens when we listen in to our spirit and look to the ones who came before us. Their work often is soundtracked with vocals, harmonic soundscapes and music – which interweaves with several art forms such as poetry and theatre.
Kobi Essah Ayensuo has been published with Ink Sweat and Tears, South London Gallery, Flipped Eye and Marques Almeida for London Fashion Week 2020. They have performed their work at several venues and festivals across the UK such as Brainchild festival, Wilderness Festival, Mighty Hoopla Festival, the Roundhouse, the Barbican, Disturbance at Ugly Duck and the Southbank Centre.
They are also are a BBC Words First finalist and an alumnus of Barbican Young Poets, The Writing room, the Roundhouse Resident Artist programme, Soho Writers Lab 23/24 and the Obsidian Foundation. Most recently they debuted their Live Art performance ‘In Honour of My Body Spirit and Of Worlds to Come’ which received a standing ovation at Disturbance, at Ugly Duck. At present, they are working on their debut EP.