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| Female Muslim Hip-Hop Duo To Tour the USA In Spring 2009, international hip-hop media company Nomadic Wax will be hosting Poetic Pilgrimage's first US tour. Poetic Pilgrimage is an exciting, up-and-coming female hip-hop and spoken word duo from the UK who are set to take the world by storm with their unique sound, intelligent lyrics and unparalleled charisma. In a world where Islam is massively misrepresented by mainstream media, Poetic Pilgrimage brings a refreshing perspective on the subjects of religious identity, immigration, and global politics. As one of the very few Muslim, female hip-hop performers in the world, their music reflects their unique experience as young, female, hip-hop generation British immigrants and active participants in the incredibly diverse global Muslim community. The world has much to learn from the lyrics of these two women. Muneera Rashida and Sukina Abdul Noor were both born in Bristol to Jamaican parents, and have been performing together as Poetic Pilgrimage for 6 years. The early part of their career saw them as favorites on the London poetry circuit where they performed alongside some of the biggest names, placing them at the forefront of the fast-growing UK Muslim hip-hop scene. They use their music to untie their community with the greater hip-hop and music scene. Their musical goals are to make progressive hip-hop music that fuses their African and Caribbean roots with their musical tastes such as jazz, afrobeat, soul and beyond, providing a creatively comparable backdrop to their message of peace, unity and freedom. The group has toured all over Europe and performed alongside artists such as Talib Kweli. They have received critical acclaim and press coverage from many of Europe's most notable publications. Whether helping youth learn to write heartfelt poetry, or free-styling at the most male-dominated hip-hop venues, Poetic Pilgrimage has become one of the most well-known and well-respected Muslim hip-hop crews in the world. Nomadic Wax has put together the first US-tour of one of the most important and most-talented female and Muslim hip-hop crews in the world. They will be performing and interacting with hip-hop artists who represent all sides of the Muslim world, from Syrian-American artists like Omar Offendum, to West African artists like Baay Musa and Salim Diallo. At the SXSW festival in Texas, they will be performing alongside the Invincible, an Israeli-born artist and one of the most respected lyricists in hip-hop. On the east coast, they will participate in the Trinity International Hip Hop Festival, the only event of its kind and size in the US, alongside rising Muslim hip-hop artist K'Naan. In Washington DC, Poetic Pilgrimage, together with Mohammed Yahya, one of the most well-known male Muslim emcees in the UK, will perform at a benefit to raise money for handicapped children in Gaza. They will be performing alongside the N.O.M.A.D.S, one of America's most established underground Muslim hip-hop crews, and with Sabreena Da Witch, another female Arab artist who was featured in the award winning documentary 'Slingshot Hip Hop.' For more information on tour dates, please check the Nomadic Wax website. If you are interested in booking Poetic Pilgrimage at your school, university, or venue, please contact Ben Herson at Ben@nomadicwax.com. write your comments about the article :: © 2009 Jazz News :: home page |