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Olu Butterfly Woods

Feature date(s):

Girls just wanna have fun…
& revolutions.
Not cuz they mean to hurt anyone but
because they wanna give birth to
healthy poems & babies

Olu Butterfly Woods, da funky intellectual, is author of The Revenge of Dandelions, which has spent time on the list of BIBR's "Best Poetry Books" and BlackWords's Book of the Month. In the preface Haki R. Madhubuti, distinguished professor and Black Arts Movement veteran, writes, "She is a political poet who loves unapologetically, yet is able to view reality with the cold heart of a seasoned soldier."

She is poised in a b-girl stance at the forefront of Baltimore's cultural/artistic scene and a general movement towards artist self-determination. The City Paper voted her "Best Grass-Roots Poet," and Saul Williams described her style as "absolutely inspirational." Olu turned down graduate study offers in Mechanical Engineering to pursue her career in the arts. She is a member of Sankofa Dance Theater and directing co-founder of Poetry for the People Baltimore (P4PB). P4PB is a community arts organization, inspired by June Jordan, which blends innovative entertainment with youth-based projects and other community-centric activities. She can rock a page, a stage, a literary conference, a block party, and host your local hip hop concert.

Olu Butterfly is director of Organic Soul Tuesdays @ 218 W. Saratoga St., Baltimore-a popular weekly open-mic jam session with a fierce house band, and can be seen at The Poet Tree (40 W. Biddle St., Baltimore) where P4PB is a resident organization.

Her influences include Toni Morrison, Andre 3000, Rumi, Paul Simon, Bob Marley, and Audre Lorde.

Olu has opened for/appeared with Fertile Ground, Meshell N'degeocello, Erykah Badu, The Last Poets, Amiri Baraka, Jessica Care Moore, India Arie, Cassandra Wilson, Saul Williams, and more.

Olu's touring has brought her to such places as S.O.B's, Bar 13 (NY), The Jazz Café, Mass (UK), The Black Cat (DC), The Green Mill (CHI), Baltimore Museum of Art, Write Now! Literary Conference (MD), The National Black Arts Festival (ATL)

Her recording credits include Fertile Ground's Seasons Change, Counterpoint Records compilation Jazz Bizniz 3, and 5 Conversations on Soul DVD with The Roots, George Clinton, and more.

To contact Olu Butterfly Woods
www.blackoutstudios.com or olu@blackoutstudios.com