Celebrate Life

Celebrate Life – Stories of the Sublime and Absurd is a blend of humorous stories and songs that celebrate life, love, travel, and relationships. Includes stories about Namaya’s neighbors in Vermont and adventures around the world.

Stories, songs and poems by international performance artist and humorist

Namaya, as a solo artist or with his band the Jazz Beat Blues Poetry ensemble, has performed in colleges, clubs in the USA and beyond.  Namaya has performed at the leading poetry venues Nuyorican, the Bowery, Portland Jazz Fest, and internationally on tour in Europe, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and at the No Black Tie in Kuala Lumpur. He has performed on five continents and in the Middle East in Palestine and Syria.  Aquarian magazine described him as “The high wire artist of the spoken word.”

Combining the art of jazz poetry, story, Namaya leads us to a place of enchantment.

Jazz Meets the Word

Location

The Columns
3811 Saint Charles Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70115

Namaya, Ir’Rev Jazz, the jazz poet/raconteur who has performed on five continents will jam with the New Orleans Jazz Legends John Rankin, Ray Moore, and Ed Wise in Jazz Meets the Word, the definitive jazz poetry/story show in NOLA.

Namaya, comes from the lineage of jazz poets like Lord Buckley, Slim Gaillard, Ginsberg and the Last Poets. Described as the “High wire performance poet of the spoken word. Spellbinding improvisation words and stories… the definitive jazz poet.” by the Aquarian. Namaya says, “The art is to offer the Word and fuse it with the magic of the jazz legends of Rankin, Moore, and Wise.” The show will include jazz stories like Stagolee, Love Junkie, the Rugaroo, Mango Love — with a play of improvisation with jazz, blues, and more. 

Bios:

John Rankin is a music connoisseur’s treat. A guitar virtuoso who embodies all the styles and music in NOLA from Blues to Jazz and delivers it with sublime style.  https://johnrankin.net/

Ray Moore is master of the wind instruments, alto saxophonist and woodwind doubler, has worked with all the finest orchestras, and clubs in NOLA.  http://raymooremusic.com/

Ed Wise is the premier bass play in New Orleans.  He has performed with Lee Konitz, Jim Hall, Monty Alexander, Herb Ellis, Mose Allison and more.  https://edwisemusician.com/

Namaya, Ir’ Rev’ Jazz, is an internationally renowned jazz poet, storyteller, humorist and sublime improvisational artist who has performed on five continents.  He is the playwright of the “Beatnik Café: A Musical Revue of the Jazz Beat Generation”, which was an off-off Broadway show in NYC.

Suggested donation is $15 at the door.

Viva La Vida: 2019-2020

Namaya is touring with “Celebrate Life: Viva La Vida” 2019-2020. 

Namaya says, “In a world of such madness and pain, it is vital for stories that celebrate the absurdity and joys of life.”