In recognition of Black History Month, Holt Renfrew has partnered with R.I.S.E. Edutainment, a grassroots organization focused on empowering Black youth, and Randell Adjei, Ontario’s first Poet Laureate, on a series of performance pieces designed to recognize and celebrate Black excellence and creativity. The three performances can be viewed any time on Holt Renfrew’s site, and feature Randell, Dynesti & Esie Mensah, and Tracey Kayy.
Randall Adjei is an entrepreneur, speaker and spoken word practitioner who was appointed to be Ontario’s first Poet Laureate in the spring of 2021. Randall’s performance includes piano and trumpet accompaniment and runs just under two and a half minutes.
Dynesty, known as a ‘fierce entertainer’, brings live performance, lyrics, videos, workshops and sonic experiences to the scene. Her combined performance piece with Esie Mensah, an artist, dancer and featured speaker at TEDxToronto 2019, is part spoken word, part dance, part performance art.
Tracey Kayy, a multidisciplinary artist, among other callings, invites us to view a performance backlit in dark blue lighting and features her speaking to the camera in a spoken-word style with music backing her up.
All three powerful performances convey strong messages about black experiences and showcase leading cultural figures in the community.