NGWATILO MAWIYOOAbout Ngwatilo:A native of Nairobi, Kenya, Ngwatilo Mawiyoo has steadily built a name for herself as a poet, performer, actress and musician. A keen observer and devoted student of the written word; Ngwatilo’s book of poems, "Blue Mothertongue" (2010), is set in Nairobi and the African diaspora around notions of home and identity. Critics say the work is “crafted with beautiful pace and intelligence,” that it is “a worthy testament of her times.” Ngwatilo’s work has been translated into Swedish and (Austrian) German, in addition to being published in literary journals in Kenya and abroad.
Lauded “a priest of the art of performed poetry,” Ngwatilo has presented her work at major African and European festivals, and also enjoys creating unique collaborative poetry-in-performance concepts in an aesthetic dubbed “puesic” [pew-zik]. Her first EP album “Introducing Ngwatilo” (2011) offers a sampling of her solo work and her latest collaborative explorations with popular musicians.
Ngwatilo’s new research explores the lived experience of diverse rural Kenyan communities. It will ultimately inform, among various media products, the writing of a second book of poems.
“Blue Mothertongue” is available at Text Book Centre, Bookstop, Bookpoint, Prestige Booksellers – all in Nairobi, and at Moi University Bookshop, Eldoret. Blue Mothertongue is distributed by The Kwani Trust [www.kwani.org].
You can also find Ngwatilo on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.Ngwatilo is managed by Ngwatilo Poetry & Books.
"Ngwatilo's work has been reviewed by various magnanimous, talented and rather cool folks. The Puesic Project, her first performance project presented in December 2010 at Alliance Francaise de Nairobi, was reviewed by Daktari on his blog SleeplessinNairobi. Blue Mothertongue has been reviewed by Wamathai.com, while Introducing Ngwatilo has been reviewed by KenyanPoet."
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The End of a Love Affair
(Mina Agossi)
Ngwatilo Mawiyoo
Photo by Jerry Riley
Credits:
“Suspend Me / The End of a Love Affair”
Music – Wambura Mitaru
Spoken Vocal – Ngwatilo Mawiyoo
Backing Vocal – Sara Mitaru
Produced/Arranged by David “Blackman” Muthami
From the album Introducing Ngwatilo, © 2011. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
When you are past the fuzzies, past speaking
each night – calling at dawn, past conjoining
your life to his by palm and cell phone;
When the memory of you two together,
after it’s over, protects you from others
who would block out the sound of your skin
– the small of your back, even – aching
to be alone, pores breathing air at last, grateful
while the shadow of him fades;
Silence will be yours to find yourself again,
the one you loved so fiercely before –
to whom you must eventually be faithful,
the one who will not accept shiny stones and flowers –
the notebooks and vocabulary you collected, scraps
to prove you learnt something useful on the way.
>via: http://www.ou.edu/wlt/09_2011/poetry-mawiyoo.html
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Advertising Agency: Access Leo Burnett Nairobi/Publicis Conseil Paris
Agency Producer: Annette Martyrs
copywriter: Daniel Chandler
Art Director: Nicolas Ermakoff
Copywriter: John Whelan
Director: Bo Platt
Published: March 2009
Main Talent: Ngwatilo Mawiyoo & Daniel Geatano Mwima
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Poet, performer, actress, and musician Ngwatilo's new research explores the lives of 20 rural Kenyan families over 200 days. She plans to share her experience on Kenyan and international radio platforms, and thereafter publish a book of poems, to follow her critically acclaimed first collection, "Blue Mothertongue" (2010).
GO HERE TO READ THE NGWATILO KENYA PROJECT REPORT