DWAYNE MORGAN’S

2 - Biography 3 - Highlights 7 - Events 8 - Appearances 10 - Publishing History / Discography 11 - Awards 12 - Affiliations

Media Kit

DWAYNEMORGAN.CA

P o e t • S p e a k e r • S o c i a l E n t r e p r e n e u r

wayne Morgan began his career as a spoken word artist in 1993. In 1994, while

still in high school, he founded Up From The Roots entertainment, to promote the

positive artistic contributions of African Canadian and urban influenced artists.

A member of the Writers’ Union of Canada, Morgan has received both the African Canadian

Achievement Award, and the Harry Jerome Award for Excellence in the Arts. Morgan is the winner

of 3 Canadian Urban Music Awards (2001, 2003, 2005). In 1998, Morgan introduced regular poetry

slams to Toronto, and has watched them blossom across the GTA and beyond ever since. In 2005

he was recognized as Poet of Honour at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word in Vancouver.

In 2008 Morgan’s contribution to the Arts and Canadian society were recognized on the Legacy

Black History Month poster.

Dwayne has published 6 books, most recently, Her Favourite Shoes, which followed, The Sensual

Musings of Dwayne Morgan (2010), The Making of A Man (2005), The Man Behind The Mic

(2002), Long Overdue (1999), and chapbooks, The Revolution Starts Within (1996), and Straight

From The Roots (1995). In 2009, Morgan’s work was translated into French, culminating in the

book, Le Making of d’un Homme. His albums include, Another Level (1997), The Evolution (2001),

Soul Searching (2003), A Decade in the Making (2004), Mellow Mood: The End of the Beginning

(2007), and Idle Hands (2011). In 2008, Morgan released a commemorative DVD entitled, Dwayne

Morgan The First Fifteen.

Dwayne has performed for the former Governor General of Canada, The Honourable Michaelle

Jean, and has shared the stage with many of Canada’s top artists including Russell Peters, Deborah

Cox, Kardinal Offishal, Jully Black, K-OS, and Nelly Furtado, while opening for international artists

Alicia Keys, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Mutabaruka, Ursula Rucker, Colin Channer, and Saul Williams,

and recording with Canadian artists including Grammy nominee, Drake.

To further explore his creativity, Dwayne collaborated with Driftwood Studios to film, Three Knocks,

a ten minute film based on his domestic violence poem of the same name, which premiered in

Toronto’s Reel World Film Festival. In March 2008, Dwayne hosted his first photography exhibit,

The Sum of Her Parts, exploring female body image.

Dwayne’s work ethic has taken him across Canada, the United States, Jamaica, Barbados,

England, Scotland, Belgium, Budapest, Germany, France, Norway, and Holland. His emphasis on

quality has driven his success, and has made him a well-respected component of Toronto’s urban

music community, as well as the North American, and Global, spoken word scenes.

D

Dwayne Morgan

biographyDWAYNE MORGAN’S

Dwayne Morgan

2011 • Mixtape, Eartight Volume 1, by DJ Manifest ft. Dwayne Morgan released

• Idle Hands, sensual album, released by Up From The Roots • Her Favourite Shoes and Other Stories of Life and Love, published by Up From The Roots

2010• Cunnilinguistics: The Sensual Musings of Dwayne Morgan, published by Adage Editions, Montreal Quebec

2009• Le Making of d’un Homme, published by Adage, Montreal, Quebec/maelstrOm reEvolution

• Track, Incomplete, appeared on Jef Kearns album, On The Level

2008• DVD, Dwayne Morgan, The First Fifteen released by Up From The Roots

• Track, Samitra, appeared on the Jamie FInlay, I Am Love EP, Wah Wah Records, UK

2007• Mellow Mood: The End of the Beginning double album, released by Up From The Roots• Track, Any Given Sunday, appeared on the Underground Hits and Exclusive Bits album, Wah Wah Records, UK• The Making of A Man, appears on the album, Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, Volume One

2006• Track, Bombs Over Brampton, commissioned for and released on the Urban Noise Compilation Album• Track, The Sum of Her Parts, appears on the Kate Bowen EP, Bare

2005• Produced, Carte Blanche, comedy album featuring Jean Paul and Marc Trinidad• The Making of A Man, published by Up From The Roots• Erotic Anthology, published by Up From The Roots

HighlightsDWAYNE MORGAN’S

Dwayne Morgan

DWAYNE MORGAN’SHighlights

Dwayne Morgan

DWAYNEMORGAN’S

Highlights

2004• A Decade in the Making, double album, released by Up From The Roots

2003• Released the Toronto International Poetry Slam compilation CD

• Soul Searching album, released by Up From The Roots

2002• The Man Behind the Mic, published by Up From The Roots

2001• Appeared on the Baby Blue Sound Crew’s Gold Selling compilation album

‘Private Party Volume 2’ (Universal Music Canada)

2000• The Evolution, album, released by Up From The Roots

1999• Long Overdue, published by Up From The Roots

1997• Another Level, album, released by Up From The Roots

1996• The Revolution Starts Within, chapbook, published by Up From The Roots

1995• Straight From The Roots, chapbook, published by Up From The Roots

Dwayne Morgan

HighlightsDWAYNE MORGAN’S

Founder and producer of Black Present, a celebration of today’s trailblazers

Producer of the 2006 canaDian Festival oF sPoken WorD

Founder of the roots lounge open mic and Poetry slaM (1998 – present)

Founder of the toronto international Poetry slaM (2003 – present)

Founder of When Brothers sPeak and When sisters sPeak Spoken Word Concerts (1998 – present)

Producer of the Walking on WorDs poetry tour which has featured performances in Jamaica, Barbados, Canada, the U.S., Spain, France, Hungary, England, Germany, Belgium, and Holland

eventsDWAYNE MORGAN’S

Dwayne Morgan

2011 Toronto Storytelling FestivalLes 15 Cents Coups du Festival, Paris France

2010Hillside Festival, Guelph, Ontario, CanadaHamilton Fringe FestivalToronto Fringe FestivalMontreal Fringe FestivalOntario Writers Conference, Ajax, Ontario

2009Hillside Festival, Guelph, Ontario, CanadaAfrican History Week, Oslo, Norway Hamilton Fringe FestivalFiEstival MaelstrOm ReEvolution, Brussels, BelgiumKuumba Festival, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, Canada

2008Hillside Festival, Guelph, Ontario, CanadaCanadian Festival of Spoken Word, Calgary, AlbertaIrie Music Festival, Toronto, CanadaStreet Seen Urban Arts Festival, Halifax, Nova ScotiaHamilton Fringe FestivalCalgary International Spoken Word Festival

2007Calgary International Spoken Word FestivalHillside Festival, Guelph, Ontario, CanadaCanadian Festival of Spoken Word, Halifax, Nova ScotiaFestival Voix d’Ameriques, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

2006Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, Toronto, Canada (producer)Mariposa Folk Festival, Orillia, Ontario, Canada Dwayne Morgan

AppearancesDWAYNE MORGAN’S

2005Calgary International Spoken Word FestivalCanadian Festival of Spoken Word, Vancouver, BC, Canada (Poet of Honour)Hot and Spicy Festival, Harbourfront, Toronto, Canada

2004Calgary International Spoken Word FestivalKanadai Tavaszi Fesztival, Budapest, HungaryKuumba Festival, Harbourfront, Toronto, CanadaCongaline Music Festival, Barbados, West IndiesDistillery Jazz Festival, Toronto, CanadaToronto International Dub Poetry Festival, Toronto, CanadaJamaican Ocho Rios Jazz Festival, Jamaica, West IndiesVancouver Folk Music Festival, Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaWord Up Spoken Word Expo, Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.A.

2003 Toronto Storytelling Festival, Toronto, CanadaKuumba Festival, Harbourfront, Toronto, CanadaWordfest, Calgary, AlbertaCaribbean Canadian Literary Expo, Toronto, CanadaIrie Music Festival, Toronto, CanadaSpoken Word Expo, St. Louis, U.S.A.

2002Irie Music Festival, Toronto, Canada

2001Kuumba Festival, Harbourfront, Toronto, CanadaToronto Street Festival, Toronto, CanadaDuMaurier Downtown Jazz Festival, Toronto, CanadaToronto Urban Music Festival, Toronto, Canada

2000DuMaurier Downtown Jazz Festival, Toronto, Canada

1999North By North East Music Festival, Toronto, CanadaCaribana Arts and Music Festival, Toronto, Canada

1998Caribana Arts and Music Festival, Toronto, Canada

1997Caribana Arts and Music Festival, Toronto, Canada

Dwayne Morgan

DWAYNE MORGAN’SAppearances

2011 Idle Hands, sensual album, released by Up From The Roots

Her Favourite Shoes and Other Stories of Life and Love, published by Up From The Roots

2010Cunnilinguistics: The Sensual Musings of Dwayne Morgan, published

by Adage Editions, Montreal

2009Le Making of d’un Homme,published by Adage, Montreal,

Quebec/maelstrOm reEvolutionTrack, Incomplete, appears on Jef Kearns album, On The Level

2008Release DVD, Dwayne Morgan, The First Fifteen

Track, Samitra, appears on the Jamie Finlay, I Am Love EP, Wah Wah Records, UK

2007Release Mellow Mood: The End of the Beginning double album

Track, Any Given Sunday, appears on the Underground Hits and Exclusive Bits: Two Album, Wah Wah Records, UK

The Making of A Man, appears on the album, Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, Volume One, Toronto 2006

2006Bombs Over Brampton, commissioned for and released on

the Urban Noise Compilation AlbumThe Sum of Her Parts, appears on the Kate Bowen EP, Bare

2005Producer of Carte Blanche, an album featuring the comedy of

Jean Paul and Marc TrinidadPublishes book, The Making of A Man

Publishes erotic anthology, Erotic

2004Releases 10 year anniversary double album, A Decade in the Making

2003Releases Toronto International Poetry Slam Compilation CDReleased album, Soul Searching

2002Published book, The Man Behind the Mic

2001Appears on the Baby Blue Sound Crew’s Gold Selling compilation album‘Private Party Volume 2’ (Universal Music Canada)

2000Produced album, The Evolution

1999Published first full length book, Long Overdue

1997Produced Cassette, Another Level

1996Produced Chapbook, The Revolution Starts Within

1995Produced Chapbook, Straight From The Roots

DW

AYNE M

ORG

AN’S

Publishing H

istory / Discography

Awards• 2001, 2003, 2005 Canadian Urban Music Award for Best Spoken Word Recording• 1998, Harry Jerome Award for Excellence in the Arts• 1998, African-Canadian Achievement Award for Youth Achievement

Affiliations• Member, League of Canadian Poets• Member, Canadian Alliance of Black Educators• Member, Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN)• Member, Canadian Urban Music Association• Board Member, SpoCan (Spoken Word Canada)• Board Member, Caribbean Canadian Literary Expo• Member of SWAN (Spoken Word Artists Network)• Member, The Writers Union of Canada

Dwayne Morgan

DWAYNE MORGAN’S

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