Spoken-word Poet, community activist & Co-founder of World Stage

Kam… Read Full Bio ↴Spoken-word Poet, community activist & Co-founder of World Stage

Kamau Daaood started his writing career in the 60's with the Watts Writers Workshop. Daaood credits Horace Tapscott with being one of his mentors and has performed regularly with the Pan Afrikan People's Arkestra since the 60's. For thirty years now, he has been a presence among Los Angeles poets.

Dedicated to the community, he established the World Stage as a place for artists and musicians to meet/rehearse and share their work. The workshop–performance space seats only fifty, but has provided a rehearsal space and a nurturing environment that has fostered important jazz groups and served as a performance space for jazz greats such as Pharoah Sanders & Nina Simone, and poets such as Pulitzer prize-winner, Yousef Komunyaka. It has given birth to at least two young jazz groups, Black/Note and B Sharp Quartet and several poets & novelists, including Pulitzer prize nominated Ruth Forman, novelist Jenoyne Adams, & Michael Datcher. During the week, there are instrumental and vocal workshops, Wednesday night poetry workshops and Thursday night jam sessions.

When a similar venture, Artworks Four folded, Daaood began the World Stage by gathering $3,000 from a small group of people, including Billy Higgins. Using the stage and the chairs from Artworks Four, The World Stage was born.

Daaood has written two volumes of poetry and has a spoken word CD entitled, "Leimert Park." He performs spoken word poetry with his "Army of Healers" around the world, and has just published his first book of poetry for the renowned "Pocket Poetry" series with City Lights Press to much critical acclaim.