Montreal-born poet and spoken word artist Rachna Vohra dreams of a better world. With a goal of transforming minds, she found spoken word to be an empowering tool towards social change and critical thinking. Over the last few years, she has begun effecting change by addressing social, political, and emotional issues through her work. She has self-published two books; been published in magazines, zines, and anthologies; has been recorded on CD; has performed at a variety of literary and arts festivals; and has featured, slammed, and read at poetry and spoken word venues across North America.

CONCERNING CHANGE

“We can always justify our reactions, but we rarely think twice about the reasons behind them. My work aims to push activism inwards to help build awareness within each individual of our collective role in the crises that plague the world. It speaks to the kind of world we could live in if we took action in our own life, and the goal is to inspire listeners to develop their own belief systems and work at improving themselves. The purpose of the performance would be to encourage critical thinking and empower the audience to take back their thoughts and shake off inaction and complacency.

Poetry and spoken word are effective mediums to relay such messages because the pieces are short and have a high level of energy, reeling the audience in for just enough time to get through to them. Poetry also transcends barriers such as age, gender, and race, bringing listeners together as people. My works cover topics ranging from racism and women’s rights to environment and the media, and I use reflections from my experiences as a visible minority and a woman in today’s society to help the audience see the effects of social issues on everyday people. The message of the performance would be that we should all think for ourselves, and realize that if we change, the world can change.” – Rachna Vohra

CONTRIBUTING TO CHANGE

Spoken Word: All That You Can Be

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE ARTIST

• Visit RachnaVohra.com

BR and TIMEBOMB combine R&B, jazz, rock and classical influences to make original live hip-hop music. Over the past five years, they have performed at venues including Studio 54, The Apollo Theater, Crash Mansion, Union Square Park and Webster Hall. “In our professional lives, we try to change the status quo through sharing what we’ve learned in music and project a positivity and family spirit that we feel is too often lacking in today’s hip-hop music. Our subject matter is often different from currently popular hip-hop artists: support for our families and communities, critical thinking and love for fellow human beings.” They have just released their new album, “Believe in Something (Greater Than Yourself).”

CONCERNING CHANGE

While the word “change” can be a rallying cry, it can also be left too vague and open-ended, in our opinion. We believe once you decide to change something, the next questions should be “how, why, what and, most importantly, when?” In our professional lives, we try to change thestatus quo through sharing what we’ve learned in music, art and physical fitness with children and adults of all ages. In our musical performances and recordings, we try to project a positively and family spirit that we feel is too often lacking in today’s hip-hop music. Our subject matter is often different from that of the currently popular hip-hop artists: support for our families and communities, critical thinking, love for fellow human beings, etc.

CONTRIBUTING TO CHANGE

Songs performed at Premier Event

• “Making it” is about the conflict for artists between making commercially viable products and creating what they believe is right.
• “1171″ is a semi-autobiographical song about growing up in Crown Heights, Brooklyn and struggles with poverty and crime
• “Outta da House” is about parents taking responsibility for their children and preventing abuse
• “Tools” is, among other things, about how a charismatic leader can lead a nation into evil

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE ARTIST

• www.brandtimebomb.com