Say Word

Join Torch Literary Arts for Say Word: a Black Music Month Celebration of Verse & Song featuring Qi Dada, Megz, and Maya Sampleton 

7:00 - Doors Open & DJ Set by Salihah Saadiq 

7:30 - Artists Panel - Creating music from page to song. 

9:00 - Musical Performances 

10:00 - DJ Set by Salihah Saadiq 

Tickets start at $20. Purchase on Eventbrite 

Discounts and VIP seating are available. 

Whether in music, media or education, Ghislaine " Qi Dada" Jean is a Haitian-American afro spiritualist storyteller. As a performing artist, she is one half of Riders Against the Storm, an award-winning Hip Hop duo.  Riders Against the Storm has performed in Europe, Africa, and the US. They have shared the stage with many artists and legends. Erykah Badu, Bootsy Collins, Rakim, Wale just to name a few. They continue to release music and perform. As the founder of QD Life & Education, she holds sacred space, offering spiritual mentorship and education to facilitate community needs. divineandconjure.com 

Megan “Megz” Trufant Tillman is a writer-musician-director multi-hyphenate with Southern roots – hailing from New Orleans, Louisiana. She is co-founder and one-half of Austin-based jazz/neosoul/hip hop outfit Magna Carda, and has played stages at ACL and SXSW, toured nationally, and has played with artists such as Black Pumas, Oddisee, Noname, GZA, Raekwon, Lizzo, BADBADNOTGOOD, and Raphael Saadiq.  Her film works include her directorial debut, the award-winning New Orleans-set short film 'little trumpet' and her most recent short film – as co-director and co-writer – NEWBIES. She most recently served as a writer on the music video for the Oscar-winning song “Fight For You” by H.E.R., and Amazon’s H.E.R. Prime Day episode, as well as music supervisor for short films 'Prepared' and 'little trumpet'. She is also the founder and editor of WATER, a boutique bookshop and Black literary and arts magazine. Her creative work centers Black life and culture as well as the Black South. bymegz.com

Maya Sampleton is an R&B soul singer who has performed at SXSW, NPR's Tiny Desk, and elsewhere. Follow on Instagram and here. 

Salihah Saadiq is an editorial and live event/music photographer, DJ, and community creator dedicated to uplifting and preserving black expressions and liberation in Austin.

Torch Literary Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established to publish and promote creative writing by Black women. We publish contemporary writing by experienced and emerging writers alike. Torch Magazine has featured work by Colleen J. McElroy, Tayari Jones, Sharon Bridgforth, Crystal Wilkinson, Patricia Smith, Natasha Trethewey, and others. Programs include the Wildfire Reading Series, writing workshops, retreats, and special events. 

This event is made possible with support from the Austin Cultural Arts Division, the Burdine Johnson Foundation, the Poetry Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.