Dasan Ahanu was named a 2026-2028 Southern Fellow with ISPA. ISPA’s Fellowship Program was created to provide emerging and mid-career performing arts professionals with the opportunity to expand their international networks through membership and attendance at ISPA Congresses. The Fellows represent all disciplines, genres, and types of arts organizations.
Dasan represents Black Poetry Theatre in this fellowship.
Dasan Ahanu is back with (STAW) + (REE) + (TEL) + (UH), Vol. 3, another edition of his series fusing spoken word poetry and dynamic music production into a project that tackles social conditions, life experiences, and personal relationships. This offering is the third in this series centered on narrative and storytelling. The album showcases prowess as a wordsmith and takes the listener on an eloquent journey, blending sharp commentary with introspective reflections on identity, community, and culture. The project features vibrant beats, soulful melodies, powerful spoken word, and some amazing guest performances. Production by Mike Blayz helps provide a compelling and thought-provoking listening experience that challenges you to consider how much we know, think we know, and still have so much more to learn about.
The album was produced by Mike Blayz and recorded in Raleigh, NC at MOD Studios. With more than 20 years in the music business, producer/songwriter/engineer Mike Blayz has worked with some of the industry’s elite on both the independent and major level. Blayz has worked with Big Daddy Kane, Camp Lo, Beanie Seagal, Freeway, T-Pain, Prince Po (Organized Konfusion), Capadonna (Wu-Tang), Trick Daddy, E-40… to name a few. He is a powerhouse in the studio who can craft the beat, record the vocals, produce the vocals, mix and master the track, and provide musical direction for the project.
Guest appearances by Illpo, J. Melodik, Tamisha Waden, Osc Kelly, Shamika Chantae, Genesis Harris and Shikeish.
Cover photo by Law Bullock with MUG Photography.
Stream the project below:
21 Dreams annual Artist in Residence program invites BIPOC artists from the South and along the Great Migration path to collaborate in Montgomery, Alabama. Over several weeks, these artists share stories, create meaningful work, and explore the intersections of history, culture, and identity. The residency culminates in a showcase that reflects the experiences and themes explored during their time in the city. In 2025 the artists-in-residence are Yogi Dada from Birmingham, AL and Dasan Ahanu from Durham, NC.
21 Dreams and the Southern Poverty Law Center partnered to curate the 2025 residency. Learn more about their partnership here!
Check out the official music video for “Glory” featuring Arvetra D Jones. This track is produced by Ampursand of The Genius Party. Video shot and edited by Good People Media. This song is off my new spoken word album (STAW) + (REE) + (TEL) + (UH), Vol. 2.
Stream the album: https://brilliantandbullish.lnk.to/STAWREETELUHVol2
Poet and Spoken Word artist Dasan Ahanu is the inaugural recipient of the Unsung Poet Award for his manuscript, Concrete Jungle Allegories. This is a joint project between Jacar Press and Sable Books, awarded to honor someone who is an important figure on both the North Carolina and National poetry scenes.
“Concrete Jungle Allegories captures what’s so often ungraspable, articulates outrage, pain, and love through language that gives us the tools to praise the sublime. Dasan Ahanu is the optimal choice for the first Unsung Poets Award as he continues to chronicle the bewildering uncertainty of our lives with a rooted philosophical hunger that is the primary core of his poetics..”
Jaki Shelton Green (NC Poet Laureate)
This collection is Ahanu’s seventh published work.
The collection is available at the Jack Press website!
reader Views Reviewer’s Choice Awards 2024-2025
Bronze Award Winner in Poetry
A Month of Sundays: A Journey Through Black Southern Christianity
The Reader Views Literary Awards were established to honor the talent and creativity of authors who publish independently—whether through self-publishing, small presses, university presses, or subsidy publishers. Our mission is to showcase fresh, compelling voices that contribute to the diverse world of literature.
Complete list of 2024-2025 Reader Views Literary Award Winners
Local Love List: Dasan Ahanu’s Favorite Durham Spots
Spend a weekend in Durham with poet Dasan Ahanu, discovering what makes the Bull City so special while visiting his favorite spots for food, art, shopping and more.
Read this latest piece by Dasan Ahanu on the Discover Durham website here!
Check out the official music video for “Pieces of Time” featuring Loc’d. This track is produced by Alt Willy of The Genius Party. Video shot and edited by Good People Media. This song is off my new spoken word album (STAW) + (REE) + (TEL) + (UH), Vol. 2.
Stream the album: https://brilliantandbullish.lnk.to/STAWREETELUHVol2
Speaking Volumes: A Conversation with 2023 Piedmont Laureate Dasan Ahanu