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. You can find the video at https://youtu.be/F_ZJ6EWDFms
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
Nationally recognized Triangle-based poet Dasan Ahanu will be in residence with NC State LIVE for the 2024-25 academic year. During his residency, Dasan will create a new work of theatre called Saints & Aints, which will premiere in the cutting-edge James B. Hunt Jr. Library – a place where Dasan often sits to write his poetry. Saints & Aints is part Sunday service reinterpretation, part juke joint reimagining and part underground dance club escapism. This work invites the audience into a communal celebration of life, faith, resiliency and Black joy.
Dasan Ahanu’s album (STAW) + (REE) + (TEL) + (UH), Vol. 2, is a powerful fusion of spoken word poetry and hip-hop that delves into themes of social justice, resilience, and personal introspection. This recording is the second in a series of Spoken Word musical projects by Ahanu centered on storytelling. The album showcases lyrical prowess and offers a profound exploration of societal issues, blending sharp commentary with introspective reflections on identity, community, and culture. Through vibrant beats, soulful melodies, and poignant spoken word performances, Ahanu creates a compelling and thought-provoking listening experience that challenges listeners to reflect on the complexities of life and the power of storytelling.
The album was produced by The Genius Party, a collective of North Carolina producers working together to build and expand the creative culture of music in their community.
The album features vocalists SoFree Wisdom, Loc’d, and Arvetra D. Jones.
Check out the new guide here!
Black history lives and breathes in Durham. There’s no separating the contributions of Black Durhamites from the broader story of Durham – from the newly freed enslaved people who left Stagville Plantation and settled in what would become our city’s earliest neighborhoods, through the people and businesses that built Black Wall Street and the Hayti community to North Carolina Central University, the fight for civil rights, and the thriving arts and entrepreneurship community of today.
This guide invites you to explore our history and community. Get curious about how the past has shaped the present. Experience the culture, people and businesses that make Black Durham the vibrant place it is today.
This guide is a collaboration built by writers, poets, artists and storytellers in Durham’s Black community, led by poet, educator, community organizer and artist Dasan Ahanu. The printed guide is an important keepsake and handy introduction to Black Durham; our About the Guide page introduces you to those contributors and shares more of the guide’s stories in their words. We invite you to explore.