Remy Martin has announced an addition to its time-honored tradition of celebrating the sounds of local communities with the release of “Voices of Harlem”, a partnership with the Harlem Writers Guild that pays homage to the written word and voices of those from the Harlem Renaissance era. The series highlights the parallels between poetry and music as means of expression.
Speaking on the collaboration Tina Reejsinghani, Vice President at Rémy Martin Americas, said:
“At Rémy Martin, celebrating cultures of excellence is deeply rooted in our heritage. With our long-standing relationship with the music world, we recognize that within music there is poetry. We are honored to team up with the Harlem Writers Guild to support this community and amplify local voices and artists.”
Through curated content, poems from iconic African American poets of the early 20th century are read by Harlem poets of today. Featured is Mother to Son, Gift to Sing, My Little Dreams, and Harlem Wine. Each element offers a unique sound but similar origin story; all pieces share one common root; that their origins are in Harlem, New York.
An instrumental backdrop to the poet’s voices has been created by Grammy-Award winning producer Jermaine Dupri . Four different melodies that pay homage to the golden age of African American arts that has shaped his journey as a musical artist.
Speaking on the project Jermaine Dupri said: “To me, poetry is a form of rap music because it allows you to express yourself at the highest level without boundaries.
“I’m thrilled that Rémy Martin and the Harlem Writers Guild involved me in this project so that I could use my personal form of expression through music to build upon the power of these legendary words.”
The explosion of creative excellence during the Harlem Renaissance sparked a movement that significantly shaped American culture. The root of it all can be traced back to the streets of Harlem. Rémy Martin’s commitment to celebrating the best that communities and cultures have to offer, mirrors the Harlem Writers Guild’s ambition of amplifying the voices of local artists in Harlem.
Diane Richards, Executive Director of the Harlem Writers Guild said:
“It is important for us at the Harlem Writers Guild to reach younger generations because we want to pass along this extraordinary, historic art form in a way that young people recognize and can build upon using their own voices today,
“Teaming up with Rémy Martin on this project allows us to nurture African American literary legacy and inspire voices of the future.”
Remy Martin has made a donation to the Harlem Writers Guild as a commitment to preserving cultures of excellence and amplifying African American voices.