It’s hard to believe the SWAN Spoken Soul Festival is already in its sixth year. Founder and director Deborah Magdalena, an actress, singer, poet, and activist, began scouring the Magic City for its best and brightest female artists in 2008. And here it is again. The three-day festival (named New Times’ Best Place to Meet Intelligent Women in 2012) kicks off this Friday, when the production team and featured artists donate their time and talent to the Little Haiti Cultural Center to teach young girls the power of the pen. SSF opens to the public its second day with the Spoken Soul Showcase, taking place from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Gibson Miami Showroom at the Dorissa Building (2751 N. Miami Ave., Miami). Women DJs, spoken-word artists, photographers, artists, and others will treat you to a flight of the senses, and sponsor Premium Blend’s wine bar will be on hand to lubricate your journey. “Each year we grow, and many more women artists’ careers are launched. This can only mean we are doing something right, and our community wants it and needs it,” Magdalena gushes. The showcase ends at 10 p.m., so you can roll out of bed quasi-early Sunday for the closing event of SSF, the Vanessa Baez Memorial Women’s Brunch, which will feed your tummy and your soul via the sharing of performance art and stories from guest speakers.
Saturdays, Sundays. Starts: March 23. Continues through March 24, 2013