Lekker Presents: Otis Mensah (EP Launch)

Otis Mensah is a musician and multidisciplinary artist exploring the intersection of poetry and experimental music(s). Taking influence from the rhythmic and expressive freedom of Jazz, Otis’ work uses aesthetic language as an instrument to solo through themes of race, identity, gender and the body.

Since being appointed Sheffield’s first Poet Laureate in 2018, Otis has sold-out their debut poetry collection Safe Metamorphosis published with Prototype in 2020, debuted at Glastonbury, We Out Here and Shambala Festival, as well as performing with the likes of Moor Mother, Nightmares On Wax, Benjamin Zephaniah, Lava La Rue, Mahalia and Little Simz.

Building on earlier work and their tenure as Sheffield’s first Poet Laureate, Otis is also the recipient of Jerwood Arts Live Work Fund, and Arts Council England's Developing your Creative Practice. The prolific multi-hyphenate creative boasts features with Arrested Development, and many more, with their upcoming EP due out September via Berlin label Lekker Collective.

+ ARLETIS +

Dominican-American artist Arletis hails from New York City. She currently lives abroad (in Europe) as a full time recording artist, releasing music from her home studio.

Singing in English and Spanish, in full expression of her Bronx-born-Latinx roots and with influences ranging from Pink Floyd to Brandy, her interest in and examination of boundless genres informs her distinct writing style: intricate, palatable and a touch off-centre.

As a musical artist, Arletis aims to express raw in-the-moment emotions as well as the processing of past experiences with honest lyrics, seemingly never-ending vocal stacks, and emo-type beats. The result is an eccentric, nostalgic and ethereal sound, bridging the gap between old and new R&B.


+ SAVANNA MORGAN +

Savanna Morgan is a poet, musician, and performance artist from Texas. She came to Berlin for a Master's in Performance Studies in 2020, and has since joined the Archive Ensemble where she publishes and curates anti-colonial literary and performance practices. Her recent publications include debut poetry book, “cow tripe” (Hopscotch Editions, 2022). Her performances, ranging from concerts to choreo-poems, have been presented at Haus der Kulturen der Welt (The Whole Life, 2022, O Quilombismo, 2023), Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien (Freistaat Barackia, 2021), Gropius Bau (GABAN, 2022) , ChertLuedde (Bungalow Berlin, 2022), VillaRomana Florenz, Saavy Contemporary (Weaving the Inner Bark Festival, 2023), TanzFabrik (Ko Shebeen, 2021), amongst other socio-cultural institutions. Her creative process is very much rooted in time, place, and memory of home in the North American South. Her work aims to foster conversations within the black diaspora centering on its histories, triumphs, joy, and healing.