Praise for Bleeding Light

BLEEDING LIGHT, by SHENIZ JANMOHAMED



Bleeding Light is a collection of ghazals tracing the steps of a woman’s journey through night. In order to witness dawn, she must travel through dusk first. Throughout her journey, she is caught between West and East, religion and heresy, love and anti-love, darkness and the knowledge of light. Each couplet of a ghazal is an independent thought and reflection, a pearl strung into a necklace. Bleeding Light is fraught with opposing, stark, and often violent imagery heavily influenced by Sufi philosophy.


Purchase Bleeding Light here!

PRAISE FOR BLEEDING LIGHT:


"Very rarely do you see a writer of this caliber, through a Sufi lens she speaks of the journey of a devout soul from the darkness, shadows and the blackening of night, to the inner illumination, radiance and beauty of day. Through her keen eye on historical scenarios, and creative form of ghazal, she did not only awaken a field of gazelles, she has brought ease and ecstasy in my very being..."
- Aly Sunderji, Musician, Poet and Writer (Vancouver, BC)




"In my humble opinion, the best Ismaili Muslim poet in the world today. Seldom have I read poetry that makes me feel like I'm traveling across a spiritually charged landscape, where I don't know whether my feet are touching water or land. Or is it both?"

- Fez Meghani, Producer, Musician and Devotional Singer (Dallas, Texas)



"Sheniz Janmohamed is one of a very few new poets who has mastered the form of the ghazal in a way that brings together the emotional aspects of the form and the expectations of the listeners who know the form and its cultural unity: mystic illumination, rhyme, refrains that exude passion, and couplets with wise insights. The couplets in her eloquent and appealing ghazals dazzle one with their precision, sudden turns and brilliant use of the cultural memory of language and imagery."

- The Late Kuldip Gill, Poet, Professor and Mentor (BC)




"This profound, spellbinding complilation sends shivers down my spine!"

- Devika Singh, Model and Actress (Toronto, Ontario)




"Bleeding Light is a beautiful compilation of contemporary Sufi poetry that combines creative imagination with artistic majesty. These ghazals of Sheniz Janmohamed bring to light an all too often forgotten classical poetic sensitivity of longing for the Divine and praising the arrival of the Beloved. It is my hope that these poems find wide readership for such beauty will enrich the lives of those who contemplate the visions within them."

- Meena Sharify-Funk, Ph.D, author of Encountering the Transnational: Women, Islam and the Politics of Interpretation, Assistant Professor of Religion and Culture Department, Wilfrid Laurier University.



"(I) have been going through the collection several times to grasp the imagery, the juxtaposition of images, thoughts, the use of words in most unusual contexts and have found them to be very profound, an insight into the complexity and depth of Janmohamed's spiritual/emotional involvement and development."


- Ishwar Mooljee, Veteran Actor and Activist (Toronto, Ontario)




"Bleeding Light is a true masterpiece! One of the most brilliant & genuine writers/poets/artists of our time. Reading & listening to Sheniz's work makes my soul vibrate. Her words parted Time and Space... I did not read words, I read Worlds. I have seen none other, live and watch their death so closely, but still stay alive."

- Shivankur Sharma (DJ Xixxle) , Musician and DJ (Toronto, Ontario)



"Just received Sheniz's book, was up all night reading it. It is one the most beautiful poetry books I have ever read. I congratulate her on this masterpiece. It will always be at my bedside."

- Kabir Alibhai (Vancouver, BC)



" ...a masterfully-woven story - is an incredible accomplishment by one so young. Her poetry is pure velvet - a confluence of light and dark reflecting the trials of love and the test of faith. The story in the poetry is terrifying as her character must make her way in the darkness of the night. As the journey progresses, the poetry appears to intensify, going deeper into the human condition and its connection to the Divine in some of the most beautifully-crafted lines I've ever read. As I was reading, my body was in a state of wonder and suspense - a feeling of urgency and discovery, and even discomfort because that's how we see the layers behind the layers. Haunting self-discovery. That's what I felt. What a remarkable work of creation by a remarkable young woman."

- Shazia Sattar Sabeth, Actress, Singer and Teacher (Toronto, Ontario)

My First Book, Bleeding Light

After 3 years of toiling and editing, my debut collection of poetry is finally here.


About Bleeding Light:


Bleeding Light is a collection of ghazals tracing the steps of a woman’s journey through night. In order to witness dawn, she must travel through dusk first. Throughout her journey, she is caught between West and East, religion and heresy, love and anti-love, darkness and the knowledge of light. Each couplet of a ghazal is an independent thought and reflection, a pearl strung into a necklace. Bleeding Light is fraught with opposing, stark, and often violent imagery heavily influenced by Sufi philosophy.


Praise For Bleeding Light

“Sheniz Janmohamed is one of a very few new poets who has mastered the form of the ghazal in a way that brings together the emotional aspects of the form and the expectations of the listeners who know the form and its cultural unity: mystic illumination, rhyme, refrains that exude passion, and couplets with wise insights. The couplets in her eloquent and appealing ghazals dazzle one with their precision, sudden turns and brilliant use of the cultural memory of language and imagery.”
—The late Kuldip Gill (Professor, Poet and Mentor)


“Bleeding Light is a beautiful compilation of contemporary Sufi poetry that combines creative imagination with artistic majesty. These ghazals of Sheniz Janmohamed bring to light an all too often forgotten classical poetic sensitivity of longing for the Divine and praising the arrival of the Beloved. It is my hope that these poems find wide readership for such beauty will enrich the lives of those who contemplate the visions within them.”

—Meena Sharify-Funk, Ph.D, author of Encountering the Transnational: Women, Islam and the Politics of Interpretation, Assistant Professor of Religion and Culture Department, Wilfrid Laurier University.

ORDER BOOK HERE

Salman Ahmad in Toronto

ARISE: A Dynamic Spoken Word Performance

The denigration of the environment, the mistrust in corporations and the limitation of knowledge have created a sense of apathy in the younger generation. This is a call for action, to arise and ascend. A call for peace and unity in an age of destruction. ARISE is a dynamic spoken word performance specially created for the Masala! Mehndi! Masti! Festival's 10th Anniversary, and will be accompanied by stunning vocals and acoustic guitar.


Date: Saturday, July 24, 2010
Time: 8:00pm - 8:30pm
Location: Fountain Room, Queen Elizabeth Building, CNE
Price: FREE!


Visit MMM!'s website for the full schedule: http://www.masalamehndimasti.com/2010/

One Year Later: The MJ Legacy

One year ago today, I was preparing for surgery.

As a performer and artist, the possibility not being able to perform for over a month scared me. Although I had been through many surgeries before, I had blocked out the post-surgery pain, and what it felt like to recover. That, coupled with the fact that my mentor and teacher had unexpectedly passed away the month before, left me feeling less than optimistic.

Thoughts of dying on the operating table plagued me, even though I knew that the procedure was fairly routine (albeit, related to the heart). What scared me more than dying was the fact that I haven't *lived* my life yet.

As I was checking facebook, I noticed an alarming update from a friend, "Michael Jackson is dead". It couldn't be. It was impossible. It's a hoax. But I had to know for sure. I turned on the news, and the anchors were talking about MJ being admitted to the hospital, but were not certain of his condition. So there's still hope, I thought. People have survived heart attacks before. Within half an hour, the world's fears were confirmed. Michael Jackson was dead.

Michael Jackson was the man who got me through high school. I was the kid who sat in the corner, doodling and writing. The one who people thought was strange, and who tried too hard. I got in fights, I was verbally attacked, I suffered academically, I got kicked out of class.

In my second year of high school, I wrote a composition, about how popularity and reputation mean nothing, and that I had revisited the music and message of Michael Jackson, particularly the song "Man in the Mirror". When I was a little kid, I had watched "Moonwalker" over and over again, and was mesmerized by the first scene-- the thousands of lights held up by the crowd, Michael spinning like he was suspended in mid air. By the end of my composition, I had vowed to be a voice for change, and to view others as my sisters and brothers.

I used my poetry and spoken word to channel my frustration and anger, much like Michael, or any artist for that matter, uses their art. He became my sole inspiration, and I *studied* his performances and videos- as he once said, "The greatest education in the world is watching the masters at work."

I spent my lunches in the library, listening to Michael Jackson and working on a million and one ideas, poems and, of course, homework. I graduated high school a year early.

10 years later, I revisit his music, his performances and his message- and have come to understand his genius in a new way- not just as a fan or admirer, but as an artist. So often, on stage, I have 'thought' during a performance. The thinking behind the performing stems from the fear of forgetting my words and my actions, wondering what the audience is thinking and how they are perceiving me. There are brief moments, and rare times, however, when I haven't thought at all. The words come, the actions become ritualistic and organic, my voice is grounded from a place deep within.

Michael Jackson never thought when he was on stage. He FELT. He knew himself to the point of *trusting* himself on stage, he internalized his actions and his words to the point of them becoming part of his very essence-- and that is the most difficult thing for a performer to achieve. That state of complete awareness and abandon is a state of sheer perfection. It is tapping in to a creative wellspring, being yourself in the truest form and yet being one with everything and everyone.

As I sat on the couch stunned by what was unfolding infront of me, I realized that the saddest part about Michael Jackson's death is that he would no longer create. It was the one thing that kept him alive- despite the cacophony and chaos around him, he found a stillness and clarity in expression.

Instead of fearing my surgery, Michael Jackson's death taught me to live without fearing death. He gave everything to his audience, and I haven't yet. He left his heart and soul on stage, and I still take mine with me. And although he will no longer be able to create new performances and songs, he is a continual source of creation. Because of him, people create.

He is our phoenix-- every time someone creates after being inspired by his songs, performances and poems, he rises from the ashes.

The only way to keep him alive is to keep his message alive through our creations.

Rest in Peace, MJ.

Child of Contraband

So Ladies & Gents,

I've been working on a project with my longtime friend, Abbas Somji, who is currently doing his M.A in Communication & Culture at York University. He decided to do a short video project on my spoken word piece, "Child of Contraband", as it highlights many of the issues he will explore in his main thesis--South Asian Canadian identity, transnationalism, belonging and not belonging--

Here's the description of the video project in his own words:

An artist’s perpetual struggle involves trying to define themselves without confining themselves to a particular label.

For Toronto-born spoken word artist, Sheniz Janmohamed, it's a tricky balancing act. A hybrid of African, South Asian, and Canadian culture, Sheniz grapples with her eclectic identity through poetry, using it as an outlet to express her longing to belong.

This short film is a visual interpretation of her poem, "Child of Contraband," and follows Sheniz as she traverses through her hometown, remarking on parts of the city that speak to her different cultural sides.

Check out the video below!

Child of Contraband

April 8th, 1993

April 8th, 1993, was the day my maternal Grandfather, Abdul Mehdi Juma Hajee, passed away.

He had a profound impact on my life, despite the fact that I was very young when he died. He was an orator, a philanthropist and a businessman who was respected and admired by his community. He was self-educated, and loved to read. When we visited my Grandparents' house near the Rift Valley (Kenya), I dug up literary treasures like Walt Whitman, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Omar Khayyam from his library. I believe that in some way, he nurtured by literary side.

His life continues to inspire and motivate me to mantain the integrity of his name.

You are missed, Papa.

Remember Rwanda

Let us never forget what happened on April 6th, 1994.

One Million lives lost.
One Million flames extinguished.


Remember Rwanda.

Remember that the fight for PEACE is not over. At this very moment, there are people fearing death. There are people suffering.

Remember that our children will inherit this world, and it is our responsibility to leave them with hope, not desperation.

Forgetting will allow us to believe that these atrocities never happened. We must never forget.

Remember, Remember Rwanda.

Missing Kenya

Siboe Makokha, a Kenyan poet based in Berlin, emailed me blindly (I had no idea who he was or how he got a hold of me, but I'm glad he did!) with an incredibly eloquent and touching request to read his book of poetry, "Nest of Stones". As I read the truth and beauty in his words, my faith in the future of Kenya began to grow even more.

After my trip in September 2009, I was blown away by Kenyan youth I met- their talents are exceptional, their voices are powerful. They want peace for their country. They want progress and development. They want accountability and true democracy. And they are expressing themselves through poetry and spoken word.

What better motivation for me to continue to write and perform?



A footprint of a common god defies Time defies Man
to whisper without words that the bloods is one
to whisper into our memory that our blood is one


Mantra of the North Rift, Siboe Makokha, 2010.