NEW YORK, USA — Rémy Martin expands its time-honored tradition of celebrating the sounds of local communities by announcing, “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 imagined by FRED & FARID New York creative agency highlights the parallels between music and poetry as powerful means of expression and cultures of excellence.
“At Rémy Martin, celebrating cultures of excellence is deeply rooted in our heritage,” said Tina Reejsinghani, Vice President at Rémy Martin Americas. “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 directed by Charles Todd, poems from iconic African American poets of the early 20th century are read by Harlem poets of today. Featured is Gift to Sing, Mother to Son, Harlem Wine, and My Little Dreams, each with a unique sound but similar origin story; all with roots in Harlem, New York. The backdrop to the poet’s voices are four different musical melodies created by Grammy-Award winning producer Jermaine Dupri, as tribute to the golden age of African American arts that has deeply inspired his personal journey as a musical artist.
“To me, poetry is a form of rap music because it allows you to express yourself at the highest level without boundaries,” said Jermaine Dupri. “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 artistic excellence during the Harlem Renaissance sparked a movement that significantly shaped American culture from that point on, and the root of it all can be drawn 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. This physical ground of the Fine Champagne region of Cognac, France has cultivated Rémy Martin’s legacy and spirit for nearly 300 years, and it is the reason the Cognac house stands firmly behind its terroir.
“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,” said Diane Richards, Executive Director of the Harlem Writers Guild. “Teaming up with Rémy Martin on this project allows us to nurture African American literary legacy and inspire voices of the future.”
