Beyond the world of slam poetry Mekkah has recorded two albums featuring collaborations with bands and producers in every genre from reggae to rock. Her album "The ButtaFly Effect"(2004) and other recordings are available on iTunes, amazon mp3 and shop.Mekkahthepoet.com. In 2003 she did fundraising and performed (for 1.2 million) at the March for Women’s Lives (Washington,DC). In 2006 she published her first book of poetry “The Beautiful Medusa," in 2009 she released a chap book GirlFight! In 2009 she collaborated with the Concrete Generation, The Stephen Gordan Group and OnQ Productions to create "Miles and Coltrane Blue(.)" – an interdisciplinary work about the creating of Blue by Mile Davis and John Coltrane - combining passionate poetry, live music, visual art and choreography. She played Alice Coltrane in this production, which has been presented Off-Broadway and to sell out crowds at multiple venues during the 2009 Edinburgh Fringe Arts Festival (Edinburgh, Scotland). She continues to tour internationally with her poetry, music, workshops, and interdisciplinary arts productions. Black Butterfly Productions will release her much anticipated Prayers 4 PavedMen Project (Double CD, Double DVD and Picture Book) in 2010.
Born Georgetown, Guyana and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Kendrea Mekkah sees herself as a world citizen. Her literary and visual art are living scrap books of her life as an urban-gypsy documenting the beauty in uncommon things. She was dubbed the “First Lady of Charlotte Slam” by Sotac Magazine as the only female member of Charlotte, North Carolina’s 1st Poetry Slam team. She has been a member of 3 SlamCharlotte national slam teams, is a Southern Fried Poetry Slam Champion, and National Poetry Slam Finalist. At the 2005 Individual World Poetry Slam Black Butterfly was ranked 5th in the world and was the only female finalist that year. Mekkah was also featured during the 2006 Austin International Poetry Festival and was a coach for the Chico, CA Team during 2006 Brave New Voices - an international youth poetry festival.
