The Chewstick Foundation is planning an exciting weekend of griot sessions with local and overseas spoken word artists.Griot Sessions are designed to spotlight artists, allowing them to tell their individual stories and expound on their motivations.“Cole Rodriguez, a completely different style of poetess, all the way from the East Coast will perform for free in the Chewstick Lounge on Saturday,” said Diedra-Lee Bean of Chewstick. “Ms Rodriguez comes to us as the winner of the East Coast Poetry Slam Competition in Boston.”Bermudian Stephan Johnstone will be making his debut griot session tonight, and will present his latest spoken word album.“Neither of these are shows to be missed,” said Ms Bean. “Mr Johnstone is an amazingly emotive performer with a definite Bermy flair. He is Bermuda’s most prolific spoken word artist, [a] die-hard Bermudian storyteller. He will launch his third spoken word album, ‘Librago’, with free CDs for all that attend.“Mr Johnstone will tell the story of his progress of his work from his debut album, ‘Broken Thoughts’, to his second, ‘The Scriptkeeper’, and treat the audience to hot-off-the-production-line copies of ‘Librago’, his third and most eagerly anticipated album project.”Ms Bean said The Chewstick Foundation was excited to have these amazing talents performing at Chewstick, and also making a few visits to schools to encourage students to gain new insights into the different forms of performance poetry. The hope was to inspire students to try it themselves.“Do not miss the opportunity to experience both these dynamic performances,” Ms Bean said.“One offers a poetic style with an intrinsic Bermy-style flair while the other is a true to form American slam poet. The rhythmic lyrics that each poet possesses will lure you into the depths of their expression and leave you hungry for more. Enjoy the vibes, celebrate live entertainment at its best, and experience Griot Sessions and the Bermuda story in its many forms.”Mr Johnstone will perform at 8pm at the Chewstick Headquarters at 28 Elliott Street in Hamilton. Tickets are $10 and part of the proceeds will aid The Chewstick Foundation. Ms Rodriguez’ performance is at 8pm tomorrow. The event is free, but donations are welcome.All performances are streamed live on www.chewstick.org. Advance payment can be made at Chewstick headquarters between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. For more information call 292-2439 or 535-2575 or e-mail info[AT]chewstick.org. To find out more about Mr Johnston go to http://poetry.sjdworld.com/.