Sevan Aydinian



Sevan “Apollo Poetry” Aydinian (born November 14, 1983) is an Armenian-American poet, musician, and filmmaker. His poetry performances have been broadcast through a wide variety of media outlets including MTV's True Life, Source Magazine's Unsigned Hype and Showtime At The Apollo. As founder of The Traveling Poet Project he has performed in hospitals, schools and homeless shelters across the United States.

Youth
Apollo was born in 1983 in Jerusalem, Israel, to Armenian parents. When he was two, the family emigrated to Bergen County, New Jersey, his father opening a jewelry store in New York City. Apollo wrote his first poem at age nine and at the start of his teens began performing at local and school-based poetry shows. In 1995 his sister Taline was born. When financial hardships hit the family in 1999 Apollo dropped out of school to pursue his career full time.

Career
His first national exposure came when he performed in 1999 on Showtime At The Apollo. Subsequent high-profile performances included appearances on HOT 97, Z100 and Metro Channel. When the family moved to Phoenix, AZ, Apollo retained his connections to the East Coast hip-hop and spoken word community, winning Source Magazine’s Unsigned Hype Contest, MTV2’s On The Rise contest , and appearing on the MTV show True Life.

His appearance on MTV led to him being offered a recording contract with Warner/Beatlocker Records. His first album was recorded at Saltmine Studios in Mesa, AZ. While in the studio his work caught the attention of rapper and producer Swizz Beats. Apollo performed later that year on both the Pitbull and Pussycat Dolls national tours. After being featured in Vibe magazine Apollo was invited to perform at the 2007 Billboard Hiphop Awards.

Apollo has opened up for Saul Williams and represented Arizona in the National Poetry Slam. He is featured in the Homestead Review and is a 2-time presenter at the UCSB Lecture Series. He has been an official speaker for international organizations such as AYUSA, Peace on Earth Day, Invisible Children and The Department of Peace, and is the recipient of the Presidential Point of Light Award.

In the spring of 2012 it was announced that Apollo had been cast in the premier season of ABC TV’s new reality show Glass House.

The Traveling Poet


In 2008, Apollo started The Traveling Poet project, his goal being to travel around the world and promote education, culture, and peace. Through the project he has traveled to almost all of the fifty U.S. states with plans to take the tour worldwide. The Traveling Poet project has garnered sponsorships from numerous organizations and companies including DiscMakers, LaraBar, Raw Revolution, UliMana, and Inkless Magazine, and has been covered by a wide variety of media outlets including Green Lifestyles Magazine, Indie Travel Podcast and Matador Nights. Apollo continued The Traveling Poet Project throughout 2009, speaking at high schools and colleges including UCSB and ASU.