By Darlington Abuda, Art Reporter, Lagos
Poetic art came to life on Saturday, July 5, at the Goethe Institut, Lagos, as poets and poetry lovers gathered to witness Word Slam - A Feast Of Poetic Flights, a venture that sought to provide answers to questions and seek solutions to life's problems through poem recitation, music, dance and choreography.
The programme, a collaboration between Culture Advocates Caucus (CAC) and Goethe Institut, featured poems and poets that addressed themes ranging from the religious, political, survival to the romantic, the hustles and bustles of life as it affects our land.
Given limited time, the poets performed their recent literary works backed with rhythm and music provided by Awade Jazz Ensemble, and Edun, the ensemble of young masters of the drum.
Among the artistes that performed in Word Slam are Sage, Arne, Ropo, Jumie, Iquo Eke, Akeem, Dagga, Awoko, Jumoke, Cornerstone, Muri and Edeato, all presented their individual style and exceptionality with different messages.
As a tool for political discourse, poetry can be seen as a medium of communication that speaks to all kinds of people from all walks of life. Akeem, for instance, in his poem Correct Pricing, wonders why in the face of hardship occasioned by bad leadership issues to do with the common good of the people are not addressed. Instead, leaders call for the head of the poet.
He also ponders on why pricing in Africa in general cannot be uniform and stable especially as regards petroleum products. Akeem, whose poetry is a recreation of the poetic tradition of the Yoruba, is a journalist and has two poetry albums to his credit.
Dagga, on the other hand, in trying to be philosophical in his poem, Killing Our Dreams, propounds that not all dead people's dreams are dead. He opines that the ideas of people like Martin Luther King (Jnr.), M.K.O. Abiola, Kudirat Abiola, among many activists gone, are still being pursued not just by their protÈgÈs, but poets who believe in their dreams.
Word Slam by the same Dagga, however, is a bit in the musical side; both poems were accompanied by instruments. The dreadlocked Dagga, who said he drew inspiration from the likes of Marx, Lenin and Trotsky, is a teacher, socialist and community activist whose poems draw their themes from his everyday experiences.
Poetry was presented through Word Slam in the age-old tradition of African griot and the troubadours of Middle Age Europe. This was evident in Muri's rendition of Yoruba poetry with a blend body language, using dance in both pieces entitled Rain and Ife.
Known as a priest of Yoruba poetry production, his sequence of steps and dance pattern left much to be desired by the audience.
Adding a dash of romance to the contest, Jumoke laments the loss of a lover, Ajani, in her rendition entitled Ajani. A journalist who wrote for The Guardian on Sunday and winner of 2006 Prince Claus Awards, Women Writers in Nigeria (WRITA), Jumoke has her poems, short stories, and essays in several journals in different countries of the world.
Kaduna-born Sage, however, added a touch of modern music in the form of rap to the contest in his rendition of a poems What am I (the spoken word), The Televised Revolution and Music Musing. The poem, What am I (the spoken word) is one with religious message that seeks answers to the existence of man.
Rap music is generally believed to have evolved from poetry, which is an ancient art of black civilization. Ancient literature and history were handed down from generation to generation in African communities. The pattern of chanting customary songs has evolved to become rap music. Sage's The Televised Revolution can be seen to have followed the same pattern, as it is a blend of poetry and music considering its rhyme and rhythm components.
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