A number of well-known, international poets assembled to perform their poems on Saturday afternoon at the
Urban Lounge.
A number of well-known, international poets assembled to perform their poems on Saturday afternoon at the
Urban Lounge.
The performance was opened by Port Elizabeth duo Words Untame with a brilliant performance that ended with No More, a song dedicated to the Khulumani Support Group.
United Kingdom poet Segun Lee-French dedicated most of his performance to Nigeria, where his half of his blood-line runs from.
He provided a poetic praise of the late Nigerian multiinstrumentalist and composer Fela Kuti, saying that he is a “barbwire heart … who hides his death in his pocket …
You taught me how to say no to millions, because your spirit said so”. Another UK poet, Mikayla Collinson of Talawa Theatre Company, performed a piece she had written on her way into the country, Ode to the Breasts of America, exposing the reality behind the great walls of the White House and the suits of the elite and their unfair treatment of the poor masses, exclaiming that the rest of the world loves America because it hates itself.
Phillippa Yaa de Villiers performed poems from her two poetry collections, Taller than Buildings and The Everyday Wife before UKJamaican female hip-hop and poetic duo Poetic Pilgrimage (Muneera Rashida and Sukina Abdul Noor) brought inspiration with poems like No More War and a poem on the perceptions of the white lily after delivering a rap medley.
They were followed by well-known poet Lebo Mashile, who recited I smoked a spliff with Jesus Christ last night as she explained her one experience of getting high while chilling with a friend before she performed You and I.
SA legendary poet and author Keorapatse Kgositsile graced the stage with the final performance, paying tribute to jazz artists, such as the late bass guitarist Johnny Dyani, who passed away while performing in exile.
Mashile was recently in Germany where she translated her latest poetry anthology, Ribbon of Rhythm, into German.
Prior to the event Mashile and Kgositsile held a workshop where the experienced writers taught the young Upstart Group history and poetry. Mashile says, “The group was great and clearly weren’t exposed a lot to such topics.
They were eager to learn and they needed to be informed. It is a shame that the youngsters are not getting that type of information on arts and its history at school.”
The poetry sessions continued on Sunday night at the Urban Lounge, where the crowd were treated to yet another collage of poetry.
