Revived through Slamming!

Maya Roze | Monday May 12, 2014 12:20

 

I am sure a lot of writers and spoken word artists felt the same way throughout the Spoken Word Week – a first for the bill of events in this year’s Maitisong Festival. Sitting in that room with all minds, tickled and excited, sharing and asking questions - not only did I feel like I was back in high school, but I was back in my old high school, with the waves of nostalgia overwhelming me – from the lunch hours by the field with other poets to walking down the walkway, confidently this time, not like 16 years ago when I feared the alley.

Dasha Kelly, Danny Solis and Matt Mason carry different auras about them but they all made us feel at home. We fell in love with this spoken word art, and the knowledge, the passion, the drive and the will to spread the culture just exuberated from them. Three very distinct styles of poetry, very different backgrounds – age, race, upbringing, state – you name it. But you would think that they have been friends for a long time. Granted they have known each other, and work within the same movement but there something so admirable about the way the treated each other. Camaraderie. Collectiveness. Family. Love.

I had moments of should I pinch myself? Is this a dream? While Mandisa and I had crying episodes – not from frustration, rather from immense joy and gratitude given how things were turning out. There was so much that was covered in just a few days – slam poetry culture and its origins, the status quo, writing styles, performance styles, a major poetry show in the Maitisong Theatre as well as the first Poetry Slam in Gaborone. Congratulations to Lebo Tsiako aka ‘Nigma, Rae Lyric and PoemThaAnsa for taking the top prizes and big ups to the last place person for they got a prize too.  

I must confess that when I thought of slam poetry, I pictured a rap battle situation, but it is not like that. Slam is a community game, a way to get poets to share some of their best pieces. The culture of slam was created by a construction worker called Marc Smith (you’re supposed to say SO WHAT?!?) and it is so fun. The competitive element adds incentive to participants but thing is everyone is a participant; the audience members (some of them are made to be judges), the hosts, the poets themselves. So, slam is NOT a style of poetry performance, as long as you know that your stuff is great and needs to be heard and you can confidently step up in front of a crowd and go poetic on them – then you are a slammer. 

A lot was discovered during spoken word week and I was humbled when the guest poets commented about how they travel the world and find in most developing countries that the spoken word movement is like an old car, that has been parked in the backyard and needs a new coat of paint, new engine, new driver; but, coming to Botswana and just spending the few days they did with us – we are different. They said seeing us, our community, the caliber of talent and organizational skills – we are like a Ferrari that just needs to drive down a new road. There is nothing that they had come to fix, rather they felt like they needed to meet us to know that what they are doing all over the world is not in vain.

I had to search deep within where my silenced voice was mummed by complaints and all that criticism, labeling myself as a commentator or arts activist. In advocating for the growth of the arts, I forgot to grow mine. I am hungry now. I am eager to stand on stage and perform my poetry, to run workshops and engage people that are hesitant. I am sure a lot people that get caught up in the organizing, planning or events – we lose ourselves, neglect our art and just focus way too much on other people. Like I once said, there is no harm in being selfish – it is very attractive as you become wise and willing to share more about what you learn daily.

So here is a promise to you all, I will never abandon my art. I will never say I am stopping to sing, or write, or embrace all this arts. I believe that you should all do that.

Let us stop with the politicization of the arts – there are children in Nepal with the same dreams and no resources. Let’s stop crying and deal with the fact that we are truly blessed. Our government has given us resources. The space and the freedom to express ourselves.  Let us connect and get together, embracing the mission at hand which is to:

LIVE, FREE, GROW, KNOW, LOVE AND OWN THE ARTS!