By Mel Cooke, Freelance WriterWESTERN BUREAU:
TUESDAY NIGHT poetry at Weekenz Bar and Bistro on Constant Spring Road in St. Andrew entered a new phase in its latest staging.
The pull of the popular cable station RETV, which has put its considerable muscle behind the weekly word feasts, showed in the increased attendance over recent stagings. An IRIE FM banner formed a backdrop to the performers and the night's regular selector, Mutabaruka, was relocated from the stage to the rear of the venue.
There were changes in the format as well, with a lowered PPC (Pure Poetry Content) and a heavier serving than usual of music, with even a dance thrown into the mix.
The semi-regular bonfire was lit, though, regular hostess Connie Bell was in charge on the microphone and the relaxed combination of wrought iron work, greenery, fine looking women, sometimes leering men, and, of course, entertainment.
POETRY STIL IN ORDER
Nicole Lindo had the job of breaking the ice and opened with a poem about not just seeing people, but looking beneath the surface. "Do we care to know, understand, feel the hearts of passers-by?" she asked. Misunderstood Beauty examining prejudice and its effects and focusing on "heart, possesed by all/Utilised in a variety of ways", preceded Purity Is Awaiting
She ended with a tribute to "the original piece of art that is earth", emphasising her love of it and peace with herself.
Regular reader at Weekenz, Glen 'La Pluma Negra' Laughton, also did four pieces, two of them new. He stuck to the fleshy side of the art, opening with a declaration that "I feel tactile tonight" and continuing with The Room, telling a lady that between your thighs/heaven and hell reside. The audience showed appreciation of Laughton's work and he concluded by courting a lady, asking "can I dock here tonight?"
NEW PLAYER
Connie Bell introduced Ras Kassa as a nervous newcomer and, in calling on guitarist/singer Selah, who had performed earlier, Kassa reaffirmed his state of mind by saying "me nervous like pot cover." With book in hand and guitar resonating along with his voice, though, Kassa delivered poems by Mutabaruka well enough, starting with Change. He moved on to The Song of The Warrior and wrapped up Muta's work with You and Yourself.
"Dem sey is poetry, so anyting can gwaan," Ras Kassa said, requesting to be taken off the air. The reason became clear.
Maylin was the final wordsmith of the night, but not the last performer. Her monologue was preceded by an explanation of its abstract nature by Connie Bell, but the preparation was probably unnecessary.
The material, about an actress who is the most famous and talented of all, if only in her head space, was well delivered and received, especially when she said "Producers should be calling me for me to audition them." "Observe an ant," she said, getting down low for the part. "Observe Miss Lou," she said, slipping into character, followed in short order by Brutus on his own sword.
THE END
And this was all before she did the monologue Moi, promised to the unseen, unheard producer at the other end of her monologue delivered at Weekenz. And it never came, as she ended on a hysterical, humorous note and the applause was anchored by Mutabaruka spinning a Miss Lou on a heavy riddim.
Telling stories at Redbones
Chaos, Freelance Writer
ATIBA IS a poet and storyteller from the United States of America (USA), who has toured the world with his weird and wacky takes on life which exemplify the black experience in a totally unique style, and with substance. He was at Redbones the Blues Café recently, and with the help of his wife and a poetic friend of his and hers, enthralled the small but demonstrative crowd at the Braemar Avenue, New Kingston venue.
ATIBA AT WORK
When The Gleaner arrived, Atiba was hard at work, his smooth yet energetic and engaging voice telling of a number of things. This ranged from the skull which hinted at it origins to an ill-forsaken soul, 'Joe Willy', to a rabbit which eventually told the tale, to the mangani, an African celebratory dance and drum. The stories, with the help of a number of instruments Atiba played, were used to regale the audience throughout the night.
Atiba provided not just stories, but lessons, each instrument having a different story and origin, one of either early North American or African descent. These included the jembe (a congo-like drum); the African thumb piano, which is known by different names in different parts of the continent, such as the sanza and kalimba twanza, an instrument Atiba used to produce some of the most interesting, yet non-intruding sounds to accompany his words.
