WESTERN BUREAU:
THE POETRY fare at the Weekenz Bar and Bistro on Constant Spring, St. Andrew, ran the full range on Tuesday night.
Jah Shanti provided the true dub style in opening the proceedings, with Sachoy continuing the dub pattern later on. Brian Heap read a trio of touching relationship poems from an English poet; Quizz took a winding, whimsical look into her 'quizzical world'; Neto Meeks was hard-hitting and new voice, Kamika, anchored the word feast with insight into the paradox of hurting, binding love, the attraction theme being broached earlier by Sheldon.
True to its revamped format, the poetry night was interspersed with singers. However, three of these Yvad, Ingel Chanta and Kai Wakeling were in unplugged mode, presenting their songwriting skills with the accompaniment of acoustic guitar.
Sheba was the only performer on the night to use a full band.
The bonfire was lit and crackling, with a few torches adding flickering light and steady smoke to the atmosphere and ambience. Poetry or not, in true Jamaican entertainment fashion, the bulk of the audience came in well past the 9:40 p.m. performance start, many adding the aroma of their choice to the atmosphere.
Jah Shanti asked the eternal question of how can there be peace without equal rights, expanding it to enquire how can there be peace if there is no love. He moved on to the struggles of the poor, noting 'him have to borrow every day'.
Sheldon was brief in his tribute to the lady who blew 'the poet's mind'.
Sachoy, stepping out of her mode of Little Natural, started dubbing from off-stage, inviting all to come mek we reason bout love/mek we reason bout reality. The audience accepted the invitation and paid attention as she outlined that all people have problems, yet I woulda rather dead poor/Dan kick dung my bredda door/... I come here wid a clean record/An me naa dutty it up true times hard'.
Before reaching for paper to read her next poem, Sachoy said "I am used to performing with mi mother (Cherry Natural), so ah feel kinda nervous". However, she showed no signs of it and the sheet of paper was as steady as her rhythm as she gave advice to Keep yu heart it safer wid yu' and 'it no too late fi change yu life/Jus' change yu min' when yu go home tonight'.
Brian Heap went the stage with a whole heap of good nature, reflected in his smile, and when he said 'Good evening' a 'hi Brian' was tossed back from the audience. He started with Passed On, a poem from a child turned adult on her deceased mother who organised her life in index cards ('my days were box-shaped') and who found closure in getting rid of the cards:
On the beach I built a hollow cairn/Tipped in the cards and let her go
The Bed took the audience on the lifetime journey of a couple from their days of sneaking through windows to share a bed, through growing apart as a couple in their middle years until, in their '70s, the man took a saw and cut the bed in half. By then, they were shaped so right for each other that 'they felt no further need to move apart'.
He ended with Skin Distance, an observation of a black, baby food eating youth on the London underground.
Quizz took Weekenz on a journey through her artistic life (a rapper, a poet, it is all intertwined... poetry yu lookin, poetry yu ago fin') through relationships (all me know music nah cheat/and love is a bitch) until the days when 'I am old, wrinkled and wise'.
Neto Meeks utilised the rhythms of the Multikast, commanding stage presence, compact lines and a fast-paced style to hold an audience which had become somewhat restless by the time he hit the stage. He took them 'cruising up the Waltham', through the dilemma of 'could I refuse to kill and still stay strong', moving on backtrack in his poetic journey to the days when he was:
Coming from Skateland/Holding on to my dream/ Speaking to my two-man team
If I get one chance that's all that I need/To kick this door in/Start fly and never stop soaring
Asking for the rhythm to be cut, Meeks ended the poem a capella, holding the rhythm with his voice to end to good applause.
Meeks later stooped and gave thanks for life, before rising to rest his left arm on the microphone stand and intone in this show/we are not promised tomorrow.
He took it down to a quiet end, which the audience interrupted to applaud.
Kamika brought the night's poetry to an end with The Cycle.
Earlier Siim read from her travel journal, a handful of models providing attractive, fluid accompaniment to the words, which could have been clearer, and there was a tai chi demonstration dramatically enhanced with smoke effects.
The Gleaner left Weekenz with no takers for the open microphone and Mutabaruka's selections thumping away, as he followed Kamika's The Cycle with Pull Up To The Bumper.
- Mel Cooke
