Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
X (left), Sage (centre) and Lynch performing at 'First Sundays Unchained'.
WESTERN BUREAU:
WORD BY word, poets Sage, Ras Takura, Steppa, X and Lynch laid the foundation for the April edition of 'First Sundays Unchained' at the LOJ Auditorium in New Kingston.
On a night when Carnival was in the air and on the road, a two-thirds capacity audience turned out for the most recent staging of the monthly event, Bushman being the main and closing performer.
Apart from Bushman, however, there was only one other singer, Gee Whiz, that night, poets making up the rest of the roster of performers before an appreciative, comfortably seated audience.
"I am sure you love the vibes. If you didn't, you would be at Bacchanal," noted Denise 'Isis' Miller of ROOTS FM, the night's host, as she welcomed all, before Sage opened the concert.
Sage immediately linked his words with the work that 'First Sundays Unchained' supports, a rehabilitation programme in the prisons, as he opened with a poem written for the ladies of Fort Augusta after he went on a visit there. "Soul traveler/your feet are your wings on earth/fly home/fly unbound," Sage encouraged. He used a supporting rhythm to deliver his second poem, which combined love and nature, as he requested "open flower/sweet honey bee/my lips are burning/as I think of words to say".
NOT ALL 'AFROMANCE'
It was not all 'Afromance' from Sage, though, as he hailed "Haile Selassie/living light" I verse.
Ras Takura opened by paying homage to the Black woman, a theme that Denise Miller noted was consistent throughout the performances, then also went to the essence of 'First Sundays Unchained' as he stated "too much of us/have spent the best of us/in Her Majesty's prisons". And Takura went to the root of himself as a farmer to come up with a poem that delighted the audience, as he outlined a lady's love for the produce. "She love the plantain/because it curve/an' doctor say/it good for her nerve," Takura said, and there was laughter from the audience. "Why oonu laugh?" Takura asked, as he started again.
"Oonu like that one? With sex comes responsibility," Takura said, as he closed with a poem about HIV/AIDS, which concluded "life is the only goal/so you must take control".
EMPHATIC DELIVERY
Steppa from the House of Vibe stepped strong and delivered emphatically to the delight of the audience, which broke into spontaneous, sporadic cheers which caused him to deliver some lines more than once. He started by burning fire on a man "who a young bway feela/young gal breeda", ending with his trademark cry of 'listen to Steppa!'.
"Yu see when I see a woman an I approach har, is a different vibe," steppa said, breaking into the line "tell me yu name an' numba!" to once more ignite the audience to applause. The applause came again and again through the poem, which dealt with underage girls having sex, Steppa chanting "yu not even 16/an a talk bout rub een Vaseline/don't worry/I naa put it een!"
From there it was compliments for a lady, Steppa standing, stooping and moving around on stage as he presented himself as "a dweet good smaddy" and commented "she is a lady/I want her to have my baby".
"Whole heap a tings happen. De Pope dead," Steppa said, to chuckles. "How is it we have a ting call Carnival an' a talk bout 'play it safe'? Den dem have Kiddies Carnival. So de kiddies fi play it safe too?" Steppa demanded.
He ended with a piece about "de finance", which "raise de pay of politicians/decrease de pay of paediatricians", ending with a final 'listen to Steppa!' to very good applause.
Lynch and X, who were later joined by Sage, completed the night's poetry, Lynch stating "poetry same way, no compromise". They took a look at Spanish Town, Lych saying "Spanish Town will never be the same", Xcontributing the observation "yu don't even safe on the main". There were cheers as the poets outlined the role of the police, saying "if you don't have a gun/they will appoint one to you". And they put the old capital into historical perspective, stating: Marcus Garvey curse Spanish Town Oval" and "Paul Bogle walk from Stony Gut/with stone in his hand".
A poem on poetry, mi cyaan believe a de poem dis pon paper" followed, Lynch and X settling into the rhythm of the poem as they noted changing times with "my grandfather use to drive a ol' Riva Lada/now de yutes want Lexus an' Prada". Sage made it a trio and the full LSX group traced the different phases of women as 'high flyer/life fire/live wire/real desire'. A connection of the movies and what plays out in life followed, the audience breaking into cheers as X rattled off a sequence of show names to tell a story of crime and consequence.
LSX ended their performance, and the night's poetry, with 'Pon The Streets'.
