By Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
Mutabaruka
WESTERN BUREAU:
'WORLD Poetry Day' did not go unheralded in Jamaica.
Dub Traffickers Poemtry Sound, with Ras Rod at the controls, and Black Muzik, with Mutabaruka at the helm, made it a day and night word feast at the Livity Restaurant on Friday.
However, it was not only recorded poetry which sounded over the Hope Road, St. Andrew, venue to join the stanzas floating all over the globe in honour of the special day. With an open microphone section, as well as a special guest in Pekuli from Canada, poets performed live and in rhythmical fashion.
The live presentations were alternated with recorded material.
When The Gleaner arrived for the evening open microphone session, Chandis was wrapping up her stint at the microphone with It's Raining Again. There were not very many people at Livity, but those who were
there seemed intent on the
proceedings.
After a few selections from Mutabaruka, who concentrated on the 'outernational' side of the genre, sister Posse member Sajoya stepped up to the microphone. Living up to the event's 'Anti-War Fest' subtitle, she did War, which was written two decades ago.
Addressing child abuse, female genital mutilation and the Catholic hand in slavery, Sajoya did Rage and finished with Inside Out.
Ras Rod played I Wish You Dead by Italee, wishing her a happy birthday in the process.
Patrick Davis opened with We Are Dub Poets and following up with Victim. He ended with a poem written that very evening about the war, which had the sung lines 'a little more oil in Bush lamp/keep it burning'.
Dr. Pepper gave a mini-lecture before doing Corruption. Iyo's My Mother is a Lovely Black Woman was appropriately followed by a Malaki Smith's tribute to his grandmother, played by Ras Rod.
Guest poet Pekuli from Toronto, Canada, gave a heartfelt presentation, using body and voice in a frenetic 15 minutes or so on-stage. He informed the audience that Ah Feel Like, before defining The Black Man Struggle. His waist-length locks flying as he moved, Pekuli dropped in a good line with 'You cannot expect to be in a strange land/and don't expect to be treated like a stranger'.
Nabby Natural, who had introduced Pekuli, interrupted him to organise filming of the moment, Ras Rod filling in with Black X's Peace.
Pekuli hit new vocal highs when he related that "It feel like 10,000 demons let loose their spell in my head," ending with that piece.
Ras Tekna, out of the College of Agriculture in Portland, did Her Majesty's Prison and Haile Selassie.
The group Xamayca from the Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts added a very nice touch to the evening, as a guitarist/singer lead off in song. His excellent, folksy voice struck a chord with the audience. He also led off Woman, which included the three poets in the group. They finished up with Children's Cry.
Ras Rod stepped from behind the selector's position to remove his shirt and do three pieces, including the hilarious Rebel Lotion, with the dramatic assistance of two young women.
The Gleaner left Livity Restaurant with poetry still permeating the air, even though it was past midnight and World Poetry Day was officially over.
