Mel Cooke, Freelance WriterWESTERN BUREAU:
THE MOST recent edition of the month-end 'Evening of Contemporary Literature' at Redbones, The Blues Café, on Braemar Avenue, New Kingston, saw Chandis and the Nomadzz poetry group dispelling any lingering notions that poetry is boring.
With P.. P.. Posse member Chandis previewing selections from the upcoming book Ripe and Ready and the five-man Nomadzz delivering co-ordinated voices to guitar and percussion, those present had a lot to cheer about.
Chandis, who was first up, started with Mother's Milk - The Art of Creation ("I watch you shape clay babies with God hands"), then headed straight into the semi-erotic but instructive Me.
"There are times I look at this journey we are all on," Chandis commented about life, looking at the travel through a lime tree in Essence of Lime, Sex and Music, written by her mother and fellow P.. P.. Posse member Sajoya, saw the guitarist and percussionist from Nomadzz coming in with the music.
The musicians also chipped in on Woman Tongue, another member of Nomadzz contributing a soulful croon to the vocals.
Counting Poems, a love-hate poem, came from Chandis' experience as part of the Calabash Writers' Workshop.
STRONG APPLAUSE
There was strong applause when her set was finished.
The Nomadzz with Sheldon Shepherd, Everaldo Creary, Christopher Gordon, Omaro and Oneil Peart, entered the stage at Redbones one at a time, standing - and sitting - still as they were introduced as a group whose aim is to win a Grammy for poetry. Guitar and drums started while voices waited, the music slowing down for one poet to speak of Devon's House - not the one famous for ice cream, but the name of the cardboard box the poet lives in.
"I am a destitute, hopeless youth/who don't have the chance to make his life better" the poet said, a cadence of well co-ordinated voice and music underlining his words.
Another poet seated at the rear of the stage came up front to do Silent Tears, in which he wondered "if a lead or copper/one day from the Earth gwine erase me," the poem evolving into a refrain of "like dog," the voices working together under tight control.
"Don't hate the poet or the poetry/don't hate the songwriter or the song," the third poet informed the attentive audience. "It may not be your ting/but respect the work we put in," he continued. The poem went into another well co-ordinated rhythmic refrain, a chorale of voices tightly knit with the music saying 'a fear', a lone voice explaining that that fear 'mek dem kill Michael Smith', 'mek dem kill Bob Marley', 'mek dem scrutinise Muta pon the street.'
The Nomadzz turned their attention to love, with a touch of humour, declaring that "she is to me like mackerel is to dumpling" and "when I kiss her lips it taste like bulla and pear," the poem evolving into a jam of sorts. There was laughter when they said "if Redbones was mine to give/me woulda run out everybody/mek me an you live." They continued with thoughts on Living then moved on to an encounter - or, rather, near encounter - with an attractive woman who 'walk a way' and 'talk a way', one poet leaving the stage to deliver lines to a smiling Chandis.
The Nomadzz ended their very well received set with Pressure, an examination of the effect of a harsh society. The guitar was abandoned and the voices hugged the drumline of Omaro, rising in intensity and volume, the poem ending in a high, united cry of 'pressure', to strong applause.
It was over but not quite over, as Chandis was recalled to the stage and later The Nomadzz returning to inform all that Jamaica Nice.
And so, also, was the poetry at Redbones' most recent 'Evening of Contemporary Literature'.
