By Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance Writer 
A member of the performance poetry group, No-Maddz in performance.
THE LOUISE Bennett Garden Theatre came alive with the sounds of poetry and music on Saturday night, when No-Maddz presented their first concert. It was a night of politics and romance, drama and comedy, celebration and criticism.
The poetic quartet put dramatic flair to every aspect of the evening with even the anthem and announcement of intermission being delivered with great drama. The group, comprising Sheldon Shepherd, Oneil Peart, Everaldo Creary, and Christopher Gordon is quite young and the performance exhibited the enviable exuberance of youth.
The group made great use of the space, often speaking from off stage and popping up in unexpected places. It was an evening that marked great imagination and talent. The host, Oneil Tobias, was so interwoven into the performance that one could easily mistake him for a guest performer. However, the group still has some way to go in the more technical areas of the production and clearly need an artistic director to create a more imaginative use of lighting, costuming and set which would give a more professional feel to the production.
SHOWCASE THEIR GROWTH
'Pressure' was an apt start to the evening's entertainment. The poem in part marked the group's own beginnings. It was also able to showcase their growth as performers as it was remarkably different from its performance in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) in 2002. The 2004 version showed a greater willingness to explore music, texture and sound to enhance meaning. The musical aspect of the evening depended heavily on the Destiny Band, who did a good job and Peart who showed an increase in his talent as a musician. Vocalist Christa-Gayle Clarke also enhanced the evening with an impressive ability to hit some dangerously high notes.
Like 'Pressure' which takes a look at the strains of economics, many of the poems focus on politics and the politics of poverty. From 'Pressure' the group moved into 'Ballad of a Misled Boy' with Christopher Gordon in the lead. The soft pop music combined with Peart's chanting, underscoring the words increased the ballad feel of the piece and contrasted with the tortured words.
Many of the pieces which looked at politics and violence focused their attention on youth. This group included pieces like 'Devon Story' the tale of a windscreen wiper living across from 'Devon House' and 'Silent Tears' another tale of painful abuse and neglect.
Political mismanagement came under direct attack with 'Tell Yuhself'. The funny piece, which soon had the audience yelling "tell yuhself" at the right moments, focused on the false promises made by politicians. The piece featured cameos by the Prime Minister and the leader of the Opposition, courtesy of Peart's impersonation skills. However, none of the politicians in question were allowed to make any of their false promises, as in mid-promise they were told 'go tell yuhself."
The church also got its fair share of criticism, this time through the lens of a money loving pastor (exquisitely portrayed by Peart) who declared, "I love the money dat jingle, but I prefer the one dat fold." The skit had the audience laughing uproariously as the pastor quoted from the dancehall bible. As such he pulled out scriptures such as Capleton Chapter one, verse 2: 'who do you think you are? You're living in a small world' and Elephant Man chapter three, verse two, 'You too bad mine'.
Three pieces brought out the more romantic elements. The first touch came with 'I'm In Love with A Girl', which made promises of a love that would "melt the ozone layer" and declared that "when I kiss her lips it taste like bulla and pear". Other romantic pieces were 'Songbird' performed with Clarke, and 'She Walk A Way' which featured movement by Keniesha Bolton.
What was startlingly clear at the end of the night was that No-Maddz contains an impressive group of talented young men. Their willingness to experiment an engage in silliness, often successful, can only be matched by their natural skills. One can only wait, probably with bated breath, to see how they will evolve, with time and experience.
