Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
EARLY SNOWFALL in Toronto, Canada, provided a white, chilly backdrop to the two main nights of performances at part two of the 2005 International Dub Poetry Festival.
Both nights, Dubbing The Elements and Each Man Version, held on Thursday, November 24 and Saturday, November 26 respectively, were staged at Bar 918, St. Clair Avenue West, in Toronto. With poets from Haiti, Trinidad, Jamaica, Bermuda and, of course, Canada, the slate of performers reflected the inter-national nature of the festival, the first part of which was staged from July 29 to August 1.
AUDIENCE APPRECIATION
Jamaica's major contribution came on Saturday night through Clayton Lynch who infused his poetry with drama as he did 'One Drop', 'Medz', 'The Stone That The Builder Refused', 'High Fire', 'Level and Dream of the Years Ahead'. Using backing tracks for some of his poems, Lynch came off the stage for his second to last poem, getting closer to an audience which showed appreciation and attention throughout his performance.
"We thank you brave-hearted people for coming out," host of Dubbing The Elements Afua Cooper, told members of the relatively small audience before singer Makeba got the performances rolling. Jai was among the poets contributing to the open mic section. Cooper, with the support of the Dub Trinity band, rode the rhythm with "I don't care if your mother was Black", before Trinidad's Etou Springer declared "I survive through the strength a mi culture." She ended with the title poem from her book Loving The Skin I'm In.
D'bi Young mused "it look like revolution come to an en", her voice climbing as she countered with "how revolution fi done?" her voice becoming its own reverb on 'when'. "We are living in George Orwell's Animal Farm," Young said.
Bermuda's Ras Mykkal utilised his measured baritone on Controversial, beginning with "I am not black/I am not white ..." He questioned the killing of Amadou Diallo with "it was four against one/they opened fire until their barrels were done." Utilising a backing track, Mykkal examined the use of the term 'refugee' about black people in New Orleans during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
