Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

Steppa - File

A pair of poetry shows, one hosted indoors at the Jonkanoo Lounge, Hilton hotel, New Kingston, and the other outdoors at 48 Constant Spring Road, St. Andrew, have given verse fresh verve in the Corporate Area.

'Wurdz N' Rydimz' is slated to be held on the last Sunday of each month at the Jonkanoo Lounge, while 'Spoken' is held outside the offices of Destiny Promotions in a space dubbed the 'Rootz Lounge'. 'Wurdz N' Rydimz' was held for the first time on Sunday, September 24, while 'Spoken', previously held at the ICOWAL Texaco gas station at the intersection of Old Hope Road and Mountain View Avenue, made a return last Friday after a break of about a year.

Duane Francis, one of two persons who performed on both shows and who organises 'Wurdz N' Rydimz' along with Natasha McFarlane and Simone Harris, said they all "agreed it would be more than just a poetry show".

"The poetry gatherings around town were just that, poetry gatherings," Francis said. "It was (put on) more in the hope of celebrating the arts, spoken, music, dance." As such, the first show featured Sajoya and Steppa, who also performed on 'Spoken', but there was also dance from McFarlane and Harris, singing by Lil Joe and a demonstration of the Capoeira martial arts form that fused music and dancing.

Francis said the intention was to attract people, while staging something truly artistic.

Nice ambience

Kevin Wallen of Destiny Productions, which stages 'Spoken', describes a setting where there were tables and chairs, complete with tablecloths and candles. "The ambience was definitely nice," he said.

As for the show, which featured poets Duane Francis, Steppa, Payne and the LSX trio, as well as the singer/guitarist Katherine, "it was superb. All the performers were on point, the location, the lighting."

With a raised stage and the performers projected larger than life on big screen, Wallen knows where he wants poetry to go. "I would like to see it on the same level as a stage show, where you have a huge stage, a big audience and it is just poetry. We can always mix it, but I would like to see a situation where the spoken word reigns supreme, where the spoken word is why people come out."

Wallen is aiming for quality monthly shows and then a 'best of' show annually.

And he is moving to have a recording done, as "right now we are looking to do a compilation album, which we want to have ready for December. We are looking to develop a quality DVD with some quality performances".

"We want to take the poetry thing to a different level," Wallen said. "If Def Jam can do it at the level they do it, why can't we do the same thing here?"