Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

Members of Danceworks kept the entertainment interesting, providing lively entertainment to go along with the poetry at Wurdz 'n' Rydimz held at the Hilton Kingston hotel, New Kingston, on Sunday. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

With scented candles on each table, oversized music notes on the walls and lively banter between co-hosts Jerry Benswick and Miss Jamaica World 2006 Sara Lawrence, Wurdz n' Rydimz unfolded before a full house on Sunday night.

Moving from the New Kingston hotel's Jonkanoo Lounge to the 18th floor, then a section of the ballroom in its third staging, the monthly poetry, dance and music fusion's strong growth was evident.

And from Dancework's opening movement to an a'capella version of Earth a Run Red to the closing declaration "cyaan stop Rastafari work" of Etana, poets Leslie, Sabriya, Sage and Payne and singer Lil' Joe among the performers in between, it held the audience's attention throughout.

Que, winner of last month's 'War of The Words' audience contest, delivered in guitarist/singer fashion, doing a new relationship piece that had never been performed in public before. Leslie also did a poem making its public debut, tossing her telephone aside when it rang during Prayer, done for her dead father.

Near misses

There was laughter when a member of the white-clad Capoeira martial arts team stopped a large foot short of someone in the front row and gasps at the whirlwind near-miss kicks in the ending round of sparring. Sabriya laid the words of ancient revolutionary on a bed of percussions and flute, the piece demanding no concession to those "who think we are born to drive, not driven in limousines."

After Pete's dose of prison-based Reality, the 18th Floor Band supported an active Lil' Joe, who delivered Not Good At All, bouncing off the stage on a mix to strong applause. Kumar lamented "some girls can't handle commitment", while Abigail Dallas put body movement, stage movement and a touch of drama into Fever.

It was back to poetry with Sage, who dealt with the season of good cheer with "I slew Santa at the tower of Babel/no kissing under the missile toe", to the delight of the audience.

Robert won the 'War of the Words' by playing on the secret ingredient "chawclit" and a sexy number from a short, black, tights-clad Danceworks quartet preceded an extended run from Payne.

Etana ended the night with selections from her upcoming album, Roots dedicated to a child she met in Africa who had been beaten to speak 'proper English'.