Singer Brushy One String strums his guitar on stage at 'Poetry In Motion', at the Vineyard in Mandeville, Manchester, recently. - Photos by Colin Hamilton Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
Joan Andrea Hutchinson presented, uncompromisingly, Jamaican poems on love from her upcoming book to characteristically Jamaican 'forwards' of appreciation, and concert organiser Yasus Afari gave the world premiere of a part of his book, Overstanding Rastafari: Jamaica's Gift to the World, as Poetry In Motion went into the new on Sunday evening.
However, the known, tried and proven was also very deeply appreciated by an audience that occupied almost all the chairs at The Vineyard in Mandeville, Manchester, Mutabaruka telling insightful and hilarious tales in between Nursery Rhyme Lament, I Don Have a Colour Problem and Butter Pan Culture, among other poems, reading from the double book, The Next Poems/The First Poems.
Similarly, on the singing side of an annual event that fuses literature, music and fashion, the rising star of Natel was fanned by the squeals of young ladies apparently from the nearby Church Teachers' College, some of whom, at the end of the evening just past 10:00 p.m., gathered in front of the low stage to gaze up at and sing along with the Brokenhearted Melody of Singing Melody. And Karen Smith's R-E-S-P-E-C-T was assured, dancing, smiling and all.
Brief performances
Poetry in Motion started with brief performances; Kerry-Ann Brown stating the ex-lover's plight with "a dream of love for you is a nightmare for me" and Kevin Chang delving into A Day at Sabina, where "the mound is about as perfect an example of racial harmony anywhere on the planet".
Amina Blackwood-Meeks was all bright eyes, expressive face and hands as she told two tales with similar themes, one from Nigeria entitled The Boy Who Remembered and an Anancy story. In both, the father was rescued by his sons working together, but in the latter, the treasure the father found was not given to anyone as "ah gwine heng it up mek bredda an sista know dem haffi live togedda."
And hence came the moon.
Child stars
MC Fae Ellington demonstrates that she is as good a dancer as any on stage.
And hence also came six-year-old Handel from the audience to the stage to speak with the effervescent MC Fae Ellington, reciting the rhymes of Bill who was ill and smiling through where a top front tooth would have been.
Tanoy, her hair nearly touching the covering of the stage as she stood tall in a red dress on red high heels, delivered her independence with The Beat of My Drum, while little Ashley Little, all of 11 years old, showed her own experiences with Thought of My First Day at School ("afraid and anxious, happy and sad")and Sports Day Anxiety.
Mervyn Morris read a number of short poems, beginning with Toasting A Muse and there was laughter at Peelin' Orange ("an if yu have time yu can come see me in me ol' clothes, peelin' orange"). His voice changed from the strident high of Malefactor Left cursing the Christ to the deep of Malefactor Right asking "when yu sail across the sea, oh King of Judah, carry I with thee."
Taking the house down
Left: Yasus Afari announces the launch of his book, 'Overstanding Rastafari: Jamaica's Gift to the World'. Right: Poet Mutabaruka engages the audience.
Fashion from Reggie's African Link completed the first segment and Karen Smith heated up a typically chilly Mandeville night, a hand going to a swinging hip as she claimed her Respect, ending with a fist punched in the air. Her attempt to say goodbye was met with protests and Fae Ellington dropped graceful and gleeful legs before Smith's At Last took the house down.
Tanoy and Kerry-Ann returned as the Black Goddesses, working Turn Your Lights Down Low through a highly-uncooperative CD player. Technical difficulties also affected Brushy One String, who intoned Grey In My Blue and Practice What You Preach, the latter especially to squealing support. And when the one string broke, he said "bus again!" merrily.
Yasus Afari, who also delivered a track from his upcoming album, Revolution Chapter 1, Hutchinson, among whose poems were Mek Wi Gi De Ting A Try, Kidnap and Thug No Show Love, and Mutabaruka made it a run of poetry before Singing Melody closed Poetry In Motion on a love song note, a speaker going during his performance to a diminishing audience.
