Word n Sound Poetry and Music Series is a perfect example of “if you have an idea – run with it”. We've seen movements come and go but Word n Sound has proved its staying power.
The three
minds behind WnS, Qhakaza Mbali Mthembu, Thabiso “Afurakan” Mohare and Mduduzi "Dj Duce" Mvemve have not only done their bit to keep the poetry scene in Johannesburg alive but they've made it interesting.
One member down and a couple of venues later the
festival is celebrating its second year. New faces have braved the competitive
space and the fight for the number one spot has been amazing to watch.
WnS has
grown since its days of an audience of less than ten and the open-mic session
was a painful experience. I had a short and sweet chat with Qhakaza; the rose among thorns and also called ‘mother’ by some artists.
Planning WnS
Festival 2013 was… interesting because since this is our second year there were
things we thought we were sure about but we learnt that experience doesn't always mean
much in terms of making the planning any easier.
It was also exciting because this year the following increased and the competition is much tighter.
2011 it was Masai
Dabula vs Nova…this year performers accumulated points for each performance so
it was rare to have a feud similar to that of Masai and Nova.
This year the new
system gave more credit to consistency, so we've seen a bigger group of poets fighting
got the number one post. So it’s not a fight between two people but a feud
between the most talented young minds I know.
Female voices…have
increased. In our second year running we've reached a larger pool of poets and
naturally female poets have stepped up.
They've been amazing. Mandi has been in
the top five for most of the year and even owned the top spot a couple of
times. Her success proves that women do slam and do it well, contrary to
popular belief.
The beauty about poetry is that it is about words and the best
poems come from a very honest place.
So women are finding a lot of comfort in
themselves through poetry and being able to speak from a feminine and honest
place.
Creating a
platform for poets… is one of the best feelings in the world. I create a show I’d
want to see as an audience member.
But I only have so much control as the
organiser because when an artists magic starts working I have to let go. My
commitment to WnS is goes far beyond poetry. It’s a commitment to art itself.
If you are in Jozi on Saturday, 6 October 2012, come through to Emonti on Bree Street. R100 gets you in and from 12 until late you'll have a great time.
Follow: @WordnSound for more updates in the day!
#All images were supplied by Word n Sound
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