IN a commemoration to mark World Music Freedom Day, the House of Hunger Poetry Slam will this month celebrate poetry and music as artistic mediums to convey important messages in society at the Book Café .
Report by Tinashe Sibanda
Poetry performances will be done by young and emerging poets who have continued to show their will and zeal to address issues in society. The slam will be held under the theme “Celebrating Music and Poetry”.
The event has grown tremendously over the last few years.
It has proved to be one of the best poetry platforms in Zimbabwe that has supported upcoming and established poets to enhance their poetry skills by giving them consistent space to practice performance poetry and articulate issues affecting their lives and communities.
The artistes include Arnold “So Profound” Chirimika, Tendekai “Madzitateguru” Tati, Simba “Vokal Da Poet” Chasimba, Moreblesing “Momo” Size and Peggies “Unmind” Shangwa, among others.
“The event means a lot to me. It’s a podium I’ve been loyal to and I can’t imagine missing a slam. It’s that space where it’s really given me time to be quick with my thoughts, to be articulate, to improve, plus exposure,” So Profound said.
The young poet, who has peformed in Johannesburg and Zambia, said he encouraged other artistes to share their poetry with the nation. The slam will bid farewell to Extra-Blessings Kuchera who has been co-ordinating it since 2010.
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“It’s a bit sad that I will be leaving Pamberi Trust and Book Café and this slam will be my last. I am moving on, but I know that poetry will continue to unite us.
I hope all the poets I have worked with at Book Café will be able to attend. I will continue to urge poets to keep doing good work,” Kuchera said.
The House of Hunger Poetry Slam provides a vibrant platform for performance poetry with soul-searching, hot and fiery or peaceful and soothing poems which are a joy to the ear.
On average, 25 poets take part each month. They are judged by the audience and their peers, and the interaction is lively.
