AND THE SLAM AFRICA WENT LIKE…

The Friday before the last Saturday saw a gathering of poets, or if you like “Slammers” at their usual republic: Dass Restaurant in Westlands. The A to T to Y of Slam were here. The A-T-Y being
from Abu Sense to Teardrops to Yung Nnoiz.

This dark night that had liquid
droppings in abundance did not deter the spirited Slam Africa participants from delivering their pieces in rhymes and lines that left you craving for more.

They managed to satisfy an audience that was being tormented by the aromas of the Ethiopian food that only a few could afford. The performances came in all shapes and sounds, from the vociferous Wanjiku Mwaura to the soft spoken
Dorphan, from the fast flowing Luki to the smooth riding Joe Edgar.

The content varied from revolutionary poems by Ngartia to erotic poems by Poppa Stevoh!…oh yes, I said erotic. It
was pornographic poetry without the images. It had the moans and all…all meaning all, but the act itself. In the poetry, the IDPs were represented and so were the night workers and the poor.

Scientist Joe Edgar had made a
discovery that “The voices of the poor had the highest pitch” while
Philosopher Ernest advised that
“Should you find a perfect life, don’t join it, because you’ll ruin it” Alexia’s poem was more of a preaching session without the mention of Jesus and Alleluia.

Amen to that.

You can always expect punchlines and witty lines from slam performances and this lot dared not disappoint. You would capture lines like “Time itafika nyuki itakuwa inaenda honeymoon” from Jicho Pevu or Luki
who captured the audience with the line “I need a clap after this, if I can’t get a clap after this, then I need a slap after this.” Slam legends like Kenneth B still have the Slam blood flowing in their veins. What with lines like, “Si
alimanga kukumanga ili akam
kukumanga?” or the “mtoto mdogo
matusi kubwa … biashara ndogo kwa soko kubwa, si faida ni ndogo na hasara ni kubwa” lines that had everyone in fits of laughter.

At the end of the night, some minutes past 11 PM, a king had to be crowned. The finalists were Ngartia, Asali, Abu Sense and Luki.

The race was close, but after overly brilliant performances
by Abu Sense in the night he was
coronated by the new team of
organisers: El Poet, Yung Nnoiz and
Wanjiku Mwaura as the 33rd Slam
Africa King. Slam Africa had lived to expectations and you can be sure next month will be even better.