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Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Cape of Good Flow South Africa Poetry Tour

January 7, 2013

Cape of Good Flow Poetry Tour

The best advice I can give when traveling is to speak to strangers! I know this is the antithesis of what we are taught as children, but take a quick look in the mirror; you are a responsible, discerning adult fully capable of interacting with others you don’t know. Now, use discretion here. I’m definitely not saying to stand in a street like a mad man/woman and speak to random people on vacation, but the stereotype that the rest of the world is dangerous or that foreigners despise Americans is wholly untrue.

In Cape Town, for example, on the return ferry from Robben Island, the location in which Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for years, I inadvertently sat next to a guy that happened to be singing a soulful tune. I broke the ice and asked if he was a musician. He responded that he wasn’t but that he knew many of them in the area. We introduced ourselves, and he told me that his name was Tebo. Ironically, my good friend/poet Samantha Raheem, the person who recommended that I travel to South Africa, referred me to a Teba before I got to Cape Town. Teba and I were unable to connect in the area due to conflicting schedules, but the name stayed in my head. I brought up the name similarities and he said that Teba was actually a good friend of his. He informed me that he was heading to the Marcus Garvey Rasta Community for a outdoors music performance and that I was welcome to ride. I used discretion based on the fact that he was employed with the museum and because he knew an acquaintance. I hopped in the car with a perfect stranger, Tebo, and had one of the best times there, admiring local musical talent and soaking in the hospitable people of that community. Consequently he introduced me to Crosby, a local music artist that recorded a verse for my upcoming solo rap album, “Beast of the Southern Wild”.

Although I only spent two and a half days in Cape Town, it was an eclectic mix of mountains, beaches, history, and cuisine. Table Mountain, the prominent site as you enter the city was majestic to say the least. I took the rotating cable car to the top and saw some impressive sites of the Cape of Good Hope where two oceans converge. I also walked around and enjoyed the views of the city. Another important historical site was Robben Island. Although a little expensive, this visit includes a boat ride and two hour tour. I was also able to soak in some history with visits to the District 6 and Bo’Kaap museums. At Bo’Kaap, a historic Muslim community known for its brightly painted houses, I met with the family members of one of the people that helped fund my trip from Abu Dhabi. They prepared a nice British brunch for me including my first ever taste of scones (for the record, you put the butter, jam, and THEN the cream). While they love the city and the neighborhood, in particular, they said that crime was on the rise in the neighborhood due to a Meth-like drug popular with the youth.

After my stay in Cape Town, I flew two hours to East London, the meeting point to begin my poetry tour and meet with my hosts Nkqo and Karen. Nkqo, an impressive wordsmith and organizer of the Eastern Cape’s only Hip-Hop/Poetry platform, “Soul Clap Sessions”, is a native of Eastern Cape in a town called Mthatha. Karen is from Canada originally and currently lives near Coffee Bay, another town in the Eastern Cape, where she runs a community village known as Mawotsheni, another location for a community workshop and performance. During this ten day roadtrip/tour, we planned to mix performances and workshops with leisure as I was invited to be a part of the family. It meant a lot to me that I was welcomed as one of the clan instead of just a performer. In East London, we stayed at a cheap backpackers right on the ocean. Although there were communal showers and no electricity, I paid only about $17 for my own private hut overlooking the ocean- a poor man's paradise view of sorts...

From East London, we took the seven hour journey to Coffee Bay where I had my own hut complete with cow dung floor! This stay was the first time I experienced an outhouse and outdoor shower (meaning pouring heated water on yourself and rinsing with a bowl). The workshop was an intimate mix of youth and adults, foreigners and locals, poets and poetry lovers. It was an honor to share performance poetry tips to both children and adults. I also was able to perform alongside Nkqo. He informed me that tribesmen didn’t actually own the land in many villages but were given permission by the community to use it indefinitely. Living there is all based on your relevance to the community. At any point, if the community decides that you are not a positive contribution, you can be banned. The beaches in Coffee Bay were beautiful! I forgot to wear sun screen and am still sporting a "farmer's tan".

A cool fixture in Coffee Bay was Jah Drummers, an artsy outdoors café with nightly jam sessions. I was impressed by a Portuguese guitarist/singer visiting there to promote his music. After a three day stay in Coffee Bay, we trekked back to East London for my feature at “Soul Clap Sessions”. On the way, we stopped in Mthatha, Nkqo’s hometown, to attend a traditional circumcision ceremony. This was not for a child though. The Xhosa people circumcise men when they become adults (around seventeen or eighteen) as a rites of passage ritual. The circumcision didn’t take place at the ceremony. The celebration was to commemorate the successful “passing over” of a boy to adulthood. It was beautiful to see men and women speak take turns for hours speaking affirmations in to the boys' lives. I felt great to be welcomed in as family. They slaughtered cows and lamb for a festive time with over two hundred guests that lasted for a whole weekend. Some of the Xhosa people had never met an American citizen before. One of the men (possibly due to drunkenness) bowed on one knee and kissed my hand to greet me. Some people spoke no English but talked to me in Xhosa anyway because they were so excited to see me. I was just as honored.

The performance at “Soul Clap Sessions” was a validating and rewarding experience for me! I was able to perform new poetry and even some of my new Hip-Hop records to an impressive response of a crowd of about 60. Before I featured, it was an honor to network with aspiring Hip-Hop artists, many of whom have very original styles that reflect the challenges and experiences of growing up in South Africa. Almost all of the artists were conscious and uplifting. After I featured, people stayed around to take pictures with me and to get my CD. A few days later, I went to an interview at a local radio station in East London where I was also able to perform poetry and Hip-Hop to a listenership of thousands! I also had the opportunity to record with a local producer that I met at Soul Clap Sessions.

All in all, it was an honor to be able to go to a place not considered to be on the map when it comes to performance poetry or Hip-Hop. From this tour, the seed has been planted in my head to continue searching for non-traditional outlets where I can travel. Most poets would automatically think the UK when thinking about international exposure. Although I would love to be respected in these markets, it means more to me to visit places that many be overlooked but that have undiscovered talent. By traveling to these places, I can share some of my experiences and gifts that God has given to me so that I can hopefully uplift others and inspire them to express themselves positively whether it be in a poem or a private diary. This trip would not have been possible without the over 40 donors that believed in this cause. For that, I am overwhelmed with joy, appreciation, and the motivation to continue spreading poetry all over the world!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

A Day in London- Beginning of Summer Break 2012

You need to have tough skin to live abroad. You don't have to be a loner but you need positive ways to cope with being such far distances from the loved ones in your life. This acquisition of learning to be alone is the best recommendation that I could give to a person considering living abroad in the Middle East over 8,000 miles from friends and family. I can rough out three of four months away, but any longer and I begin to really need the recharging from the people that matter to me the most. Although I was just back to the U.S. in March, it felt like that time again to visit my mom, sister, and niece in Connecticut, my father, grandmother, and friends in Georgia, friends in Tallahassee, and cousin in south Florida. And it wouldn't be right not to take out a little "me" time so and of Summer trip to Costa Rica will be the respite I need.

A one day layover to London was the preemptive icing on the cake that I needed to get the trip started. My flight came in from Abu Dhabi early in the morning. I was concerned about the Customs line because I had read complaints a couple of months earlier that they could take hours. Luckily, I made it through in less than fifteen minutes. Things seemed to be looking optimistic for me achieving my goal of getting another country's stamp on my passport and visiting London for the day. Informative guides were great at reassuring me that there would be no Customs check coming back in to the airport and that I would be fine taking the Lube (underground rail) forty minutes to town for a visit.

I paid about eight pounds or $14 US for an all day pass that would take me around town. I took the Piccadilly line in to downtown London and first got off at the Piccadilly Circus area, a site that was suggested by a British teacher that lives in Abu Dhabi as well. I was impressed with the massive statues all over town that celebrated various generals, politicians, royalty, and martyrs in British history. Way in the distance, I even noticed Buckingham Palace. I walked down to the historic Trufulgar Square and almost got to catch the many free arts and history museums in the area. They didn't open until 10am though, and I still had more sites to see on my one-day express journey. I was impressed with the cleanliness and ease with riding public transportation as the city braces for the big, 2012 Summer Olympics beginning in two weeks.

The train terminals were painted with music concert and theatrical performance posters and the culture and history of the town buzzed electrically in the air. My next stop was Green Park. From there, I took another line to a stop along the River Thames. I was surprised to walk right out of the terminal and stand right in front of Big Ben. Here I was, on my non-directed city tour, running right in to one of he world's top attractions. My intuition led me on the right track. I took great pictures and was content that the rain and partial gloominess of a typical London day had spared me the need of buying an over-priced touristy umbrella. I was able to see part of Westminster Abbey.

My last stop before returning to Heathrow airport was another historic area called Hyde Park. I walked around briefly and then decided it was time to head back to the airport so that I could prepare for the seven hour flight to New York's JFK airport.
My expectations were exceeded. London is definitely a place that I could come back to visit or possibly even stay for a short artist's residency. The city has a rich culture with spoken word and the arts and there are different opportunities with slams and spoken word features. I'm glad I took my chances, intentionally booked a ten hour layover, and had the courage to step out of the airport to peel back one layer of one of the coolest cities I've ever visited. This is London in a day!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

The Poetic Arab Spring

It's amazing what difference a few months make. In March I was just starting to plan a poetry open mic to help expose the art form of spoken word poetry in Abu Dhabi. I initially assumed that this would start small with an estimated crowd of 20 to 30. Coming of age with Black on Black Rhyme, I was trained to be content with five people as long as there was a potential to build consistency and show professionalism. In only three months though, the poetry scene has blossomed in to a full blown movement! It all came in to fruition to me when I sat down with the progressive arts magazine, Tempo Magazine (http://www.tempoplanet.com), this week for an interview about my poetry endeavors and the burgeoning scene in the United Arab Emirates, specifically the capitol city of Abu Dhabi. God seemed to have placed me in this area at the perfect time. It's akin to Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston being in Harlem just as the Harlem Renaissance was cresting or Bill Gates being on the scene as soon as the digital revolution started. This poetry surge is definitely not my own doing. I'm realizing that it's the perfect mixture of God's grace, timing, talent, and need for your gift. All of those factors have combined to make me a central figure in this poetic revolution.

Before I arrived, poets have told me that there were only sporadic, low-attended events that featured poetry. Recently, the tide has changed. Aside from the monthly open mic, "Rooftop Rhythms", that I co-organize with Ben "DJ Black Wolf" Mays, there have also been poetry open mics organized by college students at both NYU-Abu Dhabi and Sorbonne- Abu Dhabi. Both were very successful with over 50 in attendance. Bahareh, an Iranian-American poet that has been here for a couple of years, also hosted a major event called, "Speak Abu Dhabi", that was supported by the city and was in the Abu Dhabi Theatre, a marquee location for arts in the UAE. With over 200 in attendance, this event was the perfect mix of poetry and music dedicated to ancient Middle Eastern poets while giving credence to the original works of today's writers (Us!) in the region. View video of Speak Abu Dhabi

I also have been able to become acquainted with a poetry collective called the Poeticians out of Dubai. Led by Hind Shoufani, this group has been making noise in the UAE for the past couple of years with their monthly performances and fierce spoken word. At a recent poetry feature in Dubai, I was able to perform and meet Ms. Hind, and she stated that her group wants to network with Black on Black Rhyme- Abu Dhabi to continue to spread the art form. This willingness to work together for an artistic cause is an element that keeps movements snowballing. I informed her that it was an interest of mine to bring our show to Dubai and she was fully open to it. There was no, "This is our city" vibe that tends to permeate through spoken word venues and cities across the U.S. There seems to be an obvious and proactive interest in aiding this revolution of expression. The atmosphere is perfect for it and I am poised and ready to assist in any way that I can!

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Awww...Souky Souky Now! (My first visit to a souk!)

If you want to mix a little upscale in your souk visits, look no further than Central Souk in downtown Abu Dhabi. Since this was my fist souk, or market experience, I was a little skeptical that the trip would be a little more than a different way to waste a few hours. My, how I was wrong. Entering in the Central Souk, I immediately was taken aback by the design and layout of the place. Wall-sized wood carvings give the place a contemporary look. The dim lighting and cool temperature created an aura for this shopping extravaganza. The smells of the home-made colognes and fragrances meshed with spices from all over the world.

I assisted a friend find souvenirs for her family members. We first stepped in to a souvenir shop complete with jewelry, mini-Persian rugs for computer mouses, sculptures, and more. We talked the man down on decent deal. Outside of the shop were large, ornately carved doors out of teak wood. I was in awe at how beautiful they were. There were also large wooden cabinets and drawers. Shop after shop had their own niche or novelty. Inside this modernized and massive souk, a visitor could find fresh markets, cafes, restaurants, Henna shops, spas, and more. My friend decided to get some original, Arabic cologne for her father. The cologne experience was memorable to say the least. The manager sat us down in two plush chairs near a stuffed carcass of an infant deer. He proceeded to bring us different scents from sophisticated glass jars filled with various oils. He would tilt the container just enough to get some of the fragrance on a lid. He would then hold the lid to our noses to give us a smell. The sensual experience last almost fifteen minutes and is one that I won't forget.

My absolute favorite part of the souk is the spice shops. There were so many spices and fragrances that I have never heard of. Every one knows about garlic, paprika, and sage. My nose was bewildered by the virgin smells that I have never previously experienced. There was dried rose, frankincense, and others that I can't even name. Afterwards, we went to the rooftop of the souk and took in the scenery with waterfall and rooftop cafe and shisha spot. I refrained from buying anything this time but what a visit! No other place in Abu Dhabi managed to heighten all of my five senses collectively like the Central Souk. I encourage you to visit if you have a few free hours and enjoy taken an environment in.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

"Rooftop Rhythms": A Major Success!

God is good! I sensed that momentum was building for Black on Black Rhyme Abu Dhabi's 1st open mic show but who knew that it would exceed expectations so well?! During the planning stages, I was content with 30-50 people showing up. I would have been happy with 10 because a small crowd is usually common place when trying to start any new event. My focus was more so on giving the patrons that did attend a quality experience that would make them want to spread the word.

As the word of mouth spread amongst the connected group of teachers, my final estimate was around 50-60 people. I was shocked to see a final count of 110 people in attendance. Although I have been a part of planning major special events, this was the largest crowd I've ever help bring to a regular open mic.

The night was beautiful to say the least. I arrived two hours early to do a sound check with DJ Black Wolf (also co-organizer of the event with Mays Bros. Entertainment). As soon as we arrived, there were already patrons trickling in to get a seat on Cafe Arabia's rooftop. By 7pm, an hour before the event, there were already approximately 50 people in the seats getting settled in. By show time, we were near capacity on the roof.

Poets and vocalists from New Zealand to Houston, Texas, were in the house to contribute to the vibes. We were commemorating the 15th anniversary of Notorious B.I.G.'s death, and DJ Black Wolf did a great job of keeping his theme going throughout the night. He gave out mixtape CDs of Biggie's music by getting crowd members to answer specific questions about one of the best rappers of all time's life and career. We also did a NCAA-styled bracket of his 24 best songs. To a Hip-Hop head's dismay, the commercial hit, "One More Chance" won.

The eclectic crowd was a racial, age, and social status mix. There were white women in their 50's from Arizona, Emirati nationals enjoying the arts scene, Blacks from both the UK and America, and more. It was a good feeling to know that a lot of the crowd was being introduced to Biggie's music for the first time. Poets got on the mic and spoke about a variation of issues that some people could relate to and others couldn't. At the end of the night, the mission was accomplished and that was to get people to challenge each other to think and to open each other's perspective. The most touching moment of the evening was when an older White woman approached me and said that she was initially uncomfortable with so many Black people. As the night progressed, she felt more open and welcome. I was honored to help facilitate this vibe tonight.

Already, the patrons that attended are demanding another show! We are currently planning to make the next one even better! Currently we are planning to do the show once per month, but the demand may make us do it bi-weekly. Special thanks DJ Black Wolf for helping me to plan and envision this event. Much love to Sunny Deis of the Al Ain "Slammin' On the Roof" crew for coming out and representing. Another special thanks to all of the open mic participants that did their "thang"! Also, much love to James, Theresa, and Alex for all of their assistance in helping from behind the scenes. We also could not have been successful without each patron that invited a friend and helped to spread the word. Finally, thanks to all of my friends and family that believed in this event and prayed for its success back in the states. I can't wait to see what the next show/s have in store as we spread spoken word around the world!

Saturday, February 25, 2012

A Budding Spoken Word Scene in the United Arab Emirates!

The Middle East, specifically the UAE has a rich oral history. The bedouin people of this area have told stories and spoken poems of wars and and tribal culture for thousands of years. (Click here for history of poetry and literature in the UAE.) Sheikh Zayed, the visionary of the UAE, loved poetry himself. Since the descendants of this great tradition were largely illiterate though, this tradition or love for poetry slowly declined over the decades.

With the advent of a large ex-pat (Western) community, many spoken word lovers from the West are coming with different performance art talents with few places to share. When I arrived, any one that knows me knows that I was bent on either joining a poetry movement or starting one. I was shocked to discover that Abu Dhabi, the nation's capital, had no on-going poetry open mic or feature show. Hence Black on Black Rhyme- Abu Dhabi was realized and berthed.

I was inspired by word that some expats started a show in Al-Ain, a smaller town about two hours away from Abu Dhabi. I heard of their first show in November when I arrived but had little knowledge on how to get there. I heard they were doing a show and was excited that I could be part of a new poetry movement in the Middle East. Two weekends ago, I was invited to perform poetry at a house party thrown in Al-Ain by different organizers. Although it was the most difficult of venues to perform, (Do you want to hear a poem at midnight after the "spirits" have been poured and the DJ is the middle of his best set? Thank you.) the crowd showed me a lot of love. I was able to drop the seed that a poetry show was being started in Abu Dhabi.

This weekend, I was finally able to make it "Slammin' on the Roof", Al-Ain's poetry show and what I believe to be the first ever open mic in the UAE. I took the 10 AED charter bus (Only $3?!) to Al Ain and was picked up by one of the organizers and host, Michelle. She introduced me to her husband, Preston, a DJ/Emcee and co-organizer. They welcomed me in to their home and treated me like family. They told me of how the show went from 10-15 people at its inception and is now at over 40 only after three months.

When I got there, I saw what the buzz was all about it! People brought their own refreshments and lawn chairs to a nice rooftop of a teachers' apartment building and the vibe was tangible! Over 50 people came this time to vent, relax, and share their rhymes.

Teachers spoke about their unique experiences of living abroad in the Middle East. One poet/comedian cracked the audience up with stories of Middle Eastern flies that catch rides in teachers' cars, the daily experiences of his elementary students, and even his life as a part-time actor. Charlis spoke about her love for Black music while Eddie, the husband of a teacher, showed his emcee prowess with a dope rap. The host, Michelle, kept the show in perspective with her piece about history of Blacks in America. She also told a sincere piece about the loss of her brother. In a crazy twist of events, I discovered after that she was a part of Black on Black Rhyme-Miami! What's the chances of that?! Everyone showed me love and support for taking the trek to Al-Ain and told me they would show reciprocity by attending the Abu Dhabi show on March 9, 2012.

More than ever, it became evident to me how open mic readings are necessary cartharses for people to bounce their perspectives, knowledge, and struggles with one another. Without them, we are all recluses that are left to deal with the quickly developing world on our own. As Black on Black Rhyme- Abu Dhabi's inaugural show approaches, there are already 50 people confirmed! I take pride in carrying on a tradition of Black on Black Rhyme but something that is inclusive of all people; It is the need to connect with others, the feeling of being a part of a larger community. This was the same sentiment that started the oral traditions of African and Easterners thousands of years ago and hopefully the same sentiment that will sustain this budding scene of poetry/story-telling to a fully blossomed flower for years to come.

Monday, January 30, 2012

When keeping it "cultural" goes wrong!

In an attempt to show my students appreciation for their culture, I decided to wear the Kandura more often. This is the traditional clothing for men in the UAE. It is a long-sleeved "get-up" that is usually white and flows down to the ankles almost like an Irish kilt. Over the past few weeks, I have worn it on Thursdays and have gotten a great response from my students. Many of them crowd around me and take pictures with me and compliment me on how well I look. Even other students in the school will approach me and ask if I am Arabic and are shocked when I begin to speak English. Nevertheless, the outfit sparks a lot of positive attention and admiration from the students.

I got encouraged by this idea and decided to unofficially start Kandura Thursdays. After work last week, I went to a local store and bought a few of the outfits for a reasonable price. I couldn't find any with the long sleeves so I thought nothing of it to purchase the ones without them. Since I have a tattoo on my left arm, I had to get creative and figure out a way to conceal it. I decided that a cut sock would not be the best idea, I decided that I would wear a long-sleeved, Western dress shirt under it. I arrived to the school and was met with the same praise and appreciation from the students. I made it through half of the day when I was alerted to some pretty embarrassing news. An Algerian teacher that is of Arabic descent approached me and told me that I was wearing what sounded like a "bad" outfit. I thanked him and shook his hand. I then thought he was saying a bad outfit as if he didn't like it. I realized after saying "What?" a few times that he was saying it was a "bed" outfit. Imagine the look on my face when I got the epiphany that I was wearing the pajama form of a Kandura! When keeping it "cultural" goes wrong! Needless to stay I turned blushed in a heartbeat.

Why hadn't my students said anything to me during class? Did they crowd around me and take pictures as a joke? I saw no students laughing but, then again, were they mocking me in Arabic? In my older age, I have learned to laugh at myself so I quickly dismissed any of the paranoia of this ordeal. I truly assumed that the students weren't laughing because they understood my intent and still appreciated my effort. Just like weeks before, I believe that they took pictures of me because they appreciate me and look up to me.

Later that evening, my head of faculty of the English department alerted me that one of the principals told him to give the head's up that I needed to be careful of what I wear. The head of faculty recommended that I relax on wearing the Kandura for a while. I was a little defensive and took up for the positive effect of how me wearing the Khandura had on the students. He said to use my discretion but that I had to be careful of what I wear because the Emirate people will not hint if there is an issue as opposed to being straight-forward. He said that it was great that I wanted to be a part of the culture but wearing their outfits may offend some that feel like it is meant for Muslims to wear. Just like in the states, there are traditions that some like to share and others like to keep to themselves.

I decided to go to the principal to that spoke with my head of faculty today. I kept it brief but apologized for wearing the wrong outfit. He was very understanding and told me that it was great to wear the outfit because I was showing respect for the culture and traditions but that I just needed to make sure that I wore it appropriately. He informed me to just wear a white, long-sleeved Kandura with the red headscarf or Guthra and black band to hold it in place called an Egal. So, give me your input. Should I let up a little and give it a break or continue on in risk of offending my head of faculty after he advised me that I might be doing a little too much?