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.