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!