by Admin | Oct 20, 2022 | Scripts
With the aim of bringing together young people and adults from different backgrounds and styles such as poets, writers, musicians, rappers, journalists and students, in recitals that have the active participation of the public, choosing the best performance and presented text.
The Grand Final of the 4th edition of Moz Slam – Batalha de Poesia Falada takes place on October 22, at 2 pm, at Café das Letras (Association of Mozambican Writers).
Twelve (12) finalist poets, selected in the four qualifiers that took place in June, July, August and September, will compete for the first three places of the Moz Slam Grand Final and, as a prize, will have the opportunity to represent Mozambique abroad (championships festivals and poetry festivals).
Throughout the event there will be activities such as book fairs, poetry recitals (open mic), exhibition of services and products related to literature, and the expected Poetry Slam moment, where the following finalists will compete for the first three places:
João Borges | Morgana Ossufo | Benny Parruque | Kirov Alexandre| Túlio Muchanga | Marlen Chauque | Jessica Cristina | Natacha Socre | Gertino Hilário | Luis Ventura | Octavio Raúl | Neyma de Jesus.
Rappers Iveth and Azagaia are the guest artists for the jury.
We will also have the artistic performance of the poets Gonçalves Gonçalo | Ivandro Sigaval | Ema de Jesus | Denise Fazenda, all finalists and the first two winners of past editions.
Dj AD will provide us with moments of music and Matilde Chabana will be the master of ceremonies for this magnificent event.
Moz Slam is a spoken poetry contest based on several rules that involve the performance and original poetry of its participants, a time limited to three (3) minutes for their presentations
by Admin | Oct 15, 2022 | Scripts
Recently, at Joe Biden’s inauguration, there was a poetry recital by a renowned spoken word poet (Amanda Gorman) which caught the eyes of many people across the world.
You probably are familiar with what poems are and might have had the opportunity to recite one too many in your primary school days.
What if I told you that those poems go beyond what you think? poems can be used to send messages, express feelings, and even carry vital and critical information about the origin of a people and also promote peace.
A poem can be used to start a movement, and cause people to raise against oppression and fight for their rights. With poetry, young people like you and me can add our voices to very important issues(education, health, climate change, etc) in our schools, communities, and countries.
By now, I am sure you might be wondering what the difference is (poems, poetry, spoken word) because this here is too much information. Are poems songs or calls to action? Why don’t we try to unpack all these in the following paragraphs?
Poetry is the art of writing poems with the help of some literary devices (alliteration, irony, metaphor, etc ). A poem is any literary piece of writing that is used to evoke a feeling or emotion.
A poem can be written and recited in front of an audience. A poem is not a song. Unlike a song, a poem is recited not sung. A spoken word piece is also a poem meant purposely to be recited to an audience.
A person who writes poems is a poet while someone who does spoken word is an artist, a spoken word artist. Before you get confused keep this at the back of your mind, every spoken word artist is a poet but not every poet is a spoken word artist.
A spoken word artist makes use of literary devices as well but because of the interaction with an audience, he/she might make use of his or her elements to carry a message across. However, a page poet does not get that liberty since his/hers can always be revisited for clarity at any time.
Poetry/poems are really easy to write. All poets do mostly is rhyme and compare their thoughts and experiences with the environment. Eg if I were to compare a country to the earth? I could put it like this;
A country is a fertile soil
Suitable for the growth and development of its people
For one to successfully write poetry, it’s simple. You just need to familiarize yourself with what literary devices you need to write a poem and then with that you can write any poem you envision. you can express your thoughts in diverse ways and by so doing you would be writing poetry and then you can decide if you want to be a page poet, waiting for someone to come and read your work, or a spoken word artist, taking your work to people?
The spoken word for me is the vacuum through which I make my voice heard. As an artist, every time I mount the stage I feel alive. I tap into a completely different world where there is nothing like an impossibility.
I can draw people’s attention to things they would have never imagined and make them appreciate what they have as well as the vulnerabilities that exist around them. I am sometimes able to show them the opportunities that they fail to recognize.
This gives me meaning because if I can see something another person can, the least I can do is show them for that is my one job in this life.
If poetry were to me given the needed attention, our communities would be much better than they currently are. We would have young people paying attention to their environments and making critical and informed decisions regarding their future and sustainability. Ghana would be a much better country.
If young people make poetry a second choice and decided to give it a shot, they would be allowing themselves to see things from different perspectives and allow themselves to try different approaches.
by Admin | Oct 15, 2022 | Events
A Communal Incubator for the future of performance poetry in Ghana.
As part of our responsibility to raise slammers and to see a thriving, sustainable verbal space for the future of poetry slam (competitive poetry) in Ghana, we (Ehalakasa) have in partnership with the Goethe Institut, Accra initiated a full day slam workshop dubbed SlamImpulse. SlamImpulse is intended to serve as a communal incubator for the now generation of poetry and spoken word performers, who want to make moves.
This will be solely to learn the game of slam and to develop the psychology and skill of playing it. All your questions and worries about poetry slam and or slam poetry will be undressed, addressed and redressed for you to be fully dress up to the coming nights.
Slam is the next phase to performance poetry. Slam is the sure way to see your own personal growth and development as a performer. Slam is the game you play if you want to challenge yourself with yourself. Slam is the game that helps charge your power bank for expression. Slam is a game of chance, not for the best only but also for rest. Slam is a green card to crossing boundaries and boarders. Slam is a master card to sharing and playing with champs and slammasters around the world. Slam is the way forward. Slam in An.Order.WAY.
SlamImpulse is to prepare us for what’s coming; the slam world is growing and has become a phenomenon for the human spirit to behold. Who will represent Ghana at the next West Africa Slam Championship in Niger 2023? Who will represent us at FESPACO Gold Slam in Ouagadougou next year? Who will lead us to Africa Cup of Slam Poetry 2023 and who will proudly lift the flag of Ghana to Brazil 2023 for the World Poetry Slam Championship? These are the responsibilities we have signed up for. Who is coming on board with us?
We are proud to be on the board of the WPSO and as a founding member of this global force. This is made possible by the able effort of Ehalakasa.
We are calling on poets, spoken word performers and or anyone who is genuinely interested in becoming a Slammer to sign up for these opportunities. You don’t have to be a poet to be a slammer; all you need is the willingness and the impulse. We got you!
There is room for ONLY 10 participants at a session.
More exciting Slam related events coming…
The workshop is every last Friday of the month
10am to 4pm @ Goethe Institut – Cantonments Accra
To register send a 60 seconds original piece of audio or video to +233205043890
by Kimash | Oct 5, 2022 | Scripts
Words, words, words
What use are words that can’t be heard
Mouth opened then closed
If nothing comes out then you’re good as dead
You need a redemption
You’re seeking for salvation
But you find it in words only you can understand
They’re begging for freedom
Speak them out! but you can’t
That’s why I’m here to say them for you
So I soothe your soul with food you didn’t think you needed
I’m giving you a chance to feel in words you didn’t have to speak out
You feel the emotions deep in your core, emotions I’m helping you show forth
You don’t need to be weak in front of others, I’m already doing it for you
My words are giving you your peace
Collecting your broken pieces and putting them together to form one full piece
Slowly mending the cracks in your soul and caressing your heart with a warm kiss
I’m feeding you the food you never thought you’d need
You’re healing because of the words I speak
You’re recovering because of these words you read
You’re finding hope in an art you never dared to seek
Because at the end of it all, these little poems are what can best describe how you feel
These words you hear are what makes your heart skip a beat
Or two or three, it’s your heart, you keep count
So you close your eyes and allow me to talk for you
You shed your tears not because my words makes you emotional
But because I’m saying the words you needed to hear
Poetry is all you needed all along
The words you couldn’t say are out here staring at you
Your voice that couldn’t be heard, you’re hearing it loud and clear
Maybe it’s a little raspy or high pitched but
they are filling up the empty dark holes
they’re giving you the warmth in this bloody cold
You’re finally getting the food for your broken soul.
by Admin | Apr 13, 2021 | Events, Scripts
Originally Posted On April 12, 2021, By thatTonguGirl
Right from when I received the warmest embrace into the Ehalakasa Family, I’ve been bathed with memories of their events and escapades. One of such memories was their occasional trips to Haduwa Arts and Culture Institute in Apam, Ghana. Just so you know, Haduwa is a serene haven not only for the family, but also all local, national and international artists. It has become a safe space for artists to connect with nature, create artistic works, improve their spirituality and most importantly rediscover themselves.
Now would you not agree that a memory such as this one can only be lived and not told? Mm hmm…I began to wait patiently for a date to be set for the next trip. Plans were advanced for the trip to happen immediately after our “2019 Environwomental Slum” on Climate Change and Action. But lo and behold 2020 had different plans for us all.
It did not only take from us our freedom to move but also our freedom to converge. Amidst that, I had hope, loads of hope. After all, it was what we were left with. The hope that things would go back to what they used to be. But like you, the wait became exceptionally longer than I had imagined.
And so, our physical world gradually merged with the virtual world. With technology at the centre of it all, we began to develop a transformative mind towards our creative arts. This is our new normal.
Good things, they say, come to those who wait but it’s sweeter when you least expect them.
The timing I would say was right. April 2021…hmm just perfect. I love to travel a lot. But for a long while I have not been able to do so. Well, this Tongu girl just got to plan it well and make it worthwhile. A journey that would be worth reminiscing with a broad smile.
Oops…let us anti-clock to what Ehalakasa is all about.
First of all, it is an acronym composed from three Ghanaian languages – thus Ewe, Ga and Twi. Eha means Song in Ewe. La means Sing in Ga and Kasa means Speak or Talk in Twi. Now that we understand the meaning of the name Ehalakasa, let me tell you what it is.
Ehalakasa is a community of artists with diverse arts. Right from Poets to Writers, Storytellers, Spoken word performers, Acoustic musicians, Choreographers, Painters, and the list goes on. The community’s goal is to awaken, inspire, and challenge artists to utilize the different art forms to advocate and address social, economic, cultural and political issues while projecting the values of Ghana. Their projects and activities comprise but not limited to the Ehalakasa Talkparty, the Ehalakasa Annual Slum and the Ehalakasa Senior High School Workshops.
Well, let me peg it there and bring you back to where we left off.
I had my clothes well pressed and baggage all packed for the Ehalakasa weekend getaway. Like I always do, I never forgot to add to my baggage a locally-made snack called, “Akatsi Kpɔnɔ” a biscuit made from starch by the people of Akatsi – a town in the Volta Region.
The Akatsi Kpɔnɔ
Saturday morning flooded my phone with series of missed calls from fellow Ehalakasaians. At about 8:45am I found myself waiting comfortably in a Mercedes Benz Sprinter minibus set for Takoradi to get full. Little did I know I was going to be the last person to arrive at Atlantic Beach Resort in Mumford.
I know my people never disappoint. At least not when Akambo, Nii Muzick and Faiba Bernard are around. I arrived in a pool of Eha, La and Kasa. But as an adage in my local dialect says,
“Ha dɔme ɖewo sena hafi ha kuna ati wo ke”
which translates, the belly of the pig must be strong in order for it to dig the root of a tree; I made sure I stuffed my belly with a ball of Kenkey and some fried fishes in the company of Bonkua The FanteGirl.
But as nature would have it, we still could not join the welcoming creative train. Hahahahaa…we got all drowsy and weak after the meal. And bed at that moment looked like one sexually attractive being to lay on.
Poof….we thought wrong. All those creative minds alighted from that creative train and bumped into our world before we could dare dream. They cunningly knitted the idea of a quality time at the beach into our stressed brains and got us joining that escapade. One we never regretted when all was said and done.
The beach was empty and very peaceful. The basin of the water compared to that of Accra was very clean. No plastic waste, no human debris, no harm in any form to the Sea. It was really refreshing to have the waves kiss my feet in absolute admiration without a piece of polythene greeting me. Once again, she sparked ablaze the love I almost forgot I had for her. I did not know I missed her that much. This got me writing a few words in memory to the reunion.
Dear Sea,
Words are not enough to narrate that which gets brewed in my bosom whenever your gentle waves rub my invincible hairs wet.
How could I not tell of your coarsely fine bed cushioning the soles of my feet every time I firmly lay them bare?
How could I not tell of the enriching sensation that bubbles up my groin? One that transfuses molten signals of need for your piercing chill and warmth all at the same time.
Sad as it might sound, the sight of you is a constant reminder of my inability to stylishly let go of myself under your rolling sheets.
Till we meet another time, hold on to this memory of us.
Your love,
Adzovi Sika.
Did I get you drenched in the letter? Aww…sorry about that.
Anyway, the quality time promised overflowed with several memories captured in frames. When the curtains finally drew over the Sky’s giant, we had Banku with grounded pepper and fried fish to console our bellies.
But you see, it can never be the last song for Ehalakasaians under a summer hut. Soon, we engaged in a game of cards. A game filled with deceit, doubt, disappointment, truth, confidence, and hope. This we played for several hours and had the best of laughter. One we graciously did in different tones and rhythms.
A caption from Sir Black that read, “In loving and losing memory of Humankind (the artist standing) who carried the night with fame“🤭
But when the drumbeats of sleep sounded, one after the other our feet guided us to our rooms, where the breezy night handed us to a sunny Sunday. Breakfast we had in the spirit of communism.
Although we were unable to visit Haduwa due to our short stay, Sir Black aided in paving way for our artistic selves to blurt out through series of brain games. This actually got me appreciating what we had before Covid-19 made its grand debut on this theatrical stage of life.
Two different teams playing it out on names of living Presidents in the world.
A trip I so longed for came after all. And now that I’ve shared with you the memory, don’t hold back to live it yourself.
Let us keep hoping and living one day at a time.
Xoxo.
