Who am I?
I’m a girl full of rage. Calm doesn’t know me so I spit words with rage yet quite unpredictable. Words found me so I embodied the waters of words and experiences. I’ve lost everything to this Arts so there’s nothing to lose anymore. I’m a Goddess and a master of my pieces
Ehalakasa National Poetry Slam Championship 2022
SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, Accra Mall
FRIDAY 30, DECEMBER 2022
7:30 PM
What has Poetry Slam got to do with us? Is there a reason for us to care about the World Poetry Slam Championships, the Africa Cup of Poetry Slam, the West Africa Slam Competition and the freshly initiated Ehalakasa National Slam Championship? What are the answers to these time-bound questions and who among us will do us the honors in providing answers? Do these poetry slams have what it takes to raise the red, gold and green from below the flagpole to the place of glory and honor? Do we have what it takes to search, uncover, develop, empower, promote and sustain a slam subculture in Ghana?
Does slam have the capacity to reach the level of National Math and Science Quiz (NSMQ)? Can poetry slam generate the same kind of anticipation; bring traffic to the media, corporations, stakeholders and the general public, when the season is birthed? Can poetry slam feed the slammer? Will poetry slam be able to take the slammer on a trip for tournament? The hard but honest answer to all these weighty questions are yes, yes and yes it can. Three yeses, to three round, within three-minute of poets-tree at a poetry slam is all it takes to start the word war revolution in Ghana.
Poetry Slam is a revolutionary movement, competitive poetry performances, a kind of groundbreaking space and a catalyst for change across generations. Slam is the only space mandated with the privilege to allow even the blind to see the “ice” in the “voice” of the voiceless. Slam is taking over that which has longed to be over taking by light and or by sight. Slam is the answer to the question no one was willing to ask. So here, is the question, why not slam now?
Without paths and roads there are no use for maps and navigators. Without map and navigation, one cannot go out in search for the world and new grounds. This is the challenge to go see the world, this is the season to break new grounds, this is the time to slam and be slammed at the Ehalakasa National Poetry Slam 2022. The search for a national slam champ to represent Ghana at the next Africa Cup of Poetry Slam and the World Poetry Slam Championship in Brazil 2023 is here. After three (3) different power-packed slam preliminaries in June, August and October, the stage is set for the grand slam Friday December 30, 2022 at the Silverbird Cinemas inside the Accra Mall. The night we have all been waiting for, the night to witness the lyrical bout that will determine who leads Ghana to the world in words, rhyme, sound, light, color and power. The nine (9) finalists slamming on the night include Afi, Nura, Baby Poet, Faiba, Chessed, Wiseborn, Briana, Jewell King-Speaks and Nana Kuffour. Let the battle begin.
SLAM RULES
The slam is a three (3) round healthy competitive performance where poets perform their originally written spoken word pieces before a live audience to be judged by five (5) randomly selected audience members as judges on the scale of one to ten (1 – 10).
For this particular slam, two (2) professionals with good knowledge about poetry slam will be invited to assist in judging.
After each performance, slam master will drop one (1) high score and one (1) low score then add up the three (3) scores in between to make up the total score for the performance. This will make 30 the highest score.
Each piece or performance must be within 3 minutes. Slammer has a 10 seconds grace period after which one (1) point will be deducted from slammers total score.
No props are allowed (no music, no costume, no use of any object apart from your body)
30 seconds singing allowed but no instrumentals
We are so excited to see you all at the Silverbird Cinemas, Accra Mall on Friday December 30, 2022.
Ehalakasa, It lives in us!
Who will represent us at FESPACO?
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 to host SlamXL #3.
October 28, 2022
7:00 PM
Goethe-Institute
Free Entry
Don’t miss out!
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
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