Kenyanpoet

• It will be Baaba Maal not Yossou for Sawa Sawa Festival

  Posted: May 20, 2008, 7:05 pm by N.W

  Thanks to Buddah Blaze of WAPI, I got to learn that Yossou had expressed regrets in performing during the Sawa Sawa festival scheduled to happen at the end of the month(check previous post).
  
  It can now be confirmed that Senegalese Maestro Baaba Maal is the next big attraction during this year's Celtel Sawa Sawa Festival brought to you by Sarakasi Trust and the Netherlands Embassy.
  
  Baaba Maal will be headlining the Saturday May 31st performances slated for the Nairobi Arboretum from noon till 6pm.
  
  WAPI will also grace the Arboretum venue with 'Sawa Mtaani', aimed at showcasing underground performing and fine artists as well as an open mic session.Ghetto Radio will also be present.
  
  About Baaba Maal
  

  Baaba Maal is a Senegalese singer and guitarist born in Podor, on the Senegal River. In addition to acoustic guitar, he also plays percussion. He has released several albums, both for independent and major labels. In July 2003, he was made a UNDP Youth Emissary.

  Born 12 November 1953. Since his father was a fisherman, Baaba Maal was expected to become a fisherman as well. However, under the influence of his lifelong friend Mansour Seck, Baaba Maal devoted himself to learning music from his mother and his school's headmaster. He went on to study music at the university in Dakar before leaving for postgraduate studies on a scholarship at Beaux-Arts in Paris. He has become quite famous in Africa and is also the most internationally famous musician from Senegal, with the possible exception of Yossou N'Dour.

  Baaba sings primarily in Pulaar and is the foremost promoter of the traditions of the Pulaar-speaking peoples who live on either side of the Senegal River in the ancient Senegalese kingdom of Futa Tooro.

  On 7 July, 2007 Maal performed at the South African leg of Live Earth.

  “It strengthens my determination to work harder to contribute more to improving the living conditions of disadvantaged people of the African continent, especially young people, whose future is seriously threatened by illiteracy, poverty and HIV/AIDS. When I am talking about Africa, it is about how Africa will grow into the new millennium.” Baaba Maal

  “As to the pure mind all things are pure, so to the poetic mind all things are poetical”

• What is Spoken Word Poetry and Is There A Future For this Subgenre

  Posted: May 20, 2008, 6:36 pm by N.W

  What is Spoken Word? Is it really hip hop??? One thing that’s certain is that more and more hip hop fans are allowing Spoken Word into their cribs. Does Spoken Word have what it takes to make it mainstream?

  Poetry slam; ideas of dimly lit cafes, mahogany tables, free spirited individuals of all colors, dreadlocked hair humbly standing on a stage in front of others like them, speaking of oppression, struggle, history, and truth - Not exactly the image that record labels try to market within the rap and hip hop genre, huh? But despite not being the most known sect of hip hop, spoken word continues to push forward through the waves of marketable mainstream music and make its’ presence felt within the worldwide urban community.

  Now, before we can hop into the “locks” of spoken word, we need to travel right to the roots and explore the core of the art, and the long history which surrounds spoken word poetry. The true essence of music isn’t built on the instrumentals, or flashy marketable stereotypes, and infectious hooks; instead the essence of music finds its’ roots right within the words, and in order to take an actual look into the heart of music we have to look past the catchy beats, and “blinged” filled videos, and peer right into the words that the artist speaks… hence, spoken word.
  
  Simply seeing the term, “spoken word”, images of a lone man or woman on stage with nothing but a microphone, and a voice box to produce rhythm come to mind, allowing us to relive a moment in time, or experience an emotion; that essentially is the definition of Spoken Word poetry, the act of reading a literary work or poem out loud. However, we have to keep in mind that Spoken Word poets do not necessarily follow the conventional “guidelines” of poetry (remember trying to count syllables and stanzas in the back of your grade 11 English class during the poetry unit?).
  
  Guidelines don’t exist within Spoken Word, instead a different approach is taken, which offers a more free flowing, and open ended style of poetry where there are no real limitations, and a poet is essentially able to do what they please. In fact, Spoken Word extends itself into all different artistic styles, ranging from the recitals and performances of poetic works by Shakespeare and further manifesting itself into hip hop music, all through the use of rhythm and words.
  
  As far as looking at where it all started, there really isn’t a specific time, or group that opened up the world of Spoken Word, but it can be said that it’s most basic form has existed for centuries, ever since mankind learned how to communicate with those vocal chords (Rahzel would have had his own shrine back then).
  But, we can still attribute the creation of Spoken Word back to times of ancient chants, and tribal story telling that have swayed generations, which really is the epitome and true primal nature of Spoken Word, the act of communicating with others through words. Read more from DropMagazine
  

  “As to the pure mind all things are pure, so to the poetic mind all things are poetical”

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Fish cakes

Alas a fish cake.

Yet more fish cakes

Guess what ... yeah ... fish cakes.

The end of the fish cakes