By Babu Malenga
Published March 5, 2023
The last of two creative workshop series aimed at empowering the youth in the arts sector came to an end in Kikuyu on the outskirts of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, on February 24, 2023.
The workshops dubbed Kreative Klinik and under the Youth Empowerment Programme of the Poets Society of Kenya, focused on Writing and Performing and the Business of Art.
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Our chairman’s Business model from the very inception of the Poets Society of Kenya was how we can monetise this poetry to our benefit. How do we create a Niche for ourselves and how do we change the existing framework and network of how Poets manoeuvre in Kenya?
So last Friday was a success, with the highest number of attendance since the first workshop. That was a win for us all! I would love to recognise: Wycliffe(Lecturer, Technical University of Kenya- Department of Music and arts) Fred Mbogo (Lecturer, Technical University of Kenya- Department of Music and Arts/Theatre) Peshi Poet, Wycliffe, Cynthia, Musyoki Mutua, Kulture Queen, Cà Baru, Mojih Morgan, Wamaitha, Njoroman, Naserian and Keith Babu, a total of thirteen people!
The workshop was facilitated by Njoro, he had a set of Six questions that were aimed at sparking the conversation about what Afrikan Poetry is. Just to mention however, we learnt from each other after a series of idea battling and re-battling- need not mention, how the whole conversation from the beginning to the end was as if in a two majority divide- that this theme we chose should necessarily not been ‘Afrikan Poetry’ because again, what does it mean to be an Afrikan poet?
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And even before that discussion, at the flour of the divide, one group seemed to argue that one does not need necessarily to use words to become a poet. Also pointing out that many forms of artistry have a poetic aspect to them is an example of a Musician being a poet, or a Mason(builder) being a poet, or an architect being a poet, or a sculptor or a painter.
This group brought to the table the fundamental need to view Poetry from different lenses. One Cynthia Chebet mentioned the existence of an art group ‘Dada Poets’ that engaged in poetry which involves sensical sounds, rather than using the proverbial spoken word format.
On the contrary, the other side of the divide seemed to disagree with this point of view. Statements like ” I believe Poetry is an art by itself and it would be unfair to bring in other people who might not understand my process into my craft”
They argued that first need to mention, for Poetry to be what it is, the tradition and academic definitions had to stand. Poetry uses words in writing and saying, which now is ‘spoken word Poetry’ Words are the backbone of Poetry.
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One Cà Baru expressed that Afrikan Poetry is written by an Afrikan mind, not a whitewashed mind( A black skin with white thoughts)
One Wamaitha expressed that despite the differences in point of view, Afrikan Poetry at the end of the day should aim at bringing people together in the community.
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Needless to say, the whole meaning of Afrikan Poetry was redefined in this conversation. In another question, Njoroman called upon us to find the relevance of Poetry today. The question had a particular aspect of “Time” to it but, the interpretation was really of the relevance of Poetry today. Now. Is it separate from our lives? Our daily business? In school, at church? At home. One Kulture Queen mentioned a traditional activity that has stayed and is still relevant essentially for storytelling in the Nandi Community- Tangooch. It takes place in very few households today.
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Towards the end of the workshop, we had an open mic and an interactive session as we completed the three-week series.
Babu Malenga is Secretary General of Poets Society of Kenya.