Blantyre hosts spoken word session on Friday
If you love poetry and you are in Blantyre, Blue Diamond is the place to be this Friday evening because the country’s renowned poets, Linda Gabriel and Nyamalikiti Nthiwatiwa will be hosting a spoken word session.
Dubbed ‘Bluntfyre Spoken Word Session’, the event is scheduled to start at 6pm.
Gabriel, also known as ‘Poetic Angel’, told Nyasa Timesthe event follows an impressive response the poets received during the Hivos Poetry Café in last month’s Blantyre Arts Festival (BAF).
“The two shows we had at Old Mutual Auditorium during the poetry cafe proved that Malawians are ready to embrace spoken word poetry,” she said.
“They have been demanding more shows and we’re responding to that call,” added the poet as she disclosed they will be making the event a monthly show due to demand of poetry from the people.
“They have to come to enjoy themselves, interact and be enlightened. Poetry is meant to be enjoyed,” she said.
According to the Poetic Angel, there will also be an open microphone slot that will be featuring other faces, among others Lilongwe-based poets Andrew Kamwambi and Andekuche Chanthunya.
In a separate interview, Nyamalikiti Nthiwatiwa (real name Chisomo Mdalla) said it was pleasing to note that spoken word and poetry in the many of its performance forms is steadily gaining visibility in the country.
“The movement is not stopping [and] to sustain it, the artists need to interact with their audience as much as it (audience) demands.
“They should expect a night of intellectual fun, actually the best expectation is to have none at all,” he said.
