A Platform for Ethnically and Culturally Inspired Music
It gives me pleasure to invite you to WordUP Sessions at Weed Lovers Market Marshalltown Johannesburg on Friday 28 June 2024.
The line up is on some serious festival curation level that you wouldn't want to miss.
Featuring Mak Manaka, Makhafula Vilakazi and Vus'umuzi Phakathi the sessions is a celebration of poetry records and the poets creating the records.
For years, spoken word artists have extended the generous hand of the word to forms beyond music and its glorious genres. Centuries before recording became a thing, the griots of West Africa and the Nguni Praise singers (Izimbongi) were bards who used songs, acting and dance moves to make their poems richer and more palatable - in the instance of bad news.
When the recording industry took off, poetry became a prominent feature in genres like Jazz, Soul, Rhythm and Blues. The revolution will not be televised by poet and musician Gil Scott Heron has been remix and remade into countless Hip Hip songs. Which also says a lot about the relationship poetry has with the genre. It is Rythm and Poetry after all. Groups like The Last Poets made an impact in the recording industry with their percussion assisted recitals and which also gave voice to marginalized African American communities. It is said that the group got its name from a poem by South African poet Keorapetse Kgositsile, who is also the father of Earl Sweatshirt - an amazing African American rapper.
The South African music industry also made room for the poetry with poets like Mzwakhe Mbuli even becoming household names. Magnificent poets like Lesego Rampolokeng continue recording and releasing poetry to Jazz music, organic music and Hip Hop.
I too, have released 3 poetry albums to date and they are available here https://sabelosoko.bandcamp.com/ thank you for your support. Other poets who are releasing records today include the brilliant Modise Sekgothe who is showcasing at the national arts festival this June.
Besides the select spaces, like the festival, the records that poets put out seldom reach the general audience because there is no plug making sure that the general public is aware of latest releases. Traditionally music has DJs who stay ahead of the culture and are trusted taste makers. WordUP Sessions seeks to do exactly that with poetry records.
So please join us this Friday 28 June from 7pm at the Weed Lovers Market Marshalltown, the joint with the best chef in the city.
The line up
