If you thought your poems will never see the light of the day, get over it. Tonight's poetry slam will have you grabbing the mic, cheers and boos be damned
If you thought your poems will never see the light of the day, get over it. Tonight's poetry slam will have you grabbing the mic, cheers and boos be damned
You may, in all probability, not understand a word of what Babloo Boy is going to say on the dais tonight. Butu00a0 that shouldn't stop you from cheering for the copywriter by day, as he turns into a French rapper at night, as part of the Poetry Slam event at Cafe Goa this evening.
Aniruddha Barde, alias Babloo Boy, is just one of the many who will take the stage at the event organised by Alliance Franu00e7aise de Bombay in collaboration with the Bombay Elektrik Projekt, which is aimed at giving a platform to amateur poets who want to display their skills in front of a live audience that cheers more than it judges. And if you are the sort who always strings your thoughts into words but has no one to share them with, here's a chance to bask in your five minutes of fame.
"We want to showcase the lighter side of poetry," says Sudeip Nair, co-founder, Bombay Elektrik Projekt.
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Watch Babloo Boy rap a song and slam a poetry in French tonight. PIC/Datta Kumbhar |
"Reciting a poem is conventional and boring and so, most of us perform our poetry." This can include weaving it into a song, using animated hand gestures or props, even have a musical instrument as an accompaniment or rapping it out, as in the case of Babloo. The only rule? It has to be an original piece of poetry. From Peanut Butter Sandwich to 26/11, the choice of topics is entirely your call.
Because the point of the evening is to break boundaries, the slam is accompanied with the screening of a French film Slam, Ce Qui Nous Bru00fble (Words Are Burning Us). Breaking perceptions of the French society being associated with highbrows like Victor Hugo and Moliu00e8re, the film highlights the spoken-word phenomenon that is sweeping over France. The documentary transports you to French cafu00e9s and show halls where passionate groups assemble to perform light-hearted and often socially-conscious texts. Pascal Tessaud's film also chronicles the birth of this art form and the artistic influences behind four popular slam poets.
So when the lights go up after the screening, it won't matter whether you are a newbie or a seasoned slammer; the open mic will welcome all and the audience will only be too willing to crack up and woohoo. "It is daunting to perform your poetry in front of a live audience. But we make sure we get your cherry popped by putting you on stage and cheering you on. Just try to ensure your poetry doesn't rob the room of its humour, and is still hard-hitting," advises Sushil Verghese, a regular at BEP's slam nights. "It's a nice way to end those dreaded Mondays."
At: Cafu00e9 Goa, Agnelo Building, Khadeshwari Mandir Marg, off St John Baptist Road, Bandra (W).
From: 9 pm onwards. To watch, walk in. You can register for your slot at the venue.
