Photo: Vanessa Chisakula.
Vanessa Chisakula of Zambia wrote her first spoken word poem in her early 20s and “didn’t want to stop.”
It’s a universal human need: to have people listen to you, to be heard. How often do you find yourself talking to someone who is only waiting for you to pause so they can say their own thing? Well, that’s not being heard.
Recently in Africa, young people are finding that poetry events can be an outlet where other people are really trying to listen. It feels good.
Sarah Johns has written at the Guardian about poetry slams in Zambia.
“After giving birth, Vanessa Chisakula started writing poetry as a way of processing the changes and struggles she was experiencing as a new mother. ‘I was in my early 20s. I had just become a mum and didn’t understand it,’ she says. …
“Chisakula wanted to share her stories. She was inspired to do spoken-word poetry – a genre written to be read out loud and performed – when she heard I Will Wait For You by Janette…ikz, an American spoken-word poet.
“Now, she is spearheading efforts to expand the spoken-word scene in Zambia, where she is from. In 2017, she co-founded Word Smash Poetry, a movement for young creative activists across southern Africa. In her own award-winning work, she uses poetry as a tool for activism, focusing on issues including women’s rights, youth, African identity and mental health. …
” ‘Art is a form of protest that leaves no blood. It can be peacefully done but a strong message can be communicated artistically. … Poetry is just so beautiful,’ she says. ‘It can be a short but inspiring piece; it leaves you thinking and wanting more. I didn’t want to stop.’
“One of her first poems, ‘Her Place,’ was an examination of womanhood. She explains: ‘I wanted to tell my truth. What exactly is womanhood?’ … In 2020, Chisakula released a short collection of poems, Africana, written to embrace her identity as a black African.
“ ‘I always wanted to relocate to the US when I was young,’ she says. ‘I thought the American dream was the dream. There’s no African dream.’ She no longer believes this; now she wants to celebrate her home continent. …
“Over the past five years, Chisakula has seen the spoken-word scene grow in popularity in her home country. It is already well established across southern Africa, she says. From September to December there are poetry festivals ‘nonstop’ across countries including South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia. In 2022, the winner of the World Poetry Slam, held in Brussels, was Xabiso Vili from South Africa.
“This year, the competition will be held in Togo. … ‘There’s a poet on every corner now,’ she says. ‘Back then, it was a bit uncommon; now people are doing it on a larger scale. I see poets at almost every event.’
“Male poets still outnumber female poets, however. Chisakula believes women struggle to get a foothold in the arts in Zambia. … Last month, the Word Smash Poetry movement hosted its second all-female national poetry slam in Lusaka, which took place during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence, an annual international campaign that kicks off in late November.
“There were 12 performers in total; four had returned after performing last year and there were eight new faces, which was a huge achievement, according to Chisakula.”
More at the Guardian, here.
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