It’s a true gift to be able to weave words together—in a way that stirs the soul, that encapsulates the meaning of life, that serves as a transmitter of love and truth, that evokes and provokes. Poetry, music, and artful expressions bring us out of our cerebral world of thought, and into our heart–the source of raw feeling and emotion. Poetry and music work upon us in a magical alchemy, opening new doors within.
This Saturday August 19th @ 730pm we are fortunate to have two supremely talented Spoken Word Artists and one Musician – grace the Studio96 stage. They will share a riveting performance called “ALCHEMY: A Night of Poetry & Classical Music.” This will be an evening that celebrates the power, humanity, and passion of spoken word poetry. The event is open to everyone. Tickets are only $15, or pay what you can (no one will be excluded for lack of funds). Purchase your tickets here: www.eventbrite.ca/e/alchemy-a-night-of-poetry-and-classical-music-tickets-35857746485
One of the evening’s Presenters, Titilope Sonuga is an Award-winning Poet, Writer and Performer who has graced stages across Nigeria and internationally. She was the winner of the 2011 Canadian Authors’ Association Emerging Writer Award for her first collection of poems, Down To Earth.
In this TedX talk, Titilope shares her background and her glorious spoken word medicine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbmO_iZi3bQ&feature=share
Brandon Wint is a Poet, Spoken Word Artist and Teacher who is devoted to the articulation of the beauty within the human condition. His intricately-rendered performance pieces present a passionate, sincere and whimsical version of humanity. His writing, performance, and pedagogical approach all affirm, in their different ways, that there is beauty to be found in the struggle, and solace to be found in sincerity-of-spirit. He is a two-time national champion slam poet, a nationally published writer, as well as arts-educator and curator of artistic events.
The spoken word will be intermingled with music from Rebecca Parsons, a passionate advocate of accessibility in classical music. She works to present the music she loves in a way that demonstrates relevance and importance to both students and listeners.
We had the opportunity to ask Brandon some questions about his poetic expressions. His replies were rich and inspiring:
Q: What are some of the common themes found in your poetry?
A: My poetry endeavours to reflect my pursuit of love and honesty in the world. In writing, that can look and sound many different ways. However, I would say that themes of LOVE, in a universal sense, are common to many of my poems. For my sake and for the sake of the reader or listener, my goal in my poetry is to represent honestly represent my spiritual, emotional, social and intellectual position(s) in the world. In my understanding, it is impossible to tell the complete truth without implicating love somehow in my words. Therefore, many of my poems have a quality of loveliness about them.
The act of writing poetry is also a way of reckoning with my desires, my moments of loneliness, and generally, my enduring desire for connection, intimacy and authenticity.
Q: What inspires you to write?
A: I write as a way of creating a place for myself in the world. I write in order to assess and express my understanding of life. I write poems in order to express what I see as the intersections between Divine truth and human truth. I write because I am inclined towards beauty, and poetry-writing helps me refine the lens through which I receive the beauty of the world. I write to generate intimacy, to create conversation with myself, and I perform to express my authentic personal power, my joy, and my desire to love.
Q: In your eyes, what is the meaning and value of art & poetry?
A: Poetry, like all forms of artistry, has the function of reminding people about the depth. vulnerability, sensitivity and strength that is possible within the human condition. Poetry exists as a way to share (and therefore deepen) our understanding of the human condition. The role of poetry is to make the nuanced beauty/complexity/rigour of humanity inescapable for the listener or reader. Poetry, therefore, broadens the reach and impact of empathy. Poetry exercises the empathy of its readers and listeners. A poet who writes with deep empathy serves their reader in this way.
Q: What can people expect from “Alchemy” on Saturday?
A: People can expect generosity. I think what myself, Titilope and Rebecca each have in common as human beings and artists is empathy and generosity-of-spirit. Each of us understands that our roles as artists is mostly to serve the spiritual virtue and strength within the people who receive the art. In this way, I think people can expect to feel held, considered, accounted for, through our acts of performance. People can expect to receive poetry that is meaningfully grounded in humanity. People can expect to be moved inside their hearts. I believe people will feel well taken care of. The space will be overwhelmingly generous and very human.
Join us this Saturday at Studio96 @ 730pm, for this inspiring outpouring of generosity-of-spirit from these talented artists.
Great interview questions!
Barbara