I shook your hand at the end of last night's Brave New Voices 2008 performance, you looked a little shook, following the incredible beyond words performance of the 5 teams and 50 youth from Hawaii, New York City, Rochester NY, Philly, and Chicago. Maybe it was the fact that the youth explored deep personal and social issues with skill and passion, or maybe it was the fact that they refused to fall within the constraints of made for tv drama as they stood in solidarity refusing to separate their "one team" into many for the cameras. See, the poems were a cry for change, for recognition, for understanding and then Sonia Sanchez gave the call to "resist". We all heard her, many of us said the words three times with her and then she said, "now do it." The crowd sat, yet the poets hearing the charge brought it to life, by standing as one unified group, strong brave and newly minted revolutionaries whose art born friendship was more valuable than a photo op.
It all started with the 2007 champion, Philadelphia. mounting the stage and proclaiming that they had gotten caught up in the hype of cameras and competition and felt it's toll as the team forgot the meaning of poetry and began to succumb to the seduction of scores and victories. Team Philly disqualified themselves so that they could spit the verses they wanted to with no concern for judging. The poems they went on to share were social justice themes recalling the fallen like Sean Bell and the neglected like the desperate housewives stuck in a loop of subservience and dreams deferred. They reminded us that the revolution may be televised, inadvertently. The energy with which the show started carried on through everyone's expression. each piece a monument to pure hearts, clear minds and brave voices answering the call to speak truth to power.
Mr. Lathan, the power of poetry may be commodified for HBO. Adults, so eager to make it after struggling in the dark recesses of poetry spots for so long, may compromise for the sake of shows, yet Def Poetry Jam proclaims no winners. Each artist says their piece and moves on. Yet, here the youth voices of truth were being asked to lie as though they were really in a competition, when in reality your bringing them together along with the various spoken word organizations involved in this event, created a family of 500 teens with the energy and fire to ignite the globe. The spirit of unity in the face of seeming opportunity, young people recognizing that the team created by all of their voices held more value than their city team of ten, is an example to us all of what it will take to change our present reality of social neglect, the arrogance of unlimited access to the spoils of war and the lethargy caused by cynicism and cowardice.
The Brave New Voices 2008 blasted through everyone's expectations and in the end we all participated in and witnessed in the coming of age of a generation of truth spitters, uncompromising, bright as the sun and potent with purpose. Stan, I'm glad they resisted the efforts to orchestrate their celebration, I'm glad they stood in solidarity, I'm glad they forewent the formalities of individual recognition and award and instead stood as a family united in their pain, their conflict and their ultimate victory. In the future, recognize that competitions are created by systems to create categories which celebrate narrow quantifiable qualities deemed worth merit. Art is not made for such dog and pony show stylings.
Art belongs to the people. It must be shared, honored, even revered and treated as the delicate flower it is, one of the final untainted pieces of expression in this world of "do what you have to, to gain what you want to". Please don't cajole, convince, plead or demand the collusion of these Brave New Voices in your attempts to wrap a neat bow around the raw energy of revolutionary sentiments sent through sentients. Allow the Brave New Voices of 2009 and beyond to share their art, celebrate one another and shock the world again without the interference of commercial interests. As we witnessed on July 19, 2008, the corporation may sponsor the event, but the youth will control it. Viva la revolucion --A luta continua!!
This was my fifth Brave New Voices. I slammed for the first time for Youth Speaks when I was 16 years old in San Francisco in 2003. That year Brave New Voices was held in Chicago and the top six Bay Area poets made the team. I finished seventh and did not attend. I never expected to even make finals that first year and the idea that I even came within a breath of making it was unreal to me. It is with excitement that I hope to make it to Chicago next year and experience part of what I imagine my friends from SF did back in 2003.
Here is one favorite moment from my past Brave New Voices:
2004, Los Angeles (SF Team member) Saul Williams is the Emcee. For the final poem of the evening, Ypsilanti DQ's themselves by having a cypher right on stage. The hook: "it ain't all about the competition." Saul is moved to tears and performs "amethyst rocks" with all the BNV poets reciting the words with him on stage.
2005, San Francisco (SF Team member) Being at home and performing for my friends in the audience was a great experience. Chico destroyed shit that year, and New York had one of the most amazing performances, one of their poets getting carried right off the stage.
2006, New York City (SF Team member) Finals at the Apollo was absolutely ridiculous. Nothing against any other amazing team that performed, but Providence ruled the night. Their poise, writing and performance was unmatched.
2007, San Jose (SF coach) Getting to stand with John Carlos and Tommie Smith at the statue commemorating their stand at the 1968 Summer Olympics was an amazingly powerful moment. The movers of the past and present standing with the movers of the present and future. The finals was all ridiculous. Josh Bennett and Ben Alisuag's duet for Philly was phenomenal.
2008, Washington DC (Boston coach) Too much to say! I've got to say, my favorite event of the whole festival was the protest on the lawn of the white house and the march across the street. Seeing everyone with signs representing their city coming together to make the statement that the young people of this world will not be marginalized was wonderful. Props to the organizers!
2 comments:
Stan,
I shook your hand at the end of last night's Brave New Voices 2008 performance, you looked a little shook, following the incredible beyond words performance of the 5 teams and 50 youth from Hawaii, New York City, Rochester NY, Philly, and Chicago. Maybe it was the fact that the youth explored deep personal and social issues with skill and passion, or maybe it was the fact that they refused to fall within the constraints of made for tv drama as they stood in solidarity refusing to separate their "one team" into many for the cameras. See, the poems were a cry for change, for recognition, for understanding and then Sonia Sanchez gave the call to "resist". We all heard her, many of us said the words three times with her and then she said, "now do it." The crowd sat, yet the poets hearing the charge brought it to life, by standing as one unified group, strong brave and newly minted revolutionaries whose art born friendship was more valuable than a photo op.
It all started with the 2007 champion, Philadelphia. mounting the stage and proclaiming that they had gotten caught up in the hype of cameras and competition and felt it's toll as the team forgot the meaning of poetry and began to succumb to the seduction of scores and victories. Team Philly disqualified themselves so that they could spit the verses they wanted to with no concern for judging. The poems they went on to share were social justice themes recalling the fallen like Sean Bell and the neglected like the desperate housewives stuck in a loop of subservience and dreams deferred. They reminded us that the revolution may be televised, inadvertently. The energy with which the show started carried on through everyone's expression. each piece a monument to pure hearts, clear minds and brave voices answering the call to speak truth to power.
Mr. Lathan, the power of poetry may be commodified for HBO. Adults, so eager to make it after struggling in the dark recesses of poetry spots for so long, may compromise for the sake of shows, yet Def Poetry Jam proclaims no winners. Each artist says their piece and moves on. Yet, here the youth voices of truth were being asked to lie as though they were really in a competition, when in reality your bringing them together along with the various spoken word organizations involved in this event, created a family of 500 teens with the energy and fire to ignite the globe. The spirit of unity in the face of seeming opportunity, young people recognizing that the team created by all of their voices held more value than their city team of ten, is an example to us all of what it will take to change our present reality of social neglect, the arrogance of unlimited access to the spoils of war and the lethargy caused by cynicism and cowardice.
The Brave New Voices 2008 blasted through everyone's expectations and in the end we all participated in and witnessed in the coming of age of a generation of truth spitters, uncompromising, bright as the sun and potent with purpose. Stan, I'm glad they resisted the efforts to orchestrate their celebration, I'm glad they stood in solidarity, I'm glad they forewent the formalities of individual recognition and award and instead stood as a family united in their pain, their conflict and their ultimate victory. In the future, recognize that competitions are created by systems to create categories which celebrate narrow quantifiable qualities deemed worth merit. Art is not made for such dog and pony show stylings.
Art belongs to the people. It must be shared, honored, even revered and treated as the delicate flower it is, one of the final untainted pieces of expression in this world of "do what you have to, to gain what you want to". Please don't cajole, convince, plead or demand the collusion of these Brave New Voices in your attempts to wrap a neat bow around the raw energy of revolutionary sentiments sent through sentients. Allow the Brave New Voices of 2009 and beyond to share their art, celebrate one another and shock the world again without the interference of commercial interests. As we witnessed on July 19, 2008, the corporation may sponsor the event, but the youth will control it. Viva la revolucion --A luta continua!!
In Unity There's Strength,
zaccai free
This was my fifth Brave New Voices. I slammed for the first time for Youth Speaks when I was 16 years old in San Francisco in 2003. That year Brave New Voices was held in Chicago and the top six Bay Area poets made the team. I finished seventh and did not attend. I never expected to even make finals that first year and the idea that I even came within a breath of making it was unreal to me. It is with excitement that I hope to make it to Chicago next year and experience part of what I imagine my friends from SF did back in 2003.
Here is one favorite moment from my past Brave New Voices:
2004, Los Angeles (SF Team member)
Saul Williams is the Emcee. For the final poem of the evening, Ypsilanti DQ's themselves by having a cypher right on stage. The hook: "it ain't all about the competition." Saul is moved to tears and performs "amethyst rocks" with all the BNV poets reciting the words with him on stage.
2005, San Francisco (SF Team member)
Being at home and performing for my friends in the audience was a great experience. Chico destroyed shit that year, and New York had one of the most amazing performances, one of their poets getting carried right off the stage.
2006, New York City (SF Team member)
Finals at the Apollo was absolutely ridiculous. Nothing against any other amazing team that performed, but Providence ruled the night. Their poise, writing and performance was unmatched.
2007, San Jose (SF coach)
Getting to stand with John Carlos and Tommie Smith at the statue commemorating their stand at the 1968 Summer Olympics was an amazingly powerful moment. The movers of the past and present standing with the movers of the present and future. The finals was all ridiculous. Josh Bennett and Ben Alisuag's duet for Philly was phenomenal.
2008, Washington DC (Boston coach)
Too much to say! I've got to say, my favorite event of the whole festival was the protest on the lawn of the white house and the march across the street. Seeing everyone with signs representing their city coming together to make the statement that the young people of this world will not be marginalized was wonderful. Props to the organizers!
Can't wait till Chicago next year!
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