The Artist Known As Saul Williams

Saul Williams. His influence as a poet permeated the Joburg scene following the release of the film Slam. Many a young poet found voice out of his unwavering desire to share his voice. The power of his words force you to listen and his willingness to draw influence without boundary, speaking truth to power with a confidence that many of us wish we had. I listened to his first album Amethyst Rock Star repeatedly for a year and always found something new in the spaces between the words. And when I listen to it today, it still, at times violently, grabs at my beliefs and forces me to reflect on...

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Return Of The King: Tumi Molekane

The Poet MC The first time I heard Tumi Molekane was probably at Jungle Connection in Doornfontein, Johannesburg, circa 1999/2000, doing poetry. As he explored the various aspects of his creativity both as part of Tumi And The Volume and then as a solo artist, I watched and listened from the sidelines, enjoying the various creations and, occasionally sharing my thoughts: Tumi Traverses Whole Worlds. I have always felt that Tumi occupies a particular space in the South African (and global) musical landscape that is beyond the hype, the ‘turn-up’, the trivial wordplay that says nothing...

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Performance Poetry vs Spoken Word

In response to my post inviting requests for blog posts on specific topics, I was asked to share my thoughts on ‘performance poetry vs spoken word’. It has been a while since I was involved in the poetry scene and, therefore, I’m out of touch with what the trends, thoughts, etc. that currently exist within the scene. Having gone from regularly writing, performing, promoting and hosting shows, and doing a lot of poetry in corporate spaces, I’ve been on an indefinite sabbatical/ retirement, so my views might be out-dated and/or out of sync with those who are driving the word forward. I...

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