ALEWA: THE REBIRTH OF SPOKEN WORD IN GHANA
Imagine waking up one fine morning only to realise that your tongue is immovable and words that usually adorns it is frozen. Your favourite quote, on that plaque in your room is no more. The words in your favourite novel or book have dissipated. You see your family and friends attempt to tell you something, yet the words don’t appear to roll out. Scary isn’t it?!
One of the most important, unique and distinguishable attributes that makes humans superior to other creatures of her kind-animalia familae- is communication. The power to speak out or about our feelings-dark, genteel, humane, and inspiring- to whoever is ready to listen cannot be under-estimated. And this is achieved through the deliberate assembling of a mere 26 alphabetical characters (5 vowels, 21 consonants) that lie innocently to impart, impact, provoke a thought(s) or series of emotions with the tendency to cause a good feeling or otherwise.
Words are not the only avenue through which communication is carried out. Artist impressions (paintings) convey such voluminous yet subliminal messages than what many spoken words usually do. Paintings by Michelangelo, Picasso, van Gogh and Leonardo Da Vinci do not fetch such huge sums at auction or attract overwhelming followership simply because of how exotic the motifs look (vain or elegant) or the artist’s talent but the underlying message these paintings convey.
If you doubt, check out how much Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” fetched at auction: a jaw breaking $120 million! Who said we are in recession.
In the art of communication, brevity is utmost. Scientists and psychologists remind us that the human mind begins to lose its power of concentration after 3 hours. In the same vein, long, unwinding, superfluous, incredulous words are debilitative to the human body, mind and soul. Joel Osteen is famed for his 28-and- half minutes succinct preaching.
Speak of brevity and what comes to mind is poetry. Poetry has gained such notoriety for her ability to use few words to drum home a message-often bigger, mightier, heavier than her slender shoulders could carry. Great speakers or leaders have often used her as a conduit to express themselves at one time or another.
So imagine young, intellectually aggressive and artistic men and women who have honed this skill of brevity (poetry, spoken word) converging under one roof to vent out their dreams, aspirations, frustrations, hopes, experiences, challenges to whoever will or will not listen. That is all that ALEWA stands for.
ALEWA is a platform that offers persons who appreciate and celebrate creativity the opportunity flaunt their ‘’swag’’ in the literally world of poetry/spoken world. Art lovers, Entertainers and word markers will be on stage once again to mesmerize audience with their creativity.
This year’s ALEWA, dubbed “ALEWA4PEACE” will pin the spotlight on the need for a peaceful election this December.
The protagonists on the bill are as multi-coloured (in terms of artistic diversity) as the Alewa of old (Alewa was a multi-coloured mint-flavoured candy/toffee, usually in black and white stripes that was popular in the early 80s and mid 90s).
C-Real, a rapper/MC/Spoken Word artiste famed to have used his mother’s umbilical cord as a microphone during his foetal years will wax lyrical anecdotes- spoken word-whiles Empi Baryeh, author of two novels “Chancing Faith” and “The Most Eligible Bachelor” will indulge audience to a book reading session.
Other acts on the night will include Chief Moomen, Kwame Write, Namojie Obese, O’Zionn, Poetra Asantewa, Chrystal Tetteh, Laud Da Poet, Shark-Mellon, Mamacita, Mutombo, Maame Danfo amongst other notable voices.
The action is on this Saturday, May 12th 2012 at Sytris Bookshop & Café (inside Mark Coffie Building), Osu at 18:00 GMT.
ALEWA promises to keep audience finger crossed and mouth agape all the time.
Come experience an EXPERIENCE that only the eyes and mind can speak about. The mouth well…it may try.