ALEWA V REVIEW- VERBAL INTERCOURSE

Imagine Kwaku Rhyme Sonny as a 21^st century charismatic pastor, Nana Asaase, a father in-law, Ganyobi Saki, as a groom, Dee A-t, a bride and Shark-Mellon, a linguist/ intermediary on one stage with Hashmullah providing guitar riff at the background? Don’t imagine. It happened at ALEWA V. At the end of this Poetic Matrimony, the “X” in the equation Verbal Intercourse + X=Love was found. It was all that makes love a beautiful, exciting, undefined term or feeling.

The show opened with Rich Hackman and Chieff Moomen, delivering a laconic recital on the theme. Next was the evergreen Nana Asaase backed by Hash Mullah and in typical fashion delivered a beautiful piece interspersed with melodic tunes.

One of the striking performances of the night was that of Namojie and Poetra who chose to reflect on that stage in the love cycle where partners begin to show signs of aloofness; waiting for one partner to come and ignite the love candle once again. It wasn’t about the words that made up the text, rather the dramatization. 

 The performance glowed under a halo of pure, deep, honest and solemn emotions. Their facial and body language radiated that gloss.

The ending to their performance, ‘We Dey’, was not the best. After such an honest confessions, the best these ‘love-birds’ could do was not to walk away as they did but make up by hugging or kissing (on any part of the face). Walking away meant there still was some level of bad blood between them.

Kweku Rap took the excitement few notches higher with an energy pumping, hilarious poem about how banal guys sound when they are trying to woo a lady. Kweku Sonny mesmerized his ‘sweetheart’ and the audience with his rhyme skills, Cherub and Hash Mullah took turns to serve as some poetry dishes whiles Selikem Geni tickled our minds with his lewd but creative recital of LAID. Does Selikem have an aversion for microphones?

Tayo took her turn at the microphone, reciting two poems, which highlighted the two sides of love. Duke Benson chose to jab the perennial malady which afflict most, if not all women: lateness to functions and then turning over to accuse their guys for their lateness.He gave life to the piece with his cadence (Hope his girlfriend will never get to hear or read that piece). 

Shark -Mellon‘s Araba exhibited the charring effect of betrayal by a lover. He came, rope in hand, obviously to commit suicide.But by the end of his performance, the man fell short of Othello’s bravado.The best was the act between Ozion (a mouth lazy) and Dee A-t in which the former shockingly short chained his chances of wooing the latter, his object of interest, by acting comical.

I will like to applaud the Creative Director for giving the audience a cocktail of drama and poetry. The subject matter, with its various shades, needed to be reconciled and he did it just right. Another thing was how the performers expressed the various sequence of love- the meeting, friendship, lovers and its challenges. The poems and acts selected for each stage was apt.

However, the music that has been present at all the ALEWAs I have been was conspicuously missing. At least it could have added a bit of vibe to the show. The use of a power-point to introduce acts and other pictorial effects was quite good except it divided attention. For instance I was trapped between reading those cheesy lines and listening to the poems being performed.

Organizers must ensure that performers put in more work by way of rehearsals. Some of the performers looked unmotivated and their pieces, though beautiful and insightful, appeared lifeless, low on gusto. As a burgeoning show, the performances of poets is one way to bait patrons especially first timers since the impression, whether good or bad, that the person will have shall determine if he/she will come back again, perhaps with another friend(s).

As usual, the patrons were supportive. They applauded and laughed where necessary. The- meet –and- greet sessions was lovely, even though the folks I intended meeting were absent. And before I end, please poets and patrons do well to bring along a/ or some friends next time round because nothing beats a dome full of creativity and inspiration.