The Slam!

Growing up, my dad always complained that he could never hear what i was saying...

(granted most of these conversations where about me asking for money, for the car, or to go out.... later it turned into going out with the car & with his money).

His message to me was always, "you must speak up, speak fluently and get you're point across"...

I went to my first poetry slam years ago... (don't worry this all ties in)

I love poetry slams! Sometimes the stuff you hear makes you laugh, cry or think (sometimes all). You hear from different people the experience "totally rocks"

Every time i go, i always say to myself, I CAN DO THIS!

I should be able to do it! I can now speak in front of crowds, with a command of the audience. In high school i was on a team that made the National finals of senior debate (lost to some team the president of Zimbabwe went to)**, I was the second speaker!!!! The guy that carried the body of the argument with a little bit of a rebuttal and improvisation thrown in!

Growing up, I was one of those sad boarding school kids, whose parents lived outside the country, so i never had any parental support for any event that I participated in*.. The finals where important to me cus it was me speaking against the school dear dad went to, and he came out to support me.

Senior debate, was cool, the real challenge for my public speaking skills I always felt was when I MC'd the Ms Harare auditions. The senior debate structure is controlled, No heckling and people come in uniforms, with teachers looking etc.

This (Ms Harare) was about, 10 years ago.. auditions where held at Girls High School. As Harare City Junior Councillors we charged people to come in to see the auditions. SO anyone from anywhere could come... The acoustics in the GHS (or was it QE) hall we where using where horrible no mic jus pure voice projection to a bunch of teenagers (i could tell most where tipsy on a pre-afternoon session binge). But i controlled that crowd, when it got too rowdy I came in and SHUT IT DOWN, cracked some jokes, made the show continue. No authority just pure personality!

That was the first time I really had to use crowd persuasion skills in an uncontrolled environment.


Soooo.. That was years ago, but the foundation.

This year I swear i am going to do some live poetry at a slam!!! This summer it's on!!



Watch this space***




* on that note that just makes me a black kid in zim, engaging in extra curricular activities.. so cry for Argentina not me

** Yes Robbed and Mugged (Rob Mug)

*** Naturally noone will be invited excepted maybe that girl (yes that one from previous posts- because ill probably suck big time)****

**** This may also be the last time i see her