Open Mic Session

The last time i attended the open mic session we left arguing rather heartedly with a friend of mine on whether or not Tony Mochama was a literary genius. Obviously from my friend's ignorance, i highly doubt he knows TM's writings was of the argument that he wasn't as he (TM) had presented a reading on his deceased cousin.Anyway since i don't pride myself to be a literary critic, i will not make any further argument but all i know is  that the dude is a word smith literary.

amongst a backdrop of a picture of a young woman spotting a rather curly short hair that reminds me of 70's hair styles a mixture of young and not so young persons gather. This is the literary street literary as the newspaper people would call them. They are artistes of different nature, bloggers, actresses, budding poets, musicians and others who are basically here because they heard of open mic and their friends think its cool. As with every event/club in Nairobi there are people whose presence would much be elsewhere.

For some reason my eyes are drawn to the young woman on the picture. Who does she symbolize because when i turn around i see gals in long hair, with lines, braid not some curly short hair.Then there are two paintings of totally nude women on the walls of Club Soundd. Maybe that's the conviction that woman is art.

Time effluxes and i hear from different people masquerading as poets, real stuff and finally totally amateur stuff.  At one point my attention is caught with some very disgusting unpoetical language

"I miss you big"

Themes move from the obvious & exhausted love, pain, tragedies, comedy, Africa. I would though love to hear some satirical pieces but it seems the amateur & professional poets think nothing of this genre.

The audience is unsympathetic to boring stuff. When the stuff is good they respond with heavy clapping, the boring pieces are meant with a lot murmurs.

While along comes Eudiah who apparently blogs at www.eudiahkamonjo.wordpress.com , a welcome from the previous amateur of "I miss you big" and the performance is great. The Lack of performance from the other artistes is worrying.

Kwani the organization that oversees the Poetry Mic nite, though to be recognized for the display of the talented and the not so talented should provide minimum guidelines for the kind of pieces to be presented. By 9 O'clock the crowd most who i believe belong to the walking nation are ready to leave and by this time not a lot of professional artistes have not been heard.

Where: Club Soundd

When: Every First Tuesday of the Month

Charges: Ksh. 100

Books on the offering
What if I am a literary Gangsta -Tony Mochama
Books by Story Moja