The Centro pablo , which honors the most talented reporter of his generation and occasionally troubadours performed accompanied solely by their guitars, has been taken by proponents of something that is neither declamation or monologue: simply ” spoken word ” …
Its translation into Castilian would be spoken poetry , accepted term that emphasizes the colloquial soul of a genre with strong roots in hip- hop culture , but also in the repentismo in Cuba , rumba , jargon , but above all of life … life …
Three of its main exponents in Havana confirmed OnCuba that the “spoken word ” is everywhere, in their experiences, hopes and concerns , and only require a microphone and someone who will listen for them to recite their verses . Personal and non-transferable…
“There is a confusion of those who think we do monologue or declaim : ours is a very own oral way, spoken word demands that you create your own verses, do not tell anyone else’s ,” Luz de Cuba said, who was pigeonholed in a category as crazy as ” Alternative Hip- Hop “. As if there was something like a Mainstream Hip- Hop…
She came from hip – hop to spoken poetry, and got seduced by that way of telling her life. To find herself she went to storytelling courses with Olga Navarro and theater José Antonio Rodríguez, and discovered that hers was something else. On top of this, living in a country whose idiosyncrasy is pure poetry, according to her, gives her enough material to express her points of view, but also to fulfill a social mission.
For example ,her theme Pachamama is a a small contribution to try to save the planet from ecological debacle , and she has also managed to teach youngsters that poetry is not something unattainable , Parnassian , strange … “You have to motivate youth to express themselves, since the language allows say many urban things , “she said .
Elier Alvarez, better known as El Brujo, is a tireless activist, always looking for space for the genre. He considers Ink and Pentagram, by Luz de Cuba, is the best spoken word album made in the country, a challenge that hopefully all poets assume to grow as artists.
“You ask me about Luis Carbonell, and I have to say that the Master is a school that we do not know. I listen to storytellers talking of each of the workshops Carbonell gave them, but we will never have something until you feel the need to excel. There should be a competition and wanting to be the best: yes, it is pure ego, but that makes us grow, “the poet said.
In that spirit the Spoken Poetry Festival arrived in the Centro Pablo, making clear certain concepts that drive those who defend it: freedom, sacrifice, poetry, race, passion, love, and a “bomb” core, that is, a lot of heart to relate beyond names and labels. According to Alberto Tejeiro, alias El Figaro, “I will not have to suffer to make poetry, to do something that is in within us.”
Poetry is you, Becquer said. And they believe it rightly.
