Rising Voices Poetry Slam – Auckland Town Hall

Saturday night’s Rising Voices Poetry Slam was, apart from body slams, the first slam I had experienced. As the master of ceremonies introduced the event, I immediately thought that if the poets could keep up with the charms of the witty MC, then we were in for something special.

Poetry Slam events are competitive by nature, which is often deemed offensive by some in the world of literature, which was part of the reason that I left before finding out who the winner was, though all 12 poets were winners on the night – full credit to them.

The young wordsmiths were 12 of number, and ranged from the ages of 16 to 24. They were required to deliver their pieces in three minutes or less, without the aid of music or props. Although they did have the obvious advantage of throwing their voices around the brilliant room that is the Auckland Town Hall Concert Chamber, the sell-out crowd would not have helped quell the nerves. The event was split into four initial rounds that each involved three poets and subsequent commentary from the judging panel.

The twelve poets were then reduced to six and after that it was anyone’s game. Talk about epic knock out round tension! In my mind I find it uncomfortable watching art forms being fitted to competitive formats, but if it encourages some of the talent that I saw on Saturday night then long may it live.

For such young minds the audience was thrown into an ocean of, tragedy, violence and despair that many professional poets struggle to express. Not that it was all heavy; there remained a large portion of culture, drama, and humorous gender politics to balance the vibe. The final decision was given over to the audience and if I was not a recovering gambling addict I would have split my money between the passionate cultural discourses of Te Kahu and Mohammed –massive respect.  I was please to hear of a deserved win from Mohamed Hassan.

Reviewed by Ben Blackman

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