Fri, March 11, 2005
Power of the word worth celebrating
By ALLAN WIGNEY, Ottawa Sun
"You couldn't do something like this in Toronto," No Rules Slam founder
David Britten says of Wednesday's ambitious National Capital Throwdown.
"They don't even have a monthly slam anymore; they're all too busy
fighting." The
Throwdown, which will encompass several different styles of poetry in
the form of an open mic, is being organized by Britten in co-operation
with the folks behind Capital Slam and This is Hip Hop. It's an
impressive show of unity that should draw enough people to the Gap of
Dunloe, 263 Bank St., for the power of the word to spill onto the
streets of the city.
"It's all very supportive," says Britten, a musician and spoken-word
artist whose monthly No Rule Slam was launched in January. (The first
night did well despite a fierce storm, he reports, he had to turn
dozens of people away from the second, the next will be March 23.)
"I'm not trying to compete with This is Hip Hop or Capital Slam, I'm trying to help to build the scene."
SECRET SOCIETY
A scene that, according to fellow spoken-word artist Garmamie Sideau,
who founded the ongoing This is Hip Hop event at Carleton University
more than three years ago, is the fastest growing in Canada.
"There've been other poetry series like the Golden Star Lounge," Sideau
says, "but the fact that the scene has grown so much definitely has a
lot to do with This is Hip Hop.
"I started it because I saw people with things to say but who didn't
have a chance to express them. And it's grown almost entirely by word
of mouth. It's like a secret society."
Of course, after three years the secret is out. Britten, for one,
admits to having been introduced to the potential of spoken-word
performance by attending This is Hip Hop at Carleton's Fenn Lounge. The
veteran musician, who suggests "music is poetry," saw no turning back
after experiencing This is Hip Hop.
"It was so different from everything else that had been going on," Britten reflects. "It was so cool."
Britten, like Capital Slam's Greg Frankson (aka Ritallin), became a
regular This is Hip Hop contributor before striking out on his own. The
three entrepreneurs and poets remain allies, determined to quench the
city's thirst for spoken-word performance.
Each in his own way.
UNIQUE SERIES
That will be apparent over the next few days, as Sideau introduces an
experimental theatrical piece (March 17 at the Arts Lounge in
Carleton's Dunton Tower), No Rules Slam continues its unique series of
competitions sans judges and time limits and Capital Slam welcomes
vocalist Sonia Ndongmo to its inclusive stage. And then there is the
Throwdown.
The events serve to illustrate the breadth of local spoken-word events,
as poetry, theatre and song co-exist in the name of performance. It's
refreshing, as Ndongmo notes. And a perfect opportunity for a veteran
singer recently returned from a five-year stint in Toronto that saw her
performing with the likes of Nelly Furtado, to celebrate both her
homecoming and International Women's Day.
"When I left I felt that Ottawa lacked a scene," Ndongmo, a former
member of local funk bands Homestyle and Stone Soul Picnic says. "I got
back to find that a lot of places had closed even since then, but that
people are dying to be involved in something -- to get something
started.
"I think," the globetrotting vocalist adds, "I'll be here for a while."
As will the spoken-word scene -- particularly if that all-for-one spirit continues to spread.
awigney@yahoo.ca
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