POETRY AFRICA FESTIVAL – 15 & 16 Oct in Durban
About thirty poets from fifteen different countries will descend on Durban for the 9th Poetry Africa international poetry festival which takes place from 10 to 15 October.
The extensive week-long programme includes performances, readings and book-launches every evening at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, with a festival finale and the DURBAN SLAMJAM at the BAT Centre on Saturday 1…
5 October. Day activities include seminars, workshops, poetry competitions, poetry in prison, open mic opportunities, and school visits.
But it’s not all spoken word, there’s also lyrical words – thanks to Durban D-Va for letting us know about MUSIC at the POETRY AFRICA FESTIVAL:
Alongside the diverse range of performing poets, music and musical collaborations form an important aspect of the festival. This includes Pedro Espi-Sanchis, popularly known to South African television audiences as Pedro the Music Man, who plays absolutely extraordinary music on a length of hose-pipe. A
special treat for Durbanites is to be found in the traditional skills of eighty-two year old Madosini, the legendary exponent of the uhadi and umrhubhe bows, as well as the isitolotolo jaw’s harp.
From the district of Dlomo in the Eastern Cape, Madosini is widely acclaimed as ‘the Queen of Xhosa music’. The striking line-up of participants from Africa includes renowned mbira player, Chiwoniso from Zimbabwe, an internationally traveled performer who has worked closely with Andy Brown amongst others.
The festival opens with the Kholwa Brothers, an iscathimiya group recently returned from a three-month collaborative project in Brazil. Si’Dance, a community dance company under Siyanda Duma, mixes contemporary dance and spantsula on the 15th at the BAT.
The extensive week-long programme includes performances, readings and book-launches from 10-14 October at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre with a Festival Finale and the Durban SlamJam at the BAT Centre on Saturday 15 October.
The full programme of activities, plus participant bios and photos, is available her – JUST CLICK. www.cca.ukzn.ac.za
Enquiries to 031-2602506
