KEEP HOPE ALIVE - #WAROFWORDS6

KEEP HOPE ALIVE

To win the prestigious FIFA World Cup and Best Player Award, CR7 had to conquer the world, and to win the WarOfWords, you need to beat words so well that you beat the world words' best. Here, SoundOfSages (SOS) defending poetry slam champion, Njoku Paul Chibuike Henry "Fr33zinPaul" kept hope alive with his trademark #KeepHopeAlive masterpiece, bagging the 2nd Runner-Up space at the semi-finals of one of Nigeria's most prestigious poetry slam competition, the #WarOfWords6, heading straight to the grand finale, slated for Saturday, 16th December, 2017.

To further poke what we stand for at SOS - 'educate, entertain and chastise', we bring you Fr33zinPaul's performance at the last round of the said semi finals...You can motivate that person losing hope next to you by simply playing the audio of this poem, downloading free from .. https://my.notjustok.com/track/206266/Fr33zinPaul-Toborated-KeepHopeAlive

We hope this saves that blind soul, seeing only  from the angle of depression.

Keep hope alive!

IBK is a god!

Spoken word poetry is gradually becoming household in the home of Nigerian entertainment industry, very educating, inspiring and entertaining.

Here DeMasquerMedia decides to shoot Ibukun Ajagbe (IBK)'s first ever spoken word video, "WHO HE REALLY IS" having found her GCGT wining performance published on SoundOfSages (SOS) facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/soslams/videos/1218768394842723/)

 We bring you a preview copy of IBK's WHO HE REALLY IS...

WHO IS HE?

In this Godly relationship …
He doesn't just test you like a test tube with no use
He doesn't twist words like a tongue twister but tutors you without confusing you so don't just test the technique of my tenses 
Better yet tap into the testament of my testimony without tapping out from the tent of the Almighty 
He is the Alpha that takes us far
The Mighty God in battle who does not wrestle but settles 
He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He can never be bribed like Judas 
Even at the sight of the state of the economy he can never betray use for pieces of silver like Judas Iscariot
He is the King who forgives and told us to forgive 70 x 7 times that even when the dock crowed twice and Peter denied Jesus thrice. He didn't revenge despite
He is a God of commitment
He won't come to you with signs of retreat or run his way away like sonic cause he would fit perfectly in your heart without being claustrophobic 
And he would fix your brokenness like an orthopedics

Don't just search for him in Lagos when He is wider than the expanse of Eti-Osa
Stop seeking for a sign of lightening when He is not the god of Sango neither does He reside in Oyo 
He is not a surgeon but touches every part of our sick bones as our saviour for his spirit to swim and sink deep for an atmosphere to sit in 
Now let's watch as he purposely plucks out pain piercing out skin to its peak giving us a place of peace to heal

There is no healing without God's touch so romantic it soothes my heart
He is a God of free and fair and doesn't judge you based on what you wear, right jeans, ripped jeans but a trace of his genes when he created US right from genesis
He is the Prince of peace who has made us his masterpiece 
I is the eternal rock of ages who does not age nor change
He is the lile of the valley who gives blessing to the belly
He is a God who doesn't work with time yet he never delays like Nigerian time
He is a God of oxygen who exhaled so I can inhale the breath of the maker because U is the way maker. Romantic lover, compassionate father out contender
He is a lot of things that my head cannot comprehend
HE is not a shooter without aim but arrests the enemy without nail
HE is the trinity, the three in 1 unity. The father the son and the Holy Spirit

Our superhero unit who saves us from all out enemy so we could live for eternity without a penalty
We need to embrace his sovereignty 
We shouldn't stand still when he hasn't made us a mannequin
Let's boast in His glory cause he has given us a perfect story 
Our History is now a direct opposite of His Story
So if you ever feel worried terrified horrified depressed rejected confused scared and doubt his goodness
He needs you to remember that He is the I am that i am
And I am has sent me to tell you 
It is okay 
'Cos he is God.

Editor's Note

Ibukun Ajagbe(IBK) is a 17-year old spoken word poet residing in the suburbs of Lagos-Island, Nigeria. She was the winner of WarOfWords Season 5 Slam Poetry Competition (2015), competing against some of Nigeria's best spoken word poets like Bankole Kolawole (BankHALL), James Ademuyiwa (JamesConco), Adetimehin Inioluwa Victor Vic'Adex Wome Uyeye, Lawal Kafayat Gold and many other word beaters time and space won't permit mentioning. She (IBK) came 2nd Runner-Up at God's Children Great Talent (GCGT) TV Reality Talent Show; performing poetry amongst many other contestants with diverse talents. Her journey into spoken word started around 2014 when she won Onkowe TalkTheWord Poetry Slam competition alongside Adeola Adegoke.

She is a Christian who loves words, believing God created the world with His Word and with His Word, she can change the world.


Watch this space for IBK's next spoken word video!

Thanks for viewing!

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE WAS A PLAGIARIST!

*WAP 30 DAYS WRITING CHALLENGE*
*DAY 3*

Truth is that which is unaffected by time. Something which remains constant and unchanging through the three phases of time (past, present and future) is what is truth.
- Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

I purposely opened this new garland with that indomitable quotation, as this writeup would go a long way in revealing some secrets that were covered up in the dark ages. Truth however is like a flame that cannot be covered, sooner or later, it will rise up for all to see. It's not expected that every one will believe this story as I never intended writing it this sooner but popular demands made me to. Another man's truth is another man's fallacy and truth is never complete. But truth is truth.
It's on this note that I hasten back to the days of Shakespeare. As this might upset intellectuals, I believe we know Shakespeare was an illiterate man from Stratford, England and could barely write his own name. As a matter of fact, he was seldomly never consistent in spelling his name when giving signature.
Amelia Bassano was born in 1569. She became a mistress to the fifty six year old Lord Hunsdon, Henry VIII's reputed son by Mary Boleyn. Having lived with him for a decade, Amelia had the opportunity to be in the court and was connected to the theatre also. It must be noted that she was a writer (the first black woman to publish poetry at the age of forty two under her own name as at that time). She was however exiled from the court when she became pregnant due to the fact that she was a "dark lady". The dark lady as she was tagged published a book of genuine poetry, with the use of linguistic features that had a striking resemblance with the later Shakespearean plays. She died in penury in 1645.
An issue with William Shakespeare was that he was way too young. A case study of Hamlet proves that the pah was a masterpiece, in which the construction and experimentalism employed in it was topnotch. It's not an early work. The play found its way into the print edition by Thomas Lodge and Thomas Nashe by 1589, hence it was likely to be written in 1588. William Shakespeare was twenty four years old by then and no statement with substance proved his residency in London for four years. How then did the book make its boom then ?
It's funny to know that a play titled " Ur Hamlet" by Thomas Kyd was staged in London ten years before the publication of Hamlet. Shakespeare must be fourteen years as at that period. Isn't something fishy ?
Now, let's get deeper. William Shakespeare was born in 1564. Amelia Bassano Lanier was born in 1569 (which makes her nineteen as of 1588). This doesn't totally implies that she has nothing to do with Shakespeare. Her family was a breed of musicians, so there's a high possibility she could have composed lyrics to the songs that featured so heavily in the plays. A flashback into Merchant of Venice and Othello would show that her name was encoded into the plays (an argument by Hudson).
In Jonson's preface to the First Folio of which Will Shakespeare was referred to as "Sweet Swan of Avon", Amelia's picture was denoted with the swan image (defining a poet). This could interestingly state that Amelia Bassano was a concealed poet who didn't publish until 1611. Her book was titled "Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum".
The group theory however is not totally invalid. Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus was of lower quality than other works, it was never revised or published in an authorised edition. That seems strange, right ? The dark lady is likened to be the author and it was mis-attributed to Shakespeare. It's quite inviting that Shakespeare's characters and themes ranged from lovers of different ethnicities ( Romeo and Juliet, the rich Black man, the moor in Venice - Othello). How much knowledge did a white illiterate boy had about the black tendencies and happening in the court when Amelia was born into a family of Moors called Venetian Jews who were court musicians to Queen Elizabeth I ?
Amelia's book draws a large circle round feminism, Tudor history, mind blowing documentary that shows this lass in the right places with the right knowledge, skills and contacts to have produced the canonized Shakespearean style ?
Shakespeare is not as intelligent as it was taught but he was given credits because he wrote most revisions of King James version of the Bible.

Below is another proof that Shakespeare had a plagiarist tendency.

Originally translated by Giovanni Boccaccio circa 1335AD; later plagiarised by Shakespeare.
Culled from The Great Book Of Kizzmazz Volume III
“The Book Of Kandake”
The Princess Kandake opens her soul - Barukh Salaam listens in silence:

I met men
Many men
They were trying to be you
They had your eyes
Your hands
A fraction of your humour
Men who pretended to be as courageous as you
Men who pretended to have your wit
Men who tried to convince me they could have the power
The Power that you have over me
If I only I could just be smaller
Men who exclaimed my lack of pleasure was my issue
That I did not understand intimacy
I've met lots of your shadows
I've tried to love men
They had little pieces of what I knew I needed
I filled in the rest with my imagination
I tried to love them
I knew what I would love
They had little corners of it
I am so sad
I wish I had said no
I now realise that not enough is less than nothing
What I needed was you
I was looking for you...
-----
Some days, I will write about William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe and Romeo and Juliet. On a conclusive note with the saying of an anonymous English professor :
"The best writers are the best thieves. Shakespeare stole his plots from the Greek and Roman plays."
Tom Lehrer also said :
"Let no one else's work evade your eyes"
It would be cognizant to know that the White version of African history is consciously arranged in such a way that it tells only that of the Arabs and Europeans in Africa and not the genuine story of Africans. 4000 years back which recorded Black civilization (the largest period of African achievements) was eliminated in the retelling of their first period. The second period is picked up from the Arabs and Berbers in Africa, the third period is on European civilization and all are constructed under the umbrella of African history. A conscious focus on these stories would tell that Africans are of no early past and have vain contributions to the world at largesse. History is not widely taught in the curriculum of black students but it's more intentional than predicted. The myths of white superiority has been so much instilled into the black minds that we doubt the existence of Amelia Bassano, in the first stance.
Hence, plagiarism is not new. Even Shakespeare was a fraud.
"What has been is what will be and what has been done is what will be done and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, " See, this is new" ? It has already been in the ages before us".

©Yusuf Balogun Gemini.Convener, War Against Plagiarism.
+2348181400105
yusufbalo15@gmail.com

...OF A TIRED DEMOCRACY BY EDWINA ALEME (NEOFLOETRY DAWINA SCRIBILIS )

Here is a masterpiece written by the very articulate poetess. So embellished with rib-cracking puns, rhymes and rhetorics.... This poem is so good that it can so dance well on stage and as well bust brains on page.

What Is Left Of What Is Right? 

Where is Nigeria’s true reflection?

I ask a million Naira question

What is left in the jar of what is right?

Why is the right now considered left?

Now, this is  no NEWS, so I laugh in present tense

The future before us is sugar-coated in wailing pretence

Begging to be free from this societal wackiness

Everyone has a part to play in this blindness.

Our states are littered with guber-criminals

The show of absurdity follows in their scaffolds

You were catapulted into the highest office to rid off corrupt-cancer

But, you traumatized us with your reckless plunder

Your offices are exalted

Misfits, miscreants elected

Causing havoc with stark dishonesty

Your die-hard pessimism is an OX-ye-MORON apparently.

Then, i breathe above the head of a tired democracy

When potbellies and agbadas prefer kleptocracy

You flag off Partocracy; where the part is larger than the whole

Your finger points the vault into a deep pocket hole

Your consciences need scrutinizing

You are constantly a bowler, your hands need sanitizing.

Our educational system shook hands with the leprous

Our teachers glorified illiterates, very erroneous

How then can our children survive this strait-jacket?

They are no violent patients to be stuffed into a confined casket

The VCs clink their glasses behind closed doors

They have joined in the act of (P)eople (D)eceiving (P)eople it harbors.

What is left of what is right

At forty one years old

The NYSC is still not bold

That mind-boggling scheme wears a mask

Rending hearts for the sake of servitude task

Our graduates, now glorified slaves, figures of disguised unemployment

Our freshly graduated aunties and uncles make the list longer

They steal with their exempted age, enjoying every bit the drama

The government may no longer pay allowance for THIS(dis)agreement.

ASUU Strike, DOCTORS strike, NASU strike

The entire sector want their fair share of the hike

This is the way of life for selfish conflict

Give us this, sign on that agreement

Can NEPA-PHCN join in this strike action?

Don’t they always go on per second ration?

No one cares again if they hold power till rapture takes place

Once again, I laugh in past-present-continuous tense.

Nigerians, stop this theatre of the absurd

For the good of generations yet unborn

Where is the limit of our good luck nation?

Should we pretend while the center caves in?

The villa rocks are murmuring

Our sins constantly screaming

The flames of normalcy, depleting

We need to bite the lips that’s lying

Let our candle of hope burn in our minds

Let our pens and voices prove mightier than bombs

For us to do what is right.
(2014)


**********************************************

'Agbada' is an African dress, usually beautified with embroidery work, worn on 'buba' (men's blouse)
NASU - is an acronym for Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities 
ASUU - Academic Staff Union of Universities
NEPA - National Electric Power Authority (now, PHCN)
PHCN - Power Holding Company of Nigeria
NYSC - National Youth Service Corps

SOS POETRY SLAM 2.0 MEDIA RELEASE

WHEN SOS POETRY SLAM 2.0 EXPLODED WITH BOMBS AND CATACOMBS OF WORDS.

‘E be laik say dem wan tu write anoda story again o..."

This isn’t just a story; It’s more like the ultimate search, where finding our winners seemed like finding the ‘White Elephant’s trunk, judging from the many ties that rented the rounds. Seeing multiple contestants having a tie at every round isn’t something common in poetry slams in Nigeria- from Abuja LiterarySlam (ALS), Eko Poetry Slam (EPS), Jos Poetry Slam (JPS), Figures Of Speech State-O-Scope(Inter-State) Slam, just to mention few.

The firmament of words that fell like thunderstorms at the SOS Poetry Slam 2.0 kept the audience entertained; yelling, clapping, snapping fingers, standing, shouting and screaming the stage names of their favorite contestants. Indeed, SOS Poetry Slam 2.0 was far better and more intriguing than the maiden edition.

Again, one would wonder why the Ankara fabrics replaced the usual curtains or backdrops found on event stages. Well, it's tantamount to say the uniqueness of this stage craft literarily added colour to the event.

SunsamPaul, A contestant at both season 1 and 2

Sir Eriata Oribhabor speaks about poetry promotion at the red carpet segment

That moment when the slam champion got new fans

Red Carpet Host Ezenwaka Uzoamaka with her co-host from TGz Africa TV

At round 1, there were 15 contestants:

SifonEdiomo-Abasi (OluwaSifon), Increase Nathaniel, SunsamPaul, Toba Ephraim (Dark Bard), BWriteWord, Clement Abraham (HeartBeat), Njoku Paul Chibuike Henry(Fr33zinPaul), Salam Seun (Tiwistar), Fuad Abiola Olanrewaju (Hola That Poet), Elemide Benjamin Odunayo (Penjamin), Charles Prince Obazee (Charlee X), Cornelius Chinazam Okeke, Lawal Kafayat Gold (LKG), Akharia Success (DeeWordsmith) and Aiyetitun Deji (DejiFlex)

After this first round, there were top 3 Contestants and 7 other qualifiers:

Fr33zinPaul with an intimidating score of 10, 9, 9 (28), Penjamin 8, 9,9 (26),  LKG, (25),  Increase Nathaniel, Charlee X, Tiwistar, Sifon Ediomo-Abasi, DeeWordSmith, Toba Ephraim and Cornelius.

Top 3 Contestants (Round 2) and 3 other qualifiers

Fr33zinPaul this time had a perfect score of 10, 10, 10 (30), Penjamin (28), Charlee X (26), LKG (25) with 3 other contestants having a tied score of 23 each, out of which only one of them must qualify to make up for final 5.

Face of Finalists, L-R: Fr33zinPaul, Penjamin, Charlee X, Increase Nathaniel and LKG

Tiwistar, Increase Nathaniel and Toba Ephraim went head to head, given 1 minute each to prove who would be worthy to proceed to the next round. Increase Nathaniel, who incidentally was the 2nd-Runner-Up at the maiden edition of #SOSPoetrySlam came out victorious with his one minute-poem, "Where were you" with a score of 9, 9 ,9 (27).

Final Round:

Fr33zinPaul 9, 10, 9(28), LKG 9, 9, 10(28); Charlee X 9, 9, 9(27); Increase Nathaniel 9, 9, 9(27), Penjamin 8, 9, 8(25). Increase Nathaniel hits another stumbling block in a tie with Charlee X, this time 30 seconds each, after which the obviously entertained audience voted for Charlee X, drawing the curtains for the slam.

Prince Charles Obazee (2nd Runner-Up blazing the mic) 

Judge Kemistree Bakare in her elements

Guest Performer, Ajijola Habeeb Da-Beloved doing his trademark "I have a dream" masterpiece

Increase Nathaniel

Sacrificial Poet, Olayinka Samson Aremu (Poethick Samurai)

Salam Oluwaseun Tiwistar

CONSOLATION PRIZES (DECIDED BY AUDIENCE'S VOTE AFTER NOMINATIONS BY THE SOS BOARD:

*Nominees for the Best Performer:

Fr33zinPaul 

LKG

Tiwistar

*Nominees for Best Poem:

DICKSON by Lawal Kafayat Gold

'Lustful Love' by Penjamin- 

'Prison' by Charlee X

 

SIDE ATTRACTIONS

The slam commenced with performance from PoeThick Samurai, the sacrificial poet at the maiden edition and second too.

SOS Curator, Bankole Kolawole presenting the 1st Runner-Up dummy cheque to LKG

Presentation of the overall Winner’s dummy cheque was done by Sir Eriata Oribhabor, Nigeria’s leading poetry promoter. While giving words of advice, he added that a time would come where every occasion won’t be complete without the performance of a poet/spoken word artiste. This would be made possible if all hands are laid on deck to keep promoting poetry everywhere we go.

With 2018 in view, SOS Poetry Slam 3.0 promises to be massive.

Kindly follow our social media platforms for more details:

Facebook.com/soslams

Twitter/Instagram: @soundofsages

soundofsages.blogspot.com.ng

Unveiling of SOS Poetry Slam 2.0's Winner of Best Poem Of the day, Elemide Benjamin Odunayo (Penjamin)

NB: videos from SOS Poetry Slam 2.0 coming soon... stay tuned.

For sponsorship and advert placement, call 07033752877 or email: soundofsages@gmail.com

Best regards,

Bankole Kolawole,

Authorized Signatory.

HOME FOR ALL

Fr33zinPaul receiving Best Performer of the Day Award at #SOSPoetrySlam 2.0

Here is Njoku Paul Chibuke Henry (Fr33zinPaul)'s award winning poem, earning him not just the Best Performer of the Night Award at #SOSPoetrySlam2.0 but the rave of the moment and the champion of that slam, held in the suburbs of Oshodi, Lagos-Nigeria on August 19, 2017. He eventually won the slam after a stiff competition and a tie with Lawal Kafayat Gold (LKG) at the closing round. This particular piece was not too embelished with plenty of metaphors and consonance as other slam winning poems. His play on words was amazingly beautiful, performance was apt, modulating his voice as each line dictates, from accentuating in different Nigerian languages to causing the audience to chant his stage name.....then a well-deserved standing ovation, earning a perfect score of ten (10) each from our three (3) watchful judges; Kemistree Bakare, Clemency Green and Paul Word,...

Few years ago, when I was being led.

My landlord spoke to my father, he said

"Okunrin yi, What is wrong with your head?

I have told you that your presence in my premises permits no presence for peaceful sleep in my bed.
Didn't you notice the quit notice and why have you decided to stay instead?.

See, my house is not Anambra state o, it is not a home for all, so take your filthy family away or next time, wo, ma pe olopa fun yin!"

I watched my father's dejected face with his

back against the wall, like he and my landlord just

had a fight of *gidigbo. Unfortunately, we were chased

Out of that house because he was Yoruba and we were Ibos.

Years later, I have grown to become a man

But I am still that child, that child living in a country,

A Country that is like a nice cuisine and tribalism is the order of the day.

The last time I used my tongue to count my teeth,

They were thirty two, lesser than the number of states we have yet

each tooth is as important as the other tooth so why

Do we think each stage is not as important as the other states?

Right now, the only state I am in is a confusion state because I seem not to relate to the hate that we create.

If Bola wants to get married to Akpan,

Like the fuel price, eye brows will rise because they are not from the same state.

To seek a school of choice or a location to serve our fatherland,

We hesitate.

No wonder, my country's leaderSHIP is capsizing because tribalism navigates.

When do we stop seeing ourselves as Antonyms?

Could we take a moment and acknowledge the fact that we are Synonyms and despite our differences,

We still look alike, still act alike.

Despite our differences, can we just be Homonyms and not Antonyms?

For together, we are one people, fun people, good people and great Nation.

Our motto should not be what we drive but what drives us and what drives us is that we accept no mediocrity for we are the centre of excellence.

Nigeria does not need to be Islamized for like Sokoto in our Shokoto,

We are the seat of the caliphate.

We are God's own state, we live by faith.

The light of the world; the Sunshine State.

The world should get ready for a smooth SAIL on our leaderSHIP because like Yobe,

The young shall grow and our young have grown to become the pacesetters.

We are the land of hope;

We are IMO,

Through us they see the future.

We are the salt of the Nation,

The people's paradise,

The food basket of the world,

The home of hospitality.

We are the definition of charity and it is insanity to think that a home for all belongs to a particular entity.

Home for all is not Anambra,

Home for all is not Niger Delta,

Home for all is not Oduduwa,

Home for all is not Arewa,

Home for all is not Biafra,

Home for all is not that far.

Home for all is within us,

A place for no more loss.

Home for all is in our hearts and the earlier we realize that,

The earlier we don't tear ourselves apart.

Home for all is Nigeria.

N.B. "Gidigbo" is an  African wrestling fight where the loser is judged by whose back touches the ground.

"Okunrin Yi"  in Nigerina language (Yoruba), meaning  "This man"

"Wo, ma pe olopa fun yin" is likewise a Yoruba phrase, meaning "see, I will call the police to arrest you"

©Njoku Paul Chibuike (Fr33zinPaul)