SOS POETRY SLAM 3.0 - WHERE MENTEES MEET MENTORS…

MEDIA RELEASE FOR BEAUTY OF WORDS/SOS POETRY SLAM 3.0

What an afternoon of mesmerizing renditions, from the tongue of that poetically drunk master of ceremony; Cephas, passed unto the lips of young minds blowing the mic hot!

Sound Of Sages (SOS) in collaboration with thePoetryCourt (tPC) held the third edition of her annual poetry, music and sundry talent event on Saturday, the 8th of December, 2018 inside Shogunle Town Hall, around Oshodi Isolo LGA in Lagos Nigeria. The much publicised event officially commenced after beautiful red carpet moments as anchored by  pretty, petite Miss Amaka for TGZ RADIO, followed by recitation of the first stanza of Nigeria’s National Anthem at about 1:35pm as anchored by the only drunk comic rave of the moment,  Cephas: one hell of a hard-working, faithful monk as he calls himself.

Kormbat

The first performance for the day was by Emmanuel Kormbart Jolayemi, a first class Computer Science graduate from Babcock University,
Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria who got the audience screaming to his trademark computer-inclined piece, titled “Sex Trafficking”, opening the gate for the day’s main activity, the SOS POETRY SLAM 3.0 that had a total number 16 contestants, in no particular order: Oludasa Olawale, Mahi Adedare, iAmEmmanuel, BabaJay, Joseph, Agholor Precious, Yusuf Balogun Gemini, CP Kings, BWriteWord, 78thPsalmist, Testimony Jesutofunmi, Alberto_Okuti, Dee Wordsmith, Titi Matthews, Kada shammah and the only female contestant, Akpati Theresa “Oracle”, all for a three (3) round bout with an estimated audience population of a hundred and twenty (120).

BWrite

Oracle

De Wordsmith

Yusuf Balogun

Mahi Adedare

For the first round of two minutes each, Oludasa Olawale, CP Kings,78th Psalmist, Gemini were few of the  slam poets that got the judges applause with their words, performance and crazy signature styles. Unlike the first round that had 16 contestants recite a poem each on any theme of their choice, the 10 surviving contestants at the second round were to center their poems around “POLICE THE POLLS” after which 5 of them made it to the last round; Oludasa, CP Kings, 78 Psalmist, Balogun Yusuf Gemini and of course, the newly crowned Wordaholics Mini Poetry Slam Champion of The Year 2018, the only female contestant, Akpati Theresa Isioma ‘ORACLE’.

Winner, Oludasa.

The event grid, to douse the tension, had spot-on spoken word poetry performances from veteran Nigerian Spoken Word Poets like Soonest Iheaniyichukwu Nathaniel (SIN), Paul Word, Ajibola Habeeb da Beloved, Layo Simeon (founder of POETRY ALIVE), Kayode Azeez, in between, before the slam last round and a surprise 8-year old wonder kid, Treasure Obi,  she blew the minds of the audience with her amazing confident eloquence behind the microphone.

Panel of Judges

At the last round, Olawale Oludasa, the eventual winner made the obviously entertained audience scream so loud with his ground-breaking signature performance – OMO MUSHIN OLOSHA RISE!

Then the presentation of dummy cheques for winners by three out of the four sitting judges; MR SOONEST NATHANIEL(who replaced MR. JAMES ADEMUYIWA in between), MISS LAYO SIMEON AND MRS IQUO DIANA-ABASI, followed by a short announcement by Sound Of Sages (SOS) curator, Bankole Kolawole ‘BankHALL’, that the winner, Oludasa Olawale has won for himself a free video shoot of his signature piece, *OMO MUSHIN OLOSHA RISE*, a customized t-shirt with the inscription ‘Greatest Spoken Word Poet Of All Time' as sponsored by BOOM Poetry, then four books written by *IQUO DIANA ABASI* for BEST PERFORMER OF THE DAY award. He added that the best three (3) poems for the day will be posted on SOS blog site with a prize to be given to the eventual winner.

L-R: Mr. Soonest Nathaniel presenting the 2nd Runner-up cheque to CP Kings

The dummy cheques had the names and total prize money for the top three contestants in this order: -
Winner - Oludasa Michael Olawale N25,000 (Twenty-five Thousand Naira)
1st Runner-Up: Balogun Yusuf Gemini N15,000 (Fifteen Thousand Naira)
2nd Runner-Up: Okpara Oghenesuvwe "CP Kings" N10,000 (Ten Thousand Naira)

Miss Lara Simeon presents 1st Runner-up cheque to Balogun Yusuf while SOS Curator, Bankole Kolawole (extreme left) looks on

The event came to a close with red carpet interviews amid dancing and networking, as  members of the audience got refreshed with delicious snacks, pet drinks as parting gifts at about 5:40pm.

L-R: Mrs Iquo Diana-Abasi presents Winner's cheque to Oludasa Olawale

Thanks for reading.


Bankole Kolawole
Authorized Signatory

PS: *Poetry Alive*; a theatre arts company that specializes in performance poetry around tertiary institutions in Nigeria have indicated interest to mentor and manage  a number of shortlisted poets(contestants) at SOS POETRY SLAM 3.0, details shall be communicated in due time.

For enquiries on sponsorship and related matters, contact SOS on WhatsApp: +2348127745061 or soundofsagesgmail.com

Twitter/Instagram: @soundofsages

Facebook.com/soslams

http://soundofsages.blogspot.com

NOMINEES FOR BEST THREE POEMS AT SOS POETRY SLAM 3.0 (2018)

Good day amiable readers and followers of the SOS brand, we are sure by now you are anticipating our official media release (as usual) for the recently held SOS POETRY SLAM cum BEAUTY OF WORDS 3.0 last Saturday, the 8th of December 2018. There is an on-going contest for BEST REPORT on that, kindly check @soundofsages on Instagram for details.


However, in furtherance to what we stand for at Sound Of Sages (SOS), educate; chastise; entertain, our board room carefully selected the top three (spoken word) poems with the most 'relatable' content, objective ideology and of course audience appeal at this year's edition of the above mentioned slam poetry competition for BEST POEM OF THE DAY AWARD (prize details to be announced later)

The below contestants grabbed top three spots, in no particular order -

(1)
Stage Name: 78th Psalmist
Poem Title: Police The Polls


(2)
Stage Name: Oludasa
Poem Title: Omo Mushin Olosha Rise

(3)

Stage Name: CP Kings

Poem Title: Origin Nor Be Zero

Enjoy this poetic ride, reading the lips of these young apostolic poets of modern Nigeria through the words in their masterpieces below.... (NB: This isn't stating that other poems are of lesser quality or value)

(1)

POLICE THE POLLS 

by DAVID OSAODION ODIASE "78th Psalmist"

78thPsalmist

Intro: Greatest gbo-gbo.  greatest gba gba.  greatest shi-won…

My fellow Nigerians, please take note, 29 things about 2019  you need a high neck and a longer throat to monitor your vote, quote "that is the only antidote to put our bad leaders ship for sail.”

Elections are like erections, they prick you if you do nothing about it, so the apostle must act now.

Enough of sitting on standards,  we must know if the ABC of the APC agenda is a boycott,  or if the PDP will not squander our GDP and leave us with high BP , we need to know the aspirants in our local governments, if our Councilors would not count and sell us,  to give us change, if those local government chairmen , when they get there will not abandon their chair to sit on the throne…,

 we need to know if our guber candidates will not use UBER to charter our taxes with yellow taxis, because we need candidates that are candid, old men shouldn’t be running for presidency while the residency are running for their lives.

Poets, let our pen sue the pencils that manipulate the zeros of electoral figures Cos 2019 will be fast and furious,

Vin must not win because he has enough diesel,

Every Charlie has to put something,

If Paul is not a worker, then  waka! Waka  comot.

as 2019 draws closer,  i can predict that broom sellers will make more money at APC convention, i can predict that ‘say babarians’ will talk in thousands  and many fabulous articles on Atiku will seek who to deceive.

But we must show them, for the sake of democracy, “say if dem demo we go craze.”  Our PVC is stronger than the libido of 69 missionaries,  we can impregnate today to give birth to our tomorrow, 

Don't  let a politician promise you pot belly because you want to get pregnant, don't be fooled!

Our votes are not for sale,  beware of 419, who monetary enticements only last for one night

Our future is not an American rapper,  eminem( i mean emm)  our future cannot be attained by the few chores,  washing both hands like Pilate from the fate of Jesus,  allowing the pirates and their associates,  elevate to the cabinet to feed off the carbohydrate of our national wealth.

Enough is enough,  decide with your thumb before your tomb is decided for you.

On your mark, get your mind set and go,

You and i  are the only traffic light that can indict those reckless danfo drivers of our economy,

We are the LASMA that determines the last man and the first man who wins this electoral race,

Then our ballot boxes  must  be more filled up than the offering box of Winners Chapel in a Sunday service.

A word is enough for the wise.

*

Greatest gbo gbo,  gbo gbo, 

Long live the Federal Republic Of Nigeria,

Long life live SOS!.

          (2)

                Omo Mushin Olosha by OLUDASA OLAWALE

OLUDASA

Omo Mushin Olosha x 4

Follow me, let me take you to the city of

Guirella dreams and soul jarring realities.

Follow me, let me take you to a city where there

Is enough provisions at Ojuwoye Market but kids

Are still hawking on the streets just to have something to eat.

Follow me, let me take you to an Avenue where they padlock

Destinies on palm trees at palm avenue.

Follow me, let me take you to a city where everything is do or die.

If Dagrin was a son of God then that is where Jesus was crucified

Follow me, let me take you to Akala,

Haa my brother, oyo lo wa if the offsprings of shina rambo

Notice that you a stranger.

Follow me, let me take you to Ojurin

Where you will find teenagers, teen rangers

Initiated to become angry birds so they fly colours like power rangers

Follow me, let me take you to church street

Where our mothers climb the mountains of fire just to redeem their soul

But the one they call God their father will later become their husband

Because they found another woman in the house by the time they got home.

Follow me, let me take you to Oduduwa Street

Where you will find retired OPC members

Who still tell stories of the part they played when abiola was overturned in 93.

Follow me, let me take you to Idi-oro

Where the call of duty is gang wars so they count live scores

And if you are lucky not to be dead you will run away in exile now the place you use to call your area you are now an out law.

Follow me, let me show you how our dreams are so far from our realities but we are still running around

To make ends meet of course.

And neither are we going to accept defeat or blame the Gods

For being raised in a city that takes pride in breaking the laws

I didn’t come here to be even but to find my way against the odds.

Omo Mushin Olosha, still I shall rise.

I know you all

Can perceive the anti social demeanour in me even when I try to disguise.

I know you all

Can see the dust of poverty that has settled in the inner most part of my eyes.

I know you all

Can relate to the losses I have gained and the emotions that comes

With paying the price.

But I tell you one thing.

Omo Mushin Olosha, still I shall rise.

I shall rise, not to act like as if I am better than the boys in the area

But to show my area boys what education has done for me.

You see,

I was raised by uncles who were king of boys on the streets like Reminisce but wanted

Me to grow up in a suit and tie living like Naeto C.

So you agree,

That everywhere I go I make sure I carry the emblem of the city in my heart

For everyone to see.

So as you see me, I know forget cause where I come from only

Few Adekunle’s realise that their talent is the golden opportunity to leave the streets.

Omo Mushin Olosha, still I shall rise.

Still I am fly as the Eagle on the National Coat of arms.

Flying above the city when the national anthem is sung.

Our son is in the sky that is the rhythm of our mothers waist

When they come to the streets to dance.

I shall rise,

But not to fly to fail to see that Mushin is a family tree.

And if you forget your roots you will be cut off from the Ground.

Omo Mushin Olosha,

Still i shall rise.

(3)

THE ORIGIN IS NOT ALWAYS ZERO

By OKPARA OGHENESUVWE "CP Kings"

CP KINGS

Our streets are laboratories,

Where our boys experiment with their lives,

You call them science students,

Kids trying to get high on things that are low,

Our streets don be jungles,

Jungles without trees and branches but with leaves.

They say now,

Just with leaves,

I mean with weed.

But without trees and branches you can just get high.

I call it weed-craft.

And this weed craft sounds more like Kung Fu and shaolin,

But it seems we now find heights under our feet and depths above our heads.

I'm wondering.

.

But there's been a discovery,

Our boys found the keys to success,

It's on the keyboard they say,

So they keep on pressing to keep impressing,

Leaving impressions that those who do not love the keyboard,

Do not love hardwork.

Our boys are now pilots, 

But they don't fly planes,  they fly colours.

They say that's where they find solace.

.

Our girls are so laced with the idea,

That Self esteems now only as high as Facebook profiles,

So like brick layers “dem dey build Facebook walls,”

Walls when nor get foundations.

You scroll down and click to see more.

But whose fault if walls without foundations fall.

I'm wondering.

There are no longer true words,

More like true false.

With right wrongs and wrong rights.

Some of our lefts turned rights and rights turn wrongs.

But when someone else do the the wrong we keep records,

Like writing the wrongs will right the wrongs.

You don't purposely make many mistakes, MMM.

And forget karma is the ULTIMATE CYCLER.

They say histories are foundations,

But some of our histories are miseries,

Some of our back stories are bad stories.

And they say if the foundation is bad,

It's already a bad storey.

But don't forget,

I'm not talking about the drink.

But the origin is not always zero.

MEET THE LAST TWO JUDGES FOR SOS POETRY SLAM 3.0

Iquo DianaAbasi writes prose, poetry and scripts for radio and screen. She often performs her poems with a touch of culture-rich Ibibio folklore.

Her first collection of poems, Symphony of Becoming, was shortlisted for the NLNG Nigeria prize for literature, and the ANA poetry prize; both in 2013. It has also been shortlisted for the Woke Soyinka Prize for Literature.

She is an alumnus of Fidelity Bank’s International Creative Writing Workshop, and was writer in residence at the Ebedi International Writers Residency In 2013.

An avid student of human nature, Iquo’s writing explores socially cognizant themes, pain, love, womanhood and trials of the griots of this age.

Her writings appear in Kalahari review, Saraba magazine, ANA Review, AfricaInWords and Olisa.tv. She has been featured in several poetry anthologies.

Stages she has graced include: Lagos International Poetry Festival, Ake Arts and Book Festival, The Big60 Cultural Exchange, Wole Soyinka @80, Lagos Black Heritage Festival, The Macmillan Literary night, PLAY Poetry Festival, Word slam, The Lagos Poetry Festival, Word and Sound.

The mother of two resides in Lagos where she has just completed work on a collection of short fiction which is expected to hit stores by early 2019. She is also writing a second volume of poetry.

Reach her on Instagram: @dianaspeak

..........................................................................................................................................................

James Ademuyiwa is a Poet and Tech enthusiast, looking for life through darkness.

Facebook/Instagram: @james_ademuyiwa

MOMODU EHIZ TO JUDGE AT SOS POETRY SLAM 3.0

Momodu Ehiz is a poet who takes up on critical issues amidst the  various noises in our contemporary art space.

He is also a trained Communicator and mass communicator. Not running away from practically getting involved in building the desired political example in our society, Momodu has taken up political and union  activities where he was the Assistant Secretary General of the Student Union Government (SUG)  of the prestigious University Of Benin (2017/18 session),  his political views led to the strong resistance against the anti-poor and anti-student fee increment in the University of Benin. This struggle led to the management unjustly rusticating him along four other comrades. His studentship was reinstated after various agitation from active  quarters in the country and international community after just eleven (11) days of the Senate and the university's  initial decision. Momodu as a Unionist stood out and defended students across Edo State while initiating students oriented projects and programmes.

He was the 2ND Runner-Up at the #WarOfWords Season 2 (2013) and has performed in various poetry and art festivals across Africa and Europe.   He's the founder and festival manager of UNIBEN Literary Festival.. Aside poetry, Ehiz is a politically conscious individual who believes that Nigeria, with the right mind in leadership position will be a place where every Nigerian can proudly call home.

You can reach him on Facebook: Innocen Momodu Ehiz,  @Ehiz_m on Instagram

SOS UNVEILS JUDGES FOR HER 3RD ANNUAL POETRY SLAM COMPETITION

JUDGE 1

Layo Simeon is a poet and a poetry educator. She holds a M.A in English language from UNILAG.
She is the founder of Poetry Ah Live a performance poetry company, known for its Avant garde approach towards poetry.

She's passionate about promoting the poetry medium, by enabling younger ones appreciate poetry and express themselves. She and a team of passionate people teach performance poetry in schools, and have attended competitions where her students stand out.

Her brand Poetry Ah live, has featured in major festivals in Lagos, like the Lagos Theatre Festival. And is presently on tour in tertiary institutions.
Using poetry as a medium to stand for worthy causes.
Layo Simeon stands out with the emotional and pedagogical approach she has to poetry, combining different art coordinates, to pass a well coordinated message, that gets her audience emersed in her performances.

She was once a journalist, she loves to mentor younger ones and she is opened to anything poetry!

WHEN PORTHARCOURT SHOOK WITH WORDS!

Bang! It was an afternoon held spell-bound with variety of battalion hard knocks. Knocks from punchlines and maxims seemingly endless at the maiden edition of PortHarcourt Literary Society Poetry Slam #PHLS 2018.

The 15 poets that made the final cut from over 50 entries prove they were no mere word slingers and players, they were gods....this was obvious in the words of Efe Paul Azino, one of the four pre-selected  judges,  after the slam, he went like * "Toby, brilliant fucking poet, what a career you are going to have"*

The slam had entries from across states in Nigeria; Lagos, Benin, Bayelsa, Ibadan, Osun and Oyo. Toby Abiodun, Envoy and Olayinka Samson Aremu (PoeThick Samurai) came 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively at the opening round.

At the 2nd Round, it wasn't surprising to see Toby coming top again, judging from his wealth of experience at Abuja Literary Slam (ALS) where he had made several failed attempts to emerge at least top three (3) before finally snatching the 2nd Runner-Up spot at the second quarter of 2016, then heading to Lagos, he emerged Winner of the maiden edition of SOS POETRY SLAM as at August, 2016.

High-scoring Vivian Braide, Envoy, McFragile, Poethick Samurai followed Toby closely in that order.

Although, the judges seem miserly as no contestant aside Toby Abiodun had a perfect score of "10" from any of the sitting judges at both first and second rounds, though, the audience had a swell time, snapping fingers, whistling and even shouting the stage names  of their favorite contestants when the need arose. Toby had the audience screaming at this round with his trademark "punchlines that punch lives to life".

Final round again had Toby spitting fire through his pidgin poem on 'hustle', almost bagging a perfect 10 each from the 4 judges, save for his breaking the 2 minutes rule with 12 seconds past; he was duly penalized though, still he had the highest score of 10, 10, 9.8, 9.7 equaling 39.5 from the obtainable score of 40.

The slam wasn't lacking in drama, glamour and glitz. The contestants with varying styles of jubilation, reactions to scores from the judges and the eventual winner, Oloruntobiloba Abiodun (Toby) found himself lying with his back on the ground, obviously soaked with anxiety missed with a pleasant surprise after his final score was announced... (pictures speak volume)

McFragile won the 1st Runner Up slot with a take home prize money of N75,000 (Seventy-Five Thousand Naira) while Envoy the 2nd Runner-Up smiled home with N50,000 (Fifty Thousand Naira).

The other teens category had Ude Ugo, a female 15 year old student of New Total Child Academy all the way from the capital city of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State coming top, earning the prize money of N10,000 while three other runner-ups went home with N5,000 each, totaling N25,000 (Twenty-Five Thousand Naira) cash prize as promised by the organizers.

PHLS slam set a new tone in the record books of poetry slams in Nigeria, giving each of the fifteen (15) contestants the sum of N5,000 (Five Thousand Naira) as consolation for participating in the slam.

Pictures and videos coming soon. Kindly follow @phls_openmic on Facebook and Instagram for more updates.

Weldone PHLS!

Bankole Kolawole “BankHALL”

Poet, Essayist/Spoken Word Artist based in Lagos-Nigeria.

Instagram: @bankolekolawole

LUSTFUL LOVE- ELEMIDE BENJAMIN - #SOSPoetrySlam 2.0

LUSTFUL LOVE BY PENJAMIN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lruGZvmaoQc&t=113s At the beating of my heart, the world trembles. At the sound of my name the heart of humanity skip thousand beats; I am the heart of civilization, out of me springs the issues of life, legal or illegal, good or bad, peace or strife. Everyone dances to the irregular beats I produce whenever I strike the drum of desire with the stick of necessity. The love of me is the root of all evil, the lust of me is the root of all evil, I am not the root of all evil, but the lustful love of me. I am the gold bold enough to glitter in the sun, I am the sun hot enough to met the best of gold. Humanity pay homage to me with tears on tired skins, ocean from weary eyes, aches on heavy heads, shoe of dust on wandering feet of unemployed graduates; with poetry in the heart of innocent children whose parents are buried by bomb in catacombs, with imagination of luxury in the mind of penury, with wishes, dreams and aspirations of victims of fate putting on the rags of poverty. I am not God, but I'm worshiped with tongues on the pulpit of those that say I'm mammon, neither a small god, but I'm worshiped with incantations and dancing cowries thrown on the platter of deception. I am not the root of evil, but the lustful love of me. I can't buy you peace of mind, but I can assure comfort and satisfaction of buying many things and using few; I can't get you child, but I can give you the memory that would make another person's child yours forever; I can buy you the confidence your child need to speak amidst peers, for money speak in the congregation of the rich, but in the gathering of the poor humility speaks - poverty makes man humble. I am not the root of evil, but the lustful love of me. Those who say I'm the root of all evil are aliens in the planet of riches. You lust me lovingly, love me lustfully, with everything that makes me you man: you slaughter truth with lies, and wear deception all to have me; you kill your integrity on the altar of desperation all because of me... The love of me is the root of all evil, the lust of me is the root of all evil, I am not the root of all evil, but the lustful love of me. You lust me lovingly, love me lustfully, with everything that makes you woman: you fill your breast with milk of contempt, your nipples nibble on the soul of men till they are left with skeleton of devalued essence. You hate love, and love hatred, yet call me root of all evils when you are the Miss Ruth of all devils. The love of me is the root of all evil, the lust of me is the root of all evil, I am not the root of all evil, but the lustful love of me. I submit myself on the table of power, power became powerless. Take me away from government, and greedy humans will lose interest in power, for where there is no sugar, there is want of insects. Money doesn't make man mad; it only gives him two options, either to be mad, or to MAD - Make A Difference.

ARE NIGERIAN PASTORS USELESS?

LIBYA SLAVERY IS REAL.

Here is a poem on this painful truth by Abiola Inioluwa

Dear Baaami,
I want to remind you
Of how we lost our way on a night
Where Libya slit our future with daggers of horror
And we became a poem on slavery's archive

I saw voices sinking like a fallen dream,
I saw bodies, dropping like fading sighs
Tears- tatooed on scalp of naive sands
Noices, slay silence on a night of wounded memories.

It was a night where our smiles limped off our jaded faces
And fear cracked our soul with claws of brutality
Dreams buried- we became the sad song of a barren night

My brother's blood crawled to kiss my scar for the last time
And to give her blessing on my quest with my newly found buddy- slavery.
The cry of our sisters would spank my bald conscience-
Whenever their undefiled thighs appease fuming fangs:
In their eyes, I could see a young girl whose dignity is stolen

Chains, whips, punches, kicks:
Like a father would say to his child
"Do not die until you have made a mark on the pages of life"
The quote is fulfilled, but our backs became the pages of life,
And the whips made their mark on us.

We died papa, even before death rescued us
But papa, do not forget this:
We are silhouettes that won't feel the face of a new dawn,
And remember that when dream falls, actuality becomes a mirage

I go papa, never to return to you.

Curled from
https://linesandlyrics.blogspot.com.ng/2017/12/libya-home-of.html