kwani open mic 411

after a long battle with the very unpredictable kenyan weather it was 6 oclock time to bizaounce form the office...quite early i must say. i was leaving after having a fight or say,stand off with someone...not in the office though on cyber space.technology can be a way for people to fight over misunderstandings and yadi yadi yara

anyway before i knew it i was in town ready for THE kwani open mic,
from the word go this one was different ,
there was alot of hype about this particular event especially on twitter and a tard on #fb i am used to talking about it on the wednesday after its done and guys go like, "oh tell me when the next one is"

i was excited about this one infact it was more exciting owing to the fact it would have been the first,yap the first kwani i have attended without me taking to the stage. its like my 7th ,almost...
i am walking up the stairs and am listening to cindy welcoming the next guest so clearly and i even get to hear the poet starting out. if i was a 'hustler' i would just sit at the stairs and enjoy the perfomance ,my first applause .great sound. i mean the last time we had an artist album launch at sounds the sound was HORRIBLE if even at the foremost you could hear nothing.

i get to the door and warm mr.manager is there to welcome people *read supervise money handling* after giving ceasar his dues am in,
my first turn to the left and i meet @wamathai looking all cheerful and right there a conversation begins,this is one focused guy who is going places i must say at this time mc cindy is chanting something away and @muniu taps me to ask me to practice what i preach...ti hi hi...yes sir i have to at this point is where i meet a guy who i later know is @ngengy

taking the water i preach i rush off to find a spot in the classroom, classroom is where the focused poetry lovers go sit (as mochama,steve,paulo and some hoards nickname it) i.e people who are there to listen and clap when asked too i mean some even have notebooks. trust me when you are on stage you want to focus on this guys they look so interested in whatever is coming out of your mouth .before i get there i am met by kennet B my whagwaan brother.i remember he was my first poet i featured at BC. before long i am at smokers zone.

today the club is FULL,unusually FULL. i am used to having enough space to have a roadshow truck parked somewhere but i like. the ambience is great,the energy is on another level. i sit at smokers and the ladies join me later@katyynyamz @dkathambi they find me mid chanting kennet Bs' poem and am not the only one there is a guy behind me saying word by word well almost all . i look around and actually people with beer bottles on one hand adn a cigarrette on the other are listening laughing at every joke and cheering at every punch line. talk of inspiring a poet.

next is immah who really dint get much attention especially from muthurwa and i love the bartender ..these are zones at kwani ,muthurwa is 4 hip hop guys and poets fans or escorts these are the harsh critics who will boo if you bore them *read dont understand what you are saying * and i love the bartender is the place where guys who are just there to hang out chill and as it was most tweeps were there..maybe it was coincedence or deliberate. but oh well ..

people rated the event according to where they sat..
one @olivermathenge tweeted about too much noise as sharonna seemed to quote each punchline from each perfomer.

the perfomances were great @wanjikumwaurah @wanjeri gakuru were among the female 'veteran' poets to perform there were a couple of new shots who i must unless you know what you are doing please stick to your seats i must mention one who gave us a testimony of his poetry life,or what was that ? and kwani sure does know to give due where its worth cause i could almost count the people who were listening ...
kennet b,number 8,nemesis were among the male ol poets and tony mochama the sic head but passionate poet was there too. and if you dont understand smitta,please dont bitch about him being stupid you look stupid to those who know him, this is to the couple i was near who were busy describing smitta in all words that describe dimwitts.

i must mention chatting progressed and grew with time but i have to be real no poet was subdued and i dont remember hearing any one of them say keep quiet or listen or whatever else that means please listen to me.. if there was please please remind me ASAP.

but here comes the cream of the event there was an incentive 4 the non poetry lovers.. @antoneosoul was performing and i was glad to see @andrew wa mvua who its about time he quit backyard singing and after number 8 curtain raising for him ,@antoneosoul together with his band took to the stage amidst screams and chants of nyenje !nyenje!nyenje which are his way of telling off people*inside joke*. he keeps our music glands waiting as a comedian who is part of his band ,see me you read simiyu takes the stage and TOTALLY cracks us up...tell me of any dry joke he said if you thought he was boring. anyway finally anto takes the mic and you guy! i was sooooooo impresssed,entertained i was in love....his voice,the band and crowd energy was almost a perfect blend actually it was a great blend. nikundyalala was maybe what most people rem.but am sure the other songs sipped deep into your musical glands ,the tribute,tiga kumute to kplc was osome but brief....anto,we want more of that jam.LOL. i must note.
i would go on and on but did you see how the crowd however excited to meet their pals was so engaged and entertained..? *rhetoric question*

it had it blurps but the poetry and music which was agenda of the night was well served. attribute to focused ,precise and targeted,great sound ,great poets and focused attendants but off course if you were seated at i love the barman area you will disagree with me because you heard almost zero...from where i perched it was Osome.

i am bad at meet and greets but i was greatful for all the people especially tweeps i met...xoxo @mkaigwa woop!woop! @warothe challenged my brain while @jamesmurua analyzed my writing @missfattyfatfat ....@locococomoco just lovely we did quite abit of comedy script writing seriously out chats were off the railway... i spotted @mwanikih in the house and am growing tall i must say.@buggz79 had his lines all buttered up to melt and crack me up.. many more people i met forgive me 4 not mentioning all.

kudos poetry event goers. kudos to the poets..and antoneosoul album chep chep! you have a fan /supporter number !

i heard there is a poetry event this friday well lets wait and see bout that details later...

xoxo