Five of Ottawa’s spoken word poetry artists gathered at Flapjack’s on Preston Street and performed to around 30 people on last week’s chilly Friday night.
The event, Poets and Pancakes, was organized on Jan. 22 by Urban Legends, a poetry slam series based in Ottawa. Director of the series Khaleefa Hamdan, also known as ApollotheChild, said he thought it was a unique idea. Poets and Pancakes is a poetry showcase where a previously selected group of artists gather at a pancake shack and perform for the audience as they enjoy delicious pancakes.
“I want Poets and Pancakes to be a new staple in the city,” he said. “I want to rebuild the Ottawa community and also infuse much-needed creativity.”
The event brought a full house, with people standing on their feet.
Corey Sauvé, the owner of Flapjack’s, contacted Hamdan expressing his interest in having a poetry show at his restaurant.
Spoken word poetry is one of the rapid growing art forms in North America. It manifested itself in the form of competition known as “slam.” Eventually, artists began looking for spaces and opportunities to speak their mind without the pressure of impressingjudges with scoreboards.
Prominent poets Just Jamaal (Jamaal Jackson Rogers), Barâa Arar, John Akpata, King Kimbit (Kimberly Nguyen), and Hamdan stepped to the stage at Flapjack’s. Rogers and Nguyen infused their poems with some vocals, adding a musical touch to their performance.
The event was hosted by Reda Zarrug, a former Carleton student who is currently working on his own art project.
Zarrug’s energy as a host was translated onto the audience members, who snapped their fingers in appreciation of any powerful lines they resonated with.
Rogers dedicated a poem to his mother. Arar spoke about lessons from high school. Nguyen spoke of addiction and youth issues. Hamdan spoke of identity and where to belong. Finally, Akpata spoke of morality.
“Everyone at this event was very welcoming. The content of the evening was a vast array of different subject matter,” poetry fan Klubba Lang said.
Jeremy Morse, who had never attended a poetry show prior to Poets and Pancakes, said the event made him realize poetry is far more diverse in its different styles.
“It can be used to portray an idea in a more detailed and expressive way,” Morse said.
