Presenting the superior lyricist who sparkles the twilight of Spoken Word with a hybrid voice, alongside visual effects

An interview with Kwaku Sonny. By Darko antwi.

DARKO: How do you feel when your bewitching performance is greeted by that much public affection and enthusiasm?

KWAKU: Nothing feels good than giving people the best part of you, your he(art) and people grabbing it with two hands. It also puts a great deal of burden on you to stay great and continue to live up to expectations.

The fact that when I put into words the things I observe, read about and experience could also inspire, teach, warn, educate, edify, impact lives and making a meaningful living out of it. It's simply fulfilling.

DARKO: Amongst the Ghanaian Spoken Word voices, yours have had the esteem as “a clever betwixt and between; that does not lean wholly on English nor Twi” Is that an overstatement?

KWAKU: I will not say it's an overstatement or otherwise, and thanks for the kind words.

I believe poetry is the highest form of expressive art and expression can directly be linked to culture. One aspect of culture that gives me an identity as a Ghanaian is to cloth myself in the richness of my language, I always tell people that poetry is not about English, it is the aesthetics of language that give poetry colour.

When I got to the point in my poetry career that I thought I needed to hop to a different level, the Twi language presented itself as a springboard and I embraced it. It has clearly positioned and distinguished my voice amongst other voices. I am still learning the language day by day and using my works to preach to the colleagues and audience that poetry should not be a routine. When you enter, be ready to put your expectations aside and use all elements at your disposal, including language. 

DARKO: What relationship should an artist have with a Spoken Word movement like Ehalakasa?

KWAKU: Well, when I started poetry, the bi-weekly Talk Party series which culminated into Ehalakasa was an avenue where one goes to share works and get other opinions about their works and connect with other artists particularly poets. Every artist needs such environment to understand the industry, get to know your competitive and comparative advantage as an ingredient of growth because the kind of people that Ehalakasa attracts was not just poets, but practitioners of other art disciplines including contemporary artist, painters, musicians, instrumentalists, producers, promoters, event organizers, journalists and critics alike.

But from where I sit today with a clearer vision and defined target, I don't crave some platforms including Ehalakasa, I support it wholly and I will always urge poets to take advantage of any platforms or projects that gives them the opportunity to connect, exhibit and perform with like-minded people.

DARKO: Partnering with an artist, who paints in simultaneous to an oral delivery, has been your distinctive contribution to Spoken Word versatility. By the way, what effect is that concurrence meant to achieve?

KWAKU: I have been looking at ways to expand poetry to reach a larger audience and been a staunch advocate for collaborations in poetry with various art disciplines I needed to take the lead in practicalising some of these ideas. Such collaborations are expensive and I believe that is the reason we've not seen much in this light.

I had a clear understanding of what I want to do with music, dance, painting, acrobatics, fashion, etc. So when I met Patrick (the artist) as he create meaningful marks on the canvas with his different brush strokes, it created rhythm and I begun to sing a poem along. The experience affirmed the quote that says "painting is silent poetry". It wasn't long that I called him to join forces with me and leverage on my idea and platforms. I can use poetry to market you and make you the best, trust me" these were my words.

In 2013 with the help of Professor Nii Yartey of blessed memory, and Theatrical Arts lecturer and practictioner Abdul Karim Hakib, I assembled 3 poets, 2 dancers, 2 instrumentalist, a musician and an artist in a 12 minutes dramatic performance at the National Theatre to commemorate the 1st anniversary celebration of the late Prof John Evans Attah Mills. It was really a spectacular performance, the effect of that performance and most of my performances with Patrick William Dodoo has changed the negative perceptions about poetry being boring and also given people a better appreciation of both poetry and painting.

It has given poetry performance a space on the programming of most corporate events

I have sold this idea to mean that, it is the best way to honour people with a touch of depth, aesthetics, dexterity, message and surprise and putting money in our pockets simultaneously. It's been a wonderful journey and proud to say that this collaboration has brought me before kings, presidents, business owners, celebrities, men of God and the media. It helped me put smiles on the face of many in their moment of joy and even grief during weddings, birthday parties, send off parties, board meetings and farewell events.

DARKO:  Instead of performing each act according to the tone and mood of the letter, most Spoken Word artists tend to render almost every title in the spirit of a war speech. Are you guilty of same?

KWAKU: Your honour, I will not plead guilty to this offense if indeed it is even an offense... lol.

Per my experience as a Spoken word artiste some performances in the way you describe it have made impact and employing all the performance techniques such as mood, tone, sounds of language, movement, props, lights and so forth has also had made same impact on my audiences and listeners so as a believer of art and its dynamism, particularly spoken word and its contribution to the recognition of poetry in modern times none of these can't be underestimated. I always say spoken word is branch of poetry and one needs to first of all understand and appreciate poetry before you can be a better spoken word artist and not the other way round.

Poetry is communication and you need to understand your audience well before you can communicate to their body, soul and mind.

DARKO: Toward the events of domestic politics, have you any doubt that satire and parody are less-explored by the traditional Spoken Word writer?

KWAKU: Not per se, I will not say fully and I also think a lot of spoken word artist have not got the platforms to sell their works because I know politics is one of the most abuse topics for the spoken word artist not in a satirical way though. I have a few works in that line that has landed me in trouble and have not been allowed to perform on some particular platforms in the past.

Notwithstanding, my Alewa Poetry Festival had a whole evening of political theme pieces which was great, to say the least. 

DARKO: During a July 2017 interview on Atinka Television, you stated that “poetry has the tendency of changing people. It has an evangelistic power.” Could you in a practical context deliberate on the transformational force you affirm?

KWAKU: I recall in 2015, I was engaged by Stratcom Limited for a performance at their annual Praise Jam event at the Accra International Conference Center and I recall they told me my performance will look into the altar segment of the program and so my performance should be centered around the theme of the night and I called my colleague Tawiah DeSoulPoet to help me come up with a performance that is interactive. We built a performance around my poem  My CV of Sin, to the glory of God after our performance and ending with the fact that God don't need our CVs but our willingness to open our hearts out to do his will. 

We had over 300 people coming forward to give their lives to Christ as we invited a Minister Of God to lead them. I have also received countless messages from people that affirm the impact of poems like True Friend, Sun & Son, When I Was A Child, GOAT have had on them. Because of my contents, I have become a regular performer (Minister) in many religious gatherings across the country

I have understood the different people parts of the power our words and works possesses thus the body of work (written work) and the spirit of the work (the emotional connection that drives the message) and how to use these two elements for.

DARKO: Where Taylor’s Yardstick is understood to be an evaluation (of written composition) that rates comprehension above aestheticism, how relevant could such standard be for Spoken Word, an art wherewith an average of 170 stressed syllables per minute are recited?

KWAKU: ....

DARKO: Having described yourself as “a full-time artist,” by which parameter should it be understood that a Spoken Word occupant could earn an income above subsistence level?

KWAKU: Having worked in the corporate sphere in different capacities and taking the poetry bull by the horn, I have realized several ways a poet can make money.

First of all dressing up a poem with form, content, sound and history in an informed way, with the aim of heightening one's own and others' understanding and appreciation of the work in a way should get you paid.

Depending on the contract of the engagement, a poets role can move from marketing, public relations, information dissemination, entertainment, exhortation etc. And all these forms could get a poet paid. Facilitating a workshop, reading engagements and more.

If you are able to make one understand the level of work that goes into writing a piece and be able to quantify the number of hours of research, assemblage of rhymes to use, the angle of approach to the concept at hand, the editing process, the rehearsal, the tension before and during performance, they will give your due.

DARKO: At the moment, Spoken Word is vibrant and newsworthy. But there is a fear that, as its audience lose appetite with time, it might phase out as have other fashionable recreational packages. Isn’t Spoken Word vulnerable, after all?

KWAKU: No art form is vulnerable; it is the artist who refuses to learn, who refuses to grow, who refuses to be dynamic and continue to do the same thing over and over again, yet to the expectation of achieving different results. In that sense, the individual artist should rather be noted for vulnerability.

Any art form that encompasses entertainment, education and information dissemination has the tendency to attract people. People are attracted to stories, proverbs, riddles, songs because they are enjoyable.

Oral literature makes us aware of ourselves, other human beings, our environment, our culture and our history. Spoken word employs the use of imagery that portray plants, animals, personalities and other creatures in the same lively language.

One contribution of spoken word is giving insight into people, things and events and will continue to exist as any other art forms.

We all agree reading habits have deteriorate and I believe spoken word can provide a more resolution to a more academic form of poetry and it has boundless potential.

There are a number of things to make it happen thus getting a more reliable and dedicated venues for the this art form, spoken word items in traditional media and poets getting paid for their appearances, performances, and products including books, audio and online streaming services. It will continue to exist.

                       

Kwaku Sonny

                                                                    Caught in the act