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"All poets up," bellows Cora Spearman in a tone that tells her performers she means business. Verses in hand, they amble sheepishly toward their positions. "No, no, no -- you all need to run up there," she huffs, stamping her foot on the sleek hardwood floor. "I'm Debbie Allen and this is 'Fame.' Run!" She finally expels a chuckle, and the poets giggle nervously along with her. After all, this is supposed to be only a rehearsal. Poets’ former jazz pizazz
now speaks to a hip-hop beatBy Shawn "Speedy" Lopes
slopes@starbulletin.comStill, for this very perplexed crew of orators, Spearman's directives get stranger by the minute. She tells them that Live Poets Society, tonight's unusual spoken-word get-together at Wave Waikiki, will commence with all dozen or so performers reciting their pieces aloud simultaneously. Noticing the puzzled looks around the room, she pulls each poet out of the crowd to hear exactly what she hears.
"That to me is beautiful," she would later say in describing the jumbled chorus. "To see everyone -- white, black, Latino, Asian, tall, short, fat, skinny -- reciting their thoughts at the same time; that's where I'm at."
All are equally compelling and unique. Some are quiet readers, others more forceful. A few seem quite studied in their approach, while others choose to deliver their prose in the no-nonsense manner of a hip-hop emcee.
"I've always heard how poetry is like jazz, but poetry now is a lot more like hip-hop," Spearman contends. "When people get on the mic, you see it in their flow, their stance. It can be direct like Lil' Kim or more mellow like Jill Scott, but they're reflecting their own personal thoughts and experiences in ways that work for them."
Just as the more progressive and spontaneous elements of jazz seemed tailor-made for the beat poetry of the '50s and '60s, more and more these days, hip-hop exhibits a powerful influence on the spoken word. It can be seen in coffee shops and open-mic sessions in Honolulu and around the nation and even on television, courtesy of rap music mogul Russell Simmons' "Def Poetry" on HBO. In the new spoken-word series, well-regarded rapper Mos Def introduces a live New York audience to a number of established poets, street lyricists and urban bohemians (not to mention the occasional celebrity) who bare their souls for all the world to see.
In the melding of traditions new and old, Spearman has invited local deejays Sub-Zero and Tim Borsch to provide appropriate grooves for tonight's performance. "I wanted to put beats to people's poetry and treat the poets like (hip-hop) emcees," she explains. "There are still people, especially older musicians, who don't understand how deejays can create music. I had to explain to them that the really good ones aren't just mixing records; they have their own styles and create sounds that no one else can. It's definitely an art."
The lineup promises to be a wide-ranging one. For starters, there's Kathryn Takara, University of Hawaii professor of ethnic studies ("a teacher, mother, sister, friend -- the reason I keep writing," says Spearman); Jesse Lipman, originator of the local "Wordstew" open-mic sessions ("political and sensual"); spoken-word duo Makepa and Seth ("very rooted and spiritual"); and Katana ("strong lyricist -- kicks everything by memory").
"There are so many more poets with such great energy," Spearman enthuses. "These are local voices people need to hear."
Tonight, each wordsmith will get their chance to shine. One at a time, of course.
Where: Wave Waikiki, 1877 Kalakaua Ave. Live Poets Society
When: 9 p.m. today
Admission: Free before 10 p.m.; $5 after (must be 21)
Call: 941-0424
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