Shoko!: Power of the spoken word unravelled

Last weekend, fans enjoyed a feast of emceeing (rapping), deejaying, breaking (break dancing) and graffiti writing, presented by an impressive line-up of local and international artistes. Certain elements of hip-hop, such as gangsta rap, focus on drugs, violence and misogyny. This genre is unacceptable to the internationally acclaim-ed stand-up guys, Akala (UK) and Hired Gun (US), artistes who have been enthralling Zimbos all weekend with their performances and workshops for positive change.
Saturday’s workshops were dedicated to film, song writing, dance and freestyling. Despite the pungwe of live concerts the night before, the programme started bright and early with Nomadic Wax’s groundbreaking documentary, Democracy in Dakar, presented by filmmaker Lena Jackson.  Thousands of hip-hop groups exist in Senegal, and this film explores the role of youth and political activism on the political process.
Next up was an invitation to get schooled in freestyling by the Brooklyn legend, Hired Gun. This innovative educator packs a formidable array of poetic, writing and emceeing skills, not to mention his ability to inspire and persuade. Within minutes, every individual in the Alliance’s Marechera Theatre was standing in a circle, bonding with his or her neighbour, and nodding wisely as Hired Gun described freestyling as the art of rhyme.
“This will help you to give speeches, to perform on the spot, to create references to what you already know, and to improve your critical skills,” expounded Hired Gun. “Respond to the impulse, and say whatever is on your mind!”
Seconds later we were marching to the four four beat of hip-hop, reggae and jazz – de duh, de duh, de duh, de duh. After a speedy lesson on linguistics and vocabulary, we were transformed into rappers, as we took turns in beating out our hastily composed inner most thoughts.
Tumi, of Tumi and the Volume (South African hip-hop act) and Drea, the young Tswana poet who leads where so many other women are inspired to follow, imparted the secrets of song writing. Both artistes insisted that to be able to write well, it is important to read. Drea said she has never suffered from writers’ block, but on occasion there is a traffic jam created by all the ideas crowding her mind.
Tumi, who combines the “cadence, force and flow” of poetry in his rap, says that although he loves “penmanship and the touch of moleskin”, he often writes his lyrics using his cellphone. Reading from his cellphone in the studio also cuts out the rustle of paper when recording songs.
An interlude of breaking by local group, Houze of Stone, drew an ecstatic audience, many of whom tried to keep up with the daring steps and gyrations of the performers.
Rapper Akala, who grew up in London, and has toured Europe and America with Jay-Z and Christina Aguilera, presented my last workshop for the day. Akala is something of a modern-day William Shakespeare, and his workshop, entitled Hip Hop Shakespeare, illustrated how closely the spoken word of hip-hop today resembles the language of the bard, a man of the people during the reign of Elizabeth I.
For music fans, the best was yet to come: From 6pm on Saturday until the early hours, the main stage at the Alliance Francaise would throb to the beat, song and dance of world-class talents. Shoko! is set to be an annual festival, so mark the date in your diary, start writing lyrics, and get into the beat.