Interests:Writing, drawing, movies, sports, music, games, books, the fairer sex, new knowledge, the demise of the Bush administration, and the unknown Expertise:writing overly complex prose and poems that only other writers understand. And talking very fast. Occupation:Other Industry:Art
Some footage by Darron of Youth Speaks Hawai'i at Brave New Voices Semi-Finals:
Kouna by Ittai and Jamaica (with Alaka'i and Will)
(I've never heard Jamaica have such emotion in a piece before, usually she's pretty cool throughout but listen to how her voice squeaks and pinches throughout, she has such emotion.)
Star-Strangled by Ittai
This is an older poem, but still powerful. Keep in mind he's 15 years old.
Azien by Ittai and Alaka'i
(Alaka'i is also 15 years old.)
7 Deadly Sins by Jocelyn and Will
(They added serpentine movements since the last time I saw them perform this piece, which in my mind harken back to the snake in Eden. When they performed this I later introduced someone to Joce by saying she's actually a really sweet, really nice girl (and Will's actually a totally laid back guy), so don't be afraid.)
There are alternate angles of a couple of these pieces, but since the videos came right from Darron, we'll call them the official YSH versions.
The source material is honestly one of the greatest works of fiction created during my life (so far). The question is how close the movie will adhere to the series, considering the whole story would take six hours to show.
Tonight in Washington DC, Youth Speaks Hawai'i became the Brave New Voices world champions!
This is the happiest and proudest I have ever been of a group of friends in my entire life, the most envious I've ever been of another's achievements or experience, and the most I have ever regretted not giving up a huge chunk of time and money to travel with my friends (and yeah, I'll say it, people who are like a family).
I'll re-post the videos I took of their performances but right now I'm so excited, amped, pumped that I need to go... flip over a car or light a fire or loot a convenience store or something! Now I understand why English football fans burn down the city after their local team wins!
I've spent 90 minutes, and two drafts trying to summarize my trip to Hawai'i, but they always went on far too long, and still didn't say all I want. So instead here are some of the videos I took while out there.
Of course first is myself (yes this one again) at the final Re:Verses. It was the first time some of the some poets, including Hawai'i Slam member Tui Z and a couple of the Youth Speaks kids I got to know last year, ever saw me perform, and it was thus far the only time my mother has. For staging I put both mics behind me and stepped into the first row of chairs so I was literally surrounded by the crowd. (At the end you'll see me speak to a woman in the front, what I said was "I'm sorry for spitting on you. It wasn't personal." She replied, with huge eyes, "It's okay!")
The reception was amazing, including getting the one of only three perfect scores of the slam and Hawai'i Slam members saying "That was the breakthrough piece of the night," "I wanted you to go on twice" and "I am all about the new piece. ALL ABOUT the new piece!" I also wanted to go twice, but when I was on a team with 2007 Hawai'i Slam member Stri, and Youth Speaks alum Kelly (who got the first ten of the night with an amazing poem) and Mari (who I swear makes me cry almost every time she's on the mic), there was just too much talent to neglect.
A big fundraiser was held for Youth Speaks Hawai'i which including performances by YSH, local band Tempo Valley and Seattle hip hop group Blue Scholars (who performed at the event for free). It raised over 4,000 dollars for their trip to nationals. Hopefully the attention of such an event, and YSH's spot as one of the featured teams in an upcoming HBO documentary, will make Youth Speaks a major part of the local art scene. I took video of four Youth Speaks performances, but was asked to take them down because the team wants them to be a surprise for the national finals next week, so instead here's Hawai'i Slam (Travis T, Kealoha and Tui) doing "Americans" a poem that caused controversy after propelling Team Hawaii passed Costa Mesa and Providence into the national semi-finals in only their second year of competition (it ws Providence's first time missing semis in ten years).
Since that time Costa Mesa has apparently become a rival, while Providence, both the adult and youth teams, as good friends with Hawai'i. I actually got to open this event as the "sacrificial poet" and while I didn't "explode" as Travis T asked me to, and didn't get the reaction I wanted, the poem was generally well recieved with one person saying my intelligence was intimidating, one Youth Speaks member asking for a copy so she could tell everyone "Yeah, I know the guy who wrote this" and a stranger telling me "That was a great poem. It tells the truth."
Here's just one of the Blue Scholars videos I took from that same event, after seeing their full show the previous night.
They are really nice guys that make amazing music. I got to hang out with both of them at a barbecue the night before they left, talked Modest Mouse and sampling with Sabzi and poetry, songwriting and syllable counting with Geologic. Support independent music!
I got to see Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo for the first time since National Poetry Slam (August 2006) at First Thursday and she remembered who I was without a out. She even referred to me as "pretty blue eyes," and although they're green, I still loved it. She is an absolutely amazing poet and singer and I am so unbelieveably happy that our visits overlapped.
After listening to the CDs I bought from her and 2007 National Poetry Slam Individual Champion Danny Sherrard (who I am waiting the permission of before posting videos) I've been inspired to write three poems that are very different from what I did for the trip home. Iyeoka's work is beautiful, inspiring, crushing, and uplifting all in turn and Danny excels at seeing the invisible world in his words. While my performance at First Thursday was not so good (I totally messed up the end piece), Danny told me twice it was a great poem, so I'm inclined to believe him. They both performed at Ong King on July 4th, and that's where the videos are from. I picked a good time to go home.
Lastly, and when Brave New Voices is over I'll post some video, I cannot emphasize enough just how impressed and proud I am of Youth Speaks Hawai'i. The mentors give everything they have to the kids. If YSH existed when I was in high school, I'd probably already have a novel out and be touring as a slam poet. As for the team: Ittai has been a strong poet since he was 12 years old and if he is Michael Jordan then Alaka'i has become more than Scotty Pippin, more like the equal that Jordan never had in his time, Jamaica has an incomparable presence and a style unmatched in all of slam poetry, Will has worked hard and more than earned his chance on the team, as well as his 2008 Youth Speaks Hawai'i championship (I spoke with him before about his disappointment missing the team last year so his spot on the team, more than any other, is such a joy to witness), and there is yet to be anything Jocelyn does not rock at, from writing beautiful words to matching the energy of her teammates to going from super sweet and cute at the start of piece to intense and frightening by the end. This is a strong team. Each of these kids, if they stick with writing, could make any National Poetry Slam team they try for and probably tour as individual poets. I wish so much I could be in Washington DC to see them next week.
More on my trip home later (when I don't feel the pressure of making the most of my last day/fatigue from the previous night), but this was likely the personal highlight:
