“We only have this one life, so we have to make the best of it and use our talents to the best of our abilities, otherwise we don’t really live.”
Poetry is known for it’s ability to connect with the deepest part of a human being and make them come alive. Playshis is Namibia’s own poet extraordinaire, known for his thought provoking conscious edge that he brings to his poetry and he is making his mark through his poetry both locally and throughout Africa.
With his second Avant Garde poetry and collaborative arts event coming to the stage this week, 99FM’s MYD Art sat down with the poet to talk about the link between poetry and feeling alive.
99FM’s MYD Art asked:
Why do you think it’s said that poetry is the language of the soul?
“I think poetry is the best way to express yourself. It’s just so beautiful and you can connect so deeply with others through poetry. It helps you get out what you feel deep inside and it can so easily and beautifully evoke so many emotions that you never knew you had.”
Why do you think it’s important to do what makes you come alive?
“We only have this one life, so we have to make the best of it and use our talents to the best of our abilities, otherwise we don’t really live.”
Who inspired you to start with poetry?
“My High School English teacher’s believe in me gave me the confidence to stand on a stage and perform. I’ll never forget it. She basically made me take part in the poetry section competition in the Namibian Schools Arts and Culture festival at that time. First year I got silver, the second year I got gold. It felt good. I guess it was just going to be a matter of time before I stepped onto bigger stages.”
What made you become a poet?
“I got into poetry while still in High School. I really liked the English literature class and after being exposed to different works from different poets I decided to try it out. So I started writing. Firstly I just kept what I wrote to myself until, in 2007, when I saw an audition call, in the newspaper, for poets to go audition for the monthly poetry show held by Spoken Word Namibia in Windhoek.”
What is like to be a poet in Namibia?
“It’s okay, I guess. I mean, I’m very happy that we have a platform to actually be a poet in Namibia, but we have such a small population and the arts sector is still very much growing. It took about a decade for Spoken Word Namibia to reach the popularity that it has now. It could be better, but it is surely growing.”
Tell us about your show next week?
“Last year I did a show called PRESS PLAY. It involved not just poetry but other elements of art including instrumentals, singing, drama/ acting, comedy and dance. So I collaborated with some other poets as well as artists who practice different crafts. It was something fresh and exciting and was very well accepted since no other local performance poet, as far as I know, has ever really done a show like that here in Namibia. So it was quite unexpected and very successful. The days, weeks and even months after the show people kept asking me when PRESS PLAY 2 would be happening. So, we decided to do this upcoming one; REWIND and PRESS PLAY. It takes place on Wednesday, 30 September 2015. The underlying concept will be similar, but the show will be a bit different. It will be new material and I’m mostly working with different artists this time around. It’s not your regular poetry show, it’s something not to miss.”
To give you an idea of what to expect, here is a review of last year’s PRESS PLAY: Playshis and Press Play
For more information about the event, take a look here : Rewind and Press Play