Ifueko Ogbomo, after three rounds of keenly contested poetry performance of three minutes each brushed aside ten others which includes Toby, the defending slam champion to emerge as the new Slam Champion with a record score of 49.2 in the last round and a total of 142.1 from the three rounds put together from the 150 point obtainable.
For the first time in the history of the slam, more than ten poets contested which includes two Slam Champions, The Storyteller and Toby, the defending champion. Others are Ambassador Ayo olukanni, Gospel, Mac Captain G and sixteen years old Shallom Sunday, a student of Government Secondary School Garki and President of the school’s Rugged Writers Club who came third in the last edition amongst others who are first timers.
The contestants stepped on the ‘hot stage’ for their performance, one after the other with each providing such sterling performance that it not only becomes difficult for the audience to give their cheering support to any particular contestants but for the five judges to discern what scores to give to who because of the in-depth quality of all the contestants in terms of the content, delivery, presentation and demonstration.
From the time she stepped out for the first of her three rounds of performance, Ifueko won the heart of the audience. Her choice of poem, her velvety honey coated voice and the ease of her body movement endears her to the audience, Judges and her co-contestants who cannot help but applaude her poetic brilliance. The first runner-up, Gospel and second runner-up, Storyteller who took home N20,000 and N15,000 respectively have no problem in conceding defeat to this worthy champion.
Anchored by Ken Ike-Okere, the Slammaster and assisted by his long running Co-Slammaster, Jide Attah, the night was not just about poetry performance as Ayo Babatope, one of Abuja’s promising talking drummer who entertained the audience and Ben Sar, a guitarist whose music seared through the heart of everyone in that Borno Room of Transcorp Hilton Hotel and reverberate beyond its walls.
While Miss Ayo Momodu, a staff of Junior Achievers, an Abuja based NGO describe it as ‘exciting, revealing, beautiful, the best of poetry in motion’ Dr. Kabura Zakama, popularly referred to as Fulani Poet describes this edition of the slam as the best ever “The quality of the performance was better than the poems.” He submitted adding that “Ifueko’s performance was exceptional but her poems needed to be tightened up.” As an observer and a veteran poet himself, Dr. Zakama without prejudice to the Judges decision believes that in terms of content which is an important element of poetry slam believes that The Storyteller’s poems stood out but performance gave it to Ifueko.
Earlier in his address, Mr. Ken Ike Okere reiterate the society’s promise that the slam has come to stay and that the prize money for the champion will continue to be on the rise. “For the first time, the prize is a record N30,000 and I can assure you that for as long as we have the required financial support, the prize will continue to improve. It will get to a stage where poets will fly in to Abuja from across the nation to participate in the slam. That is our dream – A Nigeria Poetry Slam Contest” He said and went on to request interested individuals and organizations not to shy away from supporting this noble project.
The Abuja Poetry Slam is an Abuja Literary Society initiative aimed at promoting the art and power of the spoken word otherwise known as poetry performance. The slam is a quarterly event usually rounded up with a Grand Slam in December of each year where all the Slam Champions slugs it out. Ekene Atusioba popularly known as Poet for Life and the Storyteller are currently the two Grand Champions of the Poetry Slam.
Jerry Adesewo
For the first time in the history of the slam, more than ten poets contested which includes two Slam Champions, The Storyteller and Toby, the defending champion. Others are Ambassador Ayo olukanni, Gospel, Mac Captain G and sixteen years old Shallom Sunday, a student of Government Secondary School Garki and President of the school’s Rugged Writers Club who came third in the last edition amongst others who are first timers.
The contestants stepped on the ‘hot stage’ for their performance, one after the other with each providing such sterling performance that it not only becomes difficult for the audience to give their cheering support to any particular contestants but for the five judges to discern what scores to give to who because of the in-depth quality of all the contestants in terms of the content, delivery, presentation and demonstration.
From the time she stepped out for the first of her three rounds of performance, Ifueko won the heart of the audience. Her choice of poem, her velvety honey coated voice and the ease of her body movement endears her to the audience, Judges and her co-contestants who cannot help but applaude her poetic brilliance. The first runner-up, Gospel and second runner-up, Storyteller who took home N20,000 and N15,000 respectively have no problem in conceding defeat to this worthy champion.
Anchored by Ken Ike-Okere, the Slammaster and assisted by his long running Co-Slammaster, Jide Attah, the night was not just about poetry performance as Ayo Babatope, one of Abuja’s promising talking drummer who entertained the audience and Ben Sar, a guitarist whose music seared through the heart of everyone in that Borno Room of Transcorp Hilton Hotel and reverberate beyond its walls.
While Miss Ayo Momodu, a staff of Junior Achievers, an Abuja based NGO describe it as ‘exciting, revealing, beautiful, the best of poetry in motion’ Dr. Kabura Zakama, popularly referred to as Fulani Poet describes this edition of the slam as the best ever “The quality of the performance was better than the poems.” He submitted adding that “Ifueko’s performance was exceptional but her poems needed to be tightened up.” As an observer and a veteran poet himself, Dr. Zakama without prejudice to the Judges decision believes that in terms of content which is an important element of poetry slam believes that The Storyteller’s poems stood out but performance gave it to Ifueko.
Earlier in his address, Mr. Ken Ike Okere reiterate the society’s promise that the slam has come to stay and that the prize money for the champion will continue to be on the rise. “For the first time, the prize is a record N30,000 and I can assure you that for as long as we have the required financial support, the prize will continue to improve. It will get to a stage where poets will fly in to Abuja from across the nation to participate in the slam. That is our dream – A Nigeria Poetry Slam Contest” He said and went on to request interested individuals and organizations not to shy away from supporting this noble project.
The Abuja Poetry Slam is an Abuja Literary Society initiative aimed at promoting the art and power of the spoken word otherwise known as poetry performance. The slam is a quarterly event usually rounded up with a Grand Slam in December of each year where all the Slam Champions slugs it out. Ekene Atusioba popularly known as Poet for Life and the Storyteller are currently the two Grand Champions of the Poetry Slam.
Jerry Adesewo
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