Headliner of PoeTree- A Celebration of Spoken Word Rae.
PoeTree Barbados continued to showcase the amazing talent of spoken-word artiste as they held PoeTree-A Celebration of Spoken Word at Cricket Legends of Barbados, Fontabelle, St. Michael on April 26th, 2024.
The show which began at 8:10pm started off strong with a performance by Timon Howard of Image, Blood and History which had the audience in awe as he delivered his lyrical gymnastics.
He was followed by Operation Triple Threat and Honey Jam alum Zoe Sunshine who had the audience singing along as she beautifully rendered Back To Black by Amy Winehouse.
She was followed by NIFCA Gold Awardee 2023 and Poet of The Year, Stonedwithcupid who masterfully delivered his poem They Call Them Poet in which he spoke about the two PoeTree Barbados Griot Awardees, Justin Sunrokk Taylor, and Keoma Rhyminister Mallet.
The next performer of the night was NIFCA Silver Awardee Damani Re who gave the ladies in the audience an early Mother’s Day gift as he performed his poem Goddess of Creation in which he celebrated women and their contribution to society.
He was followed by Aaliyah Cumberbatch who captivated the audience with her beautiful voice as she performed The Way by Jill Scott . The audience roared as she performed her amazing rendition of the song.
She was followed by NIFCA Bronze Awardee La Shawna Griffith who performed her Bronze Award winning poem The Belch of Racism Has A Pungent Odour which captivated the audience with her masterful performance.
The Master of Ceremonies of the night Cher Antoinette and La Shawna Griffith had the audience in stitches with their jokes and banter as they kept the show moving swiftly along.
The next performer of the night was called back to the stage for the first encore of the night, Raquon Hinds who performed My Barbadian Identity. The poem in which he questions what is his identity resonated with the audience who roared at some of his outstanding lyricism which was presented in the piece.
But it was the Headline performer of the night that had the audience in the palm of his hands. Ramone Rae Blackman, who is currently nominated for Gine On People’s Choice Award Spoken Word Artiste of the Year, showcased his versatility and left the audience wanting more as he performed his 30 minute set.
He began his set with his introduction poem Rae Writes and the audience roared with his wit and lyricism especially when he said the line ‘ I am like a northbound conductor Speightstown with seats’, he continued his set with his poem Enigma which spoke to the issues men face with their mental health, the poem resonated with the audience and is one that holds a lot of truth as many men do not have safe spaces that they can share their mental health struggles. Rae must be commended for performing such a vulnerable poem. He continued his set with a freestyle which was dedicated to PoeTree Barbados’ Griot Awardees Sunrokk and Rhyminister dubbed A Way to Play With Words.
But it was his performances to the ladies in the audience that had the crowd captivated. The first of which was his performance of Lucid the poem which he performed sitting to the edge of the stage, he spoke about a daydream he had of being intimate with a beautiful lady at a club only to realize it was a dream.
His next poem was called Dream Catcher which he performed to a lucky female member of the audience.
After his performance of Dream Catcher, the show broke for their inaugural PoeTree Barbados Buss Ah Rhyme Battle where Malachi Hope was declared the winner with 83.5 points and Jeremiah Toussaint, 1st runner up with 74.5 points.
Rae returned to perform his viral poem Search Warrant and Interrogation which left the audience wanting more.
For more information on when the next PoeTree Barbados event is happening follow them on Instagram @poetreebarbados.
(PR)