It is with no doubts that the spoken word scene in Ghana is moving from the peripheral of entertainment into the mainstream all thanks to various poetry shows coming from all corners of Accra.
Other spoken words artists Mutombo De Poet and Kwame Write have moved a step to produce albums, all towards aiding the genres growth and another to join the fray of recording works is Laud de Poet.
The Tema-based poet and head of Mode Conceptz has put out the lead single “Wordithiology” which was released three weeks ago off his upcoming Spoken Word album.
Riding on reggae beats, Laud de Poet exhibits his wordplay, throwing around words and breaking it down from his own perspective. Some of the words in his “Wordithiology” spoken word poetry are;
“I knit words neatly like the seam-stress /hopefully to release you from stress’.
Dues need to be paid for a trimmer descendants to freely walk on this motorway/ so some of us have rendered yourselves as sacrificial lambs for spoken word poetry to gain recognition’’.
Laud de Poet whose style of spoken word poetry reflects his Christian values and on this single, he makes it clear in the opening line quoting Isaiah 50: 4a.
He points out how important it is for spoken word artists of his generation need to set the lead for others to follow.
Giving an insight of why the title “Wordithiology”, he said; “I gave it that title because of how I used words in it and the words I used. Words are very powerful so I used words that could speak to the heart.”
It was Laud De Poet’s dream to become a pilot or a lawyer in future but congratulatory and encouraging messages from friends and family when he put into writing his experience of being a victim of bully in his Junior high school days inspired his decision to become a spoken word poet.
Talking about how he entered into poetry, he said; “I was the smallest among the boys in my class and neighbourhood so I was bullied almost all the time. I tried to stop people from beating and taking advantage of my structure to cheat me but I realised that, the more I try, they more they came up to me so I decided to put my experience into writing. After I did it, I showed it a number of friends and family and they loved it. That is how I fell in love with poetry and since then, it has been poetry.
Commenting on poetry in Ghana as one who is now finding his feet, Laud De Poet said; “I think gradually, it is gaining prominence in our entrainment industry. There are few events that provide the opportunity for people who do poetry to showcase their talent and it shows that it has a future.
“Poetry talks about issues related to life just as music does, from politics, religion to love and all. It provides us the opportunity to express ourselves so yes it has come to stay. It only need a little more time to grow.
According to Laud who fell in love with Poetry in his JHS days, he does not see himself doing any other thing apart from poetry because; he is convinced that, it is his calling.
“I will not change what I love to do for anything else in this world, it is like a calling. God gave me this talent for a reason and I cannot abandon it for any other job. It is either Poetry or nothing,” he said.
Talking about challenges, he said; “for now, there money in it is not much and plate forms for performance is limited but I am optimistic that everything will soon be okay. All that matters to me is the passion I have for what I do
Laud Forson is a level 200 student of African University College studying communications and some of his poems are A penny For Your Thoughts, Grace, A Portion of History, Icy Hands of Death, Hope and Speed.
He takes his inspirations from the writings of the likes of Nnamdi Azikiwe, Dennis Osadebay of Nigeria, Benibengor Blay, Gladys May Casely-Hayford and R.E.G. Armattoe, of the then Gold Coast now Ghana, Crispin George of Sierra Leone and Roland Tombekai Dempster of Liberia.
Laud’s style of spoken word poetry encompasses words, language, rhythm, sound, music and beat. His poems are written and presented in the voice of the characters involved the poems.
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