S.I.O REVIEW

S.I.O: TOBI BAMIDELE’S REVIEW

The Theme: VIVID

According to the ENGLISH dictionary that we download from Google Playstore which a planetary percentage of us have on our smartphones; VIVID means "A felt-tipped permanent marker, genericised from the brand". I tried in all honesty to relate this definition to the S.I.O spoken words concert and I couldn't make much sense from it.

Then, I came across other meanings of VIVID like "Clear, Detailed, Powerful, Bright, Intense, Colourful" which is quite reasonable. However, I needed something deeper to vibe with and google is never far away. Google describes vivid as "giving powerful feelings or strong clear images in the mind, to evoke" and right there and then, I could feel the dots connecting.

On that lovely Sunday 25^th of November, 2018, I was with Preye Doubra and Ochez and we arrived at the event quite early. Like every event, we signed in and I was ushered to the front row by Genevieve who looked very familiar, but I couldn't pinpoint where i met her until now, Kada meetup of organizers of a Johnny drille and Ric Hassani concert sometime this year.

Fast forward to some minutes later, a young boy (David) comes upstage and starts singing beautifully. Mehn, I thought the show had begun, the sounds were very low, and I had top of the roof expectations. So I switched seats to find the best position where I could hear audibly and see clearly. At that point, I told Preye Doubra about how I felt, I felt the urge to go back stage to tell the sound engineers “Exkizz, the speakers at my seat is not working”. I felt extremely giddy.

And just at that moment, Michelle Reeves walks upstage and the instant she touched the mic to speak, the sounds came alive. The lights came alive. Everything was perfect! She built an image of an average and happy family in our minds and just as vivid as she built it, she tore it down with her words. An image of a happy family being blown away and slaughtered by soldiers of war between two countries. And never have I heard the words "Everywhere Stew" in a more sober and heart piercing way. We were dumbfounded.

As she left the stage, Ola Adene came up and spoke life back into the audience with Muso! Muso!! Muso!... and the audience echoed back Musoooo!!!. Ola spoke creatively about the political scenery in the country, the rot that has eaten deep into the core of our nation. Women, men and youths dancing outside during a campaign in admiration of a pot-bellied politician who sits upstairs with his cohorts in yet another plan to exploit the masses. Ola swayed the audience with words, and challenged the hands that beat the drum to fight the tyranny that dictates the tune.

The highlight of his performance was the way He referenced "Everywhere Stew" in its ever jovial and casual way. If poetry and spoken words could win elections, then Ola just dropped a magnificent blueprint. OLA FOR PRESIDENT.

Next was Ebenkeys. Eben created suspense, then happiness turning sour. He made a conscious effort to imprint in the minds of the audience the singular fact that terror is real. It has a face, it has a name and it can be felt. And as he spoke, I remembered the thousands of death around the world that can be attributed to terror, the kids away from their families and the stews that have been mixed with blood in the process.

He made it crystal to us that it is our business to take care and look out for that little street child. It might be your undoing, it's our business.

Tega Cross- God bless the lady that took us through the eyes of a child. Peekaboo! and death finds you.

At this junction, I want to appreciate the SIO team. Words and actions have really not brought to light the tragic events that unfold everyday especially in the Northern part of NIGERIA. Please spread the word and stand with Nigeria.

Tega Cross did play with our emotions, she swung back and forth with it, and painted horrible pictures in our minds. She awakened us to the knowledge that we've kept silent for too long. Ojuju is coming- she implied as she dropped the mic.

Word Smith, another favored writer. He brought to public eye the dangers behind the social media handles, for the social media environment has grown toxic. It harbors the good, the bad, the ugly, and the bad and ugly seems to win always and dominate the space. We trend many irrelevant things, we influence a lot of evils and we hide under fake handles and names to encourage malice, bad behaviours and social vices. For while we still have this powerful transformation tool, let’s use it for better, let’s use it to share the good news (JESUS IS COMING SOON)

@kwiksie, a lady whose lovely accent drove a thought provoking piece about this generation.. "We’re the magicians who let our humanity vanish when we stopped trending generosity."

Joshua and David aged 12 and 10 respectively are amazing young boys with great potentials that spoke about Nigeria and 'Our village people'. The audience was all cracked up and amazed at such brilliance and confidence they exhibited. It is a proof that there is great hope for Nigeria. That there is great hope for the future, for they were the voice of the African child calling out for freedom, calling out for good governance, calling out for change? The narrative is no longer what does a child know, the child sees it all and now he's speaking, now they are speaking. They spoke for the boy child, for the girl child.. Listen to their voice, innocent but spewing hard truths.

The African... Our very bold and beautiful young lady spoke about the African lady, her flaws, and her fears, how she’s treated, how she wants to be treated, challenges, and strengths. For she is enough. For I am enough was signed by the beautiful bold African lady for all African men and women to behold.

Toby Abiodun the revolutionist came with his head under his arms and his sword flying high. He pounced on the government with his words like he had nothing to lose. "Oh well, his head was already under his arms, so there was nothing to lose". But his confidence was on a high, he saw a future and though many of you might disprove, he has a vision, we all should have a vision. Like he says: “Where I come from, young boys run for their lives, while the old run for office.” All I could say was LOUDERRRR

Plumbline.. I call him the Rhyming with 9's guy, he told a complete and confusingly interesting story. For all I could hear were 9’s up and down till the end, and while we all were so astonished and clapped and cheered, I could hear people dissecting the entire poetry from top to bottom and claiming they already saw the end from the beginning.. Like I said, all I heard from beginning to end were 1990's and 9's. Loads of them.

Plicool came with his never changing slogan "African Reformed" and spelt out the problems with the continent and with us, the message is clear, the agenda is set, Reform Africa. We are young, we are strong, it’s our land, it’s our past, it’s our present, and it’s our future. Shall we thence sell it off to another man, neeh for the land dost thirst for saviors in you and I. Pick up then thine self and reform Africa.

Philip Asaya... Philip started off with a story, from an old woman in his village, who told stories to all the kids in the village, and that particular day, there were no other children listening to the story but him. And while he spoke, the silence from the hall seemed to distract my attention, so I closed my eyes and just listened till I was sitting next to Philip and in front of me was the old woman from the story. I could vibe with her, just like Philip did. At that moment, like Charlie would say "I FELT INFINITE."

Paul Word, the young man that came forth and injured our feelings with confidence. He made a very wonderful presentation, very wonderful, and while I do not want to go into details, he made we the audience tell ourselves that we were cowards and beautifully at that. SO while his performance was the last, his closure made a resounding Amen in our hearts. Like Paul run, for we do catch, we’ll be the ones standing (ha ha ha ha)

Raychelle Sparks... I believe she was meant to come close the show with her musical performance, hers was just a case of doing what them no send am. Instead of closing the show with her musicals, she started pumping so much life and frenzy into the atmosphere that the audience all seemed to not want to go home anymore, LORD, girl can sing, girl can sing....

And to the lovely singers, (Rume, David, Rachelle and the entire team), you all were awesome. For if I had found a much better work to describe awesome, you deserve it.

SEE YOU ALL AT SIO NEXT YEAR.

To the SIO Team, appreciations are in order for the wonderful concert. You outdid yourselves, now the bar has been raised, and you have to raise it higher next year. GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

Say It Out was vivid.

CONTRIBUTORS: ochuzupdate.com, Ola Adene (#olatherawpoet), Egbekun Preye, Pleasant (Plicool).

Instagram, Twitter: @sir_ezele