Abuja treated to Dike’s Spoken Word Valentine special

“My name is Bashir Adamu, and this is actually my first time of coming for a poetry event. I was invited by a friend, and I would not lie, it was actually very nice.

“The agreement was that I would come and see how it was, then if I was not impressed then I would leave. As I am talking to you, even I am surprised that I stayed right till the end”.

This was the comment of one of the hundreds of Abuja residents who turned up last Friday for the eight edition of Dike Chukwumerije’s Night of the Spoken Word (NSW8) – tagged “Let’s Be Honest” – which held at the Merit House, Maitama, Abuja.

Five years and seven editions since its beginning, NSW which is the flagship event of Dike Chukwumerije’s Simply Poetry Limited, hit the stage again after a 15-month hiatus and lived up to its billing as one of the city’s most exciting art and culture attractions. The hall was filled to capacity as attendees were treated to the different acts that performed in the pre-Valentine event.
Another first time attendee at the show, Amara Nicole, shared her experience this way.

“I have heard a lot about what Dike has been doing and how amazing the Night of Spoken Words and Made in Nigeria shows are but never had the opportunity to go for one, but today I came in for one and I really loved it. It was amazing, It was exciting. He has this way of kind of engaging his audience with what he is saying. Starting from poems to mere conversations that are really, really refreshing. It was an amazing experience and I hope to come for more.

“I missed some of the earlier acts because I came a bit late. I was here when the lady with the guitar was performing; she has such a lovely voice. I feel like these are all the things that sometimes kind of really matter. You know …trying to make poetry more than poetry, more about songs, more about conversations and I had an amazing time tonight and I wish and I hope that more of this will happen.”

Some of the other acts that graced the stage that night include Ozii Baba (Story teller), Tonton Raymond (Poet), Keren Happuch (Singer/Guitarist), Ope Bakare (Lead guitarist), Samuel Yakura (Poet)
And for Blaise Itodo who has been at several NSW shows, including the very first one in 2013, Dike never ceases to surprise.
“The thing with Dike is we get to see another him in every show. If you came for the previous one and you think you had fun and you think you are going to see the same thing, you will come and see a different thing. I think he was superb this evening, he was awesome.”

The creative and entertainment industry in Nigeria continues to witness unprecedented growth and the bi-annual NSW, a night which according to Dike, celebrates “…the creativity and strength of the literary arts…” has been at the forefront of launching budding poets into the minds of audiences.

Significantly, NSW8 recorded a milestone achievement as it was the first time ticket sales alone has been able to cover the cost of the entire event, …no mean feat in a society where very few are convinced that the literary arts can attract substantial revenue.
Speaking to the media, Dike said, “Since October 2013, we have had the pleasure of featuring over 70 young talents on the NSW platform, some of whom have gone on to do even bigger things.

The NSW platform has also been the setting for the constant experimentation and innovation with poetry that Simply Poetry has come to be known for. At NSW, we pioneered new ways of presenting Poetry, of conveying Poetry, of combining Poetry with other art forms, like dance and music and drama.”