THE DAY  WE  PLANTED  THE  BAOBAB TREE OF  POETRY(Poetry, People and the drumbeat) by Mbizo Chirasha

Farah  Sayed  is  a   rising , strong  poetic voice  in the  South  African  and African  Poetry  Industry , she  also  lives  with  trees  , she  is a  green life  activist . Her favorite tree is a lemon tree. She is passionate about words, people, trees, life  and  family . Farah is a mother ,    sister  , daughter  and a   poet. Farah  Sayed  is  the  curator  of  the  POETRY  PEOPLE  PROJECT   that  is   to be   convened every month beginning  on the 30^th of June 2018  at  Phansi  Musuem  , 500  Esther  Roberts   close  to  Durban Central in  South Africa.Phansi Museum is  a  haven of  cultural , anthropological  and historical diginity  of South Africa , it  carries the burden and wealth of literatures , poetry , tribes , dressings , songs , artifacts , rituals , ceremonies ,the  present and  the  past.

I  attended  and  performed at  the   grand and inaugural  occasion  as  part  of my  poetry  and creative  leadership  African  Tour . It  was  a  grand  hive  of activity  at  this  prestigious , cultural  , anthropological  and historical  fontanel  of life – PHANSI  MUSEUM .We   all  came  from  different  walks  of life ,   different races , tribes  , languages  ,ages and  countries . It was a magnificent rainbow literary  event.  Our  fascinating  driver  of the  day  was   WANDILE MDHLULI   who was drabbed  in  a stunning African Zulu beaded  black  gown  that    resonated with  the  deep  voices  that  chiseled  through the concrete  jungle  of UMBILO . I can’t forget    the twittering  ,unstammering  comical  and  inspiring   lyrics  of  MALUSI THEIMBONGI , the  baritone  don William laced  voice of   Kyle  Allan , the  fatherly   verses of TASH , the inviting and  conscious   poetry  of Nonjabulo( SHUNSHINE  the  Poet), LAYLA the Sister  Poet  with African style , THOBEKA the African Brazilian  , NALEDI the  Queen Poetess and  many more . We   dangled  our  heads , nodded  and tapped  a  dance  to  the  African drumbeat  and percussion  by an all-white  percussion band   , the  Durban drumbeat  led  by a  mesmerizing  percussionist  and poet  Richard  Ellis .We  can’t  forget  Farah  Sayed ,the  curator  with her   nerve  calming  poetry  though  thought  provoking. The  audience  who included    the  Museum  curators , tour guides , administrators , teachers    ,poetry  lovers  and  Farah Sayed’s  very  supportive   close  family  members  including  her  ever inspiring   in-laws.

The  Poetry  people  one day  fiesta  was opened  by us  poets  sipping   brain raving coffee brewed  in the  museum by museum attendants . Our day grew from warm into warmer and then hot .What a creative closing ritual ceremony of  the June  month. The coffee drinking  and sipping  was followed  by  African griotism – drumbeat   and  poetry which   pulsated  with  the  beat  of our  impulse  , resonated   with our  breath vibe  and  the soothing   fresh artistic aura around 500 Esther Roberts  ,PHANSI MUSEUM , great  thanks  to Richard Ellis  and team .

On  this  day  of the  Almighty  we  planted  the  baobab tree  of poetry , which means  no weather  will  bother  to  wither  it . Remember the baobab is  strong ,   useful  and    brave . SHUNSHINE  aka NONJABULO serenaded  us with her creative  spiritual  poetry ,

Bongani the  poet  rocked   us  to  pulp  with  his  African Zulu praise  poetry , young  Mkhize  coughed  out some  confessional  poetry , It  was  a sweet  cough though   ,  the  young  Mkhize  can soon become  our  own  Mzwakhe  Mbuli , our   African Poetry  lion .

TASH is  brought  the  house  down with  his  healing and  spiritual  verses, then  MALUSI  the  fast  rising  ,inspiring African Zulu griot blew us out  with  the whirlwind of  love  verses  and metaphors of consciousness , this  griot is also a   master of rhyme and rhythm.LAYLA  slammed  us with her  thought provoking  poetic  rendition  of a revolutionary  poet , she touched   on motherhood and African pride , LAYLA boasts  of  her deep voice  and  her message  is  more deeper than  the groan of a mother in  the bitter  sweet joy of  giving  birth  .

THOBEKA  the  poetess  educated  us   with  her EKASI  wise  words and  township  diaries , she  took, us   back home  to  Soshangube  , home to  Orlando Soweto ,  home  to Kanyama , home  to Ombili  home to Khayelitsha , home  to Mbare , home to   Makokoba , home to Kiberia , home to  Mahalape  , home  to Africa ,her message  immense  and  tense .One  heart tinkling and nerve wrecking recital came  from NALEDI THE QUEEN IMBONGIKAZI ,her small mouth  is a  river of  mysteries  ,she messaged  us with  African dignity  and  freedom poetry , the poet is candid and  true, her lyrics pricks  the  heart of both the victor  and  the victim, the oppressor and the  oppressed . KYLE ALLAN our Don Williams of poetry and MBIZO CHIRASHA  the  black  poet were also in the  house .

The  baobab  tree of  poetry  was  planted , Farah  Sayed  brought  the seed, the PHANSI MUSEUM FAMILY brought  the manure , poets  brought  the water , the  audience  brought the  sunlight –yes  for  photosynthesis , the baobab tree of poetry  is  rapidly growing .

MBIZO CHIRASHA   is  an internationally  anthologized poet , literary  arts  project  curator , creative  humanist , arts  activism catalyst , blogs publisher   and a  Writer  in Residence . He  is the  Solidarity member  of GAPA( Global Arts  and Political Alliance),the African Partner of the  International Human Rights  Arts Festival, the  Resident Coordinator  of  100 Thousand Poets  for  Change- Global, the Founder of  GirlChildCreativity Project , the Facilitator  of the Creative Leadership and Artistic Training Project , Chirasha is  the  Editor  of the  Brave  Voices  Poetry  journal , he  is the  Originator  of the  Zimbabwe We  Want  Poetry Campaign. He writes for the Tuck Magazine- the International magazine on Arts Human Rights and Politics.