The people’s poet Mzwakhe Mbuli joined local poets and musicians in celebrating Youth Month at the Dube Boxing Club on Saturday this past weekend.
Poets and musicians from across the country were given a chance to showcase their talent in the inaugural Egoli Poetry Show.
Organised by Sakhiwo Sokhela, the event proved to be a great platform for cultural exchange. Poets from Free State, KwaZulu Natal and Gauteng shared the stage reciting poems in their home languages.
The theme of the event was centered on the commemoration of June 16 and raising awareness about challenges faced by today’s youth.
All poems recited on the day preached unity amongst young people and encouraged them to stand together in the fight against drugs.
Sokhela who is a young person herself saw a need to celebrate Youth Month in a unique way which focuses exposing young people’s talent.
“I realised that poets are not often given a platform to showcase their art and that’s where the idea of Egoli Poetry Show was born,” said Sokhela.
The overwhelming response from young people and artists coupled with Sokhela’s hard work is what made the birth of the Egoli Poetry Show possible.
Sokhela said, “The event is still on its infantry stage but everything went well. All the poets who performed were amazing. Their poems had positive messages which made us emotional, happy and angry at times.”
Positive messages were the order of the day and the people’s poet Mbuli followed suit. He encouraged young people to fight drugs like the youth of 1976 fought apartheid.
Mbuli closed the show with a powerful piece titled Choose. The poem calls on people to choose good instead of bad.
