ALEWA POET OF THE DAY : CHIEFF MOOMEN

Chief Moomen is currently a teaching assistant at the Theatre Arts Department of the University of Ghana. He studied Creative Writing in English and Play writing in Theatre Arts as a student in the University. His interest in poetry started when he saw a performance by the American poet, Maya Angelou when she visited Ghana in the early nineties. Chief Moomen has been doing spoken word for the past five years. He has performed on various platforms including KSM's Thank God It's Friday and also makes regular appearances in the poetry section of Metro TV's The Citizen Comedy Show. Chief Moomen's poems are vivid with imagery and he transports his audience through a mosaic of experiences and leaves them excited, contemplative, refreshed or simply awed. His collection of poems dubbed "Village Fresh" is a favourite amongst many as it takes them back to village life and its nuances. Chief Moomen intends to publish an anthology of his poems next year. He enjoys reading, listening to inspirational music and watching adventure and drama movies. He is very sociable and enjoys meeting new people. Chief Moomen intends to continue writing poetry for as long as the fountain of his creativity is nourished with the stream of inspiration
 

ALEWA POET OF THE SEASON : Mariska Taylor-Darko

Mariska Taylor-Darko attended Holy Child Sec. School and St. Mary’s Sec. School (Now High Schools). Went on to Harrow College of Further Education in England and trained as a Legal Secretary and then re trained in London as a Beautician/Hairdresser (My day job). Mariska is a widow with two sons. She is a writer, poet and motivational speaker. She is one of the Directors of Ghana Organisation for Learning and Development, (GOLD) a registered Charity in the U.K. aiming to assist women and children in the rural areas of Ghana. She is the founder of Yes Group Ghana, a motivational group involved in empowering the youth.
Mariska’s poems have been featured on www.oneghanaonevoice. com which is an online poetry site several times and she has also been published , in Jambo, an East African magazine. She has also been featured on radio chat shows on Yfm and Citi fm and on TV with Viasat 1 on the One Show and has read her poetry in London at the “Find your voice” motivational event. She has published her first book, The Secret to Detoxifying your life and love”, a collection of poems in a book called Rhythms of Poetry in Motion also available from Lulu and is in the process of writing one film script, one novel and a collection of children’s stories. Recently she gave a reading of her book which is soon to be published called “A Widow must not Speak”at the Goethe Instituteorganised by the Writers Project of GhanaAL

100% TO HOST THE FIRST ALEWA SHOW

100% TO HOST THE 1ST ALEWA SHOW
He is spectacular
Good with vernacular
Blessed with a gift from above with a spatula
Recipe, it’s up to ya
Request it and he will back you up
He is blessed with lines that make lyrics wear make up to match him up
Nice guy
Nice flow
Tried out for an afro
Hair line receded now
He’s back to being bald so
Solar now connected
Never silly like a bad joke
Hope he have for Africa
He’s really just spectacular
Check his wall and group and if he is cool then just call me up.
..continue.... this is a poem about him..

WHY THE NAME "ALEWA" ?

Alewa is a name of a locally made toffee similar to Brighton rock.Also resembles "gob stopper" sweets which are pepperminty and large. The base colour is white and the rainbow of colours striped around it. It leaves your tongue and lips brightly coloured and licking of lips continues for a long time as the taste lingers on and on. So P.O.E.T.S. chose this name for the movements programme....Appropriate dont you think - Tasty, multicoloured, words linger on, and you cant just get enough of it.ALEWA!-- Mariska Taylor-Darko [Member of People Of Equal Thoughts & Spirit (P.O.E.T.S)]

ALEWA: THE REBIRTH OF SPOKEN WORD POETRY IN GHANA

                                                   

                                PEOPLE OF EQUAL THOUGHTS AND SPIRIT 

Contact: Kwaku Sonny                                                                                                     

Mobile Phone: 0246-419-861
Email: rhymesonny@gmail.com

                                ALEWA: THE REBIRTH OF SPOKEN WORD IN GHANA

Accra, Greater Accra Region. September 27, 2011

 People Of Equal Thoughts and Spirit (P.O.E.T.S), a vigorous and talented group of poets and creative artists from all walks of life presents the birth of a new phase of the performance art of Poetry and Spoken Word in Ghana dubbed "ALEWA". This will be held in the state of the art facility offered by Sweetie’s Lounge, off the Spintex Road down the flower pot junction, near Lister Hospital, on Sunday, October 2, 2011 from 5:30p.m. to 8:30p.m. This is to add our impetus to firmly establish the field of poetry in Ghana.

ALEWA will feature some of the best spoken word artistes to have come out of Ghana including the likes of DK Osei Yaw, Rhymesonny, Mutombo da poet, Yom, Chief Moomen, Kwame Write, O'Zionn, Selikem, Monalisa and the new queen of the art Poetra Ama Asantewaa and many other poets. Mariska Taylor-Darko is the guest poet of the day. Our author of the month, Alba K. Sunprim, author of "The Imported Ghanaian” and “A Place Of Beautiful Nonsense.”

Many art lovers including Sir Black, a Spoken Word artiste, have expressed joy at such an initiative.

Poetry has a hidden power to arouse in people the emotion and spirit to do.  The interest that people in Ghana have started showing in this art form cannot be understated. Recent poetry activities in the capital have shown that the rebirth of poetry has really come to stay and affect the nation positively.

The event targets all and sundry and has open its rooms for investors and sponsors to come have a feel of the newest and promising taste in entertainment and education in Ghana. We seek poets, dancers, playwrights, novelists, authors, spoken word artists, performers, musicians and all lovers of the creative arts to come witness a spectacle of the vision in creativity that P.O.E.T.S is spearheading.

However, for the first time, dramatization, sound effects, props, lighting and projection will be ever at their optimum, to ensure a pedigree and pedestal of quality visual creativity in poetry and creative arts that has never been served on any platform ever in Ghana.

###