BUJUMBURA January 30th (ABP) – The Collective ″ Jewe Slam ‶ organized on Monday, January 28, 2020 in Bujumbura, a press conference during which it launched the second edition of the Burundian poetry championship.
The secretary of the collective ″ Jewe slam ‶ and responsible for public relations in that championship, Mrs. Elodie Diane Ishimwe has informed the press that this competition will be organized, with a view to finding a person who will represent Burundi in the Cup of Slam poetry which will take place in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.
She also indicated that compared to the first edition, some innovations were brought. According to her, the candidates for that championship will be chosen across 10 provinces, while for the 1st edition, only the capital Bujumbura was taken into account. The ten provinces that have been chosen are Bujumbura City Council, Bujumbura, Rumonge, Bururi, Muramvya, Mwaro, Gitega, Bubanza, Kayanza and Ngozi, among others. Mrs. Ishimwe said that those provinces have been targeted because they have ″ Jewe Slam structures as well as RFI (Radio France Internationale) clubs.
However, she pointed out that this cannot in any way prevent slammers from provinces not mentioned from trying their luck. Slammers from those provinces who are in Bujumbura, for example, can register to represent their provinces of origin. Mrs. Ishimwe thus took the opportunity to succinctly outline the meaning of the concept “Slam” which is poetry claimed on a musical background or not. It is also a popular speaking art that is generally practiced in public places, in the form of open stages and tournaments. Slammers or poets declaim, read, chant, sing, play texts on free or imposed themes, she explained.
Speaking of the impact of Slam, she said that Slam is a touch to everything. “Different themes tackled through slam affect the whole of society and all social strata are represented. Slam also provides a space for networking and expressing issues of all kinds, in order to find lasting solutions, “she said.
Mrs. Ishimwe added that in the course of the Collective ″ Jewe Slam ‶, they face major challenges which are notably linked to the lack of sufficient means to be able to carry out their tasks and to parents who have not yet understood the advantage of allowing their children to participate in that championship. That is how she launched a vibrant appeal to all persons and organizations, both local and international, to contribute, in one way or another, to the success of that championship, while thanking some partners who have already invested since the organization of the 1st edition.
Miss Huguette Izobimpa, the 2018 Slam Poetry champion in Burundi, said that Slam is a time of opening up to the world and to the opportunities of new horizons. She also testifies that thanks to Slam, she was able to discover what is done under other skies. That is how Miss Izobimpa encourages other young people to apply for the 2020 opportunity.
