Poets stun guests with thrilling performances at Mitchz Manifest

Revellers who attended the fifth edition of Mitchz Manifest at Goethe Zentrum in Kamwokya, Kampala on February 16, 2024, were left tongue-tied following outstanding performances by spoken word artists, poets and singers.

Organised by Mitch Isabirye, the aim of the show is to provide budding poets with a platform to showcase their potential.

It was a silent listening show that kept revellers nodding their heads in acknowledgment of the quality showcased, while their eyes enjoyed the touching performances.

The show kicked off around 7:30pm with contemporary poet Bishop, who set the pace with his Bunyoro-Kitara recitations such as Ogyendegye, Enduuru, Mind Your Business, and Eyes of the Heart, leaving revellers ululating.

Joshua Yoki's poem, What's More Beautiful? raised the bar with memorable lines, including What's more beautiful than when two ugly persons fall in love?"

Goef The Poet, a guitarist and spoken word artist, delivered an alphabetic reading illustrating how modernity has affected the social nature of human beings, emphasising the impact of the phone era on African life.

Loreta The Poet's poem Bro garnered laughter as she cautioned girls against exes and men making moves, humorously referring to them as 'sis', with the girls responding with 'Bro.'

Guitarist Andereya Baguma then took the stage, receiving the silence that his soothing pieces demanded.

Baguma captivated the audience with pieces such as Girl from Kisaasi, Butterfly, Bestfriend Tandiiko, and the audience-requested Akaana Kange Akobuwala.

Benji followed with Love and the romantic Berna presented poems like I Want You, I Want A Love, and I Am Your Instrument, holding the audience in her palms with her soft voice and powerful lines.

Ssebo Lule, known for powerful Luganda recitations, rocked the audience with poems, Nkwagala Mungeri Yange, Emunyenye Yange and Nabbubi Mugagga all from his recent anthology Ensi Tekoma.

Popular poet Jason Ntaro electrified the crowd with poems like Sack of Broken Glass, A Bullet For My Valentine, and Alcohol Spirit.

Some of the revellers were left yearning for more and requested him to recite his romantic piece, Streams of Sensual Bliss, which he didn't perform.

At around 9:00pm, the show's headliner, Mitch Isabirye, took the stage, in a black fitting T-shirt, African print trousers, and a locally beaded necklace. He started off with a narration of his life struggles in the poem Mukazigo Gyensula and decried the hypocrisy of some friends in Dear Friend. 

To align with the night's theme, which leaned towards Valentine's Day, occurring two days prior, Mitch presented The Other Side of Love.

He expressed gratitude to his Basoga friends with the poem Omusoga Akobye, recited in Lusoga. Continuing the poetic journey, Mitch performed pieces like Ogwange, I Want To Harvest You, Type Writer, Sawa Musanva, and concluded with When I Was a Child.

Despite the audience's request for his piece Second Service, Mitch declined, citing forgotten lines.

Speaking to New Vision after the show, he expressed excitement about the turnout, emphasising its significance for the poetry industry.

Mitch revealed plans to organise a poetry festival in Uganda, aiming to attract poets from across Africa and eventually go global.

Female poet Berna expressed hope that more poetry shows of this kind would encourage poets and spoken word artists to come forth, providing a platform for expression, especially for young people.

In summary, the show was a delightful experience that allowed revellers to relax, reflect on life, and enjoy rhyming words and phrases evoking emotions of romance, self-expression, and reflection.