Pasifika Festival: Young voices challenging stereotypes

Photo / Supplied

An eclectic set of young poets are setting the literary world alight.

Carry on your fix of Pacific culture after the festival ends and get down to the Basement Theatre where the South Auckland Poets Collective (SAPC) will be performing on Saturday night as part of the Celebrate Pasifika program which continues through March.

SAPC is a collection of young Pacific and Maori writers/poets and performers aged 16 to 24 from South Auckland. SAPC meet once a month at the Otahuhu Recreation Centre to write and rehearse their poems through song, drama, spoken word and rap. They've been collaborating together since November 2007. Armed with their voices and note books they challenge the negative stereotypes of youth in Manukau.

The group was initially brought together by Youthline youth leaders, Ramon Narayan, Julia Rahui, Wiki Ah Chee and Grace Taylor. Acclaimed poet Darren Kamali was brought on board as an expert and mentor to facilitate the poetry aspect of the project. Utilising the teams combined skills and experience they brought together a group of people interested in poetry and developed a process which enabled the group to share their stories and develop their skills. As their confidence and esteem grew through the process so did their ability as performers and poets.

With the support of Youthline and the community they continue to develop their talents, confidence and passion by establishing their skills as poets/writers/actors and singers.

The passion and determination of the group to get their voices and talents out into the community has continued to strengthen and they constantly and consistently step up to perform.

This Is My Full Mouth

This is my full mouth
Curling into a grin.
Look at my teeth
As they shine so bright
Like the Maclean's lady watching me as I wink at her.
These are my brown eyes, my Maori nose,
My sometimes white sometimes brown skin
These are my hands
Dancing around the circumference of my stomach.
These are my flat feet, my thick thighs
Pound the pavement
With power and strength.
These are ears as daintily posed
As the hibiscus in my hair.
This is my body
From the base of my neck
To the tips of toes.
From the arch of my back
To the curve of my breasts.
From the round of my butt
To the sparkle in my eyes.
These are my scars as pink as my lips
As pink as my toes,
As tender as my heart.
Watch my hair flows down the riverbank of my back
Curls cascade through silicon valleys,
Washing away billboards of Pantene Pro-V perfection.
Pushing them outwards, and upwards
Stretching to the stars
Singing adoration to the heavens
"Thank you Lord for this is me,
This is me"

* Tarah Rudolph-Ah Kiau.
Tarah is of Maori, European and Samoan descent.
She was born and raised in South Auckland.

SAP perform on Saturday, 14 March
9.30pm-10.30pm
The Basement Lower Greys Avenue, Auckland city.
Entry: $10
Some members of SAPC will also be performing at the Pasifika festival as part of the Poetry Slam at 12.30 pm at the SkyCity PAD.

On the web: http://www.celebratepasifika.com
http://newvoices.homestead.com/index1.html