Successful poetry and literary calabash event

At first the event seemed doomed, and some had crafted its obituary. But, as the saying goes, “every dark cloud has a silver lining”, and the poetry and literary calabash went on to be a roaring success.

Held at the Khoroni Hotel’s Moo Bar on Thursday, 15 December, the event drew the Who is Who in the poetry space. The guests included big names such as the legendary Afro Soul musician and poet Mr Burning Saul Nephawe, the evergreen Mr Matalane Mokgatla from Sekhukhune, Nwa Jika, Ntsako The Poet, Papa Thile and the popular Masimbe.

At the same event, the legendary poet-cum-musician Mr Burning Saul Nephawe was honoured for being a torch bearer, and his contribution in poetry and the arts in general was lauded.

Event host the award-winning poet and musician Mr Lutendo Mugagadeli, better known as Vendaboy Poet, said the event had gone beyond expectations and brought poets from all over Limpopo under one roof. “Poets are sometimes forgotten during events, and some do not seem to exist. We are creating a platform where these poets can showcase their talents that they shine and be seen. Who knows - some might be attracted and seek their services at events. Poets went all out to show what they are made of and we are excited and very impressed by the high standard displayed during the performances,” he said.

Vendaboy further indicated that the event had also served the purpose of promoting social cohesion. “We had poets from all over the province and they had the chance to network and share experiences. This will go a long way in empowering and uniting our poets, and as we plan it to be an annual event, we will rotate it to different parts of the province. The event would not have succeeded had it not been the financial assistance we got from the National Arts Council and other support from our other sponsors. To them we lack words suitable enough to say thank you. To our artists and poets we say a big thank you for the energy and stellar performance you brought on stage. There is no event without any inconvenience; if there had been, we sincerely apologise and promise to strive to always do better,” said Vendaboy.

Date:23 December 2022

By: Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019. He currently writes on a freelance basis, covering human rights issues, court news and entertainment.

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