“Poets are always overlooked by promoters when it comes to gigs. It is time now that we stand up and take our rightful place in the entertainment space,” said poet Pfariso Tshifhumulo.
The poet from Dzimauli Mavhode outside Thohoyandou, now based in Pretoria, is popularly known as Pfari De Poet. He just released his second collection of poems on an album titled “Tshivhoni”. The album, released on 15 April, comes 10 years after the release of his first collection, titled “Venda la Namusi”. The new album consists of six poems carefully selected from the many he has written.
“After my first album, I took a long break due to work commitments. But I kept on writing new poems, though not recording them. Many artists wanted to feature me on their projects. That is when I realised that I am still an asset in the poetry world. The new project, ‘Tshivhoni’, was born. It is doing very well and has elevated me to another level. As I speak, I am being aired on several radio stations due to the popularity of this collection. But there is still a need for poets to be taken seriously and recognised. We are not that well recognised when it comes to gigs. Many of us are starving because promoters overlook us when it comes to live performances. Please consider us when there are shows, so that our morale could also be boosted, and we continue composing new poems,” he said.
Pfari de Poet realised his talent for writing poetry in 2010 while learning at Vele Secondary School. “My mother, Ms Jane Nengoma, became my greatest motivator, and I would not be where I am today if it were not for her. She always motivated me to continue entertaining people,” he said.
He said the poetry book “Hu Kho Bvelela Mini” would be published soon. His poems can be accessed on Facebook (Pfari De Poet) and TikTok.
