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26/7/05
6:57 pm
Page 12
Drum: VERBALIZM WORLD
Verbalizm World
In the beginning was the word but the question we should all be
asking is where did that word come from?
T
he answer is quite simply from the lips of the Verbalizer. From the beginning of creation, people
have always told stories, to document who they are, what they have done and what they hope
to be. Over the centuries the Verbalizer has been known by many names (griot, poet, scribe,
storyteller, bard, lyricist, toaster, MC, rapper). With every generation the label will change but the power
of the content will remain the same. Verbalizm is rooted in the tradition of the poet, but its branches and
leaves are not confined to poems on a dusty page, neither is it trapped inside a candle-lit café cheered
up by a handful of die-hard fans. I believe that Verbalizm is as omnipresent as the air that we breathe,
Verbalizm lives in books, music, films and the visual arts, My name is Adisa Stephen-Ezeocha, the
Verbalizer, and my mission is to bring you the best of Verbalizm from a global perspective.
RESPECT: TUGGS.T.A.R.
LISTEN: ROGER ROBINSON
ILLCLECTICA
Tuggstar is an intriguing and exciting poet who
epitomises every-thing African British. This
internationally recognised performance poet has
broken all the rules on his way to becoming one of
the nation’s elite griots. Tuggstar carries the torch of
the verbalizer, his words can melt steel, his stage presence is hypnotic. The title of his first collection
The Way Of The Word lets the reader know this
verbalizer has success tattooed on both hands.
A multi-talented wordsmith who blends songs with
poetry without breaking a sweat, I llcletica is the
debut CD from Roger Robinson on the leading UK
independent, Altered Vibes Records. Filled with vision,
beats, majesty and memories. The CD encompasses
everything from folk to hip-hop to reggae and sums
up the breadth of Roger’s sonic inspirations. Every
track is haunting and beautiful at the same time; my
finger hits the rewind button every time Dream keepa
seeps out of my speakers. My crystal ball predicts
great things for this verbalizer.