Spoken word rocks!
Spoken word’s popularity is growing tremendously in the Philippines. The lovechild of poetry and theater, spoken word taps into the emotional longing of the millennial, with its direct “hugot” lines and relatable content.
In Cebu, the popularity of spoken word has been fueled by the efforts of Little Boy Productions and Cebu Literary Festival by bringing in both local ( Juan Miguel Severo, John Ilagan, Vim Nadera) and international (Sarah Kay, Phil Kaye, TJ Medel) spoken word artists in just a little over a year.
They have also hosted workshops at the Museo Sugbo and in different schools (Ateneo de Cebu, Sacred Heart Hijas, University of Cebu, Marie Ernestine School, USJR, USC, to name a few), as well as #cebuLitFest Open Mic sessions in Ayala Center Cebu, The Walk, Parkmall, and soon at the SM Seaside.
Last May 9 and 10, spoken word icons Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye visited Cebu for the second time, and conducted a workshop at the Robinsons Galleria and a show at the J Centre Mall before flying off to do a show in Manila.
What made this different from last year’s show was the participation of local spoken word artists Maxim Ilagan, Paolo Perez, Juanita Romualdez, John Tan, Francis Terrado and Shandie Tumaliwan, who opened for the duo.
With a total running time of about two hours, Sarah and Phil regaled the audience with anecdotes in between old poems and some new ones that they performed for the first time for the delighted Cebu audience.
Spoken word is an oral art performance art that is word based, focusing on the aesthetics of word play and intonation and voice inflection.
Cebu Literary Festival continues to promote literature and spoken word, with upcoming Open Mic events to be announced on their Facebook page.