BSA presents A Night of Poetry and Music VI
Praise (left) and Jasyln (right) perform on stage. Photo by Bibiana Aguero.
For its sixth year, the SCAD Black Student Association called this spring’s Night of Poetry for 8 p.m. Thursday at City Coffee on MLK. The performers were scattered throughout the crowd. Supporters varied from friends, family and SCAD students to members of the community.
The evening allowed individuals to listen to and perform a combination of poetry and music in a welcoming, passionate environment. Cooley Savant and comedian Zarren Harris hosted the show by introducing each performer and providing short, humorous improvisations between acts.
Ajaye “The Phoenix” performs an original rap. Photo by Bibiana Aguero.
The DJ, Rubinn The DJ, who was settled at the entrance of the church across from the stage, sustained a mix of songs throughout the entire evening and was responsible for playing specific tracks needed for each performance.
President of the BSA Jamal Makin Shabazz commenced the show by honoring his “crew,” the fellow association members who dedicated their time and effort to this event.
Last night’s event was especially meaningful to the BSA because several of their core board members are graduating this season.
Yasmen recites a poem. Photo by Bibiana Aguero.
Performances included self-written and covered songs, spoken word, rap, poetry and guitar.
“If y’all give me energy I’ll give it right back,” said the first performer of poetry, Anthony Scott.
The crowd followed Scott’s introduction by snapping and clapping to the beat of his poem. The audience showed their support for each performance through their constant involvement.
The second performer, Maya Shakur, was the first singer of the evening. She was inspired to sing a cover of Switchfoot’s “Only Hope” by her past performance of the song at her eighth grade graduation. She was not the only artist to revisit music from her youth.
Christopher Roper on stage at the BSA poetry night. Photo by Bibiana Aguero.
A mixture of tones filled the room throughout the evening. While many artists presented pleasant charm in their performances, others showed substantial emotion by expressing weighty subjects and personal experiences.
“I just want it to expand and keep getting bigger, really. I want the diversity to continue and just really to supply a nice environment for my people and for everybody else,” said Makin Shabazz.
Shabazz closed the show by introducing the upcoming president of the BSA, Julian Rutledge, who performed at his second Night of Poetry this year.
Editor’s note: corrected photo captions confirmed by BSA president Jamal Shabazz.
