|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TITLE
Poetry Jazz: Wax and Gold
TIMEFRAME
2011-ongoing
Form
Performance
Discipline
LOCATION
Akademie der Künste; Berlin, Germany
Press|publisher
External Link
Visit >
ISBN|issn
LEVEL
METHODOLOGIES
PARTNERS
RESEARCH STRATEGIES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OVERVIEW
A-B-A-B-A : from hear to here” (front cover and inside sleeve).

Spoken poetry has a long tradition in Ethiopia. This poetic genre, known as “wax and gold”, is characterized by subtlety and hidden meanings. The literal, superficial words are the “wax” which conceals the “gold” within, wrapping it with wordplays, metaphors and ambiguities which allude to, but do not explicitly express the meaning. In Ethiopia, spoken poetry is performed live or via radio broadcast to large audiences who enjoy the encoded critique of the political system and the radical social and cultural changes which have especially impacted the capital of Addis Ababa. 

Cover of “Poetry Jazz: Wax and Gold*” (2019), by Koenig Books, London.

Continuing its collaboration with Ethiopia, the Institut für Raumexperimente is developing the project “Poetry Jazz, Wax and Honey, I’m home”, featuring international artists who will perform this critical and entertaining performance art form to audiences in Berlin. In cooperation with the performance group Tobiya Poetic Jazz from Addis Ababa and the Academy of the Arts in Berlin, the two-part event in Berlin and Addis Ababa will bring European and Ethiopian poetry, music, translation and spoken language artists together and emphasize the political significance of spoken poetry in connection to music in Ethiopia. 

“Poetry Jazz: Solid Gold”, Ras Hotel, Addis Ababa (2018), stage perspective.(Photo by Eric Ellingsen.)

During the rehearsal and working process in Berlin and Addis Ababa, the poets and musicians will examine contemporary expressions of these and other poetry traditions, and combine various elements of performance art, traditional Ethiopian music, jazz and Ethio-jazz influences, and contemporary electronic music. Together they will develop a choreography which merges music and spoken poetry. The newly developed repertory will form the basis of a trilingual poetry publication which experiments with visual and conceptual influences ranging from Fluxus and Dada to concrete poetry and homophonic delivery. 

Public rehearsal at the Fendika Cultural Center. (Photo by Eric Ellingsen.)

The project hopes to stimulate interest in the long and rich tradition of poetry in different language regions – in this case, the Amharic, English and German regions – and introduce audiences to this genre from multiple perspectives. 

Clara Jo documented the workshops and concerts for the long-term Poetry collaborationbetween the Institut für Raumexperimente (Berlin) and Tobiya Poetic Jazz (Addis Ababa).As a filmmaker, she focused on the sensual and aural qualities in the participants’ physicaland linguistic search for common vernacular expressions, particularly lending hereyes and ears to the gaps of literal translation. In these artistic making-of films, she followsthe rehearsal and production process and offers a glance behind the scenes to thedynamics between stage and audience. (Image description from project website)

“A-B-A-B-A: from hear to here”, Roter Salon, Volksbühne (2014).

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Heading 1

Heading 2

Heading 3

kml

Heading 4

Heading 5
Heading 6

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut

enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.

Block quote

Ordered list

  1. Item 1
  2. Item 2
  3. Item 3

Unordered list

Text link

Bold text

Emphasis

Superscript

Subscript