Nkqo Vabaza: poetry in endless motion
Who gives up studies in Financial Management for the love of poetry? Who gives up a degree in Information Technology to play around with words? His name is Nkqo Vabaza, a young poet who says he is on a journey to fight the image of poets as people who cannot make enough money to live.He is at the Festival performing at WordFest, a celebration of creative art. Tonight, he is at a open mic session at night club Equilibrium to see, listen and appreciate what his ilk are up to.
“I beg to disagree with all those who say you can’t be successful as a poet or as an artist. I believe I am successful. I’m getting there. My goal is to become a model poet, recognisable and successful. How come we can quickly recognize a Kwaito or House star but we can’t see the poets?” he quizzes.
Of course, how you define success is varied. But however you define success, Nkqo is determined to get there.
I’m trying to listen to Vabaza’s spoken word as other “cats” – as they are called in these circles – churn out lyric after lyric of rhyme and insight stemming from the connections they have with their societies, people and experiences.
Vabaza’s CD is titled Indlebe Lisela – An Ear is a Thief. Catchy title. Yet, he is the first to concede that this is not a CD for anyone. “It’s for people with a skill for listening, it’s for the thinker out there, the person who is trying to find answers to what is going on around us,” he says.
For a person who started writing out of boredom, this poet’s perspective has changed dramatically. “I had just moved to Port Elizabeth from Johannesburg so everything was so slow. I needed to find an escape route and started writing poems and love letters. I knew I had something in me when I realised that women loved my writing,” he says.
But, love letters are not the perfect endorsement for perfect art are they? Unless of course you’re John Keats or Andrew Marvell. Vabaza feels he is no Keats or Marvell. He doesn’t even want to be like any other poet but himself.
“Ignorance is our greatest enemy as artists. Poetry is an art. Speaking is an art. Hence, everyone cannot be a speaker. What we need is focus and foresight. With that, you can almost be guaranteed of success,” Vabaza concludes.
Pic: Levi Kabwato
