“…To be a soul lover…you have to be a soul mate. I just died in his arms tonight… and I can say these words now only because he brought me back to life and its not voodoo that he do more like hoodoo so is he black magic. Yesterday he told me how he emotionally records our love and mentally plays it over a soft beat calling it our harmonic/body symphony so that when he is away from me he can remember how we TOUCH”
—From the poem TOUCH by Anomaly
With just a month to Valentine’s Day, The Literary Café and Poetry Lounge, along with B Side Entertainment, decided to jump-start the New Year with a night of love, lust and romance.
More than 50 people packed the petite North Miami-based café, seeking to delve into the essence of poetic verse, hoping to capture something new about love.
The aura of the venue on Friday, Jan. 2 helped set the mood for the night. A dimly lit room with candle lights on each table along with a few couches and expressive paintings hanging on the wall all demonstrated a relaxed, homey environment.
Some of South Florida's finest poets along with a few “poetry performance virgins” shared the best of both worlds of love, relationship and sex; from a few innocent and melodious pieces to explorations of the erotic and lustful.
As Vessel a.k.a The Champ hit the stage, the crowd awaited in anticipation to see what kind of rhythmic flow was going to seduce their
senses. In just a few verses, cheers erupted from the zealous crowd as he described what it is to be a "real ni**a."
“These are real men… not the watered down Essence magazine version…or the 106 & Park BET Source magazine thug …but a real ni**a that treats his wife like heaven while he goes through hell…,” Vessel shared with the audience.
Each poet who came to the stage expressed his or her own version of romance; from stories about lesbian love affairs to deep thoughts of a lost love. Smooth, neo-soul music resounded from the speakers as each poet transitioned to the next act.
Ingrid B, host for the evening and CEO of B Side Entertainment, set up the evening as an outlet for upcoming poets to express their more sensual side.
“We do this to give people an opportunity to express themselves, and you learn a lot about each other in the process,” Ingrid B told the South Florida Times.
The night was filled with many surprises, including a comedy snippet with comedian and 103.5-FM radio personality Rayzor. As he dropped jokes about women and their lack of “keeping a man,” it seemed as if all the men in building had found their new messiah, while the women sat screw-faced in disagreement.
It took no time before both Rayzor and Ingrid B. were on stage as lead warriors for the battle of the sexes. The friendly debate between the two went on for a while, but the show had to go on, and the battle was soon to be continued.
The evening ended with a live performance by HBO Def Poetry Jam artist Will “Da Real One” Bell. As usual, his captivating style of verse had the whole place erupting in applause as he ended his set.
Along with the romantic poetry, the Literary Café and Poetry Lounge hosts numerous events throughout the week.
Self-proclaimed as one of only two venues of its kind in the United States, the Literary Café and Poetry Lounge is well known for bringing major poetry and musical artists to their Open Mic Saturday night performances.
MissBanfield@Gmail.com
Photo by Mychal McDonald. Poet Anomaly
IF YOU GO:
WHAT: The Literary Cafe and Poetry Lounge Open Mic Night
WHERE: 933 NE 125th St., North Miami.
WHEN: Every Saturday night, Doors open at 8:30 p.m. Show starts at 10 p.m.
COST: General Admission: $10; Open Mic Performers: $5
CONTACT: Visit myspace.com/literarycafepoetrylounge or call 305-981-4724 or 786-234-7638.
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