The line-up of participants features powerful and diverse voices emerging from Africa and the Diaspora. They are three internationally acclaimed poets. Dorothea Smartt is a critically lauded UK poet and live artist. Ngoma Hill is an American ‘paradigm shifter’, multi-instrumentalist and spoken word exponent. Warsan Shire is an astounding young London-based Somali poet. And the South African collaboration, African Noise Foundation, will display the inimitable skills of multi-disciplinary artist Aryan Kaganof, together with jazz icon Zim Ngqawana, isiXhosa singer David Mayekane, Kalahari Surfer, Warrick Sony and mesmeric uhadi bow player, Mantombi Matotiyana.
Exploring themes around migration, displacement and change, each performer brings a unique voice, style and standpoint to the platform. From intensely personal reflections to hard-hitting political assertions, offset by irreverent satire, the offering of tones and cadences at the Badilisha Poetry X-Change is a feast to savour.
