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AmeNzGroovE 2 10:000:00/10:00
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AmeNzGroovE 11:010:00/11:01
Reviews by Semera

Review of Still
Best Kept Secret
The Best Kept Secret is on mission and they’re not about to let their impact go unnoticed. In the absence of ShakaRa – Best Kept’s youngest member – the collective made waves at Salon Afrique, the Royal Festival Hall’s offering for Africa 05.
The collective used their signature element of group choreography to infuse life into their segment, and really brought performance to poetry with their use of props and drama. When Amen Noir, Oneness, Tuggs.t.a.r. and shortMAN quick-marched onto the stage, the audience in the Moroccan-influenced space didn’t know what to make of them. But as the performance flowed naturally between the group elements and the performers’ individual pieces, the audience was hooked.
Though diverse with regards to delivery, they have a unified direction with regards to their message. Together the five poets, all established in their own right, create a picture of awareness and empowerment. They’re not afraid to offer social comment, as did Tuggs.t.a.r. in his poem about the African migration to the UK of the sixties. Nor are they afraid to be opinionated. I’m sure shortMAN will have converted a few audience members into a vegetarian lifestyle after his piece on the dangers of eating meat.
The amalgamation of their individual styles and abilities make for a powerful show and a powerful force on the current performance poetry scene.
Samera Owusu Tutu