Soundbites
Steve Baylin & Shannon Beahen
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Capital Slammers (clockwise from top left: Kevin Matthews, Greg Frankson, John Akpata, Garmamie Sideau, Valerie Armstrong, Jessica Ruano, DJ Morales and Lisa Slater)
photo: Aaron McKenzie Fraser
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WHAM BAM THANK YOU MA'AMFunny that a vehicle known for its unabashed outpouring of emotion should at one time be so distinctly dominated by the less sensitive gender. It's true, though - men have been known to excel in slam poetry, but things have begun to change thanks to lyrical chicks like Magpie Ulysses. You may also know her as Emily Campbell, and if you don't, you can begin to by checking out the Capital Slam Women's Edition this Friday at the Gap of Dunloe (263 Bank Street, under XPress headquarters), 8 p.m.
The Vancouver-based performance poetess and former National Slam team member will grace the stage in the name of Women's Day, armed with poems from the female perspective. Joining her will be host Ritalin, former CBC Poetry Face-Off winner John Akpata, young slam sensation DJ Morales and a swarm of local talent.
While Emily effectively draws from what some might consider poetic clichés - fearlessly writing about life's tragedy-ridden standards like love and addiction - she tends to shy away from predictable feminist drone. "I wouldn't call myself a women's poet, I'm a people's poet," Campbell fesses up.
Ms. Magpie knows of what she speaks. The slam format is a diplomatic process. If this weekend's performers hope to make it to finals in June, it's the people at large they'll have to impress. An audience-extracted judge's panel scores each of the 12 performers out of 10, while remaining spectators are welcome to vocalize their
difference of opinion. Slam poetry simply takes skill, all gender comparisons aside. Not just in writing, but in delivery and ability to engage an audience as well. There's no formula to assure performers of a winning score, but a hunger for victory tends to help. After years spent hiding behind female humility, Campbell now only slams to win. "Why are we in a competition if we're not here to compete?" A bit of a bold statement for such a nice girl, but these slam poets, they don't tend to mince words. (Shannon Beahen)
XXXSWEET HARMONY
It's hard to get even two people to agree on much of anything these days. Put seven distinct, inspired personalities together in a room - some dancers, others actresses, musicians all - and the odds of creative consensus become worse still. Unless, of course, that particular group of seven happens to be Winnipeg's own a cappella world fusion wonder Madrigaïa.
Formed in 1999, the all-female septet, driven by a mutual passion for "the collective power of the voice," stokes its soul-soaked cosmopolitan harmony to new heights of unity and sophistication on the stirring Pleiades, an exotic and fiercely modern travelogue of sinewy aural delights, wrapped in polyphonic rhythms and percolating beats the world over. Still, according to vocalist Andrina Turenne, it's not as easy as it all appears to sound.
"We are seven people, there's always some compromises we're going to have to make," she says of the creative process, in which the group mine traditional folk songs from Brazil, Bulgaria and Israel through to France, Argentina and Quebec.
"We all came from different musical backgrounds. Sometimes the question becomes, 'How important is this to someone here, to do this song, this way?' And I think we generally respect each other in that sense. We go at it till it works."
What's most striking about Madrigaïa is not so much their range but rather their attention to detail and wholly unselfish spirit. Not a diva among them, together they understand the power of silence and the emotional sway of restraint, two concepts used to great effect throughout, particularly on the sorrowlful "Chanson démodée."
But most importantly, Madrigaïa show measured respect for the time-honoured material. Smart, sweet stuff.
Catch Madrigaïa at the NAC Fourth Stage, Wednesday March 15, 7:30 p.m., $20. (Steve Baylin)
XXXDAS CAPITAL SOUND
Local and now global rock favourites Million Dollar Marxists have yet another slab to celebrate. It's a two-track 7-inch called Do You Wanna Evolve, and they're laying it down at the Dom this Saturday (March 11) with the relentless Quebexico and hip-shaking Double Pumpers. The Marxists are excited about the new Vancouver label, Seeing Eye Records, putting out the vinyl, and about their March 18 Gearhead Records gig at SXSW 2006. They're also hoping you'll come out and see them off this weekend. Maybe buy a T-shirt or something.
