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SHIHAN'S POETRY SLAM

By Shain Shapiro

One of our most underrated art forms, the pariah of sorts that
never gets the attention it deserves, is poetry. Poetry is alive and
all around us, but we rarely, if ever, sit down and give it the time it
deserves, especially in a culture where shuffling through an iPod
takes precedent over sitting down and losing oneself in a set of
stanzas. But if one mixes gives it another name altogether, it
becomes associated in a different context, one that has a home
next to music or contemporary theatre. This term, spoken word,
is simply a synonym for poetry, but in many other ways, it
symbolizes much more. Spoken word is more modern, as it is
often blended with hip hop and soul to produce a more urban,
stylized equivalent to poetry. Yet, for those making a living off
their rhymes, with or without musical accompaniment, spoken
word is just poetry, and poetry is a priceless way of expressing
oneself, regardless what you call it. One of America’s best
spoken word maestros, a Californian named Shihan, agrees; “To
me, spoken word is a marketing term used to promote poetry.
Any word can be spoken, and poetry is an art from. Poetry is the
honest expression of emotion.”
Shihan is coming to town as part of a poetry slam, which is a
contest of local poets to see who produces the most interesting
rhymes. Shihan is performing as part of the competition, as well
as headlining the event, performing a set after the amateurs
battle it out before him. Currently prepping his fifth album, a
currently untitled collection set for release later this summer,
Shihan hasn’t been to Canada in six years, and is eagerly awaiting
not only the competition, but also a chance to get back to
poetry’s basics, which is simple, thoughtful and honest live
performance. “Slam is just competition between poets,” explains
the wordsmith. “It’s arbitrary in nature but fun to watch and

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