Of Poetry Slams, Griots, and the Storytelling Festival

This is probably the biggest week of the year for spoken word in Vancouver, with both the International Storytelling Festival(VISF) and the Individual World Poetry Slam(IWPS) in town.

Enthusiastic Vanslam fans snapped up most tickets weeks ago, but there are still several free, unticketed IWPS events that promise hot and heavy competition. 10 pm on wednesday night at El Cocal, local luminaries and far-flung slam poets will duke it out at the Last Chance Slam, hoping to snag the final qualifying spot in the main event. Then there's the Anarchist/No Rules Slam; the First Nation's Slam; a number of showcases; and my personal favorite, the "Canadian Poets vs. the Rest of the World" ball hockey game on Saturday @ Britannia.

For those willing to dig a little deeper, this weekend's storytelling festival also offers the rare opportunity to reach to the heart of the spoken word tradition: the griot. Some of the best Canadian slam poets, hip-hop artists, and storytellers draw inspiration from this ancient form of west African storytelling. A griot is not just a master of the spoken word, but a bard, a dancer, and the keeper of tribal history and memory.

Expect stories fused with song, dance, costumes, and adventure as African-Canadian storytellers, as well as artists from the Caribbean, northern Canada, and Egypt, grace the stage this weekend at the VISF. Highlights will include performances by Egyptian dancer, actress and storyteller Chirine el Ansary and--for those with stamina and an interest in Inuit storytelling--Kira Van Deusen's 2 1/2 hour retelling of the Kiviuq epic.

The photo, courtesy of VISF, features Haitian-Canadian Joujou Turenne in performance.