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The rappoet returns >> Griot Anthony Bansfield says Toronto was more receptive to his art by SCOTT C.
In conjunction with the Montreal Human Rights Festival, the self-proclaimed rappoet returns to his roots for a show this Saturday, bringing with him a cross-section of some of Toronto's best spoken-word and conscious hip hop artists. Before Bansfield left for T.O., he was part of Montreal's own Diasporic Afrikan Poets, black voices who would materialize in the form of an underground publication called The N'X Step. Performing both as an a cappella poet and a skills-ready MC, he was soon on stage with the likes of Kali and Dub, Shades of Culture, and the Jazz Maniacs. But with the Toronto poetry circuit arguably more supportive and receptive to artists willing to plug it out, Bansfield decided to try his hand there. "Montreal was and is overflowing with all kinds of talent," explains Bansfield, "but I was looking for a network to tap into, and that structure happened to be at the other end of the 401." Joining Bansfield this Saturday is well-known dub poet Clifton Joseph, a mainstay in the international dub poetry scene and the author of Metropolitan Blues. Both Bansfield and Joseph's work are included on a Virgin/EMI compilation of North American spoken word artists called Word Up. "It's really Clifton that's headlining the show," says Bansfield. "I'm just happy to be sharing the stage with him." Among the company that Bansfield has been keeping are MC's Motion, one of T.O.'s premier female lyricists and Phatt Al, both of whom will be on stage this Saturday night. Rounding out the conscious hip hop vibe is Bansfield himself, whose recently released cassette The Return of the Rap Poet hits hard with thought provoking rhymes and poetic style. The Montreal Human Rights Festival presents DJ A-trak, ...At Random, Critical Thought, Shades of Culture and others at Isart Friday Nov. 21, 10pm, $7, $5 students. The Poetic Groove featuring nth Digri, Clifton Joseph, Motion, Phatt Al, Kali and Dub and others, is at Isart, Saturday, Nov. 22, 10pm, $7, $5 students
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Three years ago, poet Anthony Bansfield left his hometown of Montreal to carve out a place for himself in the Toronto spoken-word scene. Known as the nth Digri, Bansfield channelled all his energies into preserving the griot tradition of poetic skills and lyrics of substance, while at the same time experimenting with various musical accompaniments and hip hop fundamentals.