Oral transmissions

Call it what you want--dub poetry, rap, spoken word--it makes no difference to Black Theatre Workshop's Kate Bligh, who is partly responsible for this weekend's Day of Griots and Poets. The event, which showcases a mostly-black lineup of poets, b-boys and storytellers, is a celebration of a vibrant oral tradition, one that has specific origins in black culture.

When the city approached Black Theatre Workshop about Montreal's 2001 Faces Festival--a celebration of Montreal's multiculti flavour--they decided on a spoken-word event instead of a play because, says Bligh, "Montreal's spoken-word scene has attracted more talented, young, black artists than the theatre scene." Paying respect to the Griots of yore--storytellers of west African origin who are said to have been walking libraries--Bligh's lineup features poets Kaarla Sundstrom and Alex Boutros, dub poetess Debbie Young, storytellers, beatboxers, hip hop acts and more.

At the open-air stage in the Old Port, Saturday, Aug. 19, 1:30-6:30 p.m, free. : --Siobhàn O'Connor

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