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December 05, 2006
When Maui Booksellers in Wailuku closed in September, the competitive poetry event known as Maui Slam was homeless. But former storeowners Dave and Chela Coennen, who began hosting the event in April 2005, were determined to keep the show going. On Sunday Nov. 26, Maui Slam came to Hapa’s in Kihei for the second time.
“It’ll definitely be a monthly thing,” Dave said. “We’re trying to rebuild it here at Hapa’s. But we’re also looking to take the event to different venues around the island.”
Maui Slam Poets have three minutes to show off their spoken word skills with no props, no music and no costumes. Five randomly selected judges score each performer. Some toted notebooks for reference and others spat verse from the tops of their heads, but everyone who stood up owned the stage for their three minutes.
Competitor Jah Sun of Haiku, a past Maui Slam winner who recently won a slam in Oahu, said he had never participated in a slam event before showing up to one of the Coennens’ events at the bookstore.
“I was kind of hooked on it after that,” said Sun. “It’s a bummer about the store but it’s cool their still doing this.”
Other poets echoed this sentiment. “Let’s give credit where credit is due, if it wasn’t for [the Coennens] we wouldn’t be here,” said one performer.
DJ Boomshot stood tall on the turntables providing filler between poets and slick urban beats before and after the performances. Combined with funky lighting and a large projection screen, the event was a stimulating multi-media affair. The lively crowd heckled the judges as they delivered their verdicts following each set. Deborah Grant of Kihei was chosen at random to judge the competition. Grant said she looked for content, delivery and overall presence.
In the end, Rod Rael Guadalupe, a 17-year-old from Oakland CA, took home the top prize of $100. His poem, called “Four Shots,” was a stirring reflection of a 14-year-old friend lost to street violence. Guadalupe mastered his technique as a member of Youth Speaks, a nationwide spoken word organization for inner-city kids.
Rod and his dad, Rod Sr., happened to be on vacation on Maui and saw an ad for the slam in the newspaper. Guadalupe said he was used to performing in front of crowds and called the Bay Area the “capitol of spoken word.”
“I think it’s real cool they’re doing this here,” Guadalupe said of Maui Slam.
The Coennens are equally enthusiastic about the success of what they hope will be a regular Maui event. “We met a lot of amazing people and did some amazing events at the store,” Coennen said. “So we’ve decided to take our show on the road and become promoters of parties with a purpose–progressive events and literary events. Everyone that comes to these has a great time. The energy afterward is just amazing.”
For more info on Maui Slam visit www.mauislam.com.
Jared Libby
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