Shaba revives poetry
Recently, Tendai Shaba has made several strides to revive poetry. The Chakwera Speech poet launched a website where he is sharing his work for free. Edith Gondwe had a conversation with him on his poetic life and other developments and here are the excerpts:
Q: What’s the background to your poetry series.
A
: I wrote the poetry series to share some knowledge of human psychology and how we, as individuals, can improve ourselves. I drew inspiration from concepts such as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and the theory of change. The poetry series is designed to inspire and motivate people on their personal development journey.
Q
: We have seen that you have made it a point to revive poetry. Does Malawi have an audience that appreciates poetry?
A
: Poetry will always be there as an extension for people to express their thoughts and feelings. I am glad that my audience is not only from Malawi but the [rest of the] world.
Q
: Recently, you launched a website. What exactly does it offer?
A
: The website offers a space for people to access my poetry and my teachings on personal development. Website traffic is increasing gradually.
Q
: One of your poems that stands out is Chakwera Speech. Tell me about it.
A
: I wrote Chakwera Speech before results of the June 23 fresh presidential election became official. At that moment, I wrote the speech in anticipation of what Malawians wanted to hear after a long fight for a better Malawi.
Q
: Now let’s talk about the poetry playlist. What is it called?
A
: The poetry playlist is called God. Family. Poetry. It is a follow-up to my poetry series. It focuses on our values and beliefs in life and how that affects our personal growth. The playlist has eight poems.
Q
: What can you say to poetry lovers and poets in Malawi?
A
: I have known some interesting people who follow my poetry. I am happy they resonate with my poems. I urge them to keep subscribing to my weekly poetry. I urge poets in Malawi to be more creative and resourceful. Being a poet alone is not interesting, you need to have something unique about yourself. At the end of the day, you are a storyteller. People remember you because of the stories you tell and how you tell them.
Q
: Do you think Malawian poetry is moving in the right direction?
A
: I believe I am pushing for that with my poetry. We need to create an environment for ourselves so that our stories can reach the world [market]. n
