An interview with Rajita Jey - Winner of Last Month's Foodarama Slam by Slam Crew - Neha Tehuja

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The winner of June's Foodarama Slam was Rajita Jey. As she fervently wished she could eat some birthday cake, she had the audience eating out of her hand. We caught up with her to understand what's behind the delightful poetry she keeps serving up.
 
Congratulations on winning June’s slam, Rajita. What's your story? How did you get into spoken word poetry?
I became enamoured with spoken word poetry several years ago.  Working in the countryside in NSW, Australia, I was privileged to encounter excellent poets - grown men, locals well-known in the town for their poetic recitations - perform their dramatic and adventure-filled bush poetry to the young and old, to everyone's delight. Their performances were practiced, with expression and gestures, and without any notes in sight, pure memory.  I was in complete awe. Poetry relies on sound and rhythm, and unless you say it out loud you often miss extra layers of meaning, like the frenetic rhythm of the horses galloping in 'The Man From Snowy River'. After watching the incredible Ezekiel Azonwu perform 'Almost (Saved)' on Youtube, I was exposed to the concept of performance poetry more closely aligned to the sort you see in the Word Forward Poetry Slams. I even had the Year 7 English class I was teaching verse the other class in our own poetry slam! 
 
Are you a seasoned slammer? How does it feel to get up there and slam?
I began investigating the literary arts scene in Singapore after moving here in 2016, and discovered the monthly Poetry Slam events held in Blu Jaz Cafe. I attended and had the opportunity to hear amazing poets, and from there decided to participate. So it hasn't been very long, but I have learned so much from listening and watching the different styles of the various slammers.
As for how it feels to stand up there on the small stage area, light in your eyes, an audience of mostly unknown faces waiting expectantly - it is terrifying! I don't mean to put anyone off doing it, as it's also quite exhilarating after the fact, when people are clapping and laughing, but it does require some degree of fortitude to make your way onto the stage once your name is called instead of sneaking out the door.
 
A favourite poem/ poet? And why?
Aside from Ezekiel Azonwu's electric performances, another poem that really struck me was Langston Hughes' 'Harlem'.  Published in his collection of poetry 'Montage of a Dream Deferred' in 1951, in its smooth, curious, dulcet tones, the short poem encapsulates the bitterness of a rejected community, the sickening decay of a generation's hope for the future, the violence and release in the inevitable conclusion of a dream deferred - "Or does it explode?"
 
Thank you for your time, Rajita. We’d love to see you dish out more of your wonderful poetry at the slam! J
 
We hope you enjoyed snacking on Rajita’s poetry and her faves. For a full binge, come over
to our next slam!