First Guest Writer: Osaro of Fried Plantains Collective

Each year, we invite guest writers to respond to shows for the festival blog. The aim is to gather contributors from different contexts and with different interests, to represent something of the diversity in Dublin today.

Our first guest writer Osaro, who also goes by Yemi, is the founder of Fried Plantains, a collective in which she merges community development with spoken word and music nights in Dublin. Osaro has studied community work and enjoys organising community gig events where people from diverse backgrounds can listen to music and poetry while partying together under one roof, as she enjoys how most of us are far more open to understanding others when music and laughter (the sesh) are prominent. Osaro recently performed in the LGBT show Mouth of a Shark, created by Change of Address and presented in THISISPOPBABY's Where We Live programme during the 2018 St. Patrick's Festival.

Osaro will see and respond to Robyn Orlin's And so you see...:

And so you see... looks instantly appealing; the image of the guy (Albert Khoza) on the poster looking Vodun-like, and the blurb ('Why can't you be gay and traditional? Why can't you be a university graduate and practice traditional African religion and medicine?') got me super curious. I once did a performance at the Grangegorman squat a few years ago where I got naked and danced while story-telling about the the legend of Mami Wata – an old West African pregnant sea-witch who, as the lore goes, committed suicide by falling off the highest cliff, straight onto earth, and fell giving birth to the first Gods and humans of earth. My friend played on her Shruti box to enhance the story-telling. We found it really fun. There's been a resurgence in both certain African and Irish female communities with connecting back to ancient lores (Sheela Na Gig, Mami Wata etc.) There's something to be said about colonised lands that take back power by learning and passing on their history again while enjoying mordern times. I'd like to see And so you see... to enjoy their own perspective on reclaiming traditional crafts.

Stay tuned to the blog to read Osaro's response to And so you see... later this week. If you'd like to see the show yourself, you can book tickets here.

Image: Hazel Coonagh

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