Sriti Jha performs at a past edition of the Spoken Fest in Mumbai
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
When was the last time you sat on the grass, and listened to poetry? Or when you found yourself completely immersed in lyrical lines under the stars, and were inspired to put pen to paper?
Having steadily grown since its first edition in 2018, the Spoken Fest in Mumbai this year will see over 70 artistes who will take the stage for spoken word performances, music, discussions and more on February 1 and 2 at the Jio World Garden, BKC. This year, Kommune’s Spoken Fest will be headlined by the master of the lyrical word, veteran poet and lyricist Gulzar.
Lyricist & Peot Gulzar during the Jaipur Literature Festival 2024
Often deeply personal, emotional, and soul stirring, spoken word involves creators reciting poetry that often encapsulates a gamut of stories and experiences. This is not restricted to just one style, and might range from a simple poetry reading to hip-hop or even jazz poetry.
“More than half of our audience are creators themselves, and many make a beeline for the festival at the start of the year as it opens the doors of inspiration for the year. It has been a life-changing experience for many, and it is truly unique to see people sit down to listen to poets, and then immediately stand up to sway to a musical performance,” says Roshan Abbas.
From 5,000 people in its first edition, the audience for the Spoken Fest has tripled over the last few years, with women making up more than 55% of the crowd. The 70 odd artistes scheduled to take the stage at the event are a mix of spoken word performers, poets, actors, comedians, writers, and singers.
Priya Malik
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
“Over the years, we have steadily worked on curating the lineup, 30% of which is made up of people just from the spoken word community which includes Priya Malik, Nayab Midha, Nidhi Narwal and more. And we also have actors, speakers and thought leaders who are eager about the format, and are willing to submit to the preparation and rehearsals this takes,” Roshan explains. This includes actors Divya Dutta, Huma Qureshi, Ashish Vidyarthi, Gajraj Rao, and Raghubir Yadav, who Roshan says will showcase folk songs as a part of his performance
Apart from the spoken word performances, the extensive music lineup this year features conversations and melodies with singer Shankar Mahadevan, and performances by the band Agnee, singers Mansa Jimmy, Ankur Tewari, Sanjeeta Bhattacharya, and hip-hop duo Khasi Bloodz.
In December 2024, Spoken Fest made its debut in Shillong and in the coming year, the festival is heading to more cities as well.
“Every person has something unique to bring to the Spoken Fest, and we have talent coming from across the country. Gulzar saab headlining the festival for us was a dream come true; “Gulzar under the stars” will be a defining experience of this edition,” Roshan says.
@Jio World Garden BKC on February 1 and 2 from 2 pm to 10 pm. Tickets available at Insider.in and are priced from Rs 999 onwards
Published – January 24, 2025 06:02 pm IST
