A timely theme, a group of dedicated poets, and some improvised, rhythmic music -- "That's Urban Delight," said Cecie Odoch-Jato.
Cecie, who has been writing poetry since she was 10 years old, is the founder and director of Urban Delight -- Hamilton's student-run "urban" poetry troupe. "'Urban' poetry," she said, "is a style of contemporary poetry that's honest and direct. It doesn't use such heavy metaphors that the message is lost."
Although Cecie was first influenced by the poems of Maya Angelou and more traditional poets, she was inspired by the growing body of urban poetry that she heard in the cafés near her home in New York City. "In a typical poetry recital," said Cecie, "there's no performance or emotion, and that's how urban poetry -- and Urban Delight -- is so different."
Several times each semester, the members of Urban Delight choose an important and timely theme and collect their own poetry that fits that theme. In the past, they've held performances focusing on "Identity" (performed for the students of a first-year class) and "Love Any Way You Want It" (performed just prior to Valentine's Day). At the performance, they recite their poetry while the Urban Delight band -- a collection of drummers and other percussionists -- plays along. "Urban poetry is meant to be spoken more than read, and we try to captivate the audience with a fusion of poetry and music," Cecie said.
Despite all the coordination between poets and musicians, Urban Delight's performances aren't heavily scripted: "We definitely rehearse for these shows, but every reading is a little different," said Cecie. "The poets and the musicians constantly try to adapt to each other, and there's never any pressure to make things 'perfect' -- that way, the freedom of creativity really takes over and makes a spectacular show."
