Poetry Slam de Lux’7

Luxembourg. Last Saturday evening the “Poetry Slam de Lux’7“ took place in the Rotondes of Luxembourg-city.  The international poetry slam, organized by the Institut Pierre Werner, offered texts and performances of five different slammers of five different countries: Luxembourg, France, Austria, Germany and Switzerland.  The artists got the possibility to present themselves two times on the stage. The first half of the evening was presented in standard German or French, after the break some artists enriched their presentation (after being sure to be understood) with their region’s or country’s dialect, which gave certain texts a very unique sense and an entertaining expression.

Renato Kaiser, spoken-word-artist, comedian and satirist from Switzerland, made the bilingual opening for the event. A short introduction of the other slammers gave the audience an inside of the following program. His opening text resulted in many laughs for the audience. Renato Kaiser spoke about his district, which would be SO tolerant. Hipsters, multiculture, alternative shops, urban gardening, local products and the quiet conscience of the people who are watching and supporting all this from time to time. In conclusion a life like that would be like Nordic-Walking: good, when it’s done by someone else.

After that, Paule Daro took over the stage and presented her text, which expressed her wish to have an interesting life. A life that would stay in the people’s memories, even when it should be short. Regarding that the slammer changed her position over the time, she continued with a recently-written counter-text. This one deals with the life in general, to live the life for oneself and not for being remembered by strange people. By now, she would want to get older than 27 (referring to her previous text) and would not have the wish to achieve something history-book-worthy. Unknown and open future, but happy, that was the general statement of her counter-text. The Luxembourgish artist created insights in the Luxembourgish language as well by including sayings or talking about the absence of the expression “I love you” in the language. Especially the last fact was stressed out several times in the imaginative talk to her boyfriend which emphasized again her wish after an open and unknown future.

The French artist JYB presented his texts for the Poetry Slam in French. He referred to the topic time as well and expanded this in his following text with the aspect of flight. In his fast presented texts was also much wordplay included. He talked about skin tones, slavery, flight over the ocean and the wish after humanity.

“Being foreign” was discussed by the Austrian slammer Rebecca Heinrich. She told the audience of “Jelena Jedermann” (“Jelena Everyman”), a person which is created by everyone due to prejudices and precipitous impressions. Continuing, she presented a story from the point of view of a young girl, which came recently to Germany and started school. With dark skin and later on with a headscarf, she is always aware of her differentness. Just partly tolerated, always with someone’s eye on her; she would be foreign. In the following years she comes to the result “I am NOT foreign”. She may be different, just partly tolerated, always with someone’s eye on her, but she would not be foreign.

To the end of the Poetry Slam the German Sarah Bosetti presented her thoughts about brains, feminism and family holidays on the stage. Several times the whole audience had to grin and laugh.

To summarize: the 7th edition of the “Poetry Slam de Lux‘“ was a success and can (for me) only be recommended to future visitors.