Performance poets from Nigeria will join their colleagues from Cuba on Friday, March 21, at the 6th Providus Bank Poetry Café, an event marking the 2025 World Poetry Day.
Tagged ‘An Evening with Wole Soyinka,’ the event will take place at Terra Kulture Arena, Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, and will feature poetry renditions and performances.
Established in 2020 by Providus Bank, the series is curated by Jahman Anikulapo for the Culture Advocates Caucus (CAC), under the encouragement of Prof. Soyinka, former UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.
With the theme Sand Dune and Ocean Bed: The Template of Dispersal, this year’s edition also commemorates the beginning of the United Nations Second Decade of African Descendants (2025–2034) in alignment with the ongoing UN anniversary for Enslaved Peoples and Reparatory Justice.
Established in 2020 by Providus Bank, the series is curated by Jahman Anikulapo for the Culture Advocates Caucus (CAC), under the encouragement of Prof. Soyinka, former UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.
“We could not think of any other iconic and preeminently qualified persona than the legend, Prof. Soyinka, to be the grand patron and, in some sense, the ‘patron saint’ for the project and for the many young people who have graced the stage since the inception of the series,” Providus Bank said.
The Nigerian poets featured in this edition are Kafayat Quadri (Kaffe of Life), Evelyn Osagie (Evelyn D’Poet), Tijani Usman (Tijaywebster), Yusuf Àlàbí Balógun (Àrẹ̀mọ Gemini), and Chinelo Nwora. They will be joined on the stage by a 15-piece musical orchestra from Cuba, which has been designated as the “Special Guest-Nation.”
“Since the Cuban guests will be presenting content rooted in their performance culture and heritage, the selection of local poets has been carefully made to ensure the guests experience a diverse array of Nigerian cultural expressions. The five Nigerian poets were chosen based on their varied styles of delivery, showcasing a rich spectrum of poetry performance techniques in Nigeria,” Anikulapo said.
The Cuban poets include Alex Pausides, Edelmis Anoceto Vega, Israel Domínguez, Emiliano Sardinas Copello, and Sinecio Verdecia Díaz (based in Canada). The event will also feature a special guest artist, multi-instrumentalist Wole Alade.
