This week’s episode of the Queens Fortress focuses on raising boys who women do not fear. Poet, writer, photographer and performer Clear, invites us into the world of raising a son in South Africa. Clear quotes the proverb “evil enters through the hole of a needle and spreads like an oak tree,” to describe how patriarchy grows in men and creates the violent and angry men we all have in our lives. He teaches his son Lethabo to cry, to vocalise his emotions and to combat the violence that grows with men not being true to their emotions.
The performer also gives us insight into his writing mentorship program, Speak Child, formerly known as U are what U spit. This program is for youth who aspire to be phenomenal spoken word artists where he uses his extensive experience in the industry to guide those after him into the world of spoken word.
Clear will be launching his new body of work Humans Beings on the 22nd of March 2020 in Hatfield, Pretoria. The showcase will be centred around both the faults and the magnificence of being human and will speak to his journey in the human form.
Details about his show can be found on all his social media platforms;
Twitter: @socleart, Instagram: @clearasfire_
Guest Profile
Torsten Tebogo Rybka, known on stage as ‘Clear as Fire’ is a South African poet, writer, photographer and performer who resides in Ga Rankuwa, Pretoria. Clear’s decision to live within the art space grew from his love of hip-hop and poetry, with influence from artists such as Common, Talib Kweli, Ntate Lefifi Thladi and Lebo Mashile.
In 2016 the poet produced, directed and performed in his own poetry production at the State Theatre titled “Speaking From Experience (Growth)” with a Jazz band and a four woman choir. The production was part of the first ever Trade fair festival house by the Market Theatre in Johannesburg. Clear is an award winning artist and in 2018 went on to bag the Poet of the year award at WordnSound.
His future plans are to publish anthologies, record poetry productions as albums and to continue to mentor the youth and lead them into the industry of poetry well equipped for all the challenges the industry comes with.
About Yamoria
Yamoria is a spoken word duo comprising podcast hosts, poets, writers, Spoken Word Artists, presenters and authors: twin sisters Mfumo and Fumane Ntlhabane. The podcast, The Queens Fortress debuted in 2019 and is centred around African Poetry, Music and Literature.
Yamoria are established poets in Johannesburg with their footprint beginning to take on a national scale. They have been performing artists since 2017 and have performed on stages at the Joburg theatre, The State Theatre and many more. The duo has also been invited to perform on various TV and Radio Stations.
The duo are also well seasoned writers and published their first book Colour Me Melanin in 2019. The publication is a colouring and poetry book that celebrates 27 different African Cultures and Black Girl Magic. The spoken word couple has also been published in some of Africa’s most esteemed Anthologies.
Social Media:
Twitter:@FortressQueens, Instagram: @yamoria_, Facebook :Yamoria
