FOR a third year, Franale’s “National Hip Hop and Poetry Slam” has brought the vybz to the local entertainment arena, by allowing local persons involved in the arts to have a platform to showcase their craft.

“I felt that the competition is getting tougher as more and more talents find their way to me,” competition organiser, Franale Holder told the Buzz.
This year there were 55 entries. From this pool, 36 were selected to compete in the first round from which 12 participants were chosen to move into the final round which was held at the ‘The Duke’ last Friday, January 18. But if anything, the sombre ambience of the restaurant was a stark contrast to the fiery-hot battles of wits and words.

After an intensive three rounds of competition (two preliminary rounds and then the finals), Latoni Beaton gained the judges’ nod for first place, with Mark Luke-Edwards taking second and Renata Burnett placing third. Rondel ‘’Disi’ Holder was adjudged the “Best Hip Hop Performance”.

The name Latoni Beaton- might sound familiar if you were an ardent follower of the once-popular “GT&T Jingle and Song” competition. Though that competition has long faded away, Beaton came to Franale’s ‘Slam’ ready to ‘dunk’.
She entered with her original piece, entitled “I am Black” that she wrotea few years ago and had dedicated it to` Trayvon Martin’ who was shot and killed in the U.S. That piece afforded her a spot in the finals of the competition.

“However, I knew if I wanted to win, I needed to write a new piece that is appealing,” Beaton told the Buzz.
Doing so was a struggle, as she related that she was battling morning sickness and other health ailments while preparing for the finals. In fact, she did not finish the piece until the night before the competition, which limited her to editing the script while also familiarising herself on the morning of the competition.

Though Beaton felt that she had mostly mastered her new piece, she disclosed that she completely blanked out when she arrived at `The Duke’. As such, she recited another piece `Woman in the Mirror’ with which she was more comfortable.

“The crowd’s response was overwhelming. I am still in awe and I am elated about the win,” she highlighted, but hastened to add “I certainly won’t accept the label ‘Best Poet’ because there are other powerful writers and poets, who have different styles and riveting pieces.”
She mentioned a number of her competitors, including Edwards and Burnette, who managed to gain her admiration.

“We are all gifted differently. But in competitions, there is only one first place, and I happened to cop that. I’m just thankful for favor and, Franale Holder whose drive facilitated such a competition. God be praised for this accomplishment,” she said.

Franale highlighted that the support the participants and the competition itself received this year was truly “phenomenal.”
“This is my third year doing the competition and it attracts competitors from every part of Guyana, including Lethem, Linden, the East Coast of Demerara, Bartica, Georgetown, Essequibo and Berbice,” she said.

“The aim is to introduce Guyanese hip hop and poetry to the world and to showcase national talent which we have in abundance-might I add,” Franale said. “Culture and the arts could be a million times bigger and better in Guyana, but in order to do that, I’m advocating to get our people to pay attention to what’s right under their noses,” she added.
Franale, an artiste herself, said that while there is a host of talent in Guyana, the winners of this competition were just the ones who would practice harder and work more diligently on crafting their pieces.

And commenting on the winning talent, she said: “They want to be seen, heard, appreciated and recognised as artists who can measure up to international talent. [And] in my opinion some of them are ready to soar to new heights.”