yaBez

yaBez is the metamorphosis of the artiste Jabez, (pronounced: jah bez), which also morphs from the biblical Jabez. (1st Corinthians 4:10). Whether he’s mixing the sounds of reggae, jazz, RnB or other with his profound poetry — along with an eclectic group of live musicians, or simply rhyming spoken-word in acapella, this multi-talented performance poet yaBez quickly captures the ears and imaginations of those who have witnessed his act. “Anyone fortunate enough to see and hear yaBez perform will be moved, mentally, emotionally and physically by the powerful delivery of this well- versed soothsayer,” noted Roots, Reggae and Kulcha Magazine, reggae music editor I Jabulani Tafari in a review of a then fast-rising poet/artist. yaBez says that, he's an artist first, and the poetry came along. He saw the connection as he watched a poetry performance with Jean "Binta" Breeze, and Mutabaruka in the amphitheatre, School of Drama at the then Cultural Training Centre. To express yourself with lines, shapes and colors to make a point is not so different from using words, the sound they make, prompting your body to move. I tell stories, vignettes of life and social commentary. And I can put it on a canvas or paper similiarly. With performance poetry, the stage is the latter. And the product encompass the same energy, emotion, struggle and more intangibles. Before yaBez became a practitioner of dub poetry, he first heard the new sound from legendary Linton Kwesi Johnson's dub poem "Dread Beat an' Blood", and knew a new school of reggae music is on hand. Then "Mi Cyaan Believe it" by Mikey Smiths; Oku Onuora's "Dread Time."