By Ana Williams
On Monday February 25th I attended Poetic Vibe, an AMAZING weekly event hosted by D. Colin at Troy Kitchen. – For someone who writes a lot of poetry one would think that I have attended a lot of open mic events, however, that is far from the case. – On my journey to Troy I wasn’t sure what to expect at this open mic. Upon my arrival to Troy Kitchen, I made my way to the lounge area where I was captivated by the scenery, and the amazing scents of food next door.
One thing I loved about the location is you not only get your soul fed, but your stomach as well! Since the event is held in a restaurant there is flexibility for people to eat, laugh and share special moments with each other. The ambiance of Troy Kitchen was so welcoming, and there was a welcoming smile on everyone’s face. The purple lights that covered the lounge complimented by silver beams from the crystal ball overhead dancing over the walls, was a beautiful sight to see.
I made my way to the front of the room and luckily made it just in time to hear the end of D. Colin’s introduction to Poetic Vibe which occurs every Monday at 7pm. For those interested in performing it is suggested that you get there promptly at that time since that is when everyone can sign up for the open mic. As I took my seat, I watched Ms. D. Colin’s on stage presence, and it was as if I was seeing the poet/performer that I aspire to be. Colin had a radiant presence that made one feel that no matter who you were or what bad experience you faced 10 seconds ago, her energy alone could make you happy to be who and where you were.
Throughout the open mic there were many performances that kept my attention throughout their performances. Some of these exceptional performances were done by Cassie, Shay, Hannah, and many more throughout the night. Joshua Ra Dundas, one of the performers, has even written his own book titled “2Q AND SIN BYRON’S Broken Crystal Mirror Pieces”. Joshua walked on stage with a charisma that you could not ignore even if you tired. He was so full of energy – to the point that one couldn’t help but smile or even laugh as he took the stage.
I was amazed the whole night at just how much talent was in that one room. However, there was one performance that brought me to tears. This would be the performance by the host D. Colin herself. At the beginning she started off with a song. It was one filled with so much emotion and pain, it made me feel like I had gone through exactly what she described. As she continued through her piece she switched back and forth from speaking English and Creole (Haitian dialect), which I thought was an interesting way to perform. I recorded this performance with tears in my eyes. She spoke with so much passion when reciting these words, a passion I haven’t experienced in person in so long when it comes to poetry. From that moment I knew that Poetic Vibe would be an event I would attend again. Not only did I enjoy every poem I heard but, I also felt a part of this family that has developed and continues to overtime.
If anyone is within or close to Troy in Albany NY, I would highly recommend you attend Poetic Vibe. It will be an experience you will never forget.
