Persian couplets gave us a lift

The Gujarati poetry - at least in part (the funny stuff) seemed to be something like the poet would say a line, then repeat it and everyone joined in then he'd say something that would make them laugh or surprise them.
I'm guessing but it sounded like this to my ear (obviously much better than this poor effort but I'm simplifying):
Poet: "When is a door not a door?"
Poet and audience together: "When is a door not a door?"
Poet: "When it's a jar!"
Audience: uproarious laughter and slapping of thighs
then onto next stanza in the same form and so on to end of poem

Actually some of the poems seemed to be old chestnuts and the crowd joined in the last bit as well then laughed their socks off.
Anyway whatever the verse form was it seemed joyous, great fun and we were a bit sad that we couldn't join in fully.
Paul

What a wonderful evening. Is it an annual event? Hooray and plaudits for the WOL contingent.

There is nothing so refreshing as a pleasurable challenge to one’s preconceptions, unless it’s a Tizer. The three godfather’s of WoL were thus blessed on Saturday 21 June, with their first visit to a Gujarati Mushaira. Gujarat is a major Indian state on the northern border with Pakistan, many of its residents are Moslem, and they form the biggest single group of Bolton residents from South Asia. Famous Gujaratis include Ghandi, the Hindu who led the sub-continent to independence, and Jenna, the Moslem founder of Pakistan. Enough of the history you may say. A Mushaira is a poetry convention, an old tradition, which is being revived in the UK to help preserve both the Gujarat language, and the writing and performance of poetry. The most common form of poetry in the old style is the ghazal, a rhyming couplet, and which can be spoken or sung, which can be romantic, wistful or humorous. The ghazal originates in Persia and is a format known across the Middle East and South Asia.

So what, I hear you say. We had been invited because the organisers Siraj Patel and Yakub Theba, wanted to open the doors of their annual event to some British poets, and we ended up being three of the six guests to read in English. Not knowing what to expect, but being uncharacteristically diplomatic, we chose some sensible numbers to perform, with due deference to cultural and gender sensibilities. The Moslem Community Centre in Astley Street was once an imposing red brick church. At five o’clock on Saturday there were maybe sixty people, mainly elderly men, waiting for proceedings to begin. By six o’clock with the first readings under way following a lengthy but interesting series of introductions and presentations, there were probably around two hundred in the hall, including many younger men, and women of all ages some with children. When we left at seven, at the end of the first half, extra chairs were being brought in, whole rows of seats were being shuffled forward, and there must have been four hundred people present, all there to listen to poetry!

MC for the night was Blackburn councillor Imtiaz Patel, who conducted the event very professionally, slipping easily between Gujarati and English, and teeing up the theme of the relationship of harmony and diversity (“a garden is beautiful because the flowers are different”). His reference to Moslem and Hindu writings set the scene for powerful speeches on community cohesion by Yasmin Umerji, of Bolton and Iqbal Essa of Blackburn. And then, after we each received a red rose and a book of poems, the poetic action began. Cllr Patel did a sterling job of summarising the theme of each poem in English and Gujerati.

On the top table among visiting poets from America and India were the Mayor Mrs Barbara Ronson and consort, along with David Crausby MP, and a small clutch of Bolton councillors. A lot was at stake for your cultural emissaries from the Howcroft. I was first on, a rare honour, managing to read two longish poems (we were only slightly behind time at this point) namely Sole Man, and Childhood Fruits. I have more than the slightest feeling that Yakoob was having a joke at my expense by wearing a pair of gleaming white trainers to accompany his dark blue suit. The audience was very polite. The next reader had them rolling in the aisles. In about six rhyming couplets the small statured and self-effacing Sufi Manubari, had them captured and spell-bound. This was real audience participation with everyone repeating the second line or the last few words of each couplet, accompanied by unfettered and unself-conscious mirth. Brian Lewis of Pontefract introduced a more serious tone but was well-received and he was followed by a short taster from one of the evening’s top guests, Adil Mansuri from America. Time for a drop of true Britpop poetry from the King of Poets himself, Paul Blackburn. “Do anything you want to” was rapturously received, they just loved the repeated refrain, and Paul’s animated delivery. There followed a number of short thoughtful presentations from Andrew Carter (teacher) and James Moroney(student) from Amplethorpe College, and further short ghazals from distinguished masters Adam Tankarvi and Khalil Dhantejvi. What better way to finish off an inspirational and soul-lifting first half than a crowd-pleasing “ I need my car” from the multi lingual master of mirth himself, Julian Jordon. Ingratiating himself to a now heaving audience with his liberal use of Urdu, he had the whole room entering into the spirit of the self-righteous roadster. Yes they all needed their cars, including the Mayor and Mr Crausby!

Well we left at seven although we had the option to stay. I’m not too sure we could have coped with any more poetry hits and our limited knowledge of Gujerati was surely going to find us out once the translation ceased. People stopped to shake our hands as we left! Standing on Astley Street afterwards we took in the early evening air and decided “yes, it is the variety of flowers that make the garden beautiful” and we shouldered our hoes, and left contented.

Dave Morgan
25 June 2007

With many thanks to Siraj Patel, Yakub Theba and Imtiaz Patel..