The Evolution Of Ivan: One Year After His Unique Poetry Album
The day is 7th September 2019. A day before he turns 29. Ivan Irakoze is on stage in a red sweater, white shirt underneath and black pants. You’d think it was Valentines Day. And from the lyrical lines pouring out of his lips, it might as well be.
Soul Session: Interactive Live Album Launch
We’re here for the live recording of his debut spoken word album. The first live Kenyan spoken word album I’ve ever heard of. The only thing that comes close is the Bloom EP by Kenyan musician Kuiyu - which was also recorded live at Michael Joseph Centre.
Since 2016, I’ve watched Ivan’s evolution as a storytelling poet. From performing at free gigs in USIU-Africa to organizing paid shows at the prestigious Michael Joseph Centre. This time, I walk in later than usual as I’m from another event in Nairobi - call it event hopping. It’s the same night as the inaugural Mugithi Festival and Men of Soul at Braeburn Theatre.
It was one of those nights.
There are around 50 people in the audience: mostly Kenyan poets, friends and fans of Ivan. Two mounted microphones face them to capture their voices. On stage, Ivan is accompanied by Louis Abuga on guitar (and vocals on Love Like This) and Erhard Sifa on keys. It seems Ivan has caught up with other Kenyan spoken word artists such as Dorphanage and Mufasa who famously perform with a live band.
This is US
According to Ivan’s website, “This is an album about love based on a true story and performed with a wonderful audience”. US is a collection of six poems (minus the intro and outro) about love, a topic he loves to write about. What makes this African poetry album unique is that he gives the audience the power to choose the course of the love story. They determine what goes into the album.
As you listen, you can’t help but feel like you’re at the event. You catch the audience’s applause, passionate votes, sporadic laughter and honest opinions about Millennial Love (track 5 on the album). In case you’re feeling more single, self-love is the best love - Ivan assures you.
Here are some stand-out lines from the live poetry album:
You don’t always find love, sometimes love finds you.
Hurt people may hurt people, but maybe subconsciously hurt people hurt people because they don’t want to be alone in pain.
Love is the real revolution
Interactive storytelling
One year after its release, he’s slightly surprised people are still listening to the album. He has gotten good feedback so far, especially about loving yourself and the idea of interactive storytelling. Something no one else is doing in Kenya, other than what Tetu Shani did in Nakuru.
“I like where interactive storytelling has me going”. He was recently invited to present his unique spoken word technique at the South African-based Pan-African Creative Exchange (PACE) festival in August 2020. He had 7 minutes to pitch his art and poetry to different groups on his table. Basically like a conference, but online.
How did he come up with interactive storytelling? Towards the end of 2018, the 58th Slam Africa King was thinking about how to include the audience in his show rather than them sitting down and watching for hours. “I wanted to connect with my audience. Having questions with the audience, asking them to choose between two things, letting them decide how the story goes.”
When he watched Black Mirror: Bandersnatch on Netflix, it was the confirmation that this could work.
He started performing this way in 2019, combining as many things as possible - including music. He admits it’s fun because he gets to know people more and what choices they would make in certain situations. “I like being creative, creating my own thing. That way I’m on my own (lane).”
And recording his album live was the best way to capture his interactive storytelling.
Working with Iminza
US was released less than a year after his debut REAL EP, also performed at Michael Joseph Centre. And he seems to love performing with the ladies. On August 18th 2018, he was alongside Kenyan spoken word artist Nicole Agneta. He explains himself: ”REAL was a love story so it was nice to have the two perspectives male and female, complimenting each other.”
For his 2019 album launch, he went with a Kenyan female musician. He’s been a fan of her ever since her Roots x Wings EP- she performed Hero's Tale and Dejame during the event. He first met IMI when she was playing the guitar for Kenyan female spoken word artist Shingai at one of his Ink Overflow Art and Poetry events. He’s used to meeting new artists through his events.
He wanted her to perform solo. Moving back between Spain and Kenya, she said she’d be back around August/ September 2019. When Ivan decided to do a live poetry album, he thought why not do a track together.
“And that’s how it happened.”
The soulful duets with Iminza were probably the most special part of the event. Unlike Ivan, she was in a black and white top, black slacks and equally black braids. I found her singing Three Little Birds by Bob Marley like the fourth musical bird.
But the song that made it to the album was Milele, IMI with an acoustic guitar in hand and sweet vocals delivering a simple Swahili chorus.
The African storytelling poet reveals that they created the love poem/song in less than 2 hours. And he wrote the whole album just 2 weeks before the album launch. Inspired by his girlfriend, it was based on his own love story.
Also in attendance was Kenyan music producer C Money - who also produced his REAL EP that was equally as musical. But when Ivan shrubbed in the outro, C Money didn’t edit it out. Or when Ty the funny MC asked for his credits.
Diversifying the art
Looking back at US, Ivan Irakoze has a different perspective about love. His biggest lesson is there’s a lot more that goes into relationships than the honeymoon phase. “It’s a lot of work and commitment. I would probably explore that further.”
One of his earlier poems is titled Ride or Die. Now he just wants to ride.
On social media, he’s been posting short little poems during the pandemic. “I’m trying to record stuff I’ve written over the years every week.” He’s also started doing Instagram Lives for his fans.
Every Friday at 8 pm EAT, he gets a fan to hop on the live video. He then writes a poem for them based on a general topic and their conversation. Meanwhile, the viewers suggest random words to include in the poem.
It reminds me of Tetu Shani’s Writer's Block songwriting sessions on his Instagram back in April.
Between 2014 to 2019, Ivan’s main themes have been love, life, dreams and death. “Now I want to write about anything else because I don’t want to be boxed in as the love poet.” He wants to explore diverse topics. Not be classified as one thing.
“My next project will probably be focused on being a millennial, the different things we go through and trying to record that for us and the future generations.”
Turning Thirty
From talking to him, you can tell he’s excited to be turning 30. “I feel I’m in a better place in general than when I was in my 20s.” According to him, 20s is the struggle - unlearning the lies you were told and learning what people didn’t tell you about life.
“Now I understand, I’m evolving. Life is good at 30!”
I’m curious what he’s proud of. “I’m most proud of my creativity, I think. If I look back at the whole decade and all the things I’ve done creatively and my writing ability, that brings me pride and joy. It’s led me to where I am today.”
He’s also grateful for the people in his life, “My friends are really cool.” Lacking the right English word, he explains it further in French, his second language. He is actively learning Kirundi as well, something I relate to as one of the many millennials learning their mother tongue as an adult. If one can learn a foreign language at 30, why not a local one?
He wishes he could be with his parents and brother at home in Burundi. I’ve met them several times at his Nairobi poetry events. But he loves his online job as a content coach; it’s great for being able to work anywhere. He can’t wait to travel and explore and live in different African countries, one month at a time.
Like most of us, he cannot wait to attend a live show again. Seeing your favourite artist performing right in front of you and your friends seated right next to you is something we probably took for granted before. But not anymore.
He’s been keeping connected through meeting friends on Skype and through weekly get-togethers. As things go back to (the new) normal, you can listen to US by Ivan and remember what it felt to be at a live spoken word event in Nairobi. Like it’s 2019 all over again.
Images courtesy of Ivan Irakoze
