Yaphet Jackman’s poetry is his signature. Its fusion of humour and colourful depictions, outlined with a serious and refined message which is easily understood despite the sometimes complex uses of literary devices, is Yaphet Jackman.
The poet, writer and spoken word artist prefers to write on social issues. He finds himself using the art of writing to introduce serious and current affairs in a subtle but thought-provoking way to audiences.
Writing was an outlet for Yaphet as a young boy growing up in Bent Street, Georgetown. He said that when he would not be allowed to be a regular “Bent Street boy” who would be frolicking and playing, he would sit and write his thoughts in a book. Interestingly enough he never thought that he would be interested in literature and/or the performing arts because he always had what he described as “a technical mind.”
“Although I wrote, I had no clue that I was doing it well. Most if not all of my writings were very angry, deep thoughts that I figured ought not to be shared with anyone other than myself,” Yaphet told The Scene in an interview. “I don’t know that my family has a history of writers, but it does have… singers and performers. I can say that I was encouraged to do well in school and study all that I could. But I wasn’t directly guided to literature and things of the arts. I would say that I was encouraged to be a generalist.”
In 2007, he migrated to St Vincent and the Grenadines where he worked as the video editor for Studio One of the island’s broadcasting corporation. This, he said, was the last of two jobs he did on the island-state. He described his responsibilities as highly stressful due to the family-owned managerial model of the organisation.
Once again he started writing to pass the time and also to keep his sanity while on the job. His work colleague, JP Schwmon, who was also at the time the director of Blue Bucket Entertainment, read his work and thought it was fit for one of his spoken word poetry recitals.
“I didn’t agree with him because I thought that my writings were just emotional ramblings that served as therapy for me,” Yaphet said while strolling down memory lane. His colleague pressed him and also invited him to work along with him at Blue Bucket Entertainment. As destiny would have it, JP’s poetry shows resembled those Yaphet had frequented at the Upscale Restaurant before leaving here.
The main difference was the infusion of live music and art which made JP’s shows a lot more entertaining. “I worked with musicians, artists, writers and poets for seven months which totally revolutionised the way I thought about the arts. My own writing and work began to grow, but I never mustered up the courage to perform my work at any of the shows,” he said.
He moved back to Guyana in 2008 and went right back to the Upscale to relive his Vincentian experiences, only to find out that Upscale’s poetry nights had become irregular and had been struggling for a few months. It was the perfect opportunity for him to merge Upscale’s way of doing things with his Vincentian experiences. “Due to the work I did with JP and Blue Bucket Entertainment, he quickly made me the Guyana representative of the poetry model and show ‘Xpress Yoself’ – which was the name of the shows held in the islands,” he revealed.
Yaphet grew from organiser of the new show to the host of the event to a performer to promoter of poetry and the arts in a short space of time.
“I did not even know when I got this recognised because I always thought that the ones who performed, wrote and advocated for the arts before I returned, were doing a far better job than I ever could,” he said.
“I never started out as wanting to be a performer or a popular poet. I just wanted my work to be heard because I thought I had a message that people needed to hear. I took the chance to share one of my poems in public at one of the Xpress Yoself GY shows and ever since I worked on my delivery. The rest is history.”
Asked to comment on organising and hosting the current Upscale Poetry night, he said it was hard work but he was always happy with the enthusiasm, especially springing from like-minded, passionate and purpose driven individuals who all want to see the arts in Guyana improve and become a force to reckon with on the international scene. He acknowledged the hard work, dedication and commitment displayed through the vision of Asafa George and the directorship of Upscale to create a forum for young artistes to develop and hone their craft. This organisation is committed to working with any individual, group or organisation that wants to see the development of poetry and its fraternity flourish.
Yaphet has a solid plan for his future as an artist, which involves him being a bit more marketable and even more recognised for his work and for what he wants to see for Guyana. “I want to be known as the artiste who has used his talents and opportunities to cause real change in Guyana,” he said.
Yaphet was reluctant to speak about what he considers some of his best performances, pieces and productions. Pressed, he divulged, with a total lack of conceit, that some of his best work includes: “When Will Your Mind Go?” which he read at the Umana Yana on World Poetry Day 2012; his performance at the Slam Series Finals, at the Theatre Guild in 2012; Verses & Flow, a television production for TVG 28; “The Written Release,” a featured show at Upscale in December 2013; his poem “Identity and Our World”, performed at the Theatre Guild in May 2013 and his most recent, “Identity”.
Kindred Republic, a new recording label under the ambitions of producer Andrew “DrewThoven” King recorded, produced and released “Identity” which took social network by fire for its humour and the impact of its message.
Yaphet explained that the collaboration was birthed during his time of preparation for his feature show – “The Written Release”. He wanted something different from the regular performance poetry, he wanted to have a band playing live music while he performed his poetry, but that all boiled down to custom built tracks for some of his work in the long run. Having worked with Andrew before, it was an easy and natural selection to make when he wanted someone to build his tracks. The work Andrew did for a few of the poems for the show resulted in Yaphet wanting to create a spoken word album.
“Given all the positive feedback I got from performing ‘Identity,’ we both decided that this poem would be the precursor of the spoken word album – ‘Ink Drops,’” he revealed to The Scene.
Yaphet spoke of 2012’s Verses & Flow. He noted that the television show quickly became popular and not only had quality content, but was also a high quality production on par with regional and international television shows of its kind.
He referred also to ‘Young Journalists and Writers’, a global organisation where he’s listed as an Art Designer. “The group of global writers are all thinkers and social activists in the communities with a mission to change themselves and the societies in which they reside. These goals were all in sync with mine and I decided to join. This was not as artistic as you may think, but more of an advocacy and youth developmental organisation,” he explained.
His motivation rests solely on the shoulders of the aspiring writers, poets, artists and performers who reside in Guyana. “It is my joy to give them an opportunity to hone their craft and watch them grow from strength to strength. Their success and growth, is my success and growth. That motivates me. Period.”
Yaphet said he is not as well read as he ought to be when it comes to literature. “I have never done any formal training in literature and poetry except for a couple of workshops that we all did locally. I have a gift. A raw talent that is being honed, crafted and inspired by life itself.”
Writers like AJ Seymour, John Agard and Martin Carter, have only been recently consulted. Performers like Rochelle Christie, Kamadyah Yisrael, Freetown Collective and Black Ice – just to name a few – have all been major inspirations. “These are the giants on which I stand on. I have taken a part from each of them to help to carve and create my voice and ability to write.”
Yaphet, who is just a year shy of 30, was born in Brooklyn, New York. His formative years were spent in Bent Street, Wortmanville until he got to high school. He later moved to Queenstown in 1999.
He comes from a very humble family of four, and “was mostly my grandmother’s pet. She took care of me ever since I moved back to Guyana as a baby and I have never left her side until she passed a few years ago.”
He said he and his younger brother Yohan were groomed to be responsible from a very tender age. Though Bent Street had its vibe—children playing in the streets, neighbours gaffing on their bridges and loud and dramatic arguments that would attract everyone’s attention—they were never allowed to play in the streets.
Yaphet recalled bending the rules, “…My friends would invite me to their yards to play and I would gladly run through the hole in the fence to play cricket with mango seeds or bottles, basketball with a bumper ball or football with tennis ball.
“We had other extended family up the street and of course I had some friends that I would get away to check out every once in a while. Needless to say, life was an unfolding adventure in Bent Street, because you never knew what would happen next.”
Unlike his early yearning to play, his social life today is practically non-existent. Self-described as the typical workaholic, his activities are work, eat, laugh and chat.
Yaphet leaves Guyana on Monday. He is heading to film school at the Ohio University to pursue a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts, with a specialization in Film Direction. On his return he has plans to help build the local film industry and to create opportunities for young film enthusiasts like himself to fulfil their dreams right here in Guyana.
