'When restless and without poems, I play with colour.' - Inked Pupil
RVL: Tell us a bit about
yourself. Who is Hazel?
Hazel: My name is Hazel
Tobo, also known as Fasaha Mshairi. I was born in Tembisa and grew up in
Polokwane. I have been writing since 2004 and I have since grown into the arts
of poetry and photography. I am a spoken word artist and a self-published poet
of the book; Broken Azania.
RVL: How did you come to
call yourself Fasaha Mshaira and what meaning does the name hold?
Hazel: Stage names have
always been difficult for me to create or carry so Fasaha Mshairi is a combination
of two words I turned out to like. Fasaha
meaning, Eloquent and Mshairi meaning,
Poet - these words are derived from Swahili, the language that has my heart
melting.
RVL: As far as your career
in writing and performance goes, when did you take a liking in the art of photography?
Hazel: Photos have always
put a smile on my face. Ever since I got my first camera phone in 2009 I have
never seized to secretly snapping memories of what caught my eye. This led me
to saving up money that I received at a performance to buy my first small and
very basic camera. My addiction to capturing moments has never stopped but only
kept growing.
RVL: Tell us about your
brand, Inked Pupil. What’s it about?
Hazel: Inked Pupil is a photography brand
founded by myself. I hold endless visions and goals for it. Inked Pupil aims to capture moments and
thereafter spill a little ink on images through editing and exploring colour.
RVL: What are some of the
challenges or stereotypes that you face as a poet?
Hazel: Stereotypes are
galore for any artist that treat their art as a way of life, the most I had to
deal with are age issues whereby opportunities would be withdrawn from me
simply because I am a young poet and therefore am not ready to deal with that
which I will reap.
Another
stereotype is people thinking or rather strongly believing that we poets
constantly have "lines" to drop. I have gotten exhausted by the
stereotypical approach that people use when I tell them that I am a poet; how
they swiftly say “drop me a line or stanza".
RVL: Would you say you are
more of a writer than a poet?
Hazel: Yes A WRITER first
because the process of writing a poem takes place through writing. I also write
essays and short stories when my imagination allows me the freedom to.
RVL: Which do you love
most: performing or being a writer and why?
Hazel: I love being a writer. It allows me to send
out thoughts to the world and still allow them the freedom to interpret it
however way they please.
RVL: What message do you
wish to portray in your craft and are there any barriers you wish to overcome
as a poet or even as a photographer?
Hazel: Simply to say that
art is a way of life and that it is capable of healing and teaching. I would
like to write like myself and myself only and that is all I would like to
overcome.
RVL: It seems as though
poetry as an art form has become mediocre. It circulates around the same
people, the same style of performing and the same topics. What is it about you
that make you stand out from other poets who come across as monotonous?
Hazel: I have learned to
write freely without trying to sound a certain way or touch on a specific topic. I write what weighs me down , what I
feel needs to be noticed, what helps me cope on a daily basis, what helps me
heal and that which I believe will reach others in an eye-opening manner. I write what the moment requires me to.
Hazel: What we write is
highly important as it is bound to have an impact on someone's life or thoughts
so it is important to make sure that your message is sent out as clean and
beneficial as possible for both your audience and you.
RVL: Coming from a small hometown, would you say that the poetry community is growing or do you think that it is dying out?
RVL: Coming from a small hometown, would you say that the poetry community is growing or do you think that it is dying out?
Hazel: The poetry
community is slowly growing. It will take time but we I'll get there soon.
RVL: How important is it
to read?
Hazel: Reading helps us grow;
it allows us the ability to explore more realms of the literature world as well
as eye-opening.
Hazel: Poetry is here to
heal, to teach, to soothe.
Who are some of your best poets and why?
Hazel: Pitika Ntuli; Quaz
Roodt; Buddy Wakefield. Because their writing is different from all the other
poets work.
RVL: Tell us more about
your book, My Broken Azania that you
launched in April.
Hazel: My Broken Azania is a poetry anthology based
on the social state of Africa and mostly South Africa specifically within the
grungy streets of Johannesburg. It’s where my experiences have been laid out
for the masses to see. My broken Azania is a healing poem to my Africa.
RVL: What are you
currently working on? What can we expect from you?
Hazel: I'm currently
working on growing as a writer and photographer. Most importantly I’m on tour
with my book in partnership with a fellow poetess, Thando That Poet, promoting
her mixtape. We are going around the country reminding those who have forgotten
that poetry still lives and does still teach.
© Revolution Validates Life
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