Cuba as ‘Special Guest Nation’: Sixth Providus Bank Poetry Café celebrates World Poetry Day March 21 in Lagos
By Editor
AS declared by UNESCO in 1999, March 21 every year is World Poetry Day (WPD). A day dedicated to celebrating humanity through poetry, and especially to “give fresh recognition and impetus to national, regional and international poetry movements.” The celebration activities highlights “reading, performing, writing, publishing, and teaching of poetry throughout the world.”
Since 2020 Providus Bank, under its CSR initiative, has hosted the celebration of World Poetry Day, and curated by Jahman Anikulapo for the Culture Advocates Caucus (CAC) it is under the encouragement of the Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, also a former UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. Officially titled ProvidusBank World Poetry Day Café: An Evening with Wole Soyinka, the past editions have explored themes relating to humanity’s existential concerns, among them the preservation of the environment, education, youth and female empowerment, migration and socio-cultural pluralism.
The celebration of the 2025 edition of WPD, which is the sixth in the series, is dedicated to commemorating the beginning of the United Nations Second Decade of African Descendants (2025 – 2034), hence the theme ‘Sand Dune and Ocean Bed: The Template of Dispersal.’ The theme is also in the context of the ongoing UN Anniversary for Enslaved Peoples and Reparatory Justice.
The 2025 edition will hold on Friday, March 21 at Terra Kulture Arena, Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island Lagos. Starting at 4pm, the event to be graced by diverse guests including eminent members of the literary community, patrons of the arts, captains of industries, as well as invited members of the public, and will feature among other items poetry reading, performances, workshops, and reception for guests.
Significantly, the edition will host a delegation of poets and a 15-piece musical orchestra from The Republic of Cuba, which has been designated the ‘Special Guest Nation.’
The invitation of the Republic of Cuba as ‘Special Guest-Nation’ for the 2025 edition, as advised by Professor Soyinka, the patron of the project, is singularly apt at a time of the 30th anniversary of UNESCO’s programme, ‘The Routes of Enslaved Peoples: Resistance, Liberty and Heritage,’ and the conference holds on March 25, 2025 in the US.
Comprising a 15-man team accompanied by some senior government officials, led by Cuba’s Minister of Culture, Hon. Alpidio Alonso Grau, the Cuban delegation will have their first presentation in Lagos on March 21, which is the main day of the World Poetry Day. However, in line with the expressed desire of the visitors to have an immersive experience of aspects of culture and heritage of Yoruba people, Professor Soyinka has advised that the 15-man troupe members have a second presentation in Abeokuta, Ogun State on March 23th. The group will also tour cultural and heritage sites, including the Olumo Tourism site and the Adiire market in Itoku, among others. It will be accompanied by a few other officials from the Cuban embassy, including chaperons from Providus Bank and the Culture Advocates Caucus.
The proposed tour plan of the delegation is outlined below s followes; March 19 – Cuban delegation arrives Nigeria; March 21 – World Poetry Day presentations; March 22 – Cuban delegation and Nigerian participants in WPD arrive Abeokuta; March 23 –Presentation at venue (as advised by Ogun State Govt); March 24 (morning- afternoon)– Tour culture and heritage sites, March 25 — Return to Lagos and March 26 – Return to Cuba.
Camerata Cortes group from Republic Cuba
Five Nigerian poets have been selected to headline the edition, to be joined by 4 poets from Cuba. According to the curator, Mr. Anikulapo, “Since the Cuban guests are mainly presenting contents rooted in their performance culture and heritage, the choice of the local poets has been carefully made such that the guests would have variety of Nigerian cultural contents, even as they stay faithful to the theme of the festival,“ adding that the five recommended Nigerian poets have thus been chosen based on their varied styles of presentation that would expose the visitors and the guests to a rich taste of poetry delivery and performance techniques in Nigeria.
The selected poets are Yusuf Àlabi Balogun (Àrẹ̀mọ Gemini). A multi-faceted artist, poet, storyteller, TEDx speaker, art specialist, with a core focus in Yorùbá arts and culture, Aremo Gemini’s poetry is heavily influenced by grassroot realities – from promotion, propagation of African cultural, heritage, history and identity, to campaign for female emancipation, to amplifying tales of the marginalised. His presentation technique include deploying percussive instruments to support his poetry rendition. Socials: IG/Twitter: aremogemini
Evelyn Osagie is a creative writer with an interest in poetry, performance and photography, with over two decades composing and performing poetry and spoken word on stage. Osagie mixes performance with elements of folklore, myths, songs and sometimes employs masks, drum rhythms, music and dance to express her poetic thoughts. Socials: FB/IG evelynosagieart.
Kafayat Quadiri (Kaffe of Life) is a multi-disciplinary artist, singer-songwriter, guitarist, and poet whose work seamlessly weaves music and poetry into a profound acoustic and spoken-word experience. With a career spanning decades, she has used her artistry to explore themes of humanity, self-care, and emotional wellness. Her poetry journey took a groundbreaking turn in 2016 with Aquarius Vol. 1, a collection of audio poems available on all streaming platforms. Socials: IG: @dr.quadri_ |FB: @km.quadri.
Tijani Usman (Tijaywebster) is spoken word poet and multidisciplinary artist. Born in Kogi State but raised in Jos, Plateau State, Tijaywebster is renowned in Lagos, Nigerian poetry and culture circuits for his deep lyrical performance style with infusion of raps and dancehall contents. As a multidisciplinary artist, with special skills in rap, 3D animations, graphic design, comic illustrations, and web development, he also infuses visual elements such as animation to embellish his content and form. Socials: IG: Tijaywebster | FB: Tijay Usman.
Chinelo Nwora is a passionate writer, poet, and content creator. She studied English Education at the University of Lagos. With a keen interest in poetry, Chinelo has authored over 50 poems, which she shares with the public through various online platforms. Her work reflects her deep understanding of language and her ability to convey emotions and experiences in a captivating manner. As a performance poet, she brings her written words to life, engaging audiences with her dynamic and expressive performances. Socials: IG – officialchi_nelo | FB: chinelo.nwora | chinelo-nwora.
Wole Alade will serve as special guest artiste. A multi-instrumentalist, composer, jazz music arranger and performer, who is committed to highly artistic, distinctive and uniqueness, Alade is a world-acclaimed music maestro who has produced seasoned pieces of music in the genre of African, African-American and contemporary music. He has written music scores for six motion pictures. Among his productions is Olodumare – the Creator produced for Mess/Bluemoon – Atlantic Records 2011. He has performed with many established musicians and groups like the Afro Linkage Ensemble, ABRAXAS (Carlo Santana group), Babatunde Olatunji and Embryo, etc. wolealade@facebook.com | www.wolerity@gmail.com |wolealade@instagram.com | wolealade@tiktok.com.
Camerata Cortes is a musical project created by the legendary Cuban flutist José Luis Cortés “El Tosco” on October 5, 2003 to coincide with his birth date. Camerata Cortes, since its creation, has been characterised by a high level of professionalism and has defended the best of Cuban, Latin American and international music, venturing into a great diversity of genres and innovating with many proposals that break barriers and without creative limits. The members are all graduates of the National School of Music, the University of the Arts of Cuba, and work as teachers at various levels of education. More on the group can be found at: Facebook: Camerata Cortés Oficial | Instagram: @ Camerata Cortes | Youtube: Camerata Cortés Oficial.
Sinecio Verdecia Diaz is a performaing poet, singer-songwriter, oral narrator, cultural promoter. Sineco has since 2018 worked as Director of the House of Poetry in the Office of the Historian of the City. His work has featured in several anthologies, including Brisa del mar, 1er Concurso Internacional de Haiku (Gráficas Ibarra, Albacete, Spain 2007), Otras islas (Ediciones Cubeart. Cuba-Italy, 2008), El ojo de la luz, and anthology of Cuban poets and artists (Diana Edizioni Italia, 2008). Contact: chekendeke.gmail.com.
Alex Pausides is a poet and editor and has served as a literary advisor in Manzanillo from 1972 to 1986. He became Vice President of the Hermanos Saíz Association of Young Writers and Artists in In 1986, and in 1988 he was appointed director of the cultural monthly El Caimán Barbudo. He served as Vice President of Cuban Writers Association from 1998 to 2014. A founding member of the World Poetry Movement in 2011, he has since been part of its coordinating committee. He is also a founder of the network of poets in defense of humanity. He has been a jury member for Cuba’s most prestigious literary awards.
Prof. Wole Soyinka, flanked by performing artists and Providus Bank’s MD Walter Akpani (in suit), being presented with a gift at last year’s event
Edelmis Anoceto Vega is a poet, essayist, narrator, literary translator and editor. Edelmis is an editor at Ediciones Sed de Belleza and director of Violas Revista Villaclareña de Literatura. A member of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba, he has published more than 80 articles and translations in serial publications. He has been a judge in national and international competitions and has participated in more than 20 literary events. He has more than 30 recognitions, including First Prize in Poetry at the Municipal Meeting of Literary Workshops of Santa Clara, (1997). Socials: Fb: Edelmis Anoceto Vega | @edelmis.anocetovega.
Israel Dominguez is a poet and translator, whose books of poetry include Hojas de cal (2001), Collage mientas avanza mi carro de equipaje (2002), Sobre un fondo de arena (2004), Después de acompañar a William Jones (2006), Viaje de regreso (2011), and En dirección contraria (2014). He has translated texts by Margaret Randall, Cornelia Hoogland, Ruth Behar, Barret Watten, Rosa Alcalá, T. S. Eliot, Keorapetse Kgositsile, Harry Owen, Virgilio Piñera, Norge Espinosa, and others. He has received several prizes and honorable mentions.
Since July 1989, Emiliano Sardinas (Repentista) began his career as a professional improvisational poet at the Antonio María Romeu Artist Representation Agency, and has become Cuba’s most popular improvisational poets recognized internationally. He has participated in innumerable number of events and festivals, making him the poet with the most participation at the national level in these events. He is the only artist of his genre about whom a book has been written and who has had a cultural club named after him while he is still alive.
