Thursday, March 23, 2006

ókànomodé show review by Jesse Putnam (Seattle, WA)


ókànomodé

A one-of-a-kind Seattle artist entertains while affirming pride with rhyme


His stage name is as inventive and purposeful as his productions. ókànomodé is created from two West African words: ókàn (meaning heart or soul) and omodé (meaning child). A strikingly attractive man whose works trancends labels, ókànomodé is a dancer, actor, preacher and poet all wrapped in one; a performance artist who uses spoken word, song and movement to confront the entrenched and destructive cultural stereotypes that effect all people. He sees his one-man performances as a way to "reimagine gender, sexuality, society, race and religion" and he works his unique craft with uncommon flair and mesmerizing rhyme.


I was fortunate to catch ókànomodé at On The Boards in mid-March where he was one of several performers taking part in the 12 Minutes Max series, a platform designed as a laboratory for artists to experiment with new material. Though he shared the 90 minute bill with six other talented performers, his two acts stole the show and left the audience wanting more.


His first performance, leviticus burning, opens with a still figure standing in the middle of a dark stage. As the lights come up the figure emerges and begins reciting biblical verse, sending a damning, anti-gay message to his silent congregation:


"Leviticus, Chapter 20 Verse 13 says 'if a man lieth with a man as one lieth with a woman they have both committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death'... amen."


With this declaration there's a character shift and ókànomodé awakens. Dressed in a traditional African robe and smiling, ókànomodé launches into power verse that seems to draw strength from Leviticus' damning:


"last night i burst into flames & burned leviticus down / and it was good made the sweetest sound / i burned it down for my sweet love who gets uptight & cannot touch me with straight boys around"


This celebratory defiance of conservative biblical interpretation transforms the silent audience (now his congregation) into eager advocates. Surfing on applause his rhymes bring greater reward:


"I AM COMIN' OUT! / Comin' out for the 5 year old boi who knows that curiosity may kill cats / but it won't kill that"


His crescendo builds slowly throughout the lengthy, quickly recited script; the steady language keeping the audience grounded and ókànomodé moving. Paying homage to familiar artists and legacies in an unfamilar context (Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Howard Rollins) he streams through names of artists effected by centuries of prejudice. Eventually he approaches the climax and, finally exhausted, calmly claims victory:


"if u missed the 11th hour revolution and just tuned in i apologize, it wasn't televised / i am the luciferin bearing light, and leviticus became ash last night"


Later in the show, as an encore, ókànomodé performs a piece called brothahsistah in which he proudly struts the stage, owns the audience and spreads his intoxicating energy while delivering another sermon, this one on the power of his unapologetic sexual presence. Less charged than leviticus, brothersistah is a happy, sexually provocative romp. It, too, delights his new congregation; anyone not converted after leviticus surely was by the time ókànomodé took his encore bow.


Still somewhat undiscovered, his performances proudly exhibit his personal power and raw talent. He knows who he is and, through his performance, invites us all to delight with him that awareness.


Ókànomodé performs at Rendezvous (Jewel Box Theatre) on Friday, March 31 as part of FireStorm: an Aries Extravaganza. Shows at 7pm and 8:45pm. Visit www.jewelboxtheatre.com for more info.


Jesse Putnam is a freelance writer and photographer living in Seattle.


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