Our first proper meeting was about a year ago. We had drinks at a coffee shop near our beloved alma mater and talked all about art and poetry. Does it matter if they were alcoholic or non?

Yes, Ivan Irakoze and I have history.

For the longest time, I’ve been a fan of his Ink Overflow events. They have been consistently held at the exquisite Michael Joseph Centre. And every single time they deliver quality spoken word not only from him but also other talented Kenyan poets.

You could say Ink Overflow is his way of giving Kenyan artists a platform to shine and make money from their art. Thanks to him, I met Tetu Shani last year and got to interview the African Troubadour on The Music Junkies. So even before Ivan invited me to his August gig, I knew I was coming.

This was a special one. It was mostly going to be about him. As a storyteller who writes about love, life, dreams and death, the Slam Africa King was finally launching his REAL EP – that is all about love. I know, who thought poets could also have EPs.

I arrived at Michael Joseph Centre that Saturday 45 minutes past 5pm. After passing through their Pentagon-like security, I found the room full house. Or rather, most of the seats were occupied. Shingai was already on stage with her flowery pieces about love that she delivered with a sweet smile. Not one to be biased, she uplifted both the African kings and queens in Night Stardust and Dear Black Girl respectively.

She invited Mumbi, another talented Kenyan spoken word artist, who’s all about feminist vibes. After their sweet ode to the men, it was time to strike back at the male chauvinists. Let’s talk about the boy child since we seem to have forgotten about him. They reminded us that patriarchy and toxic masculinity are what is really bringing the boychild down and their unapologetic lines left us snapping our fingers.

To balance the energies, the next act on stage was Mufasa who showed up in his poet starter-pack hat. As a fan since 2016, it’s safe to say he’s transitioned from a mere poet to a storyteller. For the first few minutes, he relived memories of his almost first girlfriend in university and stories about his mum, complete with a heavy Kalenjin accent.

But there’s a reason he’s called Mufasa. He embodies a fierce lion with his hard-hitting words and fast lines that carry along the bitter truth. Tears held tight to his eyeballs as he performed My president is Kenyan (and black) yet he doesn’t understand my struggles. What would 60 million shillings stolen every year through corruption do for homeless people and Kenyans needing health care but have to rely on Facebook donations? He bared the ugly truth in front of us to see, as a true artist should.

Thankfully, Ty, the Kenyan punster brought the mood up. During each break, the punny MC always came up with new jokes. Some of them seemed pre-planned. Like when he asked “wapi nduru wewe” only to reveal a piece of paper written nduru, and telling us never mind.

Others, it seems, he came up with on the spot, like his advice to men on dating a feminist. He narrated a story of his alleged feminist girlfriend who didn’t like going to church because they only sang hymns and not hers. It was hard not to laugh at that one.

After a drinks break (of mostly cocktails) at the cash bar, it was time for round 2 of the REAL EP launch show. Michelle Gatuiku looked smaller than in the poster, even with her heeled boots. However, the petite singer had a big soulful voice;  her Soundcloud was no match for her raw talent live. And as she sang soulfully into her mic, Mathayo’s magical fingers left us in awe of how beautiful a guitar could sound.

We were blown away from the first to the last song. When she said “Don’t change your hair for no man, you’re beautiful” I felt that. Then there was that danceable track Chini kwa Chini that would sound perfect on the radio. Online radio that is.

By the last song, it was clear why the event description described her as a jazz singer. She dedicated most of her original tracks to her boyfriend who was in the room. Unlike most millennials, she was proud to show him off.

And no, it wasn’t Mathayo.

The final and most-anticipated performance of the night was by Ivan Irakoze and Nicole Agneta, who’s the only feature on the 6-track REAL EP. They were the only ones with mics attached to their faces. They stood on opposite ends of the stage in matching green outfits looking like they planned it out the previous night.

In about 15 minutes, they acted out a typical love story, from the awkward introduction in Love Story to insecurities in Breathe to lingering Doubts to Real talk about what love is. Every scene had a bouncy soundtrack, and stage colours changed at the beginning of each new track. It was like a movie.

You could see the ladies melting in their seats at Ivan’s smooth romantic words to Nicole. If you want someone to write a love letter, ask a poet. Their stage chemistry got us wondering whether it was REAL or not.

After that heartwarming display of poetic love, Ty introduced us to the whole crew including the EP producer. He had to make a few rasta jokes about him. I dread you might not get them.

James CMoney was a humble guy who publicly admitted he’d never done a poetry EP before. As a young Kenyan music producer, he took a risk with Ivan and Nicole. And the result was sublime.

Ivan’s parents also witnessed this love story. They travelled all the way from Burundi to watch their talented son show us mere mortals what real love looks like. Like the nice guy he is, he shouted out his mum and we sang happy birthday for her, Kenyan style.

Before leaving Michael Joseph Centre, I couldn’t help but feel like Ivan made a legacy with REAL. There are incredible Kenyan spoken word artists, but not everyone has released a world-class poetry EP that is accessible on all streaming services. This is something he will be remembered for. Just like Jason Kalinga is today.

REAL reminded us that real love is not a straight line. You may love someone and still be afraid they may not love you back the same way. Afraid of showing them your insecurities. Afraid of suffocating them with your love. Afraid you won’t last. Ivan and Nicole acted out these relatable themes so perfectly.

This one-of-a-kind Kenyan spoken word EP can be downloaded easily on Ivan’s website. Meaning you can listen to this love story over and over again. Especially when you’re wondering whether you should fall in love or not.

After this, I’m ready to meet Ivan over and over again. For real. 

Images courtesy of Ink Overflow