Brews and Blues: McMaster's Unspoken exposes local talent

McMaster’s Unspoken had an unforgettable night of performances where music and poetry collided

McMaster Unspoken hosted Brews and Blues: A Night of Poetry & Music on Nov. 18, 2024 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Emerson 109 bar. Poets, musicians and artists were invited to perform and showcase their talents on stage.

McMaster Unspoken is a MSU club and McMaster's first poetry publication to create a platform of creative expression for both McMaster students and the greater Hamilton community. This club organizes poetry publications, open mics, poetry slams, workshops and more.

Kaneera Uthayakumaran, co-president of McMaster Unspoken, explained that Unspoken publishes a fall anthology and winter anthology every year.

"It's mainly just about bringing arts and culture back into the McMaster community and helping emerging artists get a space and opportunity to see their name in the publication, but also to perform their pieces live," said Uthayakumaran.

An anthology is a published collection of poems and other pieces of writing that Unspoken curates each year.

The event began with a lineup of performances that Unspoken arranged by advertising a registration form in their linktree on Instagram.

"We put out the registration form asking for sign-ups and we usually try to encourage performers to follow a theme and sometimes that encourages more people to come out . . . but when it comes to signing up it's really just a matter of them filling out that they're interested in performing, they have a piece planned and they have a set for five minutes or so," said Uthayakumaran.

Brews and Blues was an open event for both McMaster students and Hamilton locals to enjoy. Omaima Owais, events coordinator of McMaster Unspoken, explained hosting this event at the Emerson Pub helped in making that a reality. "The best part about doing it at Emerson Pub, for example, is the fact that it's not just the McMaster community, you have locals; the Hamilton community," said Owais.

Uthayakumaran discussed the reason their club chose to include performers outside of McMaster.

"Initially on the sign up form, I think we asked for McMaster [emails] . . . but then we got an email asking if someone outside of McMaster could contribute to be involved and we said "why not?" . . . as long as you can make it to the Hamilton area and the campus area, you're more than welcome to be a part of that," said Uthayakumaran.

The planned performances were followed by an intermission which included a musical performance by the band Gasleak.

"I think seeing them perform was a big highlight because we are primarily a poetry club. But then when it comes to events like this, an open mic, it's always nice to have music incorporated as well. I think going forward it kind of changes how the open mics could look for future events as well," said Uthayakumaran.

"Then afterwards we opened it up to open mics, so anyone who didn't sign up could come up and perform. Then by the end of the night they [Gasleak] just took it over again as kind of like a goodbye. So they performed more songs. It was really nice," said Owais.

Owais explained the significance of having a blend of poetry and music at the event and giving both mediums a platform. "There is a lot of overlap between music and poetry in terms of the message, how you're really opening up a part of your heart and lyrics. So it was really nice to see that overlap and we wanted to do something with that," said Owais.

"I think music just enhances the experience a lot more as well. I'd say poetry brings the intimacy to our events because the whole point is letting individuals have the platform to say things that are unspoken and start those conversations that they haven't had a chance to do so before . . . so being able to offer them [attendees] that space brings the energy to the event," said Uthayakumaran.

Asqa Rahim, the other co-president of McMaster Unspoken, discussed the impact of bringing people together and creating a platform for students to express their creativity through these events.

"I think the overarching thing is just providing a space for people to be vulnerable and have that piece of human connection through these events and through sharing work. I feel like a big thing for Unspoken is that it's not just sharing our art but also sharing parts of our hearts too," expressed Rahim.

The club encourages McMaster students to join their community and share their stories in an artistic way. "If you're looking for that sense of community, if you're looking to share your story and your voice and anything that's been on your heart or heavy on your mind, Unspoken is the place to do that," said Rahim.

Check out a few of Unspoken's past anthologies on their linktree. You can join Unspoken at one of their next events and experience a new outlet to express your creativity. Look out for updates on their Instagram!