Poetry gives insight about life
By Bamidele Kolawole
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An Ibadan based poet, artiste, Fayemi Olayemi Thomas, popularly known as King Shortee Ewi, has said that poetry has given him lots of understanding about life.
Shortee Ewi said what drew his attention to poetry in the year 2004 was when an invited chanter failed to show up at an event where he was supposed to perform.
Though he was a professional cameramen, he claimed that he got the inspiration to volunteer his service to render ewi to the disappointed organisers and they accepted him.
“That was how I started.”He shared his experience with Friday Extravaganza.
According to him, he never learnt it from anyone as he expressed that God has been his inspiration since 2004.
“I do beg for a minute to minister when I started, some will even pretend as if they don’t know what poetry is all about.
But to the glory of God today, they ask me first before they design their programme.”
According to him, at praise night they won’t give him chance to perform till the following morning.
“some people would say “ewi bawo? call better artiste, don’t waste our time here”
“When I started some people call me Alagbe (beggar) because they believe if you are a chanter, you will be begging for money at events. That discouraged me at first so I asked God why did you gave me this begging talent and God spoke to me in the book of Jeremiah 1vs 5.
But it was not easy.
“Apart from poetry, I do jingle, MC, and I act drama. I started acting drama since 1997 in my church.”
The artiste noted that the story of his life made him believe that God has plan for everybody, saying God speaks all the time, but people may not be listening to Him.
According to him, the poetry industry is fast emerging and with right amount of investment by private individuals, poetry industry will become big.
The artiste noted that there would be no talent that will die around him, saying that he would make sure he help them to achieve their aim.
He stated that he recreate by creating time for himself and meditating with his Bible, saying God show him deep things when he meditates.
He urged upcoming artistes to be patient in all things and they should commit their ways into God’s hands adding that He is the only manager that can manage any destiny.