Omar being Omar at EMW
November 2007’s feature was F. Omar Telan, a spoken word / performance artist from Philadelphia, PA of Filipino heritage. I’ll admit that I arrived a little late for the performance, but I was happy to catch all of Omar’s set. Here’s a little bit about Omar from his own website. Add 100 to all the years and you’ll get the right dates. Read his biography to get a taste of his poetic style.
F. Omar Telan was born in Industrial Philadelphia during the 1876 centennial. With his decidedly halo halo background, Omar adds a singular perspective to Asian American expression. Influenced heavily by Neo-Surrealism and absolutely suburban fabulous, Omar appeals to his fellow artist who understands how satire sometimes involves eating children. Bombastic and introverted, he fascinates the casual audience with his ability to plumb the underbelly of his own psyche while simultaneously appreciating delicious, chilled plums…
Later moving to Boston in 1894, Omar enrolled in the fledgling school of oratory known as Emerson College. To further pursue his own deification and immor(t)ality, he moved to New York City in 1897. But then came the Great Exodus of the Aughts when many fled the Naked City for greener pastures such as the City of Brotherly Love. As of 1907, he has made his home in the Sylvania. Omar has challenged audiences ranging from the La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club to the Dodge Poetry Festival to the Philippine Embassy with his brand of humor, social commentary, and gulliness. Word.
The first time I saw Omar perform was at the 2007 APIA Summit in New York City. That weekend in August was sweltering. And the converted church we were in was not spared the heat. The most fiery part of the day was the words spoken during the showcase. All of the artists were amazing. Omar was equally amazing. Based on his performance, I would have to say that his brand of spoken word and performance art is hair-raising, envelope-pushing, and for lack of a better word, awesome. So, when I heard that he was going to be in Boston for East Meets Words, well I was excited. I was expecting to hear spoken words that would challenge my thinking and widen my mind.
He started out with a somewhat depressing piece (his words, not mine). It was a piece about a girl he loved while he lived in Boston. Apparently, it had its highs and its lows. It was so melancholy that he had to interleave poems of comic relief. (A piece about hot cross buns stands out in my mind. I wish I remembered more of it.) Eventually, he cut short his depressing poem because apparently, he was getting depressed. He then proceeded to read a few other pieces. One that I liked in particular was simple and very short. Apparently, he loves cello players as much as some of the members of our crew: “I’ll be that curvy brown object vibrating between your parted legs.”
His last piece was the same piece he did at the APIA Summit. I don’t really have much to say about it because I made a recording of it so that you can judge it for yourself. I have to warn you though that some of the content may not be suitable for all viewers. So, watch at your own discretion. And gentlemen, do not get alarmed.
F. Omar Telan and his summer vacation from BPR on Vimeo.
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Tags: Boston Progress, Open Mic, Recaps, spoken word, Video.
oh my god.
woah woah woah woah!
[...] Progress had a pretty busy month in November too. Omar stopped by and told us about his summer vacation. I don’t think I ever want to have the kind of summer vacation he had. Never ever. The D.C. band, [...]