Slammer Beaubrun Youven will represent Haiti at the Inter-University World Cup and the Copa America Slam.
The young slammer Beaubrun Youvenknown by his stage name Youven, will represent Haiti at the eleventh edition of the Inter-University World Cup and the third edition of the Copa America de Slam which will take place respectively in Gabon mainly in Libreville from May 16 to May 25, 2024 and in Mexico at Ciudad Juarez from June 21 to 30, 2024. During an interview with Juno7, the slammer who is also a novelist expressed his pride in representing the country and plans to win both competitions.
“It is as much a feeling of honor and pride to be able to represent the bicolor even more in such a context where everything suggests that Haiti is a doomed country. It is also an opportunity to be able to assert our culture internationally”said Beven who also stressed that the preparations are a little complicated for him because of the situation in the country and the difficulties encountered with visa applications.
However, the slammer from the town of Delmas is keeping his morale high and has already written his texts for the two competitions. He did not hide his desire to win them in order to make the Haitian bicolor float on the international scene.
“Winning both competitions but also establishing links with these other poets from different countries and cultures in order to create a little eclecticism and bring it to Haitian slam on my return”he blurted.
Concerning the Inter-University Slam World Cup, the organizers will cover the accommodation but it is up to the slammers to pay for their plane tickets. For this competition, nearly twenty countries from five continents will compete for the title of champion. Same case for the Copa America de Slam. Except that it will bring 16 countries that are part of America face to face.
To participate in this competition, you must be a national Slam champion in your country. Beven has already won two titles.
“In May 2022, I represented Haiti remotely at the slam poetry world cup in Paris. In September 2022, I represented Haiti at the World Poetry Slam Championship in Brussels (1st and only Haiti having participated to date) I was a semi-finalist. In December 2023, I won the national inter-university Poetry Slam competition”he detailed to prove his experience.
Beven said he was open to economic support. Remember that the situation in the country prevented the operation of Toussaint Louverture International Airport, only the airline Sunrise Airways which organizes special flights from Cap-Haitien to Miami.
“So far I have not received any support, on the contrary I need it and I am open to sponsorship given the expenses I have to incur, especially to buy plane tickets”he explained.
Note that Beaubrun Youven known as Beven is passionate about literature, poetry and art. He has two novels to his credit, one of which was published in France by Milot-Varella as a self-publisher. He is also a cultural activist and writing workshop facilitator. Currently, he studies cultural entrepreneurship via Trace academia, a platform in partnership with Senghor University, the French Development Agency located in the Ivory Coast.
To end the interview, Bevin encourages the young people
“to make their talent, profession a combat tool to advocate the positive in Haiti and to be above all the change that they want to see in the country, the world.”
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