In October, the Antwerp Sesa – full name Sefora Sam – will come to Theater Antigone with ‘(out)growing pains’. During this performance, the spoken word artist intertwines her poetry with the music of percussionist Alex H. Smith and guitarist Nathan Kakikumba, along with the singing of Abigaille Muaca Vungu. The result is an enchanting performance with central themes of the burdens we carry, our breathing that helps and heals us.
SEFORA SAM - Interview Birte Govaerts
These are not simple themes, Sefora. How long have you been working with poetry?
“As soon as I learned to write, I started writing short stories and songs. When I was around twelve and encountered poetry in high school, I switched to writing poems. I loved rhyme. Moreover, writing poetry from the very beginning was very therapeutic for me. Because I am quite introverted, it helped me deal with my feelings and process events.”
When did you realize you could do more with it?
“Around my seventeenth year, I thought: I have been writing poetry for five years, what now? I decided to compile my poems. Originally for myself, but I also noticed that more and more others were interested. At the same time, friends told me they enjoyed it when I performed. I decided to participate in an open mic and got a taste for performing there. That's how it happened that I released a poetry collection called 'The Thrill of Victory' independently in a short time and started performing.”
In the meantime, you have already released a second poetry collection called 'The Break Free' and you are coming to Antigone in October with '(out)growing pains'.
“Yes, it is my very first performance, so I find it very exciting!”
How did it come about?
“I have been doing short performances with musical accompaniment for a while. That's how I met Alex and later also Abigaille. We clicked from the start and began experimenting with my poetry and their music. Later, Nathan joined us as well.”
What message do you want to convey with '(out)growing pains'?
“I have experienced quite a lot in my life and often found myself in situations where I thought about giving up. Yet I never did. That is the message I want to give to others: don't lose courage, because you never know what comes your way. Keep going. It is worth it. You are worth it.”
Can you give an example of a situation where you thought about giving up?
“While working on ‘(out)growing pains’ still. Spoken word is niche. Moreover, I write in English. The combination of those two factors meant that my project received no subsidies and initially very little support. That was difficult. I have been working on this performance since 2023. When I received a number of rejections in a row in 2024, I found it very hard. I absolutely don’t mind revisiting my work, but I just didn’t believe that this performance wasn’t good.”
How did you find the courage to keep going?
“Partly in myself, partly with Alex, Nathan, and Abigaille. We created this performance together as a group of four, and I hadn’t anticipated that the message we want to convey would affect us so much. All four of us are incredibly vulnerable. Sometimes there are even tears. I find that so beautiful…”
The premiere of ‘(out)growing pains’ took place in May at the Antwerp Arenberg and was completely sold out!
“Yes, and that made me incredibly happy. As I mentioned, we didn’t receive any subsidies for ‘(out)growing pains’. Because of that, I not only performed but also ventured into production, dramaturgy... It wasn’t always easy, and when you then receive confirmation, it feels really good.”
You just said that you are an introvert. It seems quite stressful to then show your most intimate side on stage, in front of all those people.
“It is. The last two months before the premiere, I barely slept. Pure panic. But as you often hear, I completely forget that stress as soon as I’m on stage.”