Spoken word / English Spoken

Sunni Lamin Barrow

A Fist of Tongues

Spoken word artist Sunni Lamin Barrow uncovers different stages of a journey he made himself: his escape from Gambia to the Netherlands due to his sexual orientation.

Sunni poetically reveals how he used different personas to protect himself from the punishments of being queer. Through a blend of storytelling, dance, visual elements and sound design, Sunni portrays how these personas were influenced by fear, but especially by his parents.

“This skin limits me
The smiles on my face are wounds of things I cannot yet speak about
And I do not want to be remembered for my tears, the beauty of this poem
Is of the ugly I have lived, I am the origin of the others that came before me.”

Sunni Lamin Barrow (1998) is a poet and spoken word artist. Sunni’s works are inspired by his Gambian background and new explorations. His poetry and illustrations lend him a voice to heal from the ills of society bit by bit. Sunni is a creator for production house Hollandse Luchten.