Under the full moon light, in the safety and inclusivity of Chapter in Cardiff, several dozen people gathered to witness the launch of a bilingual album Tri(ger) Warning(s) from the city’s very own multidisciplinary artist Rufus Mufasa.

Before the main act, the attending crowd was treated to readings from a couple of local poets. Patrick Jones’ set was wide-ranging – from personal to political, humorous to weighty – and while at times entertaining and moving it felt slightly uneven in the approach. Dee Dickens was the true shining star of the first half of the evening, though: her poems loud and touching in their honesty, filthy and outrageous in their scope, and all met with whooping and cheering from the audience.

After a brief interval it was time for the main event. Rufus Mufasa came out to the stage wearing a denim coat with tassels and a keffiyeh to a roar of the crowd. The first track, Sbrydion, was a great start with its intense tempo and powerful vocals. The mood now set and first people moving on the dancefloor, Mufasa ditched her coat and revealed a purple sequined dress to the starting beats of Ffion Y Ffrid. Don’t Dior was next, a particularly catchy track dealing with modern womanhood.

Each song brought more of the audience to the front – the age range of the crowd something particularly worth noting, with teenage girls bopping next to women the age of their mothers and grandmothers. It was clear that everyone was captivated by Mufasa and her artistry. Celebratory was the mood, and the tracks themselves seemed to celebrate resilience, recovery, roots and even Cardiff itself – with one of the highlights of the night being Caerdydd.

Rufus is an exceptional performer in the full control of her craft. Rapping and screaming with the backing of the brilliant visuals produced by Elin Rees, she captivated the audience with her bilingual raw power as well as with casual banter in between tracks. Further accolades must be paid to Katherine, the wonderful BSL interpreter who created a sparkling performance of her own.

Overall, a brilliant night and a good introduction to Rufus Mufasa and her work, although the majority of onlookers clearly didn’t need it. It was a joy to witness some poetry and multilingual art on the Saturday night in the best city in Britain.

Rufus Mufasa, Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, Sat 24 Feb

words GOSIA BUZZANCA