MUTABARUKA
Barbara Ellington, Senior Gleaner Writer
WHEN JAMAICAN poet Mutaburuka stepped on the stage at the Zimbabwe International Book Fair (ZIBF), held in the capital Harare recently, the audience's reaction was palpable. But that was not surprising. On August 6, he performed to a packed room of persons who, all week long, had been clamouring to hear him.
Jamaica was the special guest at this year's ZIBF
conference and the pavilion, featuring publishers, book
sellers, libraries and some of the island's best products,
drew much attention from
visitors to Harare Gardens, the venue for the event. But
almost all who visited the pavilion wanted to know
when and where they could see, speak to or hear Mutaburuka.
APPEARANCES
During his week-long visit
to Zimbabwe, the poet made several appearances on radio and television and was featured in the print media.
Among those who came to hear Mutaburuka was a group of Rastafarians who, like him, do not wear shoes.
Mutaburuka's entry on
stage was accompanied by
loud cheers and he told the audience that it was his first trip to Zimbabwe, thanking
the organisers for inviting him. However, he became serious when he shared recollections of the recent visit to Jamaica
of a descendant of Columbus who had been given the keys
to Jamaica's Old Capital, Spanish Town.
He said: "Can you imagine we are still celebrating Columbus' arrival in spite
of his role in the slave trade?
It led me to write a poem about
a nightmare I had after the visit."
The poet began his
presentation with a poem
dedicated to the beleaguered Caribbean nation, Haiti; he thanked Prime Minister P.J. Patterson for granting President Jean-Bertrand Aristide temporary accommodation and asked the question "Caribbean leaders, what are you going to do/Today it's Haiti, tomorrow it could be you."
He elicited loud applause with Gimme me Dis, Gimmie me Dat, The Monkey Speaks His Mind (not his work) and Migration Fever, a poem with the lines "It nuh good fi stay eena white man country too long/New York and Bronx ah no yard, compared to home."
MUTABARUKA'S DELIVERY
Mutaburuka delivered his message like a teacher who opened the eyes of eager
students. He said that the church perpetuates an image
of a white Jesus but that the system was based on a
fraudulent religion created
by insecure men to oppress women. He also told his
captive audience that Rastafarians were once
persecuted in Jamaica and
children with locks were not permitted to attend school.
Dis Poem, a popular piece, was an obvious crowd favourite as some of the lines were recited by persons who were familiar with it. The
message resonated with
everyone and, at the end of
his performance, Mutaburuka received a standing ovation.
Also appearing at the
event was attorney Miguel Lorne who, at the start of the programme, led a group of Rastas in a Nyabingi chant.
A group of Zimbabwean
youth, Zvishamiso, gave a
stirring performance of a
poem dedicated to persons
afflicted with HIV/AIDS.
Zimbabwean poet laureate Ignacious Mabasa read excerpts from his poems and Chirikure Chirikure, one of that country's leading poets and songwriters, shared three entertaining pieces in his native Shona language.
