Mutabaruka performing at 'An Evening of Black Magic Cliff on Campus' last Friday. -WINSTON SILL PHOTO
Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
STEPPA AND Mutabaruka, the former scheduled to perform and the latter filling in for an absent performer, brought a dose of poetry to the UWI, Mona's, Oriental Gardens last Friday.
Steppa, a student in the
cultural studies programme at the university, and Mutabaruka, former folk philosopher, who hosted the event, along with Ibo Cooper, were part of 'An Evening of Black Magic Cliff on Campus', the first in a distinguished concert series, which featured Jimmy Cliff as the headliner.
Steppa stepped up to the microphone and used an emphatic, rhythmic style to deliver a mixture of humour and incisive comment, the large audience giving a collective chuckle as he noted that some "woman stop wear panty an' a wear underwear." There was enthusiasm for his trademark cry of 'lissen to Steppa'!
J'CAN TRADING POST
One of the few pieces done with music followed Steppa summing up Jamaica as a "trading post", defining himself as a medical doctor whose intention was to clear up the mess created by the IMF, World Bank. Bouncing on his toes and occasionally springing from one leg to the other, Steppa condemned the practice of older men having sex with young girls, declaring "we a seek big woman, not a toddler."
He ended a well received set with 'Whe De Music Gone Iyah?', a commentary on the declining standards of Jamaican music.
There was a humorous moment as Ibo Cooper brought on Mutabaruka in a manner which would not have suggested that just before the poet and radio show host was called in to fill the breach, they had been on stage together just moments before.
Working without music, Mutabaruka introduced his first poem with a graphic tale of the 'Cold Supper Shop', which ruled the food roost before the days of fast food. He set the scene of a glass case with dishes of various kinds, including ackee and saltfish, noting that in those days one could see and know what one was eating. There were chuckles as he noted that the shops were always run by a big lady called Miss Matty, while he was
illustrating how people would lick the juice from the food
running down their wrists.
JUNK FOOD
The tale evolved into the poem 'Junk Food', which observed 'junk food fulling up the place'. 'Strawberry ice cream, raspberry ice cream, dem a bury we,' Mutabaruka ended, to applause.
'Gimme me dis, gimme me dat' was a demand for the return of many things stolen from African people, from Pythogaras' theorem to rock and roll, Mutabaruka
standing in one place on
the stage and allowing the rhythm in his words to hold the audience.
"Oonu treat we bad," Mutabaruka commented on the manner in which the
society generally treats Rastafarians, causing knowing chuckles. "Is white
people why oonu love Bob Marley. Cause Bob Marley songs did ban pon radio. We are the conscience of the people," Mutabaruka said.
He followed the statement with 'I Am The Man', beginning, "I am the man you love to hate/sitting in the slums of ghost town, trench town back o' wall/no clothes to hide my nakedness/filth and mosquitoes smelling/bitin' 400 years of black flesh scarred by whips and sticks". A tale of development followed, Mutabaruka concluding, "look/I am now your next door neighbour" and walking off the stage to strong applause.
