Poetry punctuates footsteps

FORGIT YER cares n' jus jump to de riddim folks! Coz' Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zepahaniah is in de town. N' hey, it ain't gonna be like no ord'nary poetry reedin.

The `performance' poet, reggae master of verse, Benjamin Zephaniah is here all the way from Birmingham carrying with him the music of Jamaica. Dr. Zephaniah's show `Jump to de riddim' will be on at the Museum Theatre on February 7, at 7 p.m.

When he brought out `Pen Rhythm', his first book, there was just this small East London based publishing co-operative which was interested in `tuning in'. The book sold quite well, running into three editions, but it was in the performance that the poet would cause a revolution: one that injected new life into the British poetry scene. All those publishers who had sent refusal letters to him only 12 months earlier, had a change of mind.

The Zephaniah site on oneworld.org says his poetry was on the lips of Punks and Rastafarians who took to the streets protesting unemployment, homelessness and could be heard at demonstrations during the Eighties. Not only was Zephaniah quoted on the streets, but at one point of time, he was everywhere- TV, films, dance floors, theatres. Because his poetry was outside what he thought was `the dead image that the academia and the establishment had given poetry'. And also because people who could not read could still appreciate his brand of poetry.

Zepahaniah also claims that he loves performing in nations where the oral traditions are strong-since that is the best way to sustain his poetry. Which means he will perhaps love being in Chennai as much as Chennai is going to love having him here.

The expectations are generally high before the poet performs and word has it that he never disappoints.

So reggae enthusiasts check out the poet who writes, raps and transforms poetry into fine reggae rhythms. To activate and haunt.

By Ramya Kannan

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