CULTURAL LITERACY

may the ancestors be pleased!

2007-11-15T14:02:00.001-08:00

Whether or NOT

2007-11-07T15:06:00.000-08:00

A unique collection of selected poetry tracing the history and diverse cultures of Trinidad & Tobago plus the wider Caribbean heritage. Many of these poems are included on the award winning spokenword CD:Y42K. First published in 2000, this edition is introduced by Dr Lauri Ramey and includes a commentary by Lennox Raphael.

Printed: 90 pages, 6" x 9", jacket-hardcover binding, black and white interior ink

While acknowledging the usual categories in which a poetry of conscience is often slotted, describing Kwabena's poetry as solely "political" or "performative" does not do it full justice. Raised in a home where literature was present and stressed, including the works of a broad range of Caribbean and African American writers, Kwabena also experienced the early influences of classroom memorisation at the tail end of the colonial educational system.The combination of oppression and release proposed by poetry — reciting Byron and Skeete at school, while reading Selvon and Du Bois at home — must have been instilled at a young age via such exposure. It was an early lesson that language could be a source of productive tension to illuminate forces (repressive as well as enabling) that otherwise would remain hidden.

For example, in 'westindia', cultural identity is reclaimed through the careful repetitive construction of the negative case. The poem is framed with the opening and closing couplet: "here is not west india/here is not west india." Names, our most primal linguistic emblem of identity, are shown to be symptomatic of the problems of the colonial legacy. The list of place names is solemnly intoned

st croix
st kitts
st eustatius
st vincent
st thomas

as the poem echoes the litany of saint names for locales where the namers "never, ever trod." The word "look" is repeated, a plea and demand in one, as the poet begs and insists that the irony of the situation be recognised and acknowledged. This drumming of an intoned and highly significant word becomes in this collection what is what is commonly known as leitworter (Martin Buber) — a frequent device in biblical narrative as well as the earliest African American poetry, notably spirituals (which so strongly influenced much of later Black American verse) — where single words or phrases accrue the weight of a central theme, beyond what an individual word can ordinarily bear.

The "what we are not" is impeccably balanced with "what we are." These poems amply trace the historical and political path of the Gallabi as an indigenous population through a wealth of documentation. There is a thrust in this collection as a whole to recapture the unique legacy of Caribbean peoples, who share Diasporic links but also remain distinct. Here is where we experience Kwabena as poet-teacher: the "Obeahman" he aspires to be in his anthemic poem is, ironically, the figure he has become in Whether Or Not. Traditionally, in "new age bois," the speaker in the poem calls on the spirits of the ancestors to empower him to bring their energy — and burdens — into the present for resolution, tirelessly. There is an implicit charge to the reader to enter into the process of education by means of enculturation.

MP3 audio of theme poem

An excerpt from the Introduction

Roi Kwabena's Whether Or Not

Dr. Lauri Ramey, Department of English,

California State University, Los Angeles

in memory of ancestor andre tanker

2007-11-04T12:49:00.000-08:00

ANDRE TANKER- see previous reference

images celebrating heritage & efforts

2007-10-29T14:33:00.000-07:00

appreciating my indigenous heritage

2007-10-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

".... As a child with my parents we often visited the local museum. There I was often moved by the little attention paid to the artefacts of the indigenous people as opposed to the retrieved old cannons of the colonial forts. My sojourns in various isles of the Caribbean reinforced the need to instil more pride among our people, banishing the myths of a misunderstood past. The violent resistance (in my opinion justified) by original inhabitants to the treasure-hunting arrivants in the 15th century (privateers, pirates, slave traders, religious zealots, explorers) illustrated the desperation of a cornered civilisation. These fair emerald isles were bathed in the blood of innocents more so than perhaps what occurred in Europe during the Inquisition. I remain fascinated by the architecture and use of living spaces, the caves, structures like pyramids, tapia, ajoupa and the tasty foods that still tempt the palate five centuries later, for example the pone ( a cake), the cassava bread/ paymee (baked in banana leaves), the arepa (spiced pie), the roucou (a flower used as colouring in food and also used for protection from sunburn), also not excluding the Jamaican bamee.

Santa Rosa is but a vestige of the colonial and religious Spanish zeal diluted with indigenous, African and Asian traditions. The Spanish gave up Trinidad to the English without a battle, being unable to defeat the Ineri (the original inhabitants). But continuing in another vein, permit me to interject that your and my history is so inter-linked that there is obviously no way we can undo those ties. For instance, after the French revolution, a lot of French planters fleeing Haiti (then renamed Santo Domingo) were allowed to settle in many islands under control of the British. This was called the Cedula of Population, circa 1738. This is the plan that allowed the cousin of Marie Antoinette (a ruthless planter named Count Beggorat) and many others to bring their slaves, their language, culture, and their Catholic religion and despicable attitude toward blacks and to settle in my village, Diego Martin, in and other lush parts of Trinidad, under Spanish law but governed by the British. This is an example of the united Europeanisation of the region......"

from an interview of Roi Kwabena by Dr Eric Doumerc

Legacies to be cherished....

2007-10-17T02:35:00.000-07:00

"... Our children need to be told of the efforts of those chanting stick-fighters, drummers (the drum is still banned by archaic European laws retained in the so-called colonies to this day), even those women whose heroic organising planted the seeds for the trade-union movements, tamboo-bamboo players whose inventiveness led to the steel pan (the greatest musical invention for the 21st Century), played all over the world yet to be included on my country's education curriculum), forgotten reformers who bled for a nationalism which is forsaken today.

From a musical point of view, our Kaiso has grown and gave birth to calypso, soca ragga, and chutney (the latter with the influence of Asians). But sensible lyrics have been banished. Even double-entendre, humour and messages have disappeared, so that today only synthesisers, electronically programmed rhythms, gyrating waists and waving a sweat-soaked rag are in vogue (very much reminiscent of the old days when the French bourgeois waved their handkerchiefs in such like processions. So yes, these aspects of my culture do give me energy to continue writing...."

Excerpt of an interview with Roi Kwabena by Dr Eric Doumerc,

University of Toulouse-Le Mirail, France

WORD POWER

2007-09-26T02:41:00.000-07:00

RK appears at the WORD POWER Festival
on Saturday 13th October :

SMELLING & TASTING BLACK HISTORY

2007-09-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

"We could imagine World History as a carpet into which are woven all colours of the spectrum. We have to ensure that there is no bias, by including the (once conspicuously excluded) red, brown, black and blue threads of the past." Roi Kwabena

Black Achievers

2007-09-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

The International Slavery Museum UK is now open to the public. Based in the Merseyside Maritime Museum at Liverpool's Albert Dock, it explores both the historical and contemporary aspects of slavery. The museum addresses the many legacies of the slave trade and tells stories of bravery and rebellion amongst the enslaved people. These are stories which have been largely untold.
Among the exceptional exhibition is a list of Black Achievers:

Muhammad Ali - Boxer, born 1942
Widely considered to be the greatest athlete of all time. Not only did Ali dominate the world of boxing (the BBC and Sports Illustrated hailed him "Sportsman of the Century" in 1999), he was also a key figure in the civil-rights movement after refusing to fight in Vietnam because of how blacks were treated in America.

Shirley Bassey - Singer, born 1937
Arguably the greatest Welsh singer of all time, Bassey is the only artist to perform three James Bond themes. The Cardiff-born diva has recently made a popular revival (she was made a Dame in 2000) and can apparently count the Queen as a fan.

Steve Biko - Activist, 1946-77
A leading campaigner against apartheid in South Africa and co-founder of the Black People's Convention, Biko suffered a fatal head injury while in policy custody. Richard Attenborough turned Biko's struggle for equality into the feature film Cry Freedom.

Stokely Carmichael - Civil rights activist, 1941-98
Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Carmichael moved to Harlem at 11. He was leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, bringing black students together to protest against segregation. One of the first activists to use the term " Black Power".

George Washington Carver - Botanist, 1864-1943
Dubbed a " black Leonardo" by Time magazine, Carver – born into slavery himself – developed revolutionary farming techniques that helped former slaves in Alabama become self-sufficient. His methods helped to restore the South after the Civil War.

Fred D'Aguiar - Writer, born 1960
Poet, novelist and playwright, regarded as one of the great British writers of his generation. He focuses on the role of the immigrant in Britain, slavery, colonisation and his Guyanese and British heritage. His works have been translated into 12 languages.

Oscar D'Leon - Musician, born 1943
Performing and recording for 30 years, D'Leon is a superstar in the world of salsa. Born in Venezuela, he started singing and performing while earning a living driving taxis. Partly due to his underprivileged background, he is an idol in his home country.

Viv Anderson - Footballer, born 1956
Anderson went down in the history books in 1978 as the first black player to appear in a full international for England. He won the European Cup twice with Nottingham Forest as well as domestic titles. In 1999, he was appointed MBE for services to football.

Maurice Rupert Bishop - Politician, revolutionary, 1944-83
Creator of the People's Revolutionary Government in Grenada, leader of a bloodless coup against the government and inspired by figures such as Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. He was overthrown and assassinated by members of his own government.

Maya Angelou - Author, poet, playwright, born 1928
A great voice of black literature. Angelou's memoirs expose the difficulties of growing up as a black woman in St Louis. Her achievements are many and varied, and she was the first African-American woman admitted to the Directors Guild of America.

Aimé Césaire - Writer, born 1913
Born in Martinique, the co-founder of the literary and political movement Négritude is one of the Caribbean's most popular writers. A campaigner against African colonies, Césaire also published Une Tempête in 1968, a radical adaptation of The Tempest.

Susana Baca de la Colina - Singer, born 1944
Baca has played a major role in the resurgence of Afro-Peruvian music. Inspired by the music she heard as a child, she has founded the Centro Experimental de Musica Negrocontinuo (Institute of the Black Continuum), dedicated to the genre.

Learie Constantine - Cricketer, politician, lawyer, 1901-71
One of the finest all-rounders in cricket, Constantine moved to England from the West Indies to play professionally. He became involved in politics, fighting discrimination. He was the first black Governor of the BBC and the first black life peer.

Benedita da Silva - Politician, born 1942
Born in a Brazilian shantytown, Benedita Souza da Silva Sampaio is a key political figure, fighting for the rights of the underprivileged. In 1994, she became Brazil's first black woman Federal Senator, and she has served as Governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro.

Frederick Douglass - Abolitionist, writer, statesman, 1818-95
A former slave, Douglass became one of the primary abolitionists in America. His books and speeches focused on his experiences. He started The North Star, a newspaper edited and written by black people. He later campaigned for the rights of women.

Kofi Annan - Diplomat, born 1938
Annan was the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations. His role in working for global peace was recognised when he and the UN were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. He helped to reform the UN and strengthen its peacekeeping abilities.

John Archer - Campaigner, 1863-1923
In 1913, John Archer was elected Mayor of Battersea, the first person of African descent to reach such a position in the UK. An equality campaigner, he chaired the Pan-African Congress in London in 1921 and was president of the African Progress Union.

Paul Bogle - Cleric, 1822-65
A hero in Jamaica, Bogle was a Baptist deacon who used his education and wealth to help the black community. He led the Morant Bay Rebellion, in which many were killed by British troops sent to quell the uprising. He was hung by the British.

John Conteh - Boxer, born 1951
Boasting a record of 34 wins, one draw and four losses, John Conteh is considered one of the greatest ever English boxers. Born in Merseyside, he won the WBC Light Heavyweight Championship in 1974 and a gold medal at the 1970 Commonwealth Games.

William Cuffey - Activist, 1788-1870
Cuffey was the son of a former slave and a leading figure in the Chartist movement that opposed the imbalance of the distribution of wealth in Britain. The reformist movement is considered the first major working-class movement in the world.

Charles Drew - Scientist, 1904-50
An African-American physician, he revolutionised the science – and politics – of blood transfusions. Along with developing blood storage techniques and improved means of transfusing, Drew opposed the practice of racial segregation in blood donation.

WEB Du Bois - Sociologist, activist, 1868-1963
The first African American to gain a PhD from Harvard, Du Bois wrote several studies on American black society. He later became a key figure in the civil rights movement and co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Bussa - Slave leader, died 1816
A national hero of Barbados, Bussa led around 400 slaves in a revolt against slave owners in 1816. Although Bussa was killed in battle and the revolt failed, he is remembered as one of the key figures in the emancipation of the slaves.

Quince Duncan - Writer, born 1940
The West Indian grew up under racial oppression in the Costa Rican city of San José. His fiction highlights the experiences of the black African in South America, and gained an international reputation as a human-rights leader promoting tolerance.

Gilberto Gil - Musician, born 1942
A Grammy-award winning musician who sings about social activism, Gil is also Brazil's current minister of culture. He founded the Tropicalia movement in the 1960s and was treated as a political threat by the Brazilian government of the time.

Félix Eboué - Politician, 1884-1944
Eboué became the first black man to be appointed governor in the French colonies, in Guadeloupe; as governor of Chad, he joined the Free French in their struggle against the Nazis and persuaded other French-African countries to follow.

Pastor G Daniel Ekarte - Minister, social activist, 1896-1964
Pastor Ekarte founded the African Churches Mission in Liverpool which, from 1945-1949, looked after "brown babies": the unwanted offspring of black American GIs and the city's white women. Hundreds of residents lined the streets for his funeral.

Nicolás Guillé* - Poet, 1902-89
A leading figure of " poesia égra" ("black poetry"), the Afro-Cuban poet, writer and journalist was also an influential campaigner for social justice. His work examines what it was like to be poor and black in Cuba.

Roi Ankhkara Kwabena - Cultural anthropologist, born 1956
Born in Trinidad, Kwabena – who calls himself a "cultural activist" – produces art on a variety of platforms, addressing issues such as racism and immigration. He is a poet, musician, storyteller, historian and publisher, and has performed around the world.

Lewis Howard Latimer - Inventor, 1848-1928
The son of escaped slaves, Latimer is considered one of the greatest black inventors, notably due to his improvement of carbon filaments in light bulbs. He worked with Thomas Edison and Alexander Bell and secured many different patents.

Sir William Arthur Lewis - Economist, 1915-91
In 1979, Sir Arthur Lewis became the first black person to win the Nobel Prize for Economics. He advised major nations around the world while his research on economic development in emerging countries was pioneering.

Toussaint-L'Ouverture - Rebel slave leader, 1743-1803
Born a slave in Haiti (then the French colony of St Dominique), Toussaint successfully led a slave rebellion against the colonisers. A brilliant general, he went on to help France drive out the British and Spanish from the country.

Patrice Lumumba - Politician, activist, 1925-1961
An African anti-colonial activist, Lumumba played a major role in gaining the Democratic Republic of the Congo's independence from Belgium, and was elected its first Prime Minister. He was assassinated after an army-supported coup.

Toni Morrison - Author, born 1931
In 1988, Morrison's fifth novel, Beloved, won the Pulitzer Prize; five years later, she became the first black woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. She acts as a mentor for many writers and is on the editorial board of The Nation magazine.

Nanny - Maroon leader, active 1720-34
A national heroine of Jamaica, Queen Nanny was a famous Maroon leader who frequently attacked British troops and is believed to have freed hundreds of slaves. A symbol of Maroon resistance, she is thought to have been killed by British forces.

Kwame Nkrumah - Politician, 1909-72
The first President of Ghana, Nkrumah led the movement that gained independence from Britain in 1957. An influential Pan-Africanist, he believed in uniting Africa under one government. He died in exile after his government was overthrown in 1966.

Jesse Owens - Athlete, 1913-80
At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Owens defied Nazi propaganda and won four gold medals on the track. When he died, the US President Jimmy Carter said: "Perhaps no athlete better symbolised the human struggle against tyranny, poverty and racial bigotry."

George Padmore - Scholar, activist, 1902-59
Padmore is seen as one of the 20th century's greatest social theorists and played a large role in the decolonisation of the Caribbean and Africa. A prominent Pan-Africanist, he inspired many black leaders and established the Internatio nal African Service Bureau.

Philip Emeagwali - Scientist, born 1954
A winner of the Gordon Bell prize in 1989, the Nigerian-born computer scientist and geologist is a symbol of African achievement. Emeagwali, voted the 35th greatest African of all time in The New African, played a role in the birth of the internet.

Olaudah Equiano - Writer, explorer, 1745-97
Equiano's autobiography, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, is one of the most important works to address abolition. A former slave who bought his freedom, he toured the UK talking about his experiences.

Frantz Fanon - Writer, psychiatrist, 1925-61
Born in the French colony of Martinique, Fanon's writing highlights violence as the only method by which colonial repression can be overturned. His work had a great influence across America and Europe and inspired numerous civil rights activists.

Marcus Garvey - Civil rights activist, 1887-1940
Garvey became an inspiration for future civil rights activists by travelling across America urging African-Americans to be proud of their heritage and to return to the continent. He founded the Black Star Shipping Line and United Negro Improvement Association.

Howard Gayle - Footballer, born 1958
When he became the first black footballer to play for Liverpool in 1977, Gayle was seen as a trailblazer in a sport that was almost all white. His pride in his background led him to being labelled as a troublemaker; today he campaigns against racism in football.

Kelly Holmes - Athlete, born 1970
Holmes became the first British woman to win two gold medals after winning both the 800m and 1,500m at the 2004 Athens Olympics. She was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2004 and made a dame in 2005.

Jaime Hurtado - Politician, died 1999
Hurtado founded Ecuador's Democratic Popular Movement, a political party that fought for the welfare of the working classes. He was the first Afro-Ecuadorian to be elected to Congress and the first to run for President. He was assassinated in 1999.

CLR James - Writer, socialist theorist, 1901-89
James is famous for seminal writings both on cricket and colonialism, most notably his book The Black Jacobins. He campaigned for African and West Indian independence, and wrote the first novel by a Caribbean author to be published in the UK.

Jamaica Kincaid - Writer, born 1949
The celebrated African-American author also teaches creative writing at Harvard University. She left Antigua to escape her family's lack of ambition for her, and often writes about the country's narrow-minded nature and the effects of British colonialism.

Martin Luther King - Civil rights activist, 1929-68
The figurehead of the American Civil Rights Movement, King became a national hero after leading the successful Montgomery bus boycott. In 1964 he received the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his work. He was assassinated on 4 April 1968.

Miriam Makeba - Musician, activist, born 1932
Known as " Mama Africa", Makeba became one of the first musicians to bring African music to the rest of the world. She was exiled by the South African government in 1960 after speaking out against apartheid in an address at the United Nations.

Nelson Mandela - Political activist, born 1918
A key anti-apartheid figure in South Africa, Mandela spent 27 years in prison for the cause. After his release, he became the country's first fully democratically elected president and leader of the African National Congress. In 1993 he won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Bob Marley - Musician, 1945-81
Bob Marley brought reggae to a worldwide audience, and is a hero in Jamaica as well as being seen by many Rastafarians as a prophet. His albums and shows with his band, The Wailers, were legendary. In 1978 he was awarded the United Nations' Medal of Peace.

Trevor McDonald - Journalist, born 1939
The first black news anchor in the UK, Trinidad-born McDonald is one of the most popular figures on TV. Starting his career on the BBC World Service, in 1999 he was given the Bafta Richard Dimbleby Award for Outstanding Contribution to Television.

Vicente Ferreira Pastinha - Martial arts master, 1889-1981
Pastinha is a mestre, or master, of Capoeira, the Afro-Brazilian martial art. Capoeira was brought to Brazil by African slaves and was illegal in the country from 1888 to the 1930s. Pastinha opened the first Capoeira Angola school in the Brazil in 1942.

Rosa Parks - Activist, 1913-2005
Parks's refusal to give up her seat on an Alabama bus in 1955 became a symbolic moment in the American civil rights movement. The fallout launched Martin Luther King Jr to fame. The incident sparked a mass boycott of the transport system by the black community.

Pelé - Footballer, born 1940
Christened Edson Arantes do Nascimento Pelé, he is regarded as the world's greatest footballer. Playing for his native Brazil, Pelé won the World Cup three times. In 1999 the BBC named him the second greatest sportsperson of the millennium.

Caryl Phillips - Author, born 1958
A novelist and writer for TV, radio, theatre and cinema, Phillips has often focused on the slave trade, and in 2004 he was awarded the Commonwealth Writers' Prize. Born in St Kitts and brought up in Leeds, he is now a professor of English at Yale.

Walter Rodney - Academic, political leader, 1942-80
Born in Guyana, Rodney was a leading Pan-Africanist and Black Power leader. When he became a member of the Working People's Alliance in Guyana, he became a major figure in the resistance against the repressive government and was assassinated by a bomb.

Ignatius Sancho - Writer, composer, 1729-80
Perhaps most notable for being the first black Briton to vote in a UK election, he was also the first African author to have his work published in this country. Sancho wrote poetry, plays, composed music and became friends with the writer Samuel Johnson.

Haile Selassie - World leader, 1892-1975
Accepted by Rastafarians as a symbol of God incarnate, the former emperor of Ethiopia became a worldwide anti-Fascist figure after appealing to the United Nations for help against Mussolini's invading armies. An ally of the west and opponent of colonisation.

Léopold Sédar Senghor - Politician, poet, 1906-2001
A poet as well as a leading figure in African politics, Senghor is one of the greatest African intellectuals of the 20th century. The first president of Senegal, he was also the co-founder of Négritude and has been credited with the relative political stability of Senegal.

John Sentamu - Religious leader, born 1949
The 97th Archbishop of York – and the first black man to serve as an Anglican archbishop – Sentamu has often spoken out on many topical issues and chaired the inquiry into how the police handled the death of Damilola Taylor.

Sam Sharpe - Preacher, 1801-32
Sharpe, a Jamaican national hero, was born a slave in Montego Bay and became a Baptist preacher. In 1931 he led the Christmas Rebellion, the last major uprising in Jamaica before slavery was abolished, for which he was executed by British forces.

Bessie Smith - Singer, 1892-1937
"The Empress of the Blues" was the first blues singer to achieve success as a recording artist. She has influenced countless artists, including Janis Joplin, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone, and played alongside such greats as Louis Armstrong.

Mary Seacole - Nurse, 1805-81
Seacole rose to prominence during the Crimean War when she funded her own journey to Turkey after British authorities refused her offers of help. There she opened a hospital, and became a popular figure in Britain, receiving various awards for bravery.

Wole Soyinka - Poet, writer, playwright, born 1934
One of the leading writers in Africa, Soyinka won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986. His work often concentrates on oppression and tyranny. He has also played a huge role in Nigerian politics and was imprisoned in 1967 during the country's civil war.

Ali Ibrahim 'Farka' Touré - Musician, 1939-2006
Dubbed " the African John Lee Hooker", Touré lived in Mali until his death from cancer. Winner of two Grammies, he was one of Africa's most famous musicians and always insisted that the blues was an authentically African genre.

Sojourner Truth - Civil rights campaigner, 1797-1883
Born into slavery in New York, Truth became a prominent abolitionist. Alongside memorable speeches such as "Ain't I a Woman?" she released an autobiography of her time as a slave. She also campaigned for woman's rights and against capital punishment.

Harriet Tubman - Abolitionist, 1820-1913
A runaway slave, Tubman went on to aid the escape of hundreds of slaves via the Underground Railroad, a network of houses willing to help those on their way to freedom in Canada. Nicknamed "Moses", she later served in the Civil War.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu - Cleric, campaigner, born 1931
A key figure in the overthrow of apartheid in South Africa, Tutu was chosen by President Mandela to chair the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In 1975 he became the first black Anglican Dean of Johannesburg, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985.

Derek Walcott - Playwright, author, artist, born 1930
Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1992, Walcott's poems and plays are largely influenced by growing up in the former British colony of St Lucia. Dividing his time between America and the Caribbean, much of his work addresses cultural differences. between two cultures.

Arthur Wharton - Footballer, 1865-1930
Best known as the first professional black footballer in the English League, Wharton also excelled at cycling, cricket and running. In 1886 he became the fastest man in Britain. In 2004 he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.

Phillis Wheatley - Poet, 1753-1784
Captured by slave traders in Senegal as a child, Wheatley became the first black female author to have a book of poetry published in America. Supported by members of the Boston gentry, she became a literary sensation and appeared before George Washington.

Oprah Winfrey - Media tycoon, born 1954
A living American institution, she is seen by some as the most influential woman in the world. At the centre of her various projects is her TV chat show which is syndicated around the world. In 2006 Winfrey became the world's first black woman billionaire.

Malcolm X - Civil rights activist, 1925-65
Malcolm X was a major campaigner for black power and opposed the idea of racial equality. A believer in militant protest, he was assassinated not long after leaving the Nation of Islam and creating the Organization of Afro-American Unity.

Gaspar Yanga - Rebel slave leader, 1570-1609
The leader of a slave revolt in Mexico that led to the creation of a slave colony in the mountains which, with a population of around 500, existed for more than 30 years. After violent clashes, Yanga obtained a treaty that gave the slaves their freedom.

Benjamin Zephaniah - Poet, born 1958
Zephaniah decided to become a poet after being sent to prison, aged 14. He is now one of Britain's top contemporary poets and has also written novels. He publicly rejected an OBE in 2003 because the award reminded him of "thousands of years of brutality".

MAY THE ANCESTORS BE PLEASED

ancient craft of storytelling

2007-08-06T04:02:00.000-07:00

ancient heritage

BEMBE Productions a division of AFROETS PRESS

2007-07-22T02:10:00.000-07:00

bembe productions

THEATRE
a continuing commitment

1977-2002

This cultural collective has as its' main aim the propagation of creative
expression from the Caribbean and the Diaspora. Activities over the years have been jointly conducted with
other groups and individuals across the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
DIARY
1973-2002

1973- Publication of the anthology : " Four Hundred Years of Pain and Suffering" by Leroy Calliste and Selwyn Newton.

1974 - Launch of "Lament of the Soul" ; First book review by Anson Gonzalez in the Trinidad Guardian: " Young Poet steps boldly into print" First poetry reading session: featuring Leroy Calliste, Fitzroy Cook Jnr. , Peter Smart and Michael Als at Oilfields Workers Trade Union's

Port of Spain Office. Several other readings staged at a commercial bank and church parish halls and community centres across the country.

1975 - Publication of "INSIGHT" ; Members actively advocate adoption of International Copyright conventions by Government. Memorable stage production of "BLACK FIRE" in sister isle Tobago. Leroy Calliste concludes a performance tour in U.S.A.

1976 - Tragic death of poet-teacher Leroy Calliste ; Afforded ISBN by Caribbean Agency; also Owusa Babatunde appointed AP Editor Publisher. Numerous readings across the country.

1977 - AP presents lecture by poet / artist Leroy Clarke. Media fuels controversy over " AP Poets" with their unusual style. Roi Kwabena delivers lecture on local literature to local Teachers Training College; Founding of BEMBE PRODUCTIONS ; Famous AP lecture by Dr. Victor Questel -"Nobody is coming to theatre, because it has nothing to say "

1978 - FUNDISHA cultural exposition in Diego Martin commands national media attention; "Redemptive Season" a literary event with music successfully promoted outside capital.

1979: Two young poets: Peggy Heather Hull and Helen Williams launch a season of new female writers. Veteran lyricist- Iacoob Ibn Abbass and community worker Omataa Ojungi joins Bembe.

1980 - In Other Words enjoys successful run at The THEATRE in Belmont, Port of Spain. Several performances staged in discotheques around the capital. These events blended popular youth culture with local performance poetry supported with percussion. At this time the artform RAPSO pioneered by fellow writer Bro Resistance of the Network Riddum Band also gained more popularity.

1981 - Publication of Seko Tafari's: In Memory ; Christian Action for Development in the Caribbean supports our activities with a grant. Lecture on Women, Labour and struggle in the Caribbean by Dr. Rhoda Reddock; Cacique Publications a local publishing company seeks partnership and appoints Roi Kwabena an associate editor. Works published during this period included:- Is Slavery Again- Labour History and Bandit Garden- Pickers and Flowers- an anthology of poetry by Michael Als . AP gains Membership in the Writers Union of Trinidad & Tobago.

1982 - Several exhibitions and readings across the country featuring many writers and artists. Three dinner performances featuring vocalist-poet Amalla Sayida, Sapodilla, Roi Kwabena and Ateba Keneyatta successfully staged.

1983 - Publication of C.U.R.E. (Community Upliftment & Rehabilitation Exercises ) a journal of Good health.

1984 - Publication of C.U.R.E. , presentation of Manifestations art exhibition; Tragic passing of poet /artist Jamakie TUT Oyoyo and Dr. Victor Questel; Anthony Weeks appointed AP Editor-Publisher.

1985 - Our founder embarks on a Performance / Lecture Tour: Belgium, U.K., France, Netherlands, West Germany and Bulgaria. Links forged with international publishers writers and artists.

1986 - Publication of poetry and other works in joint co-operation with UK

( Coventry based ) TAMARA PRODUCTIONS. Including CHALLENGE- a newspaper serving the Afro-Caribbean communities in the West Midlands founded.

1987 - During a extended sojourn in East Afrika, Kwabena is accorded the distinguished title of Al ANSAARI in the Sudan. AWARE Publications Imprint launched in T&T.

1988 - Khadija Saliyma is appointed AP Editor publisher.

1989 - Lectures and workshops for schools and libraries across Trinidad & Tobago by Christopher Grey and Roi Kwabena. Exhibition on antiquity of KUSH presented in joint co-operation of the Insititute For Cultural Co-Operation of the Venezuelan Embassy in Trinidad. This multi-media display also tours other venues across the country with support of the Division of culture-Trinidad & Tobago Gov't.

1990 - Caribbean tour by Roi Kwabena , several titles published by AWARE . Plus Kwabena Trinidad Public Library in recognition of the U.N. Declaration of International Year of Literacy.

1991 - North American and Japanese tour by Christopher Grey, who also receives several national and international awards for his community work.

1992 - Roi Kwabena appointed Senator of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago. He also supports RAPSO week and the T&T Government's hosting of CARIFESTA . YOUTH VOICE journal also invites him to address their third anniversary celebrations. He addressed the formal opening of the NIA Arts Centre in Manchester UK.

1993 - AWARE publishes two more titles edited by Christopher Grey .

1994 - Valerie Griffith appointed AP Editor-Publisher; AP also presents Ghanaian historian: Dr. Kwaku Sennah's lecture on the Afrikan Diaspora. Afrikan History Month celebrations staged at the University of the West Indies ( St. Augustine Campus- Trinidad ) and other venues. Aware

1995- PROFILE a cultural journal published by AP launched and Awards ceremony held. Roi Kwabena embarks on another tour of Europe. Third Edition of About The Caribbean published in Germany, plus the anthology: Manifestations through joint co-operation of AP and the University of Augsburg - Bavaria

1996 - AP publishes KUSH RECLAIMED and the fourth edition of About The Caribbean ; RAKANubian Saints Of Christianity; Further editions of above mentioned plus other titles released. Two Exhibitions- "Gathering Power I & II " featuring Midland based artists presented in Birmingham, UK .

1997 - About The Caribbean 5th Revised Edition published, also " A JOB FOR THE HANGMAN" - a controversial collection of poems by Kwabena. An official online presence on the worldwide web established.

1998 - Two titles of poetry by U.K. based poets published by RAKA Pubs.:- "Poetic Revelations" by Sakinah Reynolds & "Nelson Mandela's Dream as a Boy " by Leon Blades. The Multi-media exhibition "Glory of KUSH" is open to view for twenty four weeks in London jointly hosted by the University of the Diaspora & Centerprise Trust Ltd. . The UK Dept. of Employment & Education commissioned Kwabena to launch the National Year of Reading. He also accepted an invitation from the Birmingham City Council to deliver the inaugural lecture: "MOCKING SHADOWS" for Black History Month celebrations.

1999 - An International and UK Tour by Kwabena performing selections from the Cd:Y42K "FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS" & "WHETHER OR NOT". The itinerary includes cities across Britian and Wales, Nigeria, Ghana, New Zealand, Canada, Trinidad & Tobago, USA, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Canada.

2000- Trinidad Circle of Poets honoured our Founder at a poetry session at the National Museum and Art Gallery in Port of Spain. Prizes sponsored by RAKA Books were distributed for a locally organised Poetry competition. Numerous workshops and lectures across UK, including a national extended tour of "GLORY OF KUSH" " multi-media exhibition. Hosted launch of BLUE magazine RAKA also hosts performances by numerous artistes, poets and writers...including CARIFOLK SINGERS (from Jamaica)KAALAMU ya SALAAMU ( Veteran Poet New Orleans), Goldie the Poet (California), Historian Runoko Rashidi and acclaimed playwright-Lennox Raphael.

2001- Celebration of our Anniversary.Publication of a new work by Dorrette Hanson: "HANDSWORTH THROUGH MY EYES" Our founder is appointed Birmingham's POET LAUREATE for the period 2001-2002.

1974-2007
celebrating
33 YEARS
OF
CULTURAL & LITERARY
advocacy

Zeitgeist - The Movie: Religion (Part 1 of 3)

2007-07-20T01:56:00.001-07:00

Hon. Minister Of Culture Gilberto Gil circa. 1979

2007-07-14T03:40:00.000-07:00

Gilberto Gil-The 1979 Sessions

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Out of the Mouth of Babes

2007-07-10T12:53:00.001-07:00

and a child shall lead them

Book signing

2007-07-08T09:52:00.001-07:00

dialogue blazes the trail

2007-07-08T02:46:00.000-07:00

SUMMER 2007
A JOURNAL FOR CULTURAL LITERACY

validation of KUSH

2007-06-19T00:23:00.000-07:00

KUSH recognised in New York Times

Over the years numerous films, museum exhibitions, publications and books have hinted to the Glory that was the civilisation /empire of KASH [aka Ta-Nuhusi. Ta-Seti. Nubia, Kush]. Note there is never mention of the succeeding dynasties of this kingdom after the demise of original Ta-Meri (aka KMT , EGYPT) Thus having worked and lived there I have always been convinced that the timing of these and other revelations in the Media are by no means coincidental. Humbly i await the next step!

May the ancestors be pleased.

AMANI RA NEFER HOTEPH
APEDAMAK BASH

celebrating sanctuary

2007-06-14T03:13:00.001-07:00

title now available in most bookshops in UK

2007-06-11T12:13:00.001-07:00

AS LONG AS
Roi Kwabena

Selected new poetry by Caribbean Poet and writer Dr Roi Kwabena. Introduced by Lennox Raphael with an Afterword by Dr Eric Doumerc. Includes selected translated poems in Hungarian, Swedish,Italian,Spanish,German,Turkish & Greek.

Product Details:

Printed: 88 pages, 6.14" x 9.21", perfect binding, 55# white interior paper, black and white interior ink , 90# white exterior paper, full-colour exterior ink

ISBN: 978-1-4116-7410-3

god doll BADD doll

2007-06-06T08:34:00.000-07:00

PLUS more here

nana Connie mark crosses over

2007-06-04T03:54:00.001-07:00

Ancestor CONNIE MARK MBE

Born: 21st of December 1923, Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies

crossed over: 3rd June 2007

Health Practitioner
Ex-Services 2^nd World War
Caribbean Resident UK First Generation Activist,
Cultural Worker
Founder of the Mary Seacole Memorial Association

Nana Mother Connie Mark speaking on Ancestor Mary Seacole
Nana Connie Mark reading a poem on BBC shorts

MAY THE ANCESTORS BE PLEASED WITH HER EFFORTS

ASE

Drumology to soothe the tension

2007-05-31T03:36:00.000-07:00

Indian Arrival Day- Caribbean

2007-05-29T14:25:00.001-07:00

Republic of Trinidad & Tobago celebrates as a Public Holiday on the 30th May :
Indian Arrival Day

MAY THE ANCESTORS BE PLEASED

more information here

Prayer dedicated to the Hindu deity GANPATI

Vakratunda Mahaakaaya Suryakotee Sama Prabha
Nirvighnam kuru mey Deva
Sarva kaaryeshu Sarvadaa

As Olaudah Equiano

2007-05-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

Ancestor Olaudah Equiano

Born: 1745

Crossed over : 1797

I hope to have the satisfaction of seeing the renovation of liberty and justice, resting on the British government, to vindicate the honour of our common nature. These are concerns which do not perhaps belong to any particular office: but, to speak more seriously to every man of sentiment, actions like these are the just and sure foundation of future fame; a reversion, though remote, is coveted by some noble minds as a substantial good. It is upon these grounds that I hope and expect the attention of gentlemen in power. These are designs consonant to the elevation of their rank, and the dignity of their stations; they are ends suitable to the nature of a free and generous government; and, connected with views of empire and dominion, suited to the benevolence and solid merit of the legislature. It is a pursuit of substantial greatness. - May the time come - at least the speculation to me is pleasing - when the sable people shall gratefully commemorate the auspicious aera of extensive freedom: then shall those persons particularly be named with praise and honour, who generously proposed and stood forth in the cause of humanity, liberty, and good policy; and brought to the ear of the legislature designs worthy of royal patronage and adoption. May Heaven make the British senators the dispersers of light, liberty and science, to the uttermost parts of the earth: then will be glory to God on the highest, on earth peace, and good-will to men. - Glory, honour, peace, &c. to every soul of man that worketh good; to the Britons first, (because to them the Gospel is preached), and also to the nations.

Excerpt from

"The Interesting Narrative of the Life of
Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African"

Published 1789

RK in role as Equiano

Africa Calling - Rapper - Sudan

2007-05-03T00:31:00.001-07:00

here a southern sudanese youth shares the Universal message of love abroad
may the ancestors be pleased

long life and success for this son of mother afrika!

In the absence of CULTURAL LITERACY

2007-04-25T14:43:00.000-07:00

IN THE ABSENCE OF PREVENTION, WE NEED A CURE!

Descendants of CHATTEL SLAVERY universally suffer POST SLAVERY TRAUMATIC DISORDER and this ailment has never received appropriate remediation.

In the absence of CULTURAL LITERACY descendants of Chattel Slavery have had inaccurate psychosocial assessments as users. Further, these foreign theories are all EURO-CENTRIC and do not address the cultural sensitivities of users of the Mental Care systems in so-called mother countries, independent states and colonies. Clinicians still use Freudian and other theories that have no pertinence to the diverse experience of non Europeans.

The institution of slavery was never aptly addressed in the past nor present. The false concept of superiority and maintained position of non committal responsibility for the introduction of that unjust system: Chattel Slavery and its subsequent systems-for example Imperialism and Capitalism contributes directly to the psychosis that is endemic to communities still marginalised.

After the so-called Abolition of that dastard trade in human cargoes nothing was done to address the resulting trauma which was genetically passed on to the inhabitants of the sufferers. Rather other systems were introduced. (For example: Apprenticeship /Apartheid /and Social Segregation) Even In my own life time Lynching was conducted in America.

Authoritative practitioners all agree that one does not have to live through an experience to be traumatised by it. Thus, in the absence of resolution, deviant attitudes and behaviours resulting from trauma can be passed on through generations subconsciously.

The Crabs in the Barrel syndrome, self hate, dysfunctional family and interpersonal relationships (including Male Female relations) plus anti social behaviours is a direct consequence of POST SLAVERY TRAUMATIC DISORDER.

Roi Kwabena, April 2007

Garifuna experience

2007-04-23T03:30:00.000-07:00

Dr Andoni Castillo
spoke last weekend on Garifuna peoples &
the African Latin American experience.

with members of the appreciative audience

Garifuna dinner lecture

2007-04-19T05:35:00.001-07:00

Garifuna Lecture & Dinner

CARIBARAMA Restaurant
celebrating the Bi-Centenary Anniversary
of Garifuna Peoples BANISHED TO Central America

CARIBBEAN DINNER & LECTURE
with Multi-Media exhibition & Music

Speaker: Dr Andoni Castillo

GARIFUNA Anthropologist

Saturday 21^ST APRIL 2007
from 7.30 p.m.

Caribarama
@CENTERPRISE
136-138 Kingslands High Street
Dalston, London E8 2NS

Authentic African Caribbean Dinner
Vegetarian, Fish & Jerk Chicken options

Advance tickets: £15.00
At The Door: £20.00

further Info: 0207 254 9632

the slaver Zong on the Thames

2007-04-13T01:54:00.000-07:00

In 1781, the Slaver ship the "Zong" was embarking on the 'middle passage', taking slaves from West Africa to England. The ship was overloaded, and malnutrition and disease took their toll on slaves and crew. The slaves were thrown overboard and insurance for chattel was successfully claimed.

The slavership ZONG moored on the Thames River

addressing tour party on the Zong slaver ship

MAY THE EFFORTS OF OUR ANCESTORS
NEVER BE FORGOTTEN

Launch of DIALOGUE Journal &Dinner

2007-04-13T01:42:00.000-07:00

Guests at the recent launch of dialogue journal . This event also commemorated the efforts of our ancestors to end Chattel slavery.

lecture Dinner @caribarama

2007-04-12T09:17:00.000-07:00

commemorating those who resisted chattel slavery

an undauntable spirit

2007-03-25T14:49:00.000-07:00

by Andrea Enisuoh

He’s a poet, a story-teller, a musician and a historian - for brevity he describes himself as a cultural activist. And as any good cultural activist would, he is throwing himself wholeheartedly into this period of events marking the Bicentenary of the Abolition of Slavery. Only Roi Kwabena isn’t into celebrating William Wilberforce and his alleged achievements, he’s committed to hailing the real heroes of the abolition movement – the slaves themselves.

‘It’s an issue that has been left to fester for far too long,’ he tells me as we discuss a dinner, lecture and multi-media presentation he is hosting this week. ‘Who really abolished the slave trade? Over the years we hear so much about Wilberforce and sometimes Olaudah Equiano, but so little about the real heroes. So little about those who rose up against chattel slavery, such as in the Morant Bay rebellion. It’s so rare we are told the true facts: that slaves abolished slavery.’

In fact the abolition of slavery is just one of the many cultural issues he wants discussed. To this end he has linked up with Caribarama Restaurant and Centerprise arts and community centre to organise a series of lectures and discussions. Rather than dry academic discussions however, in the true tradition of our communities the issues will be discussed over an African/Caribbean meal and drinks, against a backdrop of music and visuals.

Born in Trinidad Roi Kwabena came to Britain in 1985 after political and cultural activity in his home country. A one time Poet Laureate in Birmingham, he has lectured, performed and conducted workshops in the Caribbean, Europe and Africa in various universities and schools. Using a distinctive style of dialogue, drama and rhythm, he has published collections of poems and spoken word and music CDs. He draws no distinction between his cultural and artistic activities. ‘Art is a part of struggle,’ he says, ‘It is our form of expression, a way of seeing our face in the mirror, whether it be in visual art, music, literature or any other form.’ A committed advocate of cultural literacy Kwabena also publishes Dialogue, an international journal addressing indigenous cultures and their impact today.

But for now, admid the frenzy of events and discussions about the abolition of slavery, he is concentrating his time on setting the record straight. ‘People are mistelling the story,’ he insists, ‘To tell the true story we need to look at the Haitian Revolution. Not many people know but it was that revolution that led to the American Civil War.’ In fact what happened in Haiti had a tremendous impact on the entire region, which is much of the reason why Haiti is suffering so much today.’

Undoubtedly Roi Kwabena is a powerful advocate for black liberation. What I really want to know is how he became so imbued with such an undauntable spirit. ‘I grew up in a very eventful period,’ he reveals, ‘I grew up during the Civil Rights Movement, a time of people being lynched and shot. I’ve lived in Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt. I’ve met and worked with great ancestors such as Walter Rodney, Maurice Bishop and Eric Williams.‘He reels off other names too, like Betty Shabazz and Stokely Carmichael and you just know that the spirit of art and activism courses through his veins. During our discussion I interrupt to ask how he feels about how we are living today. ‘After what I have lived through and because I am an optimistic man, I can see change,’ he admits, ‘But I can’t deny that I feel sad too. I can’t pretend we don’t have problems.

There are problems with communication, with self-love and dignity. We are not recognizing the power that we possess. But I guess what really makes me sad is that after all our ancestors have been through, we have not built any lasting institutions to bequeath to our youth. No concrete, lasting centre, independent of welfare or government. That’s what we really need.’ I can’t help thinking that with campaigners like Roi Kwabena in our corner, buildings are just one of the many lasting legacies we will eventually achieve.

BET Lead Story: Aetna Inc. Slave Insurance Exposed

2007-03-25T04:15:00.001-07:00

evidence comes to light

Celebrating those who really abolished Chattel Slavery

2007-01-30T15:21:00.000-08:00

CARIBARAMA Restaurant
celebrating the Bi-Centenary Anniversary
of Afrikans who abolished Chattel Slavery

CARIBBEAN DINNER & LECTURE
with Multi-Media exhibition & Music

Speaker: Dr Roi Ankhkara Kwabena
Caribbean born Cultural Anthropologist

Saturday 24th March 2007
from 7.30 p.m.

Caribarama
@CENTERPRISE
136-138 Kingslands High Street
Dalston, London E8 2NS

Authentic African Caribbean Dinner
Vegetarian, Fish & Jerk Chicken options

Advance tickets: £15.00
At The Door: £20.00

further Info: 0207 254 9632

Mursi Nomads, Ethiopia

2007-01-26T14:17:00.001-08:00

an indigenous people of ethiopia through the eyes of a westerner

Junkanoo(roots)2007

2007-01-21T15:03:00.001-08:00

linking jamaica...peru... st vincent, belize

Wanaragua

2007-01-21T14:58:00.001-08:00

the indigenous Garifuna (aka black Caribs)

Indigenous People Dancing

2007-01-21T14:55:00.001-08:00

this tradition is replicated across the Caribbean

Nubian Music from Sudan - 2

2007-01-19T18:10:00.003-08:00

ancient nubian not arabic language

Nouba Song - Ondy

2007-01-19T18:10:00.001-08:00

ancient traditions of the nubians of SUDAN!

dialogue journal for cultural literacy

2007-01-03T15:07:00.000-08:00

a journal for cultural literacy
no. 1/ vol. 3-Winter 2006 / SPRING 2007
issn: 1024-0209

EDITOR- PUBLISHER:
Roi Ankhkara Kwabena

CONTRIBUTORS:
Nanfuka Sekitto, Mark Rockeymoore, Fowokan Kelly, Russell Goffe, Rabiyah Latif, Maximilian Forte, Lennox Raphael, Tichaoma Chinyelu, LeRoy Clarke, Clarence Cole, Modibo Nsami, Ososan Urdeen, Patrick Githinji, Siobhan Lennon, Guanaguanare, Malcolm Dick, Mishu Barua, Raphael Chikukwa, Abysinnia Yohannes, Mustapha Matura, Stewart Brown, Efi Antoniou, Sahera Parveen, South East Wales Race Equality Council & PACT.

PHOTOGRAPHY:
Siobhan Lennon, Julianna Varnai, Fowokan Kelly,

Raphael Chikukwa & Roi Kwabena
GRAPHIC DESIGN: rk

Beja Children

2006-12-15T17:06:00.001-08:00

The Beja are an ancient peple of East Sudan also known as the Hadendowa or Bena Amir. They are known for their prowess as warriors skilled with swords and rearing camels in arid desert.

Alsarah - A Sudanese Artist

2006-12-14T01:11:00.001-08:00

a backdrop of the Sufi traditions at Hammad El Niyl in Omdurman, Sudan.

Alsarah - A Sudanese Artist

2006-12-14T00:57:00.001-08:00

Another generation celebrate the unique sufi tradition in popular music. Alsarah needs to be complimented for promoting her cultural heritage to a wider audience "despite her western attire and poise".

Mokashfiya zikir

2006-12-08T16:26:00.001-08:00

Sudan mysticism at its best... part of the cultural heritage of the AFRIKAN DIASPORA

Generations of all genders suffered from chattel slavery

2006-11-29T14:22:00.000-08:00

THE SPIRIT OF THE ANCESTORS ENSURED OUR SURVIVAL

Five poets launch

2006-11-05T07:25:00.000-08:00

You are cordially invited to attend the launch of this remarkable text

FIVE BIRMINGHAM POETS

edited & complied by

Dr Eric Doumerc

Readings: MOQUAPI SELASSIE, MARTIN GLYNN,

SUE BROWN, LEON BLADES & ROI KWABENA

· TUESDAY 21st NOVEMBER 2006
·FROM: 5.OO p.m.

@ Centre of West African Studies

The University of Birmingham

Edgbaston, Birmingham

2006-10-23T01:39:00.000-07:00

Roi Kwabena Drum Rhythms

maintaining the traditions for succeeding generations

2006-10-22T05:05:00.000-07:00

Minister Louis Farrakhan Meets Dr. Betty Shabazz 13 NYC

This message must NEVER be ignored.. as we commemorate Afrikan history Month 2006

see and listen as well to Mahalia Jackson-Gospel Singer
may The ancestors be pleased

2006-10-21T03:48:00.000-07:00

Roi Kwabena Drumming

Playing the indigenous rhythms of the caribbean

IN-VISIBLE IKONS goes to wales

2006-10-13T00:23:00.000-07:00

in-VISIBLE IKONS
multi-media exhibtion & lecture
Speaker: Dr Roi Kwabena
presented in South East Wales
as part of their commemorations for
BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2006

Five Birmingham Poets

2006-09-30T06:57:00.000-07:00

Five Birmingham Poets

Dr. Eric Doumerc is conducting an ongoing research of the Caribbean oral traditions’ influence on Black British performance poetry. His main interests include the study of Jamaican deejaying (the early 1970's period) and its influence on oral poetry. He traveled to Birmingham, UK, where he interviewed Five Poets with Caribbean and other international links.

Included here, are the responses and poetry of Sue Brown, Moquapi Selassie, Leon Blades, Martin Glynn and Roi Kwabena, all poets living in that vibrant British Midlands city.

"Five Birmingham Poets" published by RAKA International Publications is an excellent introduction to contemporary poetry and culture of Black Britain. It is suitable for study by students at High (Secondary) School and University levels. However also provides general readers with a splendid opportunity to experience these unique voices.

Five Birmingham Poets
82 pages, 6.14" x 9.21",
perfect binding, black and white interior ink

order copies

Black History Month 2006

2006-09-24T05:11:00.000-07:00

Black History Month Lecture 2006

Ancestor Leonard Parkinson
Jamaican Maroon Resistance Leader

" RESISTANCE, RELIGION &
CHATTEL SLAVERY IN THE CARIBBEAN "
Speaker: Roi Kwabena

An authoriative demystification of Abolition of the Slave Trade saga
@ Centerprise
Kingsland High Street
Dalston,
Hackney, London

from 6.30 p.m.
on Tuesday 24th October 2006

Exclusive interview with founder of AFRIKA SPEAKS

2006-09-09T03:23:00.000-07:00

Exclusive interview with
MUNYARADZI MUZENDA
founder of AFRIKA SPEAKS
originally published in the Summer Issue of DIALOGUE

message of goodwill

2006-08-23T01:15:00.000-07:00

WE ALL POSSESS THE TOOLS

TO ADDRESS PROBLEMS THAT SEEM TO BESET US
WE ARE IN CONTROL OF OUR LIVES...
WE ARE ALL BLESSED WITH CREATIVE THOUGHT
LET US BE OPEN TO LEARNING

WITHOUT PREJUDICE
LETS PURSUE CULTURAL LITERACY

AS OUR SURVIVAL AS A SPECIES DEPENDS ON IT
ALL THAT WE SEEK, SEEKS US
LET US ALL EMBRACE CHALLENGES AS OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW
MAKE A HABIT TO LEARN ANOTHER IDEA, CONCEPT,

ANOTHER VALUE EACH DAY
BUT MOST OF ALL...BE GRATEFUL

may reason prevail

roi kwabena

"cultural literacy"

cultural literacy:connecting histories

2006-08-22T07:03:00.000-07:00

The Connecting Histories Project

is proud to present a day dedicated to

Birmingham's Black History!

You can drop in, or stay all day for;

How to Research Black History:

A 'no-excuses' day of worshops, talks, seminars, entertainment & discussion.

Saturday 23rd September 2006

from 12-6pm

Dr. Vanley Burke

will be launching his photographic and documentary

archive as available for use in Birmingham City Archives.

Connecting Histories

will be launching the first completed internet learning package called

'How to Research Black History'.

Also on the day will be guest speakers:

Paul Crooks, Black genealogist & author of 'Ancestors';

Dr. Roi Ankhara Kwabena, Cultural Anthropologist;

Dr. Andy Green;

Sarah Blackstock;

Martin Glynn & others.

There will be activities to keep the children involved and occupied.

Above is the flyer for the day and please circulate to your friends & colleagues.

www.connectinghistories.org.uk

in-VISIBLE IKONS

2006-08-16T17:09:00.000-07:00

in-VISIBLE IKONS

MULTI-MEDIA LECTURE

Black socio-cultural values and scientific achievements were enthusiastically embraced before discovery of the New World. Blacks were at one time revered as emblematic of innocence and nobility. However, over time, Black representation mutated as a direct consequence of perceived variance in RE-LI(E)GION.

Monuments were demolished, statues disfigured, prized artefacts and textual evidence systematically destroyed in an attempt to erase truth. Some of what survives today is hidden in vaults of museums, private collections and libraries.

Black iconography remains (in)visible with a calculable amount of influence in modern day and historic architecture. While, abundant references to the Black thrive on national flags, emblems, coats of arms, paintings, illustrations, post cards, in scientific symbolism and as affectionate titles for public spaces.

Speaker: Roi Ankhkara Kwabena
Venue: London UK

EVENT DETAILS

promoting cultural literacy

2006-08-06T15:13:00.000-07:00

New titles from RAKA Books

dialogue e-group dedicated to cultural literacy

2006-07-29T05:27:00.000-07:00

Visitors/readers are cordially invited to join a discussion e-group dedicated to open debate on issues relating to cultural literacy pertinent to indigenous peoples across the planet.

dialogue is the name of the group and encourages debate of subjects raised in editions of the journal of the same name. Members are entitled to complimentary copies of this publication and encouraged to submit their own articles..photography...poems...paintings and other creative ideas.

visit our group and do feel free to apply now...it a unique opportunity...

JOIN NOW

love is the answer

2006-07-28T22:55:00.000-07:00

The following article was published in 1981 by the YOU magazine in Port of Spain Trinidad. It is reproduced as a service to readers.

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE, LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED

POET Roi-Kwabena (see September ’87 People) has just produced a journal titled Vegetable & Fruit Juices Could Restore Health Naturally. In it Roi advocates the consumption of fresh fruit juices for good health and he also lists the disorders for which the juices might provide therapeutic aid. But we thought on of the most interesting sections to be his Bonus Report on the power of Emotions. We have edited a section of it and you will have to admit, that even though you may disagree with Roi’s theory, it just might have some truth in it.

More than half of the growing number of patients seeking medical attention for many ailments has symptoms resulting from mental stress. Unfortunately however, this is seldom realised by the authorities concerned. Treatment is rather focussed on the symptoms of the particular illness, while the underlying emotional tendencies can cause debilitating and even fatal results. The most potent of these disease producing emotions are jealousy, envy, greed, self-centredness, over-ambition, anger, frustration, resentment and hatred.

Turmoil of this nature, are nurtured in the brain’s emotional centre from which nerve fibres receive and relay impulses to the entire body. Unnatural and aggravating vibes subsequently encourage a great deal of ailments and distressing symptoms.

The digestive, circulatory, nervous, genitourinary and glandular systems are all very susceptible to emotional upsets. Many skin disorders and diseases such as psoriasis, dermatitis, hives and other similar ailments are the result of emotional stress. Within recent times, however, fascinating findings based on extensive studies on this subject by internationally acclaimed authorities pinpoint an antidote, the fantastic benefits of which are available to all.

QUESTION: Why do some people radiate good health while others constantly look like they just rose from a sick bed?

ANSWER: Those of us who learn how to give and receive LOVE and make it a central part of our lives, add many healthy, happy years to our lives. Whether you are married, divorced, single or widowed, you too can make love a vital part of your life. For almost everyone the results will be nothing short of fantastic.

A recent survey of over 1,000 adults reveals that people who express love for others are twice as healthy as people who don’t. People who had higher acceptance of others, who were more loving and caring towards others had twice the likelihood of being physically and psychologically healthy. On the other hand, lack of love can contribute to devastating health problems.

EXPERT GUIDELINES

We all need love whether we are young or old, male or female. In order to experience love we must recognise it when it is offered to us, and be able to show love for others. But accordingly, a local senior psychiatrist advises that love is not always easy to recognise.

One must look for subtle clues – for example, a smile, a gesture. Actually some people are extremely low-keyed in their expressions of affection. You must therefore learn to be a good listener and not be caught up in the importance of your own thoughts. Listen to what others are saying. A moment of tenderness is missed and lost forever if you don’t bother to listen carefully.

dialogue paperback available

2006-07-25T01:16:00.000-07:00

A JOURNAL OF CULTURE,

ISSN: 1024-0209
No. 2 / Vol. 2

Spring Summer -2006
COMMEMORATIVE EDITION
AFROETS PRESS 32nd anniversary

A COMMEMORATIVE EDITION

-AFROETS PRESS 32ND ANNIVERSARY

This journal specifically addresses issues relating to indigenous cultures and its impact on the post modern world. This Summer Spring Issue includes a bonus supplement dedicated to PANAFSTRAG.

EDITOR-PUBLISHER: Roi Kwabena

GUEST EDITOR: Renèe Ballerini-Sigel

CONTRIBUTORS:

Lennox Raphael, Cathy Perry, Nuru El, Dicho Ilunga, Munyaradzi Muzenda, Stewart Brown, Avelino Bambi, Efi Antoniou, Esuseeke Ololade, Milorad Krystanovch, Ras Jahaziel, Mardin Ibrahim, Ishola Williams, Kunijwok Kwawang, ADAMISSIMO, Writers Without Borders, PANAFSTRAG & Africa Speaks. Contents:ART of Dialogue ,All Are Orphans,Obituaries,Ancient Grace, A Short Story-Hate to Forgiveness,WILL but forced,Africa Speaks ,News update, What they never tell, Children of the Dust, Dwight/Dwrong, other regular features and paintings by the Kenyan born Artist Patrick Wilson Githinji.

110 pages
8.26" x 11.69"
perfect binding
full-color interior ink

Celebrating 32 Years of advocacy

2006-07-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

AFROETS PRESS (1974-2006)

RAKA BOOKS (1996-2006)

an interview with our founder published in 1981

(YOU magazine, Port of Spain, Trinidad)

CELEBRATING 32nd ANNIVERSARY 1974 -2006
TO PUBLISH IS A RIGHT, NOT A PRIVILEGE !

In July of 1974, literary critics of Trinidad and Tobago were astounded by the bold step into print by an eighteen year old poet with an anthology entitled "LAMENT OF THE SOUL". At the launch of this slim volume, Fitzroy Cook Jnr. announced that the returns from the sale of his book would be used to address problems faced by many writers.

At that time in Trinidad & Tobago access to publication was a preserve of a few. As a result many aspiring and young writers suffered. This initiative was given the name AFROETS PRESS. Support in the main came from the small circle of poets and friends who gathered that night for the launch. Many of them volunteered on the condition that they be only allowed to work behind the scenes.

The mission was to focus attention on the written works of aspiring writers. But while the original ambition was to include all genres, Poetry was decided to be the most practical choice. Thus sessions of Poetry Reading featuring new local poets were staged around Port Of Spain to introduce these new voices and also raised the profile of AP as a cultural body.

Venues were unusual, ranging from open parks, playgrounds, warehouses, Trade Union offices, Libraries, Schools, Discos, Church Halls, a Supermarket and even a suburban branch of a Commercial Bank. These activities were generally well supported by the general public. Estimated audiences numbered from ten and sixty patrons with even three hundred plus at one event.

The local press (including Television and Radio ) were at times at generous with their coverage via sporadic interviews, reviews and feature stories. In fact two programmes were worthy enough to warrant contemplative Editorial comment in the local leading daily newspapers. Thus several events presented by AP benefited from national exposure.

Admission fees were always minimal, though overheads were sometimes very daunting to say the least. Yet solicited support from the private sector especially corporate and small business advertising revenues critically assisted with costs towards promotion of such events.

Though pamphlets of poetry were printed and distributed at these readings, many members expressed dissatisfaction over the fact that not enough energy was put towards publication. For the only other major work at that time from AP was "INSIGHT" a collection of poetry and socio-political commentary edited by ROI KWABENA.

It was decided after some serious self examination by then serving members, to promote both- POETRY (on the page) and the performance based Oral tradition supported by percussion. However, to satisfy the needs of members and wider audiences required the establishment of a performance based production department with its own mandate. This is saga behind the little understood roots of the internationally famed cultural collective - BEMBE PRODUCTIONS.

Since then over two hundred aspiring poets ( with ages ranging 12-76 yrs ) have been presented. Eight of them are today very well known, being published locally and internationally . AP has published over seventeen titles in Trinidad & Tobago (1974-1994). These works included collections of poetry, a Health journal, posters, post cards, pamphlets, paper-backs on Anthropology and History plus a cultural magazine. These titles have been widely distributed in the Caribbean, Americas , Afrika and Europe.

In the spirit of renewal AP appointed CHRISTOPHER GREY , a young poet to head the imprint: AWARE Publications in 1984. This outfit independently published seven titles over a period of five years (1985-1993). Among these the most prominent was "BUSH RUM " : a sociological study of the impact of this locally brewed form of alcoholic. While other works were mainly collections of poetry and notably a handbook on the Acquired Indefiency Syndrome: "THE SCOURGE OF THIS MODERN AGE" - Christopher Grey.

However Grey did not confine himself to readings and book launchings but more so to active community work. This was his original vocation in a volunteer capacity. Scores of young people across Trinidad & Tobago benefited from his lectures and other group activities that were centred on Health Education. His Anti Drug campaign were successful enough to command the attention of several regional and international governments and organisations. As a result, our young editor is a recipient of several prestigious international community awards. He has lectured and performed his work across the Caribbean, USA and even Japan.

AP has been served by five editors and twenty plus writers. Collaborative efforts over the past two decades included the publication of the socio-geographic text- "ABOUT THE CARIBBEAN" for adults and young readers. AP was represented on the board of the Coventry ( UK ) based cultural collective : TAMARA Productions. This book is now in its' sixth edition and is widely distributed across the world since publication in the Caribbean, England, Germany and Sudan.

In fact our founder also extensively toured and worked with artistes and cultural groups across the Caribbean, Europe and Afrika. While other recent efforts include a publication of selected poetry: "MANIFESTATIONS" with the FACHSHAFT ANGLISTIK -the English Department of the University of Augsburg, Bavaria. RAKA Publications is proud to be associated with AFROETS PRESS INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHERS & BEMBE PRODUCTIONS . The publication in 1996 of "A JOB FOR THE HANGMAN " & " NUBIAN SAINTS OF CHRISTIANITY" among our other titles in the U.K. would not have be possible without such shared expertise and resources.

another tongue (published)

2006-07-06T18:14:00.000-07:00

A unique collection of selected translated poetry by this acclaimed Caribbean writer. Languages include: Dutch, Greek, Turkish, French, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Hungarian, Italian, German & Swedish.

Product Details

in the moment - published

2006-07-04T13:31:00.000-07:00

The long awaited collection of commissioned poetry as a Birmingham Poet Laureate is now available in hardback.

Selected commissioned poems from Birmingham's Poet Laureate (2001-2002), celebrating the diversity and culture of England's second city. Includes an appreciation of the epic poem-"location:RE". These works have received international acclaim establishing Roi Kwabena as a new vibrant voice of post colonial literature in Britain.

52 pages,
6.00" x 9.00",
jacket-hardcover binding,
black and white interior ink

TA MERI KA:EL (hardback Edition)

2006-05-21T15:32:00.000-07:00

TA MERI KA: EL

Volume ONE

AMEXEM, AZTLAN, TURTLE & TA-MERI-KA are among the many names given to Empires of MUURS or Mound Builders inhabiting North America in a period dated to: 10,000 B.C.E.(BEFORE CHRISTIAN ERA. First in a series providing vital evidence for the ongoing debate: "Who were the first Americans?".

Printed: 38 pages,
6.00" x 9.00",
jacket-hardcover binding,
black and white interior ink

Of Maps, Muurs Mounds & Mysteries

2006-05-08T07:34:00.000-07:00

hardback edition of DIALOGUE available

2006-05-08T03:34:00.000-07:00

DIALOGUE

First published in the Caribbean since 1995, Dialogue [then known as Profile 96] has acquired a dedicated readership of over twelve thousand readers across the planet. This journal specifically addresses issues relating to indigenous cultures and its impact on the post modern world.

By popular demand this is specially printed hardback Souvenir Edition.

dialogue

Winter 2005 Dec/ Spring 2006

Editor publisher: Roi Kwabena

Contributors:

Lennox Raphael, Roy Mc Farlane, Mishu Barua, Cathy Perry, Marlon de poet, Jasmine Johnson, Raphael Chikukwa, Dr. Tony Talbot, Dr. Phil Watson, Habte Wold, Rootswoman, features from Indigenous Bodies and other writers

Product Details

44 pages

8.25" x 10.75"

casewrap-hardcover binding

80# white interior paper

full-color interior ink

100# exterior paper

full-color exterior ink

poetry..music..drumology..training...workshops

2006-04-29T09:29:00.000-07:00

Experience the energy,
feel the excitement, be enthralled,
edified & inspired by
an internationally acclaimed
cultural activist

roi kwabena

Muse of Mysteries & maps

2006-04-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

MUSE OF MAPS, MUURS, MOUNDS & MYSTERIES

AMEXEM, AZTLAN, TURTLE & TA-MERI-KA are among the many names given to Empires of MUURS or Mound Builders inhabiting North America in a period dated to: 10,000 BCE (BEFORE CHRISTIAN ERA).

Many leading anthropologists, historians and other scientists have themselves been flabbergasted by recent pronouncements in various reputable circles about the existence of such empires.

Intriguing pre-historic verification of human activities from Alaska to near the tip of South America, suggest the New World may be at least 20,000 years older than first imagined. Near British Columbia's Queen Charlotte Islands archeologists on a routine dive found a small blade of dark basalt. Its sharp edge and flaked surface suggested it was no ordinary rock. It proved later to be made by people who lived on now sunken lands before the Ice Age. Some scientists are still unable to embrace this idea though they are in possession of vital evidence.

An excerpt from “TA-MERI-KA: EL” by ROI Ankhkara Kwabena

Published in DIALOGUE Journal :No.1 /Vol. 2
Available as PDF by request

Therapeutic value of sound

2006-04-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

Reaching Out Workshop:

Meditation: A Journey into Inner Silence

Led by acclaimed cultural anthropologist Dr Roi Kwabena

Saturday 29th April 2006

Friends Meeting House
594 High Road
Tottenham
London
N17 9TA

Music is silence and sound, dancing together in space. The heavens are music. The earth is music. Called into being, we listen....

Scientists and Healing practitioners and artists are well aware of the therapeutic value of sound suppoted by a peaceful ambience.

This workshop will explore various traditions, using the universally known "FIRST" telephone in a relaxed atmosphere, where healing techniques of tones and sound will be explored. Comfortably attired participants are asked to bring along a percussion instrument of their choice and experience this unique interactive session together.

Dr. Roi Ankhkara Kwabena was born in the Caribbean island of Trinidad. He is a cultural anthropologist who has worked with all age ranges in Europe, Africa, Latin-America and the Caribbean for over thirty years.

as long as

2006-03-03T03:15:00.000-08:00

available on AMAZON

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1411674103/102-5721197-7908106?n=283155

“as long as” commemorates the poet's thirty second anniversary and fiftieth birthday.

Since his first collection in 1974, Roi Kwabena has fascinated many with his stories, poetry, music, lectures and lively interactive sessions. Actively promoting Cultural Literacy as an integral part of life-long learning, his energetic performances are in demand for conferences, seminars and concerts. This inimitable approach to teaching history and literature development has influenced ongoing activities at numerous schools, community centres, museums, prisons, universities, libraries, elderly homes, and places of worship internationally.

“as long as” deliberately reinterprets memories of Caribbean life at the turn of optimistic sixties and turbulent seventies. This is apparent in "never forget", “skylarking”, “DJ Big man city”, “Never forget”, "Recess", "Advice" and "Guarding Botanic Gardens ".

Widely misunderstood socio-cultural values of the Caribbean are celebrated in this new poetry." lockjoint”, is as much a childhood experience and valid historic event. This writer consciously revisits seemingly titular events to reopen

“pitch darned trenches
that never healed”

and these abrasions manifest today, as seemingly insurmountable quandaries in his birth place. Unemployment and poverty remain great concerns in "touristy" despite the glossy travel paraphernalia. Basic Human Rights in the Caribbean are constantly under threat by a phenomenal increase of violent crime, supplemented by recent sensational reports of impropriety in the echelons of power in collusion with parasitic oligarchs.

This is a passionate plea for an end to what is painted as "provocation". It is a courageous attempt to

“…enable sight through the lies
an’ chase away the flies of broken promises”

Proposing to “write the wrongs” is idealistic, but an acrimonious “émigré mask”: supping /from the same/ cup of poison / for sanctuary” is a bizarre dilemma. As one noted literary critic suggested, not many versifiers have “seen how the political system works on the inside... and.. step away from that role to reclaim the license of the folk poet to s(t)ing those who in power who do to live up to their rhetoric.”

Readers are reminded that " will but forced " emancipation did not address the fundamental issues of equality and liberty. Capital punishment remains enshrined in several independent territories and politicians grapple with legislations for appropriate conduct of those assigned to keep order. While the witty " re-ah-just " implores elected custodians to "re-direct" fiscal expenditure from armoury and security to health social welfare and education. For "ah vacuum" and the "great divide" will persist, if community empowerment remains ignored by those entrusted to govern.

The poet confidently prescribes conflict resolution for a "piece of mind". "JULICA" is in response to recent Hurricanes which devastated many islands. The catastrophe that occurred in New Orleans does not escape this poet via “Big Ease Back” nor does the horrific bombings across London in “Last Thursday”.

As Long As is complimented with selected authorised translations into Greek, Swedish, Hungarian, Italian and Turkish.

"In the Moment", “Capital of Culture” “Holocaust Memorial” as commissioned works as Poet Laureate of Birmingham City, UK feature alongside other recent commissions : “ Enlightenment & Dissent” and “the dark”. While "So Sea Here" literally knits sound and text resulting in enthralling rhythmic responses on a variety of issues. There are other surprising gems that traverse dissimilar landscapes of Wales, Cambrian lake district, Bavaria and Sudan; “ laid out in buffet style, something for everyone” as suggested in the introduction.

“as long as” is Introduced by celebrated Danish based playwright Lennox Raphael and an after word by English Literature Lecturer Dr Eric Doumerc of the University of Toulouse-Le Mirail in France.

Readers are invited to celebrate the achievements of this exciting writer. Happy and incisive reading.

Carnival: persistent resistance and survival of cultural heritage

2006-02-25T23:07:00.000-08:00

Devil of the Molasses

JAB MOLASSIE

chattel slavery
CANNES BRULLES

CANE IS BURNING

CARNIVAL

As visitors and inhabitants of Trinidad & Tobago, Brasil, and even France celebrate "Farewell to flesh" and Carnival, we are prompted to remember celebrate the sterling efforts of our ancestors to keep the culture alive.

Elma Francois

1897-1944

Tubal Uriah "Buzz" Butler

1897-1977

Cyril Lionel Robert James

1901 - 1989

Claudia Jones

1915 - 1964

Professor Errol Hill

1921-2003

Aldwyn 'Lord Kitchener' Roberts
1922-2000

Andre Michael Tanker

1941-2003

May their efforts on the stage of Politics, Independence, Education. Nationalism, Liberation, Pan Africanism, Trade Unionism, Equality and Culture never be extinguished.

licks like fire

ole man kar geh taller

run or surrender

SANS HUMANITE

WE POUR LIBATIONS IN THEIR HONOUR

"Respect for the rights of others is peace.."

2006-02-10T04:18:00.000-08:00

CHAMPION OF CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING

BELOVED PIONEER LEADER OF MEXICO

ANCESTOR

Benito Pablo Juárez García

1806-1872

" Between individuals, as between nations,

the RESPECT for the rights of others leads to PEACE".

Belonging to the Zapotec nation, he was the only indigenous leader to ever serve as President of Mexico for two terms: 1861-1863 & 1867-1872.

"El respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz"

In light of the current discontent and controversies over religion and civilisation.Thus being aware of his efforts to promote cultural literacy, I will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of this Mexican leader Benito Juárez.

may the ancestors be pleased

carnival time again

2006-02-04T04:15:00.000-08:00

CANE IS BURNING

CANNES BRULLES

the culture of resistance to
SLAVERY
INDENTURESHIP &
COLONIALISATION

in Trinidad & Tobago
coined from ancient traditions
of the

DJED FESTIVAL

in KMT (Ancient Egypt)
===========

Dr Eric Doumerc on Roi Kwabena's poetry

" Roi's poetry addresses Caribbean, pan-Caribbean and global issues while remaining steeped in that tradition. All this appears in the interview I conducted with him and which is printed below. Most of the poems discussed in the interview appeared in Roi's Whether or Not (Raka Publications, 2000).
Roi Kwabena's Whether or Not is an important collection of poems by a writer who is really committed to the word in performance and to his place of birth. Roi's commitment to the oral tradition appears in the poem entitled "New Age Bois Warrior" with the powerful Chalkdust quote "to hell with de law, ah declaring war". In this poem, the "bois fighters" (stick fighters), "jammettes" and "obeah doctors" all come to life in a rich tapestry of sound. Poetry as sounded word defines Kwabena's art, as shown by the lines "ah go lead de argument / like dem debating group of barrack yard an' pon rose hill". The poet invokes the "heritage" of "bongo, calenda an' cannes brûlées", thus referring to the early history of the Trinidad carnival when the songs of defiance (the "calendas" or "kalindas") were sung by gang leaders before the proper stick fight began.

In the poem entitled "Cascadura", the heritage of "steel drums", "carnival parade" and "bottle Ôn spoon" brings to mind Carinival days and the joy of release.

Poems like "westindia", "geological wonder" and "Cascadura" are proof that the poet is still committed to the Caribbean and to his birth place, Trinidad. The poem entitled "westindia", with its telling lower case, testifies to the power of NAMING in Caribbean cultures as the poet re-names the islands which were given the names of Christian saints by European colonial powers like Spain. This poem is the occasion for Kwabena to reclaim the distant Amerindian past and heritage as his own :

—"look. . . ,
we reclaim
ataitij
xaymaca"

In this piece, the poet assumes a priest-like, a shaman-like function and reclaims his land and heritage:

"ayay
wadadli
liamaiga
aloi
yuluma
playground of julica
our rainbow"

The Amerindian place-names and other cultural/historical refrences are conveniently explained in a glossary at the back of the book, which shows that Kwabena is also an educator, a teacher.Roi Kwabena's poetry also shows his pan-Caribbean consciousness, as is shown by the poems "email" and "keep hope alive", about the eruption of the Soufrière volcano on Monserrat in 1995. The poet is thus fully aware of events taking place in the wider Caribbean (as is shown by the poem "Hang Man" with its lines about the state of prisons in "trinidad, barbados, jamaica or grenada"), but he also assesses the current situation in his native Trinidad in "whether or not". This poem contains the haunting refrain "we still thinkin' about yuh" and alludes to racial tension and the wave of crime which seems to have engulfed the island. These problems are also hinted at in "Cascadura" with its line about "muslim brothers guarding their border". Nevertheless, the poet remains optimistic and convinced that racial harmony and social peace will come eventually.

Lastly, the poet is also aware of North/South inequalities and contrasts. Indeed, the poems entitled "Forgive us our debts" and "Apparitions" are two moving pieces about the plight of the so-called Third World. The link between past exploitation and present poverty is painfully made explicit in these lines :

-"the genocide. . .
the chattel slavery. . . .
the indentureship. . . .
the religious conversion . . .
the plunder of our antiquities . . .
the economic deprivation. . . .
the scientific exclusion. . . .
could we expect
our debts to be forgiven
so that we may feed our people".

Thus, Roi Kwabena's poetry is thoroughly Caribbean and universal at the same time as it addresses concerns which are specific to the West Indies but also branches out into many other areas. Professor Stewart Borwn of the University of Birmingham, UK, wrote that for Roi Kwabena, the poem seems to be "an agent of dialogue" which is supposed to encourage his readers to "debate among themselves". Roi's poetry certainly achieves that aim, but it also makes readers aware of the beauty and power of the Caribbean oral tradition and of Caribbean/Trinidadian English.
---------------------

"It was the now deceased anthropologist Dr J.D. Elder who first made me aware of the originality of Kalenda (stick fighting), Bongo, Carnival & Kaiso. Further reading led me to the works of also deceased anthropologists Andrew Carr and Andrew Pearce, who were among the first to conduct vital field research on these traditions.
Our children need to be told of the efforts of those chanting stick-fighters, drummers (the drum is still banned by archaic European laws retained in the so-called colonies to this day), even those women whose heroic organising planted the seeds for the trade-union movements, tamboo-bamboo players whose inventiveness led to the steel pan (the greatest musical invention for the 21st Century), played all over the world yet to be included on my country's education curriculum), forgotten reformers who bled for a nationalism which is forsaken today.
From a musical point of view, our Kaiso has grown and gave birth to calypso, soca ragga, and chutney (the latter with the influence of Asians).
But sensible lyrics have been banished. Even double-entendre, humour and messages have disappeared, so that today only synthesisers, electronically programmed rhythms, gyrating waists and waving a sweat-soaked rag are in vogue (very much reminiscent of the old days when the French bourgeois waved their handkerchiefs in such like processions. So yes, these aspects of my culture do give me energy to continue writing....

. "
Roi Kwabena in response to a question from Dr Eric Doumerc

journal addresses cultural literacy

2006-01-17T03:22:00.000-08:00

First published in the Caribbean since 1995, Dialogue [then known as Profile 96] has acquired a dedicated readership of over twelve thousand readers across the planet.

This journal specifically addresses issues relating to indigenous cultures and its impact on the post modern world.

dialogue
Winter 2005 Dec/ Spring 2006 Bi Annual Issue

Editor-Publisher: Roi Kwabena

Contributors:

Lennox Raphael, Roy Mc Farlane, Mishu Barua, Cathy Perry, Marlon Kigonya, Jasmine Johnson, Julianna Varnai, Raphael Chikukwa, Dr. Tony Talbot, Dr. Phil Watson, Prof. Yusef Eradam, Habte Wold, Mariko Suzuki, Rootswoman, with features from Indigenous Bodies & other writers

Contents (selected)
• Muse of Maps Mounds, Muurs & Mysteries
• Two features on Rastafari beliefs & culture
• Discoveries in KUSH
• Marriage: the debate of Polygamy versus Monogamy
• Writers Without Borders
• Waiting for the Be(a)st
• Kush Debate
• Expectations of the African Union
• Rum Wars of the Caribbean
• Veteran Caribbean Pioneer: Henry Gunter
• Caribbean Original Island Names
• Who are Indigenous peoples?
• Seeing Ourselves- Art & Artists of Zimbabwe

Plus more
Stunning photography
Weblinks
Suggested reading
Featured Poets
New Books
Cover Stories

PDF copies available fromthe EDITOR

why complain

2006-01-12T16:42:00.000-08:00

WE ALL POSSESS THE TOOLS TO ADDRESS PROBLEMS THAT SEEM TO BESET US

WE ARE IN CONTROL OF OUR LIVES...

WE ARE ALL BLESSED WITH CREATIVE THOUGHT

LET US BE OPEN TO LEARNING WITHOUT PREJUDICE

LETS PURSUE CULTURAL LITERACY AS OUR SURVIVAL AS A SPECIES DEPENDS ON IT

ALL THAT WE SEEK, SEEKS US

LET US ALL EMBRACE CHALLENGES AS OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW

MAKE A HABIT TO LEARN OF ANOTHER IDEA, CONCEPT, ANOTHER VALUE EACH DAY

BUT MOST OF ALL...BE GRATEFUL

2006 be a time of CULTURAL LITERACY

2006-01-01T09:11:00.000-08:00

Can 2006 be year, that all responsible POWERS recognise the value of CULTURAL LITERACY in the pursuit of GLOBAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION, PROSPERITY, RECIPROCITY , HARMONY & JUSTICE.

Let channels of communication be kept open on ALL levels so we may all learn (from) to accept our diverse Traditions, Ideas, Concept,Values, Habits , Skills, Instruments, and Institutions.

We acknowledge the efforts of our predecessors....

PODCASTS due soon

2005-12-15T13:21:00.000-08:00

HR on the AIR

Readers all over the world are due for a special treat. Dialogue and music will be aired at intervals with Roi Kwabena as your host and moderator. I propose to cover topics as this blog relating to indigenous issues, Art and Culture.

The podcast will be called: HR ( Hermeneutic Ra=dio)

Listeners will be able to access these files as they will be presented on a weekly basis before being posted eventually twice a week , then daily.

So do feel free to bookmark this site and keep posted

For the information of readers be aware that my life's work seeks to promote CULTURAL LITERACY.

pour libations for our ancestors who strove so we can exist today

Creative writing & Cultural Literacy

2005-12-15T04:10:00.000-08:00

"UPWRITE" sessions are available for all age groups. Thousands of youngsters, adults and the elderly from around the world have participated in these workshops, despite their diverse cultural, national & religious origin or even varied terms of reference.

Many participants have been inspired to horn this craft as professionals or as a means for personal self expression and as subtle mechanism for confidence building.These sessions have enabled students at all educational levels to express themselves more effectively in their academic pursuits.

Many schools have solicited support, input and advice for projects whereby students can create a body of work for publication or for concerts, readings, Book & Poetry Day celebrations.

These sessions are formally recognised by various literary and social bodies as instrumental for the ample propagation of Functional & Cultural literacy. Many elders have been able to record their achievements and fulfilled secretly harboured intentions to record extraordinary life's experiences.

"UPWRITE" sessions have been hosted by various educational, health, community, social and cultural organisations in the Caribbean, Europe and Africa.

Workshop Themes

Introductory session: Responsibility of the Scribe
Poetry (writing & style, Recitation/Performance/history)
Prose: Comprehension & Composition
Playwriting
Short story writing
Fiction
Non-Fiction
History
Health
Gender, Race & Equalities
Dynamics of Research
Journalism (for print Media)
Biographies
How to get Published ?
Travel Writing
Writing Humour
Editing
Understanding Criticism
Reading and Understanding your readers

Further details available on request.

On functional versus cultural literacy - acquisition of dexterity

2005-12-11T07:42:00.000-08:00

" What do I mean by cultural literacy? Cultural literacy is a necessity and, though we hear more about functional literacy, the two are part and parcel of the same thing. Functional literacy is usually defined as being able to do the reading and writing required to live our daily lives in the societies in which we live. Functional literacy would not be legitimate without cultural literacy. Cultural literacy is about knowing and caring about different cultures....."

ROI KWABENA

responding during an interview with

Samantha Duncan for the

UK National Literacy Journal

REFLECT

Celebrating World Human Rights Day

2005-12-11T01:57:00.000-08:00

Kareem, Roi and Mostapaha

In commemoration of World Human Rights Day: 10th December 2005, Writers Without Borders presented : "Roi Kwabena in conversation with Afghani Poet Kareem Meesaq with musical support on the "tar" played by Iranian Musician Mostapaha Abbas Zadeh.

The event was a huge success as Kareem read from his new works in Farsi with translated renditions in English by Roi himself. An ambient atmosphere was excellently maintained by the skilful renditions of traditional songs by Mostapaha.

promoting cultural literacy

2005-12-04T09:54:00.000-08:00

Never allow appearances to colour your judgements

with delegates at recent reading

celebrating our predecessors

2005-11-25T06:48:00.000-08:00

"We have a responsibility to each other,

as the threads of our collective experience

cannot be unwoven nor detangled...

we share the same space , breathe the same oxygen

and will all eventually become ancestors..."

roi kwabena

in conversation with concerned elders

the drum exists in all cultures

2005-11-22T07:12:00.000-08:00

in-visible IKONS

2005-11-15T15:15:00.000-08:00

IN-VISIBLE IKONS
MULTI-MEDIA LECTURE

An exploration of Black and multi-heritage representation in historic art, literature, religion, science, architecture and the MEDIA. Following in the wake of acclaimed works as “About the Caribbean”, “Nubian Saints of Christianity” and “Kush Reclaimed”, it forms part of ongoing research conducted by this writer over a thirty year period in Afnka, Europe and the Caribbean.

Black socio-cultural values and scientific achievements were enthusiastically embraced before discovery of the New World. Blacks were at one time revered as emblematic of innocence and nobility. However, over time, Black representation mutated as a direct consequence of perceived variance in RE-LI(E)GION.

Monuments were demolished, statues disfigured, prized artefacts and textual evidence systematically destroyed in an attempt to erase truth. Some of what survives today is hidden in vaults of museums, private collections and libraries.

Speaker: Roi Ankhkara Kwabena

Venue: London UK

Date: Monday 21st November 2005

Bookings & Further details: ankhkara@lycos.co.uk

Being part of the wholeness-Workshop

2005-11-09T01:32:00.000-08:00

London- November 2005 (fully booked)

We live in extraordinary times and are all conceabout the present and future.

Each life experience become part of one’s memory. Every individual that one meets becomes a part of one’s self. Everything that we come into contact with (in this life), forms part of our memory. This is known as our collective living consciousness. This is represented in your brain as pictures, sounds, feelings, smell and taste.

We are one with the universe and there is no separation between us and existence. The separation that we experience is but a mechanism.

This workshop will assist participants to discover their link with all that they experience. Under guidance, one can effectively heal the experience of separation from the WHOLE.

This unique meditation workshop provides an opportunity to feel part of the whole. Come experience empathy as never before…to actually stand in the footwear of others.

AS LONG AS- my latest publication

2005-10-31T07:37:00.000-08:00

Readers be informed that my latest book is now available internationally.

AS LONG AS

Selected new poetry by Caribbean Poet and writer Dr Roi Kwabena. Introduced by Lennox Raphael and an Afterword by Dr Eric Doumerc. Includes selected translated poems in Hungarian, Swedish, Italian, Spanish, German, Turkish & Greek.

Happy and incisive reading.

Orders: http://www.lulu.com/roikwabena

UPWRITE!!! Creative Writing workshops

2005-10-12T23:53:00.000-07:00

We all have a story to share. We all need an outlet for creative expression. We are all endowed with an ability to share our side of the STORY.

"UPWRITE" sessions are available for all age groups. Thousands of youngsters, adults and the elderly from around the world have participated in these workshops, despite their diverse cultural, national & religious origin or even varied terms of reference.

Many participants have been inspired to horn this craft as professionals or as a means for personal self expression and as subtle mechanism for confidence building.These sessions have enabled students at all educational levels to express themselves more effectively in their academic pursuits. Many schools have solicited support, input and advice for projects whereby students can create a body of work for publication or for concerts, readings, Book & Poetry Day celebrations.

"UPWRITE"sessions have been hosted by various educational, health, community, social and cultural organisations in the Caribbean, Europe and Africa.

Workshop Themes

Introductory session: Responsibility of the Scribe
Poetry (writing & style, Recitation/Performance/history)
Prose: Comprehension & Composition
Playwriting
Short stories
Fiction
Non-Fiction
History
Health
Gender, Race & Equalities
Dynamics of Research
Journalism (for print Media)
Biographies
How to get Published ?
Travel Writing
Writing Humour
Editing
Understanding Criticism
Reading and Understanding your readers

Further details available on request.

Cultural Literacy Sessions

2005-09-30T04:12:00.000-07:00

CULTURAL AWARENESS SESSIONS

Workshop Themes:

About the Caribbean

Original Island Names

Indigenous Peoples & Cultures

Arrivants
Colonialism

Slavery & Resistance
Indentureship
Reformers, Nationalism & Republicanism

Carnival, Festivals & Folklore

Caribbean Literature

poetry/novels/plays

From Skin to Steel (Birth of the Steelpan)

tamboo bamboo, bottle & spoon, oil and buscuit pans, engine room irons

Drumology

Calypso, Reggae, Jazz-Karibik, Mento,

Ska, Orisha, Bele, Jab-Jab,
Salsa, Samba Parang, Soca,

Karifuna-Afrikan, Chutney, plus more

THE TRUE STORY A.K.A. Black History

Moors, St Maurice & the Elizabethan Age

Nubian Saints of Christianity

KUSH & Egypt which was first?

Nubian Glory : Our Heritage

Birmingham links to the Caribbean

IN-Visible IKONS

Commissioned IN-HOUSE TRAINING

Gender, RACE & EQUALITIES
The MYTH of RACE
ANTI-RACISM

Our World & Environment

New World Map (in support of Peter's Projections)

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Further info availalble via fax or email

+44 (0)871 239 9020

ankhkara@lycos.co.uk

BLACK HISTORY IS A MYTH !

2005-09-30T03:35:00.000-07:00

another world view:
It is with great pleasure that I reproduce hereby, the first in a series of articles for BHM2005 that argues my point- i.e. that the true STORY/ (not HIS-STORY) has no COLOUR>

The emphasis should be promoting Black and Indigenous peoples as significant role players in WORLD HISTORY deserving to be included in order to redress the balance. We should avoid the pitfalls of commemorating the efforts of our predecessors for only in three weeks (as is the case in USA) or as in UK (for approximately eight weeks=October /November).

Lets celebrate everyday the achievements of ancestors everywhere- especially the INDIGENOUS populations, who to this day remain marginalised and almost forgotten for their great gifts to HUMANITY.

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SMELLING & TASTING BLACK HISTORY

Dr Roi Ankhkara Kwabena
cultural anthroplogist & poet

It is October/November again and autumn is here. As the leaves change colour and fall, we are offered new opportunities. We can reflect on the previous months as the year draws to a close but we can also join in the celebrations of Black History Month.

Ever so often I am quizzed as to the relevance of BHM on the national and local calendar. Why should all celebrate Black History? First allow me to caution that history has no colour. To suggest thus, would be make us guilty of isolating communities. This is the very action to be avoided, if we are to achieve any level of harmony, equality and unity. Nevertheless Black peoples have contributed enormously to the world as we know it today.

We could imagine World History as a carpet into which are woven all colours of the spectrum. We have to ensure that there is no bias, by including the (once conspicuously excluded) red, brown, black and blue threads of the past.

Let us use our senses as the starting point. Food is consumed by all, unless we are restricted through health concerns. Today our taste buds are no longer challenged, as we take for granted wide choices of available cuisine in our neigbourhood.What would life be like in the *"Black Country" without the wide range of exotic fruits and vegetables that delightfully grace the shelves of the cornershop and supermarkets.

Would we easily surrender our coffee and tea mornings, our chocolate binges, Curry houses, Chinese take-aways, Caribbean , Afrikan or Latin American Restaurants as part of our English diet? I think not!

People have always traveled. We are fortunate in the Black country to have contributed over centuries to not only world trade (during and after the Industrial Revolutuion) but also migration of many locals to other cultures abroad.N.E.W.S. (North East, West & South)

Many of our predecessors were involved in the socio-cultural shift in discovery that encompassed the entire planet as Britain achieved status as a dominant sea-faring empire. Familiar surnames like Dudley, Stubbs, Archers, Downes, Thompson, Evans, Cook, Dyer, Morris, Miller, Butcher, Carpenter, Davidson, Edwards, Griffiths, Carter, Jackson, Mason, Morgan, Brown, Williams plus others have been transplanted on all sides of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. BHM is an opportunity to celebrate the rich cultural landscape that is the Black Country today.

October/November be the season to remember heroes and heroines who unselfishly served gallantly in both World Wars; those who came to help reconstruct from the wanton damage after those bloody conflicts; those who lived as our neigbours for generations/decades sharing with us their sorrows and joys (for example Birthdays, Anniversaries, weddings Parties, Carnivals, Funerals, financial windfalls etc) or even those who only recently arrived seeking "Sanctuary" from terror in their homelands.

BHM is the month to celebrate achievements in sports, culture, sciences, education, religion and politics. Genuine commemoration can also be tasting, smelling new foods, attending BHM events, visits to local libraries, elderly homes, museums; learning another language or another skill. Better still, by simply acknowledging that special person that serves you regardless of any honourary recognition.

Taste and smell October/November 2004 Black History Month.

* Black Country affectionate name of the Industrial Midlands of England

Article reproduced from the now defunct SANDPAPER- arts magazine Published 2004

TRADITIONAL STORY-TELLING

2005-09-30T02:47:00.000-07:00

Performances & Workshops: Art of Telling Tales

Since 1974, Roi Kwabena provided magic and wonder to the lives of thousands across the globe through the ancient craft of storytelling. He has participated in storytelling activities at Nurseries, Play Groups, Libraries, Theatres, Schools, Universities, Homes for the Elderly, Festivals, Rallies, Seminars, etc., in the Caribbean, Europe and Africa.

Many young people have also benefited from the cultural workshops he specifically conducted on the request of several local government bodies in the UK. Critical support and acclaim for his work has also come from various accredited agencies with independent evaluations.

literacy champion/supporter of libraries

A prominent contributor to the International Poetry Day and National Year of Reading commemorations across the UK, his efforts as a Literacy champion and cultural activist are renowned. He has appeared at the Libraries of Birmingham, Stoke On Trent, Bangor (Wales), Manchester, Coventry, Hounslow, Sandwell, Dudley, Wolverhampton, Burton on Trent, Hull, Staffordshire, , Rugby, Warwickshire, Bedford, Walsall & Nottinghamshire in the U.K., Trinidad & Tobago, Antigua, Anguilla-B.W.I., Munich, Frankfurt & Augsburg- Germany, and Phillipsburg in St Maarten N.A.

In recognition of the UN's Declaration of 1990 as the Year of Literacy, Roi Kwabena was appointed "Writer in Residence" of the Trinidad Public Library and served as a Senior Advisor to the Department of Education in Anguilla, B.W.I. Roi was appointed a senator in the republic of Trinidad & Tobago in 1992. He has numerous publications to his credit, and was Poet Laureate for Birmingham City in UK for 2001-2002.

acclaimed raconteur

His work has been commissioned for major conferences and also as therapy (for example in the pursuit of Memory Harvesting for the elderly;facilating cross generation communication; the rehabilitation of young offenders plus sessions in prisons for adult inmates.)

Practical workshops on the art of story-telling, with demonstrations and of course performances .

Performance

A repertoire of over three hundred tales, including favourites as

Anansi tales
Who is Queen of the jungle ?
Never trouble, trouble
Water more than flour
Ole man kar get taller
Rat & Mongoose
Lizard & Mice
Why a donkey brays
How snake lost his legs

raving reviews

HARVESTING OF MEMORIES

2005-09-30T02:20:00.000-07:00

CREATIVE EXPRESSION (ORAL & WRITING) WORKSHOPS

"....harnessing the energy of self expression"

The ancient craft of writing for effective communication can be developed for professional, therapeutic, entertainment, and other purposes.

These sessions focus on the harvesting of memories through the written and spoken word, as there is no conflict between these modes of expressions. Catering for all ages, who are assured a rewarding and awe inspiring experience.

These sessions provide participants with an opportunity to share their memories with plus listen to memories of peers.

By Popular Demand

2005-09-30T01:22:00.000-07:00

Warm Greetings Visitors
After serious consideration, I have been motivated to start this new site in response to a growing demand by readers to learn more about my Workshops on Cultural Literacy. It will consitute interviews, reports, event listings, project descriptions, publications and reviews.

Readers are also invited to comment.

Much thanks again to all my support across the planet terra.

CULTURAL LITERACY

may the ancestors be pleased!

Whether or NOT

An excerpt from the Introduction

Roi Kwabena's Whether Or Not

Dr. Lauri Ramey, Department of English,

California State University, Los Angeles

in memory of ancestor andre tanker

images celebrating heritage & efforts

appreciating my indigenous heritage

Legacies to be cherished....

WORD POWER

SMELLING & TASTING BLACK HISTORY

Black Achievers

ancient craft of storytelling

BEMBE Productions a division of AFROETS PRESS

Zeitgeist - The Movie: Religion (Part 1 of 3)

Hon. Minister Of Culture Gilberto Gil circa. 1979

Out of the Mouth of Babes

Book signing

dialogue blazes the trail

validation of KUSH

celebrating sanctuary

title now available in most bookshops in UK

Product Details:

god doll BADD doll

nana Connie mark crosses over

Drumology to soothe the tension

Indian Arrival Day- Caribbean

As Olaudah Equiano

Ancestor Olaudah Equiano

Born: 1745

Crossed over : 1797

Africa Calling - Rapper - Sudan

In the absence of CULTURAL LITERACY

Garifuna experience

Garifuna dinner lecture

Garifuna Lecture & Dinner

CARIBARAMA Restaurantcelebrating the Bi-Centenary Anniversary of Garifuna Peoples BANISHED TO Central AmericaCARIBBEAN DINNER & LECTUREwith Multi-Media exhibition & MusicSpeaker: Dr Andoni Castillo

the slaver Zong on the Thames

Launch of DIALOGUE Journal &Dinner

lecture Dinner @caribarama

an undauntable spirit

BET Lead Story: Aetna Inc. Slave Insurance Exposed

Celebrating those who really abolished Chattel Slavery

Mursi Nomads, Ethiopia

Junkanoo(roots)2007

Wanaragua

Indigenous People Dancing

Nubian Music from Sudan - 2

Nouba Song - Ondy

dialogue journal for cultural literacy

Beja Children

Alsarah - A Sudanese Artist

Alsarah - A Sudanese Artist

Mokashfiya zikir

Generations of all genders suffered from chattel slavery

Five poets launch

IN-VISIBLE IKONS goes to wales

Five Birmingham Poets

Black History Month 2006

Exclusive interview with founder of AFRIKA SPEAKS

message of goodwill

cultural literacy:connecting histories

in-VISIBLE IKONS

promoting cultural literacy

dialogue e-group dedicated to cultural literacy

love is the answer

dialogue paperback available

Celebrating 32 Years of advocacy

another tongue (published)

in the moment - published

TA MERI KA:EL (hardback Edition)

Of Maps, Muurs Mounds & Mysteries

hardback edition of DIALOGUE available

poetry..music..drumology..training...workshops

Muse of Mysteries & maps

Therapeutic value of sound

as long as

Carnival: persistent resistance and survival of cultural heritage

CARIBARAMA Restaurant
celebrating the Bi-Centenary Anniversary
of Garifuna Peoples BANISHED TO Central America

CARIBBEAN DINNER & LECTURE
with Multi-Media exhibition & Music

Speaker: Dr Andoni Castillo