| LKJ Interview in New Statesman | ||
|
||
|
1. Does art make a difference? The faculty of the creative imagination is a defining characteristic of what it means to be human. Art provides us with mirrors through which we can see ourselves, not only as we are, but also offers us vision of how we could be. Art not only reflects reality, it allows us to transcend and transform reality. We socialise through art in pursuit of leisure and pleasure and art can provide us with fleeting and occasionally enduring insights into the human condition. Art is also an active agent in our psychological equilibrium as a means of personal and social catharsis. And art is a crucial factor in the formation of identities. Art as commodity provides people with jobs. Art is central to our spiritual well-being too. So, yes, art does make a difference. 2. Should politics and art mix? ‘A political art/ let it be tenderness’ wrote the American poet Amiri Baraka. All art is class art in the sense that different classes create different kinds of art. So people distinguish between ‘high’ culture and popular culture – this has resulted in aesthetics that are elitist and exclusionist. The notion of ‘art for art’s sake’ could have come from the leisured aristocratic class with all the time in the world to ponder the meaning of meaning. Politics and art have been mixing since ancient times. People have long given artistic expression to their struggle against oppression and injustice. Revolutionary movements for change have been complemented by cultural movements. This is particularly true of anti-colonial struggles. Art has often been the only means available to ordinary people to voice their suffering, hopes and aspirations and their vision of change. Art as crude propaganda is often bad art. However, that did not prevent Blake or Shelley or Bob Marley or Dylan from producing good or great works of art that are political. 3. Is your work for the many or for the few? I suspect that many poets would answer ‘Myself’, if you asked them who they wrote for. That would only be partially true for me. Yes, I write for myself insofar as I am trying to make sense of and give voice to my experience. But my experience is a shared one both socially and historically. So I begin with the particularity of my personal experience in the hope that it can reach as far and wide as possible. Just because I’ve written about the black experience in Britain doesn’t mean that other people from elsewhere cannot find empathy with that experience. 4. If you were world leader, what would be your first law? I find the idea of a world leader frightening because it would presuppose an authoritarian world beyond Orwellian dimensions. Playing God was never one of my ambitions. However, if I did have the power, the first thing I would do is to change the terms of trade between the developed nations and the undeveloped ones, whose natural resources and labour power provides the basis for the ascendancy of the former and the poverty of the latter. 5. Who would be your top advisers? I don’t know – maybe my mother! 6. What, if anything, would you censor? Lies and disinformation in the media. 7. If you had to banish one public figure, who would it be? I don’t think that I would want to banish anyone. In any event, is banishment a real punishment in this globalised world of new technologies? Having said that, I do find sanctimonious, hypocritical, patronising bigots who hide behind a façade of left of centre liberalism very annoying. 8. What are the rules that you live by? I live by simple rules I learned as a child from my parents and my grandmother. My grandmother never tired of telling me that good manners got you through life. From the way my parents and grandparents conducted themselves given their material circumstances, I learned that one could still have dignity in poverty, be kind, considerate, compassionate and respectful and live good with your neighbours. I learned about solidarity as a strategy for survival. From my mother I learned tolerance, that you have to accept people for who they are. 9. Do you love your country? I do not consider myself a scoundrel so I won’t hoist the Union Jack. However, I’ve come to terms with my Britishness – sort of anyway. I belong to a generation of Caribbean migrants who have been shaped by this country but are still emotionally tied to the land of their birth. Having travelled widely I can say that I’d rather be a citizen of the UK than most countries in the world. And yet the sense of unbelonging that I felt growing up here is sadly all too pervasive in the black and Asian youths of today. 10. Are we all doomed? Towards the end of the twentieth century, in his 80th birthday lectures, CLR James posed the question of the choice facing humanity: socialism or barbarism. He had lived through two world wars, social upheaval and revolution. He never lost sight of his vision of socialist transformation in spite of defeats and setbacks. For the late John La Rose, a comrade of James, self-activity and hope is what sustains the ‘dream to change the world’. Full interview given by Linton Kwesi Johnson for the New Statesman magazine, edited version published 12 March 2008 |
||
| LKJ Plays Landmark Gig in London | ||
|
||
| As part of the Barbican's Jamaican heritage seasion, Linton Kwesi Johnson and the Dennis Bovell Dub Band are delighted to be playing a one-off gig in London. As this year marks the 30th anniversary since LKJ's groundbreaking album 'Dread Beat an Blood' was released, it is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the acclaimed reggae poet's years of achievement. Veteran reggae crooner Winston Francis and renowned post Jean 'Binta' Breeze will also join the Dub Band on stage at the Barbican for an evening of guaranteed enjoyment and thought-provoking poetry. For more information or to book tickets check out the Barbican website at www.barbican.org.uk | ||
| LKJ Takes Part in London Literature Festival | ||
|
||
| On Thursday 5 July 2007 Linton Kwesi Johnson and his specially invited guests will be reading at the South Bank Centre in London. The Queen Elizabeth Hall will be the venue for a unique gathering of poets from all corners of the globe, who represent the wonderful and varied musicality of poetry. Whether the reggae poetry of Linton Kwesi Johnson, the jazz of Amiri and Amina Baraka (USA), the blues of Jayne Cortez (USA), the Caribbean rhythms of Kendel Hippolyte (St Lucia) or the rap style of Lesego Rampolokeng (South Africa), all the poets also tackle the thorny subject of social injustice and inequality in its multitude of forms. It promises to be an evening of the best contemporary poetry that will challenge and energise the audience. For further information see www.southbankcentre.co.uk | ||
| Linton Kwesi Johnson in Ghana | ||
|
||
|
Linton Kwesi Johnson was proud to be part of ‘Reflecting the Past, Celebrating the Future' which took place at Elmina’s Castle in Ghana on 25 March 2007. The event, which reflected on the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery Act and also celebrated 50 years of Ghanaian independence, included performers such as the London Community Gospel Choir and South African great Hugh Masekela. LKJ gave the following introduction to his poetry performance: 'I am a Jamaican who grew up in Britain and therefore belong to the African diaspora in the Caribbean that has been re-diasporised in Europe. 'Ever since I was a young man, when I began to embrace my African ancestry, I’ve had a strong affinity to Ghana. Notwithstanding the fact that I was born on a Sunday, it is no coincidence that I adopted the name Kwesi. 'I come to ‘this place’ with the knowledge that William Wilberforce and the Anti-Slavery movement in Britain played a significant role in the abolition of the slave trade. I come here knowing that the numerous slave rebellions and in particular the revolt in Haiti in 1791, which saw the defeat of the armies of Britain and France and the establishment of the first black republic in 1804, was decisive in bringing about the end of the slave trade and slavery. 'I come to this place knowing that the 1807 Abolition Act was the result of a convergence of the exigency of political economy and moral imperative. In the characteristically undiplomatic words of Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, "It was black resistance and economic development that destroyed slavery, not white philanthropy." 'So today I not only remember Wilberforce and Clarkson, I also remember Nanny of the Maroons, Sam Sharpe, Toussaint L’Ouverture and the other black heroes and heroines of the fight against slavery and, as we celebrate Ghana’s 50th year of independence, I remember Marcus Mosiah Garvey’s clarion call "rise up, ye mighty race" inaugurating the struggle for black self-determination. 'I come here knowing that CLR James and George Padmore, two great West Indian revolutionaries, played a significant part in the fifth Pan-African Congress held in Manchester in 1945 that set in motion the decolonisation of Africa, with Ghana as the trailblazer. 'I come to this place knowing that Kwame Nkrumah’s vision of a united Africa is the only way forward for Africa in a globalised world. 'I come to Elmina Castle knowing that the legacy of slavery continues to blight black life in the Atlantic world and that we have a long long way to go in the struggle for racial equality and social justice. 'I am going to recite two poems which speak to the historical reality of the African diaspora. The first was written by the late elder statesman of black Britain, John La Rose, political and cultural activist, publisher and poet and founder of the George Padmore Institute in London. It is called "Prose-Poem for a Conference". The second is an elegy I wrote for my father who died in Jamaica in 1982 aged 56 after losing both his legs to diabetes. It is called "Reggae fi Dada".' Linton Kwesi Johnson read to a very receptive and appreciative audience at Elmina's Castle, and was moved to be in Ghana for the first time. |
||
| A Musical Tribute for John La Rose | ||
|
||
|
On Sunday 4 March a list of musical heavyweights are coming together in London to celebrate the late John La Rose, who died in February 2006. The concert, to be held at the Camden Centre opposite Kings Cross, will be an evening of tribute for the pioneering La Rose, who was a social, political and cultural activist in Britain for over 40 years and who inspired generations. On stage on 4 March will be legendary names from the worlds of jazz, reggae, poetry, classical music and calypso. Headline act is the world renowned Linton Kwesi Johnson and the Dennis Bovell Dub Band, performing a rare gig in their home town. Randy Weston, the internationally acclaimed jazz pianist and composer, will be flying in from New York and will perform alongside the innovative saxophonist TK Blue. There will also be the treat of seeing two of the foremost female poets in action: jazz poet Jayne Cortez (with Denardo Coleman as accompaniment) and reggae poet Jean 'Binta' Breeze. Shirley Thompson, award-winning composer whose work has recently been performed in New York, has written a classical piece especially for the concert. Other performers at the show include reggae crooner Winston Francis, celebrated pan players from the Pamberi Pan Players from Trinidad, accomplished composer Deirdre Pascall, innovative flautist Keith Waithe and rising star of hip hop Faro. It promises to be a wonderful evening of music in memory of a wonderful man. For tickets and further information please call New Beacon Books tel. 020 7272 4889. |
||
| Celebrating John La Rose and New Beacon Books | ||
|
||
| On Saturday 3 February 2007 the South Bank Centre will be hosting a day of events to celebrate the life of John La Rose and the 40th anniversary of publishing house and bookshop New Beacon Books. John La Rose, who died in February 2006, was originally from Trinidad but came to London in the early 1960s. His life was one of fighting for racial equality and social justice, both through the various political organisations he was involved with, and through cultural work. In Trinidad John was part of the struggle for independence from Britain, and when he came to the UK he founded or was at the forefront of radical and movements for change and equality, from the Black Parents Movement to the New Cross Massacre Action Committee. He also contributed to Britain's move towards being a more culturally diverse society, being one of the co-founders of the Caribbean Artists Movement in 1966 and of the International Book Fair of Radical Black and Third World Books from 1982 on among other things. New Beacon Books, Britain's first black publishers and bookshop, was started by John and Sarah White in 1966, and has inspired generations of writers and readers in the UK and beyond. On Saturday 3 February join a sparkling array of people to celebrate the man and the publishers which brought colour to Britain's literary life, and made this society a more humane and human place. Kamau Brathwaite, legendary poet, kicks off with a reading of his seminal work Rights of Passage. There will then be a film screening of Dream to Change the World, the lively film made by renowned director Horace Ove. The evening's celebrations will include Linton Kwesi Johnson, Caryl Phillips and Ngugi wa Thiong'o among others paying tribute. | ||
| LKJ Book Published in USA | ||
|
||
| For the first time in his career, Linton Kwesi Johnson's poetry has been published in the USA. The small independent publisher, Ausable Press, known for their cutting edge poetry collections, have just released 'Mi Revalueshanary Fren: Selected Poems' by Linton Kwesi Johnson in America. The publication is garnering widespread interest in a country that knows LKJ better for his gigs with the Dennnis Bovell Dub Band than for his a cappella poetry readings. To redress that balance, Linton Kwesi Johnson is currently on a short visit to the USA and Mexico giving solo poetry readings and publicising the book. He will be visiting New Mexico, California, New York, Princeton and Wisconsin as well as Mexico City in Mexico. See our events pages for more information. | ||
| John La Rose Dies | ||
|
||
|
John La Rose, founder of New Beacon Books, co-founder of the Caribbean Artists Movement and of the International Book Fair of Radical Black and Third World Books, died on 28 February 2006 at the Whittington Hospital in London. Since the 1950s John had been at the forefront of a number of grassroots political and cultural organisations striving for racial equality and social justice. Originally from Trinidad but living in London for over 40 years, John was also a poet, essayist and filmmaker. His brilliant intellect, keen sense of humour and geniality touched everyone who met him, and he inspired and encouraged people from all walks of life, from all over the world. In recent years, John had retired due to heart trouble, but he still took an active role as Chairman of the George Padmore Institute, introducing many of the events held there. Sadly John died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 78.
The funeral of John La Rose was held in North London on Monday 13 March. There were some 1000 mourners at the church. The service included tributes and readings from people who had flown in from all over the world to pay their respects to John. It was a beautiful tribute to the man who had dreamed to change the world. The La Rose family and the Trustees of the George Padmore Institute thank everyone who has sent in words of support and who attended the funeral. John La Rose will be greatly missed by all of us. |
||
| Linton Kwesi Johnson wins Jamaican Award | ||
|
||
| Reggae poet Linton Kwesi Johnson was surprised and pleased to learn that he has been awarded a silver Musgrave medal by the Insitute of Jamaica for 'distinguished eminence in the field of poetry'. The award is the first honour LKJ has received from the land of his birth. Johnson maintains close links to the island: his most recent visit there was in May 2005 to read poetry at the Calabash Literary Festival. He now joins an eminent list of Musgrave medallists, including international broadcaster Dermot Hussey, award-winning poet and literary critic Meryvn Morris and acclaimed poet Lorna Goodison. | ||
| Jean Binta Breeze poem banned | ||
|
||
| On 13 June 2005 Linton Kwesi Johnson took part in a charity event for Human Rights Watch. He was, however, concerned to learn that his sister poet, Jean Binta Breeze, had been told by the organisation that she could not read the poem she had chosen. This led to Breeze pulling out of the show. LKJ had no hesitation in informing the audience on 13 June that Jean's poem ISAIAH had effectively been censored by Human Rights Watch. As he subsequently stated in a letter to the press: 'I've read the poem. It is a very powerful poem. Jean Binta Breeze uses the persona of a Rasta man and the prophetic language of the Old Testament to castigate the state of Israel for its treatment of the Palestinian people... Human Rights Watch has an impeccable record for defending human rights. It is, therefore, deeply worrying when an organisation with such a reputation finds it necessary to resort to censorship of poetry for fear of alienating their Jewish supporters and benefactors.' Since he wrote this letter both Johnson and Breeze have received support from around the world, including from people such as renowned African American poet Amiri Baraka, acclaimed Swiss musician Fizze and others. As British writer Anne Walmsley states, for Human Rights Watch to take this stand means the organisation 'thus deny the very freedoms which it claims to defend.' Here is part of Breeze's poem: 'ISAIAH/ de nyaman/ chanting fire troo de lan/ talk like thunder touch im han/ breathe brimstone pon Babylon/ Israel, yuh forget God plan/ no more burning dove or ram/ no more sacrifice of lamb/ no more fasting, no more prayer/ God is deaf to your desire. For more information on Breeze or the poem please see the website www.57productions.com | ||
| LKJ Gives US Readings | ||
|
||
| Linton Kwesi Johnson recently completed a two week trip to the United States. He had been invited to take part in BLACK ARCHIPELAGO, a three-day conference on writing and performance from the African Diaspora, which was held at Georgetown University. LKJ gave a poetry reading there and also took part in a symposium with other writers including Derek Walcott and Merle Collins. Both were well attended. In Los Angeles, Linton Kwesi Johnson was honoured to give the annual Jean Burden Poetry Reading at California State University, where he found an enthusiastic audience of students and the wider public. | ||
| Jamaican Calabash Festival imminent | ||
|
||
| The annual Calabash Literary festival, held at Jakes at Treasure Beach on the south coast of Jamaica, has a great line-up this year. Running from 27-29 May, the festival has an eclectic mix of writers, film and music. Linton Kwesi Johnson will be reading alongside cutting edge African-American poet Amiri Baraka on 27 May, while some of the other events include readings by Russell Banks, Andrea Levy and Meena Alexander, oudoor film showings and beach parties. It promises to be an unforgettable weekend. | ||
| LKJ gives Professorial Lecture | ||
|
||
| In late 2004 Linton Kwesi Johnson was delighted to become an Honorary Visiting Professor of the Creative Writing department at Middlesex University in London. Last night he gave his inaugural Professorial lecture to an invited audience, speaking on the late Jamaican poet Michael Smith. MICHAEL SMITH - PEOPLE'S POET examined the impact Mikey had begun to make on the international poetry scene before his brutal murder in 1983. The audience listened keenly to recordings of Mikey reciting his verse both with and without music, and also gained an insight into the genre of dub poetry. The lecture was well received, and Linton was pleased that he had had an opportunity to introduce Smith's work to a new generation of scholars. | ||
| LKJ DVD Released Worldwide | ||
|
||
| LKJ Records are delighted to announce that Linton Kwesi Johnson's first ever DVD, LKJ Live In Paris With The Dennis Bovell Dub Band, will be released worldwide by Wrasse Records. The DVD, along with the accompanying CD, will come out in South Afria and Japan on 29 November 2004, followed one day later by release in the USA. The DVD and CD will also be issued in parts of Europe including Germany and Italy. As well as the live concert, the DVD also includes an interview and some a cappella poems from the acclaimed poet. It was released in France and the UK this July to celebrate Linton Kwesi Johnson's 25th anniversary as a reggae recording artist. | ||
| Out Now - LKJ Live in Paris | ||
|
||
| On 15 July 2004 LKJ Records were delighted to launch the first ever DVD of a Linton Kwesi Johnson concert. LKJ Live in Paris with the Dennis Bovell Dub Band was recorded at the Zenith in Paris in front of a sell-out crowd in 2003, and it celebrates Linton Kwesi Johnson's 25 years as a reggae recording artist. As well as the show, the DVD includes an interview with Johnson, some a cappella poetry and a photo gallery from the concert. LKJ Records have also released the CD of the concert as LKJ Live in Paris (LKJ CD 022) and both the CD and the DVD are available to purchase at the LKJ Records online store. Linton Kwesi Johnson said 'In 1978 my first album Dread Beat An Blood was released. I was amazed by the enthusiastic welcome it received from the British music press... I never dreamed that, 25 years later, I would have been able to sustain a career and enjoy so much success as a reggae artist and poet on the international stage. To all those who have contributed in one way or another to my achievements, I say thanks for enabling me to celebrate 25 years in reggae.' | ||
| David Bowie Selects LKJ | ||
|
||
| In the November 2003 US edition of Vanity Fair, David Bowie has made a selection of 25 albums that he would dearly love to get on CD. Out of his collection of some 2500 vinyl LPs, Bowie has selected his greatest discoveries. His choice includes The Last Poets, John Lee Hooker, and also FORCES OF VICTORY by Linton Kwesi Johnson. Bowie says of the album: 'A Carib-Brit contribution to the history of rap. This man writes some of the most moving poetry to be found in popular music. The quite achingly sad SONNY'S LETTAH (ANTI-SUS POEM) is alone worth the price of admission. Although not sung but spoken word set against a superb band, this must be one of the most important reggae records of all time. I gave my original copy just recently to Mos Def, in whom I see connections to Johnson, thinking I had already got it on CD. Dammit, I haven't. So now I'm searching high and low for a copy.' | ||
| LKJ Honoured by College | ||
|
||
| Reggae poet and recording artist Linton Kwesi Johnson was proud to be honoured recently by his alma mater, Goldsmiths College. The College, part of the University of London, bestowed an Honorary Fellowship on the pioneering poet at their graduation ceremony on 4 September 2003. This distinction is given only sparingly and according to strict criteria which recognise the contribtion made by former students to the College and to the wider outside world. Fittingly, it was also the day when students from Johnson's former department of Sociology graduated. Professor Jon Thompson, who has had a prolific career in the visual arts as an artist, curator, critic and teacher, was made an Honorary Fellow at the same time. The two now join an illustrious group of Honorary Fellows of Goldsmiths College which includes Sir Michael Caine and Mary Quant among others. | ||
| Breeze receives NESTA award | ||
|
||
| Unique poet, writer, performer and actress Jean Binta Breeze will research her first novel thanks to a Fellowship award from NESTA, the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, the organisation which invests in UK creativity and innovation. The award of £53650 will allow the poet to undertake two years of uninterrupted research and writing to produce her first work of fiction, which will trace five generations of women's voices through the evolving history and music of Breeze's native Jamaica. | ||
| Jamaica Uncovered | ||
|
||
| The Guardian published an insightful piece by Linton Kwesi Johnson on the new film by Stephanie Black, Life And Debt, in The Guardian on 28 February 2003. Life And Debt is a thoughtful documentary revealing how rich countries and the IMF keep the Third World poor, and the film focuses on exposing the Jamaica that we rarely see. Johnson explains the history of IMF intervention in Jamaica and how it has failed the country. LKJ says: 'Black's film is incisive in its examination of how IMF and World Bank policies, determined by the G7 countries, led by the US, impact on poor developing countries.... [It] graphically illustrates how those policies have impacted on workers, small businesses, farmers and Jamaican society in general.... We see the Jamaica that the tourist rarely encounters: slum dwellers watch themselves on news footage of riots, political violence and industrial unrest... Footage of the slums of Kingston is underscored by reggae and ragga music and dub poetry, lyrical meditations on the state of the nation... Life And Debt is a very powerful weapon in the arsenal of the global movement for a more equitable economic order.' | ||
| LKJ Desert Island Discs a hit! | ||
|
||
| In December Linton Kwesi Johnson was the guest on the ever-popular Desert Island Discs, presented by Sue Lawley on BBC Radio 4. He proved an interesting choice, both in terms of the records he chose - artists ranging from Otis Redding to Monk to Vivaldi - and in conversation. Johnson delighted listeners with excerpts from his poetry, accounts of his childhood in Jamaica and the everyday problems of racism he faced when he came to England in the 1960s. Since the show we have had so many positive comments, it's great to know that you all enjoyed it! If you want to read more about Linton and our other artists, send us your email address and we'll email you a full newsletter. | ||
| Mr Fix It sung by UB40 | ||
|
||
| UB40 have just released a new DVD which includes their version of the Winston Francis hit, Mr Fix It. It is a nice tribute for the veteran singer who is always in demand. Last year saw Winston perform with the Heroes Of Kingston in London and with The Chosen Few across the UK. He also sang at the Star Time event in Jamaica. He's busy working on a new album to be released in March 2003 and is hoping to work with Dennis Bovell later this year. For more information about Winston and our artists, email us and we'll email you a full newsletter. | ||
| Jean Binta Breeze Wins Award | ||
|
||
| In the autumn of 2002, Jean Binta Breeze was presented with a special award for her contribution to literature from the European Federation of Black Women Business Owners. If you want to read more about Jean and all our other artists, send us your email address and we'll email you the full Newsletter. | ||
| New LKJ Records Website Goes Live | ||
|
||
| We hope you like the new look of our website. The navigation is much improved and the content has been expanded, so you can find out even more about our artists and forthcoming events and new releases. | ||
| LKJ In Dub Vol 3 Released! | ||
|
||
| LKJ Records are pleased to announce the release of Linton Kwesi Johnson's long awaited album, LKJ In Dub Volume 3, out now on both CD (LKJ CD 021) and vinyl (LKJ LP 021). Mixed by Dennis Bovell and Linton Kwesi Johnson, this new chapter of dub lives up to the formidable standards set by LKJ in Dub Volumes 1 and 2. The album includes new rhythm tracks and features Linton Kwesi Johnson making his debut on bass alongside Dub Band leader Dennis Bovell. Asked by a French journalist recently, "Why a new album of dubs at this time?", LKJ answered, "My first dub album came out in 1980, the second in 1991, so this third album is not only due, it's overdue." LKJ has consistently composed memorable bass lines, danceable rhythms deeply rooted in the reggae tradition as a vehicle for his verse. Stripped of his voice, these rhythms have proved perfect for dubbing. And this is where dub master Dennis Bovell's engineering creativity comes into play. Bovell and LKJ have been working together for over two decades and their enduring partnership and professionalism are much in evidence on this new dub excursion. They continue to combine the traditional and the modern with the experimental, creating unique soundscapes which are at once engaging. Order your copy from the website today! Later in the year there will also be a new LKJ Live CD. | ||
| New Book Released | ||
|
||
| We are delighted to be keeping you up to date with our plans for 2002. Our most exciting news is that Linton Kwesi Johnson's new book is due to be published in Penguin's Modern Classics Series in May 2002. Mi Revalueshanary Fren: Selected Poems will include his earlier poems but also previously unpublished works including all of the poems on his most recent CD, More Time. Please do contact us if you have any queries or, if you want to order our any of our products, you can do so safely on this website. We look forward to hearing from you. |