Arts on Sunday

Of poets and independence

Tomorrow and the World I am most happy as I walk the seller of sweets says “friend” and the shoemaker with his awl and waxen thread reminds me of tomorrow and the world.

William Shakespeare (Royal Shakespeare Company photo)

Shakespeare’s greatness and relevance have not diminished

“He was not of an age but for all time.” (Ben Jonson, 1616) This weekend the world celebrates the birthday of William Shakespeare (April 23, 1564 – April 23, 1616), highly distinguished as the greatest playwright and poet known to the English language and the world.

St Teresa is often depicted with a quill in her hand; this painting is by Rubens (Wikipedia photo)

Poetry of Easter

Ash Wednesday -1 Because I do not hope to turn again Because I do not hope Because I do not hope to turn Desiring this man’s gift and that man’s scope I no longer strive to strive towards such things (Why should the aged eagle stretch its wings?)

The sprinkling of coloured powders is part of the Phagwah celebration

Reflections on Phagwah

Holi: Spring Festival of Colours              May there always be spring in our eyes and fingers, feet: pink ixoras, red hibiscus mauve madar—green buds everywhere   Even live oaks’ allergenic dust coating everything yellow, golden gainda, daddy said, not marigolds pani re pani tera rang kaisa—is it rain—or   Water what is your colour?

Poetry and war

  Embassy As evening fell the day’s oppression lifted Far peaks came into focus it had rained Across wide lawns and cultured flowers drifted The conversation of the highly trained Two gardeners watched them pass and priced their shoes A chauffeur waited reading in the drive For them to finish their exchange of views.

The poet Kamau Brathwaite in the early 1990s. (Photo: New York University Archive)

Revisiting Kamau Brathwaite’s poetry

Red Rising                   1. When the earth was made when the wheels of the sky were being fashioned when my songs were first heard in the voice of the cool of the owl hillaby Soufriere and Kilimanjaro were standing towards me with water with fire at the centre of the air there in the keel of the blue the son of my song, father-giver, the sun/sum walks the four corners of the magnet, caught in the wind, blind in the eye of his own hurricane and the trees on the mountain be- come mine: living eye of my branches of bone; flute where is my hope hope where is my psalter my children wear masks dancing towards me the mews of their origen earth so that this place which is called mine which will never know that cold scalpel of skull, hill of dearth brain corals ignite and ignore it and that this place which is called now which will never again glow: coal balloon altracite: into cross- roads of hollows black spot of my life: jah blue spot of my life: love yellow spot of my life: iises red spot of my dream that still flowers flowers flowers let us give thanks when the earth was made when the sky first spoke with the voice of the rain/bow when the wind gave milk to its music when the suns of my morning walked out of their shallow thrill/dren   2.

The ICA 2018 graduating class (NSTAD photo/Facebook)

2022 promises hope as theatre school reopens

The National School of Theatre Arts and Drama (NSTAD) opens its doors this week for the new academic year, offering training in the creative arts in a range of disciplines to another group of students and interested practitioners.

Grace Nichols

Grace Nichols celebrates her heritage through her craft

I is a long memoried woman        From dih pout of mih mouth from dih treacherous calm of mih smile you can tell I is a long memoried woman -Grace Nichols   Nanny   Ashanti Priestess and giver of charms earth substance woman of science and black fire magic Maroonic woman of courage and blue mountain rises Standing over the valleys dressed in purple robes bracelets of the enemy’s teeth curled around your ankles in rings of ivory bone And your voice giving sound to the Abeng its death cry chilling the mountainside which you inhabit like a strong pursuing eagle As you watch the hissing foaming cauldron spelling strategies for the red oppressors’ blood willing them to come mouthing a new beginning song is that you Nanny – Is that you Nanny?

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