Mutabaruka

He has been described as a revolutionary poet, a barefoot poet, a prophet even, he's been called a noisemaker, unorthodox, and controversial, but labels scare dub poet and folk philosopher Mutabaruka little, and they certainly didn't scare the seventy some attendees at the launch of his new and updated collection of poetry last Saturday afternoon.

Indeed, the standing space at Sangster's Bookstore in Liguanea's Sovereign Centre became increasingly cramped as the minutes passed, leading one to wonder why this venue had been chosen, since it was obvious that there was the potential for an event of this magnitude to be held in a bigger space. However, despite a late start, the launch provided an unforgettable experience for all present.
The First Poems/The Next Poems, a double-barrelled, upside-down, red and black volume, at once captivating, held a place of prominence on display shelves. The collection, however, should not be mistaken with Mutabaruka's first, although it is indeed a retake of his 1980 publication, The First Poems, albeit with a few additions.

In his presentation, university lecturer Professor Barry Chevannes, the event's introductory speaker delivered some very potent points, but in his delivery seemed somewhat disorganised and faltered at crucial moments . Chevannes commented that while Mutabaruka might be viewed as a "barefoot poet from the margins", he had become "very mainstream", while noting the importance of moving from a performance poet to a published one. He described the volume as a mixture of "searching and finding", "philosophy and politics"- and exploring various topics including problems of personhood and Blackness, love and simple reality.

Mutabaruka's reading and interwoven bits of anecdotes and conversation were no less engaging. Many of the poems included in this volume had been recorded between 1990 and 2000, he explained, but in this collection appeared in the original format he wrote them in. In fact, revealed Mutabaruka, the majority of the poems were written while he was still a schoolboy of no more than 15 or 16 years old.
From The First Poems, the entertainer, who earlier this year worked at Rebel Salute - his first performance on a major stage show in Jamaica in years - delivered White Sounds (also known as Everytime I Hear The Sound in its recorded form). Nursery Rhyme Lament, also from The First Poems, came later, followed by many others included in the collection.

Muta, as he is sometimes called affectionately, thanked many persons for supporting his work, including publisher Paul Issa and UWI lecturer and poet Mervyn Morris.

Some notable well-wishers present included actor Munair Zacca, Leahcim Semaj, Glen Browne, Cherry Natural, Dr Clinton Hutton, Dr Carolyn Cooper and Professor Mervyn Morris, who penned the introduction to the original The First Poems in the 1980s.

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