JEAN 'BINTA' Breeze put a refreshing and stimulating cap on a long night of performances at the Dennis Scott Studio Theatre at the Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts, Arthur Wint Drive, St Andrew, on Tuesday night.
It was a special gathering of the Poetry Society of Jamaica which featured a slew of budding and established voices in Jamaican poetry.
In his introduction to Breeze, Tommy Ricketts, president of the society, declared; "We're basically trodding along the highway that these people built." Ricketts was referring to not only Breeze, but also Mutabaruka, who had performed just before her and also other poets such as the late Mikey Smith, and Dennis Scott.
"From what I have found, the art is not enough," declared Breeze at the beginning of her performance, "certainly not in a third world country." Breeze argued that artistes, in particular the poets of the society, need to take up an active stance, rather than merely talking revolution.
She argued that rather than merely "kotch up eena Kingston and complain," steps must be taken to change the situation. Rather than only continuing to chant poetry about suffering, she urged the poets to help alleviate it.
With that Breeze launched into her first piece, a powerful torrent of words which continued to address the issue of a words-only revolution. The poem was punctuated by the chorus which sang, Wi raving and wi ranting and wi chanting revolution, but a peer confusion deh.
SIGANTURE PIECE
From there she moved to what used to be her signature piece, 'The Mad Woman's Poem'. "For the last three years the mad woman just walk out of mi repertoire," Breeze said.
She explained that as she developed her work she shifted the popular piece from the end, to the middle and finally start of her repertoire.
The the mad woman made her reappearance for Tuesday's performance, but she did not come through Jean's voice. Instead, Fae Ellington was brought to give a meaningful rendition of the piece.
Interestingly, epitomized by its chorus, the piece echoed Breeze's opening stance. Though funny, the piece graphically explained how life in Kingston, with all its strife, isolation and problems can send, and has sent many people crazy. The woman chants,
Eh eh, eh eh, no feel no way,
Town is a place weh mi really cyaa stay
Dem coulda ribbit mi han' and ribbit mi toe,
Mi wan' go a country go look mango.
When Breeze regained her position at the podium, she introduced the audience to the character whom she declared had replaced the mad woman as the centrepiece for her performances. She presented the moving story of a young girl who goes to live with her mother in England. However, though she can recall every line and expression of her grandmother's face, she cannot remember her mother's. The piece was touching and wonderfully delivered.
Mutabaruka had started his performance with stories of revolution, but ended on a rather light note. He began his performance with the story of 'the man you love to hate' before moving to a dissection of talk about freedom which cloaks actions not aimed at liberty. From there he launched into a recall of all that has been taken from the black race as he chanted,
Gimme mi dis,
Gimme me dat
Gimme back mi everthing you gat.
ICING ON THE CAKE
At that point he sought to answer the age-old question of how to write a poem. However, the poem contained no words, just action.
Mutabaruka and Breeze were the icing on what had been a hearty helping of poetry. Twenty other poets had taken the stage before them, including Andrew Miller, Owen Ellis, Andrew Stone, Rass Rod, Neto Meeks and Dingo.
The evening was aimed at producing material for the history of Jamaican poetry CD which the society is compiling.
