By Mel Cooke, Freelance WriterWESERN BUREAU:
RAS HAILE Malekot launched his poetry album Destiny of Man with good support from spoken word colleagues and the wider community on Saturday.
He was, fittingly, the final poet of the evening at the Livity Restaurant on Hope Road in St. Andrew, fusing his words with the music provided by the New Beat band, as he gave insight into what the night's host Ras Amuni called a "working kit for Black people and Afrocentric people", one "informing people about where they started, what went wrong and how they can set it right."
A more personal introduction of Ras Malekot was given by Marie Walcott, who termed him "a son of Zion, a true son of Africa" and also "a Rastaman, a man of peace."
Dressed in a camouflage, a strip of white cloth with red, green and gold wrapped around the upper part of his long locks, Ras Malekot stepped on stage to welcoming applause and immediately set about putting the 'working kit' into effect, stating never underestimate the power of Black people...they have a plan to divide and rule/like Black people a some blasted fool.
MOTION INTO WORDS
The microphone stand was soon put aside and Ras Malekot used the full space afforded by the small stage, as he put motion into his words. There were cheers as he observed everywhere I go, I notice them have Black people like ground staff/an have dem like pipe a tun dem on an tun dem off.
He lined out the divinity of Haile Selassie, noting at the end of that piece that "Rasta, is not a racist thing, true we talk bout Black."
The trio of drummers which expanded the music of the band took more prominence when Ras Malekot gave a 'livication' to Sister Rita Marley, as a "great Black woman who has done so much worldwide". I hear the drums of Africa the sound is drawing nearer, he said, in sync with the drums.
"De I dem feel the vibe?" Malekot asked when he was finished -- and they did.
Rita Marley was not the only woman Ras Malekot honoured that night, as he paid maximum respects to radio personality Elise Kelly. She is not even a woman. She is more like an angel. Go tell it on the mountain that that woman is a blessed woman, he said. He also gave thanks to the album's executive producer, who is in Miami.
The title track of the album was done without Cherry Natural, with whom it is recorded, as she was not feeling well. After asking "what is the destiny of man" and exploring the theme thoroughly, Ras Malekot concluded that "man must live, this gift of life not everyone has the power to give.
We Haffi Move included a 'burning' of sodomy and witchcraft, the poet declaring that "We a no bruck dung cyar, Babylon cyaan scrap we/we a no hungry belly dem cyaan nightcap we".
RELATIONSHIPS
He went into male-female relationships with What Are You Saying, then paying homage to Bob Marley on a one-two rhythm, as he intoned that we are strumming and we drumming and we longing to be free.
Is a captive land, wood and water/African son and African daughter. Every day them lead them like lamb to the slaughter, Ras Malekot said as people in the audience listened and rocked.
"Remember is a one to order we a work with. We not keeping anything jiggy round here," Malekot said.
The one-two on the drums was sustained for a prayerful end to Ras Haile Malekot's performance, before Barbara Blake-Hannah gave thanks to end the evening.
"It is all food for thought. I love that," she said of Ras Malekot's poetry.
Earlier Ras Rodd, Takura, Marsha Hall, Patrick Davis with the Everlasting Rhythm and two youngsters who did Michael Smith's Dis Ya Dutty had made poetic contributions to the occasion.
And, as Ras Malekot said when his call of 'Jah' was met with a resounding 'Rastafari', "the I dem is with I. This gathering is not in vain".
