Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
Paul Issa (left), publisher, and poet Mutabaruka at the launch of 'Mutabaruka: The First Poems' and 'Mutabaruka: The Next Poems' at Sangster's in Sovereign Centre last saturday. - WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
WESTERN BUREAU: A FULL house turned out to Sangster's Book Store in the Sovereign Centre, Liguanea, for what guest speaker Barry Chevannes termed in part a 'double-barrelled book' by poet Mutabaruka on Saturday afternoon.
The 'double-barrelled' referred directly to the name and nature of the black and red book, a two in one book which includes a reprint of Mutabaruka's 'The First Poems', first published in 1980, and the 2005 'The Next Poems'.
The book is published by Paul Issa, who was also the original publisher of 'The First Poems', and who, at Saturday's launch spoke about meeting Mutabaruka 'in the middle of the turbulent 70s' and getting the first book out five years later.
DISCLAIMER
Barry Chevannes started with a disclaimer of sorts, saying "the person who should really be launching this book is sitting in your midst". That person was Mervyn Morris, who wrote the prefaces to both books.
In giving an overview of the two in one book, Chevannes said it is "contradictorily set out, upside down, back to front, much as Muta is a contradiction himself, a barefoot poet from the margin, but very much mainstream in the writing, the launching..."
"It is the contradiction that gives this double-barrelled collection its power."
Chevannes noted that Mutabaruka has been introduced as a dub poet and a performance poet, but "this collection is well worth the silent effort of the reader".
Drawing on 'Black Queen' from 'The First Poems', Chevannes noted the beauty of the line "God made woman from nothing that can be found on this earth", saying that "the first poems are a journey from dawning consciousness to awareness, from seeking to finding". Referring to poems such as 'Eyes of Liberty' from 'The Next Poems', Chevannes said "these are the poems of someone who is sure of himself and his identity, introducing himself to the world with confidence".
After welcoming all to his second book launch ever (the first was in a library), Mutabaruka gave special thanks to Mervyn Morris, saying that if it was not for him "we who dem call dub poets woulda look like we cyaan write".
"Mos' a dese poems was written when I was in school - 15, 16, 17. For three, four CDs I was recording poems I wrote in school."
Saying that 'Everytime I Hear De Soun'' was the first poem he recorded, Mutabaruka read it the way it was written in the book, as 'White Soun', to strong applause.
"This collection is like a autobiography. You can see where my mind was, where it is and where it want to go ," Mutabaruka said.
He preceded 'I Am The Man You Love To Hate' with a memory on his treatment, as a Rastafarian, when the bus conductor would say "easy me brethren. Cyaan tek da bus ya. Yu hair wi touch de people".
He read 'Eyes of Liberty' and 'Haiti', noting that although they are very relevant now, they were written some time ago. He prefaced his final poem, about the reaction to him as a writer, with a somewhat extended discourse in which he explored how some Black people cringe at his poetry, while white people are enthusiastic. "I start to think Mister or Sir or controversial fi go in front a people name. Me no get no Mister or Sir, me get controversial," he said.
"We write from how we feel an' what we believe inna," the poet said. "We naa go allow other people to define ourself. We write we poem, we talk we talk, we walk we walk, we live we live," Mutabaruka said.
