Linton Kwesi Johnson (Jamaica)
Por: Linton Kwesi Johnson
New Word Hawdah
di killahs a Kigale
mus be sanitary workaz
di butchaz a Butare
mus be sanitary workaz
di savajiz a Shatila
mus be sanitary workaz
di beasts a Boznia
mus be sanitary workaz
inna di new word hawdah
like a dutty ole bandige
pan di festahrin face a umanity
di ole hawdah anravel an reveal
ole scar jus a bruk out inna new sore
primeval woun dat time wone heal
an in di hainshent currency of blood
tribal tyrants a seckle de score
di killahs a Kigale
mus be sanitary workaz
di butchaz a Butare
mus be sanitary workaz
di savajiz a Shatila
mus be sanitary workaz
di beasts a Boznia
mus be sanitary workaz
inna di new word hawdah
an is di same ole cain an able sindrome
far more hainshent dan di fall of Rome
but in di new world hawdah a atrocity
is a brand new langwidge a barbarity
mass murdah
narmalize
pogram
rationalize
genocide
sanitize
an di hainshent clan sin
now name etnic clenzin
an so
di killahs a Kigale
mus be sanitary workaz
di butchaz a Butare
mus be sanitary workaz
di savajiz a Shatila
mus be sanitary workaz
di beasts of Boznia
mus be sanitary workaz
pra-pram-pram
inna di new word hawdah
Linton Kwesi Johnson was born in Chapelton, a little town in Jamaica, on August 24, 1952. Poet and musician, he moved to London in 1963, where he made his high school studies and undergraduate studies in sociology at The University of London. Still a student, he developed his work with Rasta Love, a group of poets and percussionists. Among his poetry books are : Voices of the Living and the Dead, 1974; Dread Beat An' Blood 1975; and Inglan is a Bitch 1980. Some of his albums are: Forces of Victory, 1979; Bass Culture, 1980; LKJ in dub, 1981 and Making History, 1983. LKJ, the recording company of Mr. Johnson, was launched in 1981. During the eighties, he was involved in journalism, working side by side with the collective Race Today based in Brixton. His radio series of 10 parts about the popular Jamaican music was put on air in Radio 1 from The BBC in 1982. Recorded in The Queen Elizabeth Hall of London, the album LKJ live concert with the dub band (LKJ live in concerte with the dub band) was produced independently in 1985. After this, Tings an' Timesin 1991 which is also the title of his selected poems co-published by Bloodaxe Books and LKJ music publishers the same year. His most recent album is LKJ Capella Live (LKJ A Capella live) which is a collection of 14 poems including some unpublished ones. He has traveled around the world from Japan to Southafrica, from Europe to Brazil and his work has been translated into Italian and German. Its not a surprise that he is known and venerated as the first dub poet of the world. He has been named in many ways as "the widely claimed cult heroe of England" (The South African Star) or "The first dub poet" (The Scotsman). He is seen as "One of the most original and influential voices of England" (England Council for the Arts) and it's said about him that he "gives a language to a people without language" (The Glasgow Herald). "His poetry tried to reestablish structures and lost identities, pure poetry of "rhythm and roots" that integrates the interpreter and the audience into one whole collective voice (Cyril Dabydeen, World Literature Today).
