It is fat and ugly
It lies on a mat and craves for women
But it is nothing but a fool
It is a human, but it deserves to be categorized amongst lower animals
It is certainly not a higher mammal
It goes round and sounds a trumpet of hatred
Yet it isn't even fit to be called a pet
It swirls its ugly waist and propagates evil against mankind
It has no kind word for the progressive man
It tries to write but fails
It tries to do what is right but does wrong
The biggest fool in the world
A pool it calls a sea and the sea it calls a stream
The biggest fool without a tool
It has a makeshift tool for destruction
But only points it at the righteous one
It is scary and blurry
It wallops on walls during the day
And kicks virtual balls at night
It is thinking about its next victim
Alas, it is biting more than it can chew
It might sting like a bee and sing like a bird
But it is nothing but an imaginary reality
It is a son of the abyss and can hiss like a snake
Handle its venom with care
And let it kick the air
Stupidity personified
That is exactly what this beast signifies
The weakest link in the world
A pen without ink
Showing posts with label Julian Adomako-Gyimah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Julian Adomako-Gyimah. Show all posts
Author Profile - Julian Adomako-Gyimah
Biography:
Five Questions with Julian Adomako-Gyimah:
Contact Julian:
Julian's Past Profiles:
Issue 1.16, July 7th-13th, 2007
Issue 1.7, May 5th-11th, 2007
Julian Adomako-Gyimah is an alum of Presby Boys Secondary School, Legon. He holds a B.A. in Business Studies at the Kensington College of Business, London, a Diploma in Journalism at the Writers Bureau College of Journalism, Manchester, UK, Executive Diplomas in Strategic Management and Management, a Diploma in Management Studies and an Executive MBA at the Huddersfield University, UK. He has worked as a Financial Controller at Brook & Whittle, after working as an Accounts Manager at Ryder Plc, both in the UK. Additionally, he is a Chartered Manager and a member of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), also in the UK.
Julian is also the proud author of two bestsellers, namely Smile Africa and Recall, which are both available on amazon.com, bn.com, borders.com, and in all major retail outlets around the globe.
Julian is a co-founder of One Ghana, One Voice.
Five Questions with Julian Adomako-Gyimah:
1. What are the signs of change that you are seeing? How do you know "the beast is going down at last"?
There is a wave blowing across the world and it is calling for change and everything from the prowess of Barack Obama to the situation in Ghana and Nigeria, to mention but a few, gives enough signs of change and we are even yet to see more. Ghanaians are calling for change in governance after seeing the worst corruption scandals in a long time and so are Americans. The signs of the times shows that the beast (all greedy people, including politicians) is going down.
2. You've been traveling frequently between Nigeria and Ghana recently. What insight has this brought to you about the state of society in Ghana compared to that of Nigeria? What lessons can Ghana learn from Nigeria?
Ghana has a lot to learn from Nigeria in terms of business, literature and what have you. The purchasing power of Nigerians is far, far higher than that of Ghanaians and imagine selling to a market of 120m + people as compared to 20m that we have in Ghana. But Nigeria has been faced with several corruption scandals which makes it very bad for its citizenry.
Nigerians are also very daring, with high ambitions, and aren't risk averse at all so one can often hear Nigerians talking about big pay checks instead of the meagre ones that we hear fellow Ghanaians speak up.
3. You have been the leader of OGOV's Roundtable Discussions. How have these sessions been going for you?
This has gone very well and it is a brilliant brainstorming session where great minds share ideas for the good of Africa and mankind in general. I hope to see a lot more people become part of this innovation.
4. What particular observations from the Roundtable Discussions have stood out for you the most?
People have so much to offer and the level of frustration amongst contributors in regards to the myopic views Africans have on literature is something that thrills me. Everyone is willing to change this myopic view and that alone is good enough for me. I just pray that we insist on works and not on words...
5. What is the one new development you would most like to see to strengthen the Ghanaian writing community?
I would want to see more open mic and dub poet performances in clubs, pubs, universities and other public places to help create awareness about the power or poetry in society. A word to the wise is enough, so I'd rather be snappy on this.
Contact Julian:
Email: jlnadom(at)gmail.com
Website: Buy Smile Africa
Buy Recall
Julian's Past Profiles:
Issue 1.16, July 7th-13th, 2007
Issue 1.7, May 5th-11th, 2007
OGOV Roundtable Discussion #2 - Africans Abroad
For the second time here at OGOV, in lieu of a poem this week we will receive the privilege of "listening in" on a conversation on poetry held between some of Ghana's (and Africa's) brightest up and coming poets, moderated by One Ghana, One Voice's own Julian Adomako-Gyimah, and featuring Prince Mensah, Martin Pieterson, Emmanuel Sigauke, and Mariska Taylor-Darko. So please have a read, and be sure to use the comment section to join the conversation yourself!
Julian Adomako-Gyimah:
As Ghanaian (and Zimbabwean) writers living abroad, how best can we promote writing amongst Ghanaians at home?
Emmanuel Sigauke:
This question applies to the idea of what African writers in general should do to promote writing back home. If we go back to the classical argument of the writer as teacher, visionary, voice of the people, we find ourselves subscribing to a type of thinking that associates writing with advocacy or social responsibility. So, having lived away from home, I find myself seeking a true definition of self, culture and belonging through my writing.
But at one time I was a writer based in Africa, concerned about the importance of my Africanness to me, but there was also the temptation of departing from home artistically, wooed by schools of writing associating themselves with radicalism, individualism, loneliness. This applied to all forms of artistic expression, for instance, music -- I remember my generation's general attachment to foreign music, but once I was away, I started to rediscover the beauty of art produced at home. Not everyone enters exile in order to discover the necessary artistic self hood, so it is the duty of the ex-pat writer to share the renewed (sometimes just new) vision with the artists back home.
One best way of helping writers back home is to take advantage of the access to resources that being an exile often provides to help out the talented but often disadvantaged writers back home. One way I have offered to help writers back home (in my case Zimbabwe) has been to start a literary journal that the writers can submit to. But I have noticed that since the journal is internet-based, it has not yet reached those most in need.
So I have been thinking of ways in which I can work with writers groups to provide access to needy writers. This is no easy task, which is why a forum like this one will definitely help us brainstorm (and act on) the various ways we can help.
Prince Mensah:
Powerful point, Emmanuel.
There has to be a concerted effort with foreign-based African writers, local universities and stations (TV and Radio) to encourage writing among our people. There is an over-emphasis on ways to get rich quick. Even the smartest people get caught in this tyranny of becoming 'rich' by any means necessary. This is the bane of our countries. There is so much poverty that the only tangible thing to do is to hustle. Our countries are caught up in the illusion of unrealistic sitcoms and movies that are nothing but fiction. The fact of life is that you have to work and work hard at anything worth having. Our people also have to be taught to not only work hard, but work smart.
We, as writers in other countries, must challenge the status quo by becoming leaders on issues we talk about. For the sake of writing in our countries, we can apply for grants, collectively or individually, directed to providing an intellectual infrastructure wherein literary institutions and competitions can be established. There has to be several steps taken in making the writing and appreciation of poetry, novels, plays and essays an accepted norm in our societies. Local radio and TV stations can become partners in the creation of programmes that reward writing efforts.
In Africa, a huge chunk of the general readership is semi-illiterate or illiterate. This makes an interest in written and spoken English extremely difficult. We have to adopt towns or areas in our home countries where we can channel resources in the forms of books and study aids. These things do not have to come out of pocket, necessarily. All we have to do is raise interest in the foreign countries where we live in, by writing to libraries, publishers, schools and literary organizations.
In Ghana, slapstick shows, popularly known as concert parties, have more patronage than theatrical productions. The sad thing is that inasmuch that concert parties are popular, they have no marketability to outside markets. Our literary efforts must enable our local writers to attain marketability to the outside world as well. There is a dire need for us to do something in 2008. A campaign to world literary circles would not be a step in the bad direction. We need to unearth the great stories that lie hidden in the minds of our people.
Emmanuel:
Let's do something in 2008. We could become one of the groups that writers back home can rely on at different levels of support. Something as simple as contributing resources (a little bit of money, publicity, etc) will go a long way in helping writers back home. Often we look to other people's endowments as sources of support -- what if we could provide one. We as a group can start a fund that helps writing activities back home. I have always had visions to fund a poetry contest through one of the writers' groups back home. What we need to bear in mind, though, is how to ensure that the money, the support, goes to help those it's intended to support.
Prince:
A monthly literary prize of $50 will not be bad. However, that $50 should be in the form of books that assist with writing. A quarterly prize of $100 can be organized to not only give books but to assist the writer with stationary for their manuscript. An annual prize of $500 can be given to a writer who has completed a manuscript and needs a publisher to complete the project. The numbers are all suggestions and emanate from conservative projection. We have to agree to everything as a group.
Martin Pieterson:
In my opinion, writing in Ghana can be promoted by setting up writing clubs in communities and in schools (primary, secondary and tertiary). Not only do we need to set up these clubs, we need to ensure they are run professionally. Especially in the 1st and 2nd cycle institutions, writers must be made to know all that goes into the craft such as finding markets, analyzing the publications to submit work to, approaching the various genres (short stories, poetry, articles, religious writing, travel writing etc..), using grammar and punctuation, finding inspiration, handling writers' block, and much more.
Some writers clubs have sprung up in the past in Ghana but many haven't worked because people don't see what they gain from them. One of the problems up-and-coming writers face in Ghana is the issue of getting published. Many submit pieces to publications without analyzing what kind of work the publication accept (if it's sports, leisure, travel, politics, etc.), length of articles, style of writing etc.., and when they aren’t published they give up entirely on writing. I believe if people know some of these things they will do things correctly and thus stay in the craft.
I would like to take this opportunity to request all poets who have been published on OGOV to begin thinking of setting up writers' clubs in their communities so that we get this professional approach into our writing. Writing has so many benefits: apart from making us advocates, it also helps us to sharpen our skills of observation and communication. The latter is very important for us Ghanaians and Africans now that the world has become a Global Village. It also helps us improve on our vocabulary and thus become more confident.
Another point is that every fun activity that is done in the running of these clubs should be that which will add to the competence of the writers. During excursions to places of interest, for example, writers should be told not only to go and have fun but also to observe everything and report. In this way, we can help produce many travel writers.
In addition to setting up writers' clubs and running them professionally, there is the need to have more publications. One of the joys of writing is getting published, and this is why I would like to commend OGOV for making it possible for many talented Ghanaian and African writers, who may otherwise have had difficulty in getting published, to get published. OGOV has shown us that we have more quality and great writers than we thought. I believe there are even many more to emerge once given the opportunity.
I would like to suggest that OGOV begins a corner for teenagers and kids or 1st and 2nd Cycle institutions so we can get the spirit into them. Many of them would love to see their poems published. [ed. note: we currently have a call out for poems by children and youth - visit the Submission Guidelines page for more details]
Congrats Julian for your help in getting Ex-pat writers published. Let's do the same for many of the great writers in Ghana. Prince and Emmanuel, thanks for your wonderful ideas as to how we can sponsor writing events.
I am sure if we organise ourselves properly, there could be a time when people could even take writing as a full-time job in Ghana, we just have to start discussing the business side of it. We can begin to organize poetry evenings first free of charge and later charge a little money depending on the interest and then we can move to other literary events. KSM did it with his shows; we can also do it with writing. We just need to begin talking.
Friends, I see a great hope for Ghana and Africa from this corner. I see we are the generation to make Africa what it is supposed to be. Let's keep this spirit. And after our forums, let's move on to implementing our decisions. This is what our present leadership is not doing. And as a generation of hope, let's begin to do this.
Prince:
Great idea, Martin.
There is the need for a multiple-pronged approach to this issue. Writer's clubs are definitely the way to go. We need to identify people and organizations who share this vision. We have to build the foundation so that when the real job is done, it won't collapse. Let's brainstorm, brethren. The world is watching.
Emmanuel:
Working with writers who are serious is a prerequisite to successful literary promotion. Clubs are a good starting point, and sponsoring contests, and helping writers gain access to publishers and agents would be a great step in this process. Although we all live in places where publishing resources are available, it is not always easy to break our ways into publication since the issues we deal with may not appeal to publishers here. There is thus the issue of which publishers and promoters should be involved in the nurturing of talent back home.
Mariska Taylor-Darko:
Hi all of you.
First of all I must say that it was only after being abroad that I saw what other countries do to promote the work of their writers. Apart from the intellectuals in Ghana and among the ex-pats, the average Ghanaian only heard of poetry when they were in school - for Literature lessons. As a writer who commutes between countries I feel that one of the ways we could help would be to organise poetry readings, get published in the media, get some good PR, have competitions among the youth and try to get sponsors interested in writing of all forms with attractive rewards for talent. The Universities should invite outsiders to participate in events regardless of their educational background. The TV and Radio stations should also give exposure to the up and coming writers with fun programmes - not the serious heavy events that have been seen.
In Ghana it seems that poetry (I mention this because its my area of interest) is not given much regard outside the tertiary establishment, although a few poetry reading sessions are being organised - all late at night and in venues that are not easily accessible. We have to make events more accessible to the masses and get more youth interested.
Emmanuel:
Mariska, the issue of access, as you pointed out, is very important. Most writers nowadays self-market on the internet through forums like Myspace and Youtube. While I am happy about the proliferation of online poetry journals, I am aware that some talented young writers in Africa do not have access to a computer, or cannot afford the rates of the internet cafes. So to ensure access, we need to help in the provision of resources, without waiting for the "generous Western sponsor" of writing. Of course, access is not everything; trainers would need to identify interested and talented writers who can be helped to realize their dreams. As you stated, Mariska, writing contests, conferences, excursion, etc. would help.
Mariska:
Emmanuel, I agree with you also. The lack of access to the electronic world would be a hindrance to a lot of budding writers. I think we all agree that closer interaction between writers would be a major development, as we’ve mentioned wanting locally organised programmes in nearly all our comments. So now, how do we start? The biggest hurdle would be the funds to set up these programmes. Where do the youth meet a lot? In clubs, churches, sports grounds, etc. Clubs could, on days when they have not much patronage, arrange poetry reading sessions to bring exposure. Meeting the youth groups in churches and organising such events would also be a possibility. Making use of the churches weekly bulletins and monthly magazines is another outlet. These are just a few ways we could start without depending on any Western sponsors...
This way the talented writers would gain acknowledgement, a following of friends and like minded persons and the encouragement to continue with their dreams.
For those of us who can speak pidgin or local dialects, poetry recitals could be organised in these dialects to reach a wider audience. Even mixtures of good English and pidgin would make things more interesting.
We should show our love for what we do to the point that it touches and awakens the feelings in others. We should be vocal and vibrant in our delivery of both written poetry and spoken word and let other writers know that just because they are not living outside of their own countries does not mean that they do not have much to offer. They do have much to offer, and should be passionate about it without fear of criticism. It is better to keep on trying than never try at all.
Emmanuel:
Yes, Mariska. As we assume this task of inspiring others, we are called upon by that responsibility to lead by example: we have to demonstrate that we are writing and publishing works. The fellow writers back home are not just recipients of our encouragement, but partners in this effort. What I remember working with young writers in Zimbabwe in the 90s was the passion they had; we had the passion, but persistence was another matter.
As Mariska pointed out, the passion has to turn into persistent writing that does not get easily discouraged by criticism or rejections. As most us would attest, publication is difficult even here (especially here, where sometimes the editors turn down our works because they don't seem to address a familiar world). So let there be a balance in approach: we should inspire and encourage each other without so much as hinting that this is an easy process. We also don't want to give false impressions about art and livelihood, or to steer aspiring writers towards a disabling dependence policy. Often, we feel, as aspiring writers, that we are the chosen few, but, really, writing demands great effort, knowledge (if not respect) of your market or readership, and realistic goals.
Prince:
Writing, like any other human talent, gets better with use. The rubber band principle must be applied wherein we stretch ourselves to a point in our careers where we have exhausted everything we are capable of producing. This enables us to accommodate the happiness and heartbreaks of a career in writing.
I think action must be 75% with us and words be the rest. In as much as we serve hope as breakfast, reality must be served as lunch. We have to sponsor groups in our country, by exposing their works to people and groups we know. We must give our people an audience. Most of us have personal websites, why don't we get poetry from a bunch of good, but struggling, writers from our countries and post them on our sites? Why don't we organize a monthly newsletter that will give our people a list of places they can get help from? Why don't we use our network of friends to promote our brothers and sisters? The concept of community, as we are doing now, can be inculcated in our sibling-scribes at home.
Leading by example, as Emmanuel suggested, can start by all of us agreeing to do something and sticking to it. If it is funding, let us agree on a ball park figure. If it is logistics, let's figure a solution out. Remember, a problem is an opportunity wrapped with rags.
Let's get going on our plans because not only is African suffering from economic and intellectual dysfunction---our people are living under an iron sky. It is up to us to let them believe in themselves once again. The world is respectful of one who knows his destination.
Julian Adomako-Gyimah:
As Ghanaian (and Zimbabwean) writers living abroad, how best can we promote writing amongst Ghanaians at home?
Emmanuel Sigauke:
This question applies to the idea of what African writers in general should do to promote writing back home. If we go back to the classical argument of the writer as teacher, visionary, voice of the people, we find ourselves subscribing to a type of thinking that associates writing with advocacy or social responsibility. So, having lived away from home, I find myself seeking a true definition of self, culture and belonging through my writing.
But at one time I was a writer based in Africa, concerned about the importance of my Africanness to me, but there was also the temptation of departing from home artistically, wooed by schools of writing associating themselves with radicalism, individualism, loneliness. This applied to all forms of artistic expression, for instance, music -- I remember my generation's general attachment to foreign music, but once I was away, I started to rediscover the beauty of art produced at home. Not everyone enters exile in order to discover the necessary artistic self hood, so it is the duty of the ex-pat writer to share the renewed (sometimes just new) vision with the artists back home.
One best way of helping writers back home is to take advantage of the access to resources that being an exile often provides to help out the talented but often disadvantaged writers back home. One way I have offered to help writers back home (in my case Zimbabwe) has been to start a literary journal that the writers can submit to. But I have noticed that since the journal is internet-based, it has not yet reached those most in need.
So I have been thinking of ways in which I can work with writers groups to provide access to needy writers. This is no easy task, which is why a forum like this one will definitely help us brainstorm (and act on) the various ways we can help.
Prince Mensah:
Powerful point, Emmanuel.
There has to be a concerted effort with foreign-based African writers, local universities and stations (TV and Radio) to encourage writing among our people. There is an over-emphasis on ways to get rich quick. Even the smartest people get caught in this tyranny of becoming 'rich' by any means necessary. This is the bane of our countries. There is so much poverty that the only tangible thing to do is to hustle. Our countries are caught up in the illusion of unrealistic sitcoms and movies that are nothing but fiction. The fact of life is that you have to work and work hard at anything worth having. Our people also have to be taught to not only work hard, but work smart.
We, as writers in other countries, must challenge the status quo by becoming leaders on issues we talk about. For the sake of writing in our countries, we can apply for grants, collectively or individually, directed to providing an intellectual infrastructure wherein literary institutions and competitions can be established. There has to be several steps taken in making the writing and appreciation of poetry, novels, plays and essays an accepted norm in our societies. Local radio and TV stations can become partners in the creation of programmes that reward writing efforts.
In Africa, a huge chunk of the general readership is semi-illiterate or illiterate. This makes an interest in written and spoken English extremely difficult. We have to adopt towns or areas in our home countries where we can channel resources in the forms of books and study aids. These things do not have to come out of pocket, necessarily. All we have to do is raise interest in the foreign countries where we live in, by writing to libraries, publishers, schools and literary organizations.
In Ghana, slapstick shows, popularly known as concert parties, have more patronage than theatrical productions. The sad thing is that inasmuch that concert parties are popular, they have no marketability to outside markets. Our literary efforts must enable our local writers to attain marketability to the outside world as well. There is a dire need for us to do something in 2008. A campaign to world literary circles would not be a step in the bad direction. We need to unearth the great stories that lie hidden in the minds of our people.
Emmanuel:
Let's do something in 2008. We could become one of the groups that writers back home can rely on at different levels of support. Something as simple as contributing resources (a little bit of money, publicity, etc) will go a long way in helping writers back home. Often we look to other people's endowments as sources of support -- what if we could provide one. We as a group can start a fund that helps writing activities back home. I have always had visions to fund a poetry contest through one of the writers' groups back home. What we need to bear in mind, though, is how to ensure that the money, the support, goes to help those it's intended to support.
Prince:
A monthly literary prize of $50 will not be bad. However, that $50 should be in the form of books that assist with writing. A quarterly prize of $100 can be organized to not only give books but to assist the writer with stationary for their manuscript. An annual prize of $500 can be given to a writer who has completed a manuscript and needs a publisher to complete the project. The numbers are all suggestions and emanate from conservative projection. We have to agree to everything as a group.
Martin Pieterson:
In my opinion, writing in Ghana can be promoted by setting up writing clubs in communities and in schools (primary, secondary and tertiary). Not only do we need to set up these clubs, we need to ensure they are run professionally. Especially in the 1st and 2nd cycle institutions, writers must be made to know all that goes into the craft such as finding markets, analyzing the publications to submit work to, approaching the various genres (short stories, poetry, articles, religious writing, travel writing etc..), using grammar and punctuation, finding inspiration, handling writers' block, and much more.
Some writers clubs have sprung up in the past in Ghana but many haven't worked because people don't see what they gain from them. One of the problems up-and-coming writers face in Ghana is the issue of getting published. Many submit pieces to publications without analyzing what kind of work the publication accept (if it's sports, leisure, travel, politics, etc.), length of articles, style of writing etc.., and when they aren’t published they give up entirely on writing. I believe if people know some of these things they will do things correctly and thus stay in the craft.
I would like to take this opportunity to request all poets who have been published on OGOV to begin thinking of setting up writers' clubs in their communities so that we get this professional approach into our writing. Writing has so many benefits: apart from making us advocates, it also helps us to sharpen our skills of observation and communication. The latter is very important for us Ghanaians and Africans now that the world has become a Global Village. It also helps us improve on our vocabulary and thus become more confident.
Another point is that every fun activity that is done in the running of these clubs should be that which will add to the competence of the writers. During excursions to places of interest, for example, writers should be told not only to go and have fun but also to observe everything and report. In this way, we can help produce many travel writers.
In addition to setting up writers' clubs and running them professionally, there is the need to have more publications. One of the joys of writing is getting published, and this is why I would like to commend OGOV for making it possible for many talented Ghanaian and African writers, who may otherwise have had difficulty in getting published, to get published. OGOV has shown us that we have more quality and great writers than we thought. I believe there are even many more to emerge once given the opportunity.
I would like to suggest that OGOV begins a corner for teenagers and kids or 1st and 2nd Cycle institutions so we can get the spirit into them. Many of them would love to see their poems published. [ed. note: we currently have a call out for poems by children and youth - visit the Submission Guidelines page for more details]
Congrats Julian for your help in getting Ex-pat writers published. Let's do the same for many of the great writers in Ghana. Prince and Emmanuel, thanks for your wonderful ideas as to how we can sponsor writing events.
I am sure if we organise ourselves properly, there could be a time when people could even take writing as a full-time job in Ghana, we just have to start discussing the business side of it. We can begin to organize poetry evenings first free of charge and later charge a little money depending on the interest and then we can move to other literary events. KSM did it with his shows; we can also do it with writing. We just need to begin talking.
Friends, I see a great hope for Ghana and Africa from this corner. I see we are the generation to make Africa what it is supposed to be. Let's keep this spirit. And after our forums, let's move on to implementing our decisions. This is what our present leadership is not doing. And as a generation of hope, let's begin to do this.
Prince:
Great idea, Martin.
There is the need for a multiple-pronged approach to this issue. Writer's clubs are definitely the way to go. We need to identify people and organizations who share this vision. We have to build the foundation so that when the real job is done, it won't collapse. Let's brainstorm, brethren. The world is watching.
Emmanuel:
Working with writers who are serious is a prerequisite to successful literary promotion. Clubs are a good starting point, and sponsoring contests, and helping writers gain access to publishers and agents would be a great step in this process. Although we all live in places where publishing resources are available, it is not always easy to break our ways into publication since the issues we deal with may not appeal to publishers here. There is thus the issue of which publishers and promoters should be involved in the nurturing of talent back home.
Mariska Taylor-Darko:
Hi all of you.
First of all I must say that it was only after being abroad that I saw what other countries do to promote the work of their writers. Apart from the intellectuals in Ghana and among the ex-pats, the average Ghanaian only heard of poetry when they were in school - for Literature lessons. As a writer who commutes between countries I feel that one of the ways we could help would be to organise poetry readings, get published in the media, get some good PR, have competitions among the youth and try to get sponsors interested in writing of all forms with attractive rewards for talent. The Universities should invite outsiders to participate in events regardless of their educational background. The TV and Radio stations should also give exposure to the up and coming writers with fun programmes - not the serious heavy events that have been seen.
In Ghana it seems that poetry (I mention this because its my area of interest) is not given much regard outside the tertiary establishment, although a few poetry reading sessions are being organised - all late at night and in venues that are not easily accessible. We have to make events more accessible to the masses and get more youth interested.
Emmanuel:
Mariska, the issue of access, as you pointed out, is very important. Most writers nowadays self-market on the internet through forums like Myspace and Youtube. While I am happy about the proliferation of online poetry journals, I am aware that some talented young writers in Africa do not have access to a computer, or cannot afford the rates of the internet cafes. So to ensure access, we need to help in the provision of resources, without waiting for the "generous Western sponsor" of writing. Of course, access is not everything; trainers would need to identify interested and talented writers who can be helped to realize their dreams. As you stated, Mariska, writing contests, conferences, excursion, etc. would help.
Mariska:
Emmanuel, I agree with you also. The lack of access to the electronic world would be a hindrance to a lot of budding writers. I think we all agree that closer interaction between writers would be a major development, as we’ve mentioned wanting locally organised programmes in nearly all our comments. So now, how do we start? The biggest hurdle would be the funds to set up these programmes. Where do the youth meet a lot? In clubs, churches, sports grounds, etc. Clubs could, on days when they have not much patronage, arrange poetry reading sessions to bring exposure. Meeting the youth groups in churches and organising such events would also be a possibility. Making use of the churches weekly bulletins and monthly magazines is another outlet. These are just a few ways we could start without depending on any Western sponsors...
This way the talented writers would gain acknowledgement, a following of friends and like minded persons and the encouragement to continue with their dreams.
For those of us who can speak pidgin or local dialects, poetry recitals could be organised in these dialects to reach a wider audience. Even mixtures of good English and pidgin would make things more interesting.
We should show our love for what we do to the point that it touches and awakens the feelings in others. We should be vocal and vibrant in our delivery of both written poetry and spoken word and let other writers know that just because they are not living outside of their own countries does not mean that they do not have much to offer. They do have much to offer, and should be passionate about it without fear of criticism. It is better to keep on trying than never try at all.
Emmanuel:
Yes, Mariska. As we assume this task of inspiring others, we are called upon by that responsibility to lead by example: we have to demonstrate that we are writing and publishing works. The fellow writers back home are not just recipients of our encouragement, but partners in this effort. What I remember working with young writers in Zimbabwe in the 90s was the passion they had; we had the passion, but persistence was another matter.
As Mariska pointed out, the passion has to turn into persistent writing that does not get easily discouraged by criticism or rejections. As most us would attest, publication is difficult even here (especially here, where sometimes the editors turn down our works because they don't seem to address a familiar world). So let there be a balance in approach: we should inspire and encourage each other without so much as hinting that this is an easy process. We also don't want to give false impressions about art and livelihood, or to steer aspiring writers towards a disabling dependence policy. Often, we feel, as aspiring writers, that we are the chosen few, but, really, writing demands great effort, knowledge (if not respect) of your market or readership, and realistic goals.
Prince:
Writing, like any other human talent, gets better with use. The rubber band principle must be applied wherein we stretch ourselves to a point in our careers where we have exhausted everything we are capable of producing. This enables us to accommodate the happiness and heartbreaks of a career in writing.
I think action must be 75% with us and words be the rest. In as much as we serve hope as breakfast, reality must be served as lunch. We have to sponsor groups in our country, by exposing their works to people and groups we know. We must give our people an audience. Most of us have personal websites, why don't we get poetry from a bunch of good, but struggling, writers from our countries and post them on our sites? Why don't we organize a monthly newsletter that will give our people a list of places they can get help from? Why don't we use our network of friends to promote our brothers and sisters? The concept of community, as we are doing now, can be inculcated in our sibling-scribes at home.
Leading by example, as Emmanuel suggested, can start by all of us agreeing to do something and sticking to it. If it is funding, let us agree on a ball park figure. If it is logistics, let's figure a solution out. Remember, a problem is an opportunity wrapped with rags.
Let's get going on our plans because not only is African suffering from economic and intellectual dysfunction---our people are living under an iron sky. It is up to us to let them believe in themselves once again. The world is respectful of one who knows his destination.
Read Previous Roundtable Discussions:
#1 Politics and the Power of Poetry (Issue 1.32)
OGOV Roundtable Discussion #2 - About the Participants
Julian is an alum of Presby Boys Secondary School, Legon. He holds a B.A. in Business Studies at the Kensington College of Business, London, a Diploma in Journalism at the Writers Bureau College of Journalism, Manchester, UK, Executive Diplomas in Strategic Management and Management, a Diploma in Management Studies and an Executive MBA at the Huddersfield University, UK. He has worked as a Financial Controller at Brook & Whittle, after working as an Accounts Manager at Ryder Plc, both in the UK. Additionally, he is a Chartered Manager and a member of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), also in the UK.
Julian is also the proud author of two bestsellers, namely Smile Africa and Recall, which are both available on amazon.com, bn.com, borders.com, and in major retail outlets around the globe.
Julian is a co-founder of One Ghana, One Voice.Prince Mensah:
Prince was born in August 1977 to Dr. Louis and Rose Mensah. He attended Adisadel College, Extra Mural Academy, African-American HIV University(USA) and Mediation Training Institute(USA). He has written an extensive body of work including plays that have been staged at the Arts Center in Accra.Martin Pieterson:
Martin holds a BSc in Business Administration from the Central University College, Accra, a Post-Graduate Certificate in Public Administration from GIMPA (Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration), Accra and a Masters in Media and Communication from the International University in Geneva, Switzerland.
He did his National Service at the Ghana National Commission on Children and continued as an Assistant Administrator in the same organisation for two years. He then left to the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research where he worked as an Intern/Project Assistant for one and a half years.
He is currently a Research Consultant at the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research Department of the WHO in Geneva.Emmanuel Sigauke:
Emmanuel Sigauke was born in Zimbabwe, where he started writing at the age of thirteen. After graduating from the University of Zimbabwe with a BA in English, he moved to California, where he completed graduate studies. He teaches English at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento, where he is an editor for the Cosumnes River Journal.Mariska Taylor-Darko:
Born in Manchester, England in 1956, Mariska attended Holy Child Secondary School in Cape Coast and St. Mary's Secondary School, Mamprobi. She then returned to the UK and attended Beresford College of English and Commerce, Margate, Kent and later Harrow College of Further Education, Harrow, Middlesex.
Mariska currently resides in Accra. She has two sons, one married and living in London, the other attending Golden Sunbeam Montessori School, Adenta, Accra in JSS1. She is a motivational speaker, poet, writer, beautician, fire walker and lover of jazz, blues, reggae and old time highlife.
BONUS: Tribute to a Legend - Julian Adomako-Gyimah
More tributes to Lucky are being written every day - here is one from Julian Adomako-Gyimah. If you would like to share your own work on how Lucky's life, work and death have affected you, please post it using our comment system.
Tribute to a Legend
Uncontrollable tears are running down my cheeks
I feel so shattered and empty
Another great prophet has been killed
A great son of the world has been murdered
What a crazy world we live in
Hmm! Great guys don't live for long
This is however very wrong
The murder of Lucky leaves me with fear
I am scared anytime I leave home
How am I going to die?
How long am I even going to live?
Am I going to be murdered?
Or am I going to be shot like my hero
Run down by a car
Or hit with a bloody hammer?
I am so scared
The world isn't safe anymore
A conspiracy is running around us
One to kill all who fight against injustice
I wish I could have saved you Lucky
And I wish death had been swallowed
Ouch! It hurts to know that a great man is gone
Had he accomplished his mission?
Certainly not
He's been murdered in cold blood
Damn! I don't care what anyone says
Lucky was surely murdered
A great philanthropist has been terminated
His music has not been eliminated though
Lucky will live on and save the children
What a sad day it is
A hero of the world is gone
But his ideologies and music will live on
Lucky, what a great man you were
Arise! We must stop this conspiracy
And make the world a safe place once again
My tears are uncontrollable
But Lucky never dies
Cast the dice and see what happens
He is a great man and a universal hero
A 21 gun salute is what you deserve brother
I rest my case
Till we meet Lucky again in God's Kingdom
Tribute to a Legend
Uncontrollable tears are running down my cheeks
I feel so shattered and empty
Another great prophet has been killed
A great son of the world has been murdered
What a crazy world we live in
Hmm! Great guys don't live for long
This is however very wrong
The murder of Lucky leaves me with fear
I am scared anytime I leave home
How am I going to die?
How long am I even going to live?
Am I going to be murdered?
Or am I going to be shot like my hero
Run down by a car
Or hit with a bloody hammer?
I am so scared
The world isn't safe anymore
A conspiracy is running around us
One to kill all who fight against injustice
I wish I could have saved you Lucky
And I wish death had been swallowed
Ouch! It hurts to know that a great man is gone
Had he accomplished his mission?
Certainly not
He's been murdered in cold blood
Damn! I don't care what anyone says
Lucky was surely murdered
A great philanthropist has been terminated
His music has not been eliminated though
Lucky will live on and save the children
What a sad day it is
A hero of the world is gone
But his ideologies and music will live on
Lucky, what a great man you were
Arise! We must stop this conspiracy
And make the world a safe place once again
My tears are uncontrollable
But Lucky never dies
Cast the dice and see what happens
He is a great man and a universal hero
A 21 gun salute is what you deserve brother
I rest my case
Till we meet Lucky again in God's Kingdom
OGOV Roundtable Discussion #1 - Politics and the Power of Poetry
In what will hopefully become a quarterly feature for One Ghana, One Voice (please let us know what you think of it, and whether we should do it more or less often), in lieu of a poem this week we will receive the privilege of "listening in" on a conversation on poetry held between some of Ghana's brightest up and coming poets, lead by One Ghana, One Voice's own Julian Adomako-Gyimah, and featuring Prince Mensah, Vida Ayitah and Edith Faalong. Thank you to the amazing texts of the past that featured African writers in discussion (such as African Writers Talking [Heinemann, 1972]), and to the "Virtual Roundtables" at OutsiderWriters.org for inspiring this project. So please have a read, and be sure to use the comment section to join the conversation yourself!
Julian Adomako-Gyimah: Politicians are killing millions with their lack of respect for rule of law and the suffering masses. How can we fight this via poetry?
Prince Mensah: The internet has made it easier to expose such acts of brutality. For a long time it has been journalists who have been in the forefront of this fight. I must add that writers, like Ken Saro-Wiwa, Wole Soyinka and Dennis Brutus, have been in this cause as well. Yet, it is imperative for any holder of the pen, poets in this case, not to sit down and write nothing about the realities that gaze at them. We may write about history, but let’s talk about the present. We may talk about the beauty, but let’s contrast it with the ugliness. It is our role to write about and educate our people about freedom. Poets are socio-political beings, but we can never be politicians. As poets, we must be careful of not allowing our biases to poison the beauty of our poetry. We are supposed to present the problem and question the conscience of our people. We are catalysts, not instigators.
We can use international poetry or literary organizations to bring attention or send aid to a country that has a repressive government. What we can do is to feature countries under repressive governments and give audience to poets from that country. We can write books of poetry that benefit such countries. We can create a YouTube-themed website that allows poets to visualize their experiences. Recent events in Myanmar have added credence to the fact that an outlet for outcry like the internet helps the world to understand how people suffer under their governments. Let us use the internet in fighting this archaic notion held by this bunch of miscreants who rape their countries’ resources.
Vida Ayitah: I doubt very much politicians read poetry or even appreciate the art. If they did, we wouldn’t have corrupt politicians in our countries. Because the soul of a poet is so transparent, to lie to his fellow man would be next to impossible. Our politicians have somehow devised of a way of hiding themselves, and nothing can reach them. Certainly not pity or compassion or even common respect for other people's needs. So how do you make someone like that understand the value of something when he’s not even aware of its existence? For as long as our leaders stay in their ‘self-centered’ worlds, no voice can reach them. All the poet can do is write his piece. Personally, the only way I think poetry can be used as a medium to reach politicians is to feed it to them before they go into serious politics.
Julian: Great answers from you and Prince, but as poets we need to make sure politicians live up to our expectations and do not amass wealth at the expense of the populace, as Kufuor is currently doing. Rawlings was bad and I wrote so many political poems and articles about him but Kufuor's government is worst, hence my poem "This Is The Time."
As a poet, the only way I can fight these idiots is to write political poems such as "This Is The Time" and books such as the one I am currently working on called "The Graveyard".
As Wole Soyinka said, "the pen scares liars like politicians", so we need to write more revolutionary and controversial poems to fight these people because they are creating graveyards all around us.
Join this revolution my fellow poets but never be politicians. Because the synonym for that word is liar. God bless us all. If they don't read their compatriots will read and carry the message to them.
Bush, Blair, Musharraf and Kufuor, to mention but a few, can be 'killed' with poetry.
Prince: Vida, I definitely do agree with your assertion. Politics demands an alteration of character. Poetry cannot suffer hypocrisy. The two are incompatible. Our politicians are mostly opportunists who take their posts to gain proper grooming for the positions they aspire to. The sad aspect is that they never learn, and, if they do, it is to learn more ingenious ways to fool the people. Politics is indeed the occupation for the self-indulgent. It is supposed to be an arena of service to a nation. Instead it has become a coliseum of non-sensical, ravaging beasts who have little regard for national benefit or social consequence.
A lady once told me "Read a book. It is your visa to other people's minds and countries." I cannot dispute that. We are who we are as poets because of our curiousity to learn what was hidden behind book covers. It is up to us to stir our nation to literacy, for, especially in Africa, an educated citizen is a threat to every form of tyranny.
Julian, I have had the same misgivings about the present government. It seems power is more than an aphrodisiac; it is an anesthetic that gives promising politicians the excuse to forget about the reason why the people chose them in the first place. We must find a way to get accountability and probity from our leaders. You cannot gain power through popular sentiment and transmogrify into a monster that haunts the existence of the very people you were supposed to liberate. This story has been told over and over again, with few modifications, from Nkrumah to Kufuor. It is time that our generation of Ghanaians sits up and finds ways not to repeat the sorrowful mistakes of our fathers. We cannot afford mediocrity as a way of life, corruption as a means of justice, and tyranny as the cloud over our land. Our poetry must stir; it must reach places in people's hearts that have never been reached before.
Julian: Good point and unfortunately there is always an atavism in the life of every politician and as poets I agree with the fact that we need to sit up and stop them and their aficionado who wish to see others suffer. Once we get on the international platform, we have to tell the truth about our callous leaders and collectively liberate the oppressed.
Those of you who are still on campus, I think we need to collectively put up a show which combines poetry with drumming, choreography or music. I've tried these abroad and they really leave an indelible mark on the hearts of listeners.
"On n'a jamais riens sans mal," and surely one gets nothing without trying, so let's get it moving because there are so many questions for us to answer. We can be the voice for the speechless and the light in this darkened world so let's not rest until we liberate the masses from the hands of the beasts called politicians.
Edith Faalong: I am very excited about this, especially our union. Politicians these days are rubbing our faces in mud. More amusing is their style which indirectly goes to insult our intelligence. It's like they assume we are all ignorant of their antics. Like masters of a puppet show...the ordinary people: the puppets. Every day they roll out fantastic shenanigans. It's got to stop. How do we do it? We start by gently shaking the people awake with the pen. We cannot reach the politicians, let's sensitize the people and they can on their own resist deceit.
Vida: Hola Edith, glad you're in now. This does feel exciting. It's like a secret army of poets plotting against our bad bad politicians! Together as we raise our voices someone will listen. Because to just sit down doing nothing will not bring about any change. I just hope that we're able to stick it out; in time many more people will join. And then we will have the poetry club that no one in Ghana has been able to organize.
I have always wanted to be a part of a group with shared interests and passion for the same thing. And this feels so right.
Prince: The stench of ineptitude can never be hidden for long. Our leaders forget that he who has a cotton tail cannot cross a trail of fire. We as poets must also not forget that as a man stoops to criticize the holes in his neighbour's trousers, the holes in his own trousers are open to the next man.
We must render our poetry with utmost integrity because that gives us the attention we need to propel our visions of a free and fair country. People might say we are building a tower of words with our words but we must buttress our convictions with action. There is so much promise in what we are doing now and we cannot afford the luxury of falling down on our words.
Julian: Interesting. We need to keep this fire burning and learn other languages if we can because we need to reach out to all and sundry every nook and cranny. Soldiers of the word arise!
Now, let's talk more about some of the ways we can make these changes we want to see happen: How do we touch the lives of the poor and help raise money for the underprivileged poets?
Edith: Because most efforts of helping the poor are geared towards giving them already caught "fish", why don't we teach them to fish, starting with the little ones who will tomorrow be the big ones?
I have visited my village so often, my face has become very familiar. The worst problem I have identified is ignorance. There is no worse road to deprivation and poverty than ignorance.
The books I read as a child have taken me so far. They opened up my mind and introduced me to the need for freedom of thought. I remember there was a library a little way from the house I spent my earliest years in at Tamale. I rode a bicycle with my big sister every weekend to this library. Though it was far away, we went even if we had to walk, because there I found an awesome place, a spring of knowledge.
And now my dream is that one day, when I can, I will go to my village, set up a reading room for children, and make the environment friendly enough to attract them. Because I know, that the only way to liberate a person and free him/her from poverty and the gnarled hands of ignorance is through a book. It worked for me. The only way we can help is to work on their minds through books.
What I am trying to say is that donations of money, food, or clothes will only work in the short run. Let's make a donation for the long run, a donation of knowledge!
Julian: You hit the nail right on the head. We need to train them or teach them a skill to enable them to fish for themselves.
Vida: The idea is a good one. You can't feed someone for a day and think that's it. They need to know to do that for themselves. But what approach do you guys have in mind?
Julian: We can teach them how to fund raise, put proposals together, draw up business plans and how to use basic ECDL. They can earn a lot doing these things. For business plans for example, they can earn a minimum of $2000 doing one.
We can also pay for them to learn a trade or teach them how to earn money from poetry, short stories and features, I guess. There are organisations in the writers handbook who pay for these. We can also raise money by putting up spoken word sessions and put them in school or give them grants to do something.
Another thing I do is to develop businesses as a financial and management consultant, so combining both skills will put bread on their tables.
For those who are already writing, I guess we can help get them publishing deals and that way, they can get royalties on sales.
Agoo!
Edith: Agoo Julian!
Prince: I love hearing knowledge bouncing off deep minds. It's cool.
Poverty is definitely a circumstance that embalms the potential of any gifted person. It is up to the person in that circumstance to accept or reject that. The "Fa ma Nyame" syndrome that has plagued our country is eating away our ability to soar above our circumstances. It seems we are at the zenith of our talents when we are outside our own country, which is understandable due to the stagnant nature of our home institutions. Bureaucracy, "the PhD (Pull Him Down) Syndrome," corruption, nepotism and cronyism are reasons why we are not seeing any excellence coming out of the land that produced Kofi Annan, Kwame Nkrumah and Kofi Abrefa Busia. How can we erase this anomaly of human conduct? How can we change our people's mentality so that we believe that when everybody has a shot at life, it ends up benefiting everybody else?
We can raise money. We can create fundraisers. We can bring home a billion dollars and more. However, the core issue at stake is the mentality. "As a man thinketh, so is he." This is where we come in. We must ensure that there is always a horizon of positivity in every poem we write. We must instill hope, faith and love in our people through our poetry. We must show them ways, as Julian proposed, to make not only tommorrow's wage but also to secure their grand children's financial security. We need to instill a futuristic essence to our way of life because greediness comes from the here-and-now way of mind. I do not mind doing a programme that raises funds. It is absolutely necessary to do so. Ghana is us and we are Ghana.
Au revoir!
Julian: Great vision, Prince. I am glad we are all thinking right and willing to help liberate people.
I guess we should embark on a project dubbed "Poets Against Poverty and Mediocrity," walk to every bank, hotel, market and every nook and cranny to raise money via poetry.
Edith: You have a point there about the mentality thing Prince. "As a man thinketh, so is he." So lets think the sky for our people and us and so we will be.
Julian Adomako-Gyimah: Politicians are killing millions with their lack of respect for rule of law and the suffering masses. How can we fight this via poetry?
Prince Mensah: The internet has made it easier to expose such acts of brutality. For a long time it has been journalists who have been in the forefront of this fight. I must add that writers, like Ken Saro-Wiwa, Wole Soyinka and Dennis Brutus, have been in this cause as well. Yet, it is imperative for any holder of the pen, poets in this case, not to sit down and write nothing about the realities that gaze at them. We may write about history, but let’s talk about the present. We may talk about the beauty, but let’s contrast it with the ugliness. It is our role to write about and educate our people about freedom. Poets are socio-political beings, but we can never be politicians. As poets, we must be careful of not allowing our biases to poison the beauty of our poetry. We are supposed to present the problem and question the conscience of our people. We are catalysts, not instigators.
We can use international poetry or literary organizations to bring attention or send aid to a country that has a repressive government. What we can do is to feature countries under repressive governments and give audience to poets from that country. We can write books of poetry that benefit such countries. We can create a YouTube-themed website that allows poets to visualize their experiences. Recent events in Myanmar have added credence to the fact that an outlet for outcry like the internet helps the world to understand how people suffer under their governments. Let us use the internet in fighting this archaic notion held by this bunch of miscreants who rape their countries’ resources.
Vida Ayitah: I doubt very much politicians read poetry or even appreciate the art. If they did, we wouldn’t have corrupt politicians in our countries. Because the soul of a poet is so transparent, to lie to his fellow man would be next to impossible. Our politicians have somehow devised of a way of hiding themselves, and nothing can reach them. Certainly not pity or compassion or even common respect for other people's needs. So how do you make someone like that understand the value of something when he’s not even aware of its existence? For as long as our leaders stay in their ‘self-centered’ worlds, no voice can reach them. All the poet can do is write his piece. Personally, the only way I think poetry can be used as a medium to reach politicians is to feed it to them before they go into serious politics.
Julian: Great answers from you and Prince, but as poets we need to make sure politicians live up to our expectations and do not amass wealth at the expense of the populace, as Kufuor is currently doing. Rawlings was bad and I wrote so many political poems and articles about him but Kufuor's government is worst, hence my poem "This Is The Time."
As a poet, the only way I can fight these idiots is to write political poems such as "This Is The Time" and books such as the one I am currently working on called "The Graveyard".
As Wole Soyinka said, "the pen scares liars like politicians", so we need to write more revolutionary and controversial poems to fight these people because they are creating graveyards all around us.
Join this revolution my fellow poets but never be politicians. Because the synonym for that word is liar. God bless us all. If they don't read their compatriots will read and carry the message to them.
Bush, Blair, Musharraf and Kufuor, to mention but a few, can be 'killed' with poetry.
Prince: Vida, I definitely do agree with your assertion. Politics demands an alteration of character. Poetry cannot suffer hypocrisy. The two are incompatible. Our politicians are mostly opportunists who take their posts to gain proper grooming for the positions they aspire to. The sad aspect is that they never learn, and, if they do, it is to learn more ingenious ways to fool the people. Politics is indeed the occupation for the self-indulgent. It is supposed to be an arena of service to a nation. Instead it has become a coliseum of non-sensical, ravaging beasts who have little regard for national benefit or social consequence.
A lady once told me "Read a book. It is your visa to other people's minds and countries." I cannot dispute that. We are who we are as poets because of our curiousity to learn what was hidden behind book covers. It is up to us to stir our nation to literacy, for, especially in Africa, an educated citizen is a threat to every form of tyranny.
Julian, I have had the same misgivings about the present government. It seems power is more than an aphrodisiac; it is an anesthetic that gives promising politicians the excuse to forget about the reason why the people chose them in the first place. We must find a way to get accountability and probity from our leaders. You cannot gain power through popular sentiment and transmogrify into a monster that haunts the existence of the very people you were supposed to liberate. This story has been told over and over again, with few modifications, from Nkrumah to Kufuor. It is time that our generation of Ghanaians sits up and finds ways not to repeat the sorrowful mistakes of our fathers. We cannot afford mediocrity as a way of life, corruption as a means of justice, and tyranny as the cloud over our land. Our poetry must stir; it must reach places in people's hearts that have never been reached before.
Julian: Good point and unfortunately there is always an atavism in the life of every politician and as poets I agree with the fact that we need to sit up and stop them and their aficionado who wish to see others suffer. Once we get on the international platform, we have to tell the truth about our callous leaders and collectively liberate the oppressed.
Those of you who are still on campus, I think we need to collectively put up a show which combines poetry with drumming, choreography or music. I've tried these abroad and they really leave an indelible mark on the hearts of listeners.
"On n'a jamais riens sans mal," and surely one gets nothing without trying, so let's get it moving because there are so many questions for us to answer. We can be the voice for the speechless and the light in this darkened world so let's not rest until we liberate the masses from the hands of the beasts called politicians.
Edith Faalong: I am very excited about this, especially our union. Politicians these days are rubbing our faces in mud. More amusing is their style which indirectly goes to insult our intelligence. It's like they assume we are all ignorant of their antics. Like masters of a puppet show...the ordinary people: the puppets. Every day they roll out fantastic shenanigans. It's got to stop. How do we do it? We start by gently shaking the people awake with the pen. We cannot reach the politicians, let's sensitize the people and they can on their own resist deceit.
Vida: Hola Edith, glad you're in now. This does feel exciting. It's like a secret army of poets plotting against our bad bad politicians! Together as we raise our voices someone will listen. Because to just sit down doing nothing will not bring about any change. I just hope that we're able to stick it out; in time many more people will join. And then we will have the poetry club that no one in Ghana has been able to organize.
I have always wanted to be a part of a group with shared interests and passion for the same thing. And this feels so right.
Prince: The stench of ineptitude can never be hidden for long. Our leaders forget that he who has a cotton tail cannot cross a trail of fire. We as poets must also not forget that as a man stoops to criticize the holes in his neighbour's trousers, the holes in his own trousers are open to the next man.
We must render our poetry with utmost integrity because that gives us the attention we need to propel our visions of a free and fair country. People might say we are building a tower of words with our words but we must buttress our convictions with action. There is so much promise in what we are doing now and we cannot afford the luxury of falling down on our words.
Julian: Interesting. We need to keep this fire burning and learn other languages if we can because we need to reach out to all and sundry every nook and cranny. Soldiers of the word arise!
Now, let's talk more about some of the ways we can make these changes we want to see happen: How do we touch the lives of the poor and help raise money for the underprivileged poets?
Edith: Because most efforts of helping the poor are geared towards giving them already caught "fish", why don't we teach them to fish, starting with the little ones who will tomorrow be the big ones?
I have visited my village so often, my face has become very familiar. The worst problem I have identified is ignorance. There is no worse road to deprivation and poverty than ignorance.
The books I read as a child have taken me so far. They opened up my mind and introduced me to the need for freedom of thought. I remember there was a library a little way from the house I spent my earliest years in at Tamale. I rode a bicycle with my big sister every weekend to this library. Though it was far away, we went even if we had to walk, because there I found an awesome place, a spring of knowledge.
And now my dream is that one day, when I can, I will go to my village, set up a reading room for children, and make the environment friendly enough to attract them. Because I know, that the only way to liberate a person and free him/her from poverty and the gnarled hands of ignorance is through a book. It worked for me. The only way we can help is to work on their minds through books.
What I am trying to say is that donations of money, food, or clothes will only work in the short run. Let's make a donation for the long run, a donation of knowledge!
Julian: You hit the nail right on the head. We need to train them or teach them a skill to enable them to fish for themselves.
Vida: The idea is a good one. You can't feed someone for a day and think that's it. They need to know to do that for themselves. But what approach do you guys have in mind?
Julian: We can teach them how to fund raise, put proposals together, draw up business plans and how to use basic ECDL. They can earn a lot doing these things. For business plans for example, they can earn a minimum of $2000 doing one.
We can also pay for them to learn a trade or teach them how to earn money from poetry, short stories and features, I guess. There are organisations in the writers handbook who pay for these. We can also raise money by putting up spoken word sessions and put them in school or give them grants to do something.
Another thing I do is to develop businesses as a financial and management consultant, so combining both skills will put bread on their tables.
For those who are already writing, I guess we can help get them publishing deals and that way, they can get royalties on sales.
Agoo!
Edith: Agoo Julian!
Prince: I love hearing knowledge bouncing off deep minds. It's cool.
Poverty is definitely a circumstance that embalms the potential of any gifted person. It is up to the person in that circumstance to accept or reject that. The "Fa ma Nyame" syndrome that has plagued our country is eating away our ability to soar above our circumstances. It seems we are at the zenith of our talents when we are outside our own country, which is understandable due to the stagnant nature of our home institutions. Bureaucracy, "the PhD (Pull Him Down) Syndrome," corruption, nepotism and cronyism are reasons why we are not seeing any excellence coming out of the land that produced Kofi Annan, Kwame Nkrumah and Kofi Abrefa Busia. How can we erase this anomaly of human conduct? How can we change our people's mentality so that we believe that when everybody has a shot at life, it ends up benefiting everybody else?
We can raise money. We can create fundraisers. We can bring home a billion dollars and more. However, the core issue at stake is the mentality. "As a man thinketh, so is he." This is where we come in. We must ensure that there is always a horizon of positivity in every poem we write. We must instill hope, faith and love in our people through our poetry. We must show them ways, as Julian proposed, to make not only tommorrow's wage but also to secure their grand children's financial security. We need to instill a futuristic essence to our way of life because greediness comes from the here-and-now way of mind. I do not mind doing a programme that raises funds. It is absolutely necessary to do so. Ghana is us and we are Ghana.
Au revoir!
Julian: Great vision, Prince. I am glad we are all thinking right and willing to help liberate people.
I guess we should embark on a project dubbed "Poets Against Poverty and Mediocrity," walk to every bank, hotel, market and every nook and cranny to raise money via poetry.
Edith: You have a point there about the mentality thing Prince. "As a man thinketh, so is he." So lets think the sky for our people and us and so we will be.
OGOV Roundtable Discussion #1 - About the Participants
Julian is also the proud author of two bestsellers, namely Smile Africa and Recall, which are both available on amazon.com, bn.com, borders.com, and in major retail outlets around the globe.
Julian is a co-founder of One Ghana, One Voice.
Some of Julian's poetry: The Beautiful Child, This Is The Time
Vida Ayitah: Vida was born on July 19th, 1978 in a small farming community in the Volta Region. She has three sisters and one brother. She is currently living and working in Accra. She enjoys music and dancing as much as she does writing.
Some of Vida's poetry: Atonement, Mama
Edith Faalong: Edith was born on January 12th, 1986 to Mr. Joseph Y Faalong and Madame Hellen Tanye in the Upper West Region of Ghana. She currently lives in Accra, reading economics and geography as a third-year student at the University of Ghana.
Some of Edith's poetry: Sankofa
Some of Prince's poetry: Animal, Beach
The Beautiful Child - Julian Adomako-Gyimah
Many years ago a great child was born
Born to the great continent of Africa
She was charming and so adorable
She was adorned in gold and diamonds
Her gold deposits were so much that she gained an immaculate name
The Gold Coast
La Côte D'or
Her name reached far and wide
And she soon attracted the Portuguese
They had their share of her gold
The Danes followed
They left very early with our riches
And then the British came to stay with us
We were about to be colonized and lose our wealth
A new nation was to be born out of the Côte D'or
50 years today, Ghana was born out of the Gold Coast
And she was to be blessed with a divine child
Kwame Atoapem Nkrumah
Busumuru, The son of the sword
He was to liberate Africa and make her greater
This new African Child put the spirits of our Ancestors at rest
Spirits of our slaves, your nation is 50 years old today
Spirits of the dead slaves
Come make merry with us this day
The Fotomfrom drum is playing
And the Dondos are beating
Great nation
Our ancestors are calling
They are calling for accountability
True democracy is what they call for this day
Ha! Ha! Ha!
How ecstatic we are today
The world is gazing openly at you mother
We're wondering what you're going to do next
Oh! Great nation Ghana
We are engulfed with gold and diamond
Manganese and Bauxite are all over you
How can we not salute your greatness?
Let's make merry all day
Let's dance and drink
Whilst we avoid dancing around our dreams
Dreams of your kids are staring at you
How can they turn them into reality?
The Gong is playing
And calling all lovers of freedom and justice
Why not join us in celebrating Ghana's greatness
Why not join us as we celebrate the life of our freedom fighters
Kong kong kong, the gong is still calling
Calling out all sons and daughters of the lady of 50
Rejoice and celebrate the life of a good mother
The beautiful child of extraordinary capabilities
We salute you at 50
Born to the great continent of Africa
She was charming and so adorable
She was adorned in gold and diamonds
Her gold deposits were so much that she gained an immaculate name
The Gold Coast
La Côte D'or
Her name reached far and wide
And she soon attracted the Portuguese
They had their share of her gold
The Danes followed
They left very early with our riches
And then the British came to stay with us
We were about to be colonized and lose our wealth
A new nation was to be born out of the Côte D'or
50 years today, Ghana was born out of the Gold Coast
And she was to be blessed with a divine child
Kwame Atoapem Nkrumah
Busumuru, The son of the sword
He was to liberate Africa and make her greater
This new African Child put the spirits of our Ancestors at rest
Spirits of our slaves, your nation is 50 years old today
Spirits of the dead slaves
Come make merry with us this day
The Fotomfrom drum is playing
And the Dondos are beating
Great nation
Our ancestors are calling
They are calling for accountability
True democracy is what they call for this day
Ha! Ha! Ha!
How ecstatic we are today
The world is gazing openly at you mother
We're wondering what you're going to do next
Oh! Great nation Ghana
We are engulfed with gold and diamond
Manganese and Bauxite are all over you
How can we not salute your greatness?
Let's make merry all day
Let's dance and drink
Whilst we avoid dancing around our dreams
Dreams of your kids are staring at you
How can they turn them into reality?
The Gong is playing
And calling all lovers of freedom and justice
Why not join us in celebrating Ghana's greatness
Why not join us as we celebrate the life of our freedom fighters
Kong kong kong, the gong is still calling
Calling out all sons and daughters of the lady of 50
Rejoice and celebrate the life of a good mother
The beautiful child of extraordinary capabilities
We salute you at 50
Author Profile - Julian Adomako-Gyimah
Biography:
Five Questions with Julian Adomako-Gyimah:
Contact Julian:
Julian's Past Profiles:
May 5th-11th, 2007
Julian is also the proud author of two bestsellers, namely Smile Africa and Recall, which are both available on amazon.com, bn.com, borders.com, and in all major retail outlets around the globe.
Julian is a co-founder of One Ghana, One Voice.
Five Questions with Julian Adomako-Gyimah:
1. What do you think is the state of poetry in Accra, outside of the University of Legon? How do you think we can improve the poetry community that exists outside of the University setting?
The state of poetry in Accra at the moment is not very good and the only way we can improve the poetry community outside the boundaries of the University of Ghana is to organise periodic workshops to address the importance of poetry and writing in general. People need to be awakened and made to see the power of the pen.
A poetry event on TV or radio can also go a long way to help.
2. "The Beautiful Child" seems to have contradictory themes to those in your last profiled poem, "This Is The Time." What allows you to take such different perspectives?
Yes, you are right and my poetry usually addresses societal issues and nothing more so I choose to write about politics when necessary, general issues and anything that puts me in the position to speak for those who have been used and abused. Ghana is a wonderful country except that we have bad leadership. I thought it was time to talk about the magnificent nature of this great nation and attract tourists whilst we put together a movement to kick out all the bad politicians.
3. Do you feel "The Beautiful Child" speaks more to Ghana's current greatness, or to the country's future, untapped greatness?
"The Beautiful Child" talks about both as it makes it clear as to what we stand for and what the greatest son of Africa, Nkrumah, wanted it to be like. This poem is to tell all and sundry that Ghana deserves better leadership, human capital improvement, etc.
4. "The Beautiful Child" was read at the Orlando, Florida "Ghana @ 50" event. Was it written specifically for that event? What was your reaction to finding out it had been read?
It was specifically written for this event as the organisers approached OGOV to get a special poem for the event. I have gotten to the stage where the poetry just flows as soon as I put pen to paper so I decided to put up this piece just to make the event a successful and memorable one.
I was very ecstatic when I realised that it had been read at the event. Poetry is universal and should have no boundaries so this achievement makes me feel proud as a published poet and an Afrocentrist.
5. Some people say that Ghana's 50th Anniversary celebrations have had a positive effect on peoples understanding of Ghana's history. Others argue that the celebrations have covered up many of the historical problems you refer to in "This Is The Time". What is your opinion?
The current celebrations are just not necessary at all. At 50, we should have been planning how to move the nation to where it really belongs. There should have been a revamp of the educational setup to address the current market needs and we should have been organising fora to identify the problems of Ghana and how to address them.
Our selfish leaders are just amassing wealth in the name of the 5Oth anniversary celebrations. These thieves called politicians will have to pay for this blunder now or in the near future. Our current leader has by this proven how incompetent he is as a leader. He is one of the worst leaders in our nation's history and not different for President Rawlings. They are all bandits in disguise.
We should be crying at 50 rather than jubilating because we have achieved nothing but failure.
Contact Julian:
Email: jlnadom(at)gmail.com
Website: Buy Smile Africa
Buy Recall
Julian's Past Profiles:
May 5th-11th, 2007
This Is The Time - Julian Adomako-Gyimah
My eyes are filled with tears
And my ears are filled with semantic noise
My heart is filled with hatred and sadness
And I wish I could liberate my people from these vultures
The vultures who call themselves politicians
They make promises and yet grab as much as they can
All at the expense of the citizenry
We might not be able to pick up the gun
Not because we are cowards but because we hate violence
Yet we can make a point with a mightier weapon
The pen, something which scares the vultures
This is the time to tell the truth
The truth which has eluded us for years
Politicians are the biggest liars in the world
They should be taken as jokers
Because they have no truth to tell
They don’t know what is truth
The NDC deceived and let Ghanaians and Africa down
The NPP are no good
They all speak one language
That is lies
Who said politicians think of us?
Who said they are interested in eradicating poverty?
Look at them in their flashy cars
See them as they encourage immorality amongst the youth
They live in a clover whilst the populace dies of hunger
This is the time for us to beat our drums
And dance to true democracy and accountability
This is the time for us to cry out loud
Cry out loud and ask for politicians to be more accountable
This is the time for us to cry out loud
And urge these bloody politicians to follow the footsteps of Nkrumah
This is the time
The time for us to rise against imperialism and neocolonialism
This is the time for us to rise against nepotism, tribalism and ethnocentrism
These ......sms are being used wrongly by the politicians
Arise to the task
And hold on to the zero tolerance to corruption, President Kuffour
Stop the misuse of our national funds
And stop creating divisions all in the name of politics
Ghanaians are noted as Ghanaians everywhere they go
And not by their political affiliations
Rawlings, you have had your time
It is now time for you to stop the boom speeches
And live as a true statesman
Obasanjo, this is the time for you to go
Aren’t we fed up with your betrayals?
Africa is fed up with your constant betrayals Obasanjo
You betrayed Charles Taylor
You betrayed your vice President
And have already betrayed your best friends
This is the time for Africa to say no to the hypocrites
Caramba! We cannot take it anymore greedy African leaders
Queridos Amigos
This is the time for us to say no to corruption and the corrupt leaders
This is the time for us to rise against tribalism and nepotism
Where is the $20m odd that Ghana @ 50 Secretariat had?
This is the time for us to ask why Accra is dirtier @ 50
This is the time to ask why there is so much hatred amongst Ghanaians
This is the time to ask why most of President Kufuor’s comrades are from one tribe
The time is now or never
This is the time to ask why the CIA and FBI are moving to Ghana
Whilst President Kufuor applauds at the imperialists
Did these agencies not overthrow the greatest son of Africa?
Are they not responsible for the chaos in Africa?
How then do our leaders tolerate them?
And even dine with them
Kwaku Ananse might think he is clever
But is he not the most foolish person we know
This is a message to all greedy politicians
We will hail you when you deserve one
But this is time to chant fire upon you
This is time to chant down heavenly water over your abodes
Liars and thieves of Africa
This is the time to change or die
This is the time to be accountable and stop robbing your people
This isn’t the time to own hotels and penthouses
This isn’t the time to make boom speeches
This isn’t the time for witch hunting
This is the time to apologize to Africa for your mistakes
And this is the time to compensate victims of political injustices
This is the time to create wealth amongst Africans
It is the time to halt capital flight
Time is ticking tick, tick
And isn’t prepared to wait for no man
It is time to stop kickbacks and give back to society
Time is ticking
Yet people are still reading newspapers instead of working in the public sector
Time is ticking
Yet crooks are still being made to take up top management positions
Oh! My mama Africa
I can hear your cry loud and clear
My pen is ready to liberate you
Liberate you from the shackles of the thieves called politicians
This is time to liberate Africa
This is time to hail Kwame Nkrumah
It is time to say no to neocolonialism and denounce Bush and Blair
We rate good men like Nkrumah and Mandela
Yet we hate people like Kufuor and Rawlings
We do not rate them because they have one thing in common
They all have serious human rights abuse records
They tolerate high interest rates
They tolerate high unemployment amongst their people
They enrich the foreigners
We can never rate but hate them
They create wealth for the few
And create poverty amongst the majority
We hate to see our people die
Hence our willingness to chant fire upon these evil men
This is time to talk and walk
This is the time to educate our people
And teach them how to defend their rights
This is the time to ask 24 questions
Why and how did Lumumba die?
Why did Apartheid continue for so long?
Why did the CIA kill Nkrumah?
Why did Nkrumah scare the West?
Why are Ghanaians still struggling @ 50?
Why are we spending $400m on cars whilst Ghanaians die of hunger?
Why are African banks so unhelpful to entrepreneurs whilst African leaders look on?
Why is President Kufuor not talking about zero tolerance......now?
Why is Mugabe a target of Britain and the US?
Why is General Kotoka being hailed with the Airport named after him?
Why are we not giving Nkrumah the respect that he deserves?
Why is there no statue of Nkrumah at the Nkrumah Circle?
My mind is on fire
And my heart is filled with sadness
I still have 12 more questions to ask
And they need to be answered
Why is it so difficult to set up a business as a Ghanaian?
Why are Ghanaian businessmen not getting any tax exemptions?
Why are the CIA and FBI moving to Ghana?
Why are all the US agencies moving to one location in Ghana?
This is the time to ask several questions
And question the US foreign policy
This is the time to Question US presence in Iraq and Afghanistan
And Question the true terrorists of the World
Why is Obasanjo noted for deadly betrayals?
Why are our professionals leaving Africa?
Where are the great sons of Africa?
Why did they kill Steve Biko?
Why are politicians looting Mama Africa?
Why is Africa still in chaos despite all the natural resources?
Why is Africa poor when it is infact the richest continent?
Why don’t we call back Osagyefo and reignite his ideologies?
These are the 24 questions to ask ourselves this time
This is the time to move beyond politics
And denounce politicians for their greed and dishonesty
I am so scared for the next generation
As our leaders loot Mama’s riches
And share them amongst their cronies
All at the expense of the poor
There is a new dawn
A new dawn gazing at the rich African continent
This new dawn is frightening the bad politicians
This is the time to tell a part of the story
As the rest is to be continued in the minds of the honest ones
And put the dishonest politicians to shame
The time is now or never
Let us all dance to the fontomfrom and the rich African drums
The sound is immaculate and the time to beat the drum is now
The spirits of our ancestors are dancing
The good works of Nkrumah are being missed all over Africa
This is the time to tell the truth
And give due respect to the dead heroes of the continent.
And my ears are filled with semantic noise
My heart is filled with hatred and sadness
And I wish I could liberate my people from these vultures
The vultures who call themselves politicians
They make promises and yet grab as much as they can
All at the expense of the citizenry
We might not be able to pick up the gun
Not because we are cowards but because we hate violence
Yet we can make a point with a mightier weapon
The pen, something which scares the vultures
This is the time to tell the truth
The truth which has eluded us for years
Politicians are the biggest liars in the world
They should be taken as jokers
Because they have no truth to tell
They don’t know what is truth
The NDC deceived and let Ghanaians and Africa down
The NPP are no good
They all speak one language
That is lies
Who said politicians think of us?
Who said they are interested in eradicating poverty?
Look at them in their flashy cars
See them as they encourage immorality amongst the youth
They live in a clover whilst the populace dies of hunger
This is the time for us to beat our drums
And dance to true democracy and accountability
This is the time for us to cry out loud
Cry out loud and ask for politicians to be more accountable
This is the time for us to cry out loud
And urge these bloody politicians to follow the footsteps of Nkrumah
This is the time
The time for us to rise against imperialism and neocolonialism
This is the time for us to rise against nepotism, tribalism and ethnocentrism
These ......sms are being used wrongly by the politicians
Arise to the task
And hold on to the zero tolerance to corruption, President Kuffour
Stop the misuse of our national funds
And stop creating divisions all in the name of politics
Ghanaians are noted as Ghanaians everywhere they go
And not by their political affiliations
Rawlings, you have had your time
It is now time for you to stop the boom speeches
And live as a true statesman
Obasanjo, this is the time for you to go
Aren’t we fed up with your betrayals?
Africa is fed up with your constant betrayals Obasanjo
You betrayed Charles Taylor
You betrayed your vice President
And have already betrayed your best friends
This is the time for Africa to say no to the hypocrites
Caramba! We cannot take it anymore greedy African leaders
Queridos Amigos
This is the time for us to say no to corruption and the corrupt leaders
This is the time for us to rise against tribalism and nepotism
Where is the $20m odd that Ghana @ 50 Secretariat had?
This is the time for us to ask why Accra is dirtier @ 50
This is the time to ask why there is so much hatred amongst Ghanaians
This is the time to ask why most of President Kufuor’s comrades are from one tribe
The time is now or never
This is the time to ask why the CIA and FBI are moving to Ghana
Whilst President Kufuor applauds at the imperialists
Did these agencies not overthrow the greatest son of Africa?
Are they not responsible for the chaos in Africa?
How then do our leaders tolerate them?
And even dine with them
Kwaku Ananse might think he is clever
But is he not the most foolish person we know
This is a message to all greedy politicians
We will hail you when you deserve one
But this is time to chant fire upon you
This is time to chant down heavenly water over your abodes
Liars and thieves of Africa
This is the time to change or die
This is the time to be accountable and stop robbing your people
This isn’t the time to own hotels and penthouses
This isn’t the time to make boom speeches
This isn’t the time for witch hunting
This is the time to apologize to Africa for your mistakes
And this is the time to compensate victims of political injustices
This is the time to create wealth amongst Africans
It is the time to halt capital flight
Time is ticking tick, tick
And isn’t prepared to wait for no man
It is time to stop kickbacks and give back to society
Time is ticking
Yet people are still reading newspapers instead of working in the public sector
Time is ticking
Yet crooks are still being made to take up top management positions
Oh! My mama Africa
I can hear your cry loud and clear
My pen is ready to liberate you
Liberate you from the shackles of the thieves called politicians
This is time to liberate Africa
This is time to hail Kwame Nkrumah
It is time to say no to neocolonialism and denounce Bush and Blair
We rate good men like Nkrumah and Mandela
Yet we hate people like Kufuor and Rawlings
We do not rate them because they have one thing in common
They all have serious human rights abuse records
They tolerate high interest rates
They tolerate high unemployment amongst their people
They enrich the foreigners
We can never rate but hate them
They create wealth for the few
And create poverty amongst the majority
We hate to see our people die
Hence our willingness to chant fire upon these evil men
This is time to talk and walk
This is the time to educate our people
And teach them how to defend their rights
This is the time to ask 24 questions
Why and how did Lumumba die?
Why did Apartheid continue for so long?
Why did the CIA kill Nkrumah?
Why did Nkrumah scare the West?
Why are Ghanaians still struggling @ 50?
Why are we spending $400m on cars whilst Ghanaians die of hunger?
Why are African banks so unhelpful to entrepreneurs whilst African leaders look on?
Why is President Kufuor not talking about zero tolerance......now?
Why is Mugabe a target of Britain and the US?
Why is General Kotoka being hailed with the Airport named after him?
Why are we not giving Nkrumah the respect that he deserves?
Why is there no statue of Nkrumah at the Nkrumah Circle?
My mind is on fire
And my heart is filled with sadness
I still have 12 more questions to ask
And they need to be answered
Why is it so difficult to set up a business as a Ghanaian?
Why are Ghanaian businessmen not getting any tax exemptions?
Why are the CIA and FBI moving to Ghana?
Why are all the US agencies moving to one location in Ghana?
This is the time to ask several questions
And question the US foreign policy
This is the time to Question US presence in Iraq and Afghanistan
And Question the true terrorists of the World
Why is Obasanjo noted for deadly betrayals?
Why are our professionals leaving Africa?
Where are the great sons of Africa?
Why did they kill Steve Biko?
Why are politicians looting Mama Africa?
Why is Africa still in chaos despite all the natural resources?
Why is Africa poor when it is infact the richest continent?
Why don’t we call back Osagyefo and reignite his ideologies?
These are the 24 questions to ask ourselves this time
This is the time to move beyond politics
And denounce politicians for their greed and dishonesty
I am so scared for the next generation
As our leaders loot Mama’s riches
And share them amongst their cronies
All at the expense of the poor
There is a new dawn
A new dawn gazing at the rich African continent
This new dawn is frightening the bad politicians
This is the time to tell a part of the story
As the rest is to be continued in the minds of the honest ones
And put the dishonest politicians to shame
The time is now or never
Let us all dance to the fontomfrom and the rich African drums
The sound is immaculate and the time to beat the drum is now
The spirits of our ancestors are dancing
The good works of Nkrumah are being missed all over Africa
This is the time to tell the truth
And give due respect to the dead heroes of the continent.
Author Profile - Julian Adomako-Gyimah
Biography:
Five Questions with Julian Adomako-Gyimah:
Contact Julian:
Julian is the proud author of two bestsellers, namely Smile Africa and Recall, which are both available on amazon.com, bn.com, borders.com, and in all major retail outlets around the globe.
Julian is a co-founder of One Ghana, One Voice.
Five Questions with Julian Adomako-Gyimah:
1. How long have you been writing poetry?
I've been writing since I was about 8 years old.
2. Who are your favorite poets? Which poets have most inspired you and informed your work?
My favourite poets include Maya Angelou, Joy Alford, Kofi Anyidoho, Kofi Awoonor, Kwame Alexander, Rob Taylor, Bob Marley, Mutabaruka, Joseph Hill and Peter Tosh. The poets who have inspired my writing style are Marcus Garvey and Bob Nesta Marley.
3. What is your opinion of the state of African poetry today? What do you think needs to be done to promote and strengthen African poetry?
The State of African poetry is currently nothing to write home about and it is a shame that Great men like Nkrumah are crying in their graves due to the non existence of very great African poets who address the spiritual and economic issues facing the continent and its people in the diaspora.
African Poets need to read more and get their materials published instead of just keeping them in lockers and it is about time we harness, explore, explore and explore our full potential.
4. What do you think is the role of poetry in modern Ghanaian politics?
Poetry is a language that is understood by all and sundry and it is a tool that scares greedy politicians who do not live up to their promises. Poetry can thus be used to address issues associated with politicians and hence force them to deliver and alleviate poverty. A clear example is my poem "This Is The Time."
5. In "This Is the Time" you speak both of Ghanaian (Kufuor, Rawlings, etc.), African (Obasanjo, Charles Taylor, etc.), and Global (CIA, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.) political figures and issues. How are these things connected, and why, in your mind, should they be important to Ghanaians? Likewise, why should African and Ghanaian politics be important to people living in Western countries?
The world is a global village and whatever affects one directly affects the other indirectly hence the controversial link. In this particular poem, I was talking for the opressed and the voiceless all over the world via poetry and it makes me feel good as I have at least put a smile on the faces of those who have been used and abused by the thieves called politicians.
Whatever affects Ghanaians directly affect the western society and the entire globe indirectly so this poem is for everyone who believes in the truth. I cannot take up a gun and kill the greedy African politicians, the CIA, George Bush and Blair, etc. but I can kill them with the pen hahahahahaha.
Contact Julian:
Email: jlnadom(at)gmail.com
Website: Buy Smile Africa
Buy Recall
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