On Kwame Dawes: His Work and Aesthetic

Kwame Dawes is a Ghana-born, Jamaican-American poet and professor whose work has won him countless awards, including an Emmy for his amazing work on the website, "Live Hope Love" (http://www.livehopelove.com/#/home/) a beautiful and interactive collection of poems, music, photography and video, dealing with people living with HIV in Jamaica. More about that site later.

In my latest book, A Poet Speaks of Empire, I praise Dawes' ability to "write a growing torrent of a poem" which "inspires wisdom and a knowing only he knows." Dawes has the remarkable ability to breathe life into ordinary words and to inspire reflection with each evocative lyric. Even in his prose, his language is so very precise and thoughtful. This much is evident in books, Bob Marley: Lyrical Genius and poetic works like Midland. 
  
I chose to highlight Dawes in my book, not only because he was born in Ghana and seems to have retained an inspiring sensibility and respect for where he comes from, but because of his determination to preserve a perspective on Jamaica which is altogether unique and somehow fragile. In the halls of academia, Dawes is one of the few who respect reggae as an aesthetic that needs to be examined and understood. In many ways, I understand why he writes and is so prolific. He seems to aim to write the books that he wishes to read himself and finds far too few of in the halls of libraries and bookstores. 

I wrote A Poet Speaks of Empire for just this reason. I have been unable to find many books that reflect on the current political and economic developments in the whole of Africa in recent years. No doubt, current events are being written about. In the years since independence, there have been a plethora of African authors writing about the promises and the challenges faced in the immediate post-colonial era. International publication of such authors seems to have waned in recent years. I have had difficulty identifying more contemporary authors who speak of the hopes and concerns I touch upon in my latest book.

Kwame Dawes has a new book out entitled, Duppy Conqueror, after a title of a song by Bob Marley. I have not read the book yet, but based on the reviews I have read, Dawes continues his commitment to promoting a pan-African awareness.


"Live Hope Love" (http://www.livehopelove.com/#/home/) is a stunning example of Kwame Dawes' work and commitment to issues facing the African diaspora. On the site, rich poems accompany gritty photography which present the face of HIV in Jamaica in recent years. The poetry that you will find on this site documents the courage and challenges that many Jamaicans deal with in the face of this epidemic. Check out the site and do not miss poems like triumphant "Nichol," who cries, "Man must live/ Man must live." Dawes notes that in all Nichol's smiles and in the persistence of his will, he "is the posture of survival."

In my work, I owe a debt of gratitude to poets and authors like Kwame Dawes, who have blazed a path for authors documenting and reflecting on the experiences of people in the vast African diaspora.

It only seems appropriate to cite the words of Franz Fanon, a thinker on the frontier of the Negritude movement: “Our history takes place in obscurity and the sun I carry with me must lighten every corner.”

A Review of "Building BRICs: The New Scramble for Africa" by Barbara Njau

For those of you whose interest in Africa's economic rise was peeked by previous blogs or by the introduction to my latest book, please read on as I review/summarize a fascinating new essay published by Barbara Njau, the Kenya-born, Senior Reporter and Markets Editor of "Foreign Direct Investment (fDi) Magazine" (part of the Financial Times).

In her essay, aptly entitled, "Building BRICs: The New Scramble for Africa," she indicates the gains made in the last 15 years on the continent of Africa due to the rise of, investment from and trade with the "global south," or the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China). Njau provides qualitative and quantitative evidence that Africa is, in fact, experiencing a renaissance, one that will have far-reaching consequences for growth and development on the continent in the decades to come.  
  

Indeed, over the last decade, there has been a “realignment in commercial relationships…a shift in centers of global production away from western markets, towards emerging markets generally.” The West's economic downturn of 2008 marked a watershed moment in this gradual shift. 

The BRICs are leading the pack with new investments in everything on the continent from infrastructure to mining to schools and hospitals. China alone invested $100 billion by 2008 according to Standard Bank. China, in particular, has become the continent’s largest bilateral trading partner. By 2009, 15% of sub-Saharan Africa’s trade was with China, followed by 12% with the US. As Njau carefully notes, “for the first time in decades, Africa’s growth appears enduring.”

According to Njau, BRIC nations know how to work in markets and with populations similar to their own, those with low incomes, low savings and low purchasing power. BRIC nations can “more readily understand the dynamics of the continent’s markets and adapt their products accordingly.” As a result, multinationals based in BRIC countries and building in Africa are more risk averse than Western multinationals and are willing to engage with a rising middle class.

Njau also notes the many changes in the political and economic environments in Africa in the last few decades. Improved macroeconomic management, more transparent business environments and robust interest in African markets on the part of emerging market economies have herded in a dynamic new era for the continent. 

She also observes that “one of the positives cited about the growing interest of the BRICs in the continent is the positive spill-over effects that the BRICs’ expertise will have...as integral actors in transferring skills and technical know-how to their African employees. The Chinese firm, Huawei, which is the world’s second largest telecommunications equipment supplier, has worked to integrate African talent into its global operations.” Such practices are evidence of important investments in human capital which will have far-reaching effects on Africa’s future growth and development.

Rather poignantly, Njau points out that the BRICs' investment in Africa and Africa's exploding growth illustrate that Africa should be taken seriously as a viable investment destination by the world at large. “Africa, with nearly one billion people, represents the world’s third largest market after China, which has a population of 1.3 billion people, and India, with 1.2 billion people.”

Finally,“With new opportunities opening up, and more tangible developments on the ground…people will demand their cut. This could begin to shift African politics away from domination by ethnic loyalties, and create new alliances around demand for public goods and a share of the national cake.” In other words, improved economic conditions in Africa could lead to political revolutions in favor of democracy and greater economic equality as it has in East Asia over the past few decades. The Africa we know could very soon emerge transformed.

If you'd like to read the essay in its entirety, simply go to Amazon and enter the title, "Building BRICs: The New Scramble for Africa" or the author's name, Barbara Njau.

  

Paris Review Interview with Chinua Achebe

Read this stunning and illuminating interview with Chinua Achebe, the so-called "father of African literature." The world lost this literary luminary at the age of 82 just a little over a week ago. In this extended interview, read about his life and his craft. Learn something about this soft-spoken giant of literature that you didn't know. Brew some tea. Take your time...

http://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/1720/the-art-of-fiction-no-139-chinua-achebe

Chinua Achebe is best-known for his novels, Things Fall Apart, No Longer at Ease and Arrow of God, among others. He is perhaps lesser known for his poetry, although it is equally as powerful. If you'd like to read some of his poetry, simply visit my Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Contemplating-Eve-The-Collected-Works-Other-Books/110883098935354 

I've posted a poem from Chinua Achebe everyday for the last week. (You do not need to have a Facebook account to read the poetry on the page, so click away!)