Sent: Friday, February 3, 2023 3:14:03 AM
To: USA Africa Dialogue Series <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Today's Quote
Cornelius, that quote from Rilke! What power and beauty!
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From: usaafric...@googlegroups.com <usaafric...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Cornelius Hamelberg <cornelius...@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 2, 2023 6:21:35 PM
To: USA Africa Dialogue Series <usaafric...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Today's QuoteThe world over, there are political poets and there is political poetry
How many of us have been to Christopher Okigbo's grave ?
Indisputably, he was a political poet, even if that was not all that he was.
Ojogbon Falola likes to provoke. I suppose that's part of his poetic itch and in this case, he appears to be merely teasing Chidi with this apparently innocent question, "Do poets understand politicians?" - which demands, even inspires a response that in this case is reminiscent of the opening of Ishmael Reed's article, Ma and Pa Clinton Flog Uppity Black Man :
" During Bill Clinton's first run for President, I appeared on a New York radio panel with some of his black supporters, including Paul Robeson, Jr., son of the actor and singer. I said that Clinton had character problems. They dismissed my comments and said I didn't know anything about politics and should stick to writing novels. (Clarence Page, who has monopoly on the few column inches and airtime made available to black columnists by the corporate media, said the same thing about me. I should stick to creative writing and leave politics alone.)"
The converse of Ojogbon's question could well be infinitely more cynical: "Do politicians understand poetry?" it's the kind of question I would like to ask Rt General Osusegun Obasanjo and Presidential wannabe Alhaji Atiku Abubakar - in which case I suppose they are both covered; Pastor Obasanjo would probably refer to the poetry of the Bible which we are to assume he understands since he has a PhD degree in Divinity, and the Alhaji can always refer to what he has in his hand: The miracle that is the Holy Quran
It's a question we could have asked people like Leopold Sedar Senghor, Václav Havel and someone like Agostinho Neto
Ojogbon Falola, in Chidi's case, I think it's a matter of " The role of the poet is to change the government", but the kind, law-abiding citizen that he is ( one of his favourite words is " miscreant") he would not advocate " by any means necessary, or what Mutabaruka bellowed about: " any which way"
I'm anxiously awaiting the moment when Chidi will take to performing - with some musical background to his poetry as spoken word poetry ( I'd like to be in the band) If "the media is the message" ( McLuhan) then the world over and in Africa in particular, the music is certainly the medium - very much so, take Mzwakhe Mbuli and Linton Kwesi Johnson for example, add Victor Jara, Bob Dylan, Vladimir Vysotsky, Bob Marley
Much of Chidi Anthony Opara's poetry and many of his poetic thoughts, pithy sayings, witticisms, satirical grumbling in the ongoing Nigerian summer of discontent, some of his garrulousness and public outrage so far in print, make us realise in the broadest possible sense the role of the poet in a society, society in this case, to include all of Nigeria, and the world in which we live, aware or unaware as we may be, about the poetic dimensions of the universe, of mere existence, we can still hear Rike's question in his Duino Elegies ringing in our ears :
"Who, if I cried out, would hear me among the angels' hierarchies? and even if one of them pressed me against his heart: I would be consumed in that overwhelming existence. For beauty is nothing but the beginning of terror, which we still are just able to endure, and we are so awed because it serenely disdains to annihilate us. Every angel is terrifying."
Adeshina Afoloyan has already quoted one of Israel's National poets ( Yehuda Amichai ) and I suppose that Wole Soyinka is very much a Nigeria's National Poet and Political Activist . for change….memorably, Soyinka to Obasanjo :
Just Go …
Go NOW …
Hugh Masekela: Bring It Back Home - YouTube
--On Thursday, 2 February 2023 at 18:24:30 UTC+1 chidi...@gmail.com wrote:
"Oga Chidi:
Do poets understand politicians?
TF"
I spoke as a political observer.
-CAO.Oga Chidi:
Do poets understand politicians?
TF
From: usaafric...@googlegroups.com <usaafric...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Chidi Anthony Opara, FIIM, CDOA <chidi...@gmail.com>
Date: Thursday, February 2, 2023 at 5:27 AM
To: USA African Dialogue Series <usaafric...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Today's QuoteAnytime Bola Tinubu says "I made Buhari President", he demarkets himself as a presidential aspirant.
-Chidi Anthony Opara (CAO)
--
Chidi Anthony Opara is a Poet, IIM Professional Fellow, MIT Chief Data Officer Ambassador and Editorial Adviser at News Updates (https://updatesonnews.substack.com)--
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