Mutabaruka: The First Poems / The Next Poems (Double Volume) [Paperback]

Mutabaruka (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 24, 2005

MUTABARUKA was born Allan Hope in Rae Town, Kingston, Jamaica on December 26, 1952. Internationally acclaimed poet, reggae performer, radio host, actor, social critic and Rastafarian spokesman, he is Jamaica's voice of the people. His work focuses on themes of social justice, human rights and black liberation.

In the 1970s he began publishing his highly controversial poems, and since the early 1980s he has performed his work all over the world. He has released several outstanding albums of dub poetry, a marriage of reggae rhythms and the spoken word.

This book contains a reprint of his first major collection of poems of the 1970s, "Mutabaruka: the First Poems," and a new anthology of his best work written between 1980 and 2002, "Mutabaruka: the Next Poems."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In the past few years, Mutabaruka has risen to prominence as the foremost Jamaican poet...." -- The San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle

"Mutabaruka is Reggae’s premier dub poet." -- Billboard

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Paul Issa Publications (January 24, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9766107130
• ISBN-13: 978-9766107130
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,250,262 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book for all seasons, May 14, 2005

By 

Mary O. Hanna "scholar" (Kingston, Jamaica) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mutabaruka: The First Poems / The Next Poems (Double Volume) (Paperback)

Mutabaruka is back in a beautiful book with perfect heft. It feels good in the hand. It offers a feast of creole poetry that sings in the mind. It appeals to Jamaica lovers, Rastafarian scholars, libertarians of all kinds looking to share riddim ravings and reasonings. Paul Issa's careful and considerate editing of Muta's powerful songs make the reading easy and the quality paper and print compliment the striking cover and clever dual-design. This book makes a special gift for island lovers and is a tribute to poetry rebels everywhere. Anyone who has heard Muta's voice on these poems will hear them "in your mind, in your mind, in your mind" while looking at them on the page. It's a brilliant translation from dub performance to print where little is lost. Professor Mervyn Morris's two Introductions provide useful context. This double book is a first rate product with authentic appeal for specialist and layperson alike.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mutabaruka's poems in patois span the decades, April 24, 2005

By 

Bob Merlis "Bob Merlis" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mutabaruka: The First Poems / The Next Poems (Double Volume) (Paperback)

This is an unusual and enthralling collection for a number of reasons. The format is brilliant; his early poems are presented under a cover on one side and if you flip the book over, the new ("Next") poems stand on their own, under another cover. I was stuck by Mutabaruka's innovative word play; he's expressive on many levels and the fact that much of this is in Jamaican vernacular makes for an almost Chauceresque reading experience; you "hear" the poems as much as you read them. His is a powerful voice, with strong spiritual and geopolitical threads running throughout. No matter if you read the new poems first or the first ones first, it's a literary journey well worth taking and taking again.
Bob Merlis, author of Heart & Soul: A Celebration of Black Music Style in America, 1930-1975

5.0 out of 5 stars Jamaica's underbelly, May 19, 2005

By 

MG (California, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Mutabaruka: The First Poems / The Next Poems (Double Volume) (Paperback)

"If you're looking for an insight to Jamaica's underbelly - poverty, violence, racism and classism, Mutabaruka is one stop shopping. His lyrical beautiful poems reach out and grab you by the ears and take you for a turbulent ride across a sea of hot topics.

But it's not all gloom and doom. Muta's brilliant exciting verse is sprinkled with love and a wicked sense of humor. He navigates our ship with cool calm confidence. And you don't have to be Jamaican to 'andastan' his work. He's more than a poet. He's a prophet.

My favorite poem of the collection is "Butta Pan Kulcha."