POETRY AND SOCIAL DISCOURSE By Ngome Ikoma

POETRY AND SOCIAL DISCOURSES

By Samuel Mwagalaba

28 June 2012

The society can be defined by its struggles and conflicts in daily activities,and knowledge is shaped by structures of that society,hence the appearances we see are the reflection of those.The established order of the said society etc plays a pivotal role subject to the means and ends of operative tools.The tools could be categorical, ie the cultural,the government,academic, security infrastructures etc  within the particular institution.

As such we are at liberty to look at any particular organ of the society body and try to observe the operation and effect to the whole.Now lets look on how ideas organizes and sprung from a society in relation or due to the forces or influence of time becomes part of the infrastructure of that social building then and after.

The Last Poets was a group of poets and musicians who arose from the late 1960s African American civil rights movement's and black nationalist movement. Their name is inspired  by a poem of Keorapetse Kgositsile  a South African revolutionary poet and an active member of the A.N.C who fled into exile in the U.S in the early  60s up to the mid 70s.His underlying message being a line of poets was down from the original man and modern technology and weaponry would mark the last of the line. 

The earliest member of the group were Felipe Luciano, Gylan Kain and David Nelson. Their work laid ground of what is known today as Hip Hop Music through its social consciousness recitation and rhythms that briged the Afro-American ideals.Formed on 1968 in East Harlem and in 1969 they were joined by Jalal Mansoor, Umar Bin Hassan,Abiodun Oyewole and the percussionist Nilaja Obabi  who made the core of the group by 1970. " wake up ,Niggers" their song became a sound track of the films;Perfomance(1970) and 'Right On(1971) reaching  US Top 10 charts.

However among many of their songs,"This is Madness " Album became  a major hit with a very strong anti racial in discrimination message,that they had crashes with the then  Richard Nixon administration.What happens when poets make it their work to address social problems. The Authorities persecute them.But a Poet finds no rest when the society is in chaos.even more so,when he or she is the last standing on the line.

Creatively they blended their poetry with funk and Jazz music instrumentation.If the the soul of the society is its poetry,then the true poet will strive never to loose it,but naturally craft it with other trends so that it survives and cruise in time carrying its message for us and those who are to come,the entity of its society.How can a poet imitate everything foreign?Music like language cant avoid all together the influence of other but proportionally never to loose its own stance.

During the 80s,together with the The Last Poets spokesmen like Gil Scot Heron and Gary Byrd had left a stepping stone for the rising Hip Hop Emcees that were to dominate a decade later. to understand something,one needs to break it  down into pieces and find the original ingredients of its make up,and that fabric is its poetry,don,t loose your poetry, your roots.It is what makes up your image,you loose it you loose yourself.Yes different souls under the big umbrella,why should one make all of us see only what he sees? wITH OR WITHOUT THEM WE DO ,we did and we shall HAVE OUR SIGHT. And we know what we have seen.

Here i think for example that trend of Musicians from Salim Abdallah, Mbaraka Mwishehe,to Patrick Balisidya, Marijani Rajabu etc here in Tanzania, the Artist who had the vibrations of our souls,people who defined our entity,that was the time and we were the people,today what a shattered image we have,if its a cultural face,then it must have undergone a terrible accident,to be unrecognizable.

At least not altogether dead,there are people who are trying,to keep the roots,The last Poets,standing  strong, since; we are we,and this is our land.Channel and move those ideas now for  tomorrow.Poetry is the people.Is it setting or rising?Comrades we are the last poets,lets not loose the line.

The question posed before us, is how are we influenced by our predecessors? the way it stand we probably are more moved out of our line.Now I dont have any problem with the so called the new generation,even though to me the word is a coinage to brainwash the mind,that has already lost the chain command in its cycle.so it has forgotten were its coming from,not knowing where its going,even  so more worse,it does not know even where it is,to think its new! like the body separated from its head...return to the basics,should be the call of the poets.Against The Pan Capitalists and all their likes. 

Ideas travels and leave their marks shaping the societies.the cultural manifestations show cases the state of the community.Now when you those common community values like sharing responsibilities and strategies in its the wealth for the prosperity of all are abandoned,instead of which stands the mushrooms of individuals with the community resources at their grip,you get it the poetry is not right! Is the inside empty? For the poets to take their building material from else where?why should we buy the food we can produce from south Africa?Aren't we denying our own farmers and producers their fortune,and opportunity to prosper?The people prosperity is the Nation Prosperity..nothing more or less.

Umar Bin Hassan and Abiodun Oyewole

From South Africa to to the US traveled the ideas,the ideas that aimed to chide assumptions whose inclination is to maintain the colonial yoke around the neck of the disenfranchised.Same year (1968) they came to effect,Martin Luther King had been assassinated. bringing together music and the word,bringing back the old African Griots tradition to express the Black panthers heat.

And here is the line from Willie Kgotsisile poem,an inspiration of the last poets;

When a moment hatches in time's womb

There will be no art talk

The only poem you will hear

Will be the spearpoint

Pivoted in the punctured marrow of the villain.

Adios!

Copyright: Nyayo Cultural Center. All rights reserved.

OUR STORY

OUR STORY

WE DID NOT SHOUT
 LOUD ENOUGH FOR THEM TO HEAR
ONLY FEW RESPONDED
OUR STORY WAS TOLD
TOLD TO THE BIRDS
AND BEASTS IN THE WILD
OUR STORY WAS TOLD TO THE FISH
IN PONDS ,RIVERS TO THE SEA
WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR STORY?
AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF THE LORD BEEN REVEALED?
THIS IS OUR STORY
REVOLUTIONARY
REDEMPTION
JUSTICE
EQUAL RIGHTS
FAIR SHARE
OF THIS EARTH
AND EVERYTHING IN IT
THIS IS OUR STORY

CHE GUEVARA

CHE GUEVARA

Che Guevara

Che Guevara

Alizaliwa  Rosario Argentina kunako Juni 14, 1928, Ernesto Guevara R. de la Serna alisomea UTABIBU kabla ya kusafiri kote Amerika ya Kusini akiwa na rafiki yake Alberto Granado, kuchunguza hali MBAYA YA  Umasikini,MARADHI NA UJINGA KATIKA DUNIA YA TATU,ziara hii aliyofanya akiendesha pikipiki na rafiki yake ilisababisha  imani katika idili ya ki- Marxist. Yeye akisaidiana na  Fidel Castro walipindua serikali kibaraka cha marekani ya Cuba wakati huo chini ya Batista KATIKA VITA ILIYOCHOKUWA MIAKA MIWILI. Guevara baadaye alishirikii katika  mapambano msituni katika Bolivia kuiondoa serikali nyingine tena kibaraka ya Marekani chini ya Rais Rene Barrientos, ambapo yeye aliuawa.  Che anaheshimiwa na watu wa Dunia ya tatu ambao ndio wengi duniani. Kabla ya Bolivia Che alipigana Congo kuing'oa serikali kibaraka cha Ufaransa ya Mobutu, ambapo kama isinge kuwa wajumbe waliotumwa na Fidel Castro kumbembeleza sana, angefia huko, kwani makamanda wenzake sita walifia huko,kuhusu Kongo alisema si kabila wala Jeshi lake, wote hawana nidhamu, waliitupa shehena ya silaha ambazo wasinge zitumia tena, kwenye ziwa Tanganyika, na aliongeza, kusema "mwanamapinduzi hata awe mahiri vipi hawezi kumkomboa mtu ambaye hayuko tayari kusimama mwenyewe na kupigana kwa ajili ya nchi yake"

DONDOO

"Bora niwe huru kaburini kwangu kuliko kuishi kama kibaraka na mtumwaa, au bora nife nimesimama kuliko kuishi huku nimepiga magoti kwa binadamu mwenzangu...mwenye kunidhulumu haki yangu.

- Che Guevara

Kiongozi wa mapinduzi.. Baada ya kukamilisha masomo yake ya matibabu katika Chuo Kikuu cha Buenos Aires, Guevara akawa kiMAPINDUZI  zaidi, kwanza katika Argentina yake ya asili na kisha katika nchi jirani ya Bolivia na Guatemala. Mwaka 1954, alikutana na Mkyuba Fidel Castro na  ndugu yake Raul   Mexico. Mtu mpole sana aliye penda watu, Che aliwahi kusimamisha masomo yake mwaka mzima, na akajitolea kwenda San Pablo, jimbo lililobaguliwa kwa ajili ya wenye ukoma, na akaishi nao akiwasaidia, katika moja ya shajara zake ameandika angependa kwenda kuishi Afrika kama tabibu, kuwasaidia watu, hakuamini umaskini duniani, ni zao la kutokuweza, kwa maskini hao kujikwamua, bali, tunda la binadamu wenzao wanaowanyonya na kujinufaisha kwa umaskini na  na kutokujua kwao. Mwaka 1964, akiwa mjumbe wa serikali ya Mapinduzi ya Kyuba Umoja wa mataifa, alilikemea Taifa la Marekani, kwa kutowajibika chochote kuhusu utawala wa kibaguzi Africa kusini, pia , alikemea mauaji na mateso ya weusi marekani na huko majaribio mawili ya kumuua yalifanyika na WaKyuba waliohamia Marekani bila ya mafanikio.

Guevara alikuwa ni sehemu ya mafanikio ya  Fidel Castro kupindua serikali Batista Cuba. Yeye aliwahi kuwa mshauri wa kijeshi kwa Castro na aliongoza majeshi msituni katika vita dhidi ya majeshi ya Batista. Wakati Castro alichukua madaraka mwaka 1959, Guevara akasimamia ya gereza La  Ngome ya Kabana. Inakadiriwa kuwa kati ya watu wafungwa wa kisiasa na hao walioita vibaraka 550 waliuawa kwa amri ya  Guevara na idhini ya mahakama. Mara moja yeye kwa bastola yake mwenyewe aliimua  Eutimio Guerra aliye kamatwa na pesa alizoohongwa kutoa siri za wanamapinduzi.

Baadaye, akawa Rais wa benki ya Cuba kitaifa na kusaidia kuhamisha biashara na  mahusiano benki  ya nchi hiyo kutoka Marekani  kwenda  Umoja wa Kisovyeti. Miaka mitatu baadaye, aliteuliwa waziri wa sekta. Guevara aliacha wadhifa huu mwakaa 1965  na kuanzisha harakati ya kuendeleza mapinduzi ya Kyuba sehemu nyingine za dunia. Mwaka 1966, alianza kwa kujaribu kuwashawishi watu wa Bolivia kuasi dhidi ya serikali yao, lakini alikuwa na mafanikio kidogo. Pamoja na nguvu ndogo tu msituni kusaidia jitihada zake, Guevara alikamatwa na kuuawa katika La Higuera na jeshi Bolivia  likisaidiwa na majasusi wa CIA Oktoba 9, 1967. Usishangae, hayo ya marekani hayakuanza leo,wala jana, hapo Libya, Iraki na penginepo BALI TANGU ZAMANI HIZO, Marekani imetafuta kuitawala dunia yote bila pingamizi, ikimiliki uchumi wake. Ni wabishi wachache ka Ghe naCastro waliosimama kupinga.

 1960, the streets of Havana with wife Aleida(right)

Tangu kifo chake, Guevara imekuwa hadithi ya takwimu za  kisiasa . Jina lake  mara nyingi hulinganishwa na uasi, ujamaa, mapinduzi, . Wengine, hata hivyo, bado humkumbuka kwamba yeye alikuwa mkatili mbabe,ambaye alichukia sana unyonywaji wa aina yoyote ile na vibaraka wake, kwamba dawa ya mnyonyaji muue, angekuwa waziri wa  mambo ya ndani Tanzania, kwa mfano, viongozi wengi walioiba mali ya Umma wangeuwawa, tunaweza kumfananisha na Sokoine, lakini mara mia, yake jinsi alivyoamuru wafungwa kunyongwa bila kesi nchini Cuba. Maisha Guevara yanaendelea kuwa  mvuto mkubwa miongoni mwa wapenda haki na amechezwa katika vitabu vingi na films, ikiwa ni pamoja " Motorcycle Diaries"  (2004), na ile Ya Che , Bennichio Deltorro akimwigiza...

Wakati wowote watu: wake kwa waume, watakapokusanyika, kupinga,hali mbaya ya maisha yao kwa namna yoyote ile, itokanayo na Binadamu wenzao wasiothamini Utu wao, Che Guevarra atakumbukwa. Alikuwa Mtu mbele ya wakati wake. Tofauti na wenzetu, Che alikuwa Msomi Gwiji, Tena Hakutoka Familia Duni, lakini alijishusha chini, kama mtu tu mwingine miongoni mwa mwa watu, kama nikiwasema watu wa mfano wake, basi orodha yangu itamjumuisha Socrates, Yesu Kristo, Che Guevarra, Thomas Sankara na Patrice Lumumba kwa Uchache na Kwa urefu zaidi tukutane tena hapa kichwa ngumu, au Fesibuku kwenye kurasa ya CHE Guevara.

                             

Asanteni sana

Gwamier Koma

© 2012-Nyayo Cultural Center haki zote zimehifadhiwa

Angetile j. Mwangalaba

http://www.facebook.com/angetile.s.j.mwangalaba

DAGAAKAUZU

Hasta Siempre Comandante

WIMBO MASHUHURI WA KUMBUKUMBU YA CHE GUEVARRA

                                    Mnara wa kumbukumbu ya Che Guevara  Santa Clara, Cuba



"Hasta Siempre, Comandante", au kifupi "Hasta Siempre", ni wimbo uliotungwa Cuba mwaka 1965  kwa kihispania na  mtunzi Carlos Puebla. Wimbo  huu mashairi yake ni jibu la barua ya mwanamapinduzi Che Guevara alipoaga  akiondoka Cuba kwa mara ya mwisho,katika safari yake ya mapinduzi Kongo na baadaye Bolivia,  ambapo  alitekwa na kuuawa.
Ushairi wa wimbo huu unakumbusha wakati muhimu wa Mapinduzi ya Cuba,na nafasi ya  Che Guevara  kama kamanda wa  mapinduzi hayo. Wimbo ulishika chati baada ya kifo cha  Guevara, na  wana mrengo kushoto wengi-wataaluma kwa wasanii wanauthamini sana wimbo huu. Unajulikana kama "¡Hasta la Victoria Siempre!" ("Daima Hadi Ushindi!"). wimbo ulitolewa tena na Nathalie Cardone katika 2002.


Yafuatayo ni mashairi halisi kwa kihispania


Aprendimos quererte
desde la histórica altura
donde el Sol de tu bravura
le puso cerco a la muerte.
Chorus:
Aquí se queda la CLARA,
la entrañable transparencia,
de tu querida presencia,
Comandante Che Guevara.
Tu mano gloriosa y Fuerte
sobre la Historia dispara
cuando TODO Santa Clara
se despierta para Verte.
[Chorus]
Vienes quemando la brisa
con nyayo de Primavera
para plantar la bandera
con la Luzu de tu sonrisa.
[Chorus]
Tu amor revolucionario
te conduce Empresa nueva
donde esperan la firmeza
de tu brazo libertario.

[Chorus]
Seguiremos adelante,
Como junto seguimos ti,
y con Fidel te decimos:
«¡Hasta siempre, Comandante!»

Tafsiri kwa Kiiswahili

Tulijifunza kukupenda wewe
kutokana na  vinavya kihistoria
ambapo jua ya ushujaa yako
Halikuogopa hata kifo

Chorus:

Hapa upo uwazi,
wa uwepo wako mpenzi,
Kamanda Che Guevara
Mkono wako wa utukufu na nguvu
juu ya shina la  Historia 
wakati wote  Santa Clara
Iamkapo kukuona wewe
[Chorus]

Wewe ulikuja na kuwasha upepo mwanana
Na Jua changamfu
kusimamisha bendera
na mwanga wa tabasamu lako

[Chorus]
Upendo wako wa  mapinduzi
Unaongoza kwa ahadi mpya
 Na tamanio imara
La  mkono wa mkombozi

[Chorus]

Sisi tutaendelea
tukikufuata nyayo zako
Pamoja na  Fidel
 sisi twasema:
"Buriani, Kamanda!"

Kuna matoleo zaidi ya 200 ya wimbo huu. Wimbo umetolewa pia  nashirika la  SEGUNDO, Soledad Bravo,  Óscar Chávez,  Nathalie Cardone,  Robert Wyatt, Inés Rivero, Silvio Rodríguez, Ángel Parra, Celso Pina,  Rolando Alarcón, Los Olimareños, Maria Farantouri, Jan Garbarek, Wolf Biermann, Boikot, Los Calchakis , George Dalaras, Giovanni Mirabassi na Al Di Meola, Ahmet Koç, Mohsen Namjoo, Enrique Bunbury, Interitus Dei miongoni mwa wengine. Ingawa Victor Jara kamwe Hakuuimba wimbo huu, hata hivyo, wengi wanampa heshima ya utunzi huu wa Puebla Carlos  kwa kutojua. Na wakati ujao tutazungumza habari za Victor Jara, msanii gwiji na mwana Mapinduzi.

Marejeo

-Aviva Chomsky (Desemba 13, 2010). Historia ya Mapinduzi ya Cuba. Yohana Wiley & Sons. p. 121. ISBN 978-1-4051-8774-9. Rudishwa 3 Agosti 2012.
- "Soledad Bravo / Soledad - Version 1969". Rudishwa 2007/05/25.
- "Soledad Bravo / Hasta Siempre". Rudishwa 2009/11/01.
- "OSCAR Chavez 20 Exitos". Jalada kutoka ya awali kwenye 2007/09/26. Rudishwa 2007/05/25.
- "Nathalie Cardone / Hasta Siempre". 1997.

Alizaliwa  Rosario, Argentina KUNAKO Juni 14, 1928, Ernesto Guevara R. de la Serna ALISOMEA UTABIBU kabla ya kusafiri kote Amerika ya Kusini, kuchunguza hali MBAYA YA MARADHI NA UJINGA KATIKA DUNIA YA TATU, HALI  iliyosababisha  imani YAKE katika idili ya ki- Marxist. Yeye akisaidiana na  Fidel Castro kwalipindua serikali ya Kiimla ya Batista Cuba. Guevara baadaye alishirikii katika  mapambano msituni katika Bolivia kuiondoa serikali kibaraka ya Marekani, ambapo yeye aliuawa. Yeye huheshimiwa na wengi duniani hasa wanyonywaji.

DONDOO

"Bora niwe huru kaburini kwangu kuliko kuishi kama kibaraka na mtumwaa, au bora nife nimesimama kuliko kuishi huku nimepiga magoti kwa binadamu mwenzangu...

- Che Guevara

Kiongozi wa mapinduzi.. Baada ya kukamilisha masomo yake ya matibabu katika Chuo Kikuu cha Buenos Aires, Guevara akawa kisiasa zaidi kwanza katika Argentina yake ya asili na kisha katika nchi jirani ya Bolivia na Guatemala. Mwaka 1954, alikutana na Mkyuba Fidel Castro na  ndugu yake Raul   Mexico.

Guevara alikuwa kiungo muhimu na  sehemu ya mafanikio ya  Fidel Castro kupindua serikali Batista Cuba. Yeye aliwahi kuwa mshauri wa kijeshi kwa Castro na aliongoza majeshi msituni katika vita dhidi ya majeshi ya Batista. Wakati Castro alichukua madaraka mwaka 1959, Guevara akasimamia ya gereza La  Ngome ya Kabana. Inakadiriwa kuwa kati ya  wafungwa wa kisiasa na hao walioitwa vibaraka 550 waliuawa kwa amri ya  Guevara na idhini ya mahakama.

Baadaye, akawa Rais wa benki ya Cuba kitaifa na kusaidia kuhamisha biashara na  mahusiano benki  ya nchi hiyo kutoka Marekani  kwenda  Umoja wa Kisovyeti. Miaka mitatu baadaye, aliteuliwa waziri wa sekta. Guevara aliacha wadhifa huu mwakaa 1965  na kuanzisha harakati ya kuendeleza mapinduzi ya Kyuba sehemu nyingine za dunia. 1966, alianza kwa kujaribu kuwashawishi watu wa Bolivia kuasi dhidi ya serikali yao, lakini alikuwa na mafanikio kidogo. Pamoja na nguvu ndogo tu msituni kusaidia jitihada zake, Guevara alikamatwa na kuuawa katika La Higuera na jeshi Bolivia  likisaidiwa na shirika la kijasusi la Marekani (CIA) kama tu walivyomfanya Ghadafi, japo kuwa wawili hawa wanahulka tofauti kabisa,, Guevarra aliuawa Oktoba 9, 1967.

Che Guevarra

Tangu kifo chake, Guevara amekuwa hadithi mashuhuri ya  takwimu za  kisiasa . Jina lake  mara nyingi hulinganishwa na uasi, ujamaa, mapinduzi, . Wengine, hata hivyo, bado humkumbuka kwamba yeye alikuwa mkatli mbe,ambaye alichukia sana ubepari na vibaraka wake, kwamba dawa ya bepari muue, angekuwa waziri wa  mambo ya ndani Tanzania, kwa mfano, viongozi wengi walioiba mali ya uma wangeuwawa, tunaweza kumfananisha na Sokoine, lakini mara mia yake jinsi alivyoamuru wafungwa kunyongwa bila kesi nchini Cuba. Maisha Guevara yanaendelea kuwa  mvuto mkubwa miongoni mwa wapenda haki na amechezwa katika vitabu vingi na films, ikiwa ni pamoja  Motorcycle Diaries  (2004), na ile Ya Che , Bennichio Deltorro akimwigiza...

© 2012-Nyayo Cultural Center haki zote zimehifadhiwa

Ngome C. Ikoma

ESTABA MUERTO AQUÍ

(Para el Che Guevara)

La revolución no fue fácil,

En presencia de los títeres y traidores .., Pero intentamos nuestro mejor esfuerzo,

 para iniciar una, el espíritu, un amor por nuestro pueblo,

 enemigos de nuestra Revolución no quiere que estemos unidos,

que recogerá entre vosotros,

los que pueden vender sus almas a los demonios,

y traicionar el sueño de su propio pueblo,

Sí, fue asesinado aquí,

sino que el espíritu de la revolución es inmortal

Por Ngome Ikoma