Tribute to Benjamin Zephaniah

Last week Benjamin Zephaniah passed away. Countless tributes have been created since his passing, and by now, if you hadn’t heard of him before, you’ve likely read the foundations of his life. His work, poetry, and fierce political activism have all been common sight in the media. The self described anarchist and anti-monarchist is primarily recognised for his contributions to literature and spoken word poetry, but Zephaniah has collaborated with musicians and explored the intersection of poetry and music extensively.

If we attempted to remove music from the story of Benjamin Zephaniah, it would be like trying to remove the core from an apple, stubbornly embedded and resistant. These two words accurately describe the poet, his resistance to the British empire, racism, and homophobia appear throughout his music. His work is deeply influenced by the music, poetry and politics of Jamaica. In fact, in his first 1982 album, ‘Rasta’ which featured the first recordings of the Wailers' since the death of Bob Marley. Because of the albums references to Nelson Mandela, and its subsequent success, the leader of South Africa met the Birmingham born Dub poet. In 1996, Mandela requested he host the Two Nations Concert at the Royal Albert Hall.

In ‘Pen Rhythm Poet’ shown in the videos above, was the poet’s first TV appearance in 1983. Showcasing his performances of dub poetry on topics such as police brutality, class system and British society. The film also showcases his thoughts of his career to date, setting up poetry sessions, walking the streets of London, and performing music to eager crowds and cameras.

Perhaps the most powerful, and his most known, is also his ‘talking turkeys’ poem, drawing obvious paraells between racism and animal rights. Zephaniah’s music and poetry transcended dance floors and countries. ‘Rasta’ topped the charts as number one in the former Yugoslavia. He has often blended reggae, dub, and other musical genres with his poetry, creating a unique and powerful fusion of spoken word and music. His last album was ‘revolutionary minds’ released in 2017.

His enthusiasm for change, the youth, and justice is palpable through out his work, and more so, is wrapped in a parcel of love, rather than hate.

Rest in power, Benjamin Zephaniah!