mutabaruka review

The night of the epiphany – Issa Prophet September 26, 2001 click the pics for the larger version.  click here for more mutabaruka pics

The Guild Complex’s Chopin Theater holds about 200 people and is located at 1543 W. Division Street.  The Guild was hosting ‘Musicality of Poetry Series X’ as part of the World Music Festival Chicago event.  This night featured:  Mutabaruka, Cherry Natural and All Natural. 

A luminescent Cherry Natural, in a white African print and beaded locks, started us on our enchanted journey. A petite woman with a powerful presence she had a command of the audience from word one.  Cherry has been performing since 1979 and is accomplished in many different areas, the most interesting to me is that she has a black belt in modern Arnis.  She will never need her skills in Arnis because her verbal prowess and linguistic agility will have you begging, FOR MORE.  I first heard Cherry Natural during a interview with Irie FM back in 1999.  At the time she was promoting her work on the compilation CD called ‘Natty Queen Divas’ [1998] and I’ve been hooked ever since. 

 Cherry considers herself a motivational dub poet.  “Life cannot be without me” was the line that catches your ear during her first poem.  She stated that she wanted this night to be a night of upliftment with special attention to the women in the audience.  She encouraged the women to “Elevate yourself with word magic.” 

While speaking of the tragedies in NYC and DC she reminded us that “hate destroys the vessel that it lives in.”  Her performance of ‘Guerilla Queens’ was empowering.  Humor and love were also in store for us when she preformed ‘Keep Your Heart’, “it’s safer with you”.  When she was speaking she asked the women in the audience “How can you accept weakness [subordinate roles] and bring children into this world?”  That we must be strong to raise our children because of the many roles we assume while raising them: doctor, teacher, spiritual guide and some have to be both parents.  We must be strong to show and give our children strength.   

‘Pickney Bones’ was poem that struck at the heart of me.   I will share the lines that are still bouncing around in my head “Give the preacher back his sin…..I smell like the earth when the water touches it……take the clothes off my back, take all those things…by Choice or Design MY MIND IS MINE.” 

Closing her set she shared ‘Walking Out Of Your Jail Tonight’ and concluded with ‘Jah Guide’ – “The truth cannot hide, Jah Guide.” 

Capital D took the mic and sat down on one of the steps on the stage.   He unfolded a piece of paper, while Tone B. Nimble started pulling out his records.  Capital D shared his thoughts on the WTC and Pentagon attacks.  When he finished and started to put the paper back in his pocket he had taken the audience on an intellectual  journey through his mind and we were cheering.  All Natural consists of Tone B. Nimble and Capital D. They released their first album in 1997 ‘Fresh Air, No Additives, No Preservatives’ with the single, that was considered by many the most beautiful hip-hop song of 1997, ’50 Years’.   Their second release is ‘Second Nature’.

  All Natural had some special guests with them.  One was GreenWeeds, when he came up on stage he said, “We’re not use to everyone sitting on their asses during our shows.  The monitors aren’t  working very well, so I want all ya’ll to come up on stage with us.”  I didn’t see any donkeys around, but in moments you could barely see the first half of the stage.  People were standing on chairs, rocking to the music and chanting along with the crew.   Their lyrics were sound and positive.  They were playful, interactive and worked the crowd near and far.  We move on to Mutabaruka.  As I readied myself to put pen to paper for this review the old adage kept coming to mind – Don’t believe everything you hear.  My mother would add – “especially if it’s negative.”   For years I had no interest in listening to Mutabaruka.  I recalled some negative words that were credited to him and he had been banned, so rumor had it, from performing at a festival in Jamaica because some of his words were THOUGHT to be offensive to ‘white’ people.  So with the encouragement of my mentor, Sister Irie (the reggae host of Conscious Party, in Austin, Texas), and first hand reports from trusted friends I was excited about this opportunity.  

 Mutabaruka had arrived without The Skool Band.  I was disappointed, but soon realized it was a blessing in disguise.  We were treated to an up close, personal and intimate evening with Mutabaruka.  It was the type of evening that reminds you of being in yard, sitting around the domino table and reasoning with people you respect and cherish.  I knew tonight was going to be special. 

Fifteen years ago he wrote a poem called ‘The Eyes Of Liberty'.   It was chilling to realize how current the poem was today.  Some of the lines were, “You invade Grenada, invade Nicaragua, bomb Hiroshima and bomb Philadelphia ….but the eyes of  liberty is watchin you.”  He spoke on the tragedies and I don’t want to misquote or misrepresent Mutuabaruka as enough people have already done that.  My impressions and the thoughts he expressed were the regret of the lives lost and he wondered, “How can people say they love God but don’t love man?” and also said, “To think all this was done because of religion.”

On the topic of religion he discussed his irritation that women are ‘blamed’ so frequently in the Bible.  Eve brought sin into the garden.  This was ridiculous thought to him.  What was Samson doing drinking wine?  He was a Nazarene, he shouldn’t have erred in drinking the wine and Delilah would not have had the opportunity to do her deed. 

He spoke on drugs and said, “Drugs that are legal kill more people then the drugs that are illegal.”  Cocaine was one subject.  The expression in this thought was one of the most endearing to me because he was so animated while expressing it.  He told us of his obsevation, “when white people snort cocaine they dance [he starts moving his arms in front of him and picks or grabs at the air], sometimes you wonder what they are dancing to, but they dance.”  He finds humor in the effect ganja has on people “when you smoke herb you like ‘ya mon, wha gwan’ you don’t do nothing.  When black people snort cocaine they become wicked and ruthless.” 

“McDonald’s is a drug…..  They call it fast food cause it kills you fast….. What is a nugget?  My grandmother never showed me that part of the chicken!”, had all of us laughing.  He doesn’t understand “why some people say they love animals and then eat them.”  He shared his view that [our] '”belly is a graveyard for dead animals.”  This got a rise out of someone in the audience near the front and he said, “ Ya mon, the box your food is served in is a little coffin – they even named your dead food for you – whopper.”  Laughter and chuckling was heard throughout the theater.  

He performed ‘Dispel The Lie’ and said that he “never smoke since the day me born.  I know it sounds a lie, but it is truth” One of the lines from the poem is “Rastafari livin high no smoke reveal that to I dispel the lie .” 

‘I Don’t Have A Color Problem’, “I see everything in black and white”, had the audience contemplating these words after he was done. 

He taunted and teased us when he spoke about the foolishness of nursery rhymes and how none of us were beat to memorize them, but yet we all know them.  Alas, we did not get a live telling of “Nursery Rhyme Lament” as I am told that is best when heard aloud, especially by Mutabaruka himself. 

‘Dis Poem’ closed the show.  If any of you have heard or read ‘Dis Poem’ you found if funny, boring, or too long  and yet you were still adding verses to it in your head the day after hearing or reading it. 

If you’d like to read the poems referenced in this review I STRONGLY encourage you to check out Mutabaruka’s site www.mutabaruka.com , There is a ‘lyrics’ link on the main page. 

Mutabaruka made himself available to sign autographs and to speak with well wishers after his performance.  One friend commented, “He should be a stand-up comedian.”  He has that touch, he gets you laughing, plants a thought in your mind and then watches you react to it.  I found Mutabaruka to be powerful, complex, funny and humble.  My encounter forced me to look deeper into myself and I am grateful for the reflection. 

The epiphany – Don’t be intimidated by the power of your own life and words.  Don’t stop yourself from telling your story just because, in their shortsightedness, others may be hurt by your words. 

Thank you Mutabaruka. 

Issa Prophet has been a reggae fan since 1988.  She started doing CD and concert reviews as a way of keeping the memory alive, as well as sharing the experience with friends.  Since 1999 she has seen over 140 live shows of 60+ artists and groups.  Issa Prophet can be reached at Issa_1999@Hotmail.com