• Buy Now
  • Home
  • About
  • poetry
  • self publishing
  • african writer
  • african poetry

Back From The Dead

~ The Rising of an African Spirit

Back From The Dead

Tag Archives: nelson mandela

african praise poetry – izibongo

11 Tuesday Nov 2014

Posted by nativedrum in africa, african, african author, african in america, african poetry, african writer, articles, blogger, cultural, ethnic identity, historical figure, history, identity, indepedent author, indie author, leadership, national identity, opinion piece, pan african, poetry, self publishing, social commentary, tradition, tribal identity, writing

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

africa, ancestors, apartheid, Back from the Dead: The Rising of an African Spirit, biko, clan names, frank talk, freedom, funerals, geography, heritage, history, isindebele, isixhosa, isizulu, lineage, mandela, martin luther king jr, mlk, nat turner, nelson mandela, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, poetry, praise poems, praise poetry, rainbow nation, richard sherman, robert sobukwe, sesotho, setswana, siswati, southern africa, struggle, thomas sankara, tributes, weddings

Izibongo is an Nguni term literally meaning ‘clan names’. In SeSotho it is referred to as Dithoko, in SeTswana as Diboko and in SePedi as Diretho.

African oral poetry, the izibongo, are ancient praise poems which are a popular indigenous oral tradition in Southern Africa. Traditionally, it is used to praise kings, queens and all royalty; praise poetry is an essential part of our essence as African people.

It is the vessel of our history, our cultural heritage and our reference point on how to express ourselves.

Africans in general rely on praise poetry to identify themselves because many Africans have clan names which form the basis of our identity. These clan names are bound together in sequence or hierarchy relative to geography, history, lineage and major historical events.

Praise poetry is used to compile and narrate the history, heritage and lineage of a people, family, a nation, etc.

During the struggle against Apartheid in South Africa this ancient tradition was revived and widely used for protest poetry at large public gatherings.

This ancient tradition is also used to praise and celebrate the legacy of individuals of note and record events of great importance – battles, wars, famine, floods, marriage, births, deaths, arrivals of foreigners, freedom, etc.

Excerpt from a translation of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela praises:
It’s a dream of the dead
It’s a dream that people thought would never come true
People have cried till they gave up
How many souls are under the ground?
How many corpses because of Mandela
Mandela Mandela
Mandela Mandela…

In my recently published book, Back From The Dead: The Rising of an African Spirit, I have included three praise poems dedicated to Nelson Mandela (Caught Forever), Martin Luther King Jr (Schooling Us) and Steve Biko (Urban Legend).

I have also written tribute pieces to celebrate the legacies of Thomas Sankara and Robert Sobukwe, and I am currently researching Nat Turner with the intention of writing a tribute piece based on his contribution to the struggle for freedom for all.

Praise poetry is often used to invoke the presence of the ancestors in healing ceremonies, funerals and weddings.

Advertisements

coming back from the dead

06 Thursday Nov 2014

Posted by nativedrum in africa, african, african in america, african poetry, cultural, freestyle poetry, identity, indepedent author, indie author, leadership, poetry, self publishing

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

1976 soweto riots, africa, amazon, apartheid, associated press, atlanta, back from the dead Rising from the ashes, biko, black panthers, books, civil rights, congress, democrats, dona richards, ebola, ebooks, historically black colleges, i have a dream, johannesburg, khafre, kilimanjaro, kunta kente, library of congress, malcolm x, marimba ani, martin luther king jr, mbeki, mid term elections, middle passage, nelson mandela, obama, poetry, racism, reading, republicans, segregation, slavery, stevie wonder, stokely carmichael, tommie smith, trafford publishing, washington dc, washington march, west africa

Coming back from the dead
Rising from the ashes
The earth rumbling from within
From within the hearts of a few good men
Sons of mummies
Soldiers of reason…..

An excerpt from  “Coming back from the dead”  – complete poem can be found in the anthology of poetry – Back From The Dead: The Rising of an African Spirit

Copyright © knox mahlaba 2014
Author – Back From The Dead: The Rising of an African Spirit

book reviews

03 Monday Nov 2014

Posted by nativedrum in african poetry, african writer, black poetry, blogger, book review, erotic poetry, freestyle poetry, indepedent author, indie author, revolutionary poetry, self publishing, sensual poetry, urban poetry, writing

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

1976 soweto riots, adrina smith, africa, african union, afro, amazon, atlanta, books, civil rights, dona richards, ebola, ebooks, egypt, england, historically black colleges, india, johannesburg, john f kennedy, khafre, kilimanjaro, kindle, kunta kente, london, malcolm little, malcolm x, marimba ani, martin luther king jr, nelson mandela, new dehli, nook, racism, reading, reviews, segregation, slavery, stevie wonder, stokely carmichael, tommie smith, washington dc, washington march, west africa

  • Be prepared for reality

    By Adrina Smith on November 1, 2014

    Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

    This book will take you on a quest for actuality. I was simply drawn in from the page to the last. The descriptive and narrative steps taken to absorb the reader with the simplicity of survival but embarks on the empowerment through slavery and civil rights.

    The hardship detailed from Knox Mahlaba, who has loved, lost, rebuilt and matured through obstacles.

    Favorite quotes:
    “Freedom a costly preoccupation, using the past to shepherd the future.”
    “Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument”

Link

amazon author page

02 Sunday Nov 2014

Posted by nativedrum in africa, african, african author, african in america, african poetry, african writer, articles, black, black poetry, blogger, book review, erotic poetry, ethnic identity, freestyle poetry, history, identity, indepedent author, indie author, khafre, leadership, national identity, opinion piece, pan african, poetry, revolutionary poetry, self publishing, sensual poetry, social commentary, urban poetry, writing

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

1976 soweto riots, africa, afro, amazon, Amazon author, anthology, apartheid, Back from the Dead: The Rising of an African Spirit, biko, black panthers, book reviews, burkina faso, chris brown, dona richards, ebola, freedom of speech, hector peterson, historically black colleges, i have a dream, john f kennedy, khafre, knox mahlaba, kunta kente, love, malcolm x, martin luther king jr, middle passage, muhammad ali, nelson mandela, obama, poetry, racism, reading, sankara, segregation, south africa, soweto, spoken word, tommie smith, trials and tribulations, washington dc

visit my Amazon author page

and learn more about the author of

Back From The Dead: The Rising of an African Spirit

 

book reviews

02 Sunday Nov 2014

Posted by nativedrum in book review, writing

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

anthology, associated press, atlanta, Back from the Dead: The Rising of an African Spirit, books, ebola, johannesburg, knox mahlaba, london, Martin Luther King, nelson mandela, new dehli, new york city, poetry, press release, reviews, trafford publishing, washington dc

  • Are you Ready for the Truth?

    By T. Lawrence on October 16, 2014

    Format: Paperback

    If you want poetry with a message that everyone can use, this is the book for you! These poems are about surviving the odds and finding your inner strength. The main themes of the book are appreciation of nature, accepting all religions, slavery, civil rights, and general politics. Political heavyweights such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandella, and Malcolm X are mentioned.This is not an anthology of fluffy poetry and flowery descriptions. These poems are about exposing hard truths in a variety of areas. The author writes about controversial issues regarding his home country of Africa while superimposing them on the entire world. However, the reader doesn’t have to agree with his viewpoint to appreciate his honest and skilled writing technique.

    Knox’s command of the English language is phenomenal! His vocabulary is top notch! I enjoyed his use of about three levels of language: formal language, everyday language with slang, and “slave” language.

    The anthology was full of powerful quotes. The following four sayings are my favorites because they summarize some of the main themes of the book: “You’ll never know how strong you are until being strong is no longer a choice.” “Just ‘cus you been treated like dirt don’t mean you’re dirt.” “Ditch the slave mentality” “Nothing is concrete. We’re all stuck in an emulsion.”

    I look forward to reading more from this author!

caught forever

16 Thursday Oct 2014

Posted by nativedrum in african author, african poetry, african poetry, african writer, black poetry, blogger, historical figure, history, indepedent author, indie author, leadership, poetry, revolutionary poetry, self publishing, urban poetry

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

africa, african union, anc, apartheid, chris brown, ebola, nelson mandela, robben island, west africa

Tribute to Nelson Mandela

Escaping tradition
Running away from responsibility
Only to be caught
By a greater responsibility
Chiseled by a quarry
Bathed in salty water
Seasoned by kelp banished to an island
Never forgetting
No man is an island
Even royalty
Heeding a calling
Caught forever
The trap Sisulu’s making
Tightened by Tambo
The nation falling onto the safety net
Thank you Madiba….

Excerpt from Back From The Dead: The Rising of an African Spirit

Copyright © knox mahlaba 2014
Author – Back From The Dead: The Rising of an African Spirit

kilimanjaro

12 Sunday Oct 2014

Posted by nativedrum in african poetry, african poetry, african writer, indie author, poetry, self publishing

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

adventure, africa, african union, alps, amazon, andes, angola, berlin conference, burundi, cameroon, caprivi strip, colonialism, colorado, commonwealth, congo, drankensberg mountains, earthquakes, ebola, egypt, equator, ethiopia, everest, grand canyon, kaunda, kilimanjaro, kinshasa, lake victoria, libya, malawi, morocco, mountain climbing, nelson mandela, niagra falls, nigeria, nile river, oau, rhine river, Rift Valley, rockies, rwanda, sifiso vilane, snow, snow-capped mountain, sudwala caves, tanzania, thames, victoria falls, volcani eruption, west africa, zambezi river, zambia

A snow-capped mountain on the Equator
Standing apart, standing alone
Africa’s greatest mountain
Created by quiet rumblings from beneath
The Rift Valley scarring the surface
Shaping the landscape
The fractures below invisible
The divisions above clear
A people divided
Apportioned by foreign forces
The people apportioning blame…

an excerpt from Kilimanjaro,
a poem in Back From The Dead: The Rising of an African Spirit
Copyright © knox mahlaba 2014
Author of  Back From The Dead: The Rising of an African Spirit

cotton pickers

11 Saturday Oct 2014

Posted by nativedrum in black poetry, history, poetry

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

abolitionists, abraham lincoln, africa, afro, alex haley, america, american civil war, apartheid, beyonce, black panthers, civil rights, cotton pickers, dona richards, frederick douglas, harriet tubman, historically black colleges, howard university, i have a dream, jesus, kunta kente, lynching, malcolm little, malcolm x, marimba ani, martin luther king jr, mbeki, middle passage, moorhouse, muhammad ali, nelson mandela, nigger, obama, richard sherman, rihanna, roots, segregation, slavery, sojourner truth, steve biko, stokely carmichael, tommie smith, undergrund railroad

Please forgive me
I beg your pardon
Am about to step on your toes
Am kinda fed up
With you and your kind
Black folk in particular

No offence intended
But you getting on my nerves
Behaving like a scorned lover
Forever longing for acceptance

They ain’t never gonna love you
Get with the program, get used to it
Nurturing hurt, perpetuating pain
Instead of harnessing anger
Generate a positive self-image…

an excerpt from Cotton Pickers,
a poem in Back From The Dead: The Rising of an African Spirit
Copyright © knox mahlaba 2014
Author of  Back From The Dead: The Rising of an African Spirit

Image

Back From The Dead: The Rising of an African Spirit

10 Friday Oct 2014

Tags

1976 soweto riots, 4th dynasty, afro, anger, apartheid, babylon, black poetry cafe, black power, blood, bottled letter, bouquet, curse of ages, definition, departures, diaspora, dona richards, drama queen, egypt, export quality, frank talk, great zimbabwe, hammock, houseboy, hurt, i have a dream, jackie o, jfk, jfk's eternal flame, john carlos, john f kennedy, joy, kaffer, kafir, kemet, khafre, khemet, khoi, khufu, kilimanjaro, kings and queens, kunta kente, kwame ture, lava, lollipop, love, marimba ani, martin luther king jr, mbeki, mexico '68, michael jackson, muhammad ali, natives, negro, negro spirituals, nelson mandela, neosoul, obama, oliver tambo, overcome, pain, pebbles, percetion, personal struggle, piece of the past, pyramids, quilt, racism, rasta, revenge, romance, rumble in the jungle, rumours of rain, sambo, san, schoolin' us, segregation, selma, sense of self, sex, slavery, sobukwe, soprano, soul, soweto, steve biko, stevie wonder, stokely carmichael, struggle, teddy pendergrass, The anthology, thug, tommie smith, ultimately, walter sisulu, washington march, waterloo, weddings, wesley snipes, white house, wonder woman

The anthology is a celebration of life, its different seasons and the struggle to overcome.

The book consists of 50 poems; some poems are images of personal struggle, others visualise the celebration of love, and a few are odes to great leaders and historical reflections.
The single message the book intends to transfer to the reader is a sense of self love and appreciation.

Throughout the book references are made to Africa with the sole intention to encourage Africans on the continent and across the Diaspora to reflect on their rich identity, self-concept and to be proud of their heritage, in order to inject a greater sense of self-worth and responsibility in their daily lives.


This book is dedicated to all those that have made a positive impact on my life, whether intended or not, especially those that have emphasized the need to cultivate more love and tolerance in the world.

Posted by nativedrum | Filed under african author, african poetry, african writer, black poetry, blogger, erotic poetry, freestyle poetry, historical figure, history, indepedent author, indie author, poetry, revolutionary poetry, self publishing, sensual poetry

≈ Leave a comment

Advertisements

Subscribe

  • Entries (RSS)
  • Comments (RSS)

Archives

  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • April 2015
  • January 2015
  • November 2014
  • October 2014

Categories

  • africa
    • cultural
    • tradition
  • bob marley
  • book review
  • history
    • historical figure
  • identity
    • african
    • african in america
    • black
    • citizenship
    • ethnic identity
    • khafre
    • national identity
    • pan african
    • tribal identity
  • leadership
  • poetry
    • african poetry
    • african poetry
    • black poetry
    • erotic poetry
    • freestyle poetry
    • revolutionary poetry
    • sensual poetry
    • urban poetry
  • self publishing
    • indepedent author
    • indie author
  • soweto
  • Uncategorized
  • writing
    • african author
    • african writer
    • articles
    • blogger
    • opinion piece
    • social commentary

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy