LKJ - Science and Technology

Reality Poem, dans l'album Forces of Victory de 1979.
 

Linton Kwesi Johnson -    

Science And Technology

Nous sommes à l’âge de la réalité
Mais certains en sont restés à la mythologie
Nous sommes à l’âge de la science et de la technologie
Mais certains se réfugient dans l’antiquité

Linton Kwesi Johnson    
Reality Poem       Science And Technology

Dis is di age af reality
But some a wi a deal wid mitalagy
Dis is di age af science an' teknalagy
But some a wi check fi antiquity

W'en wi can't face reality
Wi leggo wi clarity
Some latch aan to vanity
Some hol' insanity
Some get vision
Start preach relijan
But dem can't mek decishan
W'en it come to we fite
Dem can't mek decishan
W'en it comes to wi rites

Man, Dis is di age af reality
But some a wi deal wid mitalagy
Dis is di age af science an' teknalagy
But some a wi check fi antiquity

Dem one deh gaan outta line
Dem naw live in fi wi time
Far dem she dem get sign
An' dem bline dem eye
To di lite a di worl'
An' gaan search widin
Di dark a dem doom
An' a shout 'bout sin
Instead a fite fi win

Man, Dis is di age af reality
But some a wi deal wid mitalagy
Dis is di age af science an' teknalagy
But some a wi check fi antiquity

Dis is di age af decishan
Soh mek wi leggo relijan
Dis is di age af decishan
Soh mek we leggo divishan
Dis is di age af reality
Soh mek we leggo mitalagy
Dis is di age of science an' teknalagy
Soh mek wi hol' di clarity
Mek wi hol' di clarity
Mek wi hol' di clarity

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Linton Kwesi Johnson is one of the most internationally renowned Jamaican artists whose work is expressed in a “dub poetry” form using the patois of the Jamaican dialect.
His message, ideology and philosophy are similar to that of Mutabaruka. The only difference is, as a dub poet, although Rasta is important to him on the level of a cultural force that broadened and opened the consciousness to African heritage and African ancestry, he is not a Rastafarian.
Born on 24 August 1952 in Chapelton, Jamaica, Johnson came to London at the age of 11 to live with his mother. Like most Jamaican artists he holds on fast to his African culture. His middle name “Kwesi” broadly establishes his identity as someone holding on to the roots of his African origin. The name comes from the Western part of Africa. For example in Ghana, the Akans and the Fantis named male babies born on Sundays as “Kwesi” and females as “Esi” because Sunday is called”Kwesidah”.
In England, LKJ went to school at Tulse Hill secondary school, Goldsmith’s College and the University of London. He joined the Black Panthers while still at school. “That’s where I learnt my politics and about my history and culture. That is where I discovered black literature, particularly the work of W.E. B. Dubois, the Afro-American who inspired me to write poetry”, said LKJ.
In 1977, he was awarded the C-Day Lewis Fellowship, becoming the writer-in-residence and working as the Library Resources and Education officer at Keskidee Centre, the first home of black theatre and art. As a poet, his first collection of poetry “Voice of the Living and Dead” and “Dread Beats an’ Blood” were published by the Race Today Review and later the same year, a documentary film on “Dread Beat an’ Blood” was made. In 1980, Race Today Review published his third book “Inglan is a Bitch”.
“If Association of Chief Police Officers, has come out and admitted that, racism is institutionalised within the police force, that the black nurses within the health service for years have gotten a raw deal. When one thinks of all these things, yeah, Inglan is a Bitch,” said LKJ.
As an artist LKJ travelled extensively from Japan to South Africa and from Europe to Brazil. His poetry songs are amongst the top selling Reggae albums in the world and his works have been translated into Italian and German.