Hosted by Kwesi Owusu, the first episode features an exclusive interview with Eugene Skeef, the South African multi-media artist. He bears witness to the bloody uprising of Soweto school children in 1976 and shares intimate details about his work with Steve Biko, the martyred leader of the Black Consciousness Movement. Sam Tshabalala, the leading South African musician talks about Eugene’s role in the rise of the legendary Malo Poets prior to his flight into exile in 1980.
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Sam Tshabalala
South African super musician Samson Tshabalala sings praises for our African Dawn podcast launching on 11 October, 2022. What an honour to have the original guitarist of our co-founded poetry-and-music group Malopoets on board sharing stories with us in the first episode of our podcast.
Monique Ngozi Nri
Prof. Louise Owusu Kwarteng
Victor Richards
Ras Mubarak
Ken Gwira
Napoleon Abdudai
Israel Laryea
Nana Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng
Mawuli Afastiawo
Charles Eshun
Daddy Bosco
Siphwiwe Dube
Fred Wulf
Victus Kwabla Sabutey
Gabby Woodham
Mandana Hendessi OBE
It’s so exciting to participate today in the launch of the African Dawn podcast. I got to know the African Dawn in 1981 when I was a member of Southall Black Sisters. It was so thrilling to get to know a collective of musicians, poets and lyricists espousing African liberation in poetry and music. I contributed the translation of a poem – I am a Woman – by an Iranian revolutionary- Marzia Ahmadi, to the debut album. I can still vividly recall the thrill I felt then for being a part of this magnificent experience.
Warmest
Mandana
Rakesh BHANOT
Good Luck message for the launch of African Dawn podcast.
In spite of multi-cultural, non-racist and even anti-racist education policies (allegedly) promulgated/practised in some Western countries, the national curricula remain biased, nationalistic, distorted and, in many cases, just plain false! It is not in their interest to tell the truth about the dawn of civilisation, the origin of many human achievements by black people, the history of colonialism, slavery et al. Schools, colleges, universities, books and various forms of media continue to peddle lies through both commission and omission. Moreover, as Ossie Davis pointed out more than 50 years ago, the English language itself serves as a vehicle for perpetuating prejudice and racism.
Three years before Davis’s essay The English Language is my Enemy (1967), Sam Cooke had sung A change is gonna come. It’s time to change the narrative! I sincerely hope that this new podcast will enable black writers and artists to tell our own stories, and to shine a light on a more accurate history of humanity, as well as to acknowledge the achievements of black people throughout the ages.
Rakesh Bhanot – retired university lecturer
Former member of MAAS, and editor of ARTRAGE
George Lutterodt
Ferdinand Dennis
Wishing The African Dawn Podcast massive success!
The African Dawn emerged in the 1980s as one of the most exciting groups of poets from the Pan-African world. Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, the acclaimed writer described them as “restoring poetry to its origins in music and drama in an exciting fusion of revolutionary harmony”
