The multifaceted British artist of Jamaican roots and militant Rastafari Benjamin Zephaniah He died this Thursday morning at 65 year old, after an aggressive brain tumor is diagnosed 8 weeks.
“Benjamin's wife was by his side at all times and was with him when he died. We share it with the world and we know that many will be shocked and saddened by this news”, Says a publication on the artist's Instagram account published by his family.
“Benjamin was a real pioneer and innovative, He gave the world a lot. Through an amazing career that includes a huge amount of poems, literature, song, television and radio, Benjamin leaves us a happy and fantastic legacy”, add the text.
Indeed Benjamin had a prolific career in which in addition to his poetry, that led him to be chosen between the 50 best post -war British writers according to The Times, recorded several albums and even acted in the popular Netflix series “Peaky Blinders”, playing the shepherd “Jeremiah ‘Jimmy’ Jesus”.
Son of a Barbados porter and a Jamaican nurse, Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah was born in Birmingham the 15 April 1958 and grew in Handsworth, a district of that city to which Zephaniah called “The Jamaican capital of Europe”.
Handsworth probably resonates many reggae lovers because it was the neighborhood from which it arose Steel Pulse, whose first album is called Handsworth Revolution, And it was also the cradle of a wide variety of artists, what, If we refer to reggae, We can mention a Pato Banton Y Apache Indian, among others.
The beginnings of Zephaniah
He began to interpret poetry in his adolescence even though 13 years left school for the dyslexia he had, Although this was not an impediment to developing his career.
Although he was already known in his city, in 1979 He moved to London to reach a broader audience and the following year, with 22 years, He published his first collection of poetry Pen Rhythm, that had three editions.
Zephaniah was one of first artists who developed the call in the United Kingdom “dub poetry”, A current born in Jamaica that combines just the words, With reggae rhythms and social and political issues, which then evolved to a music style of the same name.
Tribute to Mandela
In 1982 He published his first musical album, Rasta, The first recording of The Wailers After the death of Bob Marley, And it was a tribute to Nelson Mandela, which allowed him to acquire international prestige.
After listening to this tribute while I was in prison, Mandela asked to meet with Zephaniah And when a concert was held in honor of the South African leader in 1996 In the Royal Albert Hall, Mandela himself asked Zephaniah to be the host.
His work always dealt with contingent topics, Like his second collection of poetry, The Dread Affair, which was published in 1985 and presented several poems that attacked the British legal system.
Then, in 1990, public Rasta Time in Palestine, which contains poetry and a travel story based on a visit to the occupied Palestinian territories.
An integral artist and activist
It was a multifaceted artist because not only poetry worked, With more than a dozen poems, In addition to several jobs for children, also wrote four novels, He dedicated himself to dramaturgy and wrote several plays, He edited some albums from his Dub poetry, And also work as an actor in some series and films, being the best known “Peaky Blinders”.
Besides all this Zephaniah was an outstanding activist of various causes, Being honorary sponsor of The Vegan Society, of live! (Vegetarians International Voice for Animals), of the organization against racism Newham Monitoring Project and also conducted a campaign in conjunction with Amnesty International against Homophobia in Jamaica.
Likewise, It declared deeply anti -imperialist, So he was a supporter of British republicanism and the end of the monarchy.
In that same line, in 2003 publicly rejected a decoration of the order of the British empire (OBE, for its acronym in English)
“¿Yo? Think, Will I receive an obe? Go to hell, think. I enraged when I heard that word, 'empire'; reminds me of slavery, It reminds me thousands of years of brutality, It reminds me of how they violated my ancestors and mistreated my ancestors…Benjamin Zephaniah OBE: by no means, Mr. Blair, by no means, Mrs. Reina. I am deeply anti -imperialist”, manifested in the newspaper The Guardian Your decision.
He also received multiple awards, as the best young playwright granted by the BBC and in turn received honorary doctorates from several British universities such as the University of Northern London (in 1998),The University of Central England (in 1999), Staffordshire University (in 2001),The University of the South Bank in London (in 2003), The University of Exeter and the University of Westminster (in 2006) And the University of Birmingham (in 2008).
Your recordings with Riddim
With this part of the world he was related to Argentina, country that visited three times to give poetry recitals: in 1987, in 2000 Y 2002.
Regarding your first visit, said a few years later that “People seemed not to have seen too many British and none black with dreadlocks, So it caught the attention”, According to the newspaper Clarion.
In his other two visits he was invited by the band Riddim To record with them on their albums Roots Riddim Reggae (2000) Y Padding (2002) And the group singer, Pets, recommended by Zephaanah.
“Sadness upon receiving the news of the departure of a great man, A true hero, mentor, maestro, Friend and legend…. Benjamin Zephaniah. Left us its essence in “Truth Revolution”, “Letting Off Steam”, “Having a Word” as dub poetry hymns, The first Dub poetry that we recorded together in these lands, Among many other teachings. Worth admiring. Thanks for filling our souls. I will never forget you”, The musician wrote on his Instagram account.
