PHILIPSBURG–St. Maarten’s undeclared Poet of the Nation Lasana M. Sekou was honoured with a Live at 40 Anniversary Concert at John Larmonie Centre on Friday and Saturday. The author of more than twenty books had his first poems published in 1978.
The anniversary show featured poetry, dance theatre, music and drama, and opened with an original choreography by performance artiste and leading choreographer Clara Reyes to Sekou’s “The Cubs Are in the Fields,” with music by Angelo Rombley.
After the intermission Reyes transformed herself into a nonagenarian in a rocking chair to dramatize Sekou’s “Great Grandmother T.,” a monologue about one woman’s real-life experiences from the early 1900s.
The concert obviously put the main focus on “birthday boy” Sekou, who said during the show that he had to be “dragged” to the show by Conscious Lyrics Foundation President Shujah Reiph.
Conscious Lyrics was among the organisations that had put the anniversary celebration together with Sekou’s publisher House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP), National Institute of Arts (NIA) and SOS Radio.
During the evening Sekou recited from his books of poetry and fiction, starting with his first book from 1978, as well as from his upcoming book of Hurricane Irma poems titled Hurricane Protocol which is set to be published in 2019.
“Lasana has performed on five continents. His poetry and short stories are studied in universities in the Caribbean, Venezuela, Mexico, the USA, Canada, and in Europe. But I still think that when he gives the rare solo reading of his work at home, it’s in St. Maarten where he puts most of his heart and soul,” Reiph said.
The St. Maarten Book Fair organiser did not say a word too much. Soft-spoken and soothing when reciting one of his love poems, Sekou recites his poems on social-political and historical topics in a much more energetic way, using his voice as a means to underline the expressiveness of his choice of words.
Sekou is very expressive indeed. He is expressive in raising or lowering his voice. He is expressive in gesture, but most of all while literally hammering down his message to the audience with the slap of a hand on the lectern or by stamping his feet, shouting out his message on the top of his voice.
Born in 1959, Sekou is considered one of the prolific Caribbean poets of his generation because of his output, the range of subject matter and unique literary style, which often includes the use of Caribbean Creole languages, Spanish, French, and Dutch – sometimes in one poem. Among his titles are Brotherhood of the Spurs (1997), The Salt Reaper – poems from the flats (2004/2005) and Nativity (2010).
He is a graduate of Howard University in Washington DC, and Stony Brook University in New York where he studied mass communication, political science and international relations. Awards and honours include a James Michener Fellowship at University of Miami and a royal knighthood in The Netherlands.
His poems have been translated into Spanish, French, Dutch, German, Italian, Turkish, and Chinese. Sekou has presented papers and recited his poetry at cultural and literary conferences and festivals in the Caribbean, North and South America, Africa, Europe and Asia.
He is the editor of National Symbols of St. Martin – A Primer and The Independence Papers, Vol. 1, and the producer of “Fête – The first recording of Traditional St. Martin festive music” by Tanny and The Boys.
Sekou founded HNP in his dorm room at Stony Brook University in 1982. He remains active as HNP’s projects director since establishing the small press in St. Maarten in 1984.
At HNP he secured the publication of literary luminaries and pioneers such as George Lamming, Kamau Brathwaite, Amiri Baraka, Chiqui Vicioso and Palestinian author Nidaa Khoury. In 2003, he co-founded the St. Martin Book Fair together with Reiph.
Proceeds of the Lasana M. Sekou Live at his 40th Anniversary Concert will be contributed to HNP’s upcoming book of Hurricane Irma poems, the 17th annual St. Martin Book Fair 2019 and a Drama Festival NIA will be hosting in cooperation with a theatre company from Anguilla March 27-31, 2019.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/83252-national-poet-of-st-maarten-honoured-with-anniversary-show
View comments
Hide comments