Happy Blessed EarthStrong, Bob Marley!

"My music will go on forever"

April Is National Poetry Month!

April Is National Poetry Month!

This bredren is a poet from Liverpool, an urban griot, and a professional chef. He has authored four collections of poetry. His poems have appeared in numerous anthologies. Today I spotlight Levi Tafari! Rastafari!

BLACK ROOTS IN BABYLON

Levi Tafari

Spiritually rooted
Culturally aware
A mystical African Atmosphere
A cultural beat on an African Drum
Like the beat of the heart when life began
Black man's roots in a Babylon
A positive vibration in a wicked land
A disciplined man in an undisciplined land
A spiritual fight
A fight against wrong
Art and craft combined together
Music and dance for the brothers and sisters
Natural living upon the earth
But in a Babylon what is life really worth
Pause....
A concrete jungle where it is cold
And a man could a easily lose his soul
A place where the sun barely shines
And the smoking of herbs is a crime
A technical place full of machines
Where a man is not respected as a human being
If you have black skin them say that is a sin
In a land of competition black skin can't win
Now the roots of black culture is here
So Babylonians you better take care
Cause we help build up your land and now we want our share
So give us our African Atmosphere
Give black culture a chance
And let peace and love advance
Cause we're coming out of your trance
And a go straight in an African dance
A cultural education for all black youths
Not a selfish education to make them brutes
Teach Black culture in your schools
Then the running in a Babylon may be cool
Because we're spiritually rooted
We're culturally aware
And we want a culture atmosphere
A cultural beat in an African way
Cause African culture is with us to stay

April Is National Poetry Month!

April Is National Poetry Month!

This brethren is a poet, a critic, an editor, an educator, and a writer. The author of "Dreams in Soy Sauce." His poetry has appeared in numerous poetry anthologies. Today I shine the spotlight on Rohan B. Preston.

ROHAN B. PRESTON
ITALIST CHANT

I Can See buckra a come
Lock-step to start a fray
Coming with them chains and munitions
But I don't feel no way
Nesta Marley, Mosiah Garvey
A flow inna me vain
Malcolm X-mas, Luther Kingdom
Mash them down again
I can hear the missiles a hum
But Jah Jah a the conqueror
At Palmares, Addis Ababa
Duppyman conqueror
Harriet Tubman, King Shaka
Show Jah love for true
Sister Nanny, and Kenyatta
Pass their grace on to you
The one Hannibal, Nefertiti,
All of them refuse to fall
Queen Mother, and Mandibi
All them are apart a me
I can see the armies rolling
But Natty a the conqueror
for our fathers, foremothers
None of them a bangarang
I can hear the mountains calling
Jah Lion a the conqueror
Love you, Papa, love you, Mama
O, Zion a the conqueror
Final conka-conka-kang
Conka-conka-kang
Conka-conka-kang
Conka-conka-kang
Conqueror