Poetry Anyone?

Well known Jamaican Poets

In case you were wondering who are some of Jamaica’s better known poets, the list is relatively long, but here are a few names - Louise Bennett-Coverley, Edward Baugh, Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze, OIive Senior, Mervyn Morris, Kei Miller, Tanya Shirley, Mutabaruka, Yasus Afari and Joan Andrea Hutchinson. 

All have received awards in Jamaica and/or abroad for poetry and for some, their unique contribution to culture. Louise Bennett was a pioneer in celebrating Jamaican creole as an artistic medium.

  Several poets including Mutabaruka, Afari and Hutchinson write and perform most of their poetry in creole.   The others, Baugh, Senior, Morris, Miller and Shirley are literary poets whose poetry in both Standard English and creole covers a range of public and private themes, rooted in their era and experiences.

There is much more to be said than we can offer here in this blog so here are a few excerpts to whet your appetite.

Mervyn Morris:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVHCiefnN50&feature=em-share_video_user
 

Kei Miller:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnXghwRiMlc&feature=em-share_video_user
 

Tanya Shirley:  http://movingpoems.com/2016/11/music-is-made-out-of-smoke-by-tanya-shirley/
 

Mutabaruka:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn-f8PgLVjU&feature=em-share_video_user
 

Yasus Afari:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PVIeD_F6w8&feature=em-share_video_user

Also visit our art gallery:  https://www.experiencejamaique.com/product_gallery