KUNSTEFEES: Bards in their stride

Hector Kunene, the formidable South African poet and literary activist hardly needs any Introduction. He is in his element this week, for example as he declaims:

“This week (on the 17th and 18th July) we will be sharing poetry at Kunstefees in Free State Bloemfontein South Africa. I am looking forward to creating a memorable session teaming up with Riku Latti who is one of the great musicians that I'll be sharing words with.

“I simply cannot wait, I am looking forward to blazing our supporters who come from all walks of life and this will be a great opportunity for me to diversify to a musical poetry and blend with flair….let’s get it on!”
PIX: Hector Kunene, with celebrated minstrel JahRose

LESELI MOKHELE: The Bard of Lesotho

“When I was a young man – in any event much younger than I am now- I got to love the genre of literary criticism. Naively, in the beginning I thought that the critics were being unfair, undermining or bringing hardworking authors down, but I know much better now. Most critics are actually paying homage to a particular writer, highlighting their work when he/she focuses on the same. I applaud when I see any study, book-length or major essay on any African writer. The author here (Ntate Mokhele) deserves major essays on his work, on even this major book of his. It is one of my dreams that one day I will write at least a small book/study on Mokhele’s literary corpus. He is an illustrious son of Lesotho, as far as creative writing is concerned, starting from a young age. Mokhele’s vivid, trenchant imagination, his startling command of language, his eye for detail and drama, his convincing characterization and conversations, plus his impressive thematic range and breadth – all stamp him out as a literary gem.” – R Mokoena

“The underworld, the sleazy, different types of women; desperate men – these are some of the themes in (Mokhele’s) short stories… Then there is also the violence. A lot of this seems to go too far and a streak of sadism might well run through his work. The sweetness and dangers that go with women are well highlighted, including heartbreak and Aids. The stories are more in the line of the hard school of overseas thrillers. But the beauty is that the background is very much the black world of the locations, and the like. That Mokhele is well read can be seen from his references to literature and literary giants in his fiction…” K. A Motheane

MOKHELE'S WORKS 

Homegrown Short Stories
The Charismatic Charlatan
Tholoana tsa tsebo  (radio drama)
(Also, numerous short stories published in other publications)

TEBOGO AND THE PANTOPHAGIST. By O Bolaji

I love this book. The author has a strong sense of African and world history. He pays tribute to some fantastic (scientific) discoverers and inventors. Tragically these days (especially among the young), scientific marvels are taken for granted; electricity generally, radio, tv, fans, telephone, internet, mobile phones. 

Yet all these things are very very new in world history. In fact, for most centuries, the world and its people existed without all these wonders. Yes, even in the western world the discovery of electricity occurred only after thousands of years since mankind had been living on earth! 

This is a very sobering thought, and the author (chief Bolaji) here is very perceptive and appreciative of this fact. Nowadays we whine and whinge about minuscule glitches on internet, prized smartphones etc – never sparing a thought for the great, selfless minds that laid the foundation for all of this.

 In this wise, this work -Tebogo and the pantophagist is a superb work that I personally would love to see being read in schools all over Africa.

-         Ben Odegbami

ANOTHER SUBLIME POEM BY SKIETREKER

The Beauty of the Free State

Botle Ba Foreistata ...

By “Skietreker” Richard Segopolo

 Like a Poetry Commando
In a Free State Of Mind
I Speak No Secrets

Wordfest

Rooted from the Heart
Walking Through the tunnel
And Diving away from Plot & Conspiracy

Hate & Negative Voices
I Burn them up and Destroy them
God my knowledge and spirit
Archives of the Word
Spiritual seekers the blessed
The Godly the healers of time
Tebogo investigates
Like the fall of Marcus Desmond

Thaba Nchu my bass
Life is like Music
Saint Vis via grapevine
Writing bars through the air
To faith to stand
To Believe & to Walk
Come and Have a Look
And let words drive you
Mafika & Lechesa
Qoopane Literary Services
Motheane Thinane Masolane
Motheo le Puo ya Sesotho
Chief Omoseye Sekgowa
Weep not Marikana Thiba
It wasn’t Magic
We saw it

Free State is us
Lord of the rings
J R Tolkins
Jumping through words
Like robust Windows
Breaking any Linux coding
With the heart of a spoon
Spinning through
Vinyl’s & Shaxe as we press to
Find the winning combination

Alay yen

Mnyakeni
and when we do

Mnumzana
Lets stick to it

Like lovers and Ba2cada

Deon Simphiwe
As Tebogo Investigates
Why people are going Kaboom

Botshelo Bo Marara

As we pray and wish for Better days

Yonkinto

Let me take this musical cloth

And wipe away this which blinds my spirit

And irritates the only hope I have left

Hanging in my room like a photograph

Fana namane speak to the light

And let God give life to images

For life is a journey and we each have a pencil

And what you draw is your message

But what you leave behind is a legacy

Let your talent touch hearts

From humble beginnings

To respecting our gifts

Your success lies in what drives you

Some find peace
and call it Lethabong
Mahungra Macufe Moshoeshoe
Lesotho our neighbors
channeling one's thoughts onto Paper
if you don’t love me just because
I don’t have Masheleng
Gosiame
One World
One God
One Love
Apartheid Ek Gaan Jou Boks

Can somebody say

McKenzie
Thami Moleko
Masele
Mokolokotwane
Modimo Bophelo

 Babes mpotseng
Mmabana
Musicon
Bloemfontein

Bo naka di maripa

Music on
And if
I didn’t mention you on the internet
Ntshwarele its cold
And I’m offline
Ho tsamaya ke hobona
This poem makes no sense
Without your name being here

So literary soldier we value you
Even wena who they call
The ordinary just because
Emotionally & Physically
We might be broke
But together we stand united
It’s a fact
We are Spiritual Billionaires

A Toast to all those
Who have never been mentioned
For their great contributions
And their 5cents
As a toilet Cleaner or being called a maid mate
Even that simple guy wa Carwash

And I don’t want to do this
But it has to be done

With this page let me leave a footprint

In a Free State of mind

Upon the sands that carry the voices of many

Who were robbed the freedom to live

Bloody bag bottled body brutally buttered

Set alight radio frequencies circulate

News reported children missing

Wrong information deported

 As a student from the university of life

I cycle to release the tension in my veins

And safely jog before my exam to punch anxiety in the face

I look forward to the day when a mother can walk freely

And have her blind daughter graduating

With her eyes closed and see a nation of men

Praying to change and rebuild the trust

She had growing up but lost it to the man

Who stole the electricity in her spirit

And destroyed the only hope she knew

She had she could she would have

She did she won

She made it

She is

And he is her

We are them

And if it is to be

It is up to us

To change and transform it to how

We would like to receive it.