Benjamin Zephania dead.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

And yet another thread gets derailed.

By the sanctimonious guff of two tory boys further up analysing the poetic skills of a legend of modern multicultural Britain



I reserve the right to reply

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

You are gonna give yourself an ulcer with your hatred of the Tories. Most of us know what a greedy and out of touch mob they are, but you need to chill a bit and get yourself a woman.
It sounds like you’ve been shagging the palm of your hand for way too long.

I gave that up a long time ago , it's too much effort

[Robin Friday's Ghost]

I'll bow to the general view that he was a great poet. It didn't really do much for me. I always thought Linton Kwezi Johnson portrayed the black British experience better.

[goats]

Don't listen to these tory idiots Benjamin

I mean are people going to remember Gary Barlow for his dreadful songwriting or the fact he was a tax dodging conservative supporting fatty ?

Well done sludge for getting your favourite word (Tory) into a rip thread…..smashing stuff

[goats]

As always, when someone dies, the eulogising goes overboard.

But that "poetry" below shouldn't be lauded as "brilliant" for the simple reason that the opening line has an obvious error. The Silures WERE Celts. The Picts were not Celts so yes they should be treated as a separate category. It cannot be "great" if the opening line is incorrect.

The rest of it is just flakey guff, trying to redefine Britishness. If you were white British living in Iran you would not be "Iranian". This is just simple logic. An Ethiopian living here isn't "British". He is an Ethiopian with a British passport - a citizen. Being precise and accurate is a de facto requirements of greatness, and being consistent at it. Someone may personally like it, but it is not "great".

My opinion is that he was a decent guy, of decent values, and had a good general talent in several areas. He made the best of little opportunity which shows depth of character. He could also show native white British guys the values of getting off your arse and applying yourselves to hard work, something many lazy Lefties could learn from in this country.

So for me, not a "great". Good, but not great. Morgan Freedman would be an example of a "great" for me, but not this chap.

Rather than focus too much on what he actually wrote about, he’s bound to focus on stuff he felt relevant growing up in a dark and openly racist uk in the 70’s….moreover how he turned his life around after leaving school with nothing at 13, coming from a violent family setting in a poor area of Birmingham. Good on him

[Bluebirdman Of Alcathays]

What I think of him is neither here nor there although it's interesting what passes for "great" these days. What stood out for me was that he was diagnosed 8 weeks ago and he went as quick as the seasons change. Made me pause. Maybe I'll take up poetry.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Well done sludge for getting your favourite word (Tory) into a rip thread…..smashing stuff

Thank god its not Thatcher who died eh

When she due to go ?

[Swiss Peter]

I'll bow to the general view that he was a great poet. It didn't really do much for me. I always thought Linton Kwezi Johnson portrayed the black British experience better.

It's a sad loss. I must admit I made the same comparison.

LKJ recorded some incredibly powerful stuff, especially late 70s/early 80s, which certainly made a big impression on me at the time. Maybe with his dub poet/reggae style, he was more niche though.

[A Quiet Monkfish]

By the sanctimonious guff of two tory boys further up analysing the poetic skills of a legend of modern multicultural Britain



I reserve the right to reply

"..a legend of modern multicultural Britain". I doubt many would have known who he was, and even fewer if it wasn't for his appearances in Peaky Blinders as the 'token black'.

[jon1959]

"..a legend of modern multicultural Britain". I doubt many would have known who he was, and even fewer if it wasn't for his appearances in Peaky Blinders as the 'token black'.

I think you're wrong about the level of name recognition for Benjamin Zephania.

Although I agree most people won't know much or anything about him - a black poet, musician and activist that has never appeared on Strictly - many do. I first noticed his name in the early 80s when 'Rasta' was released.

I hope and expect that Villa will do something to mark his passing at the game against Arsenal tomorrow.

[NinianOpinion1927]

He was a strong advocate for multiculturalism, not cultural uniformity as seen here in his piece on the Eisteddfod

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cymrufyw/33841602?s=09

A pro immigration piece from the Beeb, i'm shocked.
When taken to it's logical conclusion Multiculturalism ends up in a nondescript gloop, as distinct cultures merge and disappear.
Do you honestly think an immigrant cares enough to keep the Welsh culture as we know it alive? If you answer yes i think you're full of wishful thinking.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

A pro immigration piece from the Beeb, i'm shocked.
When taken to it's logical conclusion Multiculturalism ends up in a nondescript gloop, as distinct cultures merge and disappear.
Do you honestly think an immigrant cares enough to keep the Welsh culture as we know it alive? If you answer yes i think you're full of wishful thinking.

The world is better off for inter racial sex , marriage and coffee coloured kids

[RichardM]

Nice article in the Guardian
As we mourn Benjamin Zephaniah’s death, learn this lesson from his brilliant life

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...droidApp_Other

[jon1959]

I think you're wrong about the level of name recognition for Benjamin Zephania.

Although I agree most people won't know much or anything about him - a black poet, musician and activist that has never appeared on Strictly - many do. I first noticed his name in the early 80s when 'Rasta' was released.

I hope and expect that Villa will do something to mark his passing at the game against Arsenal tomorrow.

Benjamin z villa park.jpg