Linton Kwesi Johnson is a Jamaican poet and musician. He is known for his work in the British dub poetry movement, which combines Jamaican dub music with spoken word poetry. His work is often political in nature, focusing on the struggles of the African diaspora and the working class. Following is our collection on famous quotes by Linton Kwesi Johnson on slavery, leadership, love.
Writing was a political act and poetry was a cultural weapon. — Linton Kwesi Johnson
Back in those early days when I began my apprenticeship as a poet, I also tried to voice our anger, spirit of defiance and resistance in a Jamaican poetic idiom. — Linton Kwesi Johnson
I am often asked why I started to write poetry. The answer is that my motivation sprang from a visceral need to creatively articulate the experiences of the black youth of my generation, coming of age in a racist society. — Linton Kwesi Johnson
I have never, ever sought validation from the arbiters of British poetic taste. — Linton Kwesi Johnson
I wrote two poems about the 81 uprisings: Di Great Insohreckshan and Mekin Histri. I wrote those two poems from the perspective of those who had taken part in the Brixton riots. The tone of the poem is celebratory because I wanted to capture the mood of exhilaration felt by black people at the time. — Linton Kwesi Johnson
At the end of the day, life's about realising one's human potential. I don't know if I've realised mine, but I've certainly gone a long way towards realising some goals and some dreams. — Linton Kwesi Johnson
That the language of the poetry of Jamaican music is rastafarian or biblical language cannot simply be put down to the colonizer and his satanic missionaries. The fact is that the historical experience of the black Jamaican is an experience of the most acute human suffering, desolation and despair in the cruel world that is the colonial world. — Linton Kwesi Johnson
I don't go to see bands any more because I've got tinnitus, so I have to avoid loud music. You get used to it, but when it's quiet you hear a constant ringing. — Linton Kwesi Johnson
Once you have a disease like cancer, you look at life a bit differently. Some things that were important no longer seem as important as they were. — Linton Kwesi Johnson
The more I read my poems, the more I find out about them. I still read them with the same passion I felt when I wrote them as a young man. — Linton Kwesi Johnson
....the popular music of Jamaica, the music of the people, is an essentially experiential music, not merely in the sense that the people experience the music, but also in the sense that the music is true to the historical experience, that the music reflects the historical experience. It is the spiritual expression of the historical experience of the Afro-Jamaican. — Linton Kwesi Johnson
Life Lessons by Linton Kwesi Johnson
Linton Kwesi Johnson's work emphasizes the importance of solidarity and the power of collective action in the fight against oppression and injustice.
His work also highlights the importance of recognizing and celebrating the diversity of different cultures and experiences.
Through his poetry, Johnson encourages people to fight for justice and to use their voice to challenge oppressive systems and structures.
Citation
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