Mutabaruka (Allan Hope)

Just above his forehead, poet Mutabaruka has a strip of white hair that bisects his jet black locks. That is the only white thing about this revolutionary writer whose "Every Time I ’Ear Dis Sound" burst through the mellow reggae of the early ’80s like a bullet from an AK-47. Performings sans shoes and shirt, Muta’s deep voiced uncompromising rants make his a unique, almost fearsome figure whose melding of poetry and dub music make him seem akin to an Old Testament prophet saying "Listen — or else!" ~ Roger Steffens, All Music Guide

Click any CD below to order online

Muta in Dub	Gathering of Spirits
The Ultimate Collection	Melanin Man
Blakk Wi Blak…K…K…	Any Which Way Freedom
The Mystery Unfolds	Out Cry

Related Links

Mutabaruka Web Site (indepth)
https://www.ireggae.com/muta.htm

"Classical Reggae Interviews"
https://cri.cipnet.de/mut-int.htm

Rastafari.org
https://www.rastafari.org

dis poem

dis poem
shall speak of the wretched sea  
that washed ships to these shores 
of mothers crying for their young
swallowed up by the sea 
dis poem shall say nothin new  
dis poem shall speak of time 
time unlimited 
time undefined 
dis poem shall call names 
names like
lumumba
kenyatta
nkrumah
hannibal
akenaton
malcolm
garvey
haile selassie
dis poem is vex
about apartheid
racism
facism
the klu klux klan
riots in brixton
atlanta
jim jones
dis poem is revoltin against 
first world
second world
third world
division
manmade decision 
dis poem is like all the rest
dis poem will not be amongst great literary works
will not be recited by poetry enthusiasts
will not be quoted by politicians
nor men of religion
dis poem is knives…bombs…guns…
blazing for freedom 
yes dis poem is a drum
ashanti
mau mau
ibo
yoruba
niahbingi warriors
uhuru…uhuru
namibia uhuru
uhuru
soweto
uhuru
afrika!
dis poem will not change things
dis poem needs to be changed
dis poem is the rebirth of a people arising…awaking…overstanding
…dis poem speak
is speakin…has spoken
dis poem shall continue
even when poets have stoped writing
dis poem shall survive…u…me…
it shall linger in history
in your mind
in time….
forever
dis poem is time
only time will tell
dis poem is still not written
dis poem has no poet
dis poem is just a part of the story his-story…her-story…our-story
the story still untold 
dis poem is now ringing… talking
irritatin
making u want to stop it
but dis poem will not stop
dis poem is long
cannot be short
dis poem cannot be tamed
cannot be blamed 
the story is still not told about dis poem
dis poem is old
new
dis poem is copied from
the bible
your prayer book
the new york times
readers digest
the c.i.a. files
the k.g.b. files
dis poem is no secret
dis poem shall be called
boring
stupid
senseless
dis poem is watchin u 
tryin’ to make sense from dis poem 
dis poem is messin up your brains 
makin u want to stop listenin to dis poem 
but you shall not stop listenin to dis poem 
u need to know what will be said next in dis poem 
dis poem shall disappoint u because…  
dis poem is to be continue

in your mind… 
in your mind… 
in your mind…