Linton Kwesi Johnson @ NAC
An engaging, entertaining 75 minutes
The Harriet Martineau Lecture is held in Norwich annually and is named in honour of the Norwich-born journalist, novelist and, arguably the first, sociologist. Hosted by Jonathan Morley of the Writers’ Centre, for this year we have dub poet, reggae artist and former Black Panther Linton Kwesi Johnson.
In an engaging, entertaining 75 minutes, LKJ covered much ground. From comparisons between Martineau’s The Hour and the Man: A Historical Romance with CLR James’ The Black Jacobins through African identity in the music of the Caribbean and on to the New Cross Massacre Action Committee and Stephen Lawrence, LKJ held forth in an often witty but always hard-hitting style.
The meat of the lecture was the expression of African consciousness to be found in the music of the Caribbean and Jamaica in particular, from ska to reggae via rocksteady, demonstrated by songs from the likes of Desmond Dekker, The Ethiopians, Marley & The Wailers, Pete Tosh and more.
Things wind up with a short Q&A and, as host Mr Morley said, we all leave with both a list of books to read and songs to hear.
