By George Alleyne
Edward Kamau Brathwaite,
a literary great of Barbados
whose work will have a lasting
effect on the Caribbean, much
of Africa and the wider world has
passed away, setting the island
in mourning.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley
described the 89-year-old as
“easily one of the titans of postcolonial
literature and the arts,”
while principal of The University
of the West Indies, Cave
Hill Campus, Professor Eudine
Barriteau, remembered him as
a towering 20th century man
of letters and a Caribbean intellectual.”
Mottley said Kamau’s chronicling
of “our past through his
magnificent works, shone a
powerful light on the realities of
our present and in turn, guided
our sense of self and national
identity”.
“But his reach and influence
were not limited to his
beloved Barbados and the Caribbean.
His tenure as an educator
at institutions from Ghana
to America allowed students of
every ethnicity and background
to experience his wizardry with
words.”
Barriteau said, “Professor
Brathwaite fulfilled his several
roles with consummate ease and
excellence. He clearly understood
DIME BEST OF BROOKLYN 2021
NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN
B ES TOFB K.COM
Caribbean Life, F 28 ebruary 21-27, 2020
Caribbean people and the
places from which they came
and was determined to ensure
the integrity of a Caribbean civilisation
and the sacredness of its
language.”
Among tributes pouring in
was one from The Monsignor
Patrick Anthony Folk Research
Centre (FRC), an organisation
established in 1973 as repository
for cultural heritage, recording
and promulgating Saint Lucia’s
rich heritage.
FRC said Brathwaite was a,
“Teacher, Historian, Caribbean
Nationalist and International
poet, Kamau blazed the trail
along with such other notables
as George Lamming, Austin
Clarke, Derek Walcott, V. S. Naipaul,
Martin Carter, Wilson Harris,
Jean Rhys, Roger Mais, Earl
Lovelace, Una Marson, Paule
Marshall, Phyllis Shand Allfrey,
Elma Napier and Louise Bennett,
to place the literature of
this region on its pedestal where
it sits today… Brathwaite’s work
on nation languages gave some
additional legitimacy to Kwéyòl
as the Saint Lucian nation language.”
Born in 1930 Kamau, who
died on Feb. 4, got his tertiary
education at Cambridge
University and holds an Honorary
Doctorate from the University
of Sussex, UK. Other awards
include the Casa de las Americas
Prize for Literary Criticism,
the W.E.B. Du Bois Award in
2010 and the Bussa (a Barbados
National Hero) Award.
He was co-founder of the Caribbean
Arts Movement; served
on the board of directors of
UNESCO’s History of Mankind
project; was cultural advisor to
the government of Barbados;
worked in Ghana’s Ministry of
Education; taught at University
of the West Indies, Southern Illinois
University, New York University,
University of Nairobi, Boston
University, Holy Cross College,
Yale University, and was a visiting
fellow at Harvard University.
He also authored more than
60 books on poetry, prose, literary
criticism, drama, cultural
studies, an autobiography, and
history.
In coining the term ‘nation
language’, he reaffirmed Caribbean
people that their native
Gabby paying emotional tribute to the late Edward Kamau
Brathwaite. Photo by George Alleyne
tongues — adapted from the
time of slavery when enslaved
ancestors were confronted with
European languages — are not
inferior to that of any other
society.
Barbados TODAY newspaper
noted some of his publication,
“‘The Arrival: A New World Trilogy’
is a landmark oeuvre of
long-term poems — ‘Rights of
Passage’ (1967), ‘Masks’ (1968)
and ‘Islands’ (1969) — that was
created following his sojourn in
the new nation that was once
the principal exporting colony of
enslaved African people — the
Gold Coast — which became
independent Ghana in 1957.”
Performing artistes and literary
enthusiasts gathered Monday,
Feb. 10 to honor Kamau’s
life and work in UWI’s the Walcott
Warner Theatre.
Following a libation rite there
were 19 stage performances
from dancing, to poetry reading,
skit acting, and music —
none more telling as that of the
Mighty Gabby.
Literary giant Kamau gone
ARE YOU
ONE OF THE
BEST?
WE KNOW YOU’RE
NODDING YES.
BESTOFBK.COM
(718) 260-2554
Go to www.CaribbeanLifeNews.com
for the latest in Caribbean news,
entertainment, sports,
business, viewpoints, and more.
North America’s Largest Caribbean Newspaper
/BESTOFBK.COM
/K.COM
/www.CaribbeanLifeNews.com
/www.CaribbeanLifeNews.com