Life Culture Destiny: Reflections of a Poet and Lyricist

By Yussef Ahmed

Life, Culture, Destiny: Reflections of a Poet and Lyricist is an eclectic display of spoken word poetry delivered with elan and poignancy. Yussef invites reflection amid an imbalanced world yearning for poise and aplomb through art. It is providential in depth and scope, and arguably a jarring, soothing literary monument without paralell.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Yussef Ahmed
• Release date: Oct 10, 2016
• ISBN: 9781540158321

Book preview

FOREWORD

All of Yussef’s albums have been important commentaries on the state of the world, and the mind- set, (good or bad), of the people who struggle, (or not) with the vagaries, and the ruthlessness of the ‘system’. Although serious, his music is never depressing, if anything it is uplifting. Although thoughtful and intelligent, his words in print are poetic and lyrical. His work is rooted in the oral tradition, with both poetic and storytelling qualities. And there are echoes of the African griot, the dub poet, the calypsonian, jazzoetry, and hip hop, yet he has never tried to be any of them. He is his own man. Impossible to typecast or stereotype; impossible to mold or commercialise.

Some poets, and therefore some poetry, struggle to find their place, and continually ask about their role in society, the universe, or the club. Yussef and his poetry have never had that problem. He is a true poet of the people for the people, who brings the word to life with or without music on stage or in the studio. His music should not be divorced from his activist work in the community. Once you understand his passion and drive, and his commitment to helping others, the integrity of his music is real, and more than ‘just’ words and beats. His music is honest, honestly him, and so it sits majestically in a cultural place of his own turning away from the quest for commerciality. His writings are direct, and unpretentious. His legacy is a proud body of work that will uplift, educate, and liberate for years to come.

This publication, Reflections, is an overview of the collected works, a retrospective, a taking stock of a creative, meaningful life of a meaningful person who dedicated his life and his work to his people. Here are the reflections of Yussef Ahmed, activist, truth teller, and cultural revolutionary.

Professor Benjamin Zephaniah

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The cries of Yussef Ahmed resonant throughout the African continent. His is a well-articulated body of work that speaks to a people's struggle for genuine sovereignty, emancipation and justice.

Abdullahi Shuaibu (Pan African News Agency (PANA) New York Bureau)

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Yussef Ahmed is a fantastic poet and performer, but he is more than that: He is a bridge between the roots of spoken word and its future. His style – mixing traditional and contemporary elements, serves as a necessary reminder that poetry in performance is not new, and that it can only be stronger if it remembers to draw on its history. Yussef is important figure in today’s spoken word, without a doubt.

Bohdan Piasecki, Midlands Coordinator (Apples and Snakes Poetry Agency)

A man with compelling stories to tell. His poetry &music move you to reflect on peace and the way we live with each other.

Chris Highto (Senior BBC Broadcaster & Journalist)

Bibliography

Yussef Ahmad was born in South Kensington, London to Trinidadian parents. In January 1959 his family had settled there as part of the ‘Windrush.’

However, by the early 60s, they returned to Trinidad where Yussef spent his formative