Lesego Rampolokeng has been writing all his life – he even wrote grafitti in his mother's womb. Well, that's what he jokingly told his audience that filled the Eastern Star Gallery in Anglo-African Street last Thursday, at the launch of his latest book.
Lesego Rampolokeng has been writing all his life – he even wrote grafitti in his mother's womb. Well, that's what he jokingly told his audience that filled the Eastern Star Gallery in Anglo-African Street last Thursday, at the launch of his latest book.
He set the tone for the evening from this first moment and explained that he has been writing all his life. The book, Head on Fire, is a collection of rants, notes and poems from 2001-2011 and is Rampolokeng's tenth published book, and his first book of poems to be published in South Africa since The Bavino Sermons in 1999.
It explores this acclaimed South African writer and poet's views on religion, war, street violence, global economics, obscenity, history, wordplay, sexual perversion and, not least, his own contradictions.
An experienced performer, Rampolokeng then read excerpts from his book in an energetic, gesticulating style that resembled a hip hop performance. The content of his pieces covered a variety of themes from religion and history, to murdered black heroes – both American and South African.
The audience was captivated and silent throughout his performance, except for one audience member who grumbled to the effect that she found the brute sexuality of his poetry offensive. When Rampolokeng recited 'Sun of my years' – a poem that deals with religion and history – he painted pictures with his words, using metaphors and rhythmic syllables to project the piece to his listeners.
A particularly interesting line was: poets see beauty where none exists. His latest offering includes the complete text of The Second Chapter, previously published in Berlin in 2003. Rampolokeng has an international reputation as one of the great struggle poets, and he is currently living in Grahamstown as the first Mellon Writer in Residence at Rhodes University.
Head on Fire costs R130 and can be bought at Van Shaik's on High Street.
