Wednesday April 7: Lesego Rampolokeng, one of the headliners in a large retinue of poets and performers at the Poetry, Song and Memory event laid on at the Agip Hall of the Muson Centre, reads, in one of the more riveting performances on the stage. Rampolokeng hopped onto the stage, moved, talked and read his poetry at breakneck speed, and the crowd loved it. "If I'm going too fast please stop me," he said. "Ah, no," many said in the audience; they were loving it too much. The poet said Nigeria was the only country so far where he's had to bribe a customs officer in order to be let into the country. The bribe was a copy of Rampolokeng's book, so who knows, maybe the corrupt official could go get himself some enlightenment. The largely Nigerian audience did not have to squirm too long at the mention of the bribe; Rampolokeng did not leave his native South Africa out. One had to be black, he said, to be considered a 'foreigner' in SA. "There are no white foreigners in South Africa."Rampolokeng's performance was over all too soon and he left the stage the same way he came on - he hopped off.
Lesego Rampolokeng reads with the Association of Nigerian Authors' Lagos Chapter in Lagos tomorrow, Saturday, April 10. Details below.
ANA Lagos Reading With Lesego Rampolokeng
Under the Samarkand Tree
Near Aina Onabolu Hall
National Theatre
Iganmu, Lagos
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Time: 12 noon.
How I would have loved to be there, but too far away at present.
ReplyDeleteI saw and heard him in Frankfurt Main in February this year. It was a great experience, he is outspoken and minces no words and besides a warm heart...
This is what a friend who is South African had to say about RAM the Poet:
ReplyDeleteSo typical of that Rampolokeng guy. You know Kole, I actually don't respect him at all. I think he's got a streak of Malema in him....just says whatever sounds the most controversial at that point in time. Now he says Thabo Mbeki is a goat, that's not even witty, satirical or smart in any way, just childish. At least Malema's ranting comes in the form of "punchlines". Lesego Rampolokeng just needs to lay off the weed for longer than two minutes, really.