A minuscule tribute by O Bolaji
South Africa's greatest Black poets? One's mind
automatically goes to Mongane Wally Serote, and Keorapetse Kgositsile, who has
just died.
I have been lucky
enough to meet both exalted bards over the years. Kgositsile epitomized poetry
and was a warm, affable, eclectic presence who graced poetic and literary
occasions with elan.
Prof Kgositsile always exuded bonhomie despite his awesome
credentials as international academic, wordsmith and author of several works
distributed in hundreds of literary centres worldwide. He would very
warmly hold hands with much younger burgeoning poets, joking with them, showing
them many of his published works in deprecating fashion.
His face always creased with smiles; evoking laughter and
applause, Bra Willie was nevertheless a tough literary critic who would attack
the works of the literary greats like Achebe and Ngugi. But of course in fairness to
him, he was critical of his own works too. "One might find out that what
one has written is a can of worms" he would say.
He was a well travelled, polished bard, highly respected
globally. I recollect Mr Malcolm Hacksley, former Director of NELM
Grahamstown telling me some intriguing anecdotes about Bra Willie. The late
Flaxman Qoopabe was also well enamoured with prof Kgositsile. His pungent
criticism often upset much younger bards at literary occasions, but
nevertheless they all warmed to him and admired him.
The late prof Kgositsile early in his career was something
of a journalist; he went on to study at Columbia University in the USA, where
he was influenced by Black poetry, with strong musical - jazz - elements
integral to his poetry. He published over ten revered works on poetry, and was
named as South African National Poet Laureate in 2006.
Books published by Keorapetse Kgositsile
The word is here: poetry from modern Africa
My name is Afrika
Spirits Unchained
For Melba
The present is a dangerous place to live
If I could sing: Selected poems
This way I salute you: Selected poems
When the Clouds clear
To the Bitter End
Approaches to Poetry Writing
Places and Bloodstains: notes for Ipelang
