Words Archives - KOJO BAFFOE

Book Extract: My heroes were on the walls

Nov 10, 2021 | Books, Words

This is the second in a series of extracts from my book Listen To Your Footsteps, a collection of reflections and essays on fatherhood, identity, loss, creativity, etc WATCHING A documentary about Muhammad Ali, I was struck by how big an impact he had on me when I was a child. I was eight years old when he lost to Larry Holmes, and I have memories of watching the fight with my father. I has heartbroken because, even at that young age, I could see that Ali was at the end of his career. I read a copy of an early biography of his as a young teenager and, by then, had watched a lot of his...

Book Extract: Photographs

Nov 3, 2021 | Words

This is the first in a series of extracts from my book Listen To Your Footsteps, a collection of reflections and essays on fatherhood, identity, loss, creativity, etc IN SOME quarters, as photography spreads across the world, photographs were feared because it was believed that they captured the spirit of the subject. We went from that to documenting our lives incessantly with photographs. If you want to see how far we have come, try explaining what photography looked like in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s to a child who has grown up with cameras on just about any device....

The Artist Known As Saul Williams

Jun 17, 2015 | Sound, Words

Saul Williams. His influence as a poet permeated the Joburg scene following the release of the film Slam. Many a young poet found voice out of his unwavering desire to share his voice. The power of his words force you to listen and his willingness to draw influence without boundary, speaking truth to power with a confidence that many of us wish we had. I listened to his first album Amethyst Rock Star repeatedly for a year and always found something new in the spaces between the words. And when I listen to it today, it still, at times violently, grabs at my beliefs and forces me to reflect on...

Poem: Shane Koyczan – To This Day Project

Feb 23, 2013 | Social, Words

A friend tweeted me a poem. The tweet said, "You're into spoken word. How's this for art." I'd never heard of Shane Koyczan until the moment I pressed play, and I am better for it. When someone uses the right words to paint emotions in such a way that, even if it isn't your reality, you feel ... it is an amazing experience. To This Day Project is a poem from the Canadian poet, author and performer to highlight the impact of bullying on children and how this affects their lives into adulthood. A beautifully written poem, poignant, sad and painfully honest....

Performance Poetry vs Spoken Word

Jul 24, 2012 | Random, Words

In response to my post inviting requests for blog posts on specific topics, I was asked to share my thoughts on ‘performance poetry vs spoken word’. It has been a while since I was involved in the poetry scene and, therefore, I’m out of touch with what the trends, thoughts, etc. that currently exist within the scene. Having gone from regularly writing, performing, promoting and hosting shows, and doing a lot of poetry in corporate spaces, I’ve been on an indefinite sabbatical/ retirement, so my views might be out-dated and/or out of sync with those who are driving the word forward. I...

Mutumbo’s Sweet Memories

Jan 11, 2011 | Sound, Words

Spoken word / poetry has stuttered across the continent, going through ebbs and flows as poets grapple to build platforms and garner the kind of support necessary to sustain a life dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in word, thought and craft. In Ghana, it is no different. Two years ago, I attended the Bless The Mic open mic series in Accra run by Mi Prime Entertainment and briefly met their resident poet, Mutombo. We shared thoughts on poetry, we shared a poem and went our separate ways. In that time, Mutumbo has been paying his dues, and contributing to the development of the scene in...