Mwatabu S. Okantah
Encyclopedia
Mwatabu S. Okantah is an American poet, essayist, professor, and vocalist.
He holds a B.A. degree in English and African Studies from Kent State University
(1976), where he studied with Halim El-Dabh
and Fela Sowande
. He earned a M.A. in creative writing from the City College of New York
in 1982.
He is currently an Assistant Professor and Poet in Residence in the Department of Pan-African Studies at Kent State University, and also serves as the Director of that university's Center of Pan-African Culture.
He is the lead vocalist with the Muntu Kuntu Energy Ensemble and has performed frequently with the Cavani String Quartet
of Cleveland, Ohio.http://www.cavani.org/program.html
His surname, Okantah, means "breaker of rock" in the Ga language
of Ghana
. "Mwatabu" is Swahili
for "born in a time of tribulation or sorrow."
He holds a B.A. degree in English and African Studies from Kent State University
Kent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
(1976), where he studied with Halim El-Dabh
Halim El-Dabh
Halim Abdul Messieh El-Dabh is an Egyptian-born American composer, performer, ethnomusicologist, and educator, who has had a career spanning six decades...
and Fela Sowande
Fela Sowande
Olufela Obafunmilayo Sowande was a Nigerian musician and composer....
. He earned a M.A. in creative writing from the City College of New York
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
in 1982.
He is currently an Assistant Professor and Poet in Residence in the Department of Pan-African Studies at Kent State University, and also serves as the Director of that university's Center of Pan-African Culture.
He is the lead vocalist with the Muntu Kuntu Energy Ensemble and has performed frequently with the Cavani String Quartet
Cavani String Quartet
The Cavani String Quartet is an American string quartet based in Cleveland, Ohio. The group was established in 1984 and has been the Quartet-in-Residence at the Cleveland Institute of Music since 1988...
of Cleveland, Ohio.http://www.cavani.org/program.html
His surname, Okantah, means "breaker of rock" in the Ga language
Ga language
The Ga language is a Kwa language spoken in Ghana, in and around the capital Accra. It has a phonemic distinction between 3 vowel lengths.-Classification:Ga is a Kwa language, part of the Niger–Congo family...
of Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. "Mwatabu" is Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
for "born in a time of tribulation or sorrow."
Books
- Okantah, Mwatabu (1977). --To Sing a Dark Song. Beachwood, Ohio: Sharaqua Pub. Co.
- Okantah, Mwatabu S. (1983). Afreeka Brass. [Cleveland, Ohio]: Cleveland State University Poetry Center.
- Okantah, Mwatabu (1984). Collage: Poems. Detroit, Michigan: Lotus Press.
- Okantah, Mwatabu (1997). Cheikh Anta Diop: Poem for the Living: A Poem. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Black History Museum, UMUM/LOH Pub.
- Okantah, Mwatabu S. (2004). Reconnecting Memories: Dreams No Longer Deferred: New & Selected Poems. Trenton, New Jersey: Africa World Press.
External links
- Mwatabu S. Okantah biography from TimBookTu