‘Flames of Revolution’ by Dime Maziba: A Review

Review

By

Eugene Skeef

The first impact of Dime Maziba’s poetry on my senses was like the sensation of saluting the blazing African sunrise. I was struck immediately and unequivocally, in the very first stanza, by that integrative unity of African rhythm; the sense of intuitive rhyming without needing to articulate its obvious nuances; and the inseparable presence of nature’s generosity through the mother continent’s landscapes:

“Oh Africa,

Your rivers whisper

Muffled tones.

Your sound will roar into

My fossil bones”

There is a way that African drumming can flow into a passive audience’s whole being and have them dancing in no time. Maziba’s words are imbued with this same power, infusing the reader’s consciousness like invisible ripples from the resonance of his poetry.

Maziba is a profoundly inspired poet because, while he has lived through the horrors of war, he has not forsaken that integral ingredient of being truly human – hope. This essential quality that carries him and his readers beyond the incapacitating shock of the immeasurable injustices of this world, and into a visionary domain transfused with love, peace, compassion, reconciliation and mindfulness, permeates every poem

This unfaltering form of inspiration is transposed directly from the poet’s experience, onto the page and absorbed into the reader’s mind, becoming not only a delectable treat for our senses, but an additive-free stimulus for an enhanced awareness of our diverse but interconnected realities.

We have in Dime Maziba a poet of the people, for the people and with the people!

‘Flames of Revolution’ is published by Classic Age Publishing

Dime Maziba

Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Dime Maziba is a Pan-Africanist Oratory, poet, writer and political activist. He is also a Financial Accounting student from Durban University of technology (Dut) in South Africa where he is currently based. He is taking part in many organizations which strike for youth empowerment and gender equality and is a member of DUT poetry society. Passionate about political and economic issues, several of his articles and poems have been featured in magazines, journals and websites internationally as well as in anthologies such as ”Best New African poets 2016? (South Africa), ‘Not My President’ (USA), ‘A New Home For Africa’ (Nigeria).

Eugene Skeef

Eugene Skeef FRSA is a South African percussionist, composer, poet, educationalist and animator living in London since 1980. He also works in conflict resolution, acts as a consultant on cultural development, teaches creative leadership and is a broadcaster. In 2003 he founded Umoya Creations, a charity set up to facilitate this international work.

Eugene’s roots are firmly established in his cultural work with Steve Biko, the late South African civil rights leader. As a young activist he co-led a nationwide literacy campaign teaching in schools, colleges and communities across apartheid South Africa.

Eugene is at the forefront of the contemporary music scene, collaborating with innovative artists like Anthony Tidd, Brian Eno, Bheki Mseleku, Tunde Jegede and Eddie Parker. He has brought his extensive experience, as an advisor, to the Contemporary Music Network. He has also been instrumental in developing the education programmes of some of the major classical orchestras in the United Kingdom, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO), the London Sinfonietta and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Eugene is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and sits on the board of directors of the LPO. He is on the advisory committee of SoundJunction, the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music’s interactive multimedia educational project. In September 2004 he was appointed musician in residence of the Purcell School of Music.

In March 2005 Eugene performed with his Abantu Ensemble at Buckingham Palace and was presented to the Queen as part of the historic Music Day to celebrate the diversity of culture in Britain.