Calabash Literary family treasures memory of Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze
Published:Monday | August 9, 2021 | 12:07 AM
In its fourth year, the Calabash International Literary Festival welcomed the remarkable dub poet and cultural ambassador Jean Lumsden to add some of her light and literature. She was known professionally as Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze. Kwame Dawes, a co-founder of the event, expressed appreciation and respect for the fellow poet, and although saddened by her passing, he has found solace in the memories he has of her.
“The Calabash family was deeply honoured when she graced our stage with her brilliance and warmth. This is a great loss, of course. She is missed,” he said.
Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze, whose works leave an indelible mark on the literary arts community for her way with words that demonstrated her captivating spirit, died at the University Hospital of the West Indies, last Wednesday, having struggled with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
On hearing the news of her passing, Dawes said he wrote some words of remembrance. A lauded poet himself, he recalled being met by Breeze at the South Bank Centre in London in 1994 for the announcement of the Forward Poetry Prize for which he was shortlisted for his first book of poetry, Progeny of Air.
“It was great to hear her Jamaican, comforting and reassuring, and it was truly affirming to hear her say, ‘You belong here,’ though I felt like an interloper on so many levels,” he said.
PIONEER
Breeze sat on the judges’ panel that selected the winner, he shared. He described the moment of winning and being in the presence of a pioneer like her of filling him with emotions that comprised nervousness and bewilderment.
“I cannot be blamed for always feeling grateful that Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze was on that panel in 1994, and for associating the win with her,” Dawes said, adding that then, “was the start of a relationship that was always marked by my deep admiration for her poetry, for her humour, for her generosity, for her confidence, for her fierce and principled sense of justice, and for her laughter — loud, riotous, outrageous, contagious and all-consuming.”
Some of Breeze’s cherished literary works include Riddym Ravings, known for its classic The Mad Woman, Third World Girl, The Arrival of Brighteye and Other Poems and The Verandah Poems, published in 2016. She dedicated much of her time to writing as well as performing in the realm of theatre and film. She was always remembered, and her poems were a constant spoken word for creatives who participated in the Calabash International Literary Festival.
"When Jean agreed to play Cordelia in my play One Love, directed by the brilliant Yvonne Brewster for the Talawa Theatre Company, I was elated; and watching her command the stage, despite dealing with her own struggles with health and life, remains one of the most memorable and cherished experiences of my life. I remember sitting in a small room backstage with Jean smoking slowly, her body curved into a small packet, her large eyes piercing into me, talking, considering, and seeing her slowly shaping this character — those moments will always stay with me," the poet shared.
"A few years ago, Jean 'Binta' Breeze took the stage at Calabash. She was making her way back home to Jamaica. Her reading was stunning for its clarity, skill and tenderness. She was home, and one had the feeling that she moved with a body that had travelled far and was looking for a tree under which to find shelter and rest. I started to miss Jean then, to miss her vibrant presence, for we all knew she was struggling with her health and was still working through so much in the tumult of her soul. We have lost a truly original artist. Fortunately, she has left books of prose and elegant poetry, and videos of her in full magnificent flight," Dawes concluded.
Justine Henzell, producer and one of the festival’s founders, also expressed sadness at the passing of Breeze.
Editor's Note: A previous version of this story stated that Jean Lumsden died at her home in Sandy Bay, Hanover. Lumsden died at the University Hospital of the West Indies.