Jean "Binta" Breeze facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean "Binta" Breeze
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Breeze pictured in 2007
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| Born |
Jean Lumsden
11 March 1956 Hanover, Jamaica
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| Died | 4 August 2021 (aged 65) Sandy Bay, Jamaica
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| Occupation | Writer, dub poet |
| Known for | First Jamaican female dub poet |
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Notable work
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Riddym Ravings and Other Poems (1988) |
| Children | 3, including Gareth |
Jean "Binta" Breeze MBE (born March 11, 1956 – died August 4, 2021) was a famous Jamaican dub poet and storyteller. She is known as the first woman to write and perform dub poetry. Dub poetry is a type of poetry that is often performed with reggae music.
Jean Breeze was also a theatre director, choreographer, actor, and teacher. She shared her work all over the world, including in the Caribbean, North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Many people called her "one of the most important, influential performance poets of recent years."
Contents
Jean "Binta" Breeze's Early Life
Jean Breeze was born and grew up in a small village called Patty Hill in Hanover Parish, Jamaica. She moved to Kingston in 1978. There, she studied at the Jamaican School of Drama for a year. During this time, she met other important poets like Michael Smith and Oku Onuora.
After her studies, she lived in the Clarendon hills for three and a half years. She was a member of the Rastafarian religion. She also joined the Sistren Theatre Collective, a group that used theatre to talk about women's issues.
Becoming a Dub Poet
Jean Breeze became known as Jamaica's first female dub poet in 1981. This happened after she performed on stage with Mutabaruka, another famous dub poet. Mutabaruka recorded her work and included her on an album called Word Sound 'ave Power. On this album, she performed poems like "Aid Travels with a Bomb."
In 1985, she visited London for the first time. She was invited by Linton Kwesi Johnson, a well-known dub poet. She performed in the UK for the first time at a special book fair.
Life and Work in London
Jean Breeze moved back to London in September 1985. She earned a teaching certificate in 1987. She taught Theatre Studies at Brixton College. However, after two years, she decided to leave teaching to focus on performing her poetry full-time.
She wrote in many different ways. Her first book of poetry, Riddym Ravings, came out in 1988. The main poem in this book, "The Mad Woman's Poem," is considered a classic in Caribbean poetry. It was also included in a famous book called Daughters of Africa in 1992.
Jean Breeze also appeared on TV shows like Channel 4's New Voices in 1988. She wrote a movie script called Hallelujah Anyhow, which was shown at the British Film Festival in 1990. Her work was also featured in a documentary called "Moods and Moments." She released several music albums, including Tracks in 1991.
Later Collections and Theatre Work
Later, she published more poetry books. These included The Arrival of Brighteye and Other Poems (2000) and The Fifth Figure (2006). The Fifth Figure was about five generations of Black British women. Her book Third World Girl: Selected Poems (2011) also came with a DVD of her live performances.
Jean Breeze also acted in many plays. In 1987, she had a main role in Edgar White's play The Moon Dance Night. In 1992, she starred in The Love Space Demands for the Talawa Theatre Company. She also appeared in other plays like The Prayer and Carnival Messiah.
Jean Breeze used her poetry to talk about important topics, including mental health challenges. She spoke about the need to understand and support people facing these challenges. She believed that everyone, especially those with unique talents, should be given understanding.
She performed her work all around the world. People often called her a "one-woman festival" because of her powerful performances. In her later years, she lived between Leicester in England and Jamaica.
Jean "Binta" Breeze's Family Life
Jean Breeze was born Jean Lumsden. She married Brian Breese in 1974 and changed her last name to Breeze. They had a son together before separating in 1978. Her son, Gareth, became a famous West Indies cricketer. Jean also had two daughters named Imega and Caribe.
Jean Breeze passed away on August 4, 2021, at her home in Sandy Bay, Jamaica. She died from a lung condition called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Many people shared tributes to her. Poet Michael Rosen said her work was a strong statement about womanhood, ethnicity, and Jamaica. Writer Carolyn Cooper said Jean Breeze left behind many poems, stories, and recordings that will last forever.
Awards and Recognition
Jean Breeze received many awards and honors for her contributions to literature:
- In 2003, she received a NESTA Fellowship, which is a special award to support creative people.
- In 2004, she was part of a famous photograph called "A Great Day in London." This picture showed 50 Black and Asian writers who had made big contributions to British literature.
- She was an Honorary Creative Writing Fellow at the University of Leicester.
- In 2012, she was given the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) award for her services to literature.
- In 2018, one of her poems, "dreamer," was displayed on the London Underground. This was part of a celebration of Caribbean poetry to remember the 70th anniversary of the Empire Windrush ship arriving in Britain.
- Also in 2018, she received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the University of Leicester. She also got a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jamaican Poetry Festival and a silver Musgrave Medal from the Institute of Jamaica.
Jean "Binta" Breeze's Works
Books of Poetry
- Answers (1983)
- Riddym Ravings and Other Poems (1988)
- Spring Cleaning (1992)
- On the Edge of an Island (1997)
- Song Lines (1997)
- The Arrival of Brighteye and Other Poems (2000)
- The Fifth Figure (2006)
- Third World Girl: Selected Poems (2011, with a live performances DVD)
- Third World Girl: Selected Poems (2016)
Albums
- Riddym Ravings (1987)
- Tracks (1991)
- Hearsay (1994)
- Riding on de Riddym (1997)
- Eena Me Corner (2010)
See also
In Spanish: Jean "Binta" Breeze para niños
