AN HOUR WITH SWAHILI LEGENDARY WRITER AND BROADCASTER- ABDILATIF ABDALLA...

 I spent over 60 minutes with Kenyan writer, Swahili promoter and lecturer, now retired; grandfather of twelve grand-children, Mr Abdilatif Abdalla. We walked along Camden Town in northern- west London, had tea; and hardly a moment passed without laughter. Abdilatif is one of those gifted humans that find fun and amusement and meaning in very simple things.

At 67 years his mind is sharp and his senses possess charisma which the Oxford English dictionary defines as: magnetism, appeal, allure, presence, strength of character. A hundred years ago, famous American novelist, Jack London wrote: “The proper function of man is to live, not to exist.”

 

Two ouststanding Swahili pundits : Award winning journalist Ahmed Rajab (left ,seated) with Abdilatif Abdalla...pic by Mohammed Said.

CHINUA ACHEBE’S TREMENDOUS CONTRIBUTION TO AFRICAN LITERACY

Chinua Achebe speaking at SOAS London in 2008 to commemorate 50 years of publication of Things Fall Apart. Pic by F Macha...

Overseas based Africans do all sorts of jobs. What they qualified at institutions of higher education is often thrown out of the window for mundane jobs to support families and a life that is as tough as this March’s freezing weather, rain and snow plus shocking news of death. Anglo-European news broadcasts were mum, but stations that beam African news (Al Jazeera, French TV 5, Africa Channel etc) did mourn the famous, esteemed Nigerian writer’s demise, last Thursday.  

I was chatting to a Tanzanian musician who once worked at a five star London hotel. 

“The place received interesting visitors; one night boooom! In strolled two prominent African writers. They were attending a big conference. Later we sat for a long time talking.  I said to myself, Woow! I am sitting with celebrities.”

One was the 1986 Nobel Prize For Literature winner, Wole Soyinka; first African to scoop the coveted award since French writer Sully Prudhomme netted it in 1901.

“I could not believe I was chatting to Soyinka and fellow Nigerian legend, Chinua Achebe. Achebe said he gets ideas to write out of the blue, gifted by God.  Because I had told him I am a musician -and this is a side job I do to pay bills- he said the way I compose songs is the same way a writer works.”