Abeng
Abeng (Ä běng) is a novel related to Maroons published in 1984 by Michelle Cliff. It is a quasi-autobiographical novel about a mixed-race Jamaican girl named Clare Savage growing up in the 1950s. It explores the historical repression resulting from British imperialism in Jamaica. Facts regarding imperialism of the island are dispersed throughout the narrative, as well as facts about slavery in Jamaica and Jamaican folklore. It is emphasized that the protagonists are generally unaware of these facts, which often serve to reveal the brutal nature of both slavery and imperialism. In this way Cliff reveals her intentions for the book. It is a piece of revisionist literature meant to counteract Britain's cultural imperialism in Jamaica. The character Clare Savage would return in Michelle Cliff's next novel, No Telephone to Heaven.
Origins of title
Abeng means an animal horn or musical instrument in the Twi language of the Akan people of Ghana.
The abeng has had two historical uses in Jamaica. It was used by slaveholders to summon slaves to the sugar fields. It was also used by the Maroon army as a method of communication. In a recent lecture at the University of St. Thomas, Cliff said that the title was a reference to both of these uses, though neither appears in the novel's text; they are referenced in the book's foreword. She further explained that the title is an attempt to "take back" Jamaican history.
Podcasts:
Abeng
ALBUMS
- Unconquerebel released: 1989
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by Japunga
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You Ain't Nothing
by: JapungaWhat the fuck is up with this?
You want to live for nothing with a fucked disease
It doesn't make a difference can you believe
Only one condition that I'm not alone
I will do it what it takes
You want to be alive
It don't take much to be
I know that I will survive
Try taking something from me
You ain't nothing
Keep coming back
You ain't nothing
What's the use in bringing me
Bringing me this far to leave me in the dark
You drag me like I've never seen the dark in my life
I close my eyes I hold my breath I'm at the end
Have you got what it takes?
Life is set to death
From the very moment you breathe
Living lies on a needle
Taking life out on me
You ain't nothing
Keep coming back
You ain't nothing