Undercurrents

In conversation with media activist and freelance journalist, Sheila Nopper, Lillian Allen discusses the origins of dub poetry and its contemporary manifestations and intersections with reggae music and social justice movements. Allen reads dub poetry selections--"Knife Edge of Good Womanhood"; "To the Child"; and "Nelly Belly Swelly"--That show how she has helped expand the forms of rap, hip-hop, and dub poetry to feminist content and sensibilities. As Nopper writes: "Lillian Allen is a vocal resistor who has broken many barriers of silence about female culture and identity. She has utilized her voice and her poetics to challenge explicitly and implicitly, the power relationship within society, between men and women and among women. She dared to be different, to call into question norms of society. Allen has stood up for her rights, followed her inner voice, her truth and her spirit. In so doing, she has validated not only her own existence but the existence of female culture" ("Vocal Resistors" Herizons Magazine, vol 11, no. 3, 1997)

Lillian Allen is recognized as a key originator and a leading exponent of dub poetry--a highly politicized form of poetry that is sometimes set to music and is considered a literary godmother of rap, hip-hop and spoken word poetry. Originally from Spanish Town, Jamaica, Allen has been an influential figure on the global cultural landscape for over four decades. She is credited with opening up the form of dub poetry to enlist and engage feminist content and sensibilities. Her albums Revolutionary Tea Party and Conditions Critical won Juno awards in 1986 and 1988 respectively. Allen's multi-disciplinary and experimental creativity extends across many genres. In addition to being an award-winning and internationally renowned poet and writer of short stories and plays, Allen was the instigator, co-producer and host of WORDBEAT, CBC's national radio show on poetry and the spoken word; she is featured in the films Revolution from de Beat (1995); Unnatural Causes (1989); Rhythm and Hardtimes (1998); and co-produced/co-directed Blak ... Wi Blakk' (1994), a documentary film on Jamaican dub poet Mutabaruka which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. She is a professor of creative writing at Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCADU). www.lillianallen.ca