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African Poets Lead Cultural Awakening Through Language and Tradition
African Poets Lead Cultural Awakening Through Language and Tradition
Sputnik Africa
For centuries, African poetry has been more than an art form—it has been a vessel for history, resistance, and identity. From the rhythmic verses of griots to... 22.03.2025, Sputnik Africa
2025-03-22T13:00+0100
2025-03-22T13:00+0100
2025-03-24T11:02+0100
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African Poets Lead Cultural Awakening Through Language and Tradition
Sputnik Africa
For centuries, African poetry has been more than an art form—it has been a vessel for history, resistance, and identity. From the rhythmic verses of griots to the powerful words of modern poets, it continues to shape the continent’s narrative. But how do we ensure that these traditions endure in a fast-changing world?
In an interview with Sputnik Africa, Tade Ipadeola, an award-winning Nigerian poet and lawyer, emphasized the importance of writing in indigenous languages. While he initially wrote mostly in English, he later embraced Yoruba to ensure his poetry resonated with more people. He believes that some themes, like mythology and beauty, are best expressed in his native tongue, whereas issues like class and gender find better articulation in English. He also highlighted the challenges of translation but sees it as a crucial tool for making African poetry accessible worldwide.On his part, Zolani Mkiva, a former member of the South African Parliament and praise poet, argued that oral poetry has been the backbone of African resistance, from colonial struggles to modern social movements. He views poets as historians, philosophers, and custodians of cultural memory. While acknowledging the dangers of modernization erasing traditional forms, he sees technology as a tool to strengthen African poetry, provided it is used strategically.To listen to the whole podcast, tune in to the Global South Pole podcast, brought to you by Sputnik Africa.In addition to the website, you can also catch our episodes on Telegram.► You can also listen to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, Castbox, Pocket Casts, Afripods, Podcast Addict, Overcast, and Telegram.► Check out all the episodes of Global South Pole.
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podcasts, poetry, poet, language, learning language, colonialism, neocolonialism, innovation, technology, artificial intelligence (ai), alexander pushkin, sputnik africa, south africa, nigeria, аудио, heritage
African Poets Lead Cultural Awakening Through Language and Tradition
Aliyu Bello
Correspondent, Podcast Host
For centuries, African poetry has been more than an art form—it has been a vessel for history, resistance, and identity. From the rhythmic verses of griots to the powerful words of modern poets, it continues to shape the continent’s narrative. But how do we ensure that these traditions endure in a fast-changing world?
In an interview with Sputnik Africa, Tade Ipadeola, an award-winning Nigerian poet and lawyer, emphasized the importance of writing in indigenous languages. While he initially wrote mostly in English, he later embraced Yoruba to ensure his poetry resonated with more people. He believes that some themes, like mythology and beauty, are best expressed in his native tongue, whereas issues like class and gender find better articulation in English. He also highlighted the challenges of translation but sees it as a crucial tool for making African poetry accessible worldwide.
“I grew up in a household where language was premium. Yoruba is a language that is driven more by tone than by syntax, which meant that one had to listen carefully to the inflections. My Delphic Laurel-winning poem, ‘Odidere,’ was inspired by this. The act of translation itself can help a larger audience access what one has created in one's indigenous language. What inspires my writing in English is more complex. I found it important to deal with issues of environmental degradation, class struggles, and gender, and how it has been weaponized,” the award-winning poet shared.
On his part, Zolani Mkiva, a former member of the South African Parliament and praise poet, argued that oral poetry has been the backbone of African resistance, from colonial struggles to modern social movements. He views poets as historians, philosophers, and custodians of cultural memory. While acknowledging the dangers of modernization erasing traditional forms, he sees technology as a tool to strengthen African poetry, provided it is used strategically.
“We come from a tradition of oral traditions. But what is important is to embrace innovations, for instance, artificial intelligence, and digitization. If in the past we were able to protect, preserve memory through orality [and] now we've got instruments where we can record and digitize our values, our traditions, the nuances of our cultural practices, dance, music, and everything that is linked to it. So let's use and exploit artificial intelligence to our advantage. Don't allow technology to dictate the terms of your own culture, but culture must employ technology so that technology listens to the intelligence of your cultural outlook. You tell it what it must do for you rather than it telling you how you should conduct yourself,” the former parliamentarian stressed.
To listen to the whole podcast, tune in to the Global South Pole podcast, brought to you by Sputnik Africa.
In addition to the website, you can also catch our episodes on
Telegram.► Check out all the episodes of Global South Pole. 
