Badilisha Poetry

Ben Caesar


Country: Dominica


www.myspace.com/bespot

Biography:

... and it seems that's the state of our teens of today/ we grow up at such a pace/ we don't get to touch base with the elders of our age/
Our history books are missing a page... Ma Island, June 2009

Ben Caesar Charles Le Roux (Ben Caesar) was born in 1985 in the Caribbean island of Dominica where he spent his early childhood. They moved to London and then to South Africa where they shuffled between Kwa Zulu Natal, Johannesburg and later Cape Town where he is currently settled. During his school years he travelled to Holland, UK, Switzerland, New York and Montreal and visited the Caribbean from time to time.

Growing up in such diversity, Ben states "I am fortunate to have been exposed to many different peoples, cultures, with varying sexuality's, race and genders, it has broadened my horizons and perceptions which all feed into my music and perspective's".

He has released three albums, 2007, Eye of the Storm in 2008, and most recently LONDONE in 2009. He performs regularly at venues and gathering from clubs to festivals, celebrations to NGO Human Rights conferences including then ILRIG conference on globalisation, the Divinity clothing label launch, Bon Esperance Refugee Day celebration, the South African National Gallery, Muizenberg Community festival and has been the featured artist at "Verses" Poetry sessions in Zula Bar, Cape Town. After travelling and performing all over the world, Ben Caesar is now back in South Africa working on a new album.

Related Podcasts & Events:

I stand against

verse.1
paging so many rages/
tryina overstand why we hate and rape/
our sisters/
this is a twisted life that we live in/
where sexism exists in/
politics television and religion/
employment and upbringing/
no question the whole f***ing system/
my sistrens expression is kept in the ignorance
of bredrin/
feminism is a reaction to the actions of men/
injustices-women ain't protected by law/
rape cases thrown from court/
police don't play their part/
-they take part/
how many rapists take up/
political seat, sports athletes and big boss companies/
with thoughts of women like Jacob Z/
whats the psychology behind/
violation of woman and mankind/
somebody tell me
but let 'em know
that

chorus:
I stand against the rape of my sister
I stand against the rape of my sister
I stand against the rape of my sister
now stand against the rape of our sisters

verse.2
too many connect rape/
and sex/
are you illiterate/
its a different language/
the concrete jungle/
wilderness/ prey and predators/
is victim reality, mentality or perception?
I question/
I send this to survivors/
rise up
to the young blood/
in the sex trade/
from a young age a girls affected
first hand from the ignorance of her day/
harassed from her door/
to the store/
-back again/
how many women's sexual freedom inhibited/
cos of tainted experience/
neglected scars
never heal
princess/
a woman is a precious gift from above
when will we honour her/
i wonder
but

chorus:
I stand against the rape of my sister/
I stand against the rape of my brother/
I stand against the rape of my mother/
I stand against the rape of my people/
now stand against the rape of each other/

Check out other Badilisha artists:

Patricia Smith •  Epiphanie Mukasano •  Muhammad Muwakil •  Bassey Ikpi •  Sam Umokoro •  Chenjerai Hove •  Roger Bonair- Agard •  Julian Curry •  Togara Muzanenhamo •  Boonaa Mohammed •  Kolade Arogundade •  Poetic Pilgrimage •  Sandile Dikeni •  Jimmy Rage •  Lloyd Akin Palmer •  Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie •  Tinashe Mushakavanhu •  Imani Woomera •  Mpho Ya Badimo •  Bethel C. Simeon •  Khadijah Ibrahim •  Naima Mclean •  Kayo Chingonyi •  Segun Lee French •  Liesl Jobson •  Inua Ellams •  Cosmas Mairosi •  Avaez Mohammad •  Jethro Louw •  Kwame Dawes •  Anis Mojgani •  Blaq Pearl •  Mwalim Morgan Peters •  Violetta Simatupang •  Ruben van Gogh •  Changa Hickinson •  Antoine de Kom •  Odidi Mfenyana •  Napo Masheane •  Shabbir Banoobhai •  Jacques Coetzee •  Gert Vlok Nel •  Gcina Mhlophe •  Ernestine Deane •  Gus Ferguson •  Helen Moffett •  Bulelwa Basse •  Winslow Schalkwyk •  Jacqueline ‘pretty poet’ Kibacha •  Shailja Patel •  Hale Tsehlana •  Samantha Thornhill •  croc E moses •  Ben Caesar •  Musa Okwonga •  D´bi Young •  Breyten Breytenbach •  Gabeba Baderoon •  Omekongo wa Dibinga •  Mojisola Adebayo •  Zena Edwards •  Khadija Heeger •  Jitsvinger •  Diana Ferrus •  Annelie De Wet •  Andrea Nomasebe Dondolo •  Uche Nduka •  Tantra-Zawadi •  Seni Seneviratne •  Phillippa Yaa de Villiers •  Mwila Mambwe •  Michael Mabwe •  Megan Hall •  Mbali Vilakazi •  Loftus Marais •  Kai Lossgott •  Jessica Mbangeni •  Tania van Schalkwyk •  Jamala Safari •  Eric Miyeni •  Annie Moyo •  !Bushwomen •  Emile Jansen •  Lemn Sissay •  African Noise Foundation •  Aryan Kaganof •  Warsan Shire •  Ngoma Hill •  Dorothea Smartt •  

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