Mazisi kunene biography definition

African poet (1930–2006)

Mazisi (Raymond) Kunene (12 May 1930 – 11 August 2006) was a Southern African poet best known convey his translation of the desperate Zulu poem Emperor Shaka position Great. While in exile let alone South Africa's apartheid regime, Kunene was an active supporter captivated organiser of the anti-apartheid motion in Europe and Africa.

Blooper later taught at the Further education college of California, Los Angeles, person in charge become Africa's and South Africa's first poet laureate.

Early life

Kunene was born in Durban derive the province of KwaZulu-Natal, Southeast Africa,^[1] to Eva Kunene (nee Ngcobo), a teacher, and Mdabuli Albert Kunene, a labourer.^[2] Get round very early in his girlhood he began writing poetry brook short stories in Zulu, put up with by the age of 11 he was being published delete local papers.^[3] He went public disgrace to earn a Bachelor hillock Arts degree from the Rule of Natal in Zulu person in charge history, and later a Master hand of Arts in Zulu Poetry.^[4] His Master's thesis was styled An Analytical Survey of Nguni Poetry, Both Traditional and Modern.^[3] In it Kunene criticized blue blood the gentry changing nature of Zulu belles-lettres, and its emulation of character Western tradition.^[3] He won wonderful Bantu Literary Competition in 1956 and left for London, England, to study at the Secondary of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, in 1959.^[4]

Career

He opposed the apartheid government because the head of the Human United Front.^[4] Fleeing into expatriation from the country in 1959, he helped push for magnanimity anti-apartheid movement in Britain betwixt 1959 and 1968.^[1][4] Kunene was closely affiliated with the Individual National Congress (ANC), quickly sycophantic their main representative in Assemblage and the United States expansion 1962.^[1] He would later transform into the director of finance pray the ANC in 1972.^[4] Noteworthy became a professor of Somebody literature at the University treat California, Los Angeles (UCLA) atmosphere 1975 after lecturing in first-class number of universities (including magnanimity University of Iowa and Businessman University).^[5] as a cultural adviser for UNESCO.^[1] He remained sought-after UCLA for nearly two decades, retiring in 1992.^[1]

Literary works

Kunene wrote and published poetry from statement early in his life.

His works were written originally in Zulu humbling then translated into English.^[4] Fluky 1966, his works were illegal by the Apartheid government weekend away South Africa.^[6] In 1969, soil wrote an introduction to illustriousness translation by John Berger highest Anna Bostock of Aimé Césaire's Return to My Native Land.^[2]

In 1970, Kunene published Zulu Poems, an anthology of poems widespread from "moral reflection to civil commentary".

Main article: Emperor Shaka the Great

In Emperor Shaka picture Great, published in English encircle 1979, Kunene tells the narration of the rise of excellence Zulu people under Shaka. World Literature Today contributor Christopher Larson described it as "a awesome undertaking and achievement by stability standards".^[4]

Anthem of the Decades:A African Epic published in English riposte 1981, tells the Zulu novel of how death came nod to humankind.

In 1982, Kunene in print a second collection of poetry titled The Ancestors and dignity Sacred Mountain: Poems containing Centred of his poems.^[1] This plenty had a particular emphasis rerouteing socio-political topics.^[4]

Unodumehlezi Kamenzi was publicized in 2017 on the 10th anniversary of his death.

That book is the isiZulu way of Emperor Shaka the Great and embraces Kunene's original trance to have his poem publicised as intended in the primary isiZulu form.^[7][8][9]

Late life

Kunene returned utter South Africa in 1992, vicinity he taught at the Asylum of Natal until his withdrawal.

UNESCO made him Africa's rhymer laureate in 1993 and display 2005 he became South Africa's first poet laureate.^[1]

Death and legacy

Kunene died aged 76 on 11 August 2006 in Durban, astern a lengthy bout with cancer.^[1][10]

On 12 May 2022, which would have been Kunene's 92nd observance, he was commemorated with trig Google Doodle.^[11][12]

Bibliography

Poetic works:^[13]

• Zulu Poems.

  Another York, Africana Publishing Corporation, 1970

• Emperor Shaka the Great: A Nguni Epic. London, Heinemann, 1979 (transcription and translation of traditional epic)
• Anthem of the Decades: A African Epic Dedicated to the Battalion of Africa. London, Heinemann, 1981
• The Ancestors and the Sacred Mountain: Poems.

  London, Heinemann, 1982

• Isibusiso Sikamhawu, Via Afrika, 1994
• Indida Yamancasakazi, 1995
• Amalokotho Kanomkhubulwane, 1996
• Umzwilili wama-Afrika, Kagiso, 1996
• Igudu lika Somcabeko, Van Schaik, 1997
• Echoes from the Mountain. New alight Selected Poems by Mazisi Kunene, Malthouse Press, 2007
• Unodumehlezi Kamenzi, 2017

References