“Even more compelling however is PRESSURE DROP by Oku & AK7 (Heartbeat). Oku Onuora growls & moans such poem- songs as Change Yes Change & Decolonisation over atmospheric backdrop with sirens, jazzy saxophone, flute & echoing voices woven through unhurried reggae vamps….” NEW YORK TIMES.i
“Unanimously and rightfully acclaimed by peers to be the most disturbing performer of his genre. Onuora is the most original dub bard…. “ SOUNDS MAGAZINE.
If reggae is a rhythm set to a poor man’s cry, then its most esoteric form -Dub Poetry – is that pain made lyrical. Dub poetry is more than just words and music, the melding together of the oral tradition of the African griot with the British love of dramatic recitation. Among the several Dub Poets performing today, Oku “Fire” Onuora is the most charismatic and passionate articulator of the “sufferah’s” grief and outrage.
Hailed by his colleagues as “original” and acknowledged by listeners and critics as the original Dub Poet, he is accredited with being the first to use the phrase DUB POETRY to describe his poetry and presentation & recording Dub Poetry in Jamaica – REFLECTION IN RED, Tuff Gong, 56 Hope Road label, 1979. There are countless international articles that have been written listing his impressive and extensive credentials including, his seven years served in the Jamaican penitentiary system.
While behind bars, Oku focused his rebellious energy in a positive direction by writing CONFRONTATION, an award winning play aired by the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC) and ECHO a bestseller collection of poems, published by SANGSTERS BOOKS in 1977.
Oku has performed all over the world and has achieved notable success in Jamaica, the US and Europe. With a compelling history, a voice rich with his homeland patios and a passion few performers aspire to, he has disturbed and exalted audience with his word bullets.
2015, YESTERDAY/TODAY/TOMORROW was released on vinyl, 45 rpm, on the USA based label AKASHIC RECORDS. It was made available digitally accompanied by a video in 2016.
In 2017 Oku got a link from Thomas Lautenbacher, AKA “Doctor T”, a musician-osteopath based in Switzerland, that immediately created a bond which ignited a creative firestorm. The result, I’VE SEEN. With Doctor T providing the musical concoction and Oku the poetic infusion, a megaton of an album was fashioned. As usual, in his indelible fashion, Oku Onuora is blazing trails, stirring thoughts and quaking hearts on this collaboration with with Doctor T. Recording of the album was completed mid 2018.
2018 saw the reissue of the classic compilation I A TELL; DUBWIZE & OTHERWISE and I A TELL, the compilation of Oku’s two volumes of poetry; the critically acclaimed ECHO, and FUEL FOR FIRE.
The first single from the album I’VE SEEN, FUEL FOR FIRE, was release May 18, 2018. I’VE SEEN was released February 22, 2019 to critical acclaim. 2019 also saw Oku performing live in Europe at the Ostroda festival in Poland, Reggae Geel Belgium and No Logo in France.
2020 and Oku is on the move, geared up to dubbing away in his usual indelible fashion, blazing trails with releases & unveiling of new projects. The single YANGA was released in February on the NATTY CONGO RECORDS out of Mexico. Oku sojourned into North America for the first time for the release of the single, shooting footage for the video YANGA. The Video was premiered on REGGAEVILLE.COM June 19. Oku also did his first performance in South America in Mexico City. The Fire is blazin.
Review of “PRESSURE DROP” – New York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/1984/11/25/arts/with-its-crooners-and-toasters-reggae-is-thriving.html
Interview Reggaeville.com
https://www.reggaeville.com/artist-details/oku-onuora/news/view/oku-onuora-the-ive-seen-interview/
Documentary trailer:
https://youtu.be/qJFAMFdaVCg
Music Video “BUS OUT”:
https://youtu.be/8E7VSIXUc2g
Music Video “YESTERDAY, TODAY,TOMORROW” : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehu7GJZk3vk&feature=youtu.be
Music Video “YANGA”: https://youtu.be/LjHfRG5PPGk
Jamaica Gleaner Article:
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130522/ent/ent6.html
PROFILE TVJ (clip):
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnFW3gWHTb_/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1qozvvsplxjkn
DISCOGRAPHY;
https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/oku_onuora
http://www.45cat.com/artist/oku-onuora
Oku Bio (Appendage)
2020 blast off with YANGA, released February 7th on the Natty Congo Records label, first independent Reggae label in Mexico. Then March 6, Evidence Records a Swiss based label released THE BEGINNING.
The official video for YANGA was premiered on Reggaeville.com June 19th – a day dubbed Juneteenth which is a holiday celebrating the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the US.
2020 ended with a positive note. On December 9th a 12” vinyl single and its digital version, featuring Oku w/ Lion HEART and Mykal Rose w/ Lion In The Flag was released by I-Lion Records in Europe.
2021 Oku released the single Up (Medley 3.0).
2022 will see Oku Onuora blazing away with release after release – Dubwize and otherwise…
I’ve seen
many moons
shapes
sizes
New moon
Moon
million years old
I’ve seen moons
from different
Continents
Misty moon
Mystic moon
Blue moon
Blood moon
I’ve serenaded
under full moon
Passionately
made love
while she was high
I’ve cried
I’ve seen
moons
blazed trails
across land
rivers
oceans
seas
long before
Marco Polo
Columbus
I’ve seen
moons guide
conquerors across the Alps
Atlantic
Mediterranean sea
Light the way
for runaway
I’ve seen
moon beams
mark pyramids’ sites
before Pharaohs
where born
I’ve watched the birth
of moons
from slivers
to full blown
golden orbs
Watched them wax
& wane
I’ve seen
moon eclipse
Sun
Saturn
Earth
I’ve seen
many moons
rise
set
yet
awed
by her beauty
no matter how
many moons
I’ve seen
Oku Onuora
(14.4.14 -12.5.14)
periwinkle
periwinkle
my first
periwinkle bloom
planted
with these hands
of mine
periwinkle
periwinkle
how joyful
to see you bloom
periwinkle
periwinkle
my first
periwinkle bloom
triggered memory
of my first sighting
of you
my first born
my first bloom
Poem: OO.07.05.22
Photo: OO.05.05.22.11:33 AM
alien
images
colonize
your thoughts
tranish
your sight
shackle
your tongue
make you
self
a
bu
sive
dis
truc
tive
rise
rage
release
dark phantoms
of your being
to perform
ancient rituals
dance
drum
in your head
to liberate
your thoughts
purify
your
sight
unshackle
your tongue
& make you
freeeeee/man
(Fr Echo ‘77)
https://youtu.be/Ez7HqUhbSC4
(Fr the album Pressure Drop ‘84)
OKU ONUORA IS IN ON OUR BOOKS & MUSIC PURCHASE PAGE… http://plotscreativesmagazine.com/%f0%9f%92%b5%f0%9f%9b%8dbooks-audio-publications-for-purchasing%f0%9f%9b%8d%f0%9f%92%b5/
⭐️PLEASE NOTE: All data & information, was not attained, from Google, Wikipedia, or any other 3rd parties. These words, links, resources, and information are true FACTS, and came directly from Brother Oku Onuora himself.
