Friday 4 March 2016

Interview with Writer/Poet Njabulo Thubelihle Nkutha - Friday Feature



RVL: Tell us about yourself. Who are you? What do you do? Where are you from?

I've never been one to ever box myself and say this is me and I do A, B and C. I am my mother's child, a poet transitioning into a writer. My full name is Njabulo Thubelihle Nkutha, born in a small place in KZN called Newcastle, I grew up in Springs so I claim that to be home even though my friends won't agree. What do I do? I study at Boston Media House (Sandton) completing my final year in Advertising, but what I really do is that I write. 


RVL: When did you realise that writing was something you wanted to do?


We'll probably after my fathers passing when I was told to use writing as an outlet for what I was experiencing and feeling, then for some strange reason people liked what I was writing. Writing was not supposed to go far as it did, because I have never fully committed to much that I claimed to be passionate about. If I sucked back then I probably wouldn't have been writing right now. I am not saying I am f****** amazing or whatever but people responded well with my words. That was when I knew that this is what I wanted to do - the thought of "oh s***! I am actually good at something. Why stop?" 
RVL: Describe your poetry for us.  

My poetry has changed over the years but stayed the same - if that makes any sense. Before, I never made use of metaphors, it was all raw and in your face; bad grammar, horrible spelling (and this is a person who actually wanted to make a profession of this), yet at the time it was more about what was in my heart at that moment. It was rushed with a lot of spilling and tons of mistake which is kind of like how I feel about myself. I'm a person who has potential but can't seem to polish on them (my poetry). I could say it was mostly sad, cursing the people who hurt me, I hate myself because I am a human who is trying to have an identity without finding it in someone else. My aim for my poetry was for it never sound like those poets who talk about oceans colliding and all that "deep" wording that sounds great yet comes across as fake depth. The boxing of what a poet should be saying is what I try to diverge, I am not sure if that's how it's seen by others who aren't me. I do hope so.




RVL: You've been at a few poetry scenes in PTA, how is the culture there in comparison to the poetry culture in JHB?


Pretorian people are off the bat so damn supportive, even people who aren't entirely based that side. The Joburg poetry scene isn't one that I know much of and from that is somewhat the problem, that they don't seek out new talent, you have to present yourself and say look I do poetry so give me a chance. It's sort of niched, plus for me personally I've always been afraid to have that approach, in case they don't respond to my poetry the same way people in Pretoria or in my age group do. As people we don't all respond to poetry the same way and that is what tends to cause the division. But from the outside, if you are within the JHB poetry scene then man, you are in. They aren't as digital about their shows I can say that much. Unless you actually know who the poet is, you hardly know about the event.


RVL: What does revolution mean to you?

It means Dark Knight rises and Bane (being revolution), causing a disturbance in what is the norm of GOTHAM. Revolution is for me causing a shift in what is already there. It's the start and end of evolution. 

RVL: We know that poetry is not your only creative outlet, tell us about your role on the series, Broke Niggaz SA as well as your role  in TRNSD 90 Sound.


Lol my friends mostly Capone joke about being myself and others being the A-team of Broke Niggaz, it's not a real thing because I personally feel we are all the stars of that damn show. Let's say, hypothetically, if the A-team was real I am apart of that entity of guys who say a decent amount on the show. I guess my role is the same as my friends, I speak on topics that people relate to. My role isn't about someone else's or below someone else's, expect when it comes to taking the camera and shooting there I'm at the bottom.

I am the head writer for the movement for TRSND Sound. My role is to come up with topics for a certain week and write about it, I pick songs for mixes that the 1/3 owner of TRSND decides to put on, goes by the name of Khanyi Dube. Yeah there is more coming from that movement but I can't speak on my role on that until it comes together officially. 

Photo Credit: Vivid


RVL: Tell us about the poem A Conversation Between Three. What was happening during that time?


was thinking about a girl I was having a thing with, I think people call it "vibing", but whatever it's called. I was very much talking myself out of dating her, so the piece was showing how the clash of my three body thinking process elements were going at it. I always thought the poem was okay, the response to it kind of surpassed my expectations on how people will respond to it. It was a strange place for me mentally as it kind of felt I used this girl who I can call a muse for the poem and then it was kind of a way of her knowing that I didn't want to be with her. In the end I think I came out on the right side of the experience 



RVL: What are your aspirations regarding poetry or writing as a whole? How far do you see yourself going with it?


To eat from it, pay rent from it - those are the starting points of my aspirations. Beyond that it's giving light to talented of people of colour who aren't only writing about the ghetto and not having a father at home. Basically to show a broader perspective on how it is growing up black around white people; being well-spoken but not because I am trying to escape from being black, rather showing that there isn't only one kind of black writer in South Africa. How far I see myself going? Well being a published author more than once, not only writing books but scriptwriting, be it shows/movies/advertisements. I've kind of always been afraid to say all that in case it doesn't happen then I find myself trying to live vicariously through my children. That's how far I see myself, the end product is making sure that is obtained.

RVL: Describe art in 3 words.


Moving
Inspiring 
Evoking


RVL: How are you planning to make a difference with your art?
Lol I hate how I used my good material in question 8 and don't want to repeat myself. I'll say that I plan to show how it's okay to not limit yourself not to fit into a certain program that works for most, where you feel obligated to say "okay this is how I should make it in what I do, let me follow this or it won't work out", nah I want to break the generic artists trend, as it's the easiest way people to like you, when you write like Rudy Francisco or perform like Nova. Now from that relation I support you, the aim is to show that having your art be a total extension of yourself is the way forward. Even if it leaves people they know you when they don't entirely. The need to have art being an escape from how the world is against you. But it doesn't take away who you are in your art or something profound like that. 

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