Poesia Falada, Corpo e Ritmo em Tjawangwa Dema

Abstract

In this essay, I present the poet Tjawangwa Dema, from Botswana, with a poem translated by me. Tjwangwa Dema is a part of the festival scene in the African continent, and in her poetry makes references to important characters and events of Pan-Africanism, the struggle for independence of African countries and the anti-racist movement. She also incorporates, in her subjects and especially in the rhythm of her poetry, relevant issues in the Setswana poetry, related to the aesthetic enjoyment of spoken word and the ephemerality of the performance. The rhythm is reinforced by the presence of the body and the performance in her poetry, which indicates the need to participate in festivals for the poetry to exist in its entirety.