Jean 'Binta' Breeze
Encyclopedia
Jean "Binta" Breeze is a Jamaica
n dub poet, and storyteller. She has worked also as a theatre director, choreographer, actor and teacher. She was awarded in 2003 a Nesta Fellowship of two years, to be held in Cambridge
.
. She came to London in 1986, at the invitation of Linton Kwesi Johnson
; She taught Theatre Studies at Brixton College. She has since also written for drama in various media. Her first book of poetry, Ryddim Ravings, was published in 1988 by the Race Today cooperative. She went on to write the screenplay for Hallelujah Anyhow, a co-production of the British Film Institute
and Channel 4
. She also released several albums, contributing to Woman's Talk (1986), and recording Tracks in 1991 with Dennis Bovell
's Dub Band.
She suffers from schizophrenia
and has written poetry about what she herself calls "madness." In April 2006, on the BBC Radio
program "The Interview," Breeze gave her perspective on mental illness and advocated increased attention to the needs of schizophrenics who do not have a "talent" like hers.
She now lives in Leicester
, England
.
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n dub poet, and storyteller. She has worked also as a theatre director, choreographer, actor and teacher. She was awarded in 2003 a Nesta Fellowship of two years, to be held in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
.
Biography
Breeze was born and raised in rural Jamaica, and studied at the Jamaican School of Drama in KingstonKingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
. She came to London in 1986, at the invitation of Linton Kwesi Johnson
Linton Kwesi Johnson
Linton Kwesi Johnson is a UK-based dub poet. He became the second living poet, and the only black poet, to be published in the Penguin Classics series. His poetry involves the recitation of his own verse in Jamaican Patois over dub-reggae, usually written in collaboration with renowned British...
; She taught Theatre Studies at Brixton College. She has since also written for drama in various media. Her first book of poetry, Ryddim Ravings, was published in 1988 by the Race Today cooperative. She went on to write the screenplay for Hallelujah Anyhow, a co-production of the British Film Institute
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
and Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
. She also released several albums, contributing to Woman's Talk (1986), and recording Tracks in 1991 with Dennis Bovell
Dennis Bovell
Dennis Bovell is a reggae guitarist, bass player and record producer. He was a member of the British reggae band Matumbi, and released dub-reggae records under his own name as well as the pseudonym 'Blackbeard'....
's Dub Band.
She suffers from schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
and has written poetry about what she herself calls "madness." In April 2006, on the BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
program "The Interview," Breeze gave her perspective on mental illness and advocated increased attention to the needs of schizophrenics who do not have a "talent" like hers.
She now lives in Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Books of poetry
- Answers (1983)
- Riddym Ravings and Other Poems (1988) edited by Mervyn MorrisMervyn MorrisMervyn Eustace Morris OM is a poet and professor emeritus at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica.- Biography :...
- Spring Cleaning (1992)
- On the Edge of an Island (1997)
- Song Lines (1997)
- The Arrival of Brighteye and Other Poems (2000)
- The Fifth Figure (2006)
Albums
- Riddym Ravings (1987), ROIR
- Tracks (1991), LKJ
- Riding on de Riddym (1997), 57 Productions
- Eena Me Corner (2010), Arroyo Rec.