Okot p'Bitek
Encyclopedia
Okot p'Bitek was a Uganda
n poet, who achieved wide international recognition for Song of Lawino
, a long poem dealing with the tribulations of a rural African wife whose husband has taken up urban life and wishes everything to be westernised
. Song of Lawino was originally written in Acholi language
, and self-translated to English, and published in 1966. It was a breakthrough work, creating an audience amongst anglophone
Africans for direct, topical poetry in English; and incorporating traditional attitudes and thinking in an accessible yet faithful literary vehicle. It was followed by the pendant Song of Ocol (1970), the husband's reply.
The East African Song School or Okot School poetry is now an academic identification of the work following his direction, also popularly called 'comic singing': a forceful type of dramatic verse monologue
rooted in traditional song and phraseology.
, in the North Uganda grasslands. His father Jebedayo Opi was a schoolteacher, his mother Lacwaa Cerina was a traditional singer. His background was Acholi, and he wrote first in Lwo, one of the Western Nilotic languages
.
He was educated at Gulu High School, then King's College, Budo
, and later at universities in the United Kingdom
. At school he was noted as a singer, dancer, drummer and athlete; he composed and directed an opera while at college.
He travelled abroad first as a player with the Ugandan national football team, in 1958. At this point he gave up on football as a possible career, staying on in Britain; he studied education at the University of Bristol
, and then law at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth
. He then took a B. Litt. degree in social anthropology
at the University of Oxford
, with a 1963 dissertation on Acholi and Lango
traditional cultures.
According to George Heron he lost his commitment to Christian
belief during these years. This had major consequences for his attitude as a scholar of African tradition, which was by no means accepting of the general run of earlier work, or what he called 'dirty gossip' in relation to tribal life. His character Lawino also speaks for him, in some places, on these matters.
He wrote an early novel, Lak Tar Miyo Kinyero Wi Lobo (1953) in Lwo, later translated into English as White Teeth. It concerns the experiences of a young Acholi man moving away from home, to find work and so a wife. He organised an arts festival at Gulu, and then at Kisumu
. Subsequently he taught at Makerere University
and then was Director of Uganda's National Theatre.
He became unpopular with the Ugandan government, and took teaching posts outside the country. He took part in the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa
in 1969. He was at the Institute of African Studies of University College, Nairobi
from 1971 as a senior research fellow and lecturer, with visiting positions at University of Texas at Austin
and University of Ife in Nigeria
in 1978/9. He remained in exile during the regime of Idi Amin
, returning in 1982 to Makerere University, to teach creative writing.
Apart from his poetry and novels, he also took part in an ongoing debate about the integrity of scholarship on traditional African religion, with the assertion in African Religions in Western Scholarship (1971) that scholars centred on European concerns were "intellectual smugglers". His point, aimed partly at Africans who had had a training in Christian traditions, was that it led to a concentration on matters distant from the actual concerns of Africans; this has been contested by others.
He died in Kampala
of a stroke
in 1982. He is survived by daughters Agnes Oyella, Jane Okot p'Bitek, who wrote a Song of Farewell(1994), Olga Okot Bitek Ojelel who works as a nurse,and Juliane Okot Bitek who writes poetry and prose in Vancouver
, Canada
, and in 2004 was the recipient of the Commonwealth Short Story Contest. These are his daughters by his second wife, Caroline.
, running to 13 sections and a total of around 5000 lines. It develops from many angles Lawino, the almost-discarded wife of an upwardly-mobile husband, as a persona or type, but also as an individual of great verbal resource who probably reflects the author's mother. Kwame Anthony Appiah
remarks in In My Father's House that the specific cultural points made are carried off without the need for much exposition. Given that the form mixes harangue with self-reflection, it is always clear where the argument tends and the context is brought along with the main thrust, whether the issue is cooking, Lawino's relatives being told they cannot drop in unannounced, or the pretensions and fashions of the urban second wife.
Scholars have identified numerous allusions in and sources of Song of Lawino, in Acholi traditional songs. These can be found at the level of particular phrases. They also come from across the range of genres, making the Song of Lawino a cross-section of an entire culture.
The shorter sequel Song of Ocol was less well-received. The self-justification of the ambitious husband had no doubt a satirical and political aim. It has also dated much more quickly, while the many-faceted Lawino, who starts with the comment 'My husband's tongue is bitter', is more likely to become a timeless creation.
In Two Songs, he addressed other issues, in the same style. Song of a Prisoner drew on his reactions to Kenya
n politics, and Song of Malaya deals with the life of a prostitute.
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
n poet, who achieved wide international recognition for Song of Lawino
Song of Lawino
Song of Lawino is an epic poem written by Ugandan poet Okot p'Bitek. First published in 1966 in Luo it was quickly translated into other languages, including English...
, a long poem dealing with the tribulations of a rural African wife whose husband has taken up urban life and wishes everything to be westernised
Westernization
Westernization or Westernisation , also occidentalization or occidentalisation , is a process whereby societies come under or adopt Western culture in such matters as industry, technology, law, politics, economics, lifestyle, diet, language, alphabet,...
. Song of Lawino was originally written in Acholi language
Acholi language
Acholi is a language primarily spoken by the Acholi people in the districts of Gulu, Kitgum and Pader, a region known as Acholiland in northern Uganda. Acholi is also spoken in the southern part of the Opari District of South Sudan...
, and self-translated to English, and published in 1966. It was a breakthrough work, creating an audience amongst anglophone
English-speaking world
The English-speaking world consists of those countries or regions that use the English language to one degree or another. For more information, please see:Lists:* List of countries by English-speaking population...
Africans for direct, topical poetry in English; and incorporating traditional attitudes and thinking in an accessible yet faithful literary vehicle. It was followed by the pendant Song of Ocol (1970), the husband's reply.
The East African Song School or Okot School poetry is now an academic identification of the work following his direction, also popularly called 'comic singing': a forceful type of dramatic verse monologue
Monologue
In theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...
rooted in traditional song and phraseology.
Life
He was born in GuluGulu
Gulu is a city in Northern Uganda. It is the commercial and administrative centre of Gulu District. The city is located at 2˚46'48N 32˚18'00E, on the metre gauge railway from Tororo to Pakwach. Gulu is located approximately , by road, north of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city...
, in the North Uganda grasslands. His father Jebedayo Opi was a schoolteacher, his mother Lacwaa Cerina was a traditional singer. His background was Acholi, and he wrote first in Lwo, one of the Western Nilotic languages
Western Nilotic languages
The Western Nilotic languages are one of the three primary branches of the Nilotic languages, themselves belonging to the Eastern Sudanic subfamily of Nilo-Saharan...
.
He was educated at Gulu High School, then King's College, Budo
King's College, Budo
King’s College Budo is a mixed, residential, secondary school in Central Uganda.-Overview:King's College Budo predates Makerere University as one of the first centres of higher learning in Uganda. Only Namilyango College and Gayaza High School are older...
, and later at universities in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. At school he was noted as a singer, dancer, drummer and athlete; he composed and directed an opera while at college.
He travelled abroad first as a player with the Ugandan national football team, in 1958. At this point he gave up on football as a possible career, staying on in Britain; he studied education at the University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
, and then law at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth
University of Wales, Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth University is a university located in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding Member Institution of the former federal University of Wales. As of late 2006, the university had over 12,000 students spread across seventeen academic departments.The university was founded in 1872 as...
. He then took a B. Litt. degree in social anthropology
Social anthropology
Social Anthropology is one of the four or five branches of anthropology that studies how contemporary human beings behave in social groups. Practitioners of social anthropology investigate, often through long-term, intensive field studies , the social organization of a particular person: customs,...
at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, with a 1963 dissertation on Acholi and Lango
Lango
-Lango of Uganda:The Lango or Jo Lango live in the Lango sub-region , north of Lake Kyoga. Lango sub-region comprises the districts of Amolatar, Alebtong, Apac, Dokolo, Kole, Lira, Oyam, and Otuke...
traditional cultures.
According to George Heron he lost his commitment to Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
belief during these years. This had major consequences for his attitude as a scholar of African tradition, which was by no means accepting of the general run of earlier work, or what he called 'dirty gossip' in relation to tribal life. His character Lawino also speaks for him, in some places, on these matters.
He wrote an early novel, Lak Tar Miyo Kinyero Wi Lobo (1953) in Lwo, later translated into English as White Teeth. It concerns the experiences of a young Acholi man moving away from home, to find work and so a wife. He organised an arts festival at Gulu, and then at Kisumu
Kisumu
Kisumu is a port city in western Kenya at , with a population of 355,024 . It is the third largest city in Kenya, the principal city of western Kenya, the immediate former capital of Nyanza Province and the headquarters of Kisumu County. It has a municipal charter but no city charter...
. Subsequently he taught at Makerere University
Makerere University
Makerere University , Uganda's largest and second-oldest higher institution of learning, , was first established as a technical school in 1922. In 1963 it became the University of East Africa, offering courses leading to general degrees from the University of London...
and then was Director of Uganda's National Theatre.
He became unpopular with the Ugandan government, and took teaching posts outside the country. He took part in the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
in 1969. He was at the Institute of African Studies of University College, Nairobi
University of Nairobi
The University of Nairobi is the largest university in Kenya. Although its history as an educational institution goes back to 1956, it did not become an independent university until 1970 when the University of East Africa was split into three independent universities: Makerere University in...
from 1971 as a senior research fellow and lecturer, with visiting positions at University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
and University of Ife in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
in 1978/9. He remained in exile during the regime of Idi Amin
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
, returning in 1982 to Makerere University, to teach creative writing.
Apart from his poetry and novels, he also took part in an ongoing debate about the integrity of scholarship on traditional African religion, with the assertion in African Religions in Western Scholarship (1971) that scholars centred on European concerns were "intellectual smugglers". His point, aimed partly at Africans who had had a training in Christian traditions, was that it led to a concentration on matters distant from the actual concerns of Africans; this has been contested by others.
He died in Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
of a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
in 1982. He is survived by daughters Agnes Oyella, Jane Okot p'Bitek, who wrote a Song of Farewell(1994), Olga Okot Bitek Ojelel who works as a nurse,and Juliane Okot Bitek who writes poetry and prose in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and in 2004 was the recipient of the Commonwealth Short Story Contest. These are his daughters by his second wife, Caroline.
Critical reception
The Song of Lawino has been described as one of the most important works of African literature of the 1960s. The Luo original was written in rhymed couplets, and was metrically regular. The English translation, published a decade later in 1966, is in a staccato form of free verseFree verse
Free verse is a form of poetry that refrains from consistent meter patterns, rhyme, or any other musical pattern.Poets have explained that free verse, despite its freedom, is not free. Free Verse displays some elements of form...
, running to 13 sections and a total of around 5000 lines. It develops from many angles Lawino, the almost-discarded wife of an upwardly-mobile husband, as a persona or type, but also as an individual of great verbal resource who probably reflects the author's mother. Kwame Anthony Appiah
Kwame Anthony Appiah
Kwame Anthony Appiah is a Ghanaian-British-American philosopher, cultural theorist, and novelist whose interests include political and moral theory, the philosophy of language and mind, and African intellectual history. Kwame Anthony Appiah grew up in Ghana and earned a Ph.D. at Cambridge...
remarks in In My Father's House that the specific cultural points made are carried off without the need for much exposition. Given that the form mixes harangue with self-reflection, it is always clear where the argument tends and the context is brought along with the main thrust, whether the issue is cooking, Lawino's relatives being told they cannot drop in unannounced, or the pretensions and fashions of the urban second wife.
Scholars have identified numerous allusions in and sources of Song of Lawino, in Acholi traditional songs. These can be found at the level of particular phrases. They also come from across the range of genres, making the Song of Lawino a cross-section of an entire culture.
The shorter sequel Song of Ocol was less well-received. The self-justification of the ambitious husband had no doubt a satirical and political aim. It has also dated much more quickly, while the many-faceted Lawino, who starts with the comment 'My husband's tongue is bitter', is more likely to become a timeless creation.
In Two Songs, he addressed other issues, in the same style. Song of a Prisoner drew on his reactions to Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
n politics, and Song of Malaya deals with the life of a prostitute.
Works
- Lak Tar Miyo Kinyero Wi Lobo (1953) novel in Luo, English translation White Teeth
- Song of Lawino: A LamentSong of LawinoSong of Lawino is an epic poem written by Ugandan poet Okot p'Bitek. First published in 1966 in Luo it was quickly translated into other languages, including English...
(1966) poem, translation of a Luo original Wer pa Lawino - The Defence of Lawino (1969) alternate translation by Taban Lo LiyongTaban Lo LiyongTaban Lo Liyong is one of Africa's well-known poets and writers of fiction and literary criticism. His political views, as well as his on-going denigration of the post-colonial system of education in East Africa, have inspired criticism and controversy since the late 1960s.His real name is...
- Song of Ocol (1970) poem, written in English
- Religion of the Central Luo (1971)
- Two Songs: Song of a Prisoner, Song of Malaya (1971) poems
- African Religions in Western Scholarship (1971, Nairobi)
- Africa's Cultural Revolution (1973) essays
- Horn of My Love (1974) translations of traditional oral verse
- Hare and Hornbill (1978) folktale collection
- Acholi Proverbs (1985)
- Artist, the Ruler: Essays on Art, Culture and Values (1986)