In Praise of St David's Day/ Dydd Gŵyl Dewi

 

It's become a bit of a tradition to mark the very special occasion of St David's Day/ Dydd Gŵyl Dewi, which celebrates my nations patron saint.Today we, as a country. come together to celebrate our culture. history and and our rich heritage which has long endured, despite everyone and everything, that makes us proud to be Welsh.

As with St. Patrick’s Day, the Welsh have parades in their major cities, where you’ll see the traditional dress and the red dragon proudly on display on the Welsh flag, or the flag of St. David himself, a yellow cross on a black background,alongside the wearing of one or both of Wales’s national emblems, the daffodil and leek.

This is because the daffodil begins to bloom early in the year around this time, and the ancient tradition of eating and wearing leeks on St David’s Day supposedly goes back to the 6th century. It is said that St David told Welsh warriors to wear leeks in their helmets in battle against the despised Saxons to differentiate themselves from their enemies,  and that the leeks won them victory. This is pure legend of course, but soon the association between leeks and war was firmly cemented in the Welsh mind. In the 14th century Welsh archers adopted green and white for their uniform in honour of the leek. And to this day the Royal Welch Fusiliers uphold the tradition of eating raw leeks on 1 March.

Welsh women will often dress in their national finery. The Welsh dress was a traditional farming dress with an apron topped with a distinctive tall Welsh hat. It was worn on special occasions such as going to church, and today it is kept for celebrations such as St. David’s Day parades.

Schools across Wales hold celebrations, with a number of children dressing in traditional costume – a black hat with white trim; long skirts and shawls. Many boys, meanwhile, will wear a Welsh rugby or football shirt. Schools across the country will also hold an Eisteddfod (a traditional festival of Welsh poetry and music) on this day.

St David’s status as a modern national icon is a good example of how easily myth can trump historical evidence (or rather the lack of it). He lived and died fifteen hundred years ago, during a period of Welsh history often referred to as ‘the Age of the Saints’. The fifth and sixth centuries saw an intense bout of religious activity in Wales as holy men like David preached the word of God, founded churches and, if the monkish historians of the Middle Ages are to be believed, performed all manner of miracles.

Yet we have very little reliable information about who St David was, what he did, or even when exactly he lived. It seems likely that his fame stemmed from the establishment of a monastery in modern-day Pembrokeshire in the late sixth century – a settlement which we know today as the cathedral-city of St Davids. However the earliest direct references to him are found in manuscripts dating from the eighth century, almost 200 years after his death, so it is difficult to be sure about much else.

Luckily the Welsh have never been inclined to let a lack of evidence get in the way of a good story. While little is known  about his life, much of the traditional tales about St David are based on Buchedd Dewi (Life of David), which was written by the scholar Rhigyfarch at the end of the 11th Century.

Rhygyfarch's life of St David is regarded by many scholars as suspect because it contains many implausible events and because he had a stake in enhancing St David's history so as to support the prestige of the Welsh church and its independence from Canterbury, the center of the English church (still Catholic at the time). According to David Hugh Farmer in The Oxford Dictionary of Saints, Rhygyfarch's history of St David "should be treated as propaganda, which may, however, contain some elements of true tradition." So most of what we know about Saint David is really legend; and none the less inspiring for it.

St David's existence at least does not seem to be in doubt; it is attested to in written records from earlier dates. He was born in the 6th century in or around South Cardigan and North Pembrokeshire in what is now southwest Wales, the exact year of his birth is unknown, with estimates ranging from 462 to 515 AD.  Born into local royalty, his mother was Saint Non, daughter of a Celtic chieftain, a  woman of great beauty and virtue.St David's father was a prince called Sant, son of the King of Cardigan But David wasn't the child of a love-filled marriage. He was concieved after his father either seduced or raped Non, who went on to become a nun.

St David's greatness was prophesied, both in the Christian and pagan worlds. Merlin, the great mage at the court of King Arthur, foretold his coming. St Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, who at that time lived near St Davids, or Mynyw as it was then known, is said to have wanted to found a monastery nearby, but was told by an angel that the place was reserved for another who would appear in due course. St Patrick’s disappointment was soothed by a vision which showed him that his true vocation lay in Ireland. St Davids father, was also warned by an angel that he would find three treasures by the River Teifi in Cardiganshire, which should be set aside for his son; a stag, a salmon and a swarm of bees. These seemingly strange gifts each had a great significance. The stag, said to eat snakes, represents Christianity's conquering Satan (the serpent); the fish represents Saint David's abstinence from liquor; and the bees represent his wisdom and spirituality.

Even from his birth strange things have been said about St David. It is said he was born in a wild thunderstorm, the birthing process was said to have been so intense and fraught that his mothers fingers left marks as she grasped a rock. As St David was born a bolt of lightning from heaven is said to have struck the rock, splitting it in two and at the moment of birth a spring of pure water gushed out of the ground. A blind old man who held St David at the baptism had his sight restored by applying this remarkable water to his eyes. This is one of the colourful stories about the childhood of Dewi Sant.

Non named her son Dewidd, though local Dyfed pronunciation meant he was commonly called Dewi. David is an Anglicised variation of the name derived from the Latin Davidus.

Brought up by his mother in Henfeynyw near Aberaeron, David is said to have been baptised at nearby Porthclais by St Elvis of Munster. It is said that a blind monk, Movi, was cured after drops of water splashed into his eyes as he held David.

St David was educated at a monastery, usually taken to be Whitland in Carmarthenshire, under St Paulinus of Wales. He is said to have cured his tutor of blindness by making the sign of the cross. Seeing him as blessed, Paulinus sent him off as a missionary to convert the pagan people of Britain. Having chosen life as a missionary monk,he travelled to France, Ireland, and the Middle East to learn and to proselytize and went from place to place helping the poor, and teaching men to live as he did and is known for converting his countrymen to Christianity.

It is said  that once when St David  was preaching at a large outdoor gathering, in Llanddewi Brefi people complained they couldn’t hear or see him  until a white dove landed on St David’s shoulder, and as it did, the ground on which he stood rose up to form a hill, making it possible for everyone to see and hear him , both near and far off, where a church now stands. The dove became his emblem often appearing in his portraits and on stained-glass windows depicting him. Doves are considered pure due to their typical role as a messenger or a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

There are many other stories about the man, no one can actually tell if any of them are actually true or not but create a nice tale to tell nevertheless. It is also said that he once rose a youth from death, and milestones during his life were marked by the appearance of springs of water.

In 550 AD, St David was named the Archbishop of Wales at the Synod of Brefi church council and stayed in the settlement of Mynyw and set up a large monastery. David was a bit of a disciplinarian and hard task masker, but the monks in this monastery  obeyed him and lived a simple life, drinking water and eating only herbs and bread. He became known as Dewi Dyrfwr (David the water drinker) as meat and beer were forbidden. Although the monks farmed the surrounding land, St David insisted that they did not use animals to carry their tools,and they were to carry them. Also none of the monks were allowed any personal possessions and they spent evenings praying, reading and writing.

Eventually became so unpopular with his monks for the life of austerity he made them live, that they tried to poison him. St David was informed about this by St Scuthyn, who as legend says, presumably in the absence of a ferry or a Ryanair flight, travelled from Ireland on the back of a sea-monster for the purpose.

He frequently visited other places in South Wales, and churches were afterwards built in  many of these villages in memory of him.  A legend says that he once went to Jerusalem with two companions, St Teilo https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2016/02/st-teilos-day-dydd-sadwrn-teilo.html?m=1 and St Padarn. The three left Wales together "with one mind, one joy, and one sorrow." When after a hard journey they arrived at Jerusalem they were received with joy and hospitality, and the Patriarch of Jerusalem gave St David, before he returned to Wakes, a remarkable bell which " shone with miracles," a staff, and a coat woven with gold. 

His last words to his followers before his death are thought to have been: "Be joyful, keep the faith and do the little things that you have heard and seen me do." The phrase gwenwch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd - 'Do the little things in life' - is still a well-known phrase in Wales.

Here I offer you this beautiful song from Bob Delyn a'r Ebillion called Pethau Bychain Dewi Sant ( St David's Little Things) from the album Dore.

 

Geriau/ Words

Pethau bychain Dewi Sant
nid swn tan ond swn tant.
Nid derw mawr ond adar mân,
nid haul a lleuad ond gwreichion tân.

Ond o, dyna chi strach, trio cael hyd i sach
 i gadw'r holl bethau bach.

 Pethau bychain Dewi Sant,
 y ll'godan ond nid yr eliffant.
 A darnau'r gwlith nid dwr y moroedd,
 ond yn y briga', stwr y mae.

 Ond o, dyna chi strach, trio cael hyd i sach
 i gadw'r holl bethau bach.

 Pethau bychain Dewi Sant,
swn 'yn traed ni yn y nant.
Yr hada' yn disgyn yma a thraw,
a'r tamad, y tamad ola' o wenith yn dy law.

Ond o, dyna chi strach,
trio cael hyd i sach i gadw'r holl bethau bach.

Map y byd yn llyfr y plant,
pethau bychain Dewi Sant.

Y pellter sydd rhwng dant a dant ar ol nawdeg naw a chant
 pethau bychain Dewi Sant.

Ond o, dyna chi strach,
 trio cael hyd i sach i gadw'r holl bethau bach.

English Translation Lyrics:

St David's little things,
not the sound of fire
but the sound of chords.
Not a large oak but small birds,
not the sun and moon but the sparks of fire.

But oh, what a hassle it is to try and find a sack
to keep all of the little things.

St David's little things,

the mouse but not the eliphant.

And the dew drops, not the water of the seas,
but in the branches, uproar is found

But oh, what a hassle it is to try and find
a sack to keep all of the little things.

St David's little things,
the sound of our footsteps in the stream.
The seeds fall here and there,
and the scrap, the last scrap of wheat in your palm.

But oh, what a hassle it is to try and find a sack
to keep all of the little things.

The world's atlas in a children's book,
St David's little things.

The distance between a tooth and a tooth between ninety nine and a hundred - St David's little things. But oh, what a hassle it is to try and find
a sack to keep all of the little things.

 St David is also said to have lived for over 100 years, and some say, hold your breathe, to the age of 142 or 147 (his clean living ways, sure must have helped him) and died on Tuesday 1 March 589, in the week after his final sermon. He was buried in the grounds of his monastery, which was said to have been "filled with angels as Christ received his soul". 

 Mynyw is now known as St David’s, the UK’s smallest city (,near the southwestern tip of Pembrokeshire.) in his honour. The monastery has since become the magnificent St David’s Cathedral and was a prestigious site of pilgrimage in the middle ages and is still a site of immense interest to this day. It is said by some that two pilgrimages to St Davids are equal to one pilgrimage to the Vatican in Rome. His shrine  became so famous that three English monarchs - William 1, Henry 11 and Edward 1 are said to have made pilgramages to it.  

 

 

St David’s Day has been celebrated in Wales on 1st March since the 12th Century when David was made a saint by Pope Callixtus II, at the height of the Welsh resistance to the Normans. You will find churches and chapels dedicated to him in south-west England and Brittany, as well as Wales. His influence also reached Ireland, where the Irish embrace his beliefs about caring for the natural world.

The nickname ‘Taffy’ for a Welshman links back to St David as the original and ultimate Welshman – the term dates to the 17th century and derives from ‘Dafydd’, the Welsh for David.

William Shakespeare name-dropped St David in Henry V. When Fluellen’s English colleague, Pistol, insults the humble leek on St David’s Day, Fluellen insists he eat the national emblem as punishment: “If you can mock a leek, you can eat a leek” (Act V, Scene I).

Although now replaced by the daffodil, the leek was originally the symbol of St David’s day. There are differing stories about how the leek came to take its place in Welsh history. 

One account tells the story of the ancient British king, Cadwaladyr whose soldiers were about to fight the Saxons. The story goes that St David advised the Welsh to wear a leek on their clothes so they could recognise each other in battle. Another legend is set in 1346, when the Prince of Wales (Edward the Black Prince), defeated the French at the Battle of Crécy. The story tells us that the Welsh archers fought heroically in a field of leeks, and as a reminder of their bravery, the Welsh began to wear leeks in their caps every St David's Day. 

However, it seems that the daffodil supplanted the leek in the 20th century after the Welsh politician David Lloyd George (later to become prime minister) allegedly insisted that daffodils be used during the 1911 investiture of the Prince of Wales. Today, although the leek remains associated with Wales, the daffodil is undoubtedly a more attractive and fragrant alternative. And of course, daffodils are usually plentiful and in full bloom by 1st March.

Whatever the true story of Dewi Sant is , there is no doubt that he was indeed a figure of much historical and spiritual significance that still carries with him much importance to the people of Wales today,  a cheerful and celebratory day as my country comes together in honour of their patron saint to celebrate Welsh history, culture, and identity with pride.

Out of all the saints in the UK, David is the only one to have been born in the country where he is a saint. Scotland’s St Andrew was Palestinian, Ireland’s St Patrick was Romano-British and England’s St George was a Roman soldier who was actually born in Cappadocia, Turkey, around 270AD.with Greek family ties.

In 2000 the National Assembly for Wales voted unanimously to make St David’s Day on the 1st March a bank holiday.to celebrate out patron saint just like they do in the Republic of Ireland and Scotland, but sadly the idea was rejected by Westminster, surprise, surprisea, because  of  the  cost  to the economy although a one off bank holiday for the s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 cost £1.2 billion.

It's that time of year again when we must ask the same question. St Andrew's/St Patrick's Day are public holidays, why not so in Wales. Dydd Gŵyl Dewi St David's Day Bank Holiday has overwhelming public support in Wales and the support of all Senedd political parties. Why do we allow a foreign country to forbid us to celebrate our national identity on St. David's Day with a bank holiday?  Does Germany overrule French Bank Holidays? 

Creating a St David’s Day bank holiday would be such a powerful affirmation of our Welsh culture, language, and heritage. Wales has a rich history and a thriving cultural identity that deserves greater recognition, If we can have a bank holiday for  a  coronation  we can have a bank holiday for our national day! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿People in Wales deserve time to celebrate the national day.  Please sign and share  the  following. https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700770! 

Despite this St David’s position as the patron saint of Wales has only grown stronger  with parades and concerts now a staple part of the festivities each year.

Every year in Cardiff there is a National St David’s Day parade. Performers range from local school children, who usually wear traditional Welsh clothing, to theatre groups and dragons. Daffodils and leeks are pinned to clothes. Flags and banners are waved during the parades, including the Welsh flag and the flag of St David.

The parade typically ends at the Hayes in the town centre, where crowds will gather to proudly sing the national anthem, “Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau”. 

Other villages and towns in Wales may also hold their own parades, and lots of Welsh heritage sites allow free admission for the day. People also attend church services and choir recitals by professional choir groups or school children. 

There’s also a concert held in St David’s Hall in Cardiff, where the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales perform traditional Welsh songs.  In Swansea, there’s the Croeso (meaning “welcome” in Welsh) festival, which is a two-day event that  celebrates  Welsh  culture. With music, food stalls, cookery demonstrations, and an event called the daffodil dash. See  the  full  line  up here. https://www.visitswanseabay.com/events/croeso/

Some visit St David’s in Pembrokeshire, known as the religious centre of Wales. The purple-stoned cathedral is found in the UK’s official smallest city (roughly 1,600 people), where two trips to it are equal to one pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Wow!  The residents like to decorate the city with bunting and have a weekend of events in the cathedral and around the town. Events include their very own St David’s Day parade: the Dragon Parade and the Ras Dewi Sant marathon, said to be one of the toughest and prettiest races in the world, with the route going through the changing Pembrokeshire Coast Path.  The annual Dragon Parade journeys from Oriel y Parc across the city to Cross Square. The parade is so popular, the road is closed for the duration of the parade so that everyone can join in safely. Typical visitors include families, schools and children dressed in traditional Welsh costume.  Those part of the parade will  with  pride hold their handmade dragons high so that they can be seen from all around. The theme of the St David’s Day parade changes slightly each year to celebrate a different aspect of the event. For example, in 2020, the theme celebrated the colours of Saint David’s famous black and yellow flag.

The  following moving poem Rhyfel (War) in both English and Welsh by the Welsh language poet/ pacifist Ellis Humphrey Evans, better known by his bardic pen name Hedd Wyn. (Blessed Peace).https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2017/07/remembering-pacifist-poet-hedd-wynn_42.html It is one of his best known and most frequently quoted works in which he interweaves ideas about faith, music, class and conflict in a lament for the brutality and devastation caused by the First World War which  still  has  much  relevance  in  the  times  we  live.

 War (Rhyfel) by Hedd Wyn

English translation by Gillian Clarke

Bitter to live in times like these.
While God declines beyond the seas;
Instead, man, king or peasantry,
Raises his gross authority.

When he thinks God has gone away
Man takes up his sword to slay
His brother; we can hear death’s roar.
It shadows the hovels of the poor.

Like the old songs they left behind,
We hung our harps in the willows again.
Ballads of boys blow on the wind,
Their blood is mingled with the rain.

Original Welsh poem by Hedd Wyn

Gwae fi fy myw mewn oes mor ddreng,
A Duw ar drai ar orwel pell;
O’i ôl mae dyn, yn deyrn a gwreng,
Yn codi ei awdurdod hell.

Pan deimlodd fyned ymaith Dduw
Cyfododd gledd i ladd ei frawd;
Mae sŵn yr ymladd ar ein clyw,
A’i gysgod ar fythynnod tlawd.

Mae’r hen delynau genid gynt,
Ynghrog ar gangau’r helyg draw,
A gwaedd y bechgyn lond y gwynt,
A’u gwaed yn gymysg efo’r glaw. 

Also on St Davids Day, calls grow for any new first minister to push for further devolution in Wales. This time, the civil service is the subject - and  Cymdeithas yr iaith is leading the charge. Read more in Welsh and English below: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2024/03/01/st-davids-day-devolution/

Enjoy the first day of Spring!  Remember compassion, kindness and unity matter. Keep this as your mantra as we celebrate  today all  things Welsh. From Wales to the world Dydd Gŵyl Dewi hapus i bawb /Happy Saint David’s Day to you all. Heddwch/ Peace.🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🌍

Even the smallest of things can cause the biggest of change and help the most people. "Gwnewch y pethau bychain" – Do the little things✨ Wise words from St David, reminding us that small acts of kindness make a big difference. Click the link below and then the button to help people in palestine!  I 'wneud y petha bychan', cliciwch y linc isod a wedyn y botwm i helpu pobl yn palestine!https://arab.org/click-to-help/palestine/

Enjoy the  following  wonderful  lecture by Prof Ronald Hutton, where he introduces vivid characters from Welsh mythology, from the proud and wilful Arianrhod to the supreme bard Taliesin...

Links to a few earlier St David's Day/  Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Posts

Gillian Clarke - Miracle on St David's David's Day 

 https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2013/03/gillian-clarke-8637-miracle-on-st.html

The Praise of St David's Day Showing the reason why the Welch -men Honour the Leeke on this Day 

https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-praise-of-st-davids-day-showing.html

Evan James (Ieuan ap Iago) An Ivorite song to be sung to the tune of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau

https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2014/03/evan-james-ieuan-ap-iago-1809-2091878.html

Harri Webb -  The Red , White and Green

https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2017/03/harri-webb-7920-311294-red-white-and.html

The Welsh Language - Alan Llwyd

https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-welsh-language-alan-llwyd-b1948.html

 

Remembering the Ibrahimi mosque massacre

 

The Ibrahimi mosque, also known as the Cave of the Patriarch, south of the occupied West Bank in Hebron, is one of the holiest sites in all the Abrahamic religions,sacred to  bothJews and Muslims. alike believing that the building houses the earthly remains of the religious patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca and Leah, 

In the early morning of February 25th, 1994, local Palestinian Muslims had gathered for an important prayer in the holy month of Ramadan..

American-born Israeli settler  physician and extremist of the far-right ultra-Zionist Kach movement.

Baruch Goldstein entered the mosque wearing his IDF reserve uniform with a Galil rifle. He waited until he saw people kneeled and bowed down in prayer before opening fire on the worshippers. Goldstein, who was a retired army doctor, killed 29 innocent people and wounded 125 others, Several victims were as young as 12.  Eventually, a survivor hurled a fire extinguisher at his head, allowing the crowd to disarm and beat him to death.  

 The massacre led To widespread outrage and condemnation both within Israel and around the world. It also significantly escalated tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, contributing to a cycle of violence that has persisted in the region  to  thois day. 

Among the voices of dismay and repulsion were those who supported Goldstein’s actions and honored him after his death. Thousands attended Goldstein’s funeral, as they viewed his acts of terror as honorable. His body was transported under army transport through the occupied territories  Rabbi Yaacov Perrin led the funeral.  In paying homage to Goldstein, he told mourners:  "One million Arabs are not worth a Jewish fingernail!"

 Itamar Ben-Gvir:  Israel’s National Security Minister, and Netanyahu’s close friend, Itamar Ben-Gvir used to hang a portrait of Baruch Goldstein on his wall.  He described Goldstein as a “hero” and also stated "Blessed is the memory of Baruch Goldstein.”  

The terrorist attack took place during the Jewish holiday ‘Purim’ and many believe that Goldstein used the story of Amalek to justify the massacre. 

The story of Amalek goes as follows:  “The tribe of Amalek attacked the Israelites as they were journeying through the desert.  In response, God commanded the Israelites to utterly destroy the Amalekites, ordering them to kill every man, woman, child, and animal of the tribe.” 

This is the same story Benjamin Netanyahu used to justify Israel’s actions in Gaza; many soldiers accept Netanyahu’s command and kill every living thing in Gaza indiscriminately.

 And a  plaque near Goldstein’s grave states that he “gave his life for the Jewish people, the Torah and the nation of Israel.” Every year since, thousands of Israelis visit it to kiss his grave.

Later  on the  day  of the massacre, during and after the funeral processions of the victims, there were violent clashes between Palestinian demonstrators and occupation forces, with  Israeli soldiers killing an additional 21 Palestinians who took to the streets in the occupied territories to protest the massacre in al-Khalil. .

And instead of the ‘israeli’ occupation creating policies that would protect Palestinians  like  taking action against the extremist settlers in the city, particularly in the illegal Kiryat Arba settlement where Goldstein lived, by removing them from al-Khalil, the Israeli authorities punished the victims, the Palestinians. 

The Israeli army immediately closed down the area and, in the face of public anger, took the opportunity to enforce temporary closures in the city that later became permanent to facilitate settlement expansion. 

The sacred Mosque was divided down the middle, half of it given to settlers and turned into a synagogue. Hebron's main street, Shuhada Street, was gradually closed until no Palestinian national was allowed to even walk on it, let alone drive or open their shops. 

The front door of people's homes were welded shut while the families were still inside, and Hebron was turned into a ghost town. Israelis could use the streets freely and took over new buildings in the area while subjecting the remaining Palestinians to a reign of ongoing terror and harassment in an effort to drive them out of their homes.

.Following the  massacre there has been very strict security at the Cave of the Patriarchs/Ibrahimi Mosque. Part of those measures was the division of the site, to avoid confrontation between worshippers. Jews enter through the southwestern side and use the corridors that run between the cenotaphs while Muslims enter by the northeastern side and use the remainder of the building. 

Many Palestinians in Palestine and around the world remain convinced that the massacre was a false flag, planned attack with at least some official backing that was aimed at dividing the mosque and Hebron, and establishing colonies, the presence of jewish settlers in the city.

Sadly Goldsteins beliefs now find greater acceptance within Israeli society, extending to the highest echelons of the government.In March 2023, the Israeli NGO ‘Break the Silence’ conducted a poll on Baruch Goldstein.  

Here were the results: Only 57% of Israeli Jews think Goldstein was a terrorist.  About 33% are unsure whether to regard him as a terrorist or a national hero. 20% of Israeli right-wing voters view Goldstein as a hero, while even  9% of left-wing voters do not see him as a terrorist. 

The irony of Goldstein's  story  is that despite studying medicine in the United States, he, instead of saving lives, ruthlessly killed and injured innocent worshippers. His legacy of bloodshed persists  in Gaza  and the West Bank. 

And over thirty years later, the horror of Baruch Goldstein’s deadly rampage is still fresh for Palestinian survivors,  at the  same time  the tragedy of war and occupation continues. Iin the past year, the situation keeps getting worse,  as  now  the supporters of Goldstein's massacre have gained political power and hold key positions in the Israeli government, the police,  and the army,  while Palestinian s in Hebron  daily face  demolitions, forcible displacement and Jewish settler attacks, .that we rarely hear about; compared with the horrors of Gaza and even the destruction of Jenin and Tulkarm.

Rest in Power Roberta Flack: Soul Icon and Social Activist

Sad news the legendary  singer, songwriter, performer, Roberta Flack  one of the great soul singers of all time. has died aged 88  on Monday,  February 24, 2025, while surrounded by family. Known for songs including The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, originally by Ewan MacColl, and Killing Me Softly With His Song, written by Lori Lieberman and Norman Gimbel this  pioneering soul icons  work paved the way for women musicians and transformed popular music. 

Born Roberta Cleopatra Flack, to musician parents in Black Mountain, North Carolina, on February 10, 1937,and raised in Arlington, Virginia, ahe started classical piano lessons at the age of nine. She was awarded a full scholarship to Howard University in Washington, DC aged 15 and hoped to become an opera singer, a dream that was put on hold when she returned to North Carolina following her father’s death in 1959.  

She went back to the capital a year later to teach and in the early 1960s she began accompanying opera.singers at the Tivoli opera restaurant in Georgetown, later playing in various clubs in the Washington area before taking up a residency at Mr Henry’s.  

After watching her perform, jazz musician Les McCann helped to launch Flack’s recording career and she was signed to Atlantic Records after decades of classical study, teaching music and accompanying opera singers. Working as a high-school teacher in her 20s, while gigging in clubs during the evenings, FShe was married to jazz musician Stephen Novosel between 1966 and 1972. Her debut album, First Take, was released in 1969 and featured a blend of gospel, soul, flamenco and jazz. 

One of the songs from the album, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, catapulted her to stardom after Clint Eastwood used the song as the soundtrack for a love scene in his film Play Misty For Me.  It also won the Grammy for record of the year in 1973.

And a year later her song Killing Me Softly With His Song won the same gong and Flack won best female pop vocal performance. The latter saw a resurgence in popularity in the 1990s when hip-hop trio Fugees recorded a new version. 

In August 1970, she released Chapter Two and in November 1971 Quiet Fire. Both albums were aligned musically with First Take’s diverse mix. Even with the sweeping range of material, Flack developed a unifying sound. Flack said many times that her song choices were rooted in her desire to portray stories in her music, whether they were about love, lives or politics. 

 “My music is inspired thought-by-thought, and feeling-by-feeling. Not note-by-note,” she told Powers in 2020. “I tell my own story in each song as honestly as I can in the hope that each person can hear it and feel their own story within those feelings.”

Flack's other hits from the 1970s included Feel Like Makin' Love and two duets with her close friend and former Howard University classmate Donny Hathaway, Where Is the Love and The Closer I Get to You. Sadly, their partnership ended in tragedy, after he fell to his death from his hotel room in Manhattan in 1979, after suffering a breakdown while they were recording an album of duets together.

Her soundscape embraced rock, folk, jazz, classical, and Latin influences, challenging racial and musical norms of her time and paving the way for many artists.This fearless musical exploration made her an icon not only in the realm of quiet storm R&B but also in the broader cultural landscape.

Her influence reached beyond her songs, as she contributed to social dialogues and civil rights movements, performing at significant events.

Her musical style, characterized by an intimate yet compelling delivery, redefined what it meant to be a Black artist in mainstream America. She didn’t just sing,she bled emotion, turning heartbreak into a damn art form.

At a time when the music industry was often quick to pigeonhole Black talent, Flack’s success was a testament to the power of authenticity. She refused to conform to expectations, instead choosing to let her voice serve as both a personal declaration and a broader commentary on the Black experience. 

Her music was a form of quiet resistance,a way to assert dignity, empathy, and strength in the face of social adversity.

Like many Black women, Roberta Flack’s revolutionary artistry is overlooked.Songs like “Trying Times”

 and and "Compared to What" tackled issues such as racism, poverty, and inequality. 

while pro LGBTQIA songs like “Ballad of the Sad Young Men” on her 1969 album were made prior to Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”, often credited as the first of its kind.

A passionate advocate for gay rights from the early days of her career, Flack was as much a musical innovator as she was a progressive activist, introducing Black nationalism to mainstream audiences. A shining light in the social and civil rights movement of the time, Flack was friends with both Reverend Jesse Jackson and Angela Davis whom Flack visited in prison when Davis faced charges - for which she was acquitted - for murder and kidnapping.

Davis once described the soft power of Flack’s voice in regards to protest music: “Yes, we needed the songs that were loud, that convinced us we were doing the right thing, that we needed to keep on pushing. They were incorporated into the soundtrack of the movement. But change happens when people’s emotions are affected. When we begin to be active participants from the heart…. Roberta had brought a kind of reflectiveness, a space to actually think and imagine.”

Flack used her platform to advocate for causes she deeply cared about. She appeared in a documentary film, “Save the Children,” about Jackson’s Operation PUSH exhibition in Chicago in 1972, and appeared at Bob Dylan’s 1975 benefit for boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, who was wrongfully convicted of murder.in 1972. Flack was also a member of the Artist Empowerment Coalition, a group that advocates for artists to have the right to control their creative properties. She also founded The Roberta Flack School of Music, an afterschool program in the Bronx that provided music education to underprivileged students. In 2010, she established the Roberta Flack Foundation, an organization dedicated to music education and animal welfare. 

While Flack never matched her first run of success, she had a follow-up hit in the 1980s with the Peabo Bryson duet Tonight, I Celebrate My Love.

and in the 1990s with the Maxi Priest duet Set The Night To Music.

Living on the same floor of the famous Dakota apartment building as John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Flack also became friends with the Beatle, and in  2012, Flack released her final album, Let It Be Roberta, an album of Beatles covers. 

The singer, was  awarded a lifetime achievement award by the Recording Academy in 2020,  and in 2022, a feature-length documentary about the soul singer, by Antonino D’Ambrosio called Roberta, was released and told of her rise to stardom amid the backdrop of America’s civil rights movement.  

In 2022 it was announced the veteran musician had ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, a progressive neurological condition that had made it "impossible" for her to sing. Following her ALS diagnosis, she finally retired from the limelight.

On May 13, 2023, Flack was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Berklee College of Music and celebrated by members of the graduating class who performed a concert of her music. 

As news of Flack’s passing spreads around the world, multiple tributes to the late vocalist have been flooding in from all corners of the globe. Those who have worked with her, those who knew her, and those who simply adored her incredible body of work have all been keen to share their thoughts on the death of the iconic singer. 

Ruth Pointer of The Pointer Sisters was one of the first to pay tribute to the star, sharing: “Condolences to family, friends and fans of Roberta Flack. RIP.”  

Fellow R&B singer Darlene Love, who regularly performed Flack’s ‘Where Is The Love’ during her live performances, wrote on social media, “I’m so heartbroken to hear of the passing of Roberta Flack. There will never be another voice like hers – so full of soul, beauty, and emotion. ‘Killing Me Softly’ and so many of her songs will live on forever.” The singer concluded, “Rest in power, Roberta. Your music will always be with us.”  

Bernice A. King, daughter of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., shared an image of Flack with the caption, “What a powerful, synchronised, beautiful instrument you were…Thank you #RobertaFlack.” 

 Oscar-nominated photographer Misan Harriman, who chronicled the Black Lives Matter movement through his photography, called Flack “One of the greatest of all time.” He also shared the song ‘Do What You Gotta Do’, writing, “This song means so much to me. She was a class apart.”

Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network, expressed profound sorrow at her passing. According to his statement, “I’m deeply saddened by the news of the death of Roberta Flack, one of the greatest musicians and songsters of all time. Her voice and music brought American and Afro-American culture and music to another level. She was also a freedom fighter and activist. I first met her when I was 12 years old at a rally for Operation Breadbasket. She was a huge supporter of Operation Breadbasket and Rev. Jesse Jackson. In the last 25 years, she has always supported and was present for events of the National Action Network. May she rest in peace and power, her music will last forever.” 

His words capture the indelible impact Flack made not only on the music industry but also on the civil rights movement  As fans mourn her passing, one thing is clear, her impact on music, culture, and activism will continue to resonate for years to come. 

Roberta Flack's legacy is built on her ability to transform and personalize songs with emotional honesty and clarity. Her storytelling approach ensured that listeners not only heard her music but deeply felt their narratives. Her legacy is as much about her contributions to the struggle for justice as it is about her groundbreaking musical achievements. 

Roberta Flack was more than just a singer,she was an icon, a storyteller, and a trailblazer for Black artists everywhere. Rest in power Roberta Flack. Thank you for your outstanding music. Your legacy lives on! 🙏💔 

World Day of Social Justice!

Today is World Day of Social Justice  which  is dedicated to promoting fairness, equality, and the protection of human rights. It highlights issues like poverty, exclusion,discrimination, inequality, unemployment, human rights violations, and social protection,  Remember though  the fight for fairness, equity, and dignity for all is every day.

Established by the UN in 2007, this day highlights the need for fair work, good living standards, and social security. It's a reminder to address global inequalities and improve the quality of life for all. 

Social justice is for everyone, particularly marginalized and vulnerable communities, such as refugees, indigenous peoples, and those living with disabilities.

The UN defines “social justice” as the equal rights of all peoples, and the opportunity for all human beings, without discrimination, to benefit from economic and social progress in all parts of the world. The organisation stresses an agreement with 100 heads of state that social development and social justice are crucial for peace and security within and between states.

However, this will not happen without governments developing plans to eliminate poverty, unemployment and discrimination based on gender, age, race, religion, culture or disability. Serious challenges remain, including inequality, insecurity, unemployment, poverty, war, discrimination, exclusion, and lack of access to facilities that prohibit full participation in the global economy for developing countries.  

Social development aims at justice, solidarity, harmony, and equality within and among countries.Social justice, equality, and equity constitute the fundamental values of all societies. Promoting the equitable distribution of income and greater access to resources for all through equity, equality, and opportunity is so important. 

Social development and social justice are indispensable for achieving and maintaining peace and security within and among nations. However, social development and social justice cannot be attained without peace and security, and economic growth may not be sustainable without social justice and respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms.

We have to remind ourselves, this World Social Justice Day, that fairness and equality aren’t guaranteed. Worldwide, poverty and inequality are rising, climate breakdown and armed conflict threaten insecurity and violence, and social justice is far  more than a concept, it’s a call to action. 

It’s about equity, access, and opportunity for all, regardless of gender, race, economic background, or nationality.Around the world, people continue to grapple with deep inequalities. We need a human-centered response that advances social justice for everyone, everywhere.

It is easy to lose the original meaning and purpose of such days as World Social Justice Day. It is easy to forget that not all humans experience life from a point of privilege. For some, especially the most vulnerable, social justice is a foreign concept. For some of the most vulnerable, they are totally unaware that it is within their human right to live a life of dignity, in a world where social justice is a reality.

The concept of social justice emerged during the Industrial Revolution and the civil revolutions that swept across Europe in the 19th century. The aim was to remedy the capitalist exploitation of labour that was prevalent at the time. Early proponents of social justice focused primarily on capital, property and the distribution of wealth.

From the mid-20th century onwards, social justice ceased to focus primarily on the economy and expanded to other areas of social life, addressing multiple causes or manifestations of inequalities.  And what exactly is it? Social justice is based on equal rights for all people, and on the possibility for all human beings, without discrimination, to benefit from economic and social progress throughout the world. 

Promoting social justice is not simply about increasing income and creating jobs. It is also a question of rights, dignity and freedom of expression, as well as economic, social and political autonomy for all people.

The theme this year is, 'Empowering Inclusion: Bridging Gaps Of Social Justice', which highlights the need for inclusive policies and social protection to address systemic inequality. encourages us to unite for a just transition, prioritizing people, planet and dignity, to create a sustainable future with equity, compassion and human rights for all. 

Today is a time to reflect on the struggles all around you us such as rising inequality, systemic injustices, and of course raise awareness for Palestine. Like all UN charters and declarations, governments, were quick to welcome the decision to have the World Day of Social Justice, which is certainly noble in its intention, and then use it as a facade for the reality that there is no political will to make real  changes. 

The sad  fact remains  that ruling elites are still unable to change, due to the spread of corruption, and the ability of international capital’s monopoly to block steps to eliminate economic inequality.The moral inversion that has consumed our current political and cultural landscape is inexcusable. More than  ever we should fight against it, fight to reform it, fight to dismantle it. Change starts with us. Raise your voice, take action, stand for justice 

Lets  stand for a world where gender equality is a right, survivors find justice and discrimination has no place.The struggle for social justice is a commitment that belongs to and challenges all of us. The day also serves to  remind us there is no social  justice without cllimate  justice! We must protect vulnerable communities from climate disasters while ensuring fairness in the shift to a greener world. A just transition means no one gets left behind.

On World Social Justice Day 2025 the fight has never been more urgent. We’re seeing attacks on equal rights, growing inequality and crises in housing, climate and the cost of living.Far too many communities continue to suffer from exclusion, poverty and lack of access to justice. Now is the time to stand up, speak up and take action. Together, we can create a more just world.

Also at a time when corrosive far-right narratives are becoming more visible in the mainstream, we must stand strong to protect our hard-won rights and through education, empower children and young people to challenge misinformation and counter damaging and divisive far-right narratives, in the pursuit of an equal, socially just society for all.

Whoever you are- wherever you are, I wish you a hope, kindness and compassion filled World Day of Social Justice. Let’s work together for sustanable life and peace on our planet.Together, let’s break the cycles of violence, abuse, and injustice,because true peace begins with fairness for everyone. 

At the same time, we never need to despair about good in the world because we have it within us. Question everything, but don’t let questioning paralyze you from living.✊

Official Website 

https://www.un.org/en/observances/social-justice-day

Leonard Peltier's Freedom Is A Triumph of Spirit and Justice

Yesterday marked a significant and uplifting moment,  with some really  beautiful news Native American activist and member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) Leonard Peltier is free at  last  after  nearly 50 years of wrongful imprisonment and unjust persecution by the US government and the FBI for his leading role in the movement for Native sovereignty.

Last month President Joseph Biden commuted Peltier's  life sentence to serve the remainder of his time under house arrest. This development is a testament to the power of compassion and justice.

Peltier  who is 80 years old, has long maintained his innocence over the 1975 shootout that occurred on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation between two FBI agents, who had entered the private property to serve arrest warrants, and members of the American Indian Movement (AIM), a cold war-era liberation group that sought to address police brutality and discrimination against Native Americans.  

The group of Native American men who traded gunfire with the FBI agents included Peltier. The shootout resulted in the deaths of both agents, Jack Coler and Ronald Williams, who were shot in the head. Joseph Stuntz, a Native American, was killed, too.  

Two other AIM  leaders were initially charged with the agents' murders and were tried seperately, no evidence at the time was presented to link them to the killings. They were subsequently acquitted after evidence emerged about the atmosphere and intimidation on the reservation, with the conclusion that they might  have been acting in self-defence. Following their acquittal, the FBI renewed its efforts to pursue Leonard Peltier, they needed a scapegoat  and he was arrested on February 6th 1976.

Peltier had joined American Indian Movement (AIM) members in defending the traditional people at Pine Ridge, who were under attack from the Guardians of the Oglala Nation (GOONs). The paramilitary group was established by notoriously corrupt tribal chairman Dick Wilson, who had the backing of the FBI. 

The FBI presence on Pine Ridge rose significantly after the 1973 occupation of Wounded Knee,https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2023/02/remembering-occupation-of-wounded-knee.html  during which the federal government constructed roadblocks and cut off access to electricity, food, and water in a brutal 71-day siege. 

In the two years after Wounded Knee, known as the "reign of terror," more than 60 Indigenous people were killed on the reservation, prompting residents to call on AIM for protection.

Tensions came to a head on June 26, 1975, when gunfire broke out killing  the FBI special agents, Peltier has consistently claimed that he did not shoot the agents. His supporters have long argued that prosecutors withheld critical evidence that could have supported his defense while also fabricating affidavits against him.  

Peltier fled to Canada before his 1977 trial. He was eventually extradited back to the United States, found guilty and given two life sentences. Peltier, part of a movement upholding Native American treaty rights with the U.S. government, has long maintained  his innocence since his conviction 

For decades, Peltier's supporters, ranging from tribal leaders to figures like the Dalai Lama, Robert Redford, Nelson Mandela, Pope Francis and James H Reynolds, the US attorney who handled the prosecution and appeal of Peltier’s case, have fought for his release. Arguing he was falsely convicted in an unfair trial. A global symbol of the struggle for indigenous peoples' rights.

Prosecutors argued during trial that Peltier shot both agents in the head at point-blank range. Peltier admitted to being present and firing a gun at a distance, but he claimed that it was in self-defense. And the litany of offenses committed by the government against Peltier was lengthy. The government lied, cheated, and threw the Constitution out the window to ensure a conviction. 

The U.S. government used three perjured affidavits to force Peltier’s extradition from Canada.To secure these, federal officials shamelessly threatened and intimidated Myrtle Poor Bear, the source of these affidavits.

Poor Bear later recanted their contents entirely. The jury at Peltier’s February 1976 trial in Fargo, North Dakota, was all-white; the government used racism and fear-mongering to deliberately make the jury feel vulnerable to attack,sequestering them unnecessarily, for example. 

The judge, who actually had meetings with the FBI during the trial, constantly and aggressively ruled against the defense’s objections, and refused to allow Peltier’s attorneys to argue “self-defense” as his defense.

During the trial, the Assistant U.S. Attorney, Lynn Crooks, did not produce any witnesses who could identify Peltier as the one who killed the agents. 

The prosecution presented false evidence regarding the murder weapon; they held that there was only one AR-15 and it belonged to Peltier. Yet there were many AR-15 rifles found at the site. 

The government also withheld evidence,critical ballistic reports that showed the gun they said Peltier had been using could not be matched to the bullet casing they found near the agents who had been killed. 

None of this was  disputed by the U.S. government. At the appellate hearing in the 1980s, the government attorney conceded, “We had a murder, we had numerous shooters, we do not know who specifically fired what killing shots.... [W]e do not know, quote unquote, who shot the agents.” 

Though the Eighth Circuit Court at this time found that the jury in Peltier’s trial might have acquitted him had the FBI not withheld certain evidence, they refused to grant him a new trial. 

This is just a barebones overview of the main injustices that colored Leonard’s trial. 

In 1993 Peltier became eligible for parole, but was denied several times over the next 32 years. He served 46 years total in prison. 

In recent years, James H Reynolds has written to various presidents, asking them to grant Peltier clemency and calling his prosecution “unjust”.  

In a letter to Biden in 2021, Reynolds stated that Peltier’s continued incarceration reflected a flawed justice system. Peltier’s “conviction and continued incarceration is a testament to a time and a system of justice that no longer has a place in our society”, he wrote. Peltier was denied parole as recently as July and was not eligible to be considered for it again until 2026. 

The commutation, granted by Biden on his last day in office, was long opposed by the FBI. Former agency Director Christopher Wray called Peltier a "remorseless killer."  His supporters say prosecutors withheld critical evidence that would have been favorable to Peltier and fabricated affidavits that painted him as guilty.  

Peltier was freed from a federal detention center in Coleman, North Florida at around 9 a.m. (1400 GMT), according to a Reuters witness. He departed in a car which was part of a motorcade, and did not speak to supporters or media.  

 “Today I am finally free! They may have imprisoned me but they never took my spirit!” Peltier said in a statement provided by the NDN Collective activist group.  “I am finally going home. I look forward to seeing my friends, my family, and my community. It’s a good day today.” 

Peltier, a member of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa tribe, is partially blind and in poor health, suffering from diabetes and heart trouble. The 80-year-old will be allowed to live under house arrest. 

A homecoming celebration is planned for Peltier today at the Turtle Mountain Reservation in Belcourt, North Dakota.   

“Just as his wrongful incarceration represented the oppression of Indigenous Peoples everywhere, his release today is a symbol of our collective power and inherent freedom,” Nick Tilsen, NDN Collective Founder and CEO, said in the release. 

Outgoing U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Halaand said in a statement that she believes Peltier’s commutation was a step toward justice and that it was a long-awaited moment for supporters. 

 “I am beyond words about the commutation of Leonard Peltier. His release from prison signifies a measure of justice that has long evaded so many Native Americans for so many decades,” Haaland said. “I am grateful that Leonard can now go home to his family. I applaud President Biden for this action and understanding what this means to Indian Country.”

Amnesty International USA, one of the largest and oldest human rights organizations in the country, is one of the grassroots movements that advocated for Peltier’s release. The global movement has millions of members and has provided support for Peltier by organizing an online petition and mobilizing others to write letters of solidarity during his sentence.

 In a statement from Amnesty International USA Executive Director Paul O’Brien, the organization continues to stand firm on their position that Peltier should have been granted clemency a long time ago. 

 “President Biden was right to commute the life sentence of Indigenous elder and activist Leonard Peltier given the serious human rights concerns about the fairness of his trial,” O’Brien said. “Amnesty International has advocated for the U.S. government to grant Leonard Peltier clemency for years, following the leadership of Tribal Nations and Indigenous Peoples.”

The National Congress of American Indians celebrated the commutation, calling it “historic” and adding that the case “has long symbolized the systemic injustices faced by Indigenous Peoples”.

 “We never thought he would get out,” Ray St Clair, a member of the White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, said shortly before Peltier’s release. “It shows you should never give up hope. We can take this repairing the damage that was done. This is a start.”

A hero to many Leonard Peltier was one of American society’s longest serving political prisoners. His prosecution and conviction were driven solely by his participation in the American Indian Movement, and Leonard Peltier has been a victim, time and time again, of the racism that is embedded in the U.S. criminal justice system.  

But Leonard Peltier is not simply a victim. He is a fighter, writer, activist, grandfather, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and was the presidential candidate for the Peace and Freedom Party in 2004.In 1982, from Marion Federal Prison, Leonard Peltier wrote with "uncompromising solidarity" to the Palestinian and Lebanese resistance, fighting back the genocidal invasion of Lebanon by zionists.  

In the years since his conviction, millions upon millions of people around the world have come to learn of his case, agree that he is innocent, and demand his freedom. This is in part due to the famous documentary, Incident at Oglala, directed by Michael Apted and narrated by Robert Redford, and the bestselling book that everyone from the FBI to former South Dakota governor Bill Janklow tried to block from publication—Peter Matthiessen’s In the Spirit of Crazy Horse.

This tremendous victory, though it has to  be said that  he should not be restricted to home confinement but given his total freedom is a result of decades of tireless struggle for Leonard's freedom by people and movements across the country, .and  marks Leonard Peltier's Journey,  which is a triumph of Spirit and Justice. 

Times are looking bleak  and it's hard to feel optimistic about the future,  but Leonard Peltier is free and that’s something to celebrate. He can finally see the sky again  Because Peltier is free, we are all a little  more freer  too. Salute to the legend that is Leonard Peltier.

Music is the language of the soul

Music is the language of the soul, the rhythm of emotions, and the melody that makes even the hardest moments a little more bearable, releasing. messages of truth, a pulsating force,life’s heartbeat. A heartbeat that never stops, a beauty that never fades, and a friend that always is there when you need one, and a  lover that never leaves, while at the same time can serve as a powerful reminder of our fragility and strength.

A single note can unlock a memory,  take you back  in time, change your mood, ignite your imagination, it has this magical power to shape how we think, how we feel, opens our eyes to new perspectives, and awaken and inspire us to change the world. 

Music transcends language, traverses borders and  connects us all  universally , painting emotions in sound. From a sonic symphony to a quiet melody, music has the raw power to move us all. And  like all good medicine has the power to  heal both  body and mind.

If you ever feel you’re in need of being uplifted. Listen to your favorite music. No matter the genre, it is guaranteed to  make you feel better, Music is such a powerful presence , such  an  incredible thing that  elevates the praise and soul of people and cultures  across the world , that can never be erased or ignored.

Carrying stories of resilience, heritage, that can  also nurture identity, emotion, and help unite us all  in the way  that  rhythms and tones interact  and teaches us about harmony, balance, and connection, across cultures, across time. 

Music  can also allow us to dive into the unknown, to express emotions that cannot be conveyed with words,  Without music, life feels lifeless The beats, the rhythms, the symphonies soothe my heart  and assure me I'm not alone.

AI music  though I  believe  is a betrayal of all  these notions,  and  If anyone asks me why it's bad -  they are part of the problem. It's simply souless, corporatized trash. How  can  you  call it  music if it  contains no  soul. Real  music has the power to connect us with those we love, and feels so  good,.  

Somewhere along the progression of music, we  have somehow got the idea that everything needs to be perfect. autotune, quantization, melodyne, etc. while at  same time  we have  lost our humanity. and  this makes us easily replaceable by AI.  

Remember  please that it’s the imperfections, the out of tune notes ,the raw  pulses of  emotion that gives music feeling. To all  musicians-  who have  the  unmatched power to influence culture, fashion, movies, and even social movements please take a stand against the AI takeover of your art. You have so much more power than you realise.  If we lose authentic music we will have  truly  lost our way. 

Changing Course

For those who think that this world is ok 

I will allow you  to believe your delusion,

Ignore genocide, injustice and poverty 

Bombs dropped on another brother's country,

Hatred leaving many thousands dead 

Blood splatterring lands with red,  

Daily this darkness releasing tears

As hearts grow cold in selfish ways,  

This poet dreams of something different 

A time where hope never stops flowering, 

A place where terrors forever go away  

Lands of  flowing peace and sanctuary, 

A fresh beginning, letting go of all past hurts 

Beyond barbarism the removal of chains,

Carefully we will mend and rearrange 

Replace the current walls of division,

Love across nations forever reborn

Like a tempest wild and free,

Our accents and homelands may vary, 

But, human emotions will bind in unity.

As we brush every fucking fascist away

With humanity rid our days of decay,

Where light shines through without despair

Each day filled with kindness and care, 

Removing the pains and sorrows of past

A more beautiful pulsating future is cast.

Remembering Welsh Pirate Bartholomew Roberts :Barti Ddu/ Black Bar (17 May 1682- 10th February 1722)

On 10th February 1722, the pirate, nicknamed "Barti Ddu" ("Black Bart") was killed. (He was never called Black Bart in his lifetime) Barti Ddu, was born John Roberts in Little Newcastle/ Casnewydd Bach, between Fishguard  and Haverfordwest,Pembrokeshire, Wales on 17 May 1682. Most accounts point to his father being George Roberts who was included in the Pembrokeshire Hearth Tax list in 1670.

Roberts made little impact on his village home in the eleven years he spent growing up there in the late sixteen hundreds. However, when the boy left to work on a royal naval ship, he soon escalated to remarkable fame. Held in utmost regard by all that cruised the dark side of the seven seas.

Robert's legacy grew to be more extraordinary than anyone in his small home county of Pembrokeshire could have dared imagine as he would  become  one of the most successful and the last great pirates of the Golden Age of piracy which lasted roughly from 1700 to 1725.

Writer Daniel Defoe visited this area in 1724 whilst researching his book about Britain. He talked to folk who had known the dark-haired, handsome lad who left for sea at the age of ten and never returned. John Roberts is thought to have left at thirteen in 1695, but there is no further record of him until 1718 when he was a mate aboard a sloop. In 1719 he was made third mate of a slave trading ship called the Princess for the Royal Africa Company under Captain Abraham Plumb.

Age 37 Roberts’ long lowly career in the Navy has been habitually unremarkable until one day, while they were anchored along the Gold Coast of Africa (near Ghana) the Princess was captured by pirates led by Howell Davis who commanded the Royal Rover and the Royal James. 

Roberts and several of his crew were forced to join the pirates, immediately  hitting it off with his captor, who was also Welsh and also from Pembrokeshire,in his case Milford  Haven, John Roberts and Hywel Davies speak Welsh to one another and Davies values Roberts’ excellent navigational skills which were entirely overlooked by his former royal naval colleagues and this allowed John Roberts to climb through the ranks. 

Despite being conscripted into piracy, Roberts soon came to like the Pirates Culture. Considering the average sailor made only £3 per month in the Royal Navy or a merchant ship with no chance of being promoted to captain it wasn't hard to see the appeal. In fact Roberts is even quoted as saying:  In an honest service there is thin commons, low wages, and hard labour. In this, plenty and satiety, pleasure and ease, liberty and power; and who would not balance creditor on this side, when all the hazard that is run for it, at worst is only a sour look or two at choking? No, a merry life and a short one shall be my motto.  — A General History Pyrates (1724), p. 213–214  

A few weeks after Roberts joined the pirates, one of the ships the Royal James had to be destroyed due to worm damage. The Royal Rover continued on towards the Portuguese controlled island of Príncipe. Davis hoisted the flags of a British man-o-war, he was allowed to enter the harbor and after a few days requested the governor board his ship for lunch, intending to hold him for ransom. However, the governor had already figured out who Davis was and set a trap. 

The governor requested Davis meet the governor at the fort for a glass of wine first and on their way to the fort the pirates were ambushed and killed, Davis included. With Davis dead and the pirates retreating, a new captain had to be elected. 

There were several candidates for the post of commander, all brisk and lively men, distinguished by the title of "Lords," such as Sympson, Ashplant, Anstis, and others. One of these "Lords," Dennis, concluded an eloquent harangue over a bowl of punch with a strong appeal for Roberts to be the new chief. This proposal was acclaimed with but one dissenting voice, that of "Lord" Sympson, who had hopes of being elected himself, and who sullenly left the meeting swearing "he did not care who they chose captain so it was not a papist." 

So Roberts was elected after being a pirate only six weeks; thus was true merit quickly appreciated and rewarded amongst them. Roberts's speech to his fellow-pirates was short but to the point, saying "that since he had dipped his hands in muddy water, and must be a pyrate, it was better being a commander than a common man," not perhaps a graceful nor grateful way of expressing his thanks, but one which was no doubt understood by his audience.

Roberts first action as captain was to lead his crew back to Principe to avenge the death of Captain Davis. In the dead of night Roberts and his crew charged onto the island and  butcher a large proportion of the male population and stole virtually all items of value that they could carry away. Next they captured a few ships and when the ship next took on supplies, it was voted they would sail to Portuguese Brazil to rob them some more. His acts of avenging Howell Davis along with his bravery and success made most of Davis crew extremely loyal to Roberts and they concluded he was "pistol proof"and that he alone could ensure their success, health and wealth. He embraced his new career path with enormous enthusiasm, he seemed to have found the role in life that he was intended to fulfil – that of a vicious murderer. 

He changed his name to Bartholomew and a short but brutal career began.Some think he adopted the name Bartholomew in reference to the legendary buccaneer Bartholomew Sharp and in order to hide his true identity.

He was described as a tall, an attractive man, who loved expensive clothes and jewelry. His preferred attire was rich crimson waistcoat and breeches, a hat with a red feather and a diamond cross hanging from his neck. his manner of dress consisted of scarlet breeches, waist sash and overcoat. Upon his head was a tricorn with a red feather in its band and around his neck hung a diamond encrusted cross on a gold chain. His brace of pistols dangled from his shoulder on a silk sash of scarlet. He was a colorful rogue by most accounts. Even in battle he was well  dressed.He fits our idea of what a pirate ought to look like perfectly.

“Black Bart” was the undisputed king of swashbuckling scurvy cutthroats, a brutal murderer who decorated his ship with the hanged corpses of his mortal enemies, and a hardcore sea-reaver who terrorized merchant shipping and painted the Atlantic Ocean blood-red.

Between the years 1719 and 1722, an astoundingly-long career considering that most pirates were lucky to go twelve months without being hanged from the neck until dead, Roberts and his veritable armada of heavily-armed pirate warships is credited with single-handedly plundering and destroying over  470  prize ships and over 50 million pounds of loot from the coasts of America and West Africa.. More than any other pirate in the Atlantic, bringing trade to a screeching halt. He rightfully earned the title of “King of the Atlantic Pirates.” 

While these numbers might be an exaggeration, there is no doubt, he was a dangerous and daring pirate when he came into his own. As for the claim of most successful pirate, Henry Morgan captured more, but Morgan, rogue that he was, was still technically a privateer. However, several Chinese pirates also captured more ships, had longer careers and attained more wealth; for example 19th centure female pirate Ching Shih. 

One of the keys to Roberts success was the Welsh language. As a speaker of Cymraeg/ Welsh, he  was able to communicate to allies in the language, ensuring that enemies were unaware of his intentions. His success was also due to his organization, charisma and daring. 

Roberts followed the common egalitarian socio-cultural foundation of pirate life as explicated in Marcus Rediker’s 1981 analysis of Anglo-American pirates, the first of its kind. Roberts created and enforced a pirate code, called articles,which crew members had to swear on a Bible to uphold, which actually gave more power to the crew than the captain, allowed for a more equal distribution of plunder, and demanded discipline from himself and his crew; he established alliances with other pirate captains and targeted those responsible for oppressive systems of authority or those known for taking actions against pirates, displaying pirates’ symbolic unity; and he enacted revenge on those that wronged him or attempted to capture him. 

Roberts has been called a pious man in that he had religious services onboard his ships, and never attacked on the Sabbath. He never drank alcohol, only tea, did not allow alcohol consumption or gambling onboard his ships (although his crew was completely drunk when he finally met his end). Yet, we can see from his actions mentioned earlier, his piety was confused at best and possibly psychotic. He also devised amusing ways to kill his captives. 

While some sources say he only killed one or two people other accounts are contrary to this opinion. He was known to torture, The Africans members of his crew were still considered slaves and were not given shares of the booty, and at least 1/3 of his crew were forced, that is made to be pirates. He had a hatred for the Irish and Spaniards. 

Once, he captured a slaver with 80 slaves on board. He burned that ship with all slaves on it. The reason was he wouldn't waste any time or efforts to unshackle the unfortunate people.This was the pathologic nature of Black Bart; he would butcher the innocent and then demand his men pray to God. 

Some sources claimed that crew loved him and would follow him in to the bowels of Hell if he asked. Other sources claim a good third of his crew was always on the verge of mutiny and Roberts would rule with an iron fist and do what ever necessary to break up mutiny plots, including in at least on case killing a possible mutineer.  As mentioned at least a third of his crew was forced to be in his crew. The forced men were not given shares or were given share only in an attempt to get them to join the crew outright. Men who deserted Robert's crew were often chained and sometime killed. in order to prevent desertions, Roberts often avoided hospitable towns and often would just remain at sea.

As time passed and his fame grew, he amassed a great pirate fleet, often said to be between seven to twenty ships of various sizes. In reality he never had more than three ships and most often he sailed with just two ships. But two well armed pirate ships was enough to terrorize the merchant fleets because the Royal Navy was not present in the Caribbean in any great numbers.

Calling himself “The Admiral of the Leeward Islands,” It is said that Roberts brought trans-Atlantic shipping to a standstill. His legendary 30-month career took him to the West Indies, New England, Newfoundland and Liberia.Roberts was also an early user of the Skull and Crossbones pirate flag; etching him into folklore and inspiring not just other pirates, but pop culture centuries after his death. 

The crews of his ships are said to have comprised freed slaves, of many nationalities and senior pirates who called themselves ‘The House of Lords’. The House of Lords was actually the name given to senior pirates on Howell Davis ship. Roberts senior pirates were actually known as the "Old Standards". Despite the so called democracy on pirate ships, Roberts crew had an established pecking order with long time crew members getting larger shares than new comers. Men forced to be pirates were given even less and Pirates of African descent given no share at all.

After the Pirates had avenged Davis’s death by destroying harbor, they sailed towards the coast of Brazil where they plundered many ships including some warships. A large amount of goods were taken from the Portuguese.

But this is also when one of his crew, Walter Kennedy, who he'd left  in charge (so he could go and capture another sloop) chose to sail away with the Royal Rover and all the loot it contained.This act of betrayal did little for Kennedy, he headed home for Ireland but his navigation was poor and he ended up in Scotland. Most of his crew were arrested and hanged but Kennedy escaped to London, where he started a new career as a brothel keeper but was imprisoned for stealing from one of his girls. In prison he was recognised by a past victim and was subsequently executed for piracy. The judge said later “He was a sad dog and deserved the fate he met with” and no doubt Roberts would have agreed. It is another story but he did have an unexpected influence on the history of piracy. An action that caused Roberts to rename the recently captured sloop the Fortune.

By late February 1720, they were in the West Indies just in time to meet two ships; the Summerset and the Philipa from Barbados, which had been dispatched to try to put an end to the pirate menace. They found the Fortune and engaged with it and after sustaining considerable damage, Bart broke off the engagement and was able to escape. He headed for Dominica to repair the sloop, with twenty of his crew dying of their wounds on the voyage – It was the first time he had come under fire himself at sea and he didn’t like it.  

Dominica was a well-known pirate refuge and it was here that they repaired the sloop and recruited replacement crew members before sailing north to Grenada. The governor of Dominica sent word to Martinique that pirates were at sea, so now two sloops from Martinique were searching for them causing Bart to swear vengeance against the inhabitants of Barbados and Martinique. He was especially cruel whenever he came across a ship from either island, he had a new flag made with a drawing of himself standing upon 2 skulls, one labelled ABH (A Barbadian Head) and the other AMH (A Martiniquian Head). This was a forerunner of the famous Jolly Roger flag.  

He changed his plans and sailed on to the coast of Newfoundland, In June 1720, they came to a port called Trepassy where they engaged in one of the most infamous pirate assaults of its age. They entered Trepassy harbour with their black flags flying, where over twenty ships lay at anchor and destroyed all of them except one, which they kept for themselves. They then went ashore and set fire to the harbour side which was burnt to the ground. 

With their new ship they returned to the warmer seas of the Caribbean where they struck lucky. The pirates captured a French man-of-war and discovered that one of the passengers was the Governor of Martinique-Time for revenge – He was hanged from the yardarm.To really drive home that point about holding grudges, Roberts spent the next couple months sailing around with the governor’s dead body suspended above his ship’s deck as a warning to others. They sailed on, spreading fear and destruction wherever they went.

By the spring of 1721, Roberts had almost brought sea-borne trade in the West Indies to a standstill. However, their success brought problems, the more they achieved, the less business there was for them. They had to relocate to the coast of West Africa in their ship The Royal Fortune.

They sailed up and down the coast, raiding ships as they went, their base for a while was a small settlement run by a retired pirate called Jack Crackers.In Porto-Nova in Benin they took eleven ships which were either ransomed or plundered. Ransom meant that their goods were no good for the pirates and so the ships would be sunk unless they were ransomed with a suitable cash payment. 

In a most bizarre development, the captains of the ships asked for a receipt for the goods stolen and the ransom money paid so that they could explain things to the owners. It is hard to believe and even harder to realise that Roberts obliged- such generosity. However, it was also here that he set fire to a slave ship and watched it burn, whilst those who could escape jumped into the shark infested waters and were torn to pieces in a feeding frenzy.

By the 1720's the Royal Navy and pirate hunter had begun chasing and catching pirates in earnest. However Roberts had started his career after the Kings Pardon (1718) and therefore had no intentions of surrendering or stopping.

In early February of 1722, Captain Challoner Ogle was dispatched by the British Government to find and capture Roberts. On February 5th, 1722, the warship  HMS Swallow which was commanded by Captain Ogle found Roberts and his three pirate ships, the Royal Fortune, the Ranger and the Little Ranger anchored off the coast of Cape Lopez (now Gabon).. 

As HMS Swallow turned to avoid a shoal, the pirates thought it was a merchant ship and the Ranger captained by James Skyrme gave chase. As soon as the Royal Navy was out of sight of the other pirates they opened fire and gave the Ranger a devastating broadside attack which killed ten pirates and took Skyrme's leg off. Eventually the pirates surrendered and were captured. 

On February 10th, HMS Swallow returned to Cape Lopez to surprisingly find the Royal Fortune still anchored. The day before Roberts and his crew had captured the Neptune and most of the crew was still celebrating and drunk when the Swallow approached. At first the crew thought it was the Ranger returning, however a deserter from the Royal Navy recognized the ship and informed Roberts who was having breakfast with Captain Hill of the Neptune. As Roberts usually did, he prepared himself for battle.  

Roberts plan was to sail directly past the enemy ship, take one broadside but eventually escape to open ocean. However Roberts' helmsman failed to keep the ship on the right course and HMS Swallow was able to get off two successful broadsides.

The fight started and Roberts was the first to fall as he was hit in the throat by a grape-shot and killed.  His body, fully dressed, with his arms and ornaments, was thrown overboard according to his repeated request made during his lifetime. Thus the arch-pirate died, as he always said he wished to die, fighting. His motto had always been "A short life and a merry one."  His  body has never been recovered.

Despite the death of Roberts the battle continued for several more hours until the mainmast of the Royal Fortune was destroyed. Without their captain, the pirates could not resist much longer, and they surrendered and asked for quarter. When the smoke had cleared and the weapons laid down, it was found only three pirates including Roberts were killed and the rest were taken into custody. One crew member named John Philips tried to explode a gunpowder magazine intending to blow up the ship but was restrained by other crew members. 

The Royal Navy ended up capturing 272 pirates, 65 of them being freed black slaves. The black pirates were sold back into slavery and the rest were taken to Cape Coast Castle. Of the remainder who did not die in custody, 54 were sentenced to hang. 52 were actually hung and twenty of Roberts crew was allowed to become indentured servants for the Royal African Company. Over one third of Robert's crew were acquitted and released. 

Captain Chaloner Ogle was rewarded with a knighthood for his slaying of Roberts, and he also profited financially by stealing gold dust from his cabin. Ogle went on to become Admiral of the Fleet for the British Royal Navy.  

The death of Roberts really signaled the end of the golden age of piracy. He was the final pirate captain that was able to ruthlessly control the high seas and brazenly defy the imperial powers of the time. While piracy and smuggling would persist throughout the rest of the 18th and even into the 19th centuries it would face a slow death as the various locations were rooted out by the empires and pirates were vigorously sentenced and executed. It would never reach the heights of Bartholomew Roberts who commanded a fleet of warships. 

Brave, daring and commanding, he was the model buccaneer. So, if ever anyone says to you that ‘real’ pirates were not as interesting as those we see on the silver screen, just mention the name of Bartholomew Roberts/Barti Ddu.

The last words on the crew’s loyalty to Roberts and sense of adventure attributed to the life of a pirate is probably best summed up in the final words of Thomas Sutton, one of the crew members, when discussing heaven with a follow prisoner: “Give me hell, it’s a merrier place: I’ll give Roberts a salute of 13 guns at entrance”

The pirate code of Roberts would be recovered because of the speedy end to the naval battle and the death of their captain. The documents did not have a chance to be destroyed and were later used in the trial against the pirates as proof of their collusion.

This is the reason why most pirates destroyed their codes and any and all documents related to them as it would have all been used against them at trial. 

Thus, this lends to the mystery and lack of understanding of the true history of pirates because we only have brief glimpses as to what their private and mysterious lives were all about. The lack of historical documentation about the pirates will always be a hinderance to anyone trying to studying them.

The Pirate Code of Bartholomew Roberts

I. Every man shall have an equal vote in affairs of moment. He shall have an equal title to the fresh provisions or strong liquors at any time seized.

II. Every man shall be called fairly in turn by the list on board of prizes. But if they defraud the company to the value of even one dollar, they shall be marooned. If any man robs another, he shall have his nose and ears slit and be put ashore where he shall be sure to encounter hardships. 

III. None shall game for money either with dice or cards.  IV. The lights and candles shall be put out at eight at night and if any of the crew desire to drink after that hour, they shall sit upon the open deck without lights. 

V. Each man shall keep his piece, cutlass, and pistols at all times clean and ready for action.  VI. No boy or woman to be allowed amongst them. If any man shall be found seducing any of the latter sex and carrying her to sea in disguise he shall suffer death. 

VII. He that shall desert the ship or his quarters in time of battle shall be punished by death or marooning. 

VIII. None shall strike another on board the ship, but every man's quarrel shall be ended on shore by sword or pistol.

IX. No man shall talk of breaking up their way of living till each has a share of 1,000. Every man who shall become a cripple or lose a limb in the service shall have 800 pieces of eight from the common stock and for lesser hurts proportionately. 

X. The captain and quartermaster shall each receive two shares of a prize, the master gunner and boatswain, one and one half shares, all other officers one and one quarter, and private gentlemen of fortune one share each.  

XI. The musicians shall have rest on the Sabbath Day.  

The most unique is the ban of gambling on board, most other pirates wished to limit it but not ban it altogether. As pirates were mainly known for their lack of religious practice, it is also a rare example of the observance of the Sabbath. It’s claimed that Roberts even read the bible out to the crew on Sundays. Despite some of these rules sounding harsh, it was clear discipline on board was a priority to Roberts, and is probably the reason why he was known for being a good leader of his men

News of  Robert's death shocked the world as most sea merchants thought of him as invincible. His death was seen as the end of the Golden Age of Piracy and became one of the pivotal moments in the naval history of history of Caribbean and West Africa.

 It was after his death that Roberts became known as the infamous Black Bart, or Barti Ddu in Welsh. The tales of Roberts’ piracy were so glamorous, so unfettered, they seemed to be more the work of legend than truth. But true, they were,well documented by history.

Most of the information on Roberts comes from the book A General History of the Pyrates, published a few years after Roberts' death. The original 1724 title page credits one Captain Charles Johnson as the author. (The book is often printed under the byline of Daniel Defoe on the assumption that "Charles Johnson" is a pseudonym, but there is no proof that Defoe is the author, and the matter remains in dispute.) 

Johnson devotes more space to Roberts than to any of the other pirates in his book, describing him as:  ... a tall black [i.e. dark complexioned] Man, near forty Years of Age ... of good natural Parts, and personal Bravery, tho' he apply'd them to such wicked Purposes, as made them of no Commendation, frequently drinking 'Damn to him who ever lived to wear a Halter'.  — A General History of the ... Pyrates (1724), p.213[54]

 Note: It is thought that Charles Johnson was a pseudonym for Robinson Crusoe author Daniel Defoe.

As the most successful of the Caribbean pirates, Roberts has appeared in many media adaptations of pirates. The “Dread Pirate Roberts” from the book and film The Princess Bride was based on him  besides the name, the character Westley, who uses the alias, is a refined individual who is captured by pirates and befriends the captain, ultimately taking his place. 

He appeared as a character in the game Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, in which he is a mythical figure as well as a pirate. He also appeared in Sid Meier’s Pirates! as a rival to the player, complete with his red coat and diamond cross in battle. Additionally, he has been mentioned in passing in numerous tales, such as in Treasure Island,  the classic of pirate literature,  and has been the subject of several  books.

There is also a Pembrokeshire seaweed spiced rum made up of a blend of the finest Caribbean rum, seasoned with not only the most delicate notes of vanilla, clove and subtle orange, but with hand picked laver seaweed from the  beautiful Pembrokeshire coast named after him called Barti Ddu Rum. 

Ironic really as he  was not known  total abstainer, instead  as mentioned  earlier his tipple of choice was tea. It would have been easy to get hold of as many of the merchant ships at that time would have carried it. Unusually the crew often would “vote him small parcels of plate and china” if any were found on board captured ships. The somewhat sophisticated notion of drinking tea from china cups was certainly not replicated by  many  others  in  the pirate fraternity. Would love to hav tried  some if this rum,  but I'm on  the  wagon. 

Barti Ddu’s memorial in its full limestone glory. Can be found in his birthplace, Casnewydd-bach/Little Newcastle in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. 

Links

http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/Pirates/tp/Ten-Facts-About-Pirate-Black-Bart-Roberts.htm

http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/Pirates/a/Bartholomew-Black-Bart-Roberts.htm

http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/Pirates/tp/Ten-Facts-About-Pirate-Black-Bart-Roberts.htm

http://www.thepirateking.com/bios/roberts_bartholomew.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartholomew_Roberts

Sources:

Cordingly, David.  Under the Black Flag.  Random House, 2013. 

Farman, John.  The Short and Bloody History of Pirates.  Millbrook, 2002.

Breverton, Terry. Black Bart Roberts: The Greatest Pirate of Them All. Gretna: Pelican, 2004

     

Burl, Aubrey. Black Barty: The Real Pirate of the Caribbean. Phoenix Mill: Sutton, 2006.  

Defoe, Daniel. “Of Captain Bartho. Roberts and His Crew.” A General History of the Pyrates. Ed. Manuel Schonhorn. New York: Dover, 1999.