Kimba putting youth on the write track

THE VOICE caught up with performance poet and recording artist, Kimba Ha-Saum Bush-Ramsey, who is on a mission to get the youth to Write the Wrongs in their life.

The 44-year-old, currently living in Richmond, London, originally from Trenton, New Jersey, has published his debut book, a tale emanating from his own coloured and vast experiences.

Sitting down with Darell J. Philip, Bush-Ramsey speaks on what drew him to writing and why he wants to use the word to inspire the next generation.

The Voice: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Kimba: I’m a former All American football player who started writing poetry and songs during university while studying drafting and design. I’ve loved music and art from a young age. But it wasn’t until University that I discovered my love for writing, art, a necessity for creating music, performing lyrics and singing. Whilst in university I met and eventually married Susie – an athlete and artist from the UK. We lived in Kentucky for a few years before moving to London in 2007. Immediately upon arriving in London I took to the underground music and poetry scene and found an audience, which led to me performing, writing, and recording lots. As well as having just released my first officially published poetry book Write the Wrongs for ages seven plus, I also run workshops in schools across the UK, empowering young people with the gift of words.

The Voice: Kimba – is there a meaning to your name and if so what is it?

Kimba: My father named me and told me my first name means warrior and my middle name prince. So my stage name is my full first name, although growing up everybody called me Kim. When I went to university my environment was totally new and everyone there only knew me as Kimba. I’ve gone through several stage names in my artistic life but eventually grew most comfortable using my birth name as I felt it naturally and perfectly suited me.

The Voice: Share with us the work you do in schools and what the response has been to it.

Kimba: The work I am privileged to do within schools allows me to educate, empower, and enlighten young people with the gift of writing. Far too many people see writing as a chore and not a gift. And the transformative power of performance is often totally disregarded, dismissed, or undervalued. Writing, memorising (I prefer to call it internalising) and speaking are three of the most powerfully timeless faculties we as human beings have. And it is my mission to infinitely affect the world with the positive power of writing and performance. I can be booked through www. authorsabroad.com to go into schools for half or full days and do creative writing, poetry writing, song writing and performance workshops with age groups starting as young as reception all the way up to GCSE, college, and university level.

The response has been amazing, not only from students but also from their teachers who often admit they’d never previously witnessed their students producing writing to the level that comes out of our sessions.

The Voice: You recently released your debut book: Write the Wrongs — where did the inspiration for the title come from?

Kimba: The title came from the revelation that writing empowers every individual to correct the wrongs they feel society desperately needs. It’s a poetry book that explores the upbringing of an inner city youth who loves arts, sports, culture, and who desires fulfilment in life. There are very imaginative pieces, humorous, solemn, reflective pieces, a bit of everything in there really. I rap, sing, produce and play sports. So you’ll find a lot of rhythm in my writing and a love for linguistic twisting. I believe anyone who appreciates poetry and certainly performance poetry will really enjoy it. It’s written for everyone to understand and appreciate what’s being said.

The Voice: What are some of the wrongs you have had to right during your childhood/ youth years?

Kimba: It’s only been quite a few years later but I’ve been realising in increasingly greater degrees the power writing, music, the arts and performance have to combat or treat emotional trauma. Over the last ten years I’ve begun to discover how emotional trauma can result in deteriorating mental health, which is not often recognised until it’s too late in my cultural demographic. About three years ago my younger brother passed away at age 34 due to deteriorating mental health issues. I still can’t believe it and am broken-hearted over it. He was a beautiful, extremely bright and intelligent young man. So a lot of what I write is about the internal dialogue going on in the subconscious during our youth. How we feel about ourselves and others we share spaces with; how we navigate life from the variety of starting points we may have and making the most of it in hope, faith, and action.

The Voice: What message do you want to get across to readers of your book?

Kimba: My overall message is nothing is impossible. You deserve to live the life you were born to and capable of. But no one is going to give it to you. You have to decide to write the wrongs through word and deed. Inspiration is everywhere. Necessity is the mother of creativity but you have to take consistent, daily action though the desired result won’t come easy or overnight. That’s been so hard for me to swallow as I became an adult and life got more challenging. But I found my footing through creative writing, music and just my loves and hobbies which weren’t necessarily encouraged pursuits in my youth. But I got there eventually. I’m here now.

Write the Wrongs (2022) published by Caboodle Books can be purchased for £5.99 plus shipping directly from Kimba’s website: www.kingkimba.com  This interview is dedicated in memory and honour of Kimba’s late and beloved younger brother, Ronald Graham Watkins Jr.  (April 21, 1985-Sept 8, 2019)

Yinka, Where is Your Huzband?

Comments Form

5 Comments

  1. | J

    Very interesting article and very well written!

    Reply

    • | Kimba

      Thanks so much for taking the time to read it and your kind words.

      Reply

  2. | Richard Etienne

    Really inspiring interview. Thanks for hooking this up Darrell

    Reply

  3. | Kenya

    Kimba you’ve always had a light that shined!!!! ❤️❤️❤️ Prod of you!

    Reply

  4. | Zi Bishop

    Very interesting and well written article on the important subject of how to reach and connect with our young people.

    Reply

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