Kingston, 9 August 2021 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has expressed sadness at the passing of poet, Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze.

“She was certainly one of Jamaica’s most outstanding poets, storytellers and cultural activists,” Minister Grange said of ‘Binta’ Breeze, who was born Jean Lumsden, at Patty Hill in Hanover, and died at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston on August 5 at age 65.

The Culture Minister said:
“We must praise ‘Binta’ Breeze for her enormous contribution to Jamaican culture particularly in the form of dub poetry. “She was the first woman dub poet to emerge in Jamaica and took her
work internationally where she enjoyed recognition and respect in Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa.

The collaborations she shared with other poets, the likes of Linton Kwesi Johnson and Mutabaruka have been regarded as compelling and enthralling.

I express my deepest sympathy to her family, relatives, friends and associates as we say goodbye to Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze whose contribution to Jamaica and the wider world, is worthy of our abiding recognition, respect and gratitude.”

Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze was awarded the Silver Musgrave Medal from the Institute of Jamaica to go with the many other awards she received for her outstanding poetry and storytelling as well as for writing for theatre, television, and film.

END