Levi Tafari

[john]

Levi is another Toxteth poet, does alot with young people, done lots of music events in the past, worked with Western Promise, Jennifer John and Eugene Lange.

[Kev]

This guy

[john]

Thanks thats the man

[Gareth]

Levi Tafari's cool. He used to always come into my school and give us pointers on writing poetry. His daughter's a model apparently and his son went to visit the White House to see the US foreign secretary at the time, who's name I can't remember, the one who Condi Rice replaced.

[Paul D]

He's great him,he's a credit to Liverpool.

[john]

I met Levi on Saturday, I have n't seen him for a while I told him that he was in the Scouser Hall of Fame on Yo Liverpool and was really pleased, he is going to pay the site a visit over the following week, unsure if he will sign up.

[john]

Toxteth where I reside
Come with me, yes I'll be your guide
To the city where I reside
Lets take a walk
So we can talk
About Liverpool on Merseyside

In the sixties Liverpool
Made its name
It went international
Well crucial
Admired at home and abroad
Everybody wanted to speak Scouse
Liverpool you're hard

Then the dread times came
And you lost your fame
Pressure hit Liverpool

Now checkout Toxteth my dwelling place
Can you believe your eyes
There are beautiful houses on elegant streets
I know you'll be surprised
Because the media paint a picture
Of the people in a negative light
They magnified the rundown places
And ignored the ones which are out of sight

So forget the ghetto mentality
Because we are not ghettoites
We are talented people
With a lot to give
The oldest Black community in Europe
And we're positive

Now I admit in Toxteth
That things they can get rough
But if you lived down here you would overstand
We just don't get enough
So we need the opportunity
To make a positive contribution
So we can feel good in this neighbourhood
And improve our situation

© Levi Tafari
April 1989

[john]

http://www.eighthundredlives.org.uk/lives/levitafari.aspx?JS=1'


http://www.eighthundredlives.org.uk/index.aspx

[Paul D]

I met Levi on Saturday, I have n't seen him for a while I told him that he was in the Scouser Hall of Fame on Yo Liverpool and was really pleased, he is going to pay the site a visit over the following week, unsure if he will sign up.

That would be amazing if he stuck around for a bit,that poem you've posted is excellent.

[lindylou]

He's great him,he's a credit to Liverpool.

Yes he is.