The Voice of the Unheard
Hear now the voice of Ogadi, child of shadow and light, whose footsteps have traversed alleys of sorrow and plains of silence. Ogadi speaks for the unborn, the forsaken, and the children whose cries were never carried to the heavens. Across thirty songs, the lament of the abandoned rises, trembles, and turns into a heartbeat that will not be silenced.From the whispers of those lost before life to the footsteps of the orphan, the voiceless, the stolen—each verse carries the weight of grief yet hums with endurance. These are songs of sorrow and fire: fire that survives, fire that endures, fire that dances through darkness and summons hope.
African Rhythm, Wisdom, and Landscape
Steve Okey Onwuka’s poetry is profoundly African in form, sound, and vision. Through idiophones, chants, and singable choruses, the poems create a rhythm that invites the
reader into conversation with the continent itself. Trees breathe, rocks listen, night
whispers secrets—the natural and geographical world is personified, infused with life and
meaning, forming a living stage for Ogadi’s journey.
Every line is suffused with traditional African wisdom, drawing deep lessons from proverbs,
ancestral adages, and moral philosophy. The repetition of phrases, chants, and choruses
gives the poems a musicality that is both meditative and incantatory, echoing the ancient
African oral tradition.
These stylistic choices do not merely decorate the work; they anchor its philosophical and
emotional depth, making Songs of Ogadi richer, more layered, and uniquely powerful in
comparison to other anthologies before it.
A Continuum of African Storytelling
Songs of Ogadi is the poetic culmination of a trilogy:
- Africa: Vengeance of the Abandoned (prose)
- The Dialogue: The Vulnerable and the Desperate (drama)
- Songs of Ogadi (poetry)
Here, the anthology situates itself within the African oral, philosophical, and poetic
traditions, yet speaks to contemporary crises. Its cadence recalls incantatory rhythms,
proverbs’ moral gravitas, and mythic elasticity—yet it is alive with the urgency of today’s
Africa, asking readers to witness, reflect, and act.
About the Author
Steve Okey Onwuka is a distinguished diplomat, the pioneer Chief of Protocol at the
ECOWAS Commission, and a seasoned servant of the African cause. With an MBA in Global
Leadership and nearly two decades of frontline diplomacy, he combines practical statecraft
with literary mastery.
This anthology is part of a trilogy released for the author’s 60th birthday, alongside Africa:
Vengeance of the Abandoned and The Dialogue: The Vulnerable and the Desperate, each
interrogating Africa’s moral, social, and poetic landscapes.
Conclusion: A Poetic Mandate for Africa
Songs of Ogadi is not just poetry; it is a moral summons, philosophical meditation, and
hymn of resilience. Ogadi’s voice calls out to the forgotten children, but also to every reader
willing to confront the world’s inequalities and injustices.
With its musicality, rich idiophonic textures, and personification of landscape and natural
features, this anthology offers an extraordinary promise of fulfillment. It is impossible to
read without being moved, instructed, and inspired—an anthology that demands a place on
your shelf, and a place in your conscience.
“Tomorrow Africans… Hope is a bird with feathers made of sun, that circles schoolyard
roofs and open gates… If we keep faith and labour, brave and long, the childhood of Africa
grows ever strong.” — Steve Okey Onwuka
For inquiries and permissions: sonwuka@ecowas.int | www.steveokeyonwuka.org
