I recently read an article telling the story of Tony Kofi who, at the age of 16 years old, had an accident at work. As he fell from a great height he had a vision of himself playing a musical instrument despite never having learned to do so. The experience set him on a new path in life and eventually led to him becoming a highly-acclaimed saxophonist.
This story led me to consider the phenomenon of iconicism. How do certain people become a member of such an exclusive club- the cream of the crop, the top of the pyramid, the pick of the bunch? Queen Elizabeth 2 herself is said to be in her position by the grace of God. Does that mean Tony Kofi’s accident was an act of God- a divine intervention? Even though on a much smaller scale, Tony has developed a certain iconography represented by his recordings, compositions, and institutional presence. He has become part of the cultural narrative with a symbolic brand of his own.
When considering this story the word “prescience” came to mind. It is defined as “the supposed faculty of perceiving things or events in the future or beyond normal sensory contact”. I began to wonder whether through divine intervention or personal endeavour it is possible to disrupt the cultural narrative of the United Kingdom and the wider world. Is it possible to become “famous” through ambition, dedication, talent, and emulating our heroes alone or is the essence of an icon’s success written, to a certain degree, in the stars? Are some people simply “chosen” to be a conduit in life.
It can be argued that placing people on pedestals is unfair and that we somehow live in a world where there are people living comfortable lives as the centre of focus where others are living considerably harder lives on the periphery like they are somehow marginal or secondary. On the other hand you can argue that ladders are there to be climbed and that hard work will go a long way towards gaining success. But what of prescience? Can we second guess life itself? Predict what people will do in the future and try and ride a borrowed wave? Or, does the wave not belong to anyone, all of us instruments of the universe? Tony Kofi says he had a vision which led to a calling. Was he preselected or purely self-determined?
As a flower blooms after sustained growth so human life seems to grow and blossom. Artists, scientists, philosophers and other national treasures are constantly innovating and carrying out pioneering work. Did they sign a deal with life or merely stumble over their new-found renown?
In my opinion, one thing is for sure. Becoming an icon by definition implies consumers on the periphery. Nowadays, people are becoming famous purely based on the iconography they produce rather than trailblazing in a certain field.
The ingredients for fame are ever more available but people like Tony Kofi will continue to rise to the top. Given a chance, we should all be able to set our sights, whether prescient or not
I’m D.B.G (Dan Barnaby Goddard), a writer and recording artist based on Dartmoor in the West of the U.K. My songs are musical poems reflecting things I have seen and felt throughout my life and I’m always on the lookout for stories which reaffirm my trust in humanity and the human spirit.
In this Buzz column I seek out instances to fill in the spaces left by an increasingly corporate world, commenting on the unpredictable and heart warming gems which are created as the wheels of power keep turning round.
