Theatre for change
By OZOLUA UHAKHEME 24/11/2010 00:00:00
If plays by renowned playwrights, such as the late Hubert Ogunde, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o and Prof. Wole Soyinka, could be used to effect social change in the 50s and 60s, theatre can also serve as a veritable tool to effect changes towards credible elections in 2011 and enthrone good governance. This was the thrust of a paper, Theatre and change: Credible elections for good governance, presented by the deputy dean, School of Visual and Performing Art, Kwara State University, Ilorin, Prof. Ahmed Yerima, at the convention of National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP) in Lagos.
The former artistic director of the National Troupe of Nigeria described this electioneering period as a threshold of the confrontation or collaboration between theatre and political change, noting that the political realities are good materials for great drama. He explained that theatre has been tried in the past in different forms, and it has helped to achieve change by educating and mobilising the society whose problems are reflected in the play as well as helped to point towards change by conscientising and demanding it for the society.
"Hubert Ogunde had used his play, Yoruba Ronu, to examine the ills of the developing Nigerian society of the 50s and 60s. In the play, Ogunde spoke directly to a cultural group in Nigeria, asking it to find identity for itself within the political reality of Nigeria. Wole Soyinka again leads in the act of using theatre to effect change. In his Before the Blackout series of sketches by his Orisun Theatre Company at Ibadan and Lagos in the 60s, and Guerrilla Theatre Unit at the then University of Ife, in the early 70s and 80s, Soyinka captured the immediacy of theatre as a weapon of change.
Employing the graphic use of historical, socio-political issues and music, with a good dose of iconoclastic wit, where the audience laughed at themselves being presented as character caricatures, Soyinka confronted the society with immediate problems, dissecting the ills, proffering solutions if need be, and forcing the audience to ponder and arrive at their own decisions on the state of he nation," Yerima said.
The Edo State-born theatre professor observed that for the genre to be potent, artists must understand the craft of skilfully turning theatre from a tool for entertainment and enjoyment into a weapon of social change. He added that artist must observe society, recognise the ills, and being to weave his plot so that the conflict of his play carries the message without making it too didactic. Beyond presenting both sides of a political discourse, Yerima stressed that questions on good governance must be presented by the artist in his play while the society must find a space to pause and think, and conclude on issues raised in the play.
Continuing, he said: "Electorate should be able to know that their votes should not be sold ton the highest bidder or should they allow themselves to be carried away by the promise of politicians. They should be made to know that they must properly analyse such promises before decisions on who to vote for are made. Questions such as is government ready for free and fair elections must be asked. The dramatic presentations must be direct, yet humorous, the language clear and the images and imageries recognisable."
According to the guest speaker, theatre as a tool for community development in the area of children’s theatre should be taken to the base community by practitioners and issues broken down into plots and scenario for professional actors, children actors to act out roles that will inform the audience on the need for good governance and credible elections.
He noted that the power of individual artist in terms of personality and fame to effect political change, should not be undermined citing the endorsement of TV hostess, Oprah Winfrey as the beginning of President Barrack Obama’s rise in the presidential election victory which changed the face of American politics and history.
He said in Nigeria, artists have started endorsing political candidates as political rallies are strewn with theatre artists singing and dancing for candidates. Reacting to President Goodluck Jonathan’s recent announcement of a 200million dollar incentive funds for the arts, Yerima asked: "Is this the much awaited endowment for the arts? How will these funds be distributed to all the genres of the arts? Or is it a political gimmick to win the votes of gullible, hungry, poor, stupid artists?
In his remark, NANTAP president, Gregory Odutayo noted that the association’s journey has been a tedious and long one but thanked God for getting this far. He said the convention would be used to drive the state chapters especia
lly in terms of membership, which has been in low ebb. "After this convention, we would have given the impetus to the association to move forward. Among Nigerians inseted as fellow of the association included governor of Nassarwa State, Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Idoma, minister of tourism, culture and national orientation, ALhaji Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed and Dejumo Lewis.
'Why Durbar was not part of Abuja Carnival'
OZOLUA UHAKHEME 03/12/2010 00:00:00
A Few hours to the commencement of the event, tourists started milling into the Royal Polo Ground at Asokoro in Abuja, venue of this year’s Abuja Carnival. By noon, security officials and ushers have taken position, controlling the increasing crowd to ensure safety of life and property. But unknown to most tourists, many who later left in frustration, the famous and colourful royal durbar, which is always a spectacle at the annual fiesta, would not hold. Reason: The participating durbar contingents from some of the Northern states (emirates) were unable to finance the cost of participation. Instead, the organisers of the Abuja Carnival opted for polo, an equally equestrian performance, which is also cheaper. Among the emirates expected at the Durbar were Borno, Nupe, Kano, Katsina and Zaria.
Reacting to questions on why durbar was not part of this year’s carnival, the Artistic director of Abuja Carnival, Prof. Bakare Ojo Rasaki said the participating emirates could not raise N140million to bring their horses to the carnival. He explained that it would also cost the emirates over two million naira to decorate each horse for the carnival.
According to Prof. Rasaki, the Abuja Carnival Committee cannot afford to give out such amount of money for durbar alone because there are lots of other pressing financial obligations to attend to. “We have always had the durbar. But this year, the emirates said it would cost them N140million to bring their horses to the carnival. And it would cost about three million naira to decorate one horse. Where will I get such money? I don’t even have that kind of money.
“But durbar and polo are both equestrian performances, so we decided to choose polo, which is cheaper,” he said. Polo, he added, was introduced into the carnival last year.
It was gathered that Durbar event in past editions of Abuja Carnival has always been funded by the central working committee as well as sponsors like Dangote and Stanbic IBTC Bank, which picked the bill in 2008. This year’s carnival may have suffered poor funding from the federal government. Beyond inadequate funding, the frequent changes in the composition of the central working committee of the Abuja Carnival may have affected its drive for sponsors as well as sustaining rapport with the emirates.
Speaking at the opening ceremony at the Eagle Square in Abuja on Saturday, President Goodluck Jonathan urged Nigerians to relate to the carnival and accept it as their own, noting that a nation that wants to be in the top 20 economies must also plan on how to move forward from there. “Abuja Carnival was not designed to be just another addition to the community of carnival. As a national carnival of the world’s largest Black nation, it can only be referred to as successful if it becomes one of the best, most visited and most colourful carnivals,” he said.
President Jonathan stressed that the carnival is a tourism product that Nigerians must ensure its sustainable development so as to attract the desired tourists into the country, thus making Nigeria a tourism destination with pride. Continuing, he aid: “It is important to emphasise the need for Nigerians to make pecuniary commitment to the carnival. In this respect, we expect the organised private sector to take greater role in its financing both as a matter of corporate social responsibility and as an investment. This is not just because the government alone cannot finance it, but that carnival, a tourism product is private driven all over the world.” The president who was represented by the minister of tourism, culture and national orientation, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed hoped that next year more companies would align with this national event to ensure its sustainability.
The annual festival featuring road shows, children’s poetry, dance and fashion show, masquerades’ display, food fair, cultural night and boat regatta attracted countries like Egypt and Canada. It ended yesterday, Tuesday.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Feasting in murky water,
Feasting in murky water
10/11/2010 00:00:00
Amid protests and controversies, Nasarawa State emerged overall winner of this year’s NAFEST, beating Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom states to second and third position. The traditional wrestling competition was allegedly marred by controversies as Ogun state contingent protested the verdict of the judges in its bouts with Bayelsa counterpart, reports OZOLUA UHAKHEME
Despite postponements, this year’s NAFEST could not hit the appreciable mark in terms of organisation and attendance of state contingents. Of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, only 23 contingents participated in the opening of the festival that ended last Sunday amidst controversies and logistic bottlenecks. Except for the Brass Band’s sterling performances, the opening ceremony was predictable.
The opening that was held on Tuesday at the Uyo Township Stadium did not commence until two hours after and the organisers resulted into ‘dragging’ different cultural groups from the hosting state to perform as fillers. These impromptu performances kept the audience occupied until Governor Godswill Akpabio who came in company of his wife emerged shortly after his deputy.
Accessing the entrances to the stadium, venue of the opening would have remained impossible but for the local organising committee’s efforts,(using caterpillar to constantly spread sharp sand on the murky water that forms pool everywhere).
Like the opening, the welcome performance by the host state did not hold till around 11pm when most guests have left the Ibom Hall, Uyo, which was equally flooded by water, especially the open lawn where state contingents were expected to mount their stands.
The media centre was not more than a room with few plastic chairs and tables and two computer sets, which were used mostly by NCAC staff. No internet services for journalists to send reports just as programme of event became scarce commodity for journalists. Not until Wednesday, a day after the official opening, most journalists couldn’t get the brochure. But for the poor state of venues, the competitive and non-competitive activities like traditional wrestling, food fair, traditional music, crafts and expo exhibition, creative design and the special projects comprising DVD screenings events would have been successful.
Up till Thursday, November 4, states were still constructing stands for the display of their exhibits because the venue was flooded.
Speaking at the opening, President Goodluck Jonathan charged the government at all levels including the private sector to explore the potential inherent in the culture sector for even socio-economic development. He said culture could be used to be to diversify the economy for sustainable wealth creation.
On the gains of the festival since its inception 40 years ago, Jonathan who was represented by Governor Akpabio maintained that NAFEST has done a lot in preserving Nigeria’s unity and described the years cultural event as a bedrock of wholesome development, adding that it is a wake up call for stakeholders to pay greater attention to the sector, as it could provide the needed solutions to the problem of unemployment and poverty in the country.
Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed, said the choice of Akwa Ibom as the host state for this year’s outing was predicated on the historical and cultural antecedents expressed in the flourishing cultural industries in the state. NAFEST, according to him, has evolved from its original concept of a tool for fostering national unity into a veritable instrument for economic development.
Mohammed noted that on assumption of office, he saw the need to repackage the culture and tourism sub-sector given its potential to lead the global economy in future.
He stressed that this year’s theme, Cultural Industries and Economic Empowerment, would be on audio visual presentation by the participating states to encourage global marketing of the sector.
Ogun State contingent that was awarded the most creative and innovative prize, allegedly petitioned the organisers of the festival, Mr. Mwajim Malgwi Maidugu-led National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), for being robbed of victory in the traditional wrestling competition between Ogun and Bayelsa states.
Literary festival first on my mind, by Amaechi
This year’s Garden City Literary Festival, which opens on December 8, will witness a historic meeting of two literary titans, Nobel laureates Prof. Wole Soyinka and J.M.G Le Clezio, the French writer who won 2008 Nobel Prize for Literature, reports Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME.
Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State said he never had a nightmare over security when he initiated the Garden City Literary Festival three years ago. He said the take-off of the literary festival, which has attracted giants, such as Nobel laureates Prof. Wole Soyinka, JP Clark and Kenyan literary icon, Ngugi Wa’ Thiong’o and Kofi Awoonor, as well as young writers, such as Sefi Atta and Igoni Barrett, was the only issue on his mind.
This year’s festival, billed for December 8 to 11, will witness a historic meeting of two Nobel laureates — Soyinka and J.M.G Le Clezio, the French writer who won the 2008 Nobel Prize for literature. Le Clézio, who is one of the special guest writers at the festival, has more than thirty literary works to his name, including short stories, essays, novels and children books.
He began writing at seven and his first novel was published when he was 23. He has received many prestigious awards, including the 2008 Nobel Prize for Literature. In 1991, he wrote the novel Onitsha, which was translated to English in 1997. Partly based on his childhood in Nigeria, the work recounts the journey made by a young European boy to the country. It tells the experiences of the boy, his family and the people they met in Nigeria.
Recounting what motivated him to initiate the festival, Amaechi explained that he wanted to use the annual literary festival as a forum for young writers to engage in critical issues.
He said: ‘It was to create that environment for more argument, for more creativity and to see where it will take us. It was also to create an environment where the young writer.”
Three years on, the festival has provided several opportunities for old and young writers to share ideas on writing skill and publishing challenges, among others.
He noted that he was moved by the size of the audience present at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) hall when Prof. Wole Soyinka was presenting his address during the second edition of the festival.
To him, the greatest fulfillment is using the forum to nurture a movement from culture of acquiring certificates to that of absorption of knowledge.
“In fact, that will be my greatest achievement. But to assess the impact of this, we really have to wait for some time. You can only measure my administration’s performance in education 20 years after I have left office. That will be when the quality of graduates from primary, secondary to tertiary levels will be measured,” he said in a chat with art editors in Port Harcourt.
Amaechi observed that after Chinua Achebe wrote the Man of People, which is a creation of post-independence politics, no Nigerian novel has ever made him laugh like Man of the People. He explained that the novel is one he could pick up and still read even though it is not a very radical piece. According to him, the novel belongs to the conservative school of thought which is incomparable to other Nigerian novels in terms of presenting a socialist view point.
“But, you can clearly say that it is a creation of the Nigerian politician of post-independence. If Achebe created the Anthills of the Savannah to present the picture of what the local government looks like in post-independence Nigerian politics, how many Nigerian writers are doing this?”
He expressed concern over the dearth of critics, saying: “I doubt if we have critics like the days of Yemi Ogunbiyi, Chidi Amuta and so on. There is a difference between critics and journalists who enjoy themselves in reporting literature. We have wonderful writers in the media and if you want to enjoy yourself you find many materials in the media. We used to celebrate critics when they came for conferences. I have gone to several conferences and I have not seen new critics being celebrated,” he added.
On the impact of the festival, he said the festival could not be used to measure the impact on literary growth in the state but that there is the need to up the creative efforts by making the tempo and gains worthwhile. He disclosed that if there are funds in the future, “we can think of Writers’ Forum where funds can be released to train people.”
Reacting to questions on plans to establish a Writers’ Village in the state, the governor said such proposal should come from Rainbow Books, manager of the festival, who must also come up with how to source the funds and the relevance of the village to the festival.
“But I have this mental picture of a Writers’ Village, a quiet environment. Can we find a quiet environment in Port Harcourt that is suitable for such? Port Harcourt is a very noisy place unlike Calabar,” he noted.
The festival will feature a book fair, photo exhibition (9ja@50), a collection of rare images of Nigeria at independence, workshop/master class, interaction, seminars, drama presentation of Love’s Unlike Lading by Femi Osofisan and A Feast of Return by Odia Ofeimun.
10/11/2010 00:00:00
Amid protests and controversies, Nasarawa State emerged overall winner of this year’s NAFEST, beating Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom states to second and third position. The traditional wrestling competition was allegedly marred by controversies as Ogun state contingent protested the verdict of the judges in its bouts with Bayelsa counterpart, reports OZOLUA UHAKHEME
Despite postponements, this year’s NAFEST could not hit the appreciable mark in terms of organisation and attendance of state contingents. Of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, only 23 contingents participated in the opening of the festival that ended last Sunday amidst controversies and logistic bottlenecks. Except for the Brass Band’s sterling performances, the opening ceremony was predictable.
The opening that was held on Tuesday at the Uyo Township Stadium did not commence until two hours after and the organisers resulted into ‘dragging’ different cultural groups from the hosting state to perform as fillers. These impromptu performances kept the audience occupied until Governor Godswill Akpabio who came in company of his wife emerged shortly after his deputy.
Accessing the entrances to the stadium, venue of the opening would have remained impossible but for the local organising committee’s efforts,(using caterpillar to constantly spread sharp sand on the murky water that forms pool everywhere).
Like the opening, the welcome performance by the host state did not hold till around 11pm when most guests have left the Ibom Hall, Uyo, which was equally flooded by water, especially the open lawn where state contingents were expected to mount their stands.
The media centre was not more than a room with few plastic chairs and tables and two computer sets, which were used mostly by NCAC staff. No internet services for journalists to send reports just as programme of event became scarce commodity for journalists. Not until Wednesday, a day after the official opening, most journalists couldn’t get the brochure. But for the poor state of venues, the competitive and non-competitive activities like traditional wrestling, food fair, traditional music, crafts and expo exhibition, creative design and the special projects comprising DVD screenings events would have been successful.
Up till Thursday, November 4, states were still constructing stands for the display of their exhibits because the venue was flooded.
Speaking at the opening, President Goodluck Jonathan charged the government at all levels including the private sector to explore the potential inherent in the culture sector for even socio-economic development. He said culture could be used to be to diversify the economy for sustainable wealth creation.
On the gains of the festival since its inception 40 years ago, Jonathan who was represented by Governor Akpabio maintained that NAFEST has done a lot in preserving Nigeria’s unity and described the years cultural event as a bedrock of wholesome development, adding that it is a wake up call for stakeholders to pay greater attention to the sector, as it could provide the needed solutions to the problem of unemployment and poverty in the country.
Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed, said the choice of Akwa Ibom as the host state for this year’s outing was predicated on the historical and cultural antecedents expressed in the flourishing cultural industries in the state. NAFEST, according to him, has evolved from its original concept of a tool for fostering national unity into a veritable instrument for economic development.
Mohammed noted that on assumption of office, he saw the need to repackage the culture and tourism sub-sector given its potential to lead the global economy in future.
He stressed that this year’s theme, Cultural Industries and Economic Empowerment, would be on audio visual presentation by the participating states to encourage global marketing of the sector.
Ogun State contingent that was awarded the most creative and innovative prize, allegedly petitioned the organisers of the festival, Mr. Mwajim Malgwi Maidugu-led National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), for being robbed of victory in the traditional wrestling competition between Ogun and Bayelsa states.
Literary festival first on my mind, by Amaechi
This year’s Garden City Literary Festival, which opens on December 8, will witness a historic meeting of two literary titans, Nobel laureates Prof. Wole Soyinka and J.M.G Le Clezio, the French writer who won 2008 Nobel Prize for Literature, reports Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME.
Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State said he never had a nightmare over security when he initiated the Garden City Literary Festival three years ago. He said the take-off of the literary festival, which has attracted giants, such as Nobel laureates Prof. Wole Soyinka, JP Clark and Kenyan literary icon, Ngugi Wa’ Thiong’o and Kofi Awoonor, as well as young writers, such as Sefi Atta and Igoni Barrett, was the only issue on his mind.
This year’s festival, billed for December 8 to 11, will witness a historic meeting of two Nobel laureates — Soyinka and J.M.G Le Clezio, the French writer who won the 2008 Nobel Prize for literature. Le Clézio, who is one of the special guest writers at the festival, has more than thirty literary works to his name, including short stories, essays, novels and children books.
He began writing at seven and his first novel was published when he was 23. He has received many prestigious awards, including the 2008 Nobel Prize for Literature. In 1991, he wrote the novel Onitsha, which was translated to English in 1997. Partly based on his childhood in Nigeria, the work recounts the journey made by a young European boy to the country. It tells the experiences of the boy, his family and the people they met in Nigeria.
Recounting what motivated him to initiate the festival, Amaechi explained that he wanted to use the annual literary festival as a forum for young writers to engage in critical issues.
He said: ‘It was to create that environment for more argument, for more creativity and to see where it will take us. It was also to create an environment where the young writer.”
Three years on, the festival has provided several opportunities for old and young writers to share ideas on writing skill and publishing challenges, among others.
He noted that he was moved by the size of the audience present at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) hall when Prof. Wole Soyinka was presenting his address during the second edition of the festival.
To him, the greatest fulfillment is using the forum to nurture a movement from culture of acquiring certificates to that of absorption of knowledge.
“In fact, that will be my greatest achievement. But to assess the impact of this, we really have to wait for some time. You can only measure my administration’s performance in education 20 years after I have left office. That will be when the quality of graduates from primary, secondary to tertiary levels will be measured,” he said in a chat with art editors in Port Harcourt.
Amaechi observed that after Chinua Achebe wrote the Man of People, which is a creation of post-independence politics, no Nigerian novel has ever made him laugh like Man of the People. He explained that the novel is one he could pick up and still read even though it is not a very radical piece. According to him, the novel belongs to the conservative school of thought which is incomparable to other Nigerian novels in terms of presenting a socialist view point.
“But, you can clearly say that it is a creation of the Nigerian politician of post-independence. If Achebe created the Anthills of the Savannah to present the picture of what the local government looks like in post-independence Nigerian politics, how many Nigerian writers are doing this?”
He expressed concern over the dearth of critics, saying: “I doubt if we have critics like the days of Yemi Ogunbiyi, Chidi Amuta and so on. There is a difference between critics and journalists who enjoy themselves in reporting literature. We have wonderful writers in the media and if you want to enjoy yourself you find many materials in the media. We used to celebrate critics when they came for conferences. I have gone to several conferences and I have not seen new critics being celebrated,” he added.
On the impact of the festival, he said the festival could not be used to measure the impact on literary growth in the state but that there is the need to up the creative efforts by making the tempo and gains worthwhile. He disclosed that if there are funds in the future, “we can think of Writers’ Forum where funds can be released to train people.”
Reacting to questions on plans to establish a Writers’ Village in the state, the governor said such proposal should come from Rainbow Books, manager of the festival, who must also come up with how to source the funds and the relevance of the village to the festival.
“But I have this mental picture of a Writers’ Village, a quiet environment. Can we find a quiet environment in Port Harcourt that is suitable for such? Port Harcourt is a very noisy place unlike Calabar,” he noted.
The festival will feature a book fair, photo exhibition (9ja@50), a collection of rare images of Nigeria at independence, workshop/master class, interaction, seminars, drama presentation of Love’s Unlike Lading by Femi Osofisan and A Feast of Return by Odia Ofeimun.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
SEASON OF NEW SONG
As many African nations commemorate their independence anniversaries across the continent, African scholars as well as the Diasporas gathered on the city of Abuja singing one song: time for second wave of Pan-Africanism that will lead to political and economic self-reliance, Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports.
African scholars on the continent and in Diaspora have renewed calls for rekindling the spirit of Pan Africanism that brought political self-reliance to the continent in the 50s. Leading the pack of discussants at an international conference organised by the Centre of Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), in collaboration with Pan African Strategic and Policy Research Group (PANAFSTRAG) in Abuja, was Ghanaian scholar and author Prof. Kwesi Kwaa Prah, who gave the keynote address on Global Africans, Pan-Africanism, Decolonization and Integration of Africa: Past, Present and Future.
Scholars and experts at the conference held in commemoration of Nigeria’s 50th independence anniversary rose from a four-day deliberation resolving that the place and role of Africa in the 21st century are inextricably linked to its culture. They however observed that Pan-Africanism has not been re-defined to recognize the ecological realities of the 21st century in order to advance the cause of global Africans in a globalizing age. But, in a ten-paragraph communiqué, the conference resolved that the peer-review mechanism of the African Union (AU) should be repositioned and strengthened to serve as a platform for the transformation of the African states through the active participation of the people as prelude to total integration of the continent and global Africa. It also stated that Pan-Africanism should look inwards in her search and fight for equality, justice, human dignity and integrity in order to confront racial differentiation, exploitation, domination, dependence and gross inequality.
It stressed that curriculum development at all levels of education in Africa be made functional, culturally relevant and purposefully designed to emphasise Pan Africanist vision/ideals. “There is the need for definitive Afrocentric language policy for Africans states because sustainable development can be achieved through indigenous languages… That to effectively grapple with the multi-farious problems facing Africa, NEPAD should be redefined, strengthened ad made independent. And that relevant agencies of government be re-awakened and re-positioned for the onerous task of preserving, conserving and documenting of Africa’s historical sits, monuments, and other rich intangible cultural heritage. These, no doubt, will boost tourism and facilitate integration of global Africa,” the statement added.
It also said that there should be the creation of a ministry of regional integration and cooperation by all member states of the AU, and such ministry should be adequately funded and run by credible experts. The communiqué, which urged African government and people to begin to use Pan Africanism as a functional instrument or mechanism to fight western ideas that Africa is the backyard of global development, stressed that African indigenous should be taught and spoken at home as way of decolonizing the mind and promoting values and norms embedded in the indigenous languages.
Earlier at the conference, Nigeria’s Tourism, Culture and National Orientation Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed said African continent is capable of overcoming its present socio-political problems using the Pan-African ideology, which is capable of reducing poverty, re-engineering social development and various mindless wars and conflicts that continue to plague the continent. He said if employed objectively, it would provide Africans the avenues for peace-building which could promote democratic governance and respect for human rights. He added that Pan Africanism could also aid the continent’s quest at fostering integration and seeking beneficial partnership with the industrialised world.
Mohammed, who lamented that Africa’s share of the world market and the values of its exports are comparable to an average European country and the budget of an average African country is equivalent to the budget of an average European city, stressed that Africa bears half of the burden of world’s misery. “Life expectancy is rapidly declining while infant mortality is on the increase. At the political level, we are developing and improving on culture of violence. The continent is a hot bed of frightening inter-state confrontations, civil wars and genocide. In our country, the culture of accountability and peaceful conflict resolution is gradually paving way for recklessness, impunity and violence. These are not the dreams and desires of our founding leaders. The situation therefore demands that we retrace our steps by revisiting the ideology that drives the struggle for independence,” he said.
The Executive Secretary of PANAFSTRAG, General Ishola Williams, (rtd) urged the participants to use the platform to design a plan of action for youths, women and elders in the launch of the second wave of Pan-Africanism in line with 21st century needs of Africans. To achieve this, he said Africans must drop their personal and organisational egos and forge one united front. He however regretted that the second wave of Pan-Africanism ought to have started in the 1950s for political independence, building economic self-reliance founded on African history, culture and language. He observed that it was not to be because Pan-Africanists and Pan-African organisations were each doing their own thing rather than coming together under the Pan- Africanism umbrella.
CBAAC director-general, Prof. Tunde Babawale observed that Pan Africanism has moved beyond the spirit that led to its emergence noting that it should be made to bear on contemporary issues of development and human advancement on the continent. He said that government should promulgate laws that would accentuate all of the aspects of Nigerian culture like music, fine art, fashion design among others.
“We must take pride in what belongs to us. Once we do that, we have enough to define our identity and to define our humanity as well as sell to outsiders to promote tourism within our different countries.
On the economic benefits of Pan Africanism and if it can be sold at this time and age, Babawale said: “Yes, it can be sold. In the world now everything is about all disciplines working together, to embrace politics, social and economic. So, in discussing Pan Africanism and making it relevant, it must go beyond the political. It was true the late Kwame Nkrumah said seek ye first the political kingdom, and all others would be added onto it. But we have since realized now that you have to seek the economic kingdom because the political kingdom that we sought and we forgot the economic kingdom. Both of them have to go hand in hand.
“We must use the theory of Pan Africanism to develop the Pan African consciousness of the people and make them develop pride in who they are, and accept the way they were crated. If as a human being you feel you are not as handsome or beautiful as you should be, you remain perpetually distressed for life because you cant change your being.”
The four-day conference, which featured some African scholars on the continent and the Diaspora, among others examined how African leaders can launch the second wave of Pan Africanism that would lead to political and economic self-reliance.
The colloquium that attracted over 63 papers from scholars in Africa and the Diasporas was not all about speech making as a photo exhibition on living and dead Pan Africanists as well as some landmark heritage sites in the continent was mounted at the entrance of the executive hall of the conference centre. The exhibits included vintage photographs of the late Jamaican activist, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Kenneth Kaunda, Julius Nyerere, Walter Carrington, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Wole Soyinka, Prof. Grace Alele-Williams, Barrack Obama, Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya, Mariam Makeba, Martin Luther King and Chinua Achebe. Also complementing this were exhibits put on display by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments.
African scholars on the continent and in Diaspora have renewed calls for rekindling the spirit of Pan Africanism that brought political self-reliance to the continent in the 50s. Leading the pack of discussants at an international conference organised by the Centre of Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), in collaboration with Pan African Strategic and Policy Research Group (PANAFSTRAG) in Abuja, was Ghanaian scholar and author Prof. Kwesi Kwaa Prah, who gave the keynote address on Global Africans, Pan-Africanism, Decolonization and Integration of Africa: Past, Present and Future.
Scholars and experts at the conference held in commemoration of Nigeria’s 50th independence anniversary rose from a four-day deliberation resolving that the place and role of Africa in the 21st century are inextricably linked to its culture. They however observed that Pan-Africanism has not been re-defined to recognize the ecological realities of the 21st century in order to advance the cause of global Africans in a globalizing age. But, in a ten-paragraph communiqué, the conference resolved that the peer-review mechanism of the African Union (AU) should be repositioned and strengthened to serve as a platform for the transformation of the African states through the active participation of the people as prelude to total integration of the continent and global Africa. It also stated that Pan-Africanism should look inwards in her search and fight for equality, justice, human dignity and integrity in order to confront racial differentiation, exploitation, domination, dependence and gross inequality.
It stressed that curriculum development at all levels of education in Africa be made functional, culturally relevant and purposefully designed to emphasise Pan Africanist vision/ideals. “There is the need for definitive Afrocentric language policy for Africans states because sustainable development can be achieved through indigenous languages… That to effectively grapple with the multi-farious problems facing Africa, NEPAD should be redefined, strengthened ad made independent. And that relevant agencies of government be re-awakened and re-positioned for the onerous task of preserving, conserving and documenting of Africa’s historical sits, monuments, and other rich intangible cultural heritage. These, no doubt, will boost tourism and facilitate integration of global Africa,” the statement added.
It also said that there should be the creation of a ministry of regional integration and cooperation by all member states of the AU, and such ministry should be adequately funded and run by credible experts. The communiqué, which urged African government and people to begin to use Pan Africanism as a functional instrument or mechanism to fight western ideas that Africa is the backyard of global development, stressed that African indigenous should be taught and spoken at home as way of decolonizing the mind and promoting values and norms embedded in the indigenous languages.
Earlier at the conference, Nigeria’s Tourism, Culture and National Orientation Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed said African continent is capable of overcoming its present socio-political problems using the Pan-African ideology, which is capable of reducing poverty, re-engineering social development and various mindless wars and conflicts that continue to plague the continent. He said if employed objectively, it would provide Africans the avenues for peace-building which could promote democratic governance and respect for human rights. He added that Pan Africanism could also aid the continent’s quest at fostering integration and seeking beneficial partnership with the industrialised world.
Mohammed, who lamented that Africa’s share of the world market and the values of its exports are comparable to an average European country and the budget of an average African country is equivalent to the budget of an average European city, stressed that Africa bears half of the burden of world’s misery. “Life expectancy is rapidly declining while infant mortality is on the increase. At the political level, we are developing and improving on culture of violence. The continent is a hot bed of frightening inter-state confrontations, civil wars and genocide. In our country, the culture of accountability and peaceful conflict resolution is gradually paving way for recklessness, impunity and violence. These are not the dreams and desires of our founding leaders. The situation therefore demands that we retrace our steps by revisiting the ideology that drives the struggle for independence,” he said.
The Executive Secretary of PANAFSTRAG, General Ishola Williams, (rtd) urged the participants to use the platform to design a plan of action for youths, women and elders in the launch of the second wave of Pan-Africanism in line with 21st century needs of Africans. To achieve this, he said Africans must drop their personal and organisational egos and forge one united front. He however regretted that the second wave of Pan-Africanism ought to have started in the 1950s for political independence, building economic self-reliance founded on African history, culture and language. He observed that it was not to be because Pan-Africanists and Pan-African organisations were each doing their own thing rather than coming together under the Pan- Africanism umbrella.
CBAAC director-general, Prof. Tunde Babawale observed that Pan Africanism has moved beyond the spirit that led to its emergence noting that it should be made to bear on contemporary issues of development and human advancement on the continent. He said that government should promulgate laws that would accentuate all of the aspects of Nigerian culture like music, fine art, fashion design among others.
“We must take pride in what belongs to us. Once we do that, we have enough to define our identity and to define our humanity as well as sell to outsiders to promote tourism within our different countries.
On the economic benefits of Pan Africanism and if it can be sold at this time and age, Babawale said: “Yes, it can be sold. In the world now everything is about all disciplines working together, to embrace politics, social and economic. So, in discussing Pan Africanism and making it relevant, it must go beyond the political. It was true the late Kwame Nkrumah said seek ye first the political kingdom, and all others would be added onto it. But we have since realized now that you have to seek the economic kingdom because the political kingdom that we sought and we forgot the economic kingdom. Both of them have to go hand in hand.
“We must use the theory of Pan Africanism to develop the Pan African consciousness of the people and make them develop pride in who they are, and accept the way they were crated. If as a human being you feel you are not as handsome or beautiful as you should be, you remain perpetually distressed for life because you cant change your being.”
The four-day conference, which featured some African scholars on the continent and the Diaspora, among others examined how African leaders can launch the second wave of Pan Africanism that would lead to political and economic self-reliance.
The colloquium that attracted over 63 papers from scholars in Africa and the Diasporas was not all about speech making as a photo exhibition on living and dead Pan Africanists as well as some landmark heritage sites in the continent was mounted at the entrance of the executive hall of the conference centre. The exhibits included vintage photographs of the late Jamaican activist, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Kenneth Kaunda, Julius Nyerere, Walter Carrington, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Wole Soyinka, Prof. Grace Alele-Williams, Barrack Obama, Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya, Mariam Makeba, Martin Luther King and Chinua Achebe. Also complementing this were exhibits put on display by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments.
Fresh lift for artists, art journalists
As part of educational programmes of the international art expo Nigeria, series of lectures and workshop were organised during the duration of the expo in Lagos. Some select art writers were at a workshop to shore up the quality of reporting. Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME who participated in the events at the National Museum, Lagos, reports.
There was no better way to round off this year’s international art expo Nigeria organised by National Gallery of Art in collaboration with Art Galleries Association of Nigeria, than the presentation of two key papers last Saturday in Lagos on the rights of visual artists and rule of law as well as artist-gallery partnership. Art Barn, (Richmond Ogolo’s booth at the expo hall), venue of the lecture, could not take all the participants who later stretched to Nkem Gallery’s booth opposite Art Barn.
Curator of the expo and acting director of Research and Education, National Gallery of Art, Mr. Simon Ikpakronyi set the tone for the lecture with a brief review of the expo giving detail facts and figures on the total exhibits on display, the medium of expression, the content of the brochure in terms of images among others.
The Southwest regional coordinator of Department for International Development (DFID), of the British High Commission, Mr. Shina Fagbenro-Byron, a lawyer and musician, spoke on Plagiarism: The legal position, while founder of ArtBakery, Douala, Cameroon, Mr. Goddy Leye talked on Artist-Gallery partnership.
Expectedly, both papers touched on very significant aspects of every artist practice ranging from copyright to plagiarism, inspiration versus imitation, consequences of abuse and remedies. Also highlighted at the lecture were factors like, market, value shifts in art market, production spheres, the middle men and consumer that influence artist-gallery relationship. Given the size of participants and the attendant issues raised at the lecture/closing ceremony, this year’s expo made a significant improvement in the area of education and awareness of promotion of art.
Earlier on Tuesday, the international art expo opened a fresh window for an effective media appreciation and coverage of visual arts sector with a workshop on art journalists at the National Museum, Onikan Lagos penultimate Tuesday. The workshop featured Dr. Kunle Filani, Kryzd Ikwuemesi, Prof. Tonie Okpe and Simon Ikpakronyi as guest speakers.
The workshop was held to afford art journalists in visual art the opportunity of updating their knowledge on the various basic terms and vocabularies of the genre with which to improve their skill of art reporting and critiquing. Beyond providing participants, especially art writers with fresh registers in lifting arts reporting, the guest speakers highlighted diverse issues ranging from destructive or negative approach to critiquing, artists’ attitude to criticism, steps and factors in art critique, style and technique. However, there was confusion in the application and interpretation of criticism to mean critique during the presentations.
Ikpakronyi who spoke on Art Criticism And People’s Opinion, described art criticism as a medium for analyzing, discussing, interpreting and elucidating on art work noting that it is also a vehicle for increasing access to art, presenting art works to people who otherwise might not see it. “It is a way of bridging the gap between artists and the people. The role of art criticism therefore, is to create a supportive environment for art in the society. Art criticism is a presentation of supposedly informed opinion about what is right or wrong about an artistic effort, but this must be done objectively, as much as humanly possible. And as earlier stated, criticism f art work is popularly done after visits to exhibitions and artists’ studios,” he said.
He noted that art criticism is a controversial enterprise from which disputes sometimes arise about the purpose and nature of the judgment made by the art critic, and the nature and propriety of what it is that art critics had discussed.
Ikwuemesi who spoke on Beyond Monologue: personal notes on the critique and Hermeneutics of art, suggested that for adequate interpretation of art, the hermeneutics approach should be adopted by art journalists, saying it ‘would seek an understanding of the obvious and hidden meanings in art through a constructive deconstruction of its tonal, formal, or conceptual architecture.’ He explained that the critique of art requires four steps, namely; description, analysis, interpretation and judgment.
On the Nigerian reality, Ikwuemesi observed that the business of art criticism in the country is yet to match the practical activities in the art sector, noting that the antidote could be found in greater interaction between artists and critics. He also added that Nigerian art institutions do not offer art criticism or critical theory as a core area of study, saying art historians often arrogate to themselves the critical ability. “But the truth is also that artists in these part of the clime do not like criticism and some critics prefer to be sky dwellers occasionally touching down to trumpet the praise of some over-celebrated artists, rather than discovering and making new talents…But we must concede that the contribution of journalists to the art debate in Nigeria has come a long way and ought to represent more than a meal ticket so that it can become meaningful to the practitioners, artists and researchers,” Ikwuemesi said.
Prof. Tonie Okpe’s slide presentation on Installation and performance art: A single platform co-existence agenda was an interrogation of the two art forms as a possible and healthy agenda for contemporary art practice in the country. He stressed that art/theatre debates are much less compelling now, as art practice and criticism have moved beyond traditional definitions and boundaries of experience and research. He added that performance itself has become central to an understanding of contemporary culture beyond its aesthetic connotations.
He showed several installations and performance art by some artists including UK based Nigerian artist, Yinka Shonibare’s recent and old works as images to explain the relationship between the two forms of art and their possible co-existence. However, some artists expressed reservation on nude images in Okpe’s presentation while stressing that ‘Nigerian artists should not be stampeded into creating such weird works of installation.’ Former chairman, Society of Nigerian Artists, Lagos chapter, Mr. Olu Ajayi who said he would refuse to be confused by the kind works of the west, urged Nigerian artists to believe in their choice of media and do what please them and not the west. He however wondered why expo, like most exhibitions, does not enjoy the presence of serious issue based paintings that dwell on everyday happenings in the society.
If the lecture series were very rewarding to the artists and art critics, most of the 635 exhibits on display at the expo might not have turned the heads of many enthusiasts and collectors. Though there were quite a number of mixed media works, but the content of the dominant medium, painting, still reflects the old and regular theme and content. Apart from a few like Emmanuel Inua’s mixed media on president Goodluck Jonathan and political landscape, and Askihia Rodney’s giant size mat made of chips from abandoned Dunlop slippers displayed by TribesArt Gallery, the collection tells same story.
Again, of the 635 pieces of works exhibited, photography accounted for six at a period the medium is being given priority among plastic art forms. It also shows the level of appreciation of that medium, especially among gallery owners.
This year’s brochure is an improvement of past editions especially the French translation. The translation is a wise decision if the dream to market the event to other countries will be realised especially across to French speaking West African countries. But the size of the brochure is fast becoming a burden of a sort to users and as such it should be trimmed to a user friendly size. Unfortunately, the organizers of the expo never tapped into this volume (246 pages) to attract advertisers.
The changing of the expo to read international is unnecessary except there is an agenda yet behind that. The mission statement of the expo, the scope of the event, its market strategies, size of participants (to include non-Nigerian artists), and packaging are what will shape the expo to be international. After all, other similar arts fests (Documenta, Dakar biennale, Venice biennale, Art Expo New York) across the globe do not carry the tag of international to be attractive to the world. Already, if Benin and Togo artists participated in the expo, how else does an event go international?
Despite all the numerous short-comings at the expo, the organisers offered an ideal ambience by providing air-conditioned expo hall unlike past editions when heat was a constant threat to viewers’ long stay in the hall.
There was no better way to round off this year’s international art expo Nigeria organised by National Gallery of Art in collaboration with Art Galleries Association of Nigeria, than the presentation of two key papers last Saturday in Lagos on the rights of visual artists and rule of law as well as artist-gallery partnership. Art Barn, (Richmond Ogolo’s booth at the expo hall), venue of the lecture, could not take all the participants who later stretched to Nkem Gallery’s booth opposite Art Barn.
Curator of the expo and acting director of Research and Education, National Gallery of Art, Mr. Simon Ikpakronyi set the tone for the lecture with a brief review of the expo giving detail facts and figures on the total exhibits on display, the medium of expression, the content of the brochure in terms of images among others.
The Southwest regional coordinator of Department for International Development (DFID), of the British High Commission, Mr. Shina Fagbenro-Byron, a lawyer and musician, spoke on Plagiarism: The legal position, while founder of ArtBakery, Douala, Cameroon, Mr. Goddy Leye talked on Artist-Gallery partnership.
Expectedly, both papers touched on very significant aspects of every artist practice ranging from copyright to plagiarism, inspiration versus imitation, consequences of abuse and remedies. Also highlighted at the lecture were factors like, market, value shifts in art market, production spheres, the middle men and consumer that influence artist-gallery relationship. Given the size of participants and the attendant issues raised at the lecture/closing ceremony, this year’s expo made a significant improvement in the area of education and awareness of promotion of art.
Earlier on Tuesday, the international art expo opened a fresh window for an effective media appreciation and coverage of visual arts sector with a workshop on art journalists at the National Museum, Onikan Lagos penultimate Tuesday. The workshop featured Dr. Kunle Filani, Kryzd Ikwuemesi, Prof. Tonie Okpe and Simon Ikpakronyi as guest speakers.
The workshop was held to afford art journalists in visual art the opportunity of updating their knowledge on the various basic terms and vocabularies of the genre with which to improve their skill of art reporting and critiquing. Beyond providing participants, especially art writers with fresh registers in lifting arts reporting, the guest speakers highlighted diverse issues ranging from destructive or negative approach to critiquing, artists’ attitude to criticism, steps and factors in art critique, style and technique. However, there was confusion in the application and interpretation of criticism to mean critique during the presentations.
Ikpakronyi who spoke on Art Criticism And People’s Opinion, described art criticism as a medium for analyzing, discussing, interpreting and elucidating on art work noting that it is also a vehicle for increasing access to art, presenting art works to people who otherwise might not see it. “It is a way of bridging the gap between artists and the people. The role of art criticism therefore, is to create a supportive environment for art in the society. Art criticism is a presentation of supposedly informed opinion about what is right or wrong about an artistic effort, but this must be done objectively, as much as humanly possible. And as earlier stated, criticism f art work is popularly done after visits to exhibitions and artists’ studios,” he said.
He noted that art criticism is a controversial enterprise from which disputes sometimes arise about the purpose and nature of the judgment made by the art critic, and the nature and propriety of what it is that art critics had discussed.
Ikwuemesi who spoke on Beyond Monologue: personal notes on the critique and Hermeneutics of art, suggested that for adequate interpretation of art, the hermeneutics approach should be adopted by art journalists, saying it ‘would seek an understanding of the obvious and hidden meanings in art through a constructive deconstruction of its tonal, formal, or conceptual architecture.’ He explained that the critique of art requires four steps, namely; description, analysis, interpretation and judgment.
On the Nigerian reality, Ikwuemesi observed that the business of art criticism in the country is yet to match the practical activities in the art sector, noting that the antidote could be found in greater interaction between artists and critics. He also added that Nigerian art institutions do not offer art criticism or critical theory as a core area of study, saying art historians often arrogate to themselves the critical ability. “But the truth is also that artists in these part of the clime do not like criticism and some critics prefer to be sky dwellers occasionally touching down to trumpet the praise of some over-celebrated artists, rather than discovering and making new talents…But we must concede that the contribution of journalists to the art debate in Nigeria has come a long way and ought to represent more than a meal ticket so that it can become meaningful to the practitioners, artists and researchers,” Ikwuemesi said.
Prof. Tonie Okpe’s slide presentation on Installation and performance art: A single platform co-existence agenda was an interrogation of the two art forms as a possible and healthy agenda for contemporary art practice in the country. He stressed that art/theatre debates are much less compelling now, as art practice and criticism have moved beyond traditional definitions and boundaries of experience and research. He added that performance itself has become central to an understanding of contemporary culture beyond its aesthetic connotations.
He showed several installations and performance art by some artists including UK based Nigerian artist, Yinka Shonibare’s recent and old works as images to explain the relationship between the two forms of art and their possible co-existence. However, some artists expressed reservation on nude images in Okpe’s presentation while stressing that ‘Nigerian artists should not be stampeded into creating such weird works of installation.’ Former chairman, Society of Nigerian Artists, Lagos chapter, Mr. Olu Ajayi who said he would refuse to be confused by the kind works of the west, urged Nigerian artists to believe in their choice of media and do what please them and not the west. He however wondered why expo, like most exhibitions, does not enjoy the presence of serious issue based paintings that dwell on everyday happenings in the society.
If the lecture series were very rewarding to the artists and art critics, most of the 635 exhibits on display at the expo might not have turned the heads of many enthusiasts and collectors. Though there were quite a number of mixed media works, but the content of the dominant medium, painting, still reflects the old and regular theme and content. Apart from a few like Emmanuel Inua’s mixed media on president Goodluck Jonathan and political landscape, and Askihia Rodney’s giant size mat made of chips from abandoned Dunlop slippers displayed by TribesArt Gallery, the collection tells same story.
Again, of the 635 pieces of works exhibited, photography accounted for six at a period the medium is being given priority among plastic art forms. It also shows the level of appreciation of that medium, especially among gallery owners.
This year’s brochure is an improvement of past editions especially the French translation. The translation is a wise decision if the dream to market the event to other countries will be realised especially across to French speaking West African countries. But the size of the brochure is fast becoming a burden of a sort to users and as such it should be trimmed to a user friendly size. Unfortunately, the organizers of the expo never tapped into this volume (246 pages) to attract advertisers.
The changing of the expo to read international is unnecessary except there is an agenda yet behind that. The mission statement of the expo, the scope of the event, its market strategies, size of participants (to include non-Nigerian artists), and packaging are what will shape the expo to be international. After all, other similar arts fests (Documenta, Dakar biennale, Venice biennale, Art Expo New York) across the globe do not carry the tag of international to be attractive to the world. Already, if Benin and Togo artists participated in the expo, how else does an event go international?
Despite all the numerous short-comings at the expo, the organisers offered an ideal ambience by providing air-conditioned expo hall unlike past editions when heat was a constant threat to viewers’ long stay in the hall.
WHY IT TOOK ME 50 YEARS TO ATTEMPT TRANSALTING IGBO OlODUMARE, by Soyinka
By Ozolua Uhakheme
Assistant Editor (Arts)
But for the thunderous ovation that kept interrupting his speech at intervals, the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka took effective control of his audience at the capacity filled hall. In his usual characteristics, Soyinka literarily dissected the relationship between politics and art using current and distant happenings in the society to explain the correlations between several factors that shape the actions and inactions of political leaders in modern day Nigerian state.
Worried by the increasing state of insecurity in the nation’s politics, the laureate wondered if the late D.O Fagunwa’s protagonists in his book, Ogboju Ode Ninu Igbo Irunmole, (Forest of a thousand demons), would not find themselves more at home in today’s Nigeria than in the forest of animal violence. He said considering the goings on today, there are correlations in Fagunwa’s work, which further prompted the question of which is the jungle and which is the human habitation?
Soyinka spoke on Culture and the challenges of development in Nigeria as guest speaker at the international conference on culture, organised by Ondo State Ministry of Culture and Tourism, last Thursday at Akure, the state capital.
“The question one is compel to ask from time to time is whether or not Fagunwa’s protagonists such as Akaraogun and Olowoaiye would not find themselves more at home in today’s supposedly developed and modernised Nigerian cities than in the forest of animal violence and embodiment of various forms of evils with which Fagunwa sought to reveal to his readers.
Yet, he is still a modicum of morality, decency, rationale dealing, selfishness and even a sense of fruitful progression. In other words, looking at society today, one sees such correlations with Fagunwa’s fantasy world, and one is moved sometimes to ask: Which is the jungle? And which is the human habitation?
He said as one who roams the forest, cocooned therapeutically in the tranquility and order of nature, its intrinsic laws and logic of development, he was also moved to ask: Which one signifies civilisation and the state of barbaric of the most dispiriting setting? He stressed that certainly, in the forest, any resemblance of a blackout is a mere manifestation of the diurnal order of phenomenon; predictable because night follows day, and on a guaranteed duration. He noted that it is neither a sudden failure of solar power that lets the yams rot in the ground or withers the vegetable and fruits nor a sudden surge of same energy that incinerates anthills, computer and fridge in the home.
On art and morality in the culture of politics, he observed that politics itself has a culture that could be nurtured. Acknowledging the timing of the conference, which coincided with the flagging off of general electioneering, Soyinka said the conference dragged in its wake the perennial question of will there be a cultured election or an uncooked one? And that ‘how much maim will be let loose?’ He noted that something cultured and humanistic appears to be lost along the way, and that a new anti-culture of jungle politics is fast becoming the national norm, where unspeakable bestialities are committed for desperate aspiration or self consolidation. The nation, he said, is being brain-washed into an understanding of politics as an uncultured event as the survival of the richest and triumph of the beastly.
“It was as if Fagunwa has been eavesdropping 50 years into the future on several conversations I have over heard during the past decade. And this has contributed to the general sense of be wilderment and depression,” the speaker said.
On how fiction sometime rises to fact and how act sometime overtakes reality, especially as an insightful exploration of the psyche and conduct of humanity, he cited Fagunwa’s most popular work, Ogboju Ode Ninu Igborumole, which he translated nearly 50 years ago as Forest of Thousand Demons. He said he resolved to translate all of Fagunwa’s novels in order to make them accessible to non-Yoruba readers, but that Fagunwa is not an easy writer to translate, which was why it has taken him nearly 50 years to translate another of Fagunwa’s works.
He said: “After the rigorous experience of struggling through Ogboju Ode, I realized that I better attend to my own writing at least for some time before attempting to tackle another product from master of Yoruba language. And of course, I read nearly all of Fagunwa’s books as a young man. I find myself in good company when I still see find Ogboju Ode, the truest expression of Fagunwa’s creative originality and inspiration. Some of his other works are far too preachy overloaded with morals. Fagunwa was a product of a remarkable phase in African socio-cultural transformation.”
The advantage that art and culture have over life, he said, is that in addition to being expository, they are prescriptive and offer models of alternatives. “It offers itself as a metaphor. Art, in the broad sense including the act of performance, which is closest to politics, as politics is an act of performance especially when pursued in a socialized or human experience not as a do-or-die affair,” he added.
Governor Segun Mimiko noted that Nigeria would only have good governance when there is mass participation, transparency and accountability, stressing that ‘we must create our own Nigeria in Ondo State as development would not come as holistic nation. We must recreate hard work as part of our culture, which we are doing in Ondo State.’ Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Tola Wewe said it is the hope of the state that the conference would produce a policy document on culture and tourism development in the state, provide proactive strategies for greater involvement of women and youth in cultural activities, underscore the distinctions between culture and religion among others.
The conference that featured over 20 papers resolved that cultured politics and democratic ethos are achievable through mass participation, transparency and accountability. The ten-paragraph communiqué said
*that electorate must be prepared to defend their votes as this is a sure way to curb election rigging;
*that the Ondo State philosophical mantra of Ise lgun ise, must be reinforced by government, mass media as part of the people’s culture in order to dislodge the ‘get-rich-quick’ syndrome;
*that the state should reduce its activities on religion and place more premiums on cultural rejuvenation;
*that schools curricular at various levels should be reviewed and developed to include functional cultural education as a tool for national development among other resolutions. The two-day event was rounded off with a musical performance by Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 Band on Friday night at Adegbemile hall, Akure.
Assistant Editor (Arts)
But for the thunderous ovation that kept interrupting his speech at intervals, the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka took effective control of his audience at the capacity filled hall. In his usual characteristics, Soyinka literarily dissected the relationship between politics and art using current and distant happenings in the society to explain the correlations between several factors that shape the actions and inactions of political leaders in modern day Nigerian state.
Worried by the increasing state of insecurity in the nation’s politics, the laureate wondered if the late D.O Fagunwa’s protagonists in his book, Ogboju Ode Ninu Igbo Irunmole, (Forest of a thousand demons), would not find themselves more at home in today’s Nigeria than in the forest of animal violence. He said considering the goings on today, there are correlations in Fagunwa’s work, which further prompted the question of which is the jungle and which is the human habitation?
Soyinka spoke on Culture and the challenges of development in Nigeria as guest speaker at the international conference on culture, organised by Ondo State Ministry of Culture and Tourism, last Thursday at Akure, the state capital.
“The question one is compel to ask from time to time is whether or not Fagunwa’s protagonists such as Akaraogun and Olowoaiye would not find themselves more at home in today’s supposedly developed and modernised Nigerian cities than in the forest of animal violence and embodiment of various forms of evils with which Fagunwa sought to reveal to his readers.
Yet, he is still a modicum of morality, decency, rationale dealing, selfishness and even a sense of fruitful progression. In other words, looking at society today, one sees such correlations with Fagunwa’s fantasy world, and one is moved sometimes to ask: Which is the jungle? And which is the human habitation?
He said as one who roams the forest, cocooned therapeutically in the tranquility and order of nature, its intrinsic laws and logic of development, he was also moved to ask: Which one signifies civilisation and the state of barbaric of the most dispiriting setting? He stressed that certainly, in the forest, any resemblance of a blackout is a mere manifestation of the diurnal order of phenomenon; predictable because night follows day, and on a guaranteed duration. He noted that it is neither a sudden failure of solar power that lets the yams rot in the ground or withers the vegetable and fruits nor a sudden surge of same energy that incinerates anthills, computer and fridge in the home.
On art and morality in the culture of politics, he observed that politics itself has a culture that could be nurtured. Acknowledging the timing of the conference, which coincided with the flagging off of general electioneering, Soyinka said the conference dragged in its wake the perennial question of will there be a cultured election or an uncooked one? And that ‘how much maim will be let loose?’ He noted that something cultured and humanistic appears to be lost along the way, and that a new anti-culture of jungle politics is fast becoming the national norm, where unspeakable bestialities are committed for desperate aspiration or self consolidation. The nation, he said, is being brain-washed into an understanding of politics as an uncultured event as the survival of the richest and triumph of the beastly.
“It was as if Fagunwa has been eavesdropping 50 years into the future on several conversations I have over heard during the past decade. And this has contributed to the general sense of be wilderment and depression,” the speaker said.
On how fiction sometime rises to fact and how act sometime overtakes reality, especially as an insightful exploration of the psyche and conduct of humanity, he cited Fagunwa’s most popular work, Ogboju Ode Ninu Igborumole, which he translated nearly 50 years ago as Forest of Thousand Demons. He said he resolved to translate all of Fagunwa’s novels in order to make them accessible to non-Yoruba readers, but that Fagunwa is not an easy writer to translate, which was why it has taken him nearly 50 years to translate another of Fagunwa’s works.
He said: “After the rigorous experience of struggling through Ogboju Ode, I realized that I better attend to my own writing at least for some time before attempting to tackle another product from master of Yoruba language. And of course, I read nearly all of Fagunwa’s books as a young man. I find myself in good company when I still see find Ogboju Ode, the truest expression of Fagunwa’s creative originality and inspiration. Some of his other works are far too preachy overloaded with morals. Fagunwa was a product of a remarkable phase in African socio-cultural transformation.”
The advantage that art and culture have over life, he said, is that in addition to being expository, they are prescriptive and offer models of alternatives. “It offers itself as a metaphor. Art, in the broad sense including the act of performance, which is closest to politics, as politics is an act of performance especially when pursued in a socialized or human experience not as a do-or-die affair,” he added.
Governor Segun Mimiko noted that Nigeria would only have good governance when there is mass participation, transparency and accountability, stressing that ‘we must create our own Nigeria in Ondo State as development would not come as holistic nation. We must recreate hard work as part of our culture, which we are doing in Ondo State.’ Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Tola Wewe said it is the hope of the state that the conference would produce a policy document on culture and tourism development in the state, provide proactive strategies for greater involvement of women and youth in cultural activities, underscore the distinctions between culture and religion among others.
The conference that featured over 20 papers resolved that cultured politics and democratic ethos are achievable through mass participation, transparency and accountability. The ten-paragraph communiqué said
*that electorate must be prepared to defend their votes as this is a sure way to curb election rigging;
*that the Ondo State philosophical mantra of Ise lgun ise, must be reinforced by government, mass media as part of the people’s culture in order to dislodge the ‘get-rich-quick’ syndrome;
*that the state should reduce its activities on religion and place more premiums on cultural rejuvenation;
*that schools curricular at various levels should be reviewed and developed to include functional cultural education as a tool for national development among other resolutions. The two-day event was rounded off with a musical performance by Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 Band on Friday night at Adegbemile hall, Akure.
WHEN MUSIC GIANTS GATHER FOR FESTIVAL 50
No fewer than 20 Nigerian and Ghanaian music giants will be on parade at the Golden Tunes Concert at the Lagos City Hall, Lagos on October 16 to commemorate Nigeria’s 50th independence anniversary and revive highlife music. Assistant Editor (Arts) Ozolua Uhakheme reports.
Fifty years ago, veteran musician and highlife maestro, Dr. Victor Abimbola Olaiya, was among top artistes who performed at the Independence Day banquet at Race Course, Lagos. He was specially chosen by the then prime minister, the late Alhaji Tafawa Balewa to be part of that memorable event. On October 16, 2010, he will be re-enacting that sterling performance he put up 50 years ago at the ultra modern Lagos City Hall, Lagos, which is few meters away from venue of 1960 banquet.
This time Olaiya will not be performing along with the 1960 All-Star Band, a coalition of bands, but with other established veterans like Orlando Julius, S.F Olowokere, Dele Ojo, Ebenezer Obey, Alaba Pedro, Fatai Rolling Dollar and two Ghanaians, C.K Mann and Stan Plange. And the setting is the golden tunes concert organised by the Evergreen Music Company as part of the Festival 50: Musical memories of yesteryears activities to commemorate Nigeria’s 50th independence anniversary. The event is being sponsored by MTN Nigeria Communication, Lagos State government, Ondo State government and Total Health Trust.
Chairman of Evergreen Music Company, Mr. Femi Esho said the festival is being organised to rejuvenate the nation’s music culture, recognise and appreciate music maestros, both living and the dead as well as to establish an Evergreen Music Foundation to champion the advocacy for preserving works of artistes. He disclosed that the festival would involve symposium, exhibition, concert/award night and foundation launch. The symposium, which has as theme, Walking the tunes through the year, will hold on September 29 at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos and will feature practitioners in the industry like teachers of African arts and culture as well as young aspiring musicians. Also, the exhibition will feature works of the vintage artistes alongside their paraphernalia and relics that will be collected from the archives of the maestros being honoured.
For the concert, Esho said: “What we are trying to do is re-enact the memories of the event of 1960. During the golden tunes concert, living legends like Victor Olaiya will be onstage along with other revered veterans like SF Olowokere, Orlando Julius, Dele Ojo, Tunde Osofisan, Alaba Pedro, David Bull, Idowu Animashaun among others who are yet to confirm their availability…In the course of the concert, not less than 30 veterans will receive life time achievement awards n various categories like founding father awards, golden voice of independence award, most outstanding instrumentalists award.” Esho added that the Evergreen Music Foundation would be launched during the event.
On why celebrating at 50, he explained: “A 50 year-old man in Nigeria that witnessed the Agekoya crises in the ld Western Region, the Civil war, the Ali must go of the 70s, the Maitasini uprising in the North, the SAP riots of the late 80s and the June 12 crises of 1993 and is alive hale and hearty today will agree that there is indeed a cause for celebration.” Justifying the rationale for the choice of highlife music as a genre, he said over 80 highlife maestros are known to have performed across the country but that today, less than 20 of them are alive and only 10 are known to actively play music.
“In terms of reign of the genre of music, you can hardly find more than three recreation spots where the vintage music is still enjoyed by patrons of musical bands. We feel that the situation portends a great danger for our indigenous contribution to the world of music, something that has the potential of being a major income earner for the country if properly harnessed,” the chairman added.
Fifty years ago, veteran musician and highlife maestro, Dr. Victor Abimbola Olaiya, was among top artistes who performed at the Independence Day banquet at Race Course, Lagos. He was specially chosen by the then prime minister, the late Alhaji Tafawa Balewa to be part of that memorable event. On October 16, 2010, he will be re-enacting that sterling performance he put up 50 years ago at the ultra modern Lagos City Hall, Lagos, which is few meters away from venue of 1960 banquet.
This time Olaiya will not be performing along with the 1960 All-Star Band, a coalition of bands, but with other established veterans like Orlando Julius, S.F Olowokere, Dele Ojo, Ebenezer Obey, Alaba Pedro, Fatai Rolling Dollar and two Ghanaians, C.K Mann and Stan Plange. And the setting is the golden tunes concert organised by the Evergreen Music Company as part of the Festival 50: Musical memories of yesteryears activities to commemorate Nigeria’s 50th independence anniversary. The event is being sponsored by MTN Nigeria Communication, Lagos State government, Ondo State government and Total Health Trust.
Chairman of Evergreen Music Company, Mr. Femi Esho said the festival is being organised to rejuvenate the nation’s music culture, recognise and appreciate music maestros, both living and the dead as well as to establish an Evergreen Music Foundation to champion the advocacy for preserving works of artistes. He disclosed that the festival would involve symposium, exhibition, concert/award night and foundation launch. The symposium, which has as theme, Walking the tunes through the year, will hold on September 29 at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos and will feature practitioners in the industry like teachers of African arts and culture as well as young aspiring musicians. Also, the exhibition will feature works of the vintage artistes alongside their paraphernalia and relics that will be collected from the archives of the maestros being honoured.
For the concert, Esho said: “What we are trying to do is re-enact the memories of the event of 1960. During the golden tunes concert, living legends like Victor Olaiya will be onstage along with other revered veterans like SF Olowokere, Orlando Julius, Dele Ojo, Tunde Osofisan, Alaba Pedro, David Bull, Idowu Animashaun among others who are yet to confirm their availability…In the course of the concert, not less than 30 veterans will receive life time achievement awards n various categories like founding father awards, golden voice of independence award, most outstanding instrumentalists award.” Esho added that the Evergreen Music Foundation would be launched during the event.
On why celebrating at 50, he explained: “A 50 year-old man in Nigeria that witnessed the Agekoya crises in the ld Western Region, the Civil war, the Ali must go of the 70s, the Maitasini uprising in the North, the SAP riots of the late 80s and the June 12 crises of 1993 and is alive hale and hearty today will agree that there is indeed a cause for celebration.” Justifying the rationale for the choice of highlife music as a genre, he said over 80 highlife maestros are known to have performed across the country but that today, less than 20 of them are alive and only 10 are known to actively play music.
“In terms of reign of the genre of music, you can hardly find more than three recreation spots where the vintage music is still enjoyed by patrons of musical bands. We feel that the situation portends a great danger for our indigenous contribution to the world of music, something that has the potential of being a major income earner for the country if properly harnessed,” the chairman added.
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