22/09/12

Ogunsola: Of Egungun, Albert Einstein And Orunmila… .  Guardian. Lagos. Nigeria.

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HAVE you ever felt so good, so… so wonderfully good that you could have given God a peck? I felt that way that evening.

​​The information that sent me into near-raptures had dropped on my laps after months of fruitless sifting through literature on the origin of the Egungun (masquerade) cult, especially among the Yoruba.

 My search was sparked by a hunch. I don’t remember exactly how it happened, but the semblance between the egungun-in-costume and the astronaut-in-spacesuit had suddenly struck me. I was probably flitting through pictures of astronauts.

 And I froze…

 My mind went into a spin. Why! The costumes actually look similar… And the Yoruba describe the egungun as Ara Orun (visitor from heaven/the skies). But the astronaut is also Ara Orun – Traveller in, or from deep space.

In Yoruba, not only the spiritual heaven is orun but also the starry heavens, the skies.

Perhaps, the general belief that the egungun are spirits of the “dead from the spiritual heaven” is mistaken…

After all, the egungun are called Ara Orun, not oku orun (The dead of heaven). Oku orun is reserved for the dead. Just like oku eko – frozen fish arriving dead from Lagos.

Like in the phrase Ara Eko (residents of/arrivals from Lagos) or Ara Ibadan (residents of/arrival from Ibadan) Ara Orun suggests live beings resident of arriving from orun (the heavens, space).

In fact, Yoruba folklore relates encounters between Earthlings and Ara Orun which depict the latter as flesh and blood beings who, according to some accounts, relish some of the carnal joys of we humans, e.g. palm wine.

 And so I mulled and mulled…

 But then another thing got me curious. The full description of the egungun by the Yoruba is Ara Orun kin-in-kin. That kin-in-kin suffix fascinated me. The Yoruba ​hardly waste words. That kin-in-kin must have a purpose. What does it connote?

 

 

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​​30/06/12

My first production was Kris Okotie’s I Need Someone and it brought me out – Laolu Akins. Punch. Lagos. Nigeria.

​​​One of Nigeria’s foremost music producers, Laolu Akins, shares his experiences with ADEOLA BALOGUN and ’NONYE BEN-NWANKWO
You don’t look like somebody who is 60.
I’m definitely above 60, but you know, age is a feeling. Because I’m in this industry, it helps us to remain quite simple about things. I’m particularly glad that I’m not bogus, so I tend not to look my age and I thank God for that. I was born as a slim person and no matter what I ate and what I eat now, I never put on weight. So, I suppose it is just a natural thing. And I don’t really think it matters what you do, it’s always important to keep fit.
You were recently involved in the Oleku Concert of Ebenezer Obey and King Sunny Ade as producer; some people may not know what a producer does.
The job of music production as opposed to stage production is fairly related, but there are specific things you would do in producing a music concert as opposed to doing a studio recording. But one has been involved in the industry in several ways and by virtue of exposure; it’s possible for me also to train myself in specific areas. The industry is very wide: it’s not just about performing, writing songs, and recording songs. If you avail yourself the opportunities that abound in the industry, obviously you can go beyond several others.
And you can expand your coast in the area of the industry that you belong. I’ve been a performer; I’ve been most things in the industry and I started production many years ago. I’ve handled artistes in terms of management and producing their records, so it gives me the opportunity of a wide range of involvement in the industry. For the stage, you want to ensure that the sound of the musician is as best as you can get it to be for the audience; you want to ensure that the stage is set in such a way that it’s comfortable for the artiste to perform. It’s also important to have a sequence of activities that take place on the stage, whether you are having one artiste or several artistes.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

26/06/12

Sunmi Smart-Cole: An authentic role model. Vanguard. Lagos. Nigeria.

 

​SOME years back, I think around 1985-86, while we were working in the African Guardian, I noticed that for some weeks, Uzor Maxim Uzoatu, (the intifada poet!) had been waltzing in and out of the office, without anyone knowing precisely what he was onto. One day I asked him pointedly what he doing loitering about for. He said, as breezily as only Maxim could conjure, “Oga Pini, am doing a story on Fela!”
“And so!?” I countered. Then he told me how difficult it was getting people who could talk on Fela. At that point I asked him: “Have you spoken to Sunmi? How can you be writing about Fela without interviewing Sunmi?” He looked at me quizzically, with barely suppressed risibility as if to say, are you serious? What could possibly be the connection between Fela and Sunmi who, to many people, was famously known only as a photographer? Unknown to Maxim, and equally many, the man sitting in his office in the newsroom downstairs as photo editor, was an encyclopaedia of the social and entertainment circuit of Lagos, and Nigeria! Any socialite Sunmi does not know is not worth knowing. In United Kingdom or United States, Sunmi would be on top of his game as a gossip columnist! Hardly did Maxim know how close Sunmi and Fela were!
From left, Chief Phillips Asiodu unveiling the Books while Mr Oge Udeagha Prof David Aradeon and Mr. Sunmi Smart-Cole, celebrant, look on during the launching of Sunmi’s Lens- Medum Between Man and Nature Book, by Sunmi Smart-Cole and Exhibition of Photographs [Spanning 36 Years] held at Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos. on. 23/06/2012. Photo: Bunmi Azeez and Diran Oshe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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22/06/12

S’West govs set-up technical committee on regional integration . Sun. Lagos. Nigeria.

 

...Agenda’ll strengthen Nigerian State, says Fayemi
Fri, 06/22/2012 - 00:34
In order to fully carry on the agenda of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and reposition the South-Western part of Nigeria, Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi yesterday on behalf of other six governors from the region, inaugurated a 24-member Technical Committee for regional integration.

While inaugurating the committee in Ado-Ekiti, Fayemi described the  integration as an approach to re-invent the pace-setting achievements of the Western Region under the late sage and reposition it as a trail blazer in all aspects of socio-economic development in the country.

He charged them to work towards achieving greater socio-economic and infrastructure development of the people of the region. The committee comprises three members each from the seven subscribing states and three members from the Yoruba Academy Think-Tank, producers of the Development Agenda of Western Nigeria (DAWN) document.

 

 

 

 

 

 

22/06/12

I can drop governorship for regional integration – Aregbesola. Punch. 20.6.12

 

Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has said the best way to ensure proper economic advancement in the country is by reverting to the regional structure.
The governor also said he could drop his mandate as a governor to support the course of regional integration in the interest of development of the nation.
Aregbesola spoke on Tuesday during the first sustainable development policy dialogue on ‘Regional integration and Nigeria development prospects’ organised by Centre for Sustainable Development, University of Ibadan.
He said, “I’m ready to drop the governorship position for regional integration. It may surprise you, I can drop the mandate as governor in support of the region. There are many states that cannot stand on their own at the moment. Any political entity that depends on handout from the Federal Government is mere possession.
“There must be a platform for regional integration. There must be a progressive political platform for integration to be successful.
“Progressive politics that is strong and popular is ideal for development plan. For regional integration to work, we must have a political ideology to drive it. The party is very important to integration efforts.
The governor added, “It is sad that the military forced the states on us. They didn’t ask from us. We were never consulted. Interestingly as a region, the South-West was moving on well.
“If this nation refuses to develop it is a curse to the entire African continent. To make things work there is need to increase the Internally Generated Revenue radically through economic integration.
“If you know how much the Indians in diaspora are contributing to national development you will understand the need for the diaspora to support the South-West integration. The little semblance of growth that we have in this nation is not due to oil but as a result of remittances from our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora.

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19/06/12

For Ifa corpus, pens and drums converge.  Punch. Lagos. Nigeria. By AKEEM LASISI

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Scholars and practitioners meet at the Kwara State University, Malete, Kwara State on Ifa corpus called Ese Ifa, AKEEM LASISI writes
One of the elements that have sustained the Ifa heritage is the Ese Ifa – the elastic corpus that turn and twist in the mouth of the chanter like a gaming snake. Beyond the supernatural powers associated with Orunmila, Ifa custodian and Yoruba god of wisdom and healing, the Ese Ifa, which is often climaxed by the iyere — the musical refrain often summing up the theme of a corpus — transcends the traditional religion. It has found its way into film, creative writing, music and other related arts.
While the likes of Prof. Wande Abimbola, Chief Yemi Elebuibon and Peter Fatomilola have raised its status in scholarly and theatrical forms, the Ifa literature is still like a virgin land waiting to be cultivated. Unfortunately, there are odds against it, with ‘modernisation’ and influence of Islam and Christianity, which largely regard traditional religious practices to be fetish, being principal among such.
In the class, one of the topics usually taught on Ifa literature is the structure of a corpus. Apart from identifying 16 primary corpus and numerous other secondary ones, Abimbola and other experts have, for instance, identified some eight parts of the typical ese ifa. These include the name or identity of the person engaging in the divination; the person consulting Ifa; the reason for doing so; revelation by the deity; what Ifa asks the ‘client’ to do; whether or not he or she carries out the instruction and what happens after this has been done or unheeded.
A concerted intervention, however, came the way of the heritage recently when Kwara State University hosted a workshop on the Ifa Corpus.  The event organised by the Centre for Oral Tradition in Africa, in collaboration with College of Humanities, Management and Social Sciences of KWASU featured a feast of dances and songs. With  presentations made on issues such as The Structure of Ifa; Ifa Chants in Yoruba Culture and Music Traditions; Ifa Global Context; Migrations: Ifa in Cyberspace; Ifa Re-citation and Imaginative world of Yoruba Performance; Language in and of Ifa; Cultural Preservation as well as Oral Literature and Digital Technique, the workshop featured scholars and practitioners from different parts of the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

18/06/12

Salami: Alaafin writes Jonathan. Sun. Lagos. Nigeria.

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Foremost traditional ruler and elder statesman, the Alaafin of Oyo Oba Lamidi Adeyemi has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to respect the sanctity of the constitution, which he swore to uphold and restore suspended President Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami.
The monarchy made the call in an open letter to the President, which was made available to Daily Sun. According to the letter by the Permanent Chairman of Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs, the President should respect his oath of office, which is to uphold the constitution always and restore Justice Salami forthwith in accordance with the recommendation of National Judicial Council (NJC).
Alaafin, in a carefully painstaking analysis, distilled the salient constitutional provisions on the issue particularly sections 238 (4) and (5) which deals with the vacancy and temporary filling of such vacuum, and provisions of paragraphs 21 (a) and (b) of the third schedule of the 1999, which deals with the appointment of Justices and judges into the appellate courts, the Federal High Courts and High Court of Federal Capital Territory.
According to the letter, the sole body saddled with statutory power to discipline judicial officers is the NJC.  Hence, the NJC having rescinded its earlier suspension of Justice Salami and recommended his reinstatement, there was no justifiable reason to continue to keep him out of office.
“By the provision of the constitution, the letter of the National Judicial Council to the President on that issue is to all intent and purpose to inform the President that there will be no need to extend the tenure of the person who is acting as the President of the Court of Appeal.
“The President’s consent for the return of Justice Ayo Salami to his position as the President, Court of Appeal is not necessary as the constitution has not given him such power of consenting authority in such a situation.
“The decision of the National Judicial Council to lift the suspension on Justice Ayo Salami, automatically restored him as the President of the Court of Appeal and remove whoever is occupying the office in acting capacity,” he said.
Consequently, Alaafin noted that in the absence of any written recommendation from NJC, the President would have no power to re-appoint any person who is occupying the office in acting capacity. He called on the President to rise above whatever political bickering and influence and restore Justice Salami to his office a decision which the revered traditional said would further endear him to minds of Nigerians.
He explained that although, he never met Justice Salami either in person or in official capacity, his motivation for writing the letter was born out of the fact as a father, it would not be proper to stand aloof while his son is being unjustly treated