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The second edition
of playwright, Ben Tomoloju’s ‘Poetry, Laughter, Arts and You’
(P.L.A.Y) which held at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos on
October 15 and 16 had something for everybody. There was music aplenty
for lovers of music while those interested in poetry were not
disappointed.

The opening was a
comprehensively entertaining show that was at once didactic though it
started almost two hours late. It was unadulterated fun all the way
when the show anchored by actor, Ropo Ewenla, eventually kicked off.
Female singing group, Nefretiti, raised the curtain with ‘Ayeraye’ a
song/chant extolling the virtues of the creator.

Paul Abiagam, an
official of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), sponsors of the festival
welcomed guests thereafter. He recalled the history of poetry in
Nigeria, its evolution and emergence of first and second generation
poets including Gabriel Okara, Wole Soyinka, J.P. Clark, Odia Ofeimun
and Niyi Osundare. The two generations, Abiagam noted, “defined modern
Nigerian poetry and left an indelible mark on the art, not only in
Nigeria, but worldwide.” The country, he continued, has been unable to
replicate the success of these poets because of decaying
infrastructure, poor state of the economy and falling standard of
education amongst others. “A search for an end to this worrying
situation influenced our decision at Guaranty Trust Bank to create a
unique platform for the rejuvenation of Nigerian poetry,” Abiagam said
of the bank’s involvement.

Abeeb Ayodeji,
better known as Awoko, and Iquo Eke continued saluting God after
Abiagam left the stage. Awoko paid homage to God with a Yoruba ewi
(poem) while Eke did ‘Chosen’ and ‘Rites of Rebirth’ backed by
Nefretiti and the Solar Band. The two groups supported different acts
as the event progressed.

Poetry is instrumental

Award winning poet
and head, Department of English, University of Ibadan, Remi Raji
delivered a lecture titled ‘Poetry and National Rebirth’, the theme of
the festival. “Don’t be scared by the books, I just acquired them,”
Raji who had a bundle of books under his arms as he walked to the
stage, assured the audience. “That’s a lesson to the young, when you
see recharge cards and books, go for the book,” he added before reading
a poem, ‘I rise now’ about learning to laugh again in a land of gloom.

Though he
initially wondered if poetry can birth anything for Nigeria or any
other African nation, Raji reiterated in the lecture that it has been
instrumental in the creation of some epochs. He cited the Harlem
Renaissance and Civil Rights Movement in the US and the Negritude in
the African Diaspora as examples.

“My simple
argument is that a nation cannot be without its culture, and poetry is
the creative quotient of that culture; it is given that national
rebirth is only possible with an awareness, a strong awareness of one’s
culture in interaction with other cultures; poetry is therefore a
strategic performative element of national rebirth,” he said.

The author of
‘Lovesong for My Wasteland’ also highlighted the role of the poet. He
described the bard as “an important contributor to the memorisation and
the re-orientation of a national psyche. S/he cannot exist outside his
or her culture, and s/he is influenced by culture as s/he functions as
an octant icon of his or her culture.

“Nations are
reborn when they calibrate the intelligence of their writers. The
rebirth of nations always almost involves the celebration of creative
writers, because the literary genius is an important material of any
cultural renaissance.”

Rich culture, vibrant art

Nefretiti did a
medley of popular choruses including a number by late Ikale musician,
Comfort Omoge, some Egun songs and others to lighten the atmosphere
after Raji’s lecture. Terfa Ahondo, a foundation member of the National
Troupe of Nigeria, took the performances a notch higher with his Tiv
dance and mastery of the traditional Hausa trumpet. The artist backed
by two others showed the audience he has strong lungs by blowing the
trumpet for more than three minutes without pausing to catch his breath.

The Fadesewa of
Simawa, Oba Gbenga Sonuga who was accompanied by his wife, Peju, noted
that it was a beautiful show. “It has been a pleasant afternoon and I
am glad that I made time to be here,” said the king who also
highlighted the depth of Nigeria’s cultural assets. “The only thing
that Nigeria has to talk about in 50 years is the wealth of its culture
and vibrancy of its art. I thank God that we are rich, I thank God that
we are alive to witness the rebirth of art in Nigeria.”

The king, a former
dancer, however regretted that the Minister of Tourism, Culture and
National Orientation, Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed was not at the festival.
He noted that it would have been a good opportunity to “teach him one
or two things about art. You can’t be minister of culture without
having undergone cultural re-orientation. A minister that is not
appreciative of his culture won’t deliver us. The arts make our life
meaningful.” He prayed that by the time Nigeria celebrates its
centenary, the nation will be flying in the culture sector. “You have
made my day, you have made my 50th anniversary real,” he said in
gratitude to the singers, drummers and other performers.

Poetry and jazz

Vocalist, Titi
Ogunsola accompanied by the Solar Band opened the ‘cocktail of poetry
and jazz’ session with a commendable rendition of Louis Armstrong’s
‘What a Wonderful World.’ Playwright and poet, Ozi Okoli also
registered his presence with, ‘Through the Silent Night’ and ‘The
Spilling Darkness’.

Tomoloju, visioner
of the project, read J.P. Clark’s ‘The Casualties’ and dedicated it to
Chinua Achebe. He paid tributes to the late maestro, Steve Rhodes and
other elders of the Nigerian stage and literature in a song titled ‘Oro
Agba’. Ewenla did Pius Okigbo’s ‘Condolences’ while Segun Dada brought
Odia Ofeimun’s ‘Lagoon’ to life. Nefretiti softly sang ‘Eko Akete’ in
the background while Dada danced as if he was paddling a canoe.

Ganiyat Ogundele
performed Niyi Osundare’s ‘Out in the Night-Sleepwalking’ in another of
the day’s best performances. Attired in a bathrobe and holding a cover
cloth, she slept on the floor until a mosquito bite woke her to perform
the poem like a real sleepwalker. Up and coming act, Oyinkansola drew
applause for her fast paced number, ‘Yokolu yokolu’ about a greedy
fellow who got his just deserts. The audience sang the chorus loudly
along with the guitar strumming singer who reminded all of Asa.

Wazobia FM’s duo
of Steve Onu, popularly known as Yaw and Lolo Motunde spiced the show
with some jokes before Ebika Anthony took the gathering – including
students of two secondary schools, the Lagos State University (LASU)
and Adeniran College of Education, Ijanikin – to the Niger Delta with
an Izon (Ijaw) poem on hunger. ACE (Awoko, Cornerstone and Eda Oto)
continued with the performance ridden festival by doing Wole Soyinka’s
‘I Love this Lagos’ accompanied by the Solar Band and Oyin Ogungbade on
the sax. A LASU collective paid tribute to poet, Eddie Aderinokun who
clocked 70 earlier in the year by performing his ‘Ode to an Artist
without Compare’. Jumoke Verissimo closed the cocktail of poetry and
jazz session with a poem, ‘Gold Plated Anniversary’ accompanied by Eda
Oto on the guitar.

Verissimo and Onyeka Nwelue, author of ‘Abyssinian Boy’ later spoke
on the theme of the festival, ‘Poetry and National Rebirth’ at a youth
forum that ended the first day of the fiesta. Ebika Anthony, national
public relations officer (south), Association of Nigerian Authors also
gave a keynote address on the theme at the session attended by actress,
Joke Silva.