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Nothing struck me more forcibly than the soft voice I was greeted with when I met Sefi Atta at her Victoria Island home. I almost couldn’t reconcile it with the strong passionate voice in her writings. It was when I watched one of her plays ‘The Cost of Living’ staged at the Terra Kulture that I decided to interview her. We immediately got down to business at the poolside. I asked the one question that had been bothering me first: why had she decided to write a Niger Delta story like everyone else?

Not the Niger Delta story

‘The Cost of Living’ is Sefi Atta’s second play to be staged in Nigeria. ‘The Engagement’ performed at the Muson Centre, Lagos in 2005, was the first. The author maintains that although ‘The Cost of Living’ is set in the Niger Delta, it is not a Niger Delta story.

“You could also say it’s a Louisiana story. It’s limiting to say that it is a Niger Delta story but people can interpret it how they want. I think if they come to see it, they can make up their own minds,” she says.

Atta describes the story as that of a dying man and a young man trying to make a living; and how, through negotiations, they learn life’s true worth. “I think the title pretty summarises the premise of the play. Obviously, there are much deeper themes than that and sometimes the title is just a gateway into the complexities of whatever play you are presenting; and in this case, it’s a summary and a gateway.” According to her, the play isn’t issue-driven, so the idea of it being a Niger Delta play doesn’t work for her.

“My work is never issue-driven. There’s very little mention in the play about the impact of oil companies in the Niger Delta region. The conflict in the play results from a clash of culture; and apart from sharing that space overnight, the two men have in common the cost of living and how it impacts on them.”

Sefi Atta is the author of two novels, ‘Everything Good Will Come’ (winner of the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in 2006) and ‘Swallow’. Her collection of short stories, ‘Lawless’, now published internationally as ‘News From Home’, won the Noma Award in 2009. She says she was inspired to write her one-act play, ‘The Cost of Living’, by her move to the small city of Mississippi where she lives with her husband and daughter. She found it interesting that men from Mississippi moved to Rivers State to work while others moved from Nigeria to Mississippi. She thinks her visit to Port Harcourt as a guest writer (for the Garden City Literary Festival) on two occasions, might have also inspired the story of the play. Still insisting that it is not a Niger Delta story, she says she could have set the play in Lagos but it just so happens that the issue of kidnapping is more frequent in the Niger Delta.

Delving into theatre

The writer who trained as an accountant in London, shares her thoughts about Theatre in Nigeria. She appreciates the hard work put into stagecraft but feels that there’s a long way to go. With her play being staged this month at Terra Kulture, Atta has seen that theatre isn’t as much appreciated as she once thought. “I’ve learnt that it’s harder to attract a full house than I thought. Some people show up late and receive phone calls on their cell phones. But it was wonderful to have old friends, people I didn’t know and especially very young kids, 10-year-olds and elderly people. People of my parents’ generation, some of whom knew me as a kid before I started writing, (were also there) and I thank all of them for coming.” She also expressed joy at the appreciation shown for the production by some distinguished writers. “J.P. Clark came for one performance and Soyinka came for another. I hear he actually clapped and for me, that’s as good as it gets,” she says.

Writing career

Born 1964 in Lagos to a Yoruba mother and Igbira father, Sefi Atta began her writing career in 2002 with radio plays. She has written stage plays and screenplays, including ‘The Sentence’, also a one-act play that will be produced later this year in Germany. ‘The Cost of Living’ is the first to be produced in Nigeria. It has also been recorded for serialisation on by Smooth F.M, a radio station.

Atta describes her writing career as something that started accidentally. Although she had always been writing in her spare time, writing became full time in 1997 when her family moved to Mississippi. “I never thought I would make a living from writing. It was just an accident,” she says. She considers her career as full-time and even credits writing for her achievements so far, including her part-time teaching job at Mississippi State University. “All in all, I do make a living from writing, as a guest speaker and through my royalty cheques.”

About style

She doesn’t feel restricted to a particular style of writing. “I write what I want to write. I write what pleases me and interests me and that way, I feel I am always winning,” she declares.

Like many writers, Atta is a voracious reader. She likes to read newspaper articles and the news she finds in them are often a quarry for story ideas.

“Rather than turning from it, I like to delve into it from the writer’s point of view,” she says. What she hears and observes also influence her stories. As she informs, “My stories come from what I observe, hearsay, gossips, history, from my own experiences and the experiences of others that I get to learn about.” Although she has fun writing, she believes in taking time to write in-depth stories. She also has her preferences in the choice of books she reads.

“I like clean prose, almost journalistic, humourous writing, bordering on cynical, realistic writing, no fantasy, more informal than formal, strong voices and unique voices,” she declares.

Atta Girl

Sefi Atta has decided to take charge of her works business wise, by launching a self publishing outfit called AAA press. “It is in honour of my late father, Abdul-Aziz Atta who taught me about the importance of books. I was eight years old when he died and I remember how much he revered books. We had all the classics at home,” she recalls. However, “I didn’t read them then because I was too busy playing.” She also wants to launch her own production company, ‘Atta Girl’, based on the nick name given her by friends in school when she first caught the bug for writing plays. The company will be responsible for the production of her screenplays. “‘The Cost of Living’ is my first production under ‘Atta Girl’ – I’m a co-producer with Terra Kulture and Monu & Monu Productions,” she informs.

The future

In addition to screen and stage plays, the writer also she has a film in development. “It’s set in Lagos and it’s a family comedy drama. We’ll see how that goes. I’m just taking things day by day; and right now, I’m learning a lot from my collaboration with Nick Monu because I really don’t have theatre experience and he has had the best classical training worldwide as an actor and as a director.” And if all that is not enough, there are also two novels in the works. “I’m coming back to drawing on my own Nigerian experience. There will be a lot of reference to Lagos society. One novel is set in the early 2000s. It’s a thoroughly modern Nigerian story and the other is set in the mid – 1970s. It has more of retrospection on the history of Lagos, in particular Lagos society,” she says.

For Sefi Atta, it isn’t just writing as a means of living that pleases her but the fact that she does what she loves. The author says she still has a lot of writing to do and she doesn’t believe she has attained that career high yet.

“I’ve just started writing. I feel I’ve passed the elementary stage and I’m now in the intermediate stage. I measure my writing in dog years. I’m still a baby and I’m learning as I go along. One day hopefully, I’ll look back and be able to tell what my career high was.”

Why Art?

Art is one of the oldest forms of self-expression. It harbours instinctive and meditative impulses. It makes manifest those subjective, abstract, and fugitive notions, which define a people and record their history. To those who have the flair or talent, art becomes an inevitability. It comes naturally to some although, like many other pursuits, becoming versatile at it requires a certain degree of nurturing. Art is, above all, a powerful tool for inscribing a people’s ethos, aesthetic, and belief systems. It is central to the affirmation of culture and testifies very powerfully to the validity of a people’s history. Art allows people like me to leave their footprints on the thresholds of history.
Training I was a part-time student at Yaba College of Technology (where I studied with Yusuf Grillo, Adebayo Ajayi, P.A. Salu and others) before obtaining my first degree in Painting and Drawing from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1973). Did you say that was so last century? I followed up with two more degrees: the MA (1981) and Ph.D (1983), both in Art History, from Indiana University, Bloomington, USA. But there are other non-credentialed trainings that have immensely enriched my perspectives and contributed to my own educational growth. Teaching generations of students remains a rewarding experience because the process is, of necessity, dialogic: I learn as much from them as they do from me. And, as a life-long learner, my training remains incomplete.
Medium Two-dimensional, mainly. I use oil, latex, acrylic, graphite, pen and ink, and collage on suitable and appropriate grounds.
Influences As an individual, I’ve come under multifarious influences. I admire the forthrightness, dedication, moral integrity, and altruism of such Nigerians as the late Simon Adebo, Akinola Aguda, Maitama Sule, Olikoye Ransome-Kuti and Bolanle Awe. My favourite artists include Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane. I am comforted by those whose lives exemplify the triumph of modesty, creativity, incorruptibility, and hard work.
Inspirations I am inspired by the dedication and the indefatigable spirit of the downtrodden; by the poor but honest and hard-working farmer; the road-side trader; and the humble cobbler who toils relentlessly to eke a living. I am inspired by women whose protective instincts are immortalised by Prince Nico Mbarga in his hit album, ‘Sweet Mother’. I empathise with all spirits that are imbued by strong ethics, dependability, and compassion. In the season of the locust when our collective wealth is being squandered by a privileged but conscienceless class, I draw my inspiration from those who continue to do what is right, even when others are not watching.
Best work so far My best work, either as an academic or artist, is yet to be produced.
Least satisfying work I am my own best critic. I take cognisance of the varying degrees of conceptual and methodological approaches that sustain my work and discard whatever I find to be deficient or unsuccessful. Each signed artwork remains a valid spirit, complete with its own soul and attitude. All my work is accorded equal respect even though they vary in their demands and temperaments. The good, professional artist is one who is not afraid to push boundaries, but who also knows when to stop working on a given piece.
Career high point Each career path has its own peak, which is not necessarily a terminality. I enjoyed my time and work as Art Editor, art critic, and cartoonist at the Daily Times in the 1970s. Yet, I knew that I needed an academic environment to give me the intellectual amplitude that was necessary for my inquisitive spirit. Becoming a tenured, full professor, especially in reputable academic institutions in the U.S., represents yet another milestone. It felt good to be appointed Chair of art departments on two different occasions after two national searches were conducted. As a painter, I continue to explore and challenge myself. Every solo exhibition is issues-oriented. The artist, especially in Africa, advances the march of progress by deploying his or her art to highlight not only formalistic but also socio-political issues. I have very little tolerance for art that rambles.
Favourite artist living or dead Yusuf Grillo; Bruce Onobrakpeya; Hale Woodruff; and Kara Walker.
Ambitions To continue using my work-as scholar and visual artist-to edify concepts that extol our highest ideals. As one whose canvases are receptacles and archives for deeply personal visual soliloquies, I hanker after an art that conscientises my people; an art that is at once progressive and caustic. I want my art to speak to generations unborn-in another century or even another millennium-about the travails of hapless Nigerians; about the profligacy of the ruling class; about the entrenchment of mediocrity; about the institutionalisation of corruption and self-aggrandisement by those whose claim to wealth was through the barrel of the gun or through the ballot box.

The Nigerian-Italian art exhibition ‘Crosscurrents’ kicked off with a private preview on March 16 at the Civic Centre, Lagos. The event attracted quite a number of artists, art lovers, art patrons and curators alike who came to view artworks in different media -by ten Italian artists and ten Nigerian artists.

Oliver Enwonwu, Chair of the Lagos chapter of the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) and one of the exhibiting artists as well as a coordinator of the exhibition, in a brief address described the event as momentous. He added that the exhibition tackles ‘identity and self discovery’.

The exhibition took up two floors at the venue and a few of the exhibiting ten from Nigeria were present. Though none of the Italian ten – Matteo Basile, Angelo Bellobono, Filippo Centenari, Francesco Cervelli, Alberto Di Fabio, Stefania Fabrizi, Omar Galliani, Jonathan Guaitamacchi, Adriano Nardi and Eron Salvadei – were present, their works caused quite a stir.

The Nigerian ten: Kolade Oshinowo, Uche Edochie, Oliver Enwonwu, Rom Isichei, Uche James-Iroha, Chidi Kwubiri, Alex Nwokolo-, Abiodun Olaku, Mudi Yahaya and Peju Alatise, were not left out.

Peju Alatise

For Peju Alatise, the only female in the group, her works, done in mixed media, were arresting as they came out in bold colours of yellow, red and orange. Some of the artworks featured raised images of the female anatomy.

‘Lest I Forget’, one of the female anatomy works, was done in acrylic while the most interesting piece, ‘One Side of the Story’ – also in the same mould – was rendered with newspaper, resin and acrylic on canvas.

On the reason behind the motif of the female human body, the artist likened the three Artworks to the misrepresentation of women in general. “It’s the story of the woman from the way the press sees it,” she explained.

“It’s about how the media perceives you, how people perceive you. Sometimes it’s a distortion, that’s why the figure in the work is distorted,” Alatise added.

She said, “I’ve always done works about women”. The artist, who revealed that her works reflect political and philosophical issues, also declared that if the definition of feminism is equal rights for women then she is glad to be called one.

The artist initially trained as an architect and her works easily reflect that. “I am excited that I’m a part of this exhibition and I’m glad that I am representing female artists and Nigerian artists,” she said.

Alex Nwokolo

Another participating artist, Alex Nwokolo, concerning his works on display, revealed that he uses newspapers in his media. “I use it as texture for my work. It gives it a feeling you don’t see regularly”, Nwokolo disclosed.

One of his pieces ‘Special One III’ with media newsprint, acrylic and stencil on canvas, revealed this style. ‘Special One III’ with its newsprint background depicts a crowd of people with one distinct individual.

According to Nwokolo, the work reinforces the saying that ‘many are called but few are chosen’. Nwokolo’s ‘Moment of Reflection’ gives off political undertones especially the upcoming elections.

Nwokolo was not the only artist addressing political and nation-building issues. Oliver Enwonwu’s massive oil painting, ‘Broken Flight’ with its shadowy colours and the haunting image of a winged female figure with a wing chipped off, also raises questions about the future of Nigeria.

“Broken Flight is symbolic of our struggle as a people in finding an identity”, Enwonwu revealed. “The figure is regal showing that we possess talent and potential but the broken wing reflects our struggle to find an identity,” he added.The artist also had other works on display.

The Italians

The works by the Italian artists came with their own interesting features. Filippo Centenari’s ‘Dubai 03′ an iridescent image of a skyscraper, done with Lambda print on dibond and plexiglass, reflects his style which usually embodies metropolis themes with a special light technique.

Omar Galliani’s ‘Grande Disegno Siamese’ and ‘Nuovi Santi’, both black pencil on wood, illustrate the face of a woman. In the artist’s works, ‘the human world and the sphere of the transcendent inch closer to each other until they touch in a connection that is deep and obscure’.

Artist Mufu Onifade of ‘Araism’ fame expressed his views about the exhibition, saying, “I think it’s a very good show with good space. This is the first time we are exposed to this kind of venue,” he said.

He added that it was sad that the exhibition would be on for only two days, as it was something worth having on for as long as 6 months. However he said that, “the joy is that a space has been discovered now,”

“The quality of work on display shows the level of the creativity of the artists involved”, Onifade stated. “If you go to Europe contemporary art has so many faces now. These Italian artists are serious minded. They are contemporary artists who have taken aesthetics to a different level,” he said.

He added that, “in spite of the militating influences of world contemporary art which gives room for visual art to dissipate, these Italian artists still maintain the vitality of creativity.”

Speaking a foreign language with dexterity and passion is a feature that is quite rare in most youth today. But those are the exact qualities that a group of five American students from the University of Wisconsin displayed after learning Yoruba for a few years and developing a love for the language and culture.

Lauren Halloran (Abike), Caraline Harshman (Titilayo), Kelvin Barry (Kayode), Kelly Moses (Akinwumi) and O’Neil Keegan (Kolade) have been at the University of Ibadan since September 2010 to sharpen their understanding of the Yoruba language and culture through ‘learning by immersion’.

This involves living with Nigerian families for close to one year, who sign an undertaking that they would speak to them in Yoruba and they would encourage them to speak it.

Yoruba names

Before coming to Nigeria, they were been learning Yoruba language at the University of Wisconsin, in the United States of America along with their major courses for between two and three years, and have developed a love for the language and the culture.

At their first day in the Yoruba class in America where they were taught by Professors from Nigeria, they were given a list of Yoruba names to pick, to choose the appellations best suited to them. The adopted names have stuck. They eat Yoruba food, greet in the Yoruba way, and speak the language better than many Yorubas.At the Yoruba Day celebration held at the Vivian Fowler Memorial College for Girls in Lagos, their English names were forgotten and everyone addressed them by their Yoruba names.

Speaking the language

It was hard to get them to chat in English. Once they were approached, they reeled out sentences first in Yoruba before veering off to speak English.

For all five, the Yoruba culture is rich and beautiful, as they encouraged everyone, especially the secondary school students present at the event, to speak the language often.

While Kayode and Titilayo have been learning the language for close to three years, Abike, Akinwumi and Kolade have been along the path for about two years.

Speaking on her journey through the learning process, Titilayo said it was done by taking little steps daily. “We learned little by little,” she said. “After one day, I was greeting people, but after three years, I was speaking in paragraphs, I was telling stories, I was telling jokes.”

Learning the values

For her, living in the ancient city of Ibadan has been an interesting experience, bringing her closer to the Yoruba culture and its components.

“The most important thing I’ve learnt is about the communal society and how everyone look out for each other. If two people get married, it’s not just about the two people who love each other, it’s a mixture of the whole family. The way the family system works, it’s so much about sharing things. ‘Private’ doesn’t really come to play in the Nigerian culture, in the Yoruba culture especially. Everything is everybody’s.”

Abike said she was quite impressed with the Yoruba culture and has learnt a lot from being in the midst the people. For Kolade, Yoruba language is “much more beautiful than English in a lot of ways.” He said he developed an interest in the Nigerian indigenous language through his association with students from Africa while in High School. “In High School in the United states, I had a lot of friends from Africa; from Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Ethiopia. I really enjoyed hanging out with them and I got to have a good impression about Africa. So when I got to the University of Wisconsin, I knew I wanted to study an African language.”

Nigerians in America

Kayode, who is by far the best speaker of the local language, thrilled the crowd with his commendable Yoruba accent, even going on to beat the talking drum skillfully. He says that he developed an intimacy with the language through watching Yoruba movies, listening to radio stations and reading Nigerian newspapers. “I was always reading newspapers from Nigeria. I always listen to Radio Lagos 107.5FM, from the US. That really helped in getting to know the Yoruba accent. Also the Yoruba films, you can watch any Mainframe movie or any Yoruba film on Youtube from America. There’s also lots of Nigerians in America.” Moses Mabayanje, a professor at the University of Ibadan who has been teaching the exchange students, Yoruba for some time, said that they understand the advantages of learning a foreign language better than Nigerians and are encouraged to do so by their government who gives them research grants. He added that Nigerians must rise up to the challenge of teaching their children their language.

“Nigerian parents have to wake up. The language is learnt by teaching it. When a child understands a language and he can’t speak it, he is less than half way into the language. We have to encourage our children, they must speak it,” he said.

Hustling and bustling

stomping and stamping

pushing and shoving

as they push forward to their deaths

they trample over their lives

raising dust and ashes

smoke without any fire

their path is their grave

their begining bears down on their end

and does not conquer.

Bayelsa Book & Art Fair: Literary events to compliment the AMAA Awards – Niger Delta Wetland Centre, Ekike, Yenagoa. March 24 to 26.

International Theatre Day: Book Presentation & Advocacy Lecture – Hall 2, Lagos Television Complex, Alhaji Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos. Time: 10am. March 24.

1st Korea-Nigeria Poetry Feast: Featuring Poets Remi Raji, Lola Shoneyin & others – Theatre Studio, Korean Cultural Centre, Abuja. Time: 4:30pm. March 21.

Reading & Producing Nollywood: An International Symposium: Opening Ceremony- University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos. Time: 10am. March 23.

Abuja Writers’ Forum: features emerging Poet Awaal Gata – Pen and Pages Bookstore, White House Plaza, Plot 79, Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja. Time: 4pm. March 26.

Celebrity Reads Africa: Featuring readings by Monalisa Chinda, Kenny Saint Brown, Skuki, Iceberg slim and Mandy Brown Ojugbana – Terra Kulture, Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. Time: 3pm. March 26.

Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani: Reading and Interactive session with the author – ICPC Auditorium, ICPC Headquarters, Central Business Area, Abuja. Time: 10am. March 23.

Rainbow Book Club reviews Chimeka Garricks’ ‘Tomorrow Died Yesterday’ – Le Meridean Hotel, GRA Phase II, Port Harcourt. Time: 4pm. March 26.

Reading & Producing: An International Symposium – Afe Babalola Auditorium, University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos. Time: 9am. March 23 till 25.

Readings for Liu Xiaobo – Lagos leg of worldwide event – The Foxhole, 11, Maryland Crescent, Maryland, Lagos. Time: 3pm.Today.

The Cost of Living: Sefi Atta’s play – Terra Kulture, 1376 Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. 3pm & 6pm. Today.

The Grandeur of Epeland: Art exhibition – Yusuf Grillo Art Gallery, YABATECH, Lagos. March 24 to April 10.

Victor Ehikhamenor: Interactive sessions with artist – White Space, 58, Raymond Njoku Street, Ikoyi, Lagos. March 23 to 30.

Please send details of art events 10 days in advance by SMS (07034086014) or email: Culture@234next.com

Sefi Atta’s play ‘The Cost of Living’ parodies Niger Delta “I’m not poor! I’m broke or should I say the cost of living is too high.” This was the frustrated cry of Pius, a role played by Toyin Oshinaike in Sefi Atta’s play ‘The cost of living’. It was staged on Sunday, March 6 at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos; and will be performed at the venue till the end of this month.

Crucial issues pertaining to the Niger Delta region are emphasised in the play. Some of these include: the prevalence of kidnapping, unemployment and inadequate provision of social amenities. The mismanagement of crude oil and the preference of foreigners over indigenes by oil companies, are also among issues explored.

In the one-act play with only two characters, Atta parodies the economic crisis in the Niger Delta. It was written late last year, at a time when the fate of the Delta was subject to much debate in the public arena.

The characters

The play is is directed by Nick Monu; and opens to a struggle between the two men depicted. One of the men is a blindfolded man and the other is the captor, Pius, who holds a gun to his head. It is strange that the blindfolded doesn’t beg for his life but is defiant. He attempts to hold the nuzzle of the gun to his forehead and asks to be shot. This creates suspense in the play as the audience is left wondering why.

Pius

Toyin Oshinaike plays the role of Pius, a young Nigerian graduate in Port Harcourt. He is the abductor who holds an employee of an Oil company hostage. His reaction to his prisoner’s defiance is at first surprise, but he quickly puts on the facade of a mean captor. However, he is disturbed by his prisoner’s fatalism. “Do you want to die?” he asks.

He immediately creates the impression that he is tough and mean but all he actually wants from his prisoner is money. He makes it clear that his prisoner will be of no use to him dead. It becomes obvious during the course of the play that he isn’t actually mean but is pushed to this act by economic desperation. “I can’t even pay back my family, let alone support them,” he says.

Pius represents many young Nigerian graduates who remain unemployed. He feels cheated by the fact that all the available jobs in the oil companies are given to foreigners.

Although he has a degree in Engineering, he remains unemployed while the foreigners are readily offered jobs. The unfairness of the situation frustrates him.”If I can’t find work here, I can’t find anywhere else,” he laments.

Pius and his partner, whom we never see ,are called “a couple of amateurs” by his hostage. It is clear that it is his first time of being an abductor.

Mike Broussard

The role of Mike Broussard is played by Frank Adekunle Macaulay. He is the abducted who hails from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is also frustrated with life, which is indeed surprising to Pius. However, Broussard’s job isn’t actually as high paying as Pius believes.

“That’s more than you’ll pay me if I worked for a year!” he shouts To his employer on the phone, shocked at the huge ransom demanded for him. But he is more shocked that his employers are willing to pay that much. This infuriates him and he maintains that the money shouldn’t be paid.

Mike’s interaction with Pius leads him to certain revelations about Nigerians that he never knew. One of these is the discovery that Pius is a graduate; this surprises him.

He is a major cause of the turn of events in the play and later facilitates the payment of his ransom.

Set, costume and lightning

The set design by Simone Monu was fitting. The stage was bare, save for a lone mattress and chair which well portrayed an impoverished room where someone could be held captive. There was no need for the props on stage to change since all events of the one act take place in a single room. The lightning was also well deployed from the very beginning where Broussard is brought into the room blindfolded.

The Delta story

‘The Cost of Living’ is a familiar old story about the Delta but is told from two different perspectives, that of the Nigerian and the foreigner. Pius represents the Nigerian perspective while Broussard represents the other. It is difficult to tell who the victim really is as events take a different turn towards the end of the play. You imagine that the victim is Broussard with the blindfolds on his eyes and the gun pointed at him. Later, you begin to wonder if it isn’t Pius that is victimised by the foreigners who take the available jobs and leave him jobless.

Much is revealed about the in the dialogue between both men, which is the most appealing feature of the play. They see life differently but are both frustrated. The Nigerian is frustrated with the economic situation of the country. He complains about the inadequate supply of basic infrastructures thus, “When we have light, it’s a miracle.” The play also draws the attention of the audience to the Nigerian culture. Examples of this are the mention of ‘respect’ and ‘dowry’ by Pius.

There is also the suggestion that Nigerians strive to survive the hardship they face by his words to Mike: “Over here, you don’t die until you are dead.” It is however a short play that ends almost abruptly, just when you’re looking forward to another action taking place.

Cast members and members of the audience spoke on ‘Tears in the Rain’, following the Lagos performance.

“As a profession, dance is very relevant but it seems always to be left behind when it comes to recognition and appreciation. For some people, dance is all they do. We need to be respected as much as the bankers, lawyers and the doctors and other people who equally work hard in the pursuit of their dreams.” –Folakemi Cole (Logistics director, Jimbay).

“As a performing artist trained abroad, I have seen the standard of what is obtainable abroad and here [in Nigeria] and there is really not much difference. The only difference is there are more opportunities abroad to be trained and to fine-tune the raw talents. What we have here is talent and no opportunity. It is saddening because Art is not something you can do easily. It is as hard as being a doctor, engineer or lawyer. I love the Arts and I think it is something that can get kids off the streets. A lot performers, rather than do something negative, choose to put their energy into what they love. And the message we should try and pass across to the youth is that you can do this and be appreciated for it.” — Elvina Ibru (CEO, Twice as Nice).

“[Dancers] need help. We need people to know that we are very important in every aspect of the Arts. The society needs to know that without dance, there is no music. Dance is the mother of all arts. We complement all forms of art. But most times we end up being used. People, actors and musicians, recruit dancers and pay them little money. ‘Tears in the Rain’ was put together produced and choreographed by dancers and it was all successfully done. Now what they need is for people to invest in them so that they can make a big tour from this and even teach it at the universities. I am sorry to say this, but you may not get a production of this level from any of the theatre arts department in Nigerian universities. These are raw talents and they need to be appreciated.” –Dayo Liadi (Dancer/Choreographer, Ijodee Dance Company).

After the staging
of Jimbay’s dance production, ‘Tears in the Rain’ on March 12, NEXT got
to talk with Anthony Edet Offiong, one of the choreographers and the
man behind the show.

When and where did you learn dance?

I started dancing
[professionally] 13 years ago. I learnt it at the National Theatre. At
some point in my life, I was a science student but I have always loved
the Arts. When I was unable to continue with formal education due to
lack of funds, I went into Dance fully.

What form of dance are you into?

I do all kinds of
dance. I started as a traditional dancer, then I went into hip-hop and
contemporary dance. Now you could say my style is more of
traditional/contemporary. I also do Latin dance.

What else do you do?

I do a little bit of stand-up comedy and I anchor shows.

What is Jimbay all about?

Jimbay
International Services is not only for Dance. We do consultancy,
research and documentation, mostly in the arts. It is run by five young
artistes: Abdul Kazeem Adeowolu, Babs Ademoye, Folake Cole, Ugo Obiayo
and me. We have been friends for a long time before we came together
last year to form this company.

What inspired ‘Tears in the Rain’?

‘Tears in the Rain’
is based on different experiences that we as young artists are facing.
All the stories you heard (during the performance) are things that we
have all gone through as dancers and we are saying that enough is
enough when it comes to dance. As dancers, we are not respected. People
think that the only thing we do is come on the screen and shaky our
booty in one music video or the other. People are not interested in
attending dance productions except when it is a part of a stage play.
It was hard to get sponsorship for this particular production. We (the
production crew) had to dip our hands into our own pockets to finance
it. And then we did not change a gate fee as we wanted people to come
and see what they have refused to sponsor. The irony is that now we are
getting praised by the audience.

Who choreographed the dances?

I and Uche Onah
were in charge of the choreography but the rest of the cast were also
allowed to bring in their own originality especially in the individual
performances. Uche and I just streamlined everything in the direction
that we wanted.

How far do you intend to take the production?

I want to take it on tour to universities.

Do you have adequate sponsorship for that?

No, I don’t. And I
am begging people, members of the public, corporate and individual
sponsors, to get involved and not let this dream die. The individuals
that took part in this are not taking a kobo back by way of
compensation. Everybody just came out to do it because we love what we
do.

Like most Nigerian
communities, the Igbo are politically egalitarian and socially
patriarchal. One of the myths of origin among the Igbo has it that
Chukwu is the Supreme Creator. Chukwu is neither male nor female, and
of all its creation, human beings are the most priceless. However, like
most African myths of origin, it was through the abominable acts of
women that evil came into the world. Another origin myth has it that
although Chukwu is solely a man, he takes on a masculine character
(Mmoo), and a feminine appearance (Agwu). The masculine side of Chukwu
is believed to be kind, sympathetic, and generous to his creatures, but
the feminine side is believed to be mean and evil.

These perceptions
about masculinity and femininity have significantly affected the
socio-cultural beliefs and attitudes of men and women in Igboland. To
Acholonu (1995:6), the Igbo operate a dual sex hierarchy in which ‘men
and women exist in parallel and complementary positions and roles
within the society’, but this does not erase the general view that men
are superior and women are inferior. This basic perception about men
and women defines the socio-cultural beliefs and the practices of the
average Igbo. Even within such seemingly simple acts as naming a child,
play types, and dietary values, the superiority and inferiority
dichotomy are glaringly observed.

Myth provides the
basis for men’s exploitation of women in various contexts of
relationship. It should be noted that the institution of polygamy
always thrives in patriarchal societies. The Igbo man is thus
conditioned to believe he is a conqueror of lesser mortals like “weak”
men (in terms of wealth, physical prowess, etc.) and especially over
women who he regards as infinitely inferior to him. Many myths
celebrate men’s physical strength side by side the commodification of
women.

This can be seen in
traditional and modern Igbo communities where a man’s wealth is not
only measured by the amount of money he has, but also by the number of
wives he possesses. In contemporary times, one observes a large number
of Igbo men concentrating their energies on trade and enterprise, while
Igbo women gain more interest in higher education. It is a source of
pride, therefore, for an uneducated Igbo businessman to “win the hand”
of a fairly or very educated Igbo woman in marriage. A wealthy man,
they believe, is one who is rich enough to be able to “buy” a woman of
a high status. Such marriages of unequal bedfellows are becoming common
among the Igbo.

Women and men are
conditioned with myths that equate marriage with happiness. For women
especially, marriage is a must. No matter the level of academic
success, a woman who is not married cannot claim to be accomplished.
Much emphasis is also placed on bearing children. A childless woman is
always held in contempt and is the object of jokes and insults. Yet,
women as wives put a cloak of honour and responsibility on their
husbands. A married man, especially one with several wives, is accorded
much respect and honour, and sometimes chosen to be in charge of some
sensitive responsibilities in his community. In the Igbo society, the
man is the head, while the woman is the tail. The man’s word is law.
Several myths, folktales, proverbs and socio-cultural practices attest
to this.

This reality
manifests in the act of surnaming. A child must bear the father’s or
grandfather’s name in every positive situation. But if otherwise,

-Ajo nwa naaza aha nne ya (a bad child answers his or her mother’s name).

Some scholars have
stressed that Igbo women are positively portrayed, as seen in the names
they bear. One of such names is Nneka, meaning “mother is supreme”.

However, Chinua
Achebe in his first novel, ‘Things Fall Apart’, uses one of the male
characters, Uchendu, as his mouthpiece to query some of the
inconsistencies involved in negating all women, and at the same time
pretending otherwise by glorifying mothers:

We all know that a
man is the head of the family and his wives do his bidding. A child
belongs to its fatherland and not to his motherland. And yet we say
Nneka – ‘mother is supreme’! Why is that? (pp. 121-2) Several novels by
Igbo authors like Achebe, Elechi Amadi, Flora Nwapa, etc, have
extensively portrayed the negativity ascribed to women. For example, in
terms of fertility, a woman is not only expected to bear children, but
mostly male children. Perhaps, as a way of reflecting this preference
for male children, some Igbo name their girl-children, Nwaanyibunwa, “a
female is as good a child as the male”. Though the assertion is
positive, it nonetheless indicates that there is a cultural query on
the female child.

It is a fact that
some families are made up of only female children. Though the man
mourns his misfortune, he takes solace in the Igbo practice of the
payment of dowry by the husband-to-be to the family of the wife-to-be.
So, even though he does not have an heir apparent that will massage his
patriarchal ego and keep his name alive, the wealth he acquires, in
terms of material possessions and money from the dowry that will be
paid to him for giving his daughter away, serves as a source of
comfort. The monetary gain expected from female children is depicted by
some of the names they bear:

Nwaanyibuihe – The female sex is valuable Adabuaku _ A daughter brings wealth Akunna _ Father’s wealth.

When it comes to
the issue of infertility, the patriarchal community reserves some grace
for the man – if he is the one that is impotent. He can, to cover up
his feelings of embarrassment, shame, and impotence, arrange for his
wife to be impregnated by a secret lover whose identity must never be
disclosed to anyone. For the barren woman, however, there is no hiding,
no saving grace. She is barren, and it stays like that for all to see.

As earlier stated,
the Igbo take the institution of marriage seriously. Through marriage
especially, people are conditioned to promote the socio-cultural status
quo so that peace and harmony, conceived in patriarchal terms, would
continue to reign in the community. Many proverbs encourage men and
women to marry. To the Igbo, a married man or woman is seen as being
responsible. These are some of the proverbs that encourage men to marry:

-Okokporo si na ahia ekwoghi ekwo o,

umu ya ha di ole n’ahia?

(If a bachelor complains that the market is not full,

how many of his children are there?) In this proverb, an unmarried man is advised to get married and have children.

-Okorobia luo
nwaanyi ndimmuo amara (When a young man gets married, the spirit visits
him) It is only when a man is married that visitors from the spirit
realm will bless his union with children.

-Okokporo chupu oke n’ulo ya na onye ebiri?

(If the bachelor
chases away the rat from his house, who will live with him?) These
proverbs urge young men to get married so that they can beget children,
have company, and enjoy divine visitation. The only threat one can
decipher from analysing the proverbs above is that a man who is not
willing to get married should brace himself up for a life of loneliness.

One gets a completely different picture from the proverbs that have to do with women and marriage:

-Agbogho hokaria di ya aluo eke mmuo (If a maiden is too particular in choosing a husband, she will marry the spirit python).

This proverb warns
the woman to marry on time, even if the husband-to-be is not the one
she really desires. She is to accept wholeheartedly the “community’s
choice” of a husband over her own preference.

-Agbogho luo di abuo ya ahoro nke ka ya mma.

(If a young woman marries two husbands, she will choose the better of the two).

Here, the proverb
“comforts” a maiden who has had the misfortune of marrying a husband of
her own choice against her parents’ wishes. By the time she eventually
returns to marry her parents’ choice, she would be much wiser.

-Agbogho ngaghari ngaghari anaghi anogide na di (A flirtatious maiden does not remain in matrimony).

This sexist proverb
creates fear and offers no comfort to its target audience. It is issued
as a warning to young women, who are still active, intelligent and
inquisitive to desist from keeping male friends, be they platonic or
intimate, outside the matrimonial home.

A successful
marriage is highly regarded in the Igbo community. If a marriage
disintegrates, the woman loses all forms of respect and becomes the
butt of cruel jokes and amusement among family members as well as
peers. On the contrary, however, society expects the man to be
flirtatious in order to woo and win many women as wives.

The proverb thus
offers no comfort to wives who experience psychological and emotional
trauma from their husbands. They are to remain perpetually patient in
their suffering not only for the children’s sake, but also for the
purpose of being seen as points of reference whenever successful
marriages are discussed.

Some other Igbo proverbs portray women as greedy, frivolous, miserly, and selfish:

-Anu kwuru n’oku,
nwanyi ejebe ozi ezighi ezi (When meat is roasting over a fire, the
woman suddenly becomes over-agreeable and eager to serve and please).

-Nwanyi lelia diya, ekwu akpo ya nku (A woman who disrespects or disregards her husband becomes wretched and destitute).

Nwanyi kaba nka,
odika ejighiaku luo ya (As a woman grows old, it seems as if her
marriage was not contracted with great wealth).

The above proverbs support a general belief that women become less beautiful and appealing as they grow older.

-Asiri guba nwanyi, obulie ekwu oku ya (When a woman wants to gossip, she carries her hearth along with her).

Here, women are seen as frivolous and gossips.

-Ji gwu n’oba, nwayi azaba oku ike (When there are no yams in the barn,

the woman becomes hostile and insubordinate).

This proverb portrays women as calculating, greedy and pretentious.

-Agbogho gaa ajo ije, ya akpaa nku e doro ihe (If a young woman wanders aimlessly,

she will gather the firewood preserved with a spell).

This particular
proverb warns inquisitive and adventurous young women to desist from
the temptation of wanting to try out new ideas or practices. Instead,
they should be contented with what is in practice (i.e. tradition), for
the good of all.

-Okorobia nwannyi
naafuru oja mmuo aja na-awu (The young man whose praise flute is blown
by a woman jumps over the mud fence of the spirits).

The above proverb
advises men to be wary of taking advice from women – be it from their
mothers, sisters, aunts, or wives – as such will always lead them into
danger. They should be more wary of receiving praises from women as
such praises are often not sincere and can mislead them. The proverb
further re-states the patriarchal belief that women are emotional and
illogical.

Though these
proverbs might seem old-fashioned, they are also much in vogue and
serve as the basis upon which new proverbs and sayings that undermine
women are created. The dynamism that defines development in society has
also equipped the creators of proverbs to be more adept at coining new
ones: either re-crafting the old proverbs in “new” ways that reflect
contemporary experience, or forming new ones entirely. Whichever way,
however, the results are the same: women are essentially evil and
negative. These become reflected in many programmes and drama
presentations on television, in popular magazines, indigenous and
contemporary music, etc.

The harsh economic
experience of the country since the early 1980s has led to the
emergence of more women as breadwinners in their families. The
austerity measures adopted by various Nigerian governments drastically
affected many men in the formal waged sector. Since most women are
concentrated in the informal sector, the onus “naturally” falls on them
to become the financiers of their families. In this type of situation
that has become quite common, one finds men becoming more aggressive,
unnecessarily sensitive, overbearing, and rude. Some men even resort to
physically battering their wives as a way of [re]asserting their
headship of the family.

Though one cannot
excuse the excesses of some women who find themselves in new positions
of power and authority that come with being the breadwinners of their
homes, the psychological trauma of women who shoulder the heavy
responsibilities of being wives, mothers, and now “heads” of their
families cannot be wished away. Many women in this type of situation go
out of their way to be extra careful in their relationship with their
husbands by making them feel that they (the men) are in control, in
spite of some contrary realities. This is domestic diplomacy and there
is not much that is wrong with it.

However, there is
everything questionable about a man who does not appreciate the efforts
of his wife at maintaining the patriarchal status quo. There is
everything wrong with a society that encourages its men to take a
malicious delight in belittling the complementary efforts of women who
are constantly reminded that:

A naghi ekunyere nkita abuo mmiri n’otu eju (You do not put water in one jug for two dogs).