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The author of the
poetry collection ‘I am Memory’ doesn’t fancy being called just a poet.
And though she loves poetry, she wouldn’t say she prefers one genre of
literature to another.

“I think it’s too
early to judge me. I like poetry quite all right, I find it
introspective,” she says but adds that she wants to be judged on her
writings. “I’d rather be a successful writer. You know when they say
writer/poet, I want to be that.”

Born and raised in
Lagos, Verissimo who has worked as a journalist, copywriter and editor,
has made a career of writing. Writing is the one thing she is very
passionate about and she is prepared to give it her all. “Everything I
always wanted to do has been writing. It’s all I know how to do in the
sense of skill.”

Passion for writing

Writing was a habit
the writer cultivated from an early age; she started by copying writers
whose books she read. “As a child, I learnt a lot from reading. I
started to write like the writers whose books I read.”

She grew to have a
passion for the art and decided to act upon it. She resolved to
dedicate her time to writing by resigning from her day job in an
advertising firm and has declined other employment opportunities since
then to concentrate fully on her writing. It was a risk she was willing
to take, leaving behind the regular income of a day job for one she
couldn’t be too sure of.

“When you like
something very passionately, you want to give it your time, watch it
grow and understand it. The reasons things don’t succeed is because we
don’t give it time. Relationships don’t succeed because we don’t give
it time, parents don’t know their children because there’s no time,”
she explains.

Verissimo’s passion
for writing is motivated by qualities, including honesty and integrity,
that she learnt as a child. She believes that writing is one good way
to portray these qualities.

“I’m from a humble
background, from a family where we are taught that the truth is above
all else. We were taught that integrity is above all else and honesty
is very important.”

Reading is another
activity the winner of the Carlos Idize Ahmad Prize (for her first book
of poetry) loves to engage in besides writing and she discloses that it
is a source of inspiration to her. “I enjoy reflecting on what I read
and see.”

She notes, however,
that it is difficult to place a finger on what inspires her given that
she gets inspired by everything around her. She nonetheless loves
listening to people because she learns a lot that way.

Thrills and trials

The writer enjoys
the thrills of writing at her own pace, unlike when she had a day job.
“There’s no definite time for writing. When I had a day job I seemed to
have a definite time but I got fed up with the routine so I don’t have
a definite flow.”

Though she likes
writing at her own pace, she delights in writing at the least expected
moment. “Interestingly, I love to write when I’m tired because your
thoughts clash and when you wake up in the morning, you find that there
is beauty in the ashes,” she discloses.

“Every day comes
with its own challenges,” notes the writer, though she insists that
they are not really challenges. “I don’t know how to talk about the
challenges because to me, they are like the steps to reaching my
destination.”

She believes there
are no challenges when you overcome them and when you do what you love
doing. Her advice to aspiring writers is to believe in themselves.

“There are people
who write because they want to be famous and some genuinely love to
write.” She believes that writing as a career should be borne only out
of love and not because of fame.

The future

When asked about
her future in writing, Verissimo compares herself to characters in a
novel. She explains that writers usually do not know the future of
their characters until the end of the story and she likes to see her
future as something similar. “Knowing your character doesn’t mean
knowing the future of a character. Let your character flow into your
story. So I’m like that character.”

She adds that she
does not have total control over her career. “I’m a protagonist in the
hands of the being writing my own story. I don’t know what that story
is but I’m hoping I’m a protagonist that will excel and I’m working
towards it.”

One fact remains
certain though: she will always be a writer and she intends to work
very hard at it. “I’m going to work very hard, I’m going to improve my
writing and I’m going to read so that I can excel in what I do.” The
writer’s ultimate goal is to reach as many people as possible by
widening her horizon. She has recently collaborated with photographer
Toye Gbade on a collection of poems and photography. The collection
features the Makoko community and will be published later this year.

It is writing or
nothing for Verissimo and she gets at it every day. “I’m working on a
novel and I have frame works for other ideas,” she discloses. The book,
she says, is not a cause book but she is “just following the lead of
the characters.” She likes to see herself as a reader who is looking to
be entertained so she does not limit herself to a particular theme but
wants to be free to write on any subject.

However, she does not feel the same is true for her poetry. “For
poetry, I have a running theme that grows on its own. At the end of the
day, I’m socially free and try to expand myself.”

South African
director, Jahmil X.T. Qubeka, talks about his first feature, ‘A Small
Town Called Descent’. The movie, starring Hollywood actor John Savage,
and South Africans Vusi Kunene, Fana Mokoena, Lindani Nkosi, Bubu
Mazibuko and Zandile Msutwana, won the Best Visual Effects prize at the
2011 Africa Movie Academy Awards held recently in Yenagoa, Bayelsa
State.

‘A Small Town
Called Descent’ is about xenophobia in South Africa and the three men
from the elite Scorpions who come to solve the case. What’s the
significance of the title, descent into hell?

Yes, kind of.
Essentially, descent is a state of decline and for me, the town itself
is the microcosm of where I thought we were as a nation and as a
continent at that particular time. All these three guys trying to solve
the case were dealing with demons of their own. Nobody is perfect. I am
not interested in one-dimensional characters because we are not
one-dimensional people. Nobody is one-dimensional. No one is overtly
evil and no one is overtly good either. We all have dark shades. So
when I was creating the characters, I wanted to explore that theme:
that our central characters in the film should be characters with multi
dimensions and that really is what the film is about. We didn’t create
a normal police visual drama, though it may seem like one. For me, the
passion was about the fact that the characters had to show their bad
and weak sides, which is very important.

What is the significance of a film like this in today’s South Africa?

In a sense, South
Africa was isolated from the rest of the continent and the world for a
very long time. We only attained our independence in 1994 and for us to
be in a situation where there were xenophobic attacks; where black
people, my country men, were attacking other black people from all over
the continent. Calling them foreigners, telling them to get out of
their country, I had a problem with that. Also in the sense that I felt
theatrically and in the media, normal citizens of South Africa didn’t
have anything to say, we couldn’t have a voice and condemn these
attacks. I am quite fortunate being a filmmaker; it is quite a
privilege to be able to have the tools that you have to communicate
with the world. Basically, I took the tools that I had and used it to
communicate a message: that we are all one people. I think in the
current dispensation, there is no time for such, especially against
people of your own skin.

What’s the mood of South Africans to the disbandment of the Scorpions?

It was quite a
controversial issue. The Scorpions were an elite force; they are South
Africa’s version of the FBI and they had a very successful rate in
terms of conviction ratio. They went after some really powerful people
in my country. The most popular politician they went after was the man
who is currently our president. So, they were always looked on as our
conscience and when they were disbanded, there was huge outcries
throughout the country with the people saying why disband something
that actually works? That is actually defeating corruption and crime?

How was your experience making the movie?

It was fantastic. I
had an all-star cast, I worked with an actor from Hollywood by the name
of John Savage and it was my first feature as a director. I had
produced one before but it was my first feature as a director and wow,
it was a once in a lifetime experience. It was also gratifying in the
sense that you take something from writing it; from print to the screen
and that transition for me is momentous. That’s why I am passionate
about filmmaking, I like going from the pen to the screen. That
transition for me is momentous.

Did you consider bringing in another person to direct the movie since you wrote it?

I feel writing to
directing is an extension of the craft; it’s still telling a story. I
didn’t feel that I was taking on two hats or anything of the sort. I
took my passion from writing the story all the way to my other passion
which is to direct.

What is the film’s budget?

It was a modest budget of about four million South African rands. We made do with the little that we had.

What are your plans for the movie?

It has travelled
quite extensively. It debuted last June at the Durban International
Film Festival back in South Africa. From there it went to the Pusan
Film Festival in Korea, which is the biggest film festival in Asia. It
has been to Dubai, Rotterdam, Belgium. It has travelled already and in
terms of plan distribution wise, it’s going to be released theatrically
in South Africa in the next month or two. From there it will go to DVD.
It will be released in Nigeria theatrically in about two months time.

Was there no other theme you could have treated apart from the xenophobic attacks?

The film doesn’t
just deal with xenophobia; it deals also with corruption. Corruption is
the major issue. And there are also race relations. I think it’s quite
extensive in terms of themes. In fact, I have been criticised that I
deal with too many subject matters but like I said, we are
multi-dimensional people. We are not just one thing and one thing
connects to another.

Are you working on another film now?

Yes. It is called
‘A Good Report’. It’s a psycho thriller about the birth of a serial
killer. It’s a totally different type of story to what I have done in
the past. I like to try and do different kinds of materials.

What’s the cinema culture like in South Africa?

Cinemas are
catering to about three to four percent of the population, which is the
middle class to the whites, unfortunately. They are far away from
majority of the people who live in conditions of poverty. So, it’s not
quite viable for the poor people to leave the township and go watch
movies in cinemas so the DVD market is rising quite steadily.

Are you not afraid of piracy?

Hey man, I’m a filmmaker. My main thing is that people watch and
engage my movie. Obviously, I would like to make money from the film
but I just want people to watch my film.

I found out on
Facebook that our teenage daughter Ominira is in a relationship. I am
not handling it very well. I had always assumed that I would be the
only man in her life. We have a special bond even though she is one of
our four children.

When Ominira was
born, she came to this earth with a stomach the size of that of a
starving pigeon. My wife and lover is the hardest working human being
on earth, bar none. I would not be writing today without the benefit of
her industry; she loves us and will do anything to ensure our welfare
and comfort. Well, anything except lose a second of her sleep. As long
as she is awake, she is good, but once girlfriend goes to sleep she is
genetically incapable of waking up until she is good and ready, which
is usually the next morning. If there is a fire in the neighbourhood, I
have trained myself to simply sling her on my shoulder, grab my
American passport and ask the children to find their way. LOL! Man wen
dey cry dey see road. My wife, me and my American passport are
inseparable, who nor like better ting?

I am a night owl,
my muse wakes up only at night and so most of my literary mischief is
hatched at night. I generally have the kids in the evenings after work
and all weekend when my wife is at work. Sounds like a divorce
settlement but it really is not. This arrangement works for us. I am
actually a househusband, and I enjoy the role. I learnt how to babysit
children when I was a little boy. My mother loved to give me the baby
du jour to hold while she and other women sallied forth on the evils of
men. I learnt to hold on to a baby for hours without complaining.
Complaining was usually unwise because it attracted unnecessary
roughness on my head.

So the babysitting
skills I developed as a child proved to be invaluable in America. I
loved to feed our children at night. Each night, like clockwork a baby
would wake up and demand fillet mignon in a bottle, warmed up to the
right temperature. Babies always prefer to be changed before being fed,
after which they poop and they have to be changed. They also love to be
rocked to sleep. This is stressful after you have been drinking lots of
beer, so I stopped drinking for a while. I owe the survival of my liver
to my kids.

Rocking Ominira
involved walking around our tiny townhouse, listening to neighbors and
insects making loud lusty love. Once Ominira fell asleep, I would go to
sleep until she rings the bell for service which was usually after five
minutes. When Netter_Shoks, our first child came, we were all excited,
we had a room for her, complete with a crib, mattresses, blankets,
teddy bears, chimes, and assorted cute stuff that we got from excited
friends, neighbours and relatives in this primitive American ceremony
called a baby shower. Well, Netter_Shoks hated sleeping in that room
alone; she preferred our bed, which was stressful, if you know what I
mean. My lover had no problem with our baby’s strong preference to be
between me and her. I had serious issues with this arrangement; it has
affected my relationship with Netter_Shoks. We are in counselling.

Being a
househusband is no big deal; the kids don’t know the difference. I had
a great time with them and I bonded quite well with the kids. In the
evenings and on weekends we went everywhere, they wanted to be with me.
Whenever they were cranky, I would put them in the van and drive around
our neighbourhood until they started snoring and then I would carry
them into the house one at a time.

One very cold
winter, doing my Christmas shopping, I bundled Netter_Shoks in a
carrier on my chest, covered both of us in a winter coat and went to
the mall. Two alert and nosy African American females stopped me to
peek into my chest with the memorable words: “Is that YOUR baby in
there?” They probably thought I was a child snatcher. When our son was
born, one weekend there was a snow blizzard and my lover was stuck at
work and could not come home. Night came and our son wanted to breast
feed, and his yeye lips reached for my imaginary breasts, I almost
fainted with shock. It was a long three nights without my lover.

Back to Ominira,
like clockwork every 2:00 am I would take her out of bed, tiptoe
downstairs and feed her. For two years. We became best buddies. I can
still see her two teeth vibrating with joy as I enter the room from
work. To this day, she peeks into rooms looking for me. When I am not
around she calls and texts around every where looking for me. We are
buddies. Now she is in a relationship, how does that work?

This bitch of a life
By Carlos Moore
343PP;
Cassava Republic Press

The year 2010, the
13th anniversary of the death of ‘Abami Eda’, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, was
undoubtedly an epiphany. It was a year like no other since his demise.
Broadway, the home of theatre in the United States, staged a musical
that took the world by storm in a manner the Abami Eda himself did. In
the same year, as part of ‘Felabration’–the annual event set aside by
his scions to mark his anniversary–the book ‘Fela: This Bitch of a
Life’ by Carlos Moore was published in Nigeria, 28 years after it was
published to world acclaim abroad.

A rebellious heritage

The release of
this book, which marked the first time it was published in Africa, has
added more value to the discourse of Fela the man, his music, life and
philosophy. Written primarily in the first-person narrative, Fela tells
his story candidly, starting from his long-awaited birth and the kind
of child his parents expected. In his words, his parents expected “the
meek, quiet type … [a] well-mannered” child but gave birth to him
instead. In Yoruba cosmology, it is believed that if a troublesome
child is not allowed to breathe life, it will disturb its mother
throughout hers. In other words, Fela was a child that had to be born
in order for his parents, and especially his mother, to have peace.

The biography
traces Fela’s lineage in a way that demonstrates he inherited his
rebellious streak from the Kuti family. His father, a priest, once
refused to remove his cap while passing by a military barracks where
the colonial British flag was flying. He refused to back down when
challenged by a military guard and the forceful removal of his cap with
a bayonet led to serious uproar in the city. This eventually led to the
relocation of the army barracks from within the city of Abeokuta to its
outskirts. The book also captures the essence of the mother who was
instrumental to the women’s protest against the Alake of Abeokuta for
imposing a tax on women.

In writing ‘This
Bitch of a Life’, Moore was able to have unrestricted access to Fela.
This is perhaps what others who have written books about the legend
never had. Fela was at once a man of the people and at the same time a
very hard man to get in the kind of close interaction that would have
resulted in writing a book as intimate as the one Moore eventually
wrote.

Another strong
point that Moore had over all other authorised biographers of the Abami
Eda was that he was able to give voices to all 27 band girls whom he
(the late Fela) affectionately referred to as queens. He married them
in one day. In justifying this rather bizarre marriage to 27 girls all
at once, he was trying to let the world know that the band girls, who
were being rejected or scorned, were all worthy to be married.

The queens

For the first time
readers are able to get a firsthand peep into the minds of the wives
and what they think of their man. Leading the pack is the numero uno,
Remi, mother of the clan. It must have been a tough task for Moore to
get her to talk about the man she loved. Many journalists would attest
to the fact that she was a most reserved woman, who hardly ever spoke
to the press. She was content with living her life in the background.
She was also a no-nonsense woman who was not bothered by her husband’s
ways with women.

She says, “The
only thing that bothered me was if any woman should come and try to act
big over me. I wouldn’t take that. It really didn’t bother me because
he had, you know, girlfriends outside. He never brought any woman to my
house.” (p183) Answering a question about why she stuck to him for over
two decades despite the tumult she says, “Most likely because I know
he’s honest and he’s really doing what he believes.” (p185) Remi
confesses that Fela taught her humanity and how to forgive. This is
something very positive and revealing as many perhaps would have
thought of him as a man who loves trouble. About the things that irked
or rubbed her wrong way about her man she admits, “His generosity is
the first. This was in the past and sometimes now. And I think
sometimes his humanity is misguided. I can be pretty hard with people.
You hurt me; I can’t accept anything else from you. He’s made me change
a bit and I don’t like that change, ‘cause if somebody does something
to me I don’t want to talk to them again. But through Fela I’ve learnt
to subdue that feeling.” (p185)

Many great and
hard men are known to calm down where their loved one is concerned.
Could Fela, with his public persona, be afraid of anyone? A man who
took on systems and one brutal military government after another? The
woman who should know him more than us all reveals, “I sometimes feel
Fela’s a little bit afraid of me. I really do. He may never show it or
admit it, but I feel it.” (p187) But that demonstrates that he was
human after all.

There are so many
more revelations about the lives of the women in Kalakuta Republic and
many reasons as to why they married him. One of such was Kikelemo, who
was asked what her ambition in life was, to which she replied, “I don’t
know.” When asked, “What do you want to do in life?” she said, “I just
like to be Fela’s wife.” (p228) He was such a captivating phenomenon.

Treasure trove

‘This Bitch of a
Life’ is no doubt a well-written and researched documentation of the
life of Fela. The long wait for its publication in Nigeria and Africa
has been well worth it. The publishers, Cassava Republic, have really
done well. If marketed well, this book will be one of their
bestsellers. The publishers have turned out to be an outfit to look out
for, as Cassava has become home to great books, such as Lola Shoneyin’s
‘The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives’, long listed for the
prestigious Orange Prize, and Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani’s ‘I Do Not Come
to You By Chance’, which won the Commonwealth regional prize.

However, there are some few typos that they need to correct in
subsequent reprints. These include Calabaris instead of Kalabari (38),
Buckner for Bucknor (p65), Zill Oniya for Zeal Onyia (p82), Urobho for
Urhobo (p221), Ejor for Ijaw (p229), Beni for Bini (p234), and Shosanyu
for Shosanyan (p237). Despite these little glitches, the book is a
wonderful treasure trove that must be explored. Time spent reading
through it is amply rewarded with a wealth of information and insights
on one of Africa’s greatest exports and gifts to the world.

The fourth annual
Nigeria Film Corporation (NFC) Film Lecture Series will hold on
Thursday, May 5 at Silverbird Galleria on Victoria Island, Lagos at
10am.

Femi Shaka, a
professor of film in the department of creative arts of the University
of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, will be delivering this year’s lecture,
titled ‘Nigeria’s Cultural Explosion through Film’.

The vice chancellor
of the Osun State University, Sola Akinrinade, delivered the maiden
lecture in 2008, while Newton Jibunoh, an environmentalist, and Abdalla
Uba Adamu, a professor of science education and curriculum studies at
Bayero University, Kano, headed the next two lectures in the series.

A statement from
Brian Etuk, the head of corporate affairs at the NFC, disclosed that
this is the first time the lecture will hold outside Abuja. “The 2011
edition of the lecture series underscores the commitment of the NFC to
ensuring that the growth of the motion picture industry is sustained,”
he added.

Honouring talent

Anuli
Agina, Vivien Torbunde and Jonathan Eze, the winners of the 2010/2011
NFC film essay competition, will receive cash prizes and certificates
during the event.

Two veterans of the
movie industry, Ita Isuaudono Okon and Aliyu Garba Kankara, will also
be honoured with lifetime achievement awards while prizes will be given
to the box office’s highest-grossing Nigerian movie and the best
distributor of Nigerian movies.

Etuk said Okon and
Kankara were being honoured “for their tremendous contributions in the
development of Nigeria’s motion picture industry.”

Okon, a film
editor, worked with the defunct Federal Film Unit and the NFC before he
retired from public service in 1994. Some of his productions include
‘What a Man Can Do’, ‘Black Heritage (FESTAC 77)’, ‘Kulba Na Barna’ and
a ‘Nation’s Path to Greatness’, amongst others. He is a member of the
British Cinematographic, Sound and Television Society and the Nigerian
Guild of Film Directors/Editors.

Kankara, from
Katsina State, is a broadcaster and film editor. He had a stint with
the National Broadcasting Corporation, Kaduna, in 1973 as a continuity
announcer/newscaster and retired as permanent secretary, Katsina State
Ministry of Information in 2008. Some of his productions include ‘Shehu
Umar’, ‘Durba’, ‘Kowa ya Kwana Lafiya’ and ‘Noma Arziki’. He is a
member of the Nigerian Film Society.

Silverbird Cinema is partnering with the NFC for this year’s
lecture, which is expected to be graced by academics, motion picture
professionals and film buffs. It is also open to interested members of
the public.

‘Art of Rebellion’,
a joint exhibition of artwork by renowned graphic artist Lemi Ghariokwu
and Weyinmi Atigbi, opened at The Life House in Victoria Island, Lagos,
on April 19.

All the works on
display had the inimitable Fela Anikulapo-Kuti as their subject matter.
Ghariokwu has done a lot of work, i.e. album sleeves and paintings, on
the afrobeat legend and activist in the past.

He continues to
release works based on the ideologies and principles of Fela and some
of the works as recent as 2010 were on display.

They feature a
mishmash of vivid colours, graffiti and newspaper clippings, some of
them bearing slogans like ‘Afrobeat no go die’, ‘Kalakuta Ltd’ and
cartoons in Pidgin English.

On the title ‘Art
of Rebellion’, Ghariokwu said it was first coined by the UK Guardian
newspaper in an article written about his work. He added that, “Fela
was rebelling and I provided the art to that.”

He said of his
fascination with Fela : “It is based on my predestination. I believe
Fela and I were pre-ordained to work on the project ‘Mental
Liberation’. It was not a chance meeting. It was spiritual not
superficial,” said the artist, who met Fela some 33 years ago, when he
was 18 and the latter was 35.

“I designed most of
his album covers, 26 in all, in a period spanning three decades. We
started out as acolyte and master. He was my master,” he added. “I
pioneered record sleeve-designing as a career in Nigeria. I have
designed over 2000 album covers for the likes of Oliver de Coque, Osita
Osadebe, Shina Peters, The Mandators, Bob Marley, Orits Wiliki, Lucky
Dube, Brenda Fassie, Mariah Carey, Yvonne Chaka Chaka and many others,”
Ghariokwu disclosed.

Afro pop art

On the message of
his art: “We (Fela and I) have a message for Africans. Africans have
been down under for so long. The solution is to emancipate ourselves
from mental slavery, which Fela propagated. And I continue to
illustrate what he was saying visually,” he said.

Ghariokwu added
that, “My role is to help disseminate Fela’s message.” The artist, who
is particular about staying relevant in this technologically advanced
digital age, has invented what he calls ‘afro pop art’.

“I felt I needed to
recreate myself. I work digitally. It’s part of my trying to stay
relevant to this digital age. When we started we did everything by hand
but things have changed,” said the artist.

Correspondingly,
all his works on display were of mixed media. One of his contemporary
innovations is the use of perspex. “I use perspex. It’s plastic. I
wanted to do something fresh.” He added that his experience with neon
signage came in handy in using perspex in the paintings.

In one of the mixed
media paintings, which has newspaper clippings, the artist explained
that, “the newspaper clippings are from different newspaper articles
which celebrate Fela. I put it all together to show that Fela is
celebrated.”

Four works by
Atigbi, who was absent, were also on display. Atigbi is also a graphic
designer, printmaker and photographer. ‘Pouch with Seven Lives’ is a
painting of Fela’s face shrouded in shades that seem to reflect mystery
and mystique.

Other works
include: ‘Wall of Age’, ‘The Voice’ and ‘Breast Plate’ which shows a
semi-naked woman bedecked in tribal ornaments, reminiscent of Fela’s
female dancers, with palms covering her naked breasts.

This timely exhibition coincides with the ‘FELA! in Lagos’, the
Broadway musical, which ends tomorrow at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island.

Golda John-Abiola has come a long way from the 1970s, when she began acting. She has featured in popular TV series including ‘Mirror in the Sun’, ‘Ward 15′ and ‘Checkmate’. She also appeared in Tunde Kelani’s ‘Ti Oluwa Ni Ile’ and in a number of stage productions before she relocated to the United Kingdom in 1995 where she remains active on the theatre scene. Golda John, who hails from Kalabari, Rivers State, is married to Mike Abiola, founder and chief executive officer of the Afro Hollywood Awards, which are now known as the African Film Awards (AFA). The actress, who uses the name Golda John professionally, visited Nigeria recently and talks to NEXT about her passion, Nollywood and the reasons behind her visit.

Tell us a bit more about your work.

I have acted a lot on stage, done feature films and commissioned films. I am actively involved with Afro Hollywood and I am a director of the awards. We want to be a bridge between Nollywood and the international world. There is a big plan to do collaborations between Europe and Nigeria. The Afro Hollywood award has now metamorphosed into the African Film Awards. For the past four years it’s been known as the African Film Awards. We think that Nollywood can compete with Hollywood. The aim is to expose Nigerian actors to the international scene. We’ve done a few movies also. The whole idea began as the Nigerian Videos Magazine which Mike Abiola started in 1996. He was writing about Nigerian actors and the Nigerian movie industry.

What sparked your interest in acting and how did it all begin?

In every profession some talent is required. So, when you go for it, it becomes natural. I think for me it’s inborn. I didn’t set out to be an actress. Wale Ogunyemi really encouraged me. While I was studying at the University of Ibadan, he was doing a play [called] ‘The Divorce’. I was at the Arts Theatre with a friend and he saw me. He told me to read the script for a particular character and he liked my delivery and immediately cast me in the play. The play went round and we toured with it.

You are based in the United Kingdom. What are you doing in Nigeria presently?

I am here as part of plans to re-launch myself into Nollywood. I believe that Nollywood will benefit from the exposure I have had and I have a lot to offer. I would like to work with my colleagues in the industry and do collaborations. And I have already begun. The group that is bringing the ‘Fela!’ play to Nigeria want me on a workshop they are organising while the play is on in Nigeria.

What’s your general impression of the Nigerian movie industry?

Nollywood has experienced a boom that the whole world cannot ignore and I am happy about that. Irrespective of the content and quality of our movies, everyone in the UK is talking about Nollywood. And I wish that the government will take advantage of this. Nollywood has become a phenomenon. It’s amazing that in spite of all the constraints, the industry is able to get this far and I am concerned about it getting better.

What do you make of Nollywood’s poor showing at the African Movie Academy Awards?

I know that the storylines of our movies are good because they teach morals. However, technically, we are not there yet. We need training and affordable one at that. The video producers and marketers are the ones financing these movies and so they dictate what comes out. They have the money but no training so workshops need to be organised for them. The regulatory bodies in the industry can organise workshops for them. But if they stay aloof and make laws, the other side will always want to counter them. In these workshops they should tell them, when you light a scene and there is shadow, it will not win awards. It shouldn’t be about making money alone. The loss at the AMAA happened because technically a lot of our movies fall short.

What is AFA doing to improve the industry?

We organise training programs and workshops in the UK where Nollywood actors interact with actors in the UK. We are affiliated with the Oval House Theatre in the UK which supports us in organising cultural exchange programs. We’ve also expanded the reach of AFA to other West African countries like Gambia, Cote d’Ivoire and Cameroun. It’s an all-embracing body. We allow fans to nominate and then we shortlist and set up committees to look at the works. We’ve also extended the awards to include entertainment writers and journalists.

How is the theatre scene in the UK different from that in Nigeria?

The theatre culture is very alive in the UK. I have been involved in stage productions in many theatres in the UK and the pay isn’t bad. When a play is staged it can run for a few months, go on tour and then come back and continue to show for a long time. I have an agent and I am also in ‘Spotlight’, which is the actors’ directory so that anyone who wants to cast me can get more information about me and my work. I was disappointed to see the state of our national theatre. It is a national edifice, our symbol. It is a representation of Nigeria. More investment ought to be put into it and more activities should take place there. It shouldn’t be expensive to hire and it should be a tourist attraction. I think it’s expensive to hire and that is why our people are not using it. In addition to that, there is no security and there is also the problem of power. In the UK, you have a variety of theatre productions and musicals to choose from and they are not expensive to see. We need to replicate that here, not the MUSON Centre which the average Nigerian cannot afford to hire. Mama Bisi after a tough week selling at the market should be able to take her children to the theatre in the weekend. The Herbert Ogunde culture of having theatre at Glover Hall back then is all gone. Let’s go back to the time of Baba Ogunde. Then there was nothing like blackout and insecurity. When the main auditorium in UNILAG was booked for Ogunde it would be full. Nollywood came from travelling theatre of the likes of Baba Mero and Herbert Ogunde. If it is revived and made affordable and it is located in every township, that is you have a theatre in every township, people will go to see productions.

What do you do outside of acting?

I am a creative person. I do not like to sit down and write but I can create storylines. I do well in improvisation, organising workshops and directing. I also do costumes and makeup. I’m also a professional masseuse and nutritionist and I train people in those areas too. My other hobby is cooking and I am also passionate about empowering women. When you empower women, you empower the nation. I don’t like it when women are oppressed and have to depend on their spouses for their livelihood. I hope to create an NGO to empower women. We will give out loans to women to set up their businesses.

What are some productions you have been involved in?

‘Mirror in the Sun’, ‘Ward 15′ (I played the matron in charge of the ward), ‘Play of the Week’, ‘Checkmate’ (I played Ada’s aunty). I had a guest appearance in ‘The Village Headmaster’, ‘Family Ties’, ‘Opera Wonyonsi’, ‘Death and the King’s Horseman’, Bode Osanyin’s ‘Shattered Bridge’, ‘Ticket & Ties’, ‘Bonded’ and ‘Family Legacy’, a production on sickle cell anaemia sponsored by the NHS in the UK. I featured in all the convocation plays of the University of Lagos between 1978 and 1993. I have also featured in dramas organised by the British Broadcasting Corporation (World Service Radio).

Monalisa Chinda appears trim and currently sports a slimmer look. As she makes her way into a restaurant at Victoria Island, Lagos where this interview takes place, her shades sit perfectly on her face, hinting at the fact that she is a bit reserved. Though the restaurant is sparsely filled, some people still recognize her as she hurriedly makes her way to me. With the spotlight constantly on celebrities, some are unlucky and quickly move from being media sweethearts to tabloid target. In an emotional voice, the actress shares the downside of being famous.

“I am pained that [the] opposite sex refuse to separate the character one plays from the real self and it really weighs me down,” she said. “It is quite disturbing when you are trying to have a decent conversation with a guy and he thinks you are ‘that bitch’ he sees in a movie and so probably wants to treat you as such.

“I want Nigerians to know that what we portray on television is different from who we really are away from the cameras. As actors, we are taught to remove that thing which makes you, you and wear that character.”

Called to act

Acting was not the original job choice for this light-skinned actress; but her plans changed when she landed her first role in ‘Pregnant Virgin’ in 1996.

“Actually, when I started out, acting was not on my mind. I just read it as a course and I did not think I will be where I am today. When I started, I thought I was going to go into the corporate world or run my own business. But when I started acting, I realised that this [acting] is what I was called to be. I have really been successful, I must say. Before my first movie, I was in a soap opera on NTA Aba.”

After the movie, the actress played Adaora in Zik Zulu Okafor’s soap opera ‘Heaven’s Gate’ and gradually warmed up for the fame which lay ahead. However, no sooner had she began to enjoy stardom than she left the scene.

“As I sit here to talk to you, I do not know why I left the country when everything was here for me. London is the first port of call for all of us who want to go and experience greener pastures. You soon find out that it could be challenging. I thought I could run a course in cosmetology which I tried and I did finish.”

Thankfully, her three-year sojourn was cut short when she was required to come back to shoot some more scenes in ‘Heaven’s Gate’ shortly after she landed a role in Emem Isong’s ‘Girls in the Hood’.

Beyond acting

With the likes of Uche Jumbo, Ini Edo, Desmond Elliot and Stephanie Okereke all venturing into movie production as well as directing, the theatre arts graduate is not to be left out of the trend. With two movies and a soap opera in the works, the soft-spoken actress is excited about her current projects and defends her decision.

“You are getting older, so you have to diversify. You cannot keep doing the sassy girl role, so after a while you leave the scene and let the young ones come in and that is what I am trying to do,” she said.

The actress currently has two films ready to be shown to the public. She explains the plots: “The first movie is ‘It takes Two’, which I co-produced with Emem Isong and is directed by Desmond Elliot. The biggest one I have got so far is ‘Catwalk’. ‘Catwalk’ is a series and is not yet out. If you have seen ‘Ugly Betty’ and a little of ‘Devil wears Prada’, you may understand the concept better. It is all about a magazine company and what goes on in there. Africa has never seen anything like this before, but we will release the movie after the premiere. I also starred in both projects.”

Chinda is also quick to point out that movie producers rarely give actresses deep roles, choosing instead to cast them as long-suffering women and, other times, negatively. All these, according to her, are a fallout of the Nigerian system.

“Because we Nigerians are all perceptive in nature, all the gossip you read in the papers are not true. You sit in a place and so many lies are concocted about you. The fact that people are reading this bothers me, even when you know you make a conscious effort to stay out of trouble.

“Yes, I know that a lot of our celebrities could have some shortcomings. But it takes a level of maturity to be a celebrity and still keep your head. As an actress, you represent womanhood; so it is best to stay out of trouble. Yeah, you can make mistakes but don’t let them happen over and over again.”

Forward looking

Successful and in control, Chinda, who is also a Globacom ambassador, says the endorsement was a huge leap, career-wise, but adds that she still fantasizes about her dream role.

“I would like to play a horse rider, a woman who rides horses; more like a cow girl. I am not really adventurous, but when it comes to portraying a role I can do whatever you want me to do and maybe a little bit of action like carrying a gun,” she says with a laugh.

In the midst of the personal drama which played out two years ago when news of her separation from ex-husband, Victor Olusegun Dejo-Richards and his numerous press interviews surfaced, the actress focused on her career and kept mum while fans waited with bated breath for the actress to speak out.

“I know who I am and if you don’t know who you are, a lot of people are going to trample on you. I won’t lie to you that it did not get to me, because at some point I was very low. I know that as a celebrity when people say things about you, it will fade away at some point. So you just stay calm and don’t say a word. When it was time for me to talk, I said something.”

The mother of one has some tips for aspiring artists. “When you come into the industry, you are known for a lot of things, so you have to keep your head low. Some people let the fame get into their head; but you can only get to to the highest of heights with humility and then everything you ask for will come to you easily. You need to also stay focused and pray to be at the right place at the right time.”

With veteran actress Taiwo Ajai- Lycett and Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka as major inspirations, she said the first thing that draws her to a script and subsequently a role is dialogue and the language before anything else.

“If the language is not what it is supposed to be, I just toss it away,” she said.

She has spent 15 years in Nollywood but she believes there is still more to do. “Nollywood does not have a long way to go. We, the practitioners, have to rehabilitate ourselves; sit down and bring Nollywood to where it should be. I won’t speak further before people will say, ‘What have you contributed?'”

Describing herself as a diehard romantic, Chinda wraps the discussion up by disclosing that she is not living a life of loneliness.

“Don’t know about marriage, but romance may be in the cards,” she said.