Archive for entertainment

Good year for photography in Nigeria

Good year for photography in Nigeria

2010 was
undoubtedly a very good year for professional photography in Nigeria.
In fact, it was a vintage year; the best so far. But paradoxically, it
was also a year during which relevant questions about the proper place
of photography in the hierarchy of the Nigerian Art scene, its
independence as a valid and separate medium, and its financial value as
collectors’ items, all came to the fore, craving for urgent and
permanent answers.

Most of the
prominent visibility photography enjoyed in 2010 was in the form of
exhibitions; a spate of them. Well, over 20 across the country in
Lagos, Benin City, Port Harcourt, Abuja and ‘unlikely’ venues like
Bonny, Yenagoa, Ekiti, Asaba, and other cities. This huge number of
exhibitions, their logistics as solo and group exhibitions, the
collapse of firm contractual agreements (if there were any) between the
photographer-exhibitors and the myriad of curators, galleries and
institutions, cumulatively highlighted the non-existent or weak
platforms that should guarantee photographers a fair deal financially
and artistically.

Mixed grill

Predictably, the
fact that 2010 was Nigeria’s 50th independence anniversary provided
both the perfect excuse and theme for all manner of ‘commemorative’
photography exhibitions. These exhibitions organised by curators,
galleries and institutions eager to cash-in on the anniversary and
operating on various levels of competence and expertise, inevitably
ensured that these ‘novel’ photography exhibitions were a worrying mix
of excellence, growing mediocrity, and sheer uncreative.

Many
photographers, it seemed, were more eager to make creative statements
in all these ‘prestigious’ exhibitions than appreciate and exploit the
excellent business opportunities they provided. In the end,
collectively, photographers made much less money compared to the
windfall of the curators, galleries and institutions sponsored by
blue-chip companies, state and federal governments.

Photographers also
faced the big challenge of how to endure the new burden of an emerging
number of specialist local and foreign curators and gallery owners
trying to hoist their theories and expectations on which direction
photography in Nigeria should take and how quickly too.

Dilemma of definition

And so, whilst
photography is desperately trying to find its long-overdue and right
place in Nigerian Art, it is simultaneously facing the dilemma of
definition. What is and where should photography in Nigeria, in its
longevity and diversity, head for in terms of sustainability, better
creativity, and financial reward for professionals? It has become
obvious that photography in Nigeria needs to grow independently of
whatever sympathetic ‘Eurocentric’ curators, academics, galleries and
institutions profess in the ongoing extensive world debate on what
constitutes modern photography.

The widely-used
buzzwords are ‘engagement’ and ‘narratives.’ Whose, remains the
question. Prophetically yet unplanned as such, the Centre for
Contemporary Art (CCA), Yaba, Lagos, with its one-month-long Fine Art
photography workshop, with the theme ‘On Independence and the
Ambivalence of Promise’, held between February 8 and March 6, set the
tone and flavour for most of the prominent photography exhibitions in
2010.

The aim of the
workshop was “to focus not so much on technique but on methodology,
critical thinking, conceptual ideas and their implementation.” The
contents of the programme included, “history of photography and its
conceptual dimensions, methodology and strategies for the development
of artistic practice, development of critical thinking skills, and a
final exhibition.”

With a core of 13
facilitators from Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, Cameroun, Nigeria,
Brazil, Ghana, Sweden, and the U.S.A. and observers from Kenya and
Germany, the CCA workshop provided a global platform for exchange of
ideas, skills acquisition, and intellectual discourse on photography. I
presented a paper situating photography in Nigeria and the work of
Jonathan Adagogo Green of Bonny, within the global photography scene of
the late 20th century.

The subtle message
was to guard against a bias towards thinking that Eurocentric concepts,
ideas and even creative perceptions and techniques are ultramodern or
‘superior’ to the experience of indigenous Nigerian photographers in
one whole century of practice.

It remains
important to always emphasise that the tradition of indigenous
photography professionalism is well over a century old and started by
carving a niche of respect for creative and technical excellence by
global standards then.

Contested concept

It is instructive
that the historical place of photography in Nigerian contemporary Art
had to be revisited many times in 2010. Most significantly, perhaps,
was at the stakeholders’ public hearing on the proposed National
Gallery of Art Bill at the National Assembly on Thursday, November 4,
2010. It was a ‘star-studded’ affair that attracted the minister of
culture and tourism and his aides, the acting director general of the
National Gallery of Art (NGA), representatives of the Society of
Nigerian Artists (SNA), representatives of the Photographers
Association of Nigeria (PAN), Art galleries’ owners, Art critics, Art
collectors and lovers, and the general public were also there. It was
also an exhaustive exercise which required a meticulous review of the
suggestions that had been incorporated into the proposed Bill under
review.

When it was time
to define some of the functions of the NGA, it was unanimously agreed
that it should collect ‘modern Nigerian Art,’ and given the nature of
the stakeholders involved and the need to be specific, the next item
became an examination of the term itself.

Rasheed Gbadamosi,
an avid art collector and patron, proffered that ‘modern Nigerian Art’,
as substantiated by Art academics, started in the 1920s with the
emergence of Aina Onabolu as Nigeria’s first trained contemporary
artist. This has been the long held view, but it had to be demystified.
I countered by offering the information that since photography is now
globally accepted as an Art form, the correct beginning of what can be
identified as ‘modern Nigerian Art’ is the work of Bonny-based Jonathan
Adagogo Green, whose photographs taken in the late 1890s were a big hit
in Europe. Of course, there is now a body of academic evidence to prove
this important point.

In many ways, the
fact that photography as modern Art in Nigeria preceded contemporary
visual arts in the country by more than three decades is an
uncomfortable fact for art activists, particularly within the SNA. They
seem to be driven by the grandiose ideas of being the ‘parent’ body of
artists who should determine the fate and direction of Art in Nigeria.

The stakeholders’
sessions should by now have made clear that artists, photographers, and
architects, the three bodies the NGA is mandated to nourish and
protect, are equal partners in the national creativity progress.

The fact that most
artists in Nigeria paint photographs does not help the case of the Art
lobbyists trying to enshrine the concept of superiority within the
spectrum of contemporary Art in Nigeria. Numbers have never translated
into absolute quality.

That Art
collectors and galleries in Nigeria are yet to fully appreciate the
aesthetics and financial value of photography is more of their loss
than that of photographers who continue to be appreciated globally.

Finding the right
place for photography was the challenge and problem curators,
galleries, academics, collectors and institutions grappled with in
2010, with varying degrees of success.

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Documenting Africa on screen

Documenting Africa on screen

Nothing better
captures human history than a collection of information that is
indelible and images that are everlasting. For many film enthusiasts,
the moving picture medium does this best. However, within the medium,
the differentiation between the purposes of the feature and the
documentary film can not be overemphasised.

The essence of the
documentary film and the documentary film maker takes the front stage
at the iRepresent International Documentary Film Festival which ends
today at Freedom Park.

On the bill at the
opening ceremony, held last Thursday, was Manthia Diawara’s keynote
address ‘Can Documentary Change the World?’ Also showing was the film
professor’s documentary, ‘Who’s Afraid of Ngugi?’

Spread the word

Linking African
literature with the continent’s film culture, Diawara stressed the need
for more public intellectuals like Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and
Nelson Mandela, who are renowned for their self-expression in spaces
with global influence. In his words, these people had the genius of
“having a place for their public intellectuals to express him or
herself and to have that expression change the world.”

Heralding what
would be a major pattern all through the day’s event, Diawara said
maintaining and updating national and historical archives was a very
important part of re-enforcing the African existence and was useful in
presenting images and stories to the world that were true and positive
of the continent. For him, the audience is home-based before it is
global. “Films (should) have their legitimacy first in Africa,” he
said. The problem with filmmaking in Africa, he said, is that, “We make
films by addressing the West…in doing this, we betray a whole point
of view…this is irrelevant in changing people’s lives here.”

He advised that filmmakers should learn to own Africa by first owning her myriad resources.

Presenting
Diawara’s new publication, ‘African Film: New Forms and Aesthetics,’
managing director of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), Afolabi
Adesanya, supported the clamour for positive representations of Africa.
The history of colonisation in Africa, he said, would not allow a
European filmmaker make a movie that would be against his own. Adesanya
asked the industry “to take ownership of their images” and stop making
“films that put European audiences at their ease.” A trailer of the DVD
accompanying the book was then shown.

Tribute

Three ‘film heroes
past’ were honoured in a tribute. Veteran TV producer, diplomat and
arts patron, Segun Olusola, was at hand to present plaques to Brendan
Shehu, Tam Fiofori and Adegboyega Arulogun – all elder broadcasters who
had contributed immensely to the progress of TV and documentary films
in Nigeria.

Shehu, a former
director of the NFC, was grateful for the award that he said showed
efforts of his colleagues had not been in vain. For Arulogun, whom
Olusola described as a teacher of documentary filmmaking, the honour
was proof to upcoming filmmakers that “Nollywood was not created in a
vacuum.” International collaborations were vital for Nollywood to grow,
Arulogun said.

A painful experience

The audience’s
joyous mood turned sober with the screening of Diawara’s documentary on
the homecoming of Kenyan writer-activist, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, after 22
years in exile. Scenes in the movie took the audience through Ngugi’s
early life to the Mau Mau struggle and its influence on current Kenyan
politics. There were a lot of soul-thumping scenes, but none more
moving than the sequence of shots that covered the attack on Ngugi’s
family and the rape of his wife during his return to Kenya. Diawara
himself admitted that it “was a painful film to make.”

Kiragu,
co-ordinator of the couple’s trip to Kenya, was arrested alongside four
others for the assault. The 84-minute film showed that there were mixed
feelings for Ngugi and his activism in the East African country. There
were a number of indispensable nuggets in the film such as Ngugi’s
comment that, “identifying with another person’s language above your
own is actually despising one’s self.”

For Ngugi, the film
and its contents contributed “yet another way of liberating Africa,”
according to Diawara, the film’s narrator, writer and director.

The programme
returned from recess to expound on issues of identity, consciousness
and logistics in documentary film making in a workshop session titled
‘Redeeming the African Image: A case for African Documentary Films.’

Moderator of the
session was Emeka Mba, director-general of the Nigerian Film and Video
Censors Board with the panel boasting Senegalese, Lydie Diakhate; Joke
Silva, Mahmoud Ali-Balogun and Jaiye Ojo.

Improving the art

During the
workshop, Diakhate, a film producer and festival organiser, said, it
was “crucial to have a platform to be able to show new images of
Africa.” She accentuated the presence of positive stories that can be
told about the continent and hailed festivals as medium for encouraging
co-operation, sharing experiences and improving production quality
amongst filmmakers.

On his part,
Ali-Balogun posed the question of what exactly a filmmaker sets out to
achieve with a documentary. Speaking personally, he said most of his
documentaries are advocacy tools meant for improving Nigeria. As a
patriotic movie maker, he would not peddle negative images of his
country for any reason. This, he said, was mostly impossible for those
who sourced their funds from abroad and had to ‘dance to the tune’ of
their sponsor.

In light of the
challenges facing those already established in the genre, the lot fell
on Ojo to allay the fears of aspiring filmmakers. Speaking in a
deservingly upbeat tone, he said there are avenues for surviving in the
trend despite a seemingly high frustration rate.

Joke Silva also
said that more skill acquisition centres were crucial to honing the
talent of the industry’s up and coming producers.

There was a slight
argument over how easy it was to shoot a documentary, but it was agreed
that the industry’s green horns should not see their task as daunting
but something that has to be done if the passion was there.

The moderator, Mba
summed it up by saying that the overall duty for filmmakers is to “tell
our stories in a more socially-responsible way.”

Doing this
effectively were the two other films on the event’s bill. Olu
Holloway’s ‘Slum Sweeper’ was an exposé on the construction of the
Second Mainland Bridge, widely known as the Eko Bridge.

The festival film,
Jihan El-Tahri’s ‘Behind the Rainbow,’ a documentary on South African
politics, closed the evening’s schedule at Terra Kulture.

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How to bring back the book

How to bring back the book

Players in
Nigeria’s book industry converged at Banquet Hall, Eko Hotels, Victoria
Island, Lagos on Monday, January 17 to discuss President Goodluck
Jonathan’s ‘Bring Back the Book’ initiative launched in December. The
mandate of the conference organised by the Committee for Relevant Art
(CORA) and which lasted over 10 hours was to produce a blueprint for
the implementation of the reading scheme. It was themed ‘When the
President Wants to Bring Back the Book-What’s to be Done Now?’

Special assistant
to Jonathan on research, documentation and strategy, Oronto Douglas,
who kick-started proceedings reiterated the objective by asking
participants including publishers, writers, booksellers , librarians
and others to see themselves as important stakeholders in the scheme.

“We should all
conceive the campaign to bring the book back to a national
consciousness as a citizens’ framework that should bring back the
written word. NGOs working in the book business should be mobilised to
continue to do their work until the book is on top of the democratic
agenda,” he said.

Douglas added that
since the president is interested in a blueprint that would help push
the initiative, participants “should be as critical as possible because
it’s the end product that we are interested in.” The special assistant
also touched on criticisms that had trailed the initiative. He said the
presidency has noted people’s comment about elite schools being
favoured during the launch of the campaign in Lagos and would rectify
this in subsequent editions to hold across Nigeria.

“We request that
you take charge of this initiative and drive it. It is about a movement
for knowledge democratisation … Take charge of this process so the
book industry takes its rightful place in the education and advancement
of our intellectual industry for the good of the nation. This is an
urgent matter. It’s not politics; we should leave politics out of it.
It’s about the soul; relevance and right of Nigerians and for those who
want to advance the common cause of Nigerians,” he added.

The conference
director, Deji Toye, outlined the scope of discussions at the meeting
divided into sessions before Secretary General of CORA, Toyin Akinosho
explained the body’s role in the exercise. Akinosho read an excerpt
from Carol Enahoro’s ‘Doing Dangerously Well’ before appraising the
state of Nigeria’s book industry. He didn’t fail to highlight CORA’s
interventions, which he referred to as ‘extension service’ in ensuring
that the printed word remains viable in Nigeria.

What publishers want

Playwright and
cultural activist, Ben Tomoloju, moderated the first session featuring
publishers and booksellers. Executive Secretary, Nigerian Publishers
Association (NPA) Kunle Sogbein, delivered a lead paper titled ‘What
Publishers Want’. He identified impediments to publishing in Nigeria to
include: financial and manufacturing constraints; distribution and
sales problems; lack of government support; legal problems and
creativity and intellectual problems. Some of his suggestions towards
moving forward include; exempting printing machines and papers from
taxes; offering credit lines to publishers; equipping the Nigerian
Copyright Commission properly and instituting literary prizes amongst
others. He also suggested the establishment of a book advisory and
readership committee under the presidency to coordinate all efforts
aimed at bringing back the book.

Killers of reading

President, Nigerian
Booksellers Association, Lanre Adesuyi also delivered a paper titled
‘Reviving Our Reading Culture’. He identified weak policies on
education; decaying infrastructures; economic recession and
inconsistent book policy as some of the killers of “our reading
culture”. He suggested that government should sponsor reading
competitions at all levels, sponsor literary programmes on TV and radio
and make Literature in English compulsory in junior secondary schools.

Some interesting
ideas from other panellists were espoused after the two presentations.
Jeremy Wheate of Cassava Republic Press disagreed that the book needs
to be brought back because it “is here already.” He noted that
Nigerians read but that they only read religious, business and
management books. What needs bringing back, according to the publisher
are Nigerian and African books. Wheate added that efforts have to be
concentrated on inculcating the joy of reading into the young as
opposed to making them associate reading with only school texts.

Simi Dosekun of
Farafina suggested that students should be made aware of reading as an
end in itself; not just about passing examinations. Ayo Arigbabu of
DADA Books also highlighted the troubles of the Nigerian book industry.

Author and
publisher, Dilibe Onyeama blamed the military intervention in Nigerian
politics for the current state of the book industry. He described
military rule as the “very antithesis of creativity” while also blaming
the soldiers for the brain drain that robbed Nigerian universities of
the country’s best academics.

Publisher and
bookseller, Kolade Mosuro, noted that not only do children lack the
skills to read; the erratic power supply in the country is another
disincentive to reading because people can’t read once it’s dark. “I
hope we will do proper research before launching out with the
initiative,” he counselled. Erabor Okogun of Meliora Limited made a
case for using information communication technology to promote books.

Institutionalise the campaign

Ronke Orimolade
weighed in with the suggestion that the book supply and distribution
framework in Nigeria should be reviewed and that government should
establish a National Book Commission. Bibi Bakare-Yusuf of Cassava
Republic wants improved government funding, especially in areas of
training for writers and illustrators amongst others.

More inputs into
the proposed blueprint came during the remaining sessions. Former
Minister of State for Education and president, Association of Nigerian
Authors Jerry Agada recommended establishing a National Reading Agency
that will institutionalise the initiative so it will outlive Jonathan’s
administration. Chair, Standing Committee on Private Universities,
National Universities Commission, Adio Ogunbona noted that parents who
ought to serve as role models in promoting reading are busy chasing
after money. Abimbola Dada of the Nigeria Library Association disclosed
that people don’t come to use libraries.

No literacy, no book

Poet, Odia
Ofeiumun, who is often a contrarian didn’t disappoint. “You can’t be
talking about bringing back the book if there is no literacy in a
country. You and I know that the ministries of education in Nigeria are
not particularly literacy friendly. There are actual government
departments dedicated to ensuring that illiteracy is wiped out in this
country. We’ve had them for 50 years yet Nigeria remains one of the
nine bottom countries dealing with lack of literacy in spite of all
these institutions that we’ve always had.

“Supporting the
book is not just about the book, it’s about the infrastructure around
the book trade. It’s also about what government must do and we must
make them do. Our government has not been acting as governments should
whether in relation to books or in relation to libraries, we should
make government act in the manner we want it to,” he said.

Other contributors
at the meeting include Ogochukwu Promise of the Lumina Foundation;
writers Austyn Njoku and Emman Shehu; Anwuli Ojogwu of Bookjam and Koko
Kalango of the Rainbow Book Club.

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Lolo’s romance with radio

Lolo’s romance with radio

Wazobia FM’s
on-air personality, Omotunde Adebowale David, popularly known as Lolo
1, is as engaging in real life as she is on air. Though a lawyer by
training, she has always had a leaning towards the art, especially
entertainment. Being on radio, according to her, is a thrilling
experience she won’t trade for anything. In a little over two years at
the station, Lolo 1 enjoys a large listenership on her mid morning
show, ‘Oga Madam Office’.

How did you come about the name, Lolo 1?

I am passionate
about Igbo culture. I did a show some time ago and asked people to give
me a name. Lolo was the cutest and nicest I got so I just stuck with it.

How long have you been on radio?

I’ve done radio
for some time. At first, I was with Radio Nigeria. I later moved to
Metro FM before I came to Wazobia FM. I started doing radio in 2004. I
studied Law and was practicing at a time but I got to a point when I
knew that a career change was needed. I looked around and since
entertainment has always been something I wanted to do, I just closed
my eyes and switched.

Was it easy transiting from Law to entertainment?

It wasn’t easy
because I had to drop everything I knew and learn something new. I did
not just pick radio; I did a little stage drama at a time in school
[Lagos State University].

Most lawyers claim to still have the Law streak after they switch professions, was this the case for you?

Yes, of course.
There is no way it won’t affect anything you do especially since it is
something you have learnt over time. For example, if am presenting a
political programme I know what the law says about a certain issue.
This helps me deal better with an issue because of the exposure I have
had.

What programmes do you anchor at Wazobia FM?

I joined Wazobia
in 2008 but I started out as a news anchor until last year when I
started my own show, ‘Oga Madam Office’. It’s not Law inclined but we
have the assembly where we all come out and discuss all kind of issues
from political to bizarre. I also anchor ‘Love Kill me Die’ almost
every day because I believe that relationships should be nurtured and
people love songs and love related issues. I guess my most popular show
is ‘Office Palaver’ where people just like to talk about what happens
in their offices because it relaxes them. It’s just a fun time on
radio.

How has the experience been so far?

At first, it was
like a learning process because I was transiting from English to
Pidgin. It was like a struggle because every day I had to keep looking
into myself to bring out new stuff. Pidgin is an evolving language
which requires personal creativity in your delivery and in everything.
I just had to keep trying and exposing myself to anyone who speaks
pidgin because I don’t really want to sound colloquial except by choice.

It was not easy
but Wazobia is such a lovely place to work and everyone learns from
each other so it naturally helps your creativity. You have to research
before you come on air because radio presenters cannot just come on air
and open their mouths. You have to know a little a bit of everything
because your job requires ‘infortainment’.

What do you like best about your job?

I love the fun
part of it because I’m a fun loving person. It’s a rare privilege to be
on the other side giving fun to people because that’s my goal on radio.
You know life in Lagos can be very tough so after all the hard work you
need something to soothe you.

What remains your most memorable day on air?

The very first
time I read news in pidgin on Wazobia FM, I was so terrified. In fact,
it was obvious and you could hear my heart thumping through the
microphone. It wasn’t really a pleasant experience and then someone
made a comment on air saying “where did you get that lady from, abeg
she’s not good.” I felt so bad but it helped me because it stuck and I
kept psyching myself that I could do better. It really spurred me on. I
have also met and interviewed a lot of people on the job and it makes
you feel real good.

Interest in charity

I founded an NGO
called ‘Sisters Concern’10 years ago when I finished Law school. The
NGO deals with women issues and though we have a president, I am the
programme director. I know a lot of people will say I run the charity
because I’m on radio and it is a trend with celebrities. But in my
case, I’m somebody who loves to reach out. Our goal is to meet less
privileged people and do the seemingly little things that are
insignificant to some but is everything to them. Over time, the
ministry has grown so it’s not all about me again.

I also organise a
yearly talent show called ‘Song Outbreak’ which is another opportunity
to give, especially since music seems to appeal more to young people.
So, if I’m giving them the platform to explode, I am taking their minds
off crime, delinquency and drugs. I am also involved in the Lolo’s Cup
and recently donated a cup to the youth in Ejigbo commuinity. I’m not
just a woman who says, ‘change’ but one who helps you change.

What is your biggest challenge being on radio?

Radio is a medium
that once something goes out, you can’t take it back. It can be very
challenging because you have to deliver every time. If you disseminate
wrong information it can’t be withdrawn. I can’t just stay at home and
sleep. I have to watch the news and read the papers to know what is
happening because I have to be on top of my game at all times.

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An epic like no other

An epic like no other

Soon to join the
swelling ranks of Nollywood movies at cinemas is ‘Clap of Thunder’, an
epic film directed by Emeka Jonathan. Jonathan is no rookie to the
profession, as he has directed over 40 films in the last eight years.
He unveils himself and the new movie in this interview.

Tell us about ‘Clap of Thunder’?

I don’t want to
give too much away. However, it was produced by Peace Egwu and is her
first. It features Enebeli Elebuwa, Ebube Nwagbo, and a host of others.
The innovation is you premiere your movie first and then release it at
the cinemas. We hope to do that with this movie. It will premiere in
March in Calabar. We are also going to release it in cinemas
afterwards.

We are looking at
bringing new talents, good storylines into the filmmaking business.
That’s the best way. We have a lot of talent, let’s discover them. We
can use maybe one or two stars but let’s also give room for fresh
talent. I am a part of that change. You’ll see new faces in this movie.

Is this another Nollywood movie or should we expect more?

You cannot take a
low quality film to the cinema because it will be scrutinised for
picture quality, sound, and storyline before they put it on. So, this
movie has a lot to offer. It’s an epic film in English but set in the
Igbo cultural background. The storyline is different and it’s got
suspense. The settings and the costume are also different. If you shoot
a movie in Asaba or Enugu or any of the usual locations, people can
easily tell. We don’t create time to scout for choice locations for our
movies.

However, ‘Clap of
Thunder’ was shot in a very different location. It was shot in a serene
location called Akpabio which is about 30 minutes drive to Calabar. I
think government’s intervention is also necessary in this area. The
industry needs a film village.

What about Tinapa?

We shot a few
scenes in Tinapa. It is not a film village in the actual sense of the
word. Though you can get some production equipment there, it’s more of
a fun place, a rendezvous for people to go and relax.

When did the interest in directing begin?

I’ve always had
the zeal. However, my first interest in filmmaking began between 1991
and 1992. This was the period I featured in the popular soap,
‘Ripples’. I was in my first year in the university at the time. My
godfather, Alex Usifo, who was also in the soap, contributed to my
getting the role. It was a minor role. The first project I directed was
a soap opera, ‘Sweet Angel’. It aired between 2004 and 2007. I actually
produced and directed the soap and it used to also run on Africa Magic
alongside other soaps like ‘Treasures’. Then I moved into movies. The
first movie I directed was ‘Godmother’ which was released in 2006. So
far, I have done ‘Take Me Home’, ‘Wise Choice’, ‘Desperate Housewives’,
‘Dancing Hall’ and many others. ‘Desperate Housewives’ won Best Picture
and Best Directing awards at the Nigerian Movie Awards last year.

What is your take on the Nigerian movie industry?

The industry is
moving forward. President Goodluck Jonathan’s proposed loan to support
the entertainment industry is also a good thing. We’ve been praying for
this kind of support from the government for a long time.

However, the
industry needs to be restructured. Before, we used to produce movies
indiscriminately but now the tempo is coming down because we keep
recycling stories. You don’t rush your movies. Now, people are looking
at the cinema so we need to produce quality films so that people can
get value for their money. You cannot spend N1, 500 to go see a
worthless movie. I don’t mind shooting two or three quality films in a
year than 20 which are of low quality.

What do you make of the newly released movies making waves at the big screens?

It’s a good thing.
I think it helps professionalism. Like the movie ‘Ije’, the lady who
produced it did a good job. There is a lot involved in making a good
movie. Sometimes, investors are scared of investing in a movie because
there are miscreants who take all of the money and then use a small
part of it for the actual production while they spend the rest on
themselves.

However, God is
reshuffling the industry and is bringing out the greats, those who have
prospects. Video clubs are not helping issues. Internationally when you
shoot a movie, you premiere first then you take it to the cinema before
you release into the market, which is the last resort. So, a movie can
be put on CD four years after its release date. For instance, ‘Ije’ is
not in the market, it’s in the cinemas. You just don’t shoot a film,
release it into the market and next people are renting them from video
clubs. People should be encouraged to buy movies.

The guys at Mount
Zion Films ensure that their films are bought as they have a licensed
distribution structure and they do not allow their movies get into the
hands of video club owners.

Aside from some of what you have stated, what other changes would you like to see in the Nigerian movie industry?

A stronger
relationship between the media, the audience and the industry. In terms
of publicity and awareness, marketers should set aside funds for
advertisements in every arm of the media so that people can be informed
about the latest movies, know what movies are making hits and which are
not.

Also, I think
movie directors should get first-rate remuneration for their work. But
in Nollywood, the actors get paid more money than the directors. The
director does a lot of work and stays on till post-production, ensuring
that everything is in place before the film is released.

Any upcoming projects?

Yes. There is a
soap opera in the works, which I will be directing. It is an Igbo soap
opera, done in Igbo language. It will feature the likes of Ernest Obi,
Ngozi Ezeonu, and Peter Bunor. Africa Magic and Infinity will be on set
with us while we shoot.

We’ll be going on
location by the end of the month to shoot another movie that will
feature Onyeka Onwenu, Tonto Dike, and Yemi Blaq.

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Keeping faith with a patron

Keeping faith with a patron

Though art patron
and amateur painter, Sefunmi Osioke Oyofo is late, she lives on in the
hearts of some artists. Eight of them: Olu Ajayi, Sam Ovraiti, Lekan
Onabanjo, Enotie Ogbebor, Ohiole Ohiwerei, Gerry Nnubia, and US-based
Ehi Obinyan and Pita Ohiwerei, recently held an exhibition in her
honour.

Titled ‘Promises
Kept’, the exhibition ran from January 13 to 19 at Terra Kulture,
Victoria Island, Lagos. Art collector, Rasheed Gbadamosi, and Oyofo’s
sisters, Odio Oseni and Omo Akpata were among guests at the opening of
the exhibition where the ‘Promises Kept Foundation’ was also unveiled.

The organisation,
according to its promoters, will continue Oyofo’s charity works with
less privileged children. It will also extend its activities to support
the education and healthcare needs of women.

“Some United States
based supporters plan to bring machines for medical tests to be donated
to major hospitals in Nigeria for free testing of women and children,”
they added.

Towards this end, 50 per cent of proceeds from the show were donated to the charity by the artists.

Viewers feasted on
the about 50 paintings and sculptures on display after Gbadamosi, chair
of the occasion, formally opened the exhibition.

Interestingly, some
works by Oyofo were also displayed. But unlike the other works which
were for sale, those of the late managing director of Juno Foods,
makers of Tropic Cornflakes, were not for sale. Her ‘Still Life’ series
comprising four framed pastel paintings of flowers and ‘Green house on
the Mount’ showed a painter who cared about nature.

Lover of fish

To underscore their
appreciation of Oyofo’s patronage, some of the artists made works
specially for the exhibition conceived about six months ago.

“I started painting
for the show; I picked a topic I know she enjoys and then I did another
one that I feel is good enough for international standard,” disclosed
Obinyan, who had two works, ‘Welcoming the Twins’ and ‘Dollz 4photo’ in
the show.

The painter, who
came to Nigeria purposely for the exhibition and whose ‘Welcoming the
Twins’ depicts fishes, added, “I had a special relationship with her
because I’m one of the few guys who paint fish. She loved fish
paintings so she used to buy every fish painting I made. She used to
say, ‘bring it, let me see it first before you take it to somebody
else’ and it never ended up in anybody else’s hands because she bought
anyone I brought.”

Passion for art

Former chair, Lagos
chapter of the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA), Olu Ajayi, also
acknowledged Oyofo’s contribution to the arts.

“Sefunmi was
someone who loved the arts, someone who had passion for the arts. She
supported the Society of Nigerian Artists in my tenure and she brought
a lot of creative ideas in terms of corporate sponsorship.

“Sefunmi died at
40, unmarried. Sefunmi’s works tell you someone who wanted to practice
or develop her interest in visual art. She never exhibited when she was
alive because she considered herself not a professional but just an
amateur artist,” Mr. Ajayi said.

The artist, who had a painting titled ‘Symphony for Funmi’ among his
four works in the exhibition, added, “When she was alive she supported
and paid fees for secondary school students; she supported art clubs in
primary and secondary schools and even supported the Society of
Nigerian Artists. So, what other honour can I do but to stage an
exhibition and have her works that you would not have seen but for this
show to generate awareness and also show her works?”

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Okwui Enwezor is Haus der Kunst new director

Okwui Enwezor is Haus der Kunst new director

US-based Nigerian
curator and art historian, Okwui Enwezor, has been appointed the new
director of German art museum, Haus der Kunst, located in Munich.

A release from the
organisation disclosed that Enwezor will take over from Chris Dercon,
the outgoing director later in October.Enwezor, who has been active in
academic and curatorial fields, is currently Adjunct curator at
International Centre of Photography, New York, and Joanne Cassulo
Fellow at the Whitney Museum of American Art Independent Study
Programme in New York City.

The appointment is
the latest for the man who initially left Nigeria in the 1980s to study
Political Science and Literature in the US before delving into Art
History. He was recently appointed chief curator of La Triennale, Paris
2012 and serves as advisory curator of ‘Dublin Contemporary’ in 2011.

The curator who has
already accepted the offer said, “I am immensely delighted and honoured
to be joining Haus der Kunst in the next phase of its growth in the
global landscape of contemporary art. In the last decade, Haus der
Kunst has been a place of great vitality and a formidable voice in
advancing the key argument that serious contemporary art is as varied
as the artists whose practices have been presented in its exhibitions.
Munich is a great city that represents many crossroads of the global
community and I look forward to working with the team at the Haus der
Kunst in building an exciting platform for exhibitions, debates, and
ideas.”

The appointment is
a sort of home coming for Enwezor who is not new to Munich’s public.
His 2001 exhibition, ‘The Short Century: Independence and Liberation
Movements in Africa 1945-1994’, presented the most extensive overview
to date of artistic production in late and postcolonial Africa.

The first non-European to direct the still talked about Documenta II
in Kassel, Germany has also directed several other major exhibitions.
He was artistic director of the second Johannesburg Biennale in South
Africa held from 1996 to 1997. He curated the Biennale for Contemporary
Art Seville titled ‘The Unhomely: Phantom Scenes in Global Society’ in
2006 and the 7th Gwangju Biennale, South Korea in 2007-2008 The German
minister for education said of the new director and his vast
experience, “Okwui Enwezor brilliantly directed Documenta 11 in 2002,
creating outstanding art experiences that continue to impact the world
of art. As artistic director Mr Enwezor held leading positions in
Seville and Johannesburg. He is anchored in both the European and
international art scene like few other figures.”

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Bring on the excitement

Bring on the excitement

Last week’s episode
of Nigerian Idol featured the last group of ten of the Top Fifty.
Unlike the week before where there seemed to be a glut of talents, only
one person amongst this group managed to really deliver on the wow
factor.

Singing ‘Bleeding
Love’ by Leona Lewis, Toni gave a performance that could best be
described as stellar. She sang the song not only with a beautiful voice
but with right facial expressions and body movement, making it possible
for the audience to connect with the song and with the artist.
Hopefully, the votes would go in her favour and she would make it into
the Top Ten.

Speaking of stage
delivery, worthy of mention is Yetunde, who sang the up-tempo classic
‘Girls Wanna Have Fun’ by Cyndi Lauper. Backed by only a piano, she
still managed a dance routine that could best be described as
over-the-top. As this is a TV reality show, it might as well serve the
viewers well for her to move to the next stage as she is bound to
deliver on the theatrics and provide so much needed excitement to the
show.

For some obscure
reason, probably owing to production style or the quality of
contestants, the show has not been able to evoke as much excitement as
one is used to with other musical talent shows.

However, as it
moves to its final stage, here is hoping that there would not only be
an increase in the quality of performance from contestants but also
less of the scripting and more of spontaneity production-wise.

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Group commends Jonathan’s book project

Group commends Jonathan’s book project

The federal
ministry of education’s national action committee on read campaign has
commended President Goodluck Jonathan’s effort to improve the reading
culture in Nigeria.

A release signed by
Tony Ogunlana, chair, media/publicity sub-committee of the body
congratulated Mr. Jonathan on the recent presentation of his ‘My
Friends and I’, and launch of the ‘Bring Back the Book Initiative’. The
body also commended him for allocating about N100 billion for education
and job creation in the 2011 budget.

“The president has
demonstrated to Nigerians his good intentions. In the last three years,
we have made concerted efforts to get a sitting president to attend a
public reading initiative function and read to pupils and the rest of
Nigerians, but to no avail.”

Mr. Ogunlana,
managing director of Bluefield Communications and presenter of
‘Entertainment In & Out’ on the NTA, also requested the president
to see the committee as a partner in the project.

“It will be our
pleasure to work with the president in actualising this great desire of
getting Nigerians to read. The task of bringing back the reading
culture is the responsibility of every one. We have the structure. We
have the work plan. What we have lacked so far is the necessary
support….. The political will to back up the support which we have
been waiting for has just been provided by the president with the
recent launch of the book project,” he said.

Mr. Ogunlana
disclosed that the committee will be decorating the minister of
education, Ruqqayat Rufai, and the minister of state, Kenneth Gbagi, as
Read Ambassadors very soon.

“This will be
followed by the decoration of the president, Goodluck Jonathan, as the
grand patron of the Read Campaign Project and a Read Ambassador on
February 21, during the celebration of this year’s International Mother
Language Day in Abuja.

“You will hear the
president and a few other dignitaries read to Nigerians, but this time
in our mother tongues. And then, we will hand over to the president the
blueprint and work plan for the revitalisation of the reading culture
among Nigerians,” he further said.

The committee and
the NTA national will soon launch the media phase of the campaign with
a weekly magazine programme tagged ‘Edumind.’ The national action
committee on Read Campaign was conceived during the administration of
Olusegun Obasanjo as part of the ministry of education’s reform
programmes. It was launched by the then minister, Obi Ezekwesili, in
February 2007.

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Arojah Royal Theatre holds reading

Arojah Royal Theatre holds reading

Barclays
Ayakoroma’s ‘Dance on His Grave’ will be read this evening at the
second edition of Arojah Royal Theatre’s monthly staged reading and
interactive session with playwrights. The event, holding at the Korean
Cultural Centre in Abuja, will start by 4pm.

The play written by
the executive secretary, National Institute for Cultural Orientation,
is about the quest of the women of Toru-Ama to take their rightful
place in the society. The interesting play examines issues including
women’s rights, domestic violence, and women in politics.

Though written some years ago, Ibadan-based publishing company, Kraft Books, recently re-issued the play.

Apart from today’s
reading, ‘Dance on His Grave’ will be staged in Abuja on March 8 and 9
by Arojah Royal Theatre and the Initiative for Women and Child
Development, as part of activities marking the 2011 International
Women’s Day.Director, National Council for Arts and Culture, Malgwim
Maidugu, will be the special guest of honour at the event while Tunde
Aremu, a journalist and development expert with Action Aid Nigeria,
will anchor the session.

Arojah Royal
Theatre’s play reading session debuted in October 2010 with Onukaba
Adinoyi Ojo’s ‘The Killing Swamp’ about the late environmental
activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, who was killed by the Sanni Abacha military
junta. It was later staged in Abuja to commemorate the 15th anniversary
of his death.“Aside from being another means of promoting the reading
culture, the session provides the opportunity to bring readers together
with the author for a more insightful interaction on the theatrics and
subject of selected plays,” noted Jerry Adesewo of Arojah Royal Theatre.

Ahmed Yerima’s ‘Kaffir’s Last Game’ will be read at the February edition of the session.

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