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‘My Culture, my
Identity’ was the theme at this year’s edition of the Centre for Black
and African Arts and Civilization’s Children’s Cultural Festival.

The annual event,
which took place December 9 at the National Theatre in Lagos, saw
scores of school children turn out in their uniforms and in cultural
attires. The students were billed to stage various cultural
performances during the event, and they did not disappoint.

Dignitaries
expected at the event included: Abimbola Fashola, the first Lady of
Lagos State who was to chair the event; Senator Grace Folashade Bent;
and Abubakar Sadiq Muhammed, minister of tourism, culture and national
orientation, among others. All were however, unavoidably absent, and
sent in representatives.

“CBAAC is
statutorily entrusted with the responsibility of promoting,
propagating, and preserving African cultural values,” said Tunde
Babawale, director general of the centre, as he began his welcome
address.

Speaking about
cultural continuity, he stated that children deserve much focus because
they represent continuity and are the link between today, tomorrow, and
the future. It was therefore, appropriate that CBAAC was placing its
focus on children.

According to Mr.
Babawale, “This is being done because of the realisation that the
ideals which CBAAC represents are better inculcated in youth early. Our
interest in children is further strengthened by the fact that children
learn easily, and very fast too.

“It is in
recognition of these that we are investing in children in the belief
that they will assimilate the cultural values we represent, promote,
and propagate,” he added.

Mr. Babawale
decried the pervading influence of Western values upon the nation’s
youth, to the detriment of indigenous languages and cultures.

“Central to our
quest for cultural continuity is the need to restore and promote
interest in cultural values, which are continuously ebbed by the impact
of exposure to Western norms and values,” he stated.

He blamed the tide
of rapid urbanisation and changing economic situations for the
inability of parents and the elderly to impact African cultural values
on their children. He further explained that the theme of this year’s
festival, ‘My Culture, my Identity’, is the organisation’s way of
redirecting children’s attention to the beauty of African culture.

The chairman of
CBAAC governing board, Semiu Adesina Barkinson, echoed similar
sentiments in his speech at the event. According to him, “the
deterioration in our social values informed CBAAC’s decision to
organise this programme which targets younger members of our society.”

“This programme, I
am sure, will encourage children to showcase our rich culture in all
its ramifications,” Mr. Barkinson added.

The children’s
efforts did not go unrewarded as the stage of the main Exhibition Hall
of the National Theatre was arranged with various gift items which the
winning schools and their pupils went home with.

The minister of
tourism, represented by Gambo Doris, director general of the National
Orientation Agency, in his address, lauded CBAAC for the initiative of
the festival. He observed that the festival would make the children
good cultural ambassadors.

“Our continent and
country is richly blessed culturally. We can derive huge economic
benefits from our cultural diversity. These gains are only possible
when we identify with our culture,” he pointed out, underscoring the
benefits of culture to economic growth.

Zachary Madayi,
representing Folasade Bent, brought goodwill messages from the senator
for the children. She advised them to obey and respect their parents,
and also emphasised the importance of indigenous languages.

The consular
general of Ghana High Commission in Nigeria, Sylvester Parker-Allotey,
in his own remarks stated that culture goes beyond dressing. “When we
talk about culture, we see attitudes and ways of life,” he asserted.

He went on to task parents on what he described as the dying reading culture among children.

“Parents, outside of school textbooks, how many of you have bought a
book for your children? We have to address the dearth of reading among
our children in Africa,” Mr. Parker-Allotey said.

Chike Onuorah’s
latest exhibition, ‘Commitment’ opened at Terra Kulture on December 4,
2010. Displayed prominently on the gallery wall was the exhibition’s
title painting, ‘Commitment’, which encapsulated the theme of the show.

The painting of a
woman carrying a baby with three hands painted in different colours,
the artist said the work depicted dependency and then responsibility.
“Your kids are dependent on you. They give you a sense of purpose. It’s
only commitment that will make you nurture a child that can give you
nothing in return,” he said.He added that one needs three hands to
raise a child; one to love, another to nurture and a third for
discipline. Hardly surprising that in the piece, the hand meant for
discipline is the longest.

Onuorah’s
philosophy of commitment is one he holds dear. “There is no success
without commitment,” he pointed out. “It takes commitment to bring out
what is on the inside to reality.” Onuorah also practises commitment;
his determination to always mount an exhibition every year no matter
what it costs him, attests to this.

The week-long
exhibition showcased about 30 works of different media: oil, acrylic
and charcoal on canvas. One unique thing that did not go unnoticed was
the fact that the artist had attached a short poem to every single
painting on display.

On the reason
behind this, he said that a lot of people who have no eye for art would
come to an exhibition like this and leave without an understanding of
the works and the message they intended to convey. “The poems will help
the viewers in that it will lead them into a dialogue with the picture.
So they can get what you are saying,” he explained.

In addition to
this, Onuorah disclosed that the inspiration for each of the poems came
as he worked on the paintings; and they are meant for eventual
publication. The poetic accompaniment to one of the works, ‘Finally’,
expressed relief and a sense of accomplishment.Another one titled ‘Wall
Street’, with its portrayal of people and their different means of
livelihoods, expressed street sense and the importance of being skilled
in one’s chosen endeavour. ‘Togetherness’, which was a bit more
abstract and symbolic in design, carried with it an eight-line poem
that spoke about the spirit of unity.

On what influences
his art, Onuorah stated, “God is my influence. I have seen many works
and every artist has his own individual style. I am doing my own thing.
I paint what I see and feel”.

Asked why there
seemed to be quite a focus on the female figure in many of the
paintings, Onuorah said that women are expressive and he finds them a
fluid medium through which to express whatever he wants to say through
his paintings.

For instance, the
painting titled ‘Finally’ was a woman with one clenched hand raised in
expression that could be interpreted in different ways, even if the
poem had not revealed that it was an expression of achievement.

Onuorah studied
Fine Arts at the University of Benin and graduated in 1988. Aside from
art practice, he has worked as a creative consultant. The artist has
also conducted quite a number of exhibitions in and outside Nigeria;
and is a member of the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) in addition to
the Atlanta Society of Artists, USA and Romania Society of Artists.

The curator at the
Terra Kulture Art Gallery, Olumide Faturoti, commended Onuorah for his
commitment to his work. “His exhibitions have been consistent” he said.

‘Commitment’ is at Terra Kulture from December 4 to 10.

The writer Lola
Shoneyin lives life joyously on her own terms, tastefully wearing her
smarts and sensuality in a world bound in rigid emotional ropes of
hypocrisy. Her poetry is scrumptious, turning cold rocks into sniveling
lovers. She wields words like fierce weapons against the past tense
posing for tradition. This thinker of Nigerian extraction is ahead of
her time in promulgating innovative ideas and in the way she deploys
her myriad energies to the arduous task of jump-starting courageous
conversations in a complex society like Nigeria.

Cassava Republic
has just released Shoneyin’s novel, ‘The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s
Wives’. I adore this book. From start to finish, it is a triumph of
life over adversity, a joyful ode to the sensual mystery and resilience
of the human spirit. I love this book. Shoneyin brings together her
unique poetic senses and her love of the human story and wraps up a
great tale with muscular prose. Politely defiant Shoneyin bends every
cultural artefact and taboo in her brainy sensual path. This is a soap
opera between the covers. I love the author’s bold use of language and
imagery. She teases, she taunts, she soothes with her words. This is a
rebel gleefully tugging at silly clay boundaries. Every other page
hides sentences that desire to stir your consciousness – and your
loins. Nothing is taboo for Shoneyin; she is eclectic in a brilliant
near-reckless manner. Her words are defiant, and drunk with the sweet
musky smell of primal sex. Sexual tension keeps the pages erect and
thirsty for lusty sex. And the curses and trash talking rain down
freely, Nigerian style. You might as well be riding around in a
bolekaja enjoying Nigerian life at its most impish.

In ‘The Secret
Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives’, Bolanle, a university graduate joins Baba
Segi’s household as the fourth wife. Using this canvas, the author
inspects Nigeria’s motley issues, as if from a dirty window. It is
pretty, ugly, and riotous and secrets do not stay hidden for too long.
Nigeria is a market and everything is sold in the open. In the process,
we are entertained. Shoneyin taps furiously and insistently on social
issues, prying their doors open for the reader to confront. Issues like
marital abuse, rape, sexuality, infidelity, the relentless march and
meanness of the new Christianity, the ravages of a soulless consumer
society and the resulting mimicry of the other as in women bleaching
their skins to look attractive. There is an abundance of misogyny, and
patriarchy reigns supreme. Sons are a premium over daughters and well
sought after and celebrated by the society. Baba Segi is a loving
father, if a bit of a buffoon and a crude lover. He is an unattractive
man who has a disgusting habit of losing his bodily fluids when he is
stressed. But he is a good provider and the women humour him, to a
point. Women and children cope by manipulating men – with mixed and
unintended results.

Shoneyin addresses
the mystery and complexity of relationships and sexuality from a
woman’s perspective. Not many would agree with her sympathetic, almost
defiant take on the issue but she does give a powerful voice to those
whose crime is to be different from the tyrannical majority. In that
respect, compassion gushes from her pen. In the crush of issues like
arranged marriages and the expectation that women and children are
chattels beholden to men, there is a lesson here: women dream also of
the same pleasures and desires that men take sometimes violently.

The book gains confidence and traction with the turning of each
page. However, it was hard following the chapters as the points of view
changed. It stretches credulity to imagine Bolanle the fourth wife as a
university graduate married to a semi-illiterate polygamist. She does
not present herself as learned. The wives’ characters could have been
fleshed out a bit more robustly. In a few instances, the dialogue was
awkward. My worst line: “Well, you know before you wrap leaves around
liquidised beans one must ensure that the ingredients are complete.”
(p221) It is the worst translation of a proverb I have ever read. The
book is partly a conversation about paternalism and misogyny but it
comes across as hostile to men. Baba Segi is depicted as a hapless
buffoon who loses his bodily functions under stress. Men are typically
depicted as bumbling idiots with balls for brains and the book
gleefully lobs insults: “Men are nothing. They are fools. The penis
between their legs is all they are useful for. And even then, if not
that women needed their seed for children, it would be better to sit on
a finger of green plantain…” Regardless, the book will keep a reader
thinking for a long time. Not many would agree with the too-tidy
ending, life is too complex for that. But who cares? I love this book.

People die. However, the understanding
of this finality to human sojourn on the planet never was able to
remove the sense of panic or loss that usually accompany the passage of
an acquaintance. It is worse when it happens to a close friend or
associate. Or to an artiste whom you spend most of your growing up
years adulating.

Every epoch has significant milestones
and, for a certain category of Nigerians, especially those from the
southwest part of Nigeria who are now in their late 30s to early
forties, that defining aspect of their youth was the exciting musical
rivalry between Sikiru Ayinde Barrister and Kola ‘Kollington’ Ayinla –
who were locked in love-hate battle for supremacy as the authentic
voice of Fuji, a music genre both claimed to have invented.

His greatest fan

I was always a Barrister fan, partly
because he was a more accomplished singer (Ayinla has a racier band)
and also because he came to my attention way before Ayinla did. Of
course, they initially struggled in the wake of the larger image of two
older giants in Yoruba music, King Sunny Ade and Ebenezer Obey, who
branded their own music juju music.

As opposite to Juju, Fuji is more
traditional Yoruba in conception and rendition and probably hacks back
to older forms of performers of Agidigbo, sakara, gudugudu, juju and
Apala music. With its percussion loaded with dundun (Ayinla settled for
the harsher (and harder) bata) talking drums, agogo (gong) and sekere
(beaded calabash), Fuji draws its listeners to waist wriggling and feet
shuffling dances that will amaze anyone raised on western music.

Barrister dominates his band though;
his voice cutting through the layers of the beat to deliver in message
in sometimes high-pitched tone. Most of his fans love his song; a mix
of evocative and pithy Yoruba sayings, wise sayings and sometimes
ribald. He was also a believer in using the medium of his song to teach
and his songs are usually laced with stories drawn from local lore or
tales that would be familiar to readers of Arabian Nights tales.
Barrister was a master story teller, a modern day griot with the gift
of a dynamic band behind him.

Rendition for Omowura

In some ways, Barrister’s music is a
more grounded version of the fare served by Ebenezer Obey, whom he
takes as his mentor. Ayinla was closer to Sunny Ade. But it was a mark
of the vibrancy of these two men that they gradually eclipsed their
mentors, as Fuji music became the dominant music form in Yorubaland,
with Sunny Ade (and occasionally Shina Peters) still holding the fort
for Juju music. Incidentally, Fuji music and Ayinde came onto theirs
after an earlier struggle with the older Apala music. In fact, the
earliest promoter (inadvertently it must be said) of Barrister was one
of the most popular Apala musicians, the late Ayinla Omowura. The eegun
Magaji (big masquerade) would denigrate the upstart fuji artiste in his
songs and warn him to stay in the shadows. Ayinla’s death, at the hands
of one of his band boys thrust Barrister into one his earliest
controversies as he was accused of being behind it.

His soulful rendition about Ayinla’s
death – and his plea of innocence – won Barrister more fans. It is also
an album that fans of the recently deceased musician should listen to
when they feel moved to mourn their idol.

From its ajiwere days, when Barrister
performed as an itinerant musician who entertains people during the
music month of Ramadan, the music evolved in scope and depth to draw in
from several traditions, including samba and reggae. Perhaps one of the
strengths of Fuji was its inifite adaptability and power to inject
other music forms in its growth. Younger Fuji artistes now rap and
freestyle to attract younger listeners, thus assuring that the music
form would survive for longer.

Fuji soldiers

Barrister, along with Kollington were
former soldiers and both embarked on their career after their
demoblisation. They were both civil war veterans, stories of which
found their way into Barrister’s songs. Name any human emotion and
experience, and barrister probably sang about it in his evocative ways.

Love, marriage ( and the imperative of
family planning), poverty, tribulations, democracy and good governance
– and death. He also drew on his deep knowledge of the Koran to enrich
his music, reciting verses from the muslim holy book to underpin the
message of his song. He was accepted ny all nevertheless as his fans,
Muslims, Christians and traditional religionists embraced the messanger
along with this message.

His music ran into a little difficulty
after a brief falling out with his lead drummer, Oyadolu in the 1980s.
After flirting with another Ibadan musician, Sawaba Iyanda, during
which that gained a little limelight, Barrister reunited with Oyadolu
and the music continued. Until death did them apart.

One of Barrister’s prayers was that the calabash decorator might
die, but that his products do not perish. Barrister is now sadly
departed. His songs lives on in our hearts and our ipods. May Alhaji
Agba meet the favour of his maker.

Not quite two weeks
after his presence at the London debut of the Fela! Musical, Femi Kuti
was back at the Barbican, with his Positive Force Band to give the
Western world a taste of his new album, ‘Africa for Africa’.

Billed to start at
7pm, the audience was kept in breathless anticipation for a whole hour
while they valiantly persisted through several tracks performed by
British rap group, ‘Sound of Rum’.

Finally a shout of
Arararara galvanised the crowd to near euphoria as the Positive Force
jogged onstage in their matching African attires. And the anticipation
in the hall rose to fever pitch as the 10-member band began tuning up.

Femi, onstage, was
a delight to watch. Dressed in a multi coloured African attire, he
hurried onstage, rubbed his hands together as if in pure delight before
bending over his keyboard, shaking his head appreciatively as he
pounded the keys and issued forth the opening strains of ‘Truth Don
Die’.

The already
standing crowd seemed to surge forward as his mellow voice stole
through the instrumental sounds: “Na yesterday him talk, him wan to
travel for the world, to teach the people him word the true word of God
make people stop to lie say na lie spoil the world.”

Witnessing Femi’s
quiet opening and the energy with which he danced, he seemed both
intense and frail, and one could only wonder how he would last the
evening, as his physical appearance seemed not quite able to contain
the passions that streamed through his being. But the musician
surprised, and continued to do so, during the almost two-hour
performance, backed by his dancers cum back up singers.

‘Politics in Africa’

After his popular
opening track, Femi introduces songs from his new album. “I’ll be
concentrating on the new album. I’ll save the rest of my political
views when you have warmed up to me.”

But divorcing Femi
from politics was like taking away his voice. ‘Politics in Africa’ and
other politically critical songs followed in quick succession.
Including ‘Obasanjo Don Play You Wayo’, his take on the EFCC; and ‘Make
We Remember’, a song urging that the messages of his late father and
other black political activists should not be forgotten.

Femi sang, danced,
and played as if an internal inferno burnt under his skin. He belted
his music in a frenetic hurry. Where Fela had brandished his sax, Femi
showed almost more affection for his keyboard, vibrating his whole body
as he urgently picked out the notes; though when he briefly turned his
attention to his sax, it was with equal fervour.

Having never seen
him in performance before, I had always been wont to think that Femi’s
achievements had had a lot to gain from the legacy of his father. This
performance changed my opinion. He might have learnt from the master
himself, but his accomplishments were all his. Kora awards, World Cup
showcase, and a feature in the international videogame, Grand Theft
Auto IV, seemed paltry reward for his talent

But the music soon
streamed together into one long political complaint. Diversity seemed
not to be the strong suit of this new album. And even though his stage
presence and enthusiasm were infectious, the music soon became
predictable. That was before Femi turned his scathing tongue to history
and the developed world.

“It’s impossible to
understand the gravity of the slave trade, he said, “500 years is about
seven generations. Africans blame themselves for the slave trade,
that’s wrong information,” Comparing the transatlantic trade to the six
years of anti-Semitism, Femi would have us believe that the holocaust
was a lesser evil which benefitted from visual records. “What is six
years compared to 500?” he asked.

To have jettisoned
from memory the centuries of undocumented Jewish persecution in his
attempt to absolve Africans of their historical wrongdoings, seemed to
induce a brief disagreeable silence in the crowd, except of course for
some Nigerian fans who whooped in appreciation of his logic.

‘Beng Beng Beng’

While Femi might
have raised eyebrows mid-performance by his cavalier dismissal of one
of the worst times in world history, he soon had the audience dancing
to his tune yet again as he commenced a sexual enlightenment monologue
heralded by the beginning instrumentals of ‘Beng Beng Beng’.

“It’s impossible to
talk about politics without talking about sex. Who here has been
practicing my theory: Don’t come too fast?” asked Femi to appreciative
hoots by the audience, many of whom had been shouting out requests for
the song since he came onstage.

Femi led his avid
listeners into a sexual scenario of a girl’s first sexual experience:
“That girls have always been ahead of us (men) is a scientific fact
that has not been proven yet. So when a girl seems remorseful after a
sexual encounter, the boy thinks he’s had her cheap. He doesn’t
understand that he gave her bad sex – so gentlemen, don’t come too
fast!

“When you are
approaching or losing control, press the brake, reverse back,” Femi
admonished, eliciting raucous laughter before launching into the song
which is till date perhaps his most popular, despite having been
restricted from Nigerian airwaves soon after its release.

“The time is 12
midnight my brother, the girl lay on top my bed now…,” the audience
sang along as they gyrated to the popular track.

Says Robin Denselow
of The Guardian, UK, “Towards the end, he switched from politics to sex
with ‘Beng Beng Beng’ and a mildly risqué chat about relationships that
was more entertaining and original than much of the political protest.”

And one could not agree more.

That the MTV
Africa Music Awards is one of the continent’s biggest music events was
made apparent by the calibre of people that attended the award show on
December 9 – from media moguls like the Murray-Bruces and Tajudeen
Adepetu to showbiz impresarios like Keke and D1. There were also
celebrities from across the continent and some parts of the globe,
apart from those that were nominated and/or performed.

The event started
with the red carpet and cocktails that took place by poolside of the
Eko Hotel and Suites. It was a chance for the media and celebrities to
mingle. There were music and small screens on which the nominees’
videos were played. Guests were soon asked to move to the Expo Hall
where the main event was to take place.

Unlike most award
shows organised within the country, the MAMAs set itself apart as one
that was made for television broadcast. The countdown clock affixed to
the wall of the hall meant that the already rehearsed performances and
award presentations were not allowed to exceed their allotted time
slot.

However, a lot
more attention was put into the broadcast quality than the live event.
The speakers within the hall produced poor sound, especially around the
VIP area, leading guests to continually ask, “Who is performing? Whose
name just got announced?” Still, it held on to a party-like atmosphere,
with lots of screams from the crowd at the bottom of the stages.

The show opened
with an explosive performance by American rapper, Rick Ross, which got
the crowd singing along and waving their hands in the air. As usual,
there were a lot of group performances that cut across different genres
of music and featured various stars on the same stage. Among the
collaborations was a rendition of Banky W’s ‘Lagos Party’, featuring
South Africa’s Big Nuz, Angola’s Cabo Snoop and Paul G, and Democratic
Republic of Congo’s Barabara Kanam. Nigeria’s female rapper, Sasha, got
to perform alongside her American counterpart, Eve, who was also the
host of the show.

Tuface Idibia’s
performance of two of his songs ‘Only Me’ and ‘Implication’ was
show-stopping and crowd-inclusive. After rendering ‘Only Me’ on one of
the two stages, he was literally carried by the crowd to the second
stage where he performed ‘Implication’, backed by two ladies dressed as
sexy policewomen.

There were also
performances by American stars, T-Pain, Rick Ross, and Chuck D of
Public Enemy. Chuck D was also on hand to announce recipient of the
MAMA Legend award, which was awarded to Miriam Makeba who died in
November 2008. She would be the third posthumous recipient of the
award. Previous recipients were Fela and Lucky Dube.

Among other award
presenters were: ex-Super Eagle, Daniel Amokachi, who got on to the
stage to the cries of ‘The Bull’, a sound that was initially mistaken
for boos. D’Banj and rumoured girlfriend, Genevieve Nnaji, also served
as co-presenters, presenting the award for Artist of the Year to Tuface
Idibia.

In past editions
of the shows, the award categories and nominees list had come under
much criticism for putting artistes under the wrong genres and pitting
them against the most unlikely competitors. An example would be in 2008
when 9ice won against ‘The Game’ for Best Hip-Hop. This year, MAMAs
took a safer route by focusing more on geography, language, and overall
performance than genres.

As expected, ‘the
Nigerians’ took the highest number of awards with Mo’Cheddah winning
Brand New Act, P Square Best Group, Sasha Best Female, and TuFace
Idibia who went home with Artist of the Year and Best Male. Other award
winners included: Daddy Owen (Kenya) – Best Anglophone; Cabo Snoop
(Angola) – Best Lusophone; Big Nuz (South Africa) – Best Performance;
Liquid Deep (South Africa) for Song of the Year; and Fally Ipupa (DRC)
who, like Nigeria’s Tuface Idibia, was the only other artist who got
two awards, winning for Best Video and Best Francophone.

The show ended with the appearance on stage of all presenters and
performers after a ‘command performance’ of the song ‘Win’ by T-Pain,
Rick Ross, Da Les and Tuface. The “partying” however’ continued with an
after-party at popular nightclub, Tribeca.

At the recently
concluded Garden City Literary Festival in Port Harcourt, playwright
Ahmed Yerima said of his piece, ‘Little Drops’, “It’s the first time
I’ve been well paid for a play I wrote.” He was referring to the Rivers
State sponsored production of the play, which was staged in Lagos for
one night only on November 27, after earlier performances in Port
Harcourt. With a cast including Joke Silva, Kate Henshaw-Nuttal and
Ropo Ewenla, the Lagos staging was held at 10A Services, Ikoya Avenue
in Ikoyi, in a co-production between Lufodo Productions and TW (Today’s
Woman) Magazine.

Speaking ahead of
the performance, TW publisher, Adesuwa Onyenokwe, said this was the
first in a series of one-play-a-year to be staged by the magazine,
because “we are about all aspects of human life.” She had been
introduced to the play by Joke Silva, who passed on the text on a
flight from Rivers State. The Lagos performance was a fundraiser to
support four charities: Genesis House; a skills acquisition centre for
the rehabilitation of commercial sex workers; a charity supporting
child athletes with special needs to attend the Special Olympics in
Greece next year; and a scholarship fund to help pupils from deprived
backgrounds attend Holy Child College, Silva’s old school. N5,000 from
the N25,000 ticket price for the play, would go to each of the four
charities. Among those in attendance were actor Olu Jacob, socialite
Taiwo Taiwo, Rivers State Commissioner for Information and
Communications, Ibim Semenitari and the playwright himself.

In the play’s
brochure, Onyenokwe argues that militancy is one of the many ills that
have helped under-develop the Niger Delta: “This play is something we
wanted to stage to show that militancy is often justified as the choice
of passing grievances, yet it may not be the best, because at the end
of the day, the militancy is destroying lives.” Yerima’s play seeks to
drive home this message by telling the Niger Delta story through the
often overlooked victims: women who suffer the loss of husbands,
children and livelihoods. “It’s a female play to the extent that most
of the characters are women, but what affects women affect us all,”
Onyenokwe told the audience, before the action commenced on the stage.

Mukume

The play opens to a
hut in a rustic setting, the forest scene undermined by shelling and
other sounds of conflict. A traumatised woman, Mukume (played by Kate
Henshaw-Nuttal), confronted by a hooded stranger brandishing a shotgun,
initially begs for her life. But when she fears she might be raped, she
grows defiant and asks the would-be assailant to kill her, because “I
have been raped three times today already.” The hooded stranger turns
out to be Memekize, an old woman also known as ‘Mama’ who lives by the
river, and who confronts intruders in the guise of a militant, as a
protective strategy.

Mama

Memekize is played
by Tosan Edremoda-Ugbeye, in a magisterial performance of great nuance
and humour. “Only the gods know what they are fighting for this time,”
she says, as sounds of fighting intrude into the conversation. Her hut
is a refuge for women like Mukume, whose physical and psychological
wounds the old woman begins to heal. “All I know is that I must stay
alive and avenge the loss of the virtue of my being,” Mukume is
restored enough to utter, while wondering what became of her husband
after an attack by militants.

Azue

Another woman,
Azue, soon stumbles on the hut, a baby strapped to her back. Played to
perfection by Tosin Otudeko, Azue is a delicate combination of
fragility and strength, a queen with a naturally weepy voice that hints
at the horrors she has seen. She is the misunderstood last wife of the
beheaded king; and when her delusion lifts, she will discover that her
baby is dead – “His life has been seeping away with little drops of
blood.” Azue’s first meeting with the old woman drives home the message
that women are often misjudged even by other women. Thankfully, in
Yerima’s play, they come to see themselves as the one and the same, all
“haunted by the wildness of men”.

Bonuwo

Joke Silva could
have very easily taken the most important role, that of Mama, and it is
to her credit that she didn’t. Instead, she doesn’t turn up until
almost halfway through the play, as Bonuwo, an idealistic teacher who
is burdened by the killing of over 40 pupils in her charge. Not without
eccentricity, she is a trauma victim still capable of the kind of
humour only the most resilient can muster. “The water-yam tastes
overcooked… but it will do for now,” she says, as she chomps down on
the roasted bits like one starved for days, eliciting laughter from the
audience.

Demystified militant

The many moments of
black humour help enliven the play’s gloomy subject matter. The humour
reaches its apogee when a militant, played excellently by Ropo Ewenla,
literally has to sing for his supper, after being outwitted by the
women. The desperate song and dance of a demystified militant, provide
the most hilarious moments in ‘Little Drops’. Ewenla’s character voices
the militants’ counter-argument to the women’s perpective, although it
borders on the didactic, at times. “There was no consultation with us,”
he says of the authorities’ handling of the amnesty programme. As for
kidnappings, he finger-points criminals in the guise of militants:
“Eight out of ten of those kidnappings are not done by us.”

Where initially he
had admonished the women, “We are dying for you and you are here eating
water-yam and drinking ogogoro,” the militant comes off his high horse
when they tell him, “Your cause has become a selfish one and we don’t
want you anymore.”

Blackberrys and other quibbles

Sound effects were
well deployed in the play, such that the conflict is powerfully
conveyed, despite the unchanging ‘hut’ scene. As Mama recalls happier
times before the violent deaths of her husband and sons, we hear the
whoosh of swamp water, evoking for us the peaceful fishing life by the
riverside. The sounds get more sinister as violence creeps in. While
Henshaw-Nuttal played the traumatised Mukume well, the actress’
designer skirt and painted nails somewhat undermined the portrayal.
Joke Silva’s (dirtied) skirt suit also had too much sheen and
embellishment to pass for the daywear of a humble teacher in the Niger
Delta. The weak link in the performances was Orji Ibe as Ovievie,
thanks to the actor’s wooden delivery of his lines.

The audience is not
left out of this critique, as it is increasingly clear that Nigerian
theatre goers need some etiquette about appropriate conduct when
watching a play. This was a mostly trendy, well-heeled audience that
frankly should have known better. Yet, there was too much
tooing-and-froing by many during the performance; not a few people
tapped away on their Blackberrys, some even answered phone calls. This
is unacceptable behaviour that distracts from the performance on the
stage. It would never happen in other climes where theatre is treated
with the seriousness it deserves.

Conclusion

All in all, this
was a good opener for TW’s annual plays. Not even women are completely
absolved. “Maybe we too have a role in this,” concedes Silva’s
character, as women and teachers who failed to raise the militants
well. Somehow, Yerima ends on a note of hope. Ewenla as the militant,
Kuru, is also shedding “little drops of blood”, thanks to a conflict
about “little drops of oil”. He must join hands with the women so they
can all live to see a better day.

On a first
encounter, quiet and unassuming Joy Dickson does not cut the picture of
a filmmaker. However after spending a few minutes with her, you are
enraptured by her passion for movie making. Born in Aba, Abia State,
Dickson had a brief stint in Nollywood producing and directing two
Nollywood films, ‘African Lily’ and ‘Mission to Africa’ before
relocating to the US where she is currently based.

After a seven-year
hiatus, she makes her directorial debut in America with B’etween Kings
and Queens’. Although many have likened the storyline to that of a
latter day ‘Coming to America’, Dickson thinks otherwise. She insists
that ‘Between Kings and Queens’ simply is the story of a young West
African prince who seeks to escape royal duties by fleeing to America.
He is later torn between love and free will, and his adventure in the
land of liberty quickly unravels as he finds himself running for his
life and love. The movie features Nigeria’s Jim Iyke starring alongside
an all-American cast.

Dickson talked to NEXT about her work, and the new film.

Tell us about your background?

I studied
Theatre-Arts at the University of Port Harcourt, then dabbled into
filmmaking. All my life I have always loved telling stories on stage
and I laid my hands on a camera after the whole ‘Living in Bondage’
success. Then I suggested to my husband, who was my then boyfriend,
that we should go ahead and do a movie – we eventually did but it never
saw the light of day. I didn’t know what I was doing but I knew I had a
story. I shot a film in 2003 here in Nigeria titled ‘Mission to Africa’
starring Olu Jacobs and other stars. After then I just tried to get
better and this movie, ‘Between Kings and Queens’, has been a huge step
for me.

Why the hiatus after ‘Mission to Africa’?

To start with, I
have always had this perception of trying to do movies, the right way.
I know in Nollywood, a director can produce two movies in a month (I
don’t know if I am exaggerating but that was what I heard). I was
having my child and trying to raise funds for my movie ‘Between Kings
and Queens’.

Did you go back to film school?

Yes I am actually taking courses at the New York Film Academy.

The trailer appears to have quite a lot in common with Coming to America. Do you agree?

I don’t know why
everyone is saying that because the only similarity was the fact that
the guy was from a royal family. It has a little bit of action and
police chasing him around and a little bit of comic relief. So, for
some funny reason, people are tagging it as ‘Coming to America’ – so
let’s say it’s modern day ‘Coming to America’.

What inspired the screenplay and why that story?

We had a friend at
that time that was rounding up his studies at the University of Texas
film school who said a classmate of his said to him: ‘I hear in Africa
you guys live in trees?’ And he in return replied saying ‘yeah the poor
ones live in small trees while the big ones live in tall trees’. Then
the white guy said: ‘Really?’ And he said: ‘Yes, remember when Clinton
came to Africa? We kept him in one of the tallest trees’. And the guy
still believed it! When he told us the story, we laughed and that was
how we took the story and this film came about. We wanted to elaborate
more about how we are being perceived as Africans. Most times [whites]
think we live in bushes with no clothes on, so that was how ‘Between
Kings and Queens’ was born.

Jim Iyke is the only African and Nigerian in the movie; is this deliberate?

I just wanted to
tell a story and it was a conscious move. I just wanted to have one
Nollywood actor in the film. The guy who played Kalu is pure American
and you couldn’t tell because he had to work on his accent. I wasn’t
targeting just Africans but everyone. Jim Iyke was the best person for
the role and people really loved him and kept asking about him.

What were some of the challenges you encountered while shooting the movie?

We shot for six
weeks nonstop for 12 to 14 hours a day. At the time we were shooting,
it was very hot, about 107 degrees, and at a point one of the actress’s
shoe was melting in the sun. During the outdoor shoot, we had to
pretend it was cold when it was really hot. By Hollywood standards,
this film is considered a low budget film. It cost us about $350,000 to
shoot and still counting.

Funding is a big issue for independent film makers. Does this apply to you?

Yes, funding was an
issue because to start with, I’m a Nigerian and it’s difficult
convincing people, so my husband had to do something about it.

What story are you trying to tell with ‘Between Kings and Queens?

I am telling the
story of the cultural conflicts between Africans and African Americans
as well as the ignorant perception about Africans. It’s amazing to
still hear some of them say things like we still live in trees. It’s
absurd that in this age, someone will think we still live on trees.

Do you have plans to make films here in Nigeria or will you still shoot from abroad?

I intend to do one
or two epics soon. It’s going to be a huge challenge, even though I
have one or two projects. I am still trying to get a good storyline for
the epic. I want it to be centred around the Biafra war, but from the
love angle. You know it is going to be a very sensitive issue, so for
me to talk about it, we have to consider a lot of things in terms of
set and costumes and all needed.

We see a lot of Nigerian-American movie collaborations lately; what do you think is the attraction for this?

The way the
Silverbird Group brought back the cinema culture has really helped to
sieve away the boys from the men. I think our people are tired of
seeing movies the way they have been done all the while and I can see
some talents. The likes of Chineze Anyaene and Kunle Afolayan have done
us proud.

How were you able to get DaJuan Johnson (Kalu) to speak like an African?

He had to work with
the acting coach who helped him with the accent. I also had to help him
too. I would talk with him over the phone, since he was in California
at that time. And I also gave him some materials and links to go to see
how Africans talk.

‘Between Kings and Queens’ debuted in cinemas across the country on December 3.

Six years after her
first appearnce in Tyrone Terrence’s ‘A Husband’s Wife’, actress, Joke
Silva, is set again to reprise her role in the marital thriller. Silva
played Tomi, the female lead opposite Richard Mofe- Damijo when the
play was first staged in 2004.She will however be starring opposite
actor and musician, Dede Mabiaku when the play is staged on Saturday,
December 18 at Agip Recital Hall, MUSON Centre, Onikan Lagos.

‘A Husband’s Wife’
is about a marriage gone sour. It is a tragedy about the mistakes of a
husband and his wife, which rocks their hitherto blissful union. Some
witty and incisive language employed in the play which has toured
countries including Ghana, US and the UK, further reinforces its
poignancy.

Rosewood Theatre,
Clipse Management and Theatre, which produced Terrence’s ‘Yoruba
Romance’, last year are facilitating ‘A Husband’s Wife’.

The production is supported by Promisador Limited. Tickets for the
show which comes at N5,000 for regular and N10, 000 for dignitaries are
already on sale at designated spots across Lagos.

Christmas is a
season for ceremonies in many forms. This year is no different, with
numerous events already lined up to lead Nigerians into the yuletide
and the New Year. Some, however, remember to maintain the birth of
Christ as the sole purpose of their jubilation.

One of such was the
Annual Christmas concert by Lemuel Iyalla and his Greenland Classics
that held at the University of Lagos on Sunday, December 6. The 2010
edition was another in a series of concerts, which began in 2008, two
years after the group – a harmonious bundle of vocal talent – was
established. Tagged ‘Peace. Be Still,’ the event, which took place at
the campus’ Chapel of Christ Our Light, promised music as medicine for
the soul’s troubles.

A praise-worthy evening

With lawyer and
academic, Yemi Osinbajo, as chairman, the event lived up to its billing
as a promising night of songs. Not only was the audience constantly
moved to sing along, there were numerous entertaining, yet
inspirational messages to draw from the performers’ repertoire.

Apart from the
Greenland Chorale and The Mass Choir, director of the Greenland
Classics, Lemuel Iyalla, Prisca Enyi, Peter Bema and Amaka Sam-Ejelu
were also on the list of the night’s singers. Emcee’d by Olawale
Samuel, the evening opened with a performance of ‘Lord for Thy Tender
Mercies’ Sake’ by the Mass Choir, followed by a solo rendition of
‘Bless this house’ by the tenor, Iyalla.

Osinbajo then gave
his remarks. “It is good to give praise”, he said, “especially for a
nation like ours where against all odds we stayed united and our people
still had the chance to display their talents.”

The former Lagos
State Attorney General hailed the Christmas concert as an initiative
that was worthy of praise and that should be continued.

Affirming the
professor of Law’s claim on the event’s quality, Prisca Enyi, a
soprano, came on stage and wowed the audience. Her rendition of
Mozart’s ‘Exultante Jubilate’ was sonorous and soul-stirring. Nothing
else could describe sweet music to the ears. Her composure and stage
presence was magnified by her gestures and facial expressions which
reflected the tone and mood of the song. Enyi’s was indeed a magnetic
performance that could only add to the bright sparks of the Christmas
season.

Iyalla returned to
the stage to perform a medley of Christmas carols, which included ‘O
Holy Night’ and ‘White Christmas.’ Up next was the elderly Josephine
Okuboyejo singing ‘Silent Night’.

Courtesy of the
mass choir, the audience was treated to ‘Tidings of Comfort and Joy,’
‘Ding Dong Merrily on High,’ and with audience participation performed
‘Once in Royal David’s City…’ The choir added their own style to the
songs, ending the second carol on a flourish.

Inspirational performance

The most inspiring
story and performance of the night was that of Peter Bema’s. The Rivers
State-based Bema is a visually-impaired, highly-talented vocalist and
instrumentalist. His vocal ability was reminiscent of Andrea Bocelli’s.
In a country with challenges even for the able-bodied, Bema’s success
story echoed that of gifted soprano, Victoria Oruwari, and expert music
producer, Cobhams Asuquo.

The musician
himself admitted that his parents had not expected him to come this
far, but for the glory of God. “Jesus,” Bema said, “is the reason for
the season,” before breaking into ‘Jerusalem’ from Handel’s ‘Messiah.’

His message before
the next song was for us to find our purposes in life and never to let
anything stand in the way of our dreams and aspirations. His glowing
tenor had stunned the audience in his first performance; his dexterity
on the keyboard soon ‘double-stunned’ the audience.

Taking his place
behind the keyboard, Bema’s fingers flew expertly across the keys as he
accompanied himself on a motivational Kenny Rogers’ tune titled, ‘Till
The Season I’m Strong Again.’ His ingenious performance – impressive
vocal quality imbued with theatrics and a commanding stage presence –
was rewarded with a standing ovation.

Embodying the
message of the concert was Amaka Sam-Ejelu’s performance of a personal
composition. Her rendition of the song ‘Sing for Christmas’ outshone
her sparkly black and gold costume and was a thrilling, memorable ode
to the purpose of the yuletide celebrations. The song could very well
become a Christmas anthem, as it was much similar to others that had
come before it in message and in tune.

The climax of the
evening was a rendition of indigenous praise songs by the Greenland
Chorale, led by Iyalla. These included popular tunes like ‘Gbo Ohun,’
‘Ise Oluwa,’ ‘Ni Gbogbo Ona E Se’ and Efik songs like ‘Amanam.’

It can only get better

Following a vote of
thanks and closing prayer by Bishop George Bako, the Greenland Chorale
and the Mass Choir gave a joint rendition of ‘A Merry Christmas,’ a
wonderful note on which to send the congregation into yuletide mode.

An undoubtedly
amazing night in this year’s Christmas season, the event was not
without its hitches. Some of those billed to perform were absent and
not all the songs listed were eventually performed. However, as a
prelude to its other major concerts, this year’s Christmas Concert was
a laudable effort on the part of the organisers.

For those eager to experience the Greenland Classics, upcoming
concerts to look out for include the ‘Heritage for Life’ concert, ‘The
Essence of Music’, and ‘The Garden Experience.’