Nigeria Content Online

The struggle for
the emancipation of the Niger Delta received a boost recently, thanks
to a new exhibition by artist Nelson Edewor. The latest campaign in
support of the cause of the oil rich region came in the form of
‘Totalities’, a solo show held at the Maxin Lotus Motel in Warri, Delta
State. The exhibition opened on Friday April 23 and closed on Friday
May 7.

Nelson Edewor, who
claims divine inspiration for his works on display in the exhibition,
is a unique sculptor. His main medium of artistic expression is a
special kind of wood indigenous to the forests of the Niger Delta.

Another feature of
his work is that each of his carvings tells a story about life in the
Delta. The oil pipelines, the many ethnic groups in the region – all of
these are well represented in the artworks.

Writing in the
exhibition catalogue, Maureen E. Ebulue of the Ezzi Gallery, Warri,
which supported the show, said, “Edewor’s wood carvings are sculptural
works which have… bridged the gap between contemporary and traditional
art as existent in the African multicultural and multi-ethnic
continent. Every piece has a deeply rooted story from history. It is,
therefore, aimed as a collector piece, going beyond its function, to
serve as history.”

H.U.M Bazunu,
sculptor and art historian with Delta State University, Abraka,
observed further that, “In this exhibition, [Edewor] seems to have
touched every aspect of life in the Niger Delta.” Commenting on the
artist’s artist method, Bazunu wrote that, “Like El Anatsui who uses
motorized tools and burning technique to create his aesthetically
pleasing and highly expressive wood sculptures… Nelson Edewor, now
using motorized tools, has gone ideographic and pictographic in his
art. This is with a view to raising his horizon, going beyond
oil/petroleum to touching as many areas of life as possible with his
art.”

Speaking at the
opening event on April 23, Nelson Edewor disabused the minds of those
who hold on to the opinion prevalent in some quarters, that African
carvings are idolatry. He does not share this demonising view of art,
and insists that, far from items of idol worship, carvings such as
those on display in ‘Totalities’ are beautiful decorative objects only.

A guided tour of
some of the exhibits revealed much about the fine and applied art
lecturer’s thematic concerns. ‘Victims’ – with sober faces on five
pieces of carved human forms – is a vivid reflection of the
victimisation endured by the people of the Delta. ‘Faces of Hope’ gives
reassurance and hope in the face of such oppression.

‘Dance the Pain to
Silence’ explores female circumcision. The newly circumcised maiden
dances her pain to silence as her peers sing her praises; in the same
vein, Niger Deltans also dance the pain of environmental and economic
oppression to silence.

‘The Hand that
Giveth’, a beautiful masterpiece carved from a single tree, depicts the
long hand of the oil-rich region that gives from her abundant wealth to
the rest of the nation.

‘Constitutional Conference’- invites all Nigerians to a conference where credible leadership can lead to good governance.

In the words of Grace Ojie, Head of Department of Fine Art, Delta
State University, Abraka, Edewor’s work is “splendid and heavily
culture based, and full of creativity with a unique style of
finishing.” Others noted the very inspirational quality of the works
displayed, as well as their African touch.

Why Art?

I was born into a
creative family; my father was a printer. At six, I was already doing
the artworks for his printing jobs. I love drawing. When I was younger,
I used to make toys and do collages because I grew up in an environment
where there was a lot of paper and colours. I don’t think there is
anything for me apart from art.

Training

I am a graduate of
Painting from the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH). Though I had
been drawing and creating art since I was young, I got formal training
at YABATECH.

Medium

I love people and I
seek to give each figure in my composition its own unique identity. My
ever growing interest in Yoruba history and mythology has also become a
visible aspect of my compositions.

I have used
various media in producing my works: mixed- media, acrylic, oil,
pastel, charcoal, and water-colour, are my major mediums of expression.
Most of my works are done using subtle brush strokes, monochromes, and
earth colours. The play of light in them adds to the dramatic effect of
creating mood in each painting.

Influences

The works of great
artists influence my works. I was going to see exhibitions of masters
like Kolade Oshinowo before entering school. I love the way they use
colours. I am also influenced by seeing the works of other artists.
Things around me influence my works.

Inspiration

I draw inspiration
from my environment, from things around me. For example, during the
Black Heritage Festival, they took us around Lagos to see every part of
the city before the exhibition. I was inspired by where the slaves were
put in Badagry, one could see where they were tied with manila in a
room for 40 days. I used the manila in my painting to explain commerce
and slavery. From Badagry, I saw the colourful regatta and skyscrapers,
which also appeared in my painting.

Best work so far

I don’t have any
best work for now. I cannot rate my works. I try every day to do my
best. The works I am doing now are better than the ones I did
yesterday, and I am sure that the ones I will do after will be better
than the ones I am doing now. I don’t think that you can have a best
work while still alive. You just keep working, even as a writer or
musician. If you have a best work, it holds you back from doing
something better. One has to work every day to do something good.

Least satisfying work

I am always happy
when I see my past works. It gives me hope that I can do better. I have
young artists that look up to me, so I show them these past works to
know that they can do more. When you look back at your past works, you
see how you have improved over time. I don’t have any least satisfying
work. I only wish that all my works were in my collection. I am happy
with every work I have ever done.

Career high point

My career high
point for now has to be wining the painting competition of the Black
Heritage Festival. That is one of the biggest prizes in visual arts. I
feel elated to have won such a competition. I pray we have more
competitions to expose artists.

Favourite artist, living or dead

They are many; both
young and old. Those that have direct influence on me are Kolade
Oshinowo and Samuel Ajobiewe, whose last exhibition at Mydrim Gallery
was before my first solo exhibition. I also like Sam Ovraiti’s
personality as an artist.

Ambition

To be one of the greatest artists in the world and to influence people’s lives through my works, especially younger artists.

“The most expensive
aspect of AMAA, I think, is not the awards ceremony but the process of
getting the films in, screening the films. It takes us approximately
three months to get to the point where nominations are announced,”
discloses Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, founder of the Africa Movie Academy
Awards. It’s a Monday morning and we are in a coffee shop in Ikeja GRA
reviewing the awards ceremony held weeks before in Yenagoa, Bayelsa
State, amongst other issues.

Sponsorship woes

Unknown to many,
the graduate of Law and Political Science from Oxford Brookes
University, Oxford, UK, and her team had problems organising the
ceremony. Though they started working on the project nine months prior
to the event, things almost went awry because some sponsors didn’t
respond promptly.

“Unfortunately for
us, Nigerians tend to want to do things at the last minute, especially
government people who probably don’t realise how important it is to do
things on time. The only sponsor that came on board early enough was
UBA, while our host state had challenges,” she recalls. A discerning
person, she has however learnt from what transpired. “In regards to
next year, we’ve taken certain decisions whereby anyone hosting the
award has to take a decision and implement it before the last quarter
of the year preceding the award.”

There are
speculations that the Bayelsa State government might be getting tired
of hosting the ceremony, people say the sponsors’ night before the show
where Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva, urged corporate Nigeria to
sponsor the awards, is proof. But Anyiam-Osigwe disagrees. “No, I think
that AMAA has reached a stage where it is right for the Bayelsa State
government to ask for sponsors to come on board. The state has the
hosting right, they cannot be the sponsors of the event itself. Let’s
take the World Cup, South Africa has the hosting right but she is not
paying for everything. MTN, Coca Cola, Pepsi, everybody else is
carrying the bill and that is what it’s supposed to be.

The Governor is
doing the right thing in trying to get the private sector to sponsor
the AMAA. Why I have a lot of respect for UBA is the fact that they saw
a need to support a home grown brand; not a lot of corporate bodies in
Nigeria believe in supporting home grown brands. That is sad because no
matter what I try to do with the AMAA, if it doesn’t have corporate
support, it will not grow. The recognition of the award internationally
is more than the recognition it gets locally and that amazes me.”

The joy of AMAA

The thrill of the
AMAA for its founder this year “was the joy of the people that won.
That was really what touched me, the sincerity of the emotions that
came from the people that won. Africa has recognised what we are doing
… You have people who will call you on the day of the AMAA, people
like Forest [Whitaker] or Danny [Glover] and encourage you. No matter
the stress you are going through, when you get those kinds of people
saying to you, you have to continue. Deep down in your heart, you know
that you are doing something right.”

In spite of this,
Anyiam-Osigwe’s biggest problem remains continuity. And she intends to
tackle this continuing with her sponsorship drive. “Two days after
AMAA, I was invited to Ghana by a prospective sponsor. I have been
there twice already to have meetings with them and that’s what we are
going to do. We are going to really go out and look for sponsors.”

Is she then saying next year’s AMAA might hold in Ghana?

“It can be anywhere
but the most important thing is that AMAA has to be where the people
recognise its value. When I started the AMAA, I never knew what I was
getting into and I never believed it would grow so fast. There is an
argument we are having with Africans in the Diaspora, people like
Forest [Whitaker], CC Pounder, Tyler Perry, about opening it up to
everybody. I told them that’s why you have the Africans in Diaspora
category and we have short film and feature film. For them, this is the
award. If you listened to Glynn Turman, he was like this is not just
for you guys. It’s for everybody. So, how do you start to control all
that? We have an AGM in July and we are going to try and make everybody
understand that it’s a gradual process.

“Some people say to
me this is one of the best ones you have had but I know what the plans
were. We have already started working towards next year. I don’t know
where the AMAA will hold next year, we would know by the end of July.”

No conflict

Anyiam-Osigwe who
is part of the recently launched Africa International Film Festival
(AFRIFF) explains her involvement. “One of the things that I feel I
contribute to anything that has to do with festivals in Nigeria is my
technical knowledge. I’m tired of seeing festivals going on without
having the content that will make a festival what it’s supposed to be.
So, when I was approached, I basically spoke about the content area of
the festival.”

She also douses
fears of a potential conflict between AFRIFF and AMAA. “I see no
conflict. I think the conflict will come if for any reason they move
into what we are doing. But if it is segmented – and which I think it
is right now and it’s strictly a film festival then there isn’t any
conflict of interest whatsoever.”

Nollywood and growth

The woman whose
African Film Academy organises trainings for guilds in Nollywood and
sponsors young filmmakers to film festivals, reiterates the need for
Nollywood to grow. “I think that Nollywood needs to move on, filmmakers
have to realise that films can be made…the cameras nowadays are so
user friendly. The success of ‘Figurine’ shows that it’s not what you
shoot on but the detail and the time you put into pre- production. The
success of all the films that won at the AMAA this year, and ‘From a
Whisper’ that won last year, is that attention to detail will always
get you over the bridge.”

Regarded as an
award organiser and not a filmmaker in a section of Nollywood because
she has no production yet, Anyiam-Osigwe’s soap, ‘GRA Women’ is set to
hit the airwaves this quarter. She is also working on a film she
co-wrote “about four women that are friends. It’s a feature, a fun
film. Something that allows me express my creativity after so many
years of not being able to do something.”

Is she not worried that expectations will be high for the film given her background as an award organiser?

“And I expect it to be high,” she replies. “The unfortunate thing is
that it can never win an AMAA, it can never go in for competition so I
will just be expressing myself. But I think maybe that is what I want
to do because sometimes I hear criticisms that I don’t make films, I’m
a filmmaker. Maybe I should just do a film to express myself and make
myself happy.”

It was a night to
remember for everyone at the ‘Night Out With the Arts’, organised by
the Society of the Performing Arts of Nigeria (SPAN). The event took
place on April 30 at the Coral Reef, Ikoyi, and allowed the audience
the honour of judging the presentations which cut across music, comedy
and dance.

As the curtains
were raised on the monthly show’s second edition, it represented SPAN’s
way of recognising the talents that abound across the city of Lagos.

Cool FM on-air
personalities Manny and Amaka anchored the event, which kicked off with
a rendition by Tee Mac. The flutist and former PMAN president performed
to the accompaniment of a drummer, a guitarist and a pianist.

He preceded his
performance by reeling out statistics about the power of Nigerian
music. “There are about 400,000 professional musicians and about 1.2
million amateur musicians,” he said. “What is missing is the money,
because the talent is already here.”

He took a swipe at
young people’s reactions to his music, just before he got caught in the
rapture of his wind instrument. “Young people call it old school, I
call it good music,” he said. Olufunmi, a gospel musician and Vice
President of SPAN, sang the second verse of our National Anthem. She
also held the audience spellbound with her voice as she sang a popular
gospel tune.

In her welcome
address, president of SPAN, Sarah Boulos, said that the organisation,
in their celebration of the family, provided a bouncing castle for
children at the event. She also mentioned with excitement that the body
was starting a talk show about the talent series on Cool FM.

Night of musical “talents”

Ten acts performed
on stage for only three minutes each, as the programme did not start at
the scheduled time of 7pm. Uche Agbai showed professionalism as he sang
and strummed his guitar backed up by a piano. He sang “Fast Lane,”
which he had composed after losing a friend.

Next up was a
dance by SPAN which reminded the audience of the Fame television series
that was popular in the 80s. The group danced to the Fame theme-song
and a slower-paced track, switching their body movements in time with
the music. Led by Nnamdi ‘Ice’ Nweke, the dance director of SPAN, the
presentation showed an adherence to detail, as they kept in sync with
the music. The evening would, however, come up with a few rough edges.

Hall of shame

The first category
of undiluted torture began with the clarinet-bearing Natural Beekey,
who played the instrument off key, as he struggled to accompany a Sunny
Ade hit track. Next on the list of pain was a trio called Unbreakable
Unit. Following the usual “Naija” swag-induced style, the group mimed
to one of their tracks. The poor production quality made it almost
impossible to hear what the musicians where singing. Cold Flames
rounded up the first round of musical display with a Yoruba rock song,
which had the crowd clapping and whistling in appreciation.

At the end of the
first session, Tee Mac was first to reach for the microphone as he gave
his own verdict. He advised the ‘out of tune’ Natural Beekey to get
more lessons on playing the clarinet. Tee Mac noted that though
Unbreakable Unit had the moves, they lacked the coordination and force
needed to make a successful hip-hop act.

Though the
audience showed appreciation for Cold Flames’ performance, Tee Mac said
the artist used the most basic keys for his performance and needed to
improve on his talent.

The night moved on
with more criticism from the audience after the next three acts. There
was another interlude with Sons of Liberty, a dance group under SPAN
that has made it to the finals of the Malta Guinness Street Dance
Competition. They entertained the crowd with their energetic and
acrobatic dance steps, as they danced to a medley of songs. A group of
comedians tried to crack the ribs of the audience who seemed to slowly
lose interest in what was happening on stage and were already trickling
out of the venue. The comedians did no better than most of the
musicians, who were reminded by Sarah Boulos not to mime their songs to
backing records, but sing with their voices, so as not to camouflage
any musical deficiencies.

Lessons learnt

The exposure could
help improve the evening’s 10 acts, but in keeping the talent show open
without any form of screening, the audience is left to accept whatever
fate brings on stage. The next show holds on the last Friday in May.

It was a night to
remember for everyone at the ‘Night Out With the Arts’, organised by
the Society of the Performing Arts of Nigeria (SPAN). The event took
place on April 30 at the Coral Reef, Ikoyi, and allowed the audience
the honour of judging the presentations which cut across music, comedy
and dance.

As the curtains
were raised on the monthly show’s second edition, it represented SPAN’s
way of recognising the talents that abound across the city of Lagos.

Cool FM on-air
personalities Manny and Amaka anchored the event, which kicked off with
a rendition by Tee Mac. The flutist and former PMAN president performed
to the accompaniment of a drummer, a guitarist and a pianist.

He preceded his
performance by reeling out statistics about the power of Nigerian
music. “There are about 400,000 professional musicians and about 1.2
million amateur musicians,” he said. “What is missing is the money,
because the talent is already here.”

He took a swipe at
young people’s reactions to his music, just before he got caught in the
rapture of his wind instrument. “Young people call it old school, I
call it good music,” he said. Olufunmi, a gospel musician and Vice
President of SPAN, sang the second verse of our National Anthem. She
also held the audience spellbound with her voice as she sang a popular
gospel tune.

In her welcome
address, president of SPAN, Sarah Boulos, said that the organisation,
in their celebration of the family, provided a bouncing castle for
children at the event. She also mentioned with excitement that the body
was starting a talk show about the talent series on Cool FM.

Night of musical “talents”

Ten acts performed
on stage for only three minutes each, as the programme did not start at
the scheduled time of 7pm. Uche Agbai showed professionalism as he sang
and strummed his guitar backed up by a piano. He sang “Fast Lane,”
which he had composed after losing a friend.

Next up was a
dance by SPAN which reminded the audience of the Fame television series
that was popular in the 80s. The group danced to the Fame theme-song
and a slower-paced track, switching their body movements in time with
the music. Led by Nnamdi ‘Ice’ Nweke, the dance director of SPAN, the
presentation showed an adherence to detail, as they kept in sync with
the music. The evening would, however, come up with a few rough edges.

Hall of shame

The first category
of undiluted torture began with the clarinet-bearing Natural Beekey,
who played the instrument off key, as he struggled to accompany a Sunny
Ade hit track. Next on the list of pain was a trio called Unbreakable
Unit. Following the usual “Naija” swag-induced style, the group mimed
to one of their tracks. The poor production quality made it almost
impossible to hear what the musicians where singing. Cold Flames
rounded up the first round of musical display with a Yoruba rock song,
which had the crowd clapping and whistling in appreciation.

At the end of the
first session, Tee Mac was first to reach for the microphone as he gave
his own verdict. He advised the ‘out of tune’ Natural Beekey to get
more lessons on playing the clarinet. Tee Mac noted that though
Unbreakable Unit had the moves, they lacked the coordination and force
needed to make a successful hip-hop act.

Though the
audience showed appreciation for Cold Flames’ performance, Tee Mac said
the artist used the most basic keys for his performance and needed to
improve on his talent.

The night moved on
with more criticism from the audience after the next three acts. There
was another interlude with Sons of Liberty, a dance group under SPAN
that has made it to the finals of the Malta Guinness Street Dance
Competition. They entertained the crowd with their energetic and
acrobatic dance steps, as they danced to a medley of songs. A group of
comedians tried to crack the ribs of the audience who seemed to slowly
lose interest in what was happening on stage and were already trickling
out of the venue. The comedians did no better than most of the
musicians, who were reminded by Sarah Boulos not to mime their songs to
backing records, but sing with their voices, so as not to camouflage
any musical deficiencies.

Lessons learnt

The exposure could
help improve the evening’s 10 acts, but in keeping the talent show open
without any form of screening, the audience is left to accept whatever
fate brings on stage. The next show holds on the last Friday in May.

Credibility is key
to the Hip Hop World Awards’ (HHWA) choice of winners. The Awards team
said this much during a courtesy visit to the NEXT newsroom on Monday,
May 3. Accompanied by the nominees in the Next Rated category of the
awards, their mission was to acknowledge the support of the media in
their operations.

The Next-rated

From the Hip Hop
World Awards team were founder and executive producer of the awards Ayo
Animashaun, Kingsley James, James Silas and Nike Fagbile.

Presenting the
team, Adekunle Ayeni of AYENI Entertainment said, “Our focus here is to
share the idea and the dream with you and see how we can move the dream
forward.” It was the first stop in a series of scheduled visits to
media houses across the country.

“What we’ve done is
to bring all the nominees for [the NEXT Rated] category. This is about
the most important category at the award. It is not the biggest
category but it is about the most important because (it features)
talents who are just on the verge of breaking out big. It is the only
category that has a prize: a brand new car.”

In the category are
dancehall star General Pype, Jesse Jagz (younger brother to MI and now
an artist in his own right), D’ Prince (younger brother to top producer
Don Jazzy of Mo’Hits), Skuki and female rapper Mo’Chedda.

Going global

The organizers also
sought the continued support of the media towards delivering a
world-class awards ceremony. James Silas of the awards publicity and
marketing team said, “Like every award out there the HHWA are not
properly funded. We have great ideas, we have things that we think will
blow everybody’s mind but we don’t have the support most of the time,
like we desire from the corporate world.

“The MTV awards,
the Oscars that you see and you applaud so highly have very serious
budgets behind them and if we have corporate people come together to
support us, we’ll be able to put (up) that kind of award in Nigeria,
irrespective of our infrastructural underdevelopment, and put Nigeria
on the map. You’ll agree with me that these gentlemen (and lady) have
put Nigeria on the map much more than most people on the other side of
the world and so they need all the encouragement that they can get from
the awards, from people like you and from the reporting that you do.”

Animashaun,
publisher of the Hip Hop World Magazine, said he was very excited about
the Next Rated category. “The way our industry is structured, a lot of
young talented artists, who want to achieve success in entertainment
don’t have the right opportunity. Talent is not enough in Nigeria. This
platform is very important for us to actually really identify some
promising artists in the year in review and encourage them and reward
them. When I look at the face of nominees sometimes, I just wish they
were all winners. But they are winners, that’s why some of us don’t say
“and the winner is…,” we say “the award goes to…” But once you are
nominated you are a winner already.”

A friendly category

For the nominees it
was a good publicity run and a form of encouragement for and
endorsement of their budding careers. Sole female member of Knighthouse
Crew, Mo’Chedda said, “It’s difficult when we as artists work so hard
(with little recognition) and listening to what [has been] said just
touched me that, ‘Okay, there’s someone listening.’ I’m going to keep
working because even if I don’t win this award, I’ve been acknowledged.”

Speaking mostly in
his Jamaican Patois ‘Champion’ singer General Pype encouraged all the
nominees to “keep the champion flag flying.”

Hot on the scene
with his debut album, ‘Jagz Of All Trades’, the hip-hop artist Jesse
Jagz, “When we went for the nomination and I saw the other names there,
I cried. I was depressed for a very long time because I think for me
this has been the toughest Next Rated category. It is an honour to be
on the list. It’s a lot of work for those of us who have been nominated
whether we win or not. Also I think it’s the only award where you get
to prove you are worthy of the award after you have won it.”

Mo’ Hits D’ Prince
considered it “a thing of joy for us to be nominated in the category
because we don’t think that there are people who actually watch and
listen to what we do.” Hinting at the absence of bad blood and the
nominees, D’ Prince said, “From General Pype to Jesse Jagz, they are
all my friends. I just feel that it’s a friendly category.”

For the brothers
Skuki, their selection was a seal of approval. “To whom much is given,
much is expected. This goes a long way for us and we see it as
encouragement.” The duo spoke of their disappointment at not being
invited to the 2008 edition because then they were relatively unknowns.
Their determination however drove them to improve on their act, hence
their nomination for this year’s awards. “It’s a dream come true,” they
said.

Street credibility

Whether their dream
of winning comes true remains to be seen as the winner of the Next
Rated category is determined solely by music fans. Animashaun said,
“It’s up to your fans out there to vote. Learn from other people’s
experiences. Don’t feel too cool that you are known. Some people just
make the mistake and take it for granted. Whoever wins, wins.”

To all those who
might want to doubt the credibility of the winner, Animashaun was quick
to point out that while some categories are determined by popularity,
others depend solely on the quality of the nominated material. “We
strive to be credible at what we do and at every opportunity I have
I’ll try to remind people that in 2006 when Don Jazzy won ‘Producer of
the Year’, he was new in Nigeria. OJB had overwhelming popularity and
rather than consider popularity, we checked the material in the year in
review. Don Jazzy won and even when he won the award, he was so
embarrassed that he dedicated the award to other artists in the
category,” Animashaun said.

“Years down the
line, you can point to Don Jazzy and see whether he’s a good producer
or a bad one, so for us, we don’t care about what is popular, we care
about what is credible.”

Omawumi, Asa and Wande Coal are just some of the previous winners of the category whose careers have since skyrocketed.

In the case of MI,
Animashaun said many of those who initially felt the lad was not worthy
of the ‘Next Rated’ award later called the organiser to praise MI’s
talent. “This category, we are not in charge (of), our fans (are), so
please let them vote for you.” according to the organisers, fans can
vote via SMS or online.

The artists in the
category already see it as a “friendly” one since most of them have
already featured in some form of collaboration or the other. It is
however up to the fans to vote their best man or woman in a credible
contest of the most popular upcoming artist.

The Hip-Hop World Awards hold on May 29 at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.

For two days in
April the works of seven Nigerian women adorned the lobby of the
Transcorp Hilton Hotel, in Abuja. Their individual artistic expressions
of the past and future of Nigeria were on display in an art exhibition
tagged ‘50 years ahead through the eyes of Nigerian Women.’ Held from
Thursday April 22 to Friday 23, the exhibition was the result of
collaboration between the African Artists Foundation, the Netherlands
Embassy, and the Transcorp Hilton Hotel. For art enthusiasts, and
guests who thronged the exhibition, the common agreement was that the
show and the works were something to behold.

A unique exhibition

Of particular
interest to many was the exploits of two artists from Northern Nigeria:
Aisha Augie – Kuta and Aisha Ibrahim Dapchi. Both successfully shifted
from the constraints of cultural and religious restrictions to freely
express themselves in the visual art form. The various mediums of
expression spanned photography, sculpture, painting, mixed media and
video art. When asked why the exhibition featured only women, the
curator, Zainab Ashadu, responded that “a society cannot develop if its
women are not invested in, and it is to this end that we choose to use
this exhibition to give a voice to the women.”

Based on its
interest in the development of female artists, the African Artists
Foundation sent out an open call for participation. This requested
interested female artists to send in proposals giving a summary of
their individual visions for interpreting the chosen theme. “All
entries received revealed a remarkable level of awareness by the
artists. With these, we created this unique exhibition,” said Omotayo
Adeola, the Project Coordinator.

All one and the same

Aisha Augie-Kuta’s
exhibit titled ‘Versus’ investigates the various factors that limit,
propel or stall us in our development as a nation, exploring identity
by challenging the apparent disregard for indigenous culture in favour
of a Western one. Through her photographic displays, Augie-Kuta
captured varied images of ordinary Nigerians at work, from the
challenging landscapes to a political party’s street trawl. She
presents the vision of a Nigeria where we can borrow from and merge
different cultures without sacrificing our own identity.

Unoma Giese, an
artist of Nigerian and German parentage, presented ‘Double Caste’, a
body of work that attempts to show identity as not merely black and
white. Her images of mixed race – part Japanese, English, German and
part Nigerian subjects – explore the fragmentation that still exists in
Nigerian contemporary society, especially with respect to mixed race
persons commonly referred to as ‘half-caste.’

‘In Women: Our
Continuity’, Shade Ogunlade used her stylised paintings to portray a
unified Nigeria where there is no distinction between one person and
the next; where Nigerians are defined not by their ethnicity but by
their similarities and achievements.

Art is life

In ‘Time Honoured,’
Priscilla Nzimoro’s lenses captured the aesthetics of everyday mundane
activities in the urban mega-polis, Lagos. The new media artist
presented us with images of ordinary lives across the landscape: the
vulcaniser and his makeshift roadside garage and the vigorous rhythmic
pounding of food by women in roadside restaurants, among others.

Aisha Ibrahim
Dapchi’s exhibition – ‘AMARYA’, was a collection that highlighted the
sacred rite of passage from girlhood to womanhood in Hausa culture.
‘Amarya’ boldly displays the beauty, pride and the evolution of Hausa
culture.

Lucy Azubuike, a
mixed media artist, explored the relationship between Nigerian Society
and the roles of women. ‘No Going Back’ is a video exploration of the
quest by African women for equality, empowerment and
self-actualisation. Using nature, particularly trees and crops,
Azubuike explored the relationship between man’s treatment of fellow
man and man’s relationship with nature.

Taiye Idahor stood
out in the exhibition with her choice of medium and theme. This
promising young artist expressed herself through soft sculptures,
formed by using readily available newspaper prints in the production of
hollow cubes with holes, representing the errors of a damaged nation.

If the organisers keep their promise, the exhibition should be a
regular platform for female artists to express themselves from now on.

Contemporary world
poetry, it appears, is a prescriptive ocean in which contending world
views are strenuously vying for recognition and relevance. Contemporary
Indian poetry, no less, is caught in this agenda of making the human
voice to be heard.

Ankur Betageri is a poet born in India on November
18, 1983, whose poetry marks a departure from the predominantly
prescriptive into a probing, questing sensibility. Ankur who writes in
Kannada and in English, is a trained clinical psychologist and a
photographer of great talent even as he maintains a day job as an
assistant editor at the Sahitya Akademi.

While Ankur’s works bear a
semblance of the traditional fare in portions, his approach is actually
radical, verging on the iconoclastic. Betageri maintains a playful ear
on the fringes of his works, daubing with the erotic here and the
platonic there. He is in this introduction represented by a variety
both in kind and in chronological topicality. Ankur has benefited from
the influence of scholars like Hulkuntemath Shivamurthy Shivaprakash,
playwrights like Wole Soyinka, film makers like Martin Scorsese and
visual artists like Jayant Parmar.

Apart from being an
agent of a vigorous thematic impulse in his poetry, this poet is also
markedly improvisional on the level of style. His exposure to cultural
intellectuals in the mold of Satchidanandan, many times guest editor at
the Indian Academy of Letters has no doubt had an effect on his poetry
and writing generally. I find Betageri’s eclectic background and
approach to poetry a fresh way of ‘computing’ the universe.

Certainly
the idea that poetry is for those of a certain temperament or formal
training is now anachronistic and poets like Ankur have done their bit
to confirm the idea antiquated. I find the poetry of Betageri
invigorating on another level, that of risk. Even when he pretends to
be, he is no lotus-eater and his constant challenge is to a generation
that witnessed the winning lyrical strength and narrative impact of
Slumdog Millionaire, the film. If space had permitted, this
introduction would have included poems in which Betageri engages India
in a lover’s quarrel and in which the active imagination of a
generation of the youth of the Indian sub-continent is mirrored. The
reader is enjoined to allow the grace notes in Betageri’s poetry to run
free.

On a personal level, I derived a lot of enjoyment reading Betageri’s
‘I am Water’ to a song by Fela Anikulapo Kuti on Water. I found the
poem ‘If Love is the Most Natural Thing’ a most compatible dessert to
Roberta Flack’s grooves and I totally enjoyed Evening at Tagore Park on
the rocks. Finally, for me, Betageri proves that a ‘young poet’ is a
redundant expression. Poetry is ageless and a man is either a poet or
he is not. Ankur Betageri, everyone…

It was a marriage
of two great musical genres that incidentally borrow a lot from each
other at the ‘Afrobeat meets Jazz’ concert on April 24, 2010. At the
Ogunlana Drive, Surulere-based Moods Club, the presence of Louis
Armstrong, Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Fela could be simultaneously
felt. This was combined with the creativity of Funsho Ogundipe, leading
his Ayetoro band in a performance that cut through the old and new
schools. His brand of music which is also called Ayetoro (“World at
Peace” in Yoruba) was the engine that drove the evening’s events.

Ogundipe was born
in Lagos where he created his own Jazz-based style. The composer and
pianist began playing the piano aged 17 and after regular visits to
Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s Afrika Shrine. Memorably, Ogundipe performed with
the Afrobeat legend in 1988.

In 1996, he formed
Ayetoro. The band’s music is influenced by the maestro Fela; Jazz
greats Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Sun Ra and Apala
persona Haruna Ishola. Due to constant travel, Ogundipe’s band exists
wherever he is based.

On this occasion,
the band existed in Lagos in a venue that was filled to capacity and
beyond for the evening’s performance. Lovers of Jazz and Afrobeat
trooped into the Club to listen to jazz and Afrobeat music played in a
unique fusion of the two genres.

The band led
listeners on a musical journey that cut across age: from the jiggling
photographer and culture critic Tam Fiofori to the foot tapping Sista
Soul.

The nine-man
Ayetoro band played songs that did not only combine contemporary
musical instruments like the trumpets or guitar, but added a very
African feel with the talking drum. Ogundipe’s use of the structure of
12-bar blues, diminished chords and whole tones to improve the band’s
sound distinguished his style of music. His combination of jazz, Afro
beat and highlife added more colour to the sounds produced by the
ensemble. The tempo of each tune was transmitted in waves that took the
audience from one musical high to the next with a few sober moments in
between.

At the end of the
first session which lasted almost an hour, the musicians took a break,
but the crowd did not disperse for fear of missing the second half of
well-served music. The next session featured other artists in vocal
performances. Veronny “Sista Soul” Odili rendered a poem on the Umaru
Yar’Adua administration’s Seven-Point Agenda, while another young
artist gave his impression of renowned Senegalese singer Youssou
N’Dour. It was indeed a job well done.

Sista Soul also
delivered a love song in the fashion of popular female jazz vocalists
like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Lena Horne.

The evening continued with more danceable jazz-inspired Afrobeat that kept the audience busy until it was time to go home.

Some of the popular
faces at the event were Reggae Musician Ras Kimono, photographers Unoma
Giese and Don Barber; and Society for Nigerian Artists (SNA) Chairman
Lagos Chapter, Oliver Enwonwu.

Funsho Ogundipe’s
‘Afrobeat Meets Jazz’ sessions are at Moods, 57 Ogunlana Drive,
Surulere, Lagos – every last Saturday of the month.

Welcome, welcome, merry month

Your fame has spread from south to north

From the joyous riot of pollen grains

And their powdery pleasure, their aching pains

*

Butterflies abuzz, the bees are busy

The sparrows spin till their tails are dizzy

*

I follow my fancy to the valley stream

Where gathering waters have begun to dream

*

Merry month, May-ting season

When we lilt and laugh without a reason

The rum and rhumba of the frolic dance

Will put old sorrows in a frantic trance

*

Wheat’s brown laughter is the joy of bread

Ease of the nerves as we lay in bed

*

Give me a room in your house of smile

And I’ll take you along for an endless mile

*

We’ll roll in the grass as we sing our sighs

Our only roof the indulgent skies

*

I’ll plumb your eyes for ancient treasures

As we swing and swell in forgetful pleasures

*

When your lips touch mine in sheer delight

Lightning’s song will surprise the night

*

When our lovebird soars into fancy’s height

No volcanic ashes can provoke a fright

*

All hail the month of green desire

Of rainbow promise and quenchless fire

*

Of the heavenly mango and its sinful juice

When passion puts its heat to use

*

Download Poem here