Mr. Tinsel goes to Memphis

Odugbemi on set

BY CHUKS NWANNE
I WAS in his Gbagada office that afternoon to grab a chat with him before he jets out for the Memphis Film Festival, running April 23 through 26. His two films, Bar Beach Blues and Ibadan – Cradle of Literati, have been scheduled for screening. But as it turns out, my meeting with Femi Odugbemi lasted longer than expected.
Oh, but the experience is worth the time spent.
Odugbemi has little patience for theories. For the former president of the Independent Television Producers Association of Nigeria (ITPAN), action speaks louder than words. The original plan was actually to have a chat with him, but we ended up watching Bar Beach Blues on his laptop; we were also in his studio to see his five-minute film. But for time, we would have also watched Ibadan- The Cradle of Literati.
“I don’t like people writing about my films without seeing them,” he says.
From all indications, Odugbemi is very excited with the invitation to attend the film festival, and having his two works screened to the audience.
“This is the 10th anniversary of Memphis, so, for two of my works to be selected for the event, is a great honour to me. This is an opportunity for me to take the Nigerian film industry to international platform.”
Aside from his films being shown on the last day of the event, Odugbemi will also sit through a question and answer session on his films.
“I’ve been informed that I will be hosting the session and I will be glad to explain in details, the concept of my works to the audience.”

WHILE Bar Beach Blues is a metaphor on the corruption in the society, Ibadan-Cradle of Literati, a-26 minute film, is a documentary on that monumental part of our country’s history that we often don’t pay attention to.
“It occurred to me that almost all the great writers, whose works have put Nigeria on the international map in literature, at one point or the other in the 60s, were from Ibadan. Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, JP Clerk… the list goes on and on. So, the documentary is a video biography of the city and how it has encouraged creative minds.”
For him, filmmaking goes beyond commercial viability.
“I do a lot of work that is not meant for mass audience because of their contents, which are dear to me. There are things I’m interested in as a filmmaker because I view filmmaking as my voice. For me, the whole process is not about me, but about my target audience.”
Odugbemi belongs to the rare club of concerned Nigerians, who strongly believes that training and re-training are very vital in the effort to put the country’s films on the global platform.
“What this training awareness that ITPAN initiated some 10 years ago has done is that both the filmmakers and the audience, we have raised the bar. You cannot tell me that the quality of Nollywood films has not grown,” he muses. “The truth of the matter is that ITPAN started the film festival and the Lagos international film forum. Now, there are film festivals all over the place and the people have approached it also with a commercial intent.”
Notwithstanding, Odugbemi sees a positive light in the latest trend.
“The consequence is that filmmakers have also focused more on rising above the pack. AMAA, Abuja films festival…all these festivals now in Nigeria came as a reward for excellence. When we have this reward system for excellence, people will strive to be excellent. At the end of the day, I think what we are looking for is for the filmmakers to be excellent in their storytelling and production.”
Topmost in Odugbemi’s dream is to see a Nigerian production win the Oscars.
“For me, this is the time to identify opportunities in the international film world. A South African film has won an Oscar, an Indian film has also won it; I don’t see why a Nigerian film cannot win it.”
To the filmmaker, the most viable tool for re-branding the country is film.
“We have the stories, the talent, and the people. But we still need the commitment and the training for the quality to rise.”
On the way forward, Odugbemi says, “we need to seriously focus on excellence in filmmaking, having in mind that it is a global language. We have a story to tell; our people are telling it. We need to expand our training, get serious with it, and then find collaborations. What I think is drawing us back right now, is the division within. In different camps, we are using film festivals to reward mediocrity.”
He continues: “We need to start collaborating within ourselves. What stops Amaka Igwe from collaborating with Zeb Ejiro if they find a good script? Both of them don’t have to be directors. Amaka is a fantastic writer while Zeb is a good director. What stops Tunde Kelani from combining with others? That is the lesson we are trying to pass on with Tinsel.”
The success story of Tinsel, according to Odugbemi, could be attributed to the collaborative spirit of the parties involved.
“Jaiye Ojo, Lemi Adegboye and I are known producers. Lemi has a lot of experience as an international person; he brought a lot of that experience in; Jaiye has experience in producing television programmes in Nigeria; he also brought that in and I brought in my experience as a director.”
“One lesson in Tinsel is that everybody is humble enough to agree that we want to create something of international quality. We don’t want to do a Nigerian soap; we want to learn how other people do it. So, we gathered ourselves — 20 people — to South Africa, London… to see what they are doing.”
And you spent time understudying them?
“We spent a month,” he harps. “We took the people that will do it there, then we came back and we all went into LTV 8, formed a very strong bond as a team, and as Nigerians, to proffer solutions that work. Nigerians have an intrinsic desire for quality; almost everyone that saw it confirmed that it’s a superior production to what we had done in the country. Tinsel has established that Nigerians can achieve anything they are determined to do.”

MEANWHILE, the filmmaker has just rounded up his most recent work, Bariga Boys, a documentary film that traces the origin of the Crown Troupe of Africa; a theatre troupe led by Segun Adefila. The film, which was recently screened for two days at the National Theatre, Iganmu Lagos, for so many reasons, is dear to Odugbemi’s heart.
“I’ve followed Segun Adefila and the Crown Troupe for over three years; I first saw them at CORA event. I’ve always gone to CORA events and they are like a constant there,” he notes. “I’ve watched them at NANTAP event, I’ve watched them perform for Steve Rhodes. At some points, I decided to take a look at what drives them. I’ve always thought they were heavily funded.”
But to his greatest surprise, despite the creative ingenuity of the leader and the quality of its production, Crown Troupe of Africa largely survives by the little money they make from their shows.
“I thought they got grants from places until early this year, when I was invited to their rehearsal in Bariga. The context and the environment in which this art emerges from is totally uncomfortable.”
In case you’ve seen the troupe in one of their productions, especially the one with political undertone, then you’ve seen the true-life experience of Adefila as a young boy growing up in Bariga.
“During my visit to their rehearsal ground, I realised instantly that the work of Adefila is actually directly connected to what he sees and lives every day. It is not an academic exercise,” reasons Odugbemi.

IF there is one man Odugbemi has so much respect for in the arts in the country, that must be the late Steve Rhodes; his pictures with the late music impresario were conspicuously placed on the wall. Little wonder Odugbemi did a documentary on the musicologist shortly before he passed on.
“I learnt a lot by watching him closely; I had the privilege in his latter days, to be his son and disciple; and to watch him work.”
To Odugbemi, Uncle Rhodes’ life is a good example of an artiste.
“ He never told me the way to excellence; he showed me. When Uncle Steve gives you an appointment at 9am, he will be there five minutes to the time. When he gives you his word in an agreement with a handshake, he will live by it even if it will kill him. Basically, as a human being, he showed me how integrity is the only value in life. As an artiste, he showed that commitment to excellence and to the highest level of the craft. I don’t know how I could have done the documentary,” he says.
Though a lot of people have reservations about the depth of the documentary, which screened during a special Art Stampede organised by CORA in honour of the late composer, Odugbemi, still puts his head high over the work.
“Some people told me that they were planning to do a documentary on Steve Rhodes; some said the one that I did is not full enough; others said it did not cover Steve Rhodes Voices while some are of the opinion that it is not comprehensive enough. But if that documentary is the only thing I could do to thank him, then I’m gratified that God gave me the chance to do it because, I think it would have been much harder if it wasn’t done and he died.”
“The tragedy of Uncle Steve’s life was that France gave him a distinguished National Award as a creative icon while Nigeria never remembered to honour him; it saddens me each time I remember that,” he says with a sober mood.
“This is a man that put in over 60 years of creative excellence in the arts; he was the mark at which excellence is musically graded. As a TV producer and as an art entrepreneur; he did everything. There’s nothing we are doing today that he had not done,” he declares.
“In that documentary, you can hear him reflect on his life and his country. He loves this country; he loves the art. He was working until the last day of his life. In the latter part of his life, he was growing a new crop of big band musicians, who could read music; who could play Nigerian music to international quality of musicianship.”
Though his role model is gone, Odugbemi is still keeping his relationship with Rhodes family alive. He is closely working with Uncle Steve’s daughter, Gloria, to set up a Foundation in memory of the art impresario.
Aside from preserving the legacy of Steve Rhodes, the Foundation also aims at perpetuating his work in terms of research into Nigerian musical instruments; sustaining the Steve Rhodes Orchestra and to have his type of music available for people to enjoy. “I’m confident that Uncle Steve’s legacy will not die; Steve Rhodes cannot die, just as Fela Anikulapo-Kuti cannot die. All I can say is for everyone, who loved what Uncle Steve stood for, to always look forward to supporting the Foundation.”

My Journey through the Arts

BY RASHEED GBADAMOSI OFR
The desire for self-expression is indeed born early in the human mind. A myriad of influences condition the chosen path. I am not an exception in the conflicting emotions sparked from time to time about my preferences in serious arts appreciation. Once it was music, an interest which took me to symphony halls abroad and peaked as one of the foundation members of the Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON) and indeed its Chairman for five years.
My Isale-Eko, Lagos childhood immersed me in the appreciation of dramatic and creative possibilities: the perennial Oro shrieks in the heat of the night, which forced my sinking under bed covers in the belief that I could not be snatched from my mother’s bosom, my mother’s Isale Eko roots, which she transmitted to me by forcing me to stand by her outside her shop on Reclamation Road while Tarzan, Sokolobo, Bamgbose, Olukoso, Alapansanpa, the Egungun masquerades in procession paid her homage, greeted her in the rhymes of the deadman’s voices, cagged money off her, frightened the daylight out of me and vanished into the receding silhouette of the evening towards the Oba’s palace.
Mother’s greatest love of course was the fascinating Adamu Orisha play, the Eyo, that enduring heritage of her ancestors. I remember once, a stray Eyo came into her room for a quick swig of beer, unmasking himself, mouthing and displaying bravado exaggeratedly and reciting prayers and incantations. With an exchange of money and gently, playful strokes of the “opambata” on my mother, the Eyo would jump and twirl and disappear into the fold of the returning dead symbolised by the awesome Eyo group.
No wonder my mother got me enrolled in the Eyo Agere group on my return home from academic pursuits overseas. I have since risen through the ranks to become the Chairman of that group.
The walk to the secondary school on Broad Street, Lagos, sometimes took me through the Brazilian quarters where the Pinheiros, the Da Rochas the Damazios, the Grillos had bequeathed artistic architectural landmarks to replace the back to back compounds (Agbole) of yesteryears, where the children of those days were identified sometimes by their Agbole of origin. The Island of Lagos was then quite small and everybody knew each other and juvenile delinquency was bare.

Also at school, Pa. Aina Onabolu fearsomely ambled into the school premises donning his trademark well-spruced tropical suit complete with his rimless glasses and his walking stick. The day’s routine was thus: A boy, on Pa’s orders, climbs the teacher’s desk and, models a pose at an angle, another boy moves his chair to the middle of the space between the blackboard and the front desks. Pa. Onabolu draws lines on the blackboard, nasaling like an Englishman the memorable phrase: ANGULAR PERSPECTIVE!
Then the drawing by the class commences. Pa. Onabolu sits and pretends to be dozing off. Momentarily, one of the naughties in class distracts us by mimicking the teacher. He (Onabolu ) is awakened, fuming and asks the boy to step out, hand outstretched for a dose of beating on his palm with that cudgel of a walking stick. Oftentimes, the hour bell rings, the class comes to an end for a rendezvous next week with that early Master of art, Pa Aina Onabolu.

I was of course a poor student of art. I remember my mother once taught me how to draw lizard and female comb (iyari) for a class assignment in elementary school; but she was indeed transmitting her ungiftedness to me and I lost interest in a way that even my Biology suffered in later years from an inability to draw.
Interest in art was eventually aroused through the embrace of literature; the written word encapsulating varieties of human creative mind. In effect, the poetry of the labour of aloneness whereby a blank canvass is transformed into a painting of exquisite beauty, a chunk of tree becomes a carver’s delight, the muse instructs and a play is crafted, a novel awakens from months of lonely agony and providence guides the creating artist to produce a masterpiece thus winning the adoration of his peers. A musical composition endures beyond the lifetime of the composer thus earning him eternal existence.
A journey through drama has been mine. Mercifully, the entire tapestry of creative impulses is spread before man, indeed the youthful mind and the absorption by the brains of anything creative is nature’s divine narrative as found in the dictum: go forth to conquer the earth and appropriate all there is therein. There is indeed room for embracing all or perhaps flirtation with each genre as the restlessness for appreciation of the arts captivates. The choice is that of the individual.

HEROES surface all the time. Fela was a friend and a great influence in the fertile mind of that epoch of the rebelliousness and left-wing persuasion. What commenced as another incursion into art collection in my student days was prompted by buying of Athena prints of masterpieces of Van Gogh, Piccaso, Renoir, Rubens. I was being won over by European masters, influenced by the acculturation wrought by visits to the museums of the western world. At last, fate drove me to a conscious search for fulfilment from home-grown visual art endeavours.
For example, my late friend Tade Ismail gave me as a New Year present a print of Enwonwu’s Tutu masterpiece, which is lost somewhere. I had totally forgotten the episode until Prof. Grillo reminded me about two years ago that he had designed the set for my maiden play, Trees Grow in the Desert in 1970 at the instance of the producer, late Eldred Fiberesima. Meanwhile, several visits to exhibitions in the burgeoning visual art market preceded by my chairing of a J.A Akande’s 1984 solo exhibition prompted my emergence as a serious art collector. There has been no pause since then and no serious distraction into another variety of the world of arts.
The hold of Lagos and its creative soul has however been stronger. I remember Professor Babatunde Lawal kept me awake on family visits to him at the University of Ife in the 1970s and regaled me with tales of his archaeological exploits. Igbo-Ukwu finds fascinated me, and his fertile mind and its possibilities in the transmission of his profound thoughts had stayed with me ever since. We both, of course, share the Isale-Eko background and indeed the Ikorodu roots.

ONCE I encountered Yusuf Grillo’s painting Awo Opa procession, there was a rushing of emotions which has since surpassed my life-view as an art lover. I could always see my childhood reincarnated, my mother celebrated, the calm dignity of her relations in white loin cloth quietly and solemnly marching along our street, who unlike the boisterous Egungun, Gelede, Eyo, Igunnu, Meboi and Fancy parade etc. exude the spiritual underpinning of a race that need periodic cleansing by serious-minded, etheral, priestly beings, unspeaking, awe-inspiring marching into a hallowed grove of fulfilment in the recesses of the world beyond.
Another great piece of work by Grillo is the 5-part serialisation of the Nativity story enriched and ennobled by the artist’s superb interpretation in a combined synthesis of the cubist, the impressionistic and the surrealistic modes. Here is Grillo, the inheritor of Islamic ancestry reverting back to his Catholico-Brazilian heritage amalgamating life force legacies suffused with intriguing symbolism of the story of Joseph and Mary and the birth of Jesus Christ.
The Lagosian in Yusuf Grillo shines through. Lagos is the home of three religion and the ideal situation is to create the space in our consciousness to expunge the potentially alienating stresses of a megapolis like Lagos. I share an affinity with his kind of profile having been similarly raised and nurtured and yet liberated from inordinate hate of any fellow man.
The creator of those phenomenal masterpieces, Yusuf Grillo, is whom we are celebrating today.
Of late, his pre-occupation has been more of the execution of glass stained, mosaic window of churches as work in progress in his studio rather than blank canvasses waiting for his cerebral paint and brush. Is there now a re-discovery of yet a spiritual plane?
But Grillo is not alone, there are peers and disciples. In all this agglomeration of creative talents, I take pride in being amidst you all admiring an array of collections, revelling, learning and gaining intellectual strength from your diversity, which is at once ennobling as well as enriching our collective souls.

TODAY, I acknowledge a debt of gratitude to Omooba Yemisi Shyllon, a soul brother in the art from whom I spied his prodigious, prolific commitment and irrepressible investments in fine art. In fact, his multi-talent stance was put at my disposal to sketch the original concept for the building, assemble the builders and he has been untiring giving ideas at all times.
Of course, my old time architect/builder, Arc Kunle Onafowokan who joyfully deceived me into building this house and had anticipated the Grillo Pavilion and the garden went to work six years after his original concept; and the rest is what is before you. No wonder, he had commenced his post secondary education as a student at Yaba College of Technolgy. Art practitioners hugging Ikorodu precincts have been a gem and I must mention the supreme, Olu Ajayi even for falling ill while curating the exhibition and arranging the ceremony, Hakeem Balogun, Ajobiewe, Abdulsalam, Ejoh and Ogunsanya (Olu Ajayi man Friday) for being so kind as to relieve my wife and I of the burden of organising this event
And so my fellow men and women of visual arts, let the Zarianists live long, let the Oshogbo School mourn Susan Wenger no more since her spirit lives forever and they ought to produce more work, let the Ullists prosper, let the Onaists continue their experimentation; Auchi school be colourful. Let more art schools blossom and let us expand the landscape and exact more earnings from our collectors. In short, let prosperity reign in this our collective endeavour to grow the art terrain.
May the spirit of creativity never die.

Originally titled Yusuf Grillo Pavillion: Its Influences and Confluence, this speech was delivered by the economist, art patron and ex-Minister of National Planning, Chief (Dr.) Gbadamosi at the opening of the Yusuf Grillo Pavillion Saturday last week in Ikorodu.

Honour for the master, Grillo

LAST Saturday presented another day of honour for the master artist, Prof. Yusuf Grillo, when artists from across the country joined art patron and industrialist, Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi to unveil the latest Centre in art documentation, the Yusuf Grillo Pavilion located in Ikorodu, Lagos.
The event started with a lecture by Prof. Babatunde Lawal of the Art History Department, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia, U.S. Titled Behold the Rising Sun: Reflections on Modern and Contemporary Nigerian Art, Lawal’s paper focused on current trends in contemporary art, especially as it concerns art production in Nigeria.
Shortly after the presentation, guests were led into the pavilion to see the works of Grillo and other artists displayed on the ground and top floors of the building.
The event was concluded with discussion on Lawal’s paper. Anchored by Toyin Akinosh, Secretary General of the Art Advocacy group, the Committee for Relevant Art, CORA and Mufu Onifade, founder/director of the ARA Studio, discussants were art patrons Torch Taire, Sammy Olagbaju, J. K. Randle, Yemisi Shyllon, and Bode Emmanuel. Others who joined the celebrant, Grillo on the speakers’ side of the sub-event were Agbo Folarin, Shamusideen Adetoro, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Kunle Filani and Babasehinde Ademuleya.

WHILE preparing for the opening, Gbadamosi a founding member of Visual Art Society of Nigeria, VASON, had explained that his choice of Grillo was to underscore the influence the artist had on him, when he returned to Nigeria in 1966. Grillo, he said, naturally, “appealed to me with his art when I returned home from Europe.”
Among the works of Grillo that set Gbadamosi into the world of art collection was the piece titled Awopa Procession, a depiction of traditional ritual procession.
Gbadamosi said the work reminded him of his early days in Isale Eko, Lagos Island.
“The Awopa Procession fired up my passion; the way the traditionalists filed out — the mystery. Grillo’s painting captured that procession vividly.”
Gbadamosi also recalled another piece of Grillo, a surreal work, Come With Me. He said, “you can write volumes on this work.” He described Grillo as a “captivating and enigmatic artist.”
Born in 1934, Grillo was among the pioneer Fine Art students of the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria.

An aspect of the property housing the Yusuf Grillo Pavillion

Cobhams goes to London

THE British Council has named Cobhams Asuquo the Nigeria’s International Young Music Entrepreneur of the Year (IYMEY). The Cross River State native, who has worked with notable Nigerian artistes, was honoured for his creativity in music production, having been selected by the panel of judges.
For coming tops in the contest, Cobhams will be involved in a 10-day tour of the UK music industry, where he will compete with nine others from Colombia, Estonia, India, Jordan, Kenya, Latin America and the Caribbean, Lithuania, Malaysia and Poland for the global award.
The contest attracts a cash prize of Seven Thousand Five Hundred pounds (£7,500) for the winner, which will be spent on a collaborative project with the British Council. The winner will be announced at The Great Escape –– a music-trade event in London in May 2009.
Song writer/music producer and music entrepreneur, Cobhams started his professional training as a lawyer but ended up a full-time music producer. Though he started on a low key, working for a Nigerian music label as an in-house producer, today, the man behind Asa’s successful debut album now manages his own entertainment company, CAMP (Cobhams Asuquo Music Productions) located in GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.
Over the years, Cohbams has won several awards for his excellent work. His awards include The Future Awards 2009 - Producer of the Year; One Gospel Awards 2008 - Gospel Composer/writer of the year; Hip-hop World Awards 2007- Producer of the Year and Hip-Hop World Awards 2008 - Producer of the Year. He also clinched the Nigeria Music Award (NMA) 2007 - Producer of the decade and the Future Awards 2006 - Producer of the Year and others.

IYMEY is an award designed by the British Council to champion and celebrate the notion of creative leadership; specifically the need to identify and nurture future leaders of the music industry. It is part of a suite of British Council awards, which include awards in eight other sectors namely: Communications, Design, Fashion, Interactive, Performing Arts, Publishing, Screen and Visual Arts.
Nigeria has featured in the music category since 2006 and has since produced one global winner – Audu Maikori, CEO Chocolate City Nigeria Limited , who was the IYMEY 2007 global award winner.
Members of the IYMEY panel of judges include Olisah Adibua (Storm Records), Aziza Uko (Bank PHB), Audu Maikori (Chocolate City and IYMEY 2007), Tunde Kuboye (Jazz 38), Lanre Lawal (International Young Design Entrepreneur of the Year 2005), and Ojoma Ochai (Connected Africa Arts Project Manager, British Council).

Maxi way to go

BY OYINDAMOLA LAWAL
A MAXI dress could be very flattering as it disguises the legs as well as lengthens them with the right close-fitting cut. In recent times, this floor sweeping length has upstaged, the sometimes shockingly short clothes.
With a maxi on, it’s possible for you to hide a pair of high heels underneath, thereby giving yourself extra height to carry it off. However, the beauty of this dress is the fact that you need not have perfect legs or fitting body to wear it; it suits all shapes and sizes.
Maxi dress fits into the role of how this season; it is very flexible and penetrates ever so deeply into the past and romantic theme — having dreamy and flowing full lengths that brush the floor. This plays a part in the silhouette and voluminous trend, comprising of a somewhat cone shape (small to big) with a fitted upper body and a flowing bottom.
Maxi can be both formal and casual with the compliment of different accessories. Teamed with flip-flops, it can be worn to the beach or with heels and glamorous jewellery for a night out.

Matilda!

MATILDA Shulaa Ogunleye is one of the presenters of Flava, a syndicated radio show on Abuja’s Kapital FM, a station under Radio Nigeria. Matilda shares her experiences as a radio presenter!

What excites you about radio?
The fact that I can reach out to so many different people at the same time, help change their views about some certain issues, entertain them as well as be there for them without necessarily knowing them individually.
Is this what you’ve always wanted to do?
Well, I was never one of those kids who wanted to become a Doctor or Lawyer but never did I also think I’d work on radio.
Did your family give support when you started?
Not really. My father didn’t like the fact that I left my course of study, Economics; my mother thought it wasn’t a job for a young girl like me but my brothers thought it was cool!
To what extent did your childhood influence the kind of person you are today?
My father sure instilled the word discipline in us kids but my Mom’s caring and generous nature was a greater influence. Also, growing up in a house with two brothers and several male cousins taught me to be tough and independent.
How did you start and what did you do to get to where you are today?
It started for me at the NYSC orientation camp, I joined the orientation broadcasting service where I read camp news, took vox-pop, made announcements and initiated some ideas that helped make camp more lively and interactive. When I was posted to a radio house for my primary assignment, I learnt all I could on the job, read books, listened to a lot of more experienced broadcasters, did some training and here I am.
What would you say are the advantages of radio?
First, and foremost, my privacy! Unlike some TV presenters, who get easily noticed and more often than not have to “represent” even when they’d rather be themselves, I can afford to sit amongst my critics and fans without them having an inkling as to who I am. Moreover, I still fit go buka!
This anonymity so many radio presenters say they enjoy, how far do they really enjoy this? Don’t you sometimes want to be noticed?
I can’t speak for the others but I know I enjoy it. Of course, there are times I crave some sort of preferential treatment — I mean, who doesn’t? When little voice in my head screams “do u know who I am? Notice me for a min or two!” But then again, I think to myself, “what makes me so spectacular that I should not be treated like others?”
You never feel that TV would have been a better medium to get things done?
No one can deny the power of the medium called television. Most people are inspired by TV personalities or others they see on the screens because it lends a particular credibility to them and their work et al because they can influence a good number of the public. So, I guess if I were on TV, I could get people to do stuff easily, but then again, that is not a guarantee.
You also present a show on HIV/AIDS, why?
Well, aside from the fact someone has to do it, the message and information about HIV when it was first discovered was scary and very misleading. Also, it was not made readily available for most people who needed it, especially the youth, who are most vulnerable to the virus. The youth, as most people know, don’t like being talked at; they prefer to be talked with; hence my being paired with Okechukwu (the male presenter) for the show.
How has presenting this show affected your life?
It’s changed my perception on a lot of things and different people’s attitudes. I’ve made new friends, travelled to a lot of places and most importantly I am reminded of little things I should be grateful for, especially when people tell me how the programme has either helped them or a friend of theirs.
As a young female on radio, is it a plus or minus?
Minus ke? My dear, it’s a really big plus on my part and on the show’s part.
What are the challenges you face on the job generally?
Getting resource persons could be hard but often convincing people to talk freely can be more difficult; you have to make them comfortable and accept you as a friend; if not, they won’t bring out the best in them. Programme planning is another Herculean part of the job, and I have to keep striving to improve myself.
You think radio is easy?
I wish it were that easy, but there’s more to it than meets the eyes or rather, the ears in this case. There’s more to radio, like production and research and knowing what you go there to say, or else you make a fool of yourself on air... it isn’t so easy
You must have your share of crazy studio moments?
A lot! Like me having a bad hair day, my being dressed like I’m just taking a stroll down the road or me dancing my swagger-dance when I’m really feeling a particular song.
What has been your most embarrassing time on radio?
Ah! Once I was in the studio and I thought I had put off the live microphone and I started gisting with my friend, and I even made a grammatical error!
The best show you ever had?
Every time I think I’ve had my best show, another one sure beats that. But the show done in the Ghetto happens to be one of the most memorable so far.
What would make you give up radio?
Hmm, let me see...can you ask me this question again when eventually I leave radio? I will have the answer by then.
What’s the audience like in Abuja?
Abuja has a very diverse audience; you have those with great scholar minds; the upwardly mobile young people (hope I got that phrase right, I’ve been waiting to use that for a while!), the deeply-rooted cultural people amongst others; so satisfying such an audience is quite challenging but equally interesting.
Does being a presenter in Abuja limit you in any way?
Not at all. I may not be popular in Lagos, which is seen as the nerve of entertainment, or in Port Harcourt; but also how many of them Lagos presenters can be at home in Abuja?
Have you been on any other station outside Abuja?
I’ve been on Grace FM Lokoja, Joy FM Otukpo, Cosmo FM Enugu, Gold FM Ilesha among others — as a guest presenter.
What’s next for you?
Right now, I’m pursuing a Post-graduate Diploma, after which I hope to move on to the next level; either designing or producing my own programmes, which may not be limited to radio.
Why are you back to school?
To improve myself and get the qualification needed to achieve my life-long goals.
If you had to come back to the world again, would you choose to be Nigerian?
Definitely, it goes without saying.
TRIVIA
Favourite colour: Purple tops the list but I also like blue as well as brown.
Food: Amala and Okro soup.
Place: My room.
Fantasy? There’s the dream-date with William Smith (sorry, Jada!) and wanting to own a home on the hilltop of an exquisite island.
Fashion item: Flat slip-ons.
Person: My mother.

POWERED BY RedSTRAT

The Nigerian scene in retrospect

BY BENSON IDONIJE

EVEN though as a global phenomenon, jazz is accepted only by a small section of the community, it has always been there to serve as the catalyst for transforming other music forms to higher levels of creativity. But over the years, jazz has not succeeded in performing this role in Nigeria because the attitude is not quite right on the part of the listening audience and even the jazz musicians themselves.
On the other hand, efforts have been made to establish a jazz listening culture by supposedly creative musicians who, in no time, withdrew to play music of a more popular nature for commercial reasons. There have been others who, because they would not survive on jazz, abandoned the music to take up lucrative jobs to keep body and soul together.
Still, there are some who, out of frustration arising from the fact that their efforts are not appreciated, have gone to South Africa where there is a flourishing jazz scene – to show case their talents. This category of musicians can be easily absolved from blame because they have gone out in search of outlets and opportunities for furthering their professions. Kunle Ayo, a guitarist whose career began from here and who is making it big in South Africa currently needs to be congratulated for remaining in the business of playing jazz and seeking performance venues that would challenge his creative abilities.
Another musician who has found himself in South Africa is Ayodele Solanke, a saxophonist of no mean feat whose tonal conception falls between Sonny Rollins and Hank Mobley. These musicians have the right attitude and are furthering their careers regardless of the fact that they are not in Nigeria. They have only left the country to face the challenges of the music because there is no point playing in an environment where your creativity is not challenged and put to test by fellow musicians who know the business; and an audience that is not in anyway appreciative. If these gentlemen remained on the Nigerian scene, they would not be able to measure their progress and advancement.
The people I quarrelled with are the ones who abandoned the music to pursue other careers. Kayode Olajide is a fine example. He was at the centre of the new jazz activity that happened in the 90s, and some of us threw our weights behind him in terms of personal patronage and publicity. While all of this lasted, he was also a manager in a paints manufacturing company in Ikeja, Lagos. In all probability, he was comfortable.

Kayode Olajide fused jazz with African music, the way it had not been done before, introducing talking drums and other African traditional instruments into its orchestral configuration. He had a lot of promise.
When foreign jazz artists came on the invitation of the American Embassy or the French Cultural Centre, Olajide was one of the available artists on the saxophone, who could match their solo capabilities when Nigerians were invited to perform alongside foreign jazz men.
Olajide had regular gigs at the French Cultural Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos and alternated this venue with Art Café in Ikeja. Some of us always kept faith with him in these locations, where he received cheers and ovation for what he was doing, doubling on alto and tenor saxophones and occasionally playing the flute and the soprano, where he had a good tone.
Olajide created quite some sensation over five years ago when the American Embassy paid glowing tributes to the late Nina Simone at Jazzville. He was there with Yinka Davies, Nigeria’s lady of song and Peter King.
Olajide caught the attention of most of the devotees for his fusion of African music with jazz when he added extra vibes to My Favourite Things made popular in the avantgarde jazz idiom by John Coltrane.
But suddenly, Olajide, who had done so much for the jazz scene and was expected to take the music to a new level, disappeared from the scene. Sadly enough, I am told that he is not pursuing music as a career in Europe.
The case of Heavy Wind Adeniji is understandable. He too checked out after laying a solid foundation for some saxophone promise, where he blew the horn as if he was aspiring someday to the level of Sonny Rollins or Brandford Marsalis. He may not be into music full time, but one is happy that he still finds time to play the instrument. Only the other day, his father laid on me a new CD of Afrobeat that he recorded with his new band in America, and I found it quite intriguing – his singing, saxophone solos, arrangement technique and song-writing.
One individual who is not affecting the young generation with his great talent is Nathaniel Bassey, who is playing exclusively for a church in Victoria Island; and would not come out to be recognised and emulated by others. He used to team up with Ayodele Solanke, whose group, Uncommon, reached the peak of their career with a performance at Eko Le Meridien a few years ago. He would agree to record in the studio but would perhaps not want to be seen to be associating with any other group except the one that he leads in the church. Much as I see this as a mark of reverence for the work of God, Nathaniel owes the new generation of Nigerian jazz musicians a duty to teach them how to play the trumpet and advance it to a creative height.
The Nigerian jazz club organised and led by Ben Ufeli has contributed much to the awareness of jazz as an art forum. The club has helped to showcase artists who would otherwise be completely unknown. I have not heard about the jazz club lately but one would like to advise that emerging instrumentalists should develop the right attitude to the music. Only an attitude that sees jazz as a spiritual thing and not a vehicle for fame, glory and success, can withstand the challenges posed by the music.
The next Lagos International Jazz Festival has been shifted to June 2009. A platform for rekindling the renaissance of jazz, the festival requires sponsorship from the big multi-national companies, banks, airlines, telecommunication companies and all who will be fulfilling their social responsibility to the nation and contributing to a cultural advancement as corporate organisations.
Perhaps the most guilty section of the community with regard to the neglect and abandonment of jazz is the electronic media, which are not doing anything today to promote jazz.
Even in America and Britain where jazz still has some considerable presence, several radio and television stations still carry jazz programmes for the promotion of the artform.
In London, no fewer than three stations broadcast jazz every week, especially on the FM. In addition, the city boasts of several jazz clubs including Ronie Scot’s and Art café, which have jazz activities almost everyday.
Jazz requires more promotion here in Nigeria, where the music is completely dormant. The electronic media should play the role of helping to uplift the standard of music and musicians by promoting jazz and classical music on the airwaves. You will be amazed the way what our musicians hear influences them.
I know many musicians across Nigeria and Ghana, who were inspired by NBC Jazz Club, which I presented from 1963 to 1967 and Stereo Jazz Club, which was aired from the 70s to the 90s. Musicians such as Ghanaian, Mac Tontoh, formerly of Osibisa and the likes of Ayo Solanke and others were inspired by the jazz they heard on radio every Thursday night.
Jazz, like classical music are minority programmes, which are appreciated by only a few, but as art music, they help to inspire all the other forms of music in terms of equipping the artiste with the requirements for uplifting their various types of music and taking them to higher levels of creativity.

One-on-one with Freshlygrounds

I have no plans to go solo, says Zolani


BY CHUKS NWANNE
THE first time Freshlyground played in Nigeria was at the first edition of the Soundcity Music Video Award staged last year at the MUSON Centre, Onikan. The Lagos audience were impressed with their perfromance.
The following day, the seven-man band held the audience spell bound at the first edition of the Lagos International Jazz Festival held at Studio 868, Victoria Island, Lagos. Again, their gig was greeted with applause from the excited crowd. Carried away by the surprise acceptance by the audience, the band nearly missed their flight back home that night; they hurriedly left the stage.
When Freshlyground was listed as part of the 40 bands for the recently held Cape Town International Jazz Festival, I saw it as another opportunity to meet one-on-one with the group that is fast winning the hearts of South Africa and beyond. Luckily, there was a slot for a chat with the artistes in the festival programme.
Unfortunately, only the lead singer, Zolani Mahola and violinist, Kyla Rose Smith were present at the media parley held at the Southern Sun Hotel, Cape Town. But from all indication, it seems the ladies speak for the entire band. “She is our spokesperson,” Kyla said jokingly, pointing at Zolani, who was sitting next to her.
Freshlyground was formed in early 2002, and is made up of seven talented and tested musicians from South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Fronted by the diminutive but dynamic Zolani, the band exudes a live performance energy that has been the bedrock of its success. The experienced rhythm section of Peter Cohen (drums) & Josh Hawks (bass) is complimented by guitarist Julio Sigauque, keyboardist Seredeal Scheepers, Simon Attwell (flute, mbira, sax and harmonica) and violinist Kyla Rose Smith.

ZOLANI had met Aron at the University of Cape Town, where he was also studying drama, but it was three years later that she watched him and Simon performing at The Armchair, a small smoky venue in Observatory, Cape Town’s suburb of eccentricity. She got up on stage and lyrically improvised to their tunes... and that is it — Freshlyground was born.
Just recently, rumours started making the rounds that Zolani, whose distinctive voice contributes much to the band’s unique sound, is planning to dump the group that brought her to limelight to pursue a solo career in music. Meeting Zolani this afternoon was an opportunity to get the matter straight.
In a swift tone, the singer denied the rumour saying, “I’m enjoying being in a collective. I never planned making music my thing, so, going solo looks more serious.”
Rather than go solo, the petit singer prefers looking outside music.
“I’ve always loved acting, so, I would rather develop my acting skills,” she says.

THOUGH from diverse backgrounds, between them the band members weave a musical magic that is highly infectious and undeniably groovy.
“We do most of our compositions together. Sometimes, somebody comes up with a chorus and we all work together to get the verses. Sometimes it could be during our rehearsal; one person will just start playing something and before you know it, we have a song,” Kyla informs.
Though, as the lead vocalist, Zolani seems to be playing vital role in their compositions, yet she insists the credit is for the whole band.
“Normally, I have poems written down. Sometimes, I take it to the guys and say, ‘look, I have something here,’ and we work together to develop it. So, it’s more of a group work, but there are some songs that I actually composed.”
For a band with members from different cultures, do they have occasional flare ups? Oh sure, but Freshlygrounds has a way of dealing with the challenges.
“We do a lot of talking; in fact, we talk more than we play. We understood the fact that we are coming from different backgrounds, so, we needed to allow everyone to have a voice; it’ importune to give everyone a platform to express themselves,” says Zolani.
“We’ve learnt to hold our tongues,” Kayle adds. “We are sort of middle class, so, I don’t think there’s much of gap; the experiences are similar. We are making it being musicians and it’s not difficult.”
The diversity, which many view as a disadvantage, has become a plus to the band. “The different sounds you hear from our songs is informed by the different places we come from. Most of our songs are composed by the whole band, so, you get to see our different backgrounds in the songs,” Kyla notes.
For Zolani, changing the sound of the band in an effort to appeal to the international audience, is a no go area.
“If we have to change our sound to go international, then I don’t want to be part of it.”
According to Zolani, winning the hearts of many South Africans is one of their greatest achievements so far.
“In the beginning, we were struggling with credibility; people not recognising you. The hurdle of getting people to love and identify with our music is one of our greatest challenges.”

FRESHLYGROUND launched their debut album, Jika Jika in 2003 under their own Freeground Records label, the immediate success of which firmly cemented the band as one of South Africa’s most successful young acts. Their second, Nomvula, followed in July 2004 and was recorded and produced by JB Arthur and Sibusiso Victor Masondo.
The album sparked interest from Sony BMG Africa, who signed the band and released Nomvula in September that year. Radio quickly picked up on the single Doo Be Doo and the catchy song went on to become a crossover favorite amongst a diverse spread of stations and their listeners. The major success of the track was followed by the singles I’d Like, Zithande, Things Have Changed and the title track of the album Nomvula.
The album sold 300 000 units in South Africa alone — earning it multi-platinum status. The success and broad appeal of the band was celebrated in November 2006 when Freshlyground won the MTV Europe Award in the category Best African Act. The award placed the band firmly on the international music map and earned them further recognition on home soil as significant South African cultural exports.
However, the success of Nomvula was followed by Ma Cheri — their third studio album, released in September 2007. The album release was followed by a major South African tour attended by over 25 000 people across four cities. The tour was self-produced by the band and supported by Volkswagen South Africa. No doubt, it successfully raised the performance and production standards of local touring, putting the band on par with international acts in terms of production scale and value. Ma Cheri has sold 80 000 units to date in South Africa and the single, Pot Belly is another major crossover success, and is play-listed on all South African radio stations.

FIVE YEARS on Freshlyground is a still a sensation. In South Africa, audiences of every race cram in to see them. At the recently Cape Town held jazz festival, the band nearly pulled all guests, especially the younger one to Kippies Stage, where it performed on the opening. Hip black teenagers sing to their lyrics. White kids emulate their moves. The very presence of this band in South Africa is a promise for a harmonious future. But they don’t sit still for the picture. Meanwhile, Freshlyground is currently in the studio working their fourth studio album due for release late 2009.

A step into Kenyan warmth

Some cheetahs at the Forest Reserve in Masai Mara

BY ISAAC TAIWO
THE setting at the Nairobi National Museum was cosy and serene. Besides the treat by Kenya Airways in the course of the over four hours flight from Lagos to Nairobi, the cocktail afforded me a whiff sight of the country’s hospitality and perhaps, a preen into what’s ahead.
Kenya Airways’ Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Dr. Titus Naikuni, stressed the purpose of putting the trip together, which in his words, is to present the many offers of Kenya tourism to the delegates made up of tour operators, the media, travel agents, hotel operators and other travel experts from over 20 African countries.
“You have been invited to see things for yourselves within the period of your one-week visit to a few tourist centres in Kenya with the belief that you will thereafter go back to your respective nations and convince various stakeholders of good things in Africa and that what they are looking for in Europe are also here in our own land; and should therefore shift their concentration to their own continent,” he said.

Mombasa
Before journeying to Mombasa from Nairobi, we had — on the first day of the tour — seen some of the arts and crafts of the country at the Nairobi National Museum with the guidance of Evelyn Kariuki.
The allure of Mombasa lies in its attractive coastline and luscious beaches. Hotels, resorts and guesthouses of different make and colours line the coast for a tourist’s enjoyment. These hospitality outfits include Leopard Beach Resort and SPA and Southern Palms Beach.
Different water-related activities such as swimming, scuba diving and boat cruise and a lot more are showpieces in this region. Beach parties and other forms of leisure activities are conducted round the clock.
Akamba Handicraft Centre located west of Mombasa is one of the interesting places to catch a glimpse of the people’s arts. A giant elephant tusk marking the visit of Queen Elizabeth to Kenya in 1952 and also a tree planted by the queen during her visit there are some of the signature pieces at the centre.
Fort Jesus is a monument to the glory of Mombasa and it is a must-see attraction because of its rich history and significant pull for the people. It was built by the Portuguese in 1593, captured by Oman Arabs in 1698; became a government prison in 1895; declared a national monument in 1958; and as a museum was built and opened to the public in 1960.

Masai Mara
Masai Mara, which is about 280 kilometres drive from Nairobi, is home to the Masai, who are noted for their pastoral life. Their fierce look and somewhat weird attire make them appear dreadful.
They are also known as warriors and lived in huts built of dung rather than mud and thatch roofs, a common thing in Nigeria. The people who largely co-habit with animals are believed to be terrors to the animals, especially the wild ones and they see the rearing of cow as big business.
A trade mark of the Masais is the red cloth, a spear and a club that sometimes serve as their war implements. A visit to the region without patronising any of their many art, craft and souvenir shops is not complete; and you need to see their huts to see them milk cow; and their cultural dance.
The road leading to the region — as well as the Catholic Church along the route — is believed to have been built by Italian prisoners of war in 1942.
An interesting stop along the way is the Great Rift Valley. The altitude is 2,140 metres above sea level and 6,500 kilometres long. On the left of the valley stands Mount Suswa, which is 7,000 feet. Mount Margaret is in the middle while on the right is Mount Longonot standing at 9,000 feet.
The Masai Mara National Park within the region is a marvel to explore with its expanse of grassy enclave that is home to the ‘big five’ and a number of rare fauna and flora species.
The migration of wildlife across the park to the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania remains a wonder to many, who visit the park in the peak period (July – October) of the long stretch of the migrating beast.
For anyone desirous of wilderness experience, a stay at any of the lodges or camps within the park is a treasured experience. Tipilikwani Mara Camp is one of such lodges, where amidst natural and rustic bliss, one still enjoys the taste and service of a five star facility.
Some of the camps in the park Masai Mara include Elephant Bedroom Camp, Samburu and Mbweha Luxury Cottages, Lake Nakuru.
Besides, the Masai Mara National Park, Kenya boasts of other parks of varied resources and attractions making wildlife one of the riches and attractions in the land. Its first national park was launched in 1946.
As a result of its wildlife treasures, the country’s first President, the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, said: “The natural resources of this country – its wildlife, which offers such an attraction to visitors from all over the world, the beautiful places in which these animals live, the mighty forests which guard the water catchment areas so vital to the survival of man and beast are a priceless heritage for the future.”