Showing posts with label Edition 184. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Edition 184. Show all posts
Friday, 15 May 2009
Let’s Dance... In rhythm with the fleet footers
All the dancers at the starting of the programme
BY TOPE TEMPLER OLAIYA & FLORENCE UTOR
FRAME 24 Studio at the Philips Building, Ojota, last Friday, drew the throng of dance enthusiasts, who had turned up for another recording of Let’s Dance, a show that has grown to become the family’s delight on Sunday evenings. Since coming on air, the programme has unearthed vital revelations about the untapped culture of dance in Nigeria.
The soundproof studio comfortably sits about 300 people and is equipped with the state-of-the-art device, which could turn the day to night and vice versa at the push of a button. On the set are two resident live bands; Asa Band and Black Spear Instrument Ensemble, who dish out scintillating rhythms to the excitement of the audience and the dancers; who must show their understanding of the dance and music basics in their dances.
Besides providing entertainment, Let’s Dance is a re-awakening call for Nigerians to take pride in things that are theirs. The show is also educative. It teaches viewers, especially in this modern time when things traditional seem not to hold attraction any longer.
It is a soulful journey into the heart of Nigerian culture. Let’s Dance provides a unique platform to showcase the richness of our culture; it provides an opportunity for the dancing couples to understudy musical cultures from other lands while they work to master their own.
THE panel of judges, comprising Prof. Ojo Bakare, University of Abuja; Dr. Chuks Okoye, University of Ibadan; and Mrs. Yeside Dosumu-Lawal of Lagos State University, are experts in dance, music and choreography, who parade good credentials to help the viewers make informed decision on which couple should get the boot after every performance.
Moments after the production manager laboured to reel out and enforce the studio’s 10 Commandment, the quadrangle-shaped arena was set ablaze with colourful lights to announce the arrival of the show’s delectable hostess, Tana Adelana; and the surviving five contestants, who were eagerly waiting to shuffle their feet, wiggle their waists and swing their arms to the delight of their numerous fans and viewers, fully aware that their continued stay in the competition and pursuit of the prize winner’s $50,000 is absolutely in the hands of the viewers.
And for the viewers, May 17, 2009, when the last of the show will be aired on DStv, is a long wait to know the last dancing couple standing, who will be crowned Nigeria’s Let’s Dance dynamic dancing duo.
How did you get into presentation?
I am Christiana Adelana but a lot of people call me Tana. I have been presenting since 2002. I have always been a talkative, I grew up that way and I remember my brother calling me a parrot. Everybody knew before long, I would start talking professionally.
How has it been presenting Let’s Dance?
Let’s Dance is not the kind of show I am used to. I have been on several magazine shows but this is a different style of presenting and I have been trying so hard to adjust. Everybody is trying to get better, trying to improve on this style of show; we didn’t do this style before, because this is the first time we are having a dance show
How do you perceive the show?
It is informative, educative, entertaining and shows the world more about Nigerian culture; it teaches Nigerians more about their culture, educate them on dance, and help the youngsters learn dance. Nigeria is rich in culture, we have got different dance style and lots of things to tap from; so it is imperative that our youths of today do not forget their root; they should be proud being Nigerians.
There is a general perception that the judges are too harsh?
The judges are not too harsh; they know what they are talking about, they know about dance. If you want someone who is not harsh, you can bring in a conductor, but the judges have to lecture you because that is their work. It is beyond entertainment, it has to inform and educate.
How has presenting Let’s Dance helped your career?
This is a different kind of show, I have never done this kind before, so, it has made me see that there are different facets to me; I can be hip and be interesting and music oriented; and I can also be elegant, cute and matured. This show just brought that part of me out. It has taught me more about research and about Nigeria. Before now, when I look at a couple dancing, I don’t know anything about dance, so I just say ‘it‘s so interesting, they look so cute’, but now, I can comfortably differentiate different dances. I am happy and proud about that.
Again, on a show like this, you get constructive criticism and sometimes, it might be negative. But most of the time, it has been positive, in the sense that the show is informative, you cannot go wrong by watching it. It teaches you a lot that you might not know. Now, you have got people who know dance coming to teach you. Believe it or not, your parents will not sit down and teach you dance.
Any down moment since you came on the show?
No down moments, it has always been high and interesting, I always look forward to the next show. But if you talk about down moment, maybe during the elimination period, because I have seen some of my favourites leave the show; at a point I didn’t think it was ripe for them to have left.
Who is Tana?
Christiana Adelana is happily married; has done a couple of shows for MTV, Y:hello, 100 Per cent Naija, Boma, West African Idols Eviction Party, Big Brother Nigeria Eviction Parties, mostly for Channel O and I am Nigeria’s representative for Big Brother Africa; fun loving but an introvert. My husband met me a presenter and he is fine with that. If it weren’t fine with him, he wouldn‘t marry me. He loves what I do, he supports me and that is the most important thing. He is the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me; apart from my son.
The last five standing
IDEAL GROUP: Kudirat Ojikutu & Justin Ezirim
How has the journey being so far?
Justin: It has being very hectic and taxing. We have to wake up early everyday to discuss and practise our steps together. We are lucky we made it to the first 12 and we have also scaled into the first six; it has being very hectic but we thank God.
You mean you never expected to get this far?
Kudirat: No, it is all about the competition, and just like in football, you don’t know the final score until the end of the match. In a game, anything can happen, but all we know is we will always keep improving on our performance. Our initial goal was to make the first 12, then the first six and then the first three; whatever happens after then is beyond us, it is in the hands of God, we will try our best not to disappoint our fans and see where that lands us.
How do you get together to practice your dance steps?
Justin: We are based in Lagos and it is an advantage to us because we move around to source for our costumes and we also get ideas from other professional colleagues about dance. We come to the studio every week-day to rehearse until the next performance and recording, which is on Friday.
How is the feedback from your fans like?
Kudirat: It has been very encouraging. Some tell us ‘you guys are the best, keep it up’, others say ‘you have a great concept, your dance was unique’. Last week, when we did not do well, some people called us to say ‘you guys cannot afford to lose out now, you are the best, just keep it up’. Such comments make you want to go on and give it your best. There is one guy who said even his grandmother watches Let’s Dance because of Ideal group and I was so touched.
What is next after Let’s Dance?
Justin: We are thinking of establishing our own dance company, where people can come and learn different dances and get professional. Right now, our body is already trained, there is no type of music we cannot dance to; all we need to know about the dance is the stepping and the count and our bodies will just follow.
What do you intend to do with the prize money?
Kudirat: One thing we know is that whoever wins the money should not forget that there is a percentage that you give to the Almighty. And for us, even if we cannot go to the church to drop our 10 per cent, there are different charitable homes that we can donate it to. The rest, we haven’t decided yet.
NOVA GROUP: Vodina Lebo & Dagogo Obogo
How has it been coming this far in the competition?
Vodina: It has been wonderful, but with lots of heart breaks watching your friends leave. We thank God we have come this far. It has also been very stressful but we are heading for the star prize, which is what motivates us to do what we are doing despite the emotions and everything we have come across.
Dagogo: The journey has been great. If you notice today we were at the bottom three but I hope it won’t happen again. We thank God, it is not easy to be among the top five. It is not easy to learn those dance steps, we are not traditional dancers but we have learnt it; we thank Let’s Dance for the opportunity; we have met a lot of wonderful people, even you.
How did you become a couple?
Dagogo: We met at a dance group called Spirit of David; we knew that we could do things together, dance together and we knew we were compatible in a way. We understood ourselves and that is how we became partners. We have been partners in so many competitions like the Spirit of David Takes Two, competition where we emerged the champion, Close Up Salsa Challenge among many others. We have been partners now for six years.
How do you come together to practice?
Vodina: We are putting up in a hotel because we don’t stay in Lagos, so, coming together is not a problem. Our call time is 7am. We come to the studio and rehearse for hours. We do this everyday till Friday when we shoot. There is no breathing space; we eat, drink and sleep dance.
...Let’s Dance is culturally progressive — Bakare
Prof. Razak Ojo Bakare has been described as the toughest on the panel of Let’s Dance. Presently, he teaches theatre, dance and choreography at the University of Abuja. In this interview, he lists the merits of dance as a tool for cultural development.
As a judge in Let’s Dance, how would you describe your experience so far?
It is a very good and interesting concept. As a teacher and a dance practitioner, I am extremely grateful to MNet that they thought of this because it is good for the development of dance in Nigeria, and in Africa as a whole. My complaint has been that the level of research, especially into the traditional dances has been very low; they channel more energy into researching the Western dances and are more serious and more particular about details concerning the Western dances than our own traditional dances. I think our traditional dances have been promoted by this show. All in all, it’s been worthwhile.
Do you have hopes that this show will rev up Nigerians’ interest in our local dances?
Definitely, the difference between Let’s Dance and other dance reality shows is the concentration of those other shows on foreign and street dances. Here, we are combining western dances with traditional Nigerian dances. A young man who belongs to the hip-hop culture but knows that by learning how to dance the traditional dances very well, will win a cash prize of 50,000 dollars will do all that it takes to learn the traditional dances very well.
What lesson do you think Nigerians can take away from Let’s Dance?
The lesson is this: our own television stations in Nigeria are doing nothing to promote our culture through dance. People are coming from other places to tap from the benefits presented by our population. MNet understands this and has chosen to invest in developing local content for the DStv bouquet. They are also leading the way to show our teeming youth the road back to their roots. I think that is the lesson we should learn, call it a challenge if you must. I am waiting for a Nigerian television station to start doing what MNet has done.
Do you see a future for these youths in dance considering that most of the contestants are in their teens and twenties?
Dancing is like soccer, you get to a stage where you just have to say goodbye to it, but my worry is that these are professional dancers; this is what most of them do for a living and like you rightly observed, most of them are in their late teens and early 20s. When they hit late 30s and early 40s, what do they do for a living? That’s the question we should be asking ourselves. As someone who is in the industry, I have been talking to them, go back to school. I danced actively till I was 40, but now I am about 45 approaching 50; I don’t see any choreographer doing a serious dance play and will want to engage me. Like in soccer, you can’t find a manager that wants to sign on a 45-year-old footballer.
So you see, when you have had an active dancing career, you should graduate to something else; to choreography, which is the creative aspect of the business. In fact, that way, the older you get the better and more experienced you will get. You could even become a dance teacher, a dance analyst, a dance researcher, but you can only graduate to these other levels if you are learned. A good number of these people are not studying and that is my source of worry. We have been talking to them and we know that others will continue to talk to them; it is good what they are doing, but they can’t do this forever. At a point, your body will start complaining, you just have to stop this.
What is your advice to Nigerians?
We are the ones losing because we have relegated our culture to the background. It is what belongs to you that you can market. Your art is expected to market your products. Let me use this analogy, I guess you know Youssou N’Dour and Baba Maal, the Senegalese artistes; wherever they go, they wear what is called the Senegalese and by so doing, their fans all over the world started looking for that material to buy. Today, Senegalese women are all over the world selling that material and making foreign exchange for their country. But when our P-Square goes to London or New York to perform, whose culture or product are they marketing there? If Tu Face were to wear the Abeokuta Adire or the Ange of the Tiv people or the other version of Ange of the Idoma people–– the one with the red and black stripes–– to perform in Tokyo, the Japanese people will start wearing that stuff because they are fans of Tu Face and the local people who make that fabric will start earning foreign currency from the acts of Tu Face. That is what art is supposed to do for people. Now, Nigeria is a Jeans and T-Shirt country; who marketed that? The American artistes that the boys and girls watch on television and they want to dress like their screen idols. They buy all kinds of Jeans materials. And for every pair of Jeans that that we buy, we are helping the American textile industry to grow while helping to kill the Nigerian textile industry. So, we have no choice; we have to go back to our culture and tradition and see how we can use them to develop ourselves economically, especially now that the entire world has entered into economic meltdown.
A gift from India
BY ADENIKE FAGADE
E KAABO. Bawo ni? Gbogbo le nko? I heard these phrases and on impulse, I raised my head to take a second look at the smiling ‘Oyinbo’ beside me. I wondered if she has a Yoruba root because of the near-perfect pronunciation of the words. Then I became more surprised to learn that she is completely Indian and has no blood ties to Nigeria.
Here is what living with other people outside one’s country can do to one: learn about other people’s ways of life, connect to and identify with their culture and traditions.
MANALI Shah, an Indian lady, sees life as an opportunity to improve the world, impacting on the lives of other people and contributing to the development of the community at large.
While she was in High School, an environment conference she attended awakened her consciousness and apathy towards what was happening around her. That birthed her volunteerism passion
Her volunteer journey took a serious leap in the university, where she met her life partner, Parth Shah, who was heading one of the non governmental organisations (NGOs) where she was a volunteer!
She has worked closely with her husband for seven years to run programmes that question the impact of government policies on people and reach out to young people in India to make them informed and active citizens.
In 2007, Mana (as she preferred to be called), felt the need to experience working outside her community to test herself and her skills, and so, took the challenge of leaving her home in New Delhi to come to Africa as a volunteer.
“With the full support, love and understanding of my husband, my parents (who always wanted me to reach great heights) and my friends, who wanted me to fulfil my whimsical wishes, I decided to fulfill my three wishes: experiencing Africa; expose my skills to a new environment and learn how to live on my own,” she says.
SHE came as a volunteer through the International Volunteering Programme of the Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) in March 2008 to work in Nigeria for one year. Since then, she has worked voluntarily with the Civil Society Network for Volunteering Society (also known as GIVE Network), a body that promotes the culture of volunteering within Nigerians and the framework of volunteer management within NGOs. Mana worked with GIVE as the organizational development advisor.
She has helped coordinated the organisational structure of her work place –– developing policies for the network, organising workshops to help build the capacity of the member organizations (MOs) of the network and training the MOs on Volunteer Management amongst other aspects.
FOR someone who had never been to Africa, leaving her home and coming to a totally different place with different people, culture and way of living, wasn’t an easy decision for Mana.
And to think that she was also going to leave behind all luxury and live a humble life far away from home, was a challenging reality that she had to face.
“I have never lived on my own before. I live a much pampered life with my parents and then with my husband. I have never been away from Delhi for more than a month. In Delhi, I travel in my car and seldom use public transport. With the maid and cook, I never had to do my own laundry or cleaning. Given that here, I have managed to get around using public transport, done my own cleaning, washing and cooking, I feel I have conquered Everest,” she says.
“Living away from my husband has been harder than I had imagined. But being on my own, I have realised that I can take care of myself. I made some smart decisions and some stupid decisions, but the feeling that these have been my decisions have made the consequences quite bearable. Though I am sociable, I have been uncomfortable and stressed thinking about creating a whole new social life for myself away from home. But I am amazed at both the warmth and acceptance of my landlords, colleagues and friends here as well as my ability to develop and maintain relationships which will surely last beyond this one year.’ Mana says.
AS typical of anywhere one had never been, Mana was confronted with various stereotypes about Africa before leaving home. She had heard comments about Nigeria, Lagos in particular, such as high crime, worse traffic congestion, filth in every corner etc. all giving the picture of the worst place to live.
However, living in the country has helped her experience things for herself beyond hearsay. “Yes, there is crime, traffic and garbage everywhere, but not as bad as it’s made out to be. Back home in India, you see multiple realities. Whenever I ask people about the problems of Nigeria, they say the same thing — overpopulation, laziness etc. This is not the whole truth. They say all these things in India too and they do all sort of works that they can’t do in India here in Nigeria. The root problem of both countries is the same — the break down of the government, where the state has failed to provide an enabling environment in terms of basic services and opportunity. The good things are also common — the diverse tradition, music, dress, the rich history, art and culture, diverse food. This diversity comes from the peaceful but sometimes volatile co-existence of the multicultural ethnic groups. All of these are true of both countries.”
She adds, “there have been many moments where I have witnessed kindness, acceptance, and humility in Nigeria. Twice, I did not have sufficient money to pay for the bike ride from my home to the main road and the bike guy humbly accepted whatever I had. People occasionally give up their seats for the elderly, pregnant women, and even me! Also, I have made a lot of good friends that have shown me true love. Once, when I was going home to India on a short holiday during my term, my colleague and friend came to drop me at the airport and she cried at the thought that three months later I would be going home for good!”
MUCH as Mana enjoyed her work and time in Nigeria, she is always eager to share how also, volunteering has helped her develop as an individual. She got tremendous value and respect for her experience, skills and perspective. She has been honored with invitations to, and participated in workshops and seminars even outside her primary place of work. Through volunteering, she has also realised her likeness; what she hates, her strengths and weakness. ‘I have realized that there are levels of perfection, that I am good at making something from bad to good but I sometimes lack the patience, discipline & creativity to take it from good to great. Having these realisations, and sporadic light bulbs in my head, have made me more aware of myself and understand my actions. There are lots of ways that volunteering has helped me build on myself and I believe the experience will be the same for others who volunteers.’
‘I’m a dramatic dresser, my clothes speak’
FOR Ibironke Adeniji, music is a passion. The native of Saki, Oyo, is the music director of the Living Spring Chapel. She has seven albums to her credit, and the latest is Passion. Born on January 7, 1975, she attended Bodija Baptist Primary School, Ibadan and Command Secondary School, Ibadan, for her primary and secondary education. After these, she attended The Polytechnic Ibadan. She tells DAMILOLA ADEKOYA what fashion is to her.
Definition of fashion
Fashion is something that makes you look beautiful. It simply means looking good.
Music and You
Music is my life; it’s the only thing that makes me complete. When it came to a point in my life that I felt I needed something to do, Music was my only choice and it has really seen me through good and difficult times
Style of dressing
I’m more of a dramatic dresser. I like cloths that speak and at the same time, they cover up. I like African fabric, sown into evening wears, long gowns e.t.c.
Favourite piece of clothing
That’s my jewelries; I can’t just do without them.
Describe yourself in few words
I’m warm, straightforward and interesting.
Most expensive item
My wristwatch.
Turn on
I love to meet people that are very good at whatever they are doing; they serve as an object of focus for me.
Turn off
I hate liars; I really can’t stand them.
Happiest moment
It was the day I heard a song from my first album on radio
Most embarrassing moment(s)
It was the day I had to adjust my underskirt at the bus-stop and the upper skirt just dropped.
Position in the family
I’m from a polygamous home, where I’m the first from my mum and dad. My dad is a license surveyor, who was once a commissioner for works and housing in Oyo State, while my mum is a retiree.
Food
I love pounded yam and Egusi soup or Garri with Afang soup.
Philosophy of life
No matter the challenges you face in life, if you believe it, you will make it.
If you were given an opportunity to change something in Nigeria, what will it be?
I will change the life of women. I would like to empower them and to let them understand that they have inner abilities in them. It’s not just about getting married; cooking etc, there’s really more to life.
Recession or no recession: Homeboy Amosu sets his suit at $100,000
THE reality of the global economic meltdown has hit hard at multinationals, groups and individuals, but the crisis doesn’t appear to be affecting Nigeria-born-London-based designer and entrepreneur, Alexander Amosu. The ‘wiz kid’ has found a buyer for his ‘most expensive suit in the world’ valued at $100,000. The one-off creation took 80 hours to complete, at a price of about 14 pounds per stitch.The single-breasted, single-buttoned suit was made from rare materials such as Vicuna wool, which can only be shorn once every three years from the South American camelid, and Qiviuk wool, gathered from the Arctic muskox. Amosu wants this expensive garment to be just the first step of his new self-titled luxury-clothing brand, which he hopes will be bigger than either Yves Saint Laurent or Gucci –– both owned by French billionaire Francois Pinault –– by 2020.
On the inspiration behind his creation, Amosu, luxury designer to the rich and famous and founder of Amosu Luxury Ltd, said, “I wanted to create something completely exclusive, limited, luxurious, impressive and outstanding. Nobody has done that. Whatever I do, I have to do 10 times better than anyone else.”
He continued: “I’m trying to build a luxury brand that people know about. To compete with the likes of Gucci; you have to produce not just the ‘world’s most expensive’ but something so exclusive that you are the only one who makes it,” Amosu said.
The designer does not exaggerate; the triple-figure price tag includes hyperbolic levels of customer service –– Alexander and his tailors will travel to clients anywhere in the world to take measurements and fit the suits.
ALTHOUGH Amosu made his first million at the tender age of 25, from selling everything from cleaning services to mobile-phone ringtones, even he is aware that the world is in the grip of a major recession. Just recently, the International Monetary Fund said the global economy would shrink 1.3%; British finance minister Alistair Darling also said he would raise the income tax on top earners to 50.0%, from 45.0%, a fact which makes Amosu wince visibly.
“It will probably hurt us a little bit,” he admitted, “but what can we do? There are still wealthy people out there.”
Amosu did not divulge any of his goals or targets for 2009, but said the next move for his luxury road show was a trip to the hotspots of the world: Monaco, Abu Dhabi and Nigeria, his homeland.
“Everyone wants to touch the suit, to feel it,” he said. “We’ll see what happens.”
The suit is being produced in collaboration with Dormeuil, purveyors of the world’s finest fabrics. Frederic Dormeuil, the commercial director of the Dormeuil collection, expressed his excitement over the creation: “It is very nice to be a part of this. It is a very unique product.”
ALEXANDER Amosu, a young entrepreneur who turned his interest in technology and the mobile phone industry into a commercial success story, now heads a business at the forefront of mobile entertainment. His business has evolved from a one-man operation to employing over a dozen staff, and generating an annual turnover in excess of £1 million.
Whilst studying, Alexander worked part time in retailers such as the electrical store, Tandy and the fast food chain, Pizza Hut. It soon became apparent that selling and in particular developing a rapport with customers came naturally to him. Having undertaken a business start-up course at the college of North East London, at the age of 19, Alexander wrote a business plan which was reviewed by the Prince’s Trust. The Trust didn’t delay in awarding him a grant to start his new business venture for a cleaning company that he oversaw and ran for three years whilst continuing his studies.
At the University of North London, where he studied Sound Engineering, Alexander discovered a niche in what was then a fledgling industry. He proceeded to test demand for urban ringtones by producing and supplying them to his friends and family. Initially he had no promotional support other than the word of mouth of his customers. This was to prove a sufficient catalyst to propel him and his business along a roller coaster ride into the ringtone market – Alexander was in business.
ALEXANDER’S passion for technology, entrepreneurial skills and determination has resulted in his Company becoming the UK’s No.1 provider of ringtones and graphics. The Company’s runaway success story has attracted media frenzy. Such is the interest that he has appeared in several TV shows including, GMTV, Channel 4’s Flash documentary, an interview on Ruby Wax’s daytime programme and BBC2 Documentary, Mind of a Millionaire, accompanied with a published book.
He was awarded Young Entrepreneur Of The Year at the Institute of Directors by Black Enterprise Awards 2002, Africa’s Best Award at the GAB Awards 2003, also receiving London African Carribean Entrepreneurs Award 2004. Alexander have also been featured in the Sun, News of the World, Sunday Express and the Guardian newspaper as well as appearing on MTV, Bravo, Nickelodeon and Ben TV.
Jay-Jay Johnson, The Trombone Master
BY BENSON IDONIJE
ALMOST all the relevant jazz instruments have advanced over the years, most of them even serving as vehicles for avant-garde, but the trombone has refused to progress beyond Jay-Jay Johnson who is the undisputed king of the instrument. He too has not moved beyond the artistic level he attained in the ‘60s, and yet his performance is so far the most progressive and technical on the instrument.
Critics have attributed this situation to the queer nature of the instrument, claiming that it is difficult to find the notes from the slide trombone. To a great extent, these critics are right, considering the fact that the valve trombone was played with a lot of ease by Bob Brook Meyer in those days; and the notes came out easily and profusely, with machine-gun precision, except that Bob was sounding more like the trumpet than anything else. The unique tone of the trombone was missing from both his solo lines and the contributions he made to themes in terms of ensemble sound.
Besides, the problem with Bob at the time was that as a white musician, his playing was devoid of the soul feeling and he sounded so pedestrian that his approach and performance did not in anyway inspire anybody. There was nothing to learn from a tonal conception that was the combination of the trumpet and other sounds. Bob was not definitive in his approach and so failed to make any impact.
Otherwise, the valve trombone should have been adopted today as a replacement for the slide version, which usually takes the hands and imagination of geniuses to sort out the notes.
Several other trombonists emerged who could not continue for reasons that are obvious, but it was the likes of Curtis Fuller who made an effort to challenge the ability of JJ Johnson. He also made the effort to sound original and individualistic, structuring his improvisational design with a geometric symmetry that became the envy of other trombonists as well as the Blue Note recording stable, which enlisted his services for studio recording purposes.
However, his technique still fell below that of J.J Johnson who felt at the time that any improvisational accomplishment had to be economical, serving the needs of the compositional framework rather than the demands of egocentric players or hero-worshipping fans.
The trombone used to an integral part of highlife instrumentation. Almost all the bands across Nigeria and Ghana had trombonists sliding the instrument in their various outfits, but except for a few of them, none really stuck out like the sore thumb.
However, credits must be given to Omoba Johnson, a Nigerian from Benin City who was trained in the police band but played with several highlife outfits in Nigeria and Ghana where he made the greatest impact. Omoba Johnson’s influence and hero was J.J. Johnson himself whose records he listened to way back 1954. It was thought that he took the name from his mentor, but the truth is that his father’s real name was Johnson. The similarity with J.J. was a mere coincidence.
There was also Adlib Young, a trombonist with the ideal tone who led the Stargazers of Ghana for a brief period. His solos were impressive even though thematic. He was obviously influenced by Omoba Johnson who also served as a great source of inspiration to Raimi, a trombonist of note, a bandleader whom I met in London last February.
Unknown to many, one of the instruments that added true orchestral flavouring to Roy Chicago’s ensemble sound was the trombone played at the time by a sideman of Benin City extraction called Osayande. His good tone blended very well with the band’s harmonies along with the alto saxophone of Olu Idienuma whose solos also added to the brilliance and unique sound identity of the Rhythm Dandies. Incidentally however, all these musicians owe their inspiration to the eminent Jay-Jay Johnson, a composer, arranger, who played bop and hard bop.
Considered by many to be the first jazz trombonist of all time, J.J Johnson some how transferred the innovation of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie to his more awkward instrument, playing with such speed and deceptive ease that at one time some listeners assumed he was playing valve (rather than slide) trombone. Johnson toured with the territory bands of Clarence Love and Snookum Russell during 1941-1942 and then spent the intervening three years with Benny Carters’ big band.
He made his recording debut with Carter, taking a solo on Love For Sale in 1943. And played at the Jazz at the Philarmonic (JATP) concert in 1944. Johnson also had plenty of solo space during his stay with Count Basies’s Orchestra from 1945 to 1946.
During 1946-1950, Johnson played with all the top jazz musicians of that period, including Charlie Parker, with whom he recorded in 1947; the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band; Illinois Jaquet and the Miles Davis ‘Birth of the Cool’ Nonet.
His own recordings of this era included such sidemen as pianist Bud Powell and a young Sonny Rollins who is now 79 years. J.J. who also recorded with the Metronome All Stars, played with Oscar Pettiford in 1951 and Miles Davis in 1952 but then, he was outside of music, working as a blueprint inspector for two years.
His fortunes changed when, in 1954, he formed a two-trombone quintet with Kai winding and became known as Jay and Kai. The band became quite popular during its two years of existence. A number of albums were recorded at the time, prominent among which was Trombone for two where the two contributed their own compositions, in addition to standards, taking solos in a special order.
After the two went their separate ways, they would later have a few reunions. One of them was Four Trombones, which featured Jay-Jay Johnson and Kai Winding together with such trombonists as Bennie Green and Willie Dennis. The rhythm section featured Charlie Mingus, an outstanding bass player, strong enough just as a player to have made his reputation on that talent alone; Arthur Taylor, a drummer of the most modern concepts and remarkably precise time; and John Lewis, musical director and pianist with the Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ).
J.J. Johnson has numerous reissues in the market, most notably The Eminent J.J. Johnson, Early Bones, Four Trombones, Trombone for two, J.J. Inc. Jay and Kai, Say When, Trombone Master, The Finest Of, Trombone For Three, Yokohama Concert, Concepts in Blue, among many others.
The trombone has had a long and honoured history in jazz, dating back to its perpetual presence in the marching and dance hall bands of early New Orleans, whence came the tag “tailgate” because the trombone player sat in the back of the wagon and let the side of the horn reach over the tailgate of the wagon.
Honore Dutrey, Frankie Dusen, Kid Ory, Zue Robertson, Roy Palmer – those were some of the names of the early giants. Then came Jack Teagarden, J.C. Higginbotham, Jimmy Harrison, Sam Nanten and Lawrence Brown.
With the revolution of modern jazz, it seemed as if every instrument developed automatically a virtuoso player who took it past the point of greatest development, enhanced its capabilities and extended its horizon of operations.
For the trombone, Jay-Jay Johnson performed that function, breaking through the barrier of performance and possibility to give the horn a new dimension. It was Jay-Jay’s presence in Four Trombones that stamped the album with the authenticity it deserved.
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
In a Kimono Stylee
The Rub-a-dub master returns steaming with reggaemalitisHE was dressed in a white top, with green, black, yellow and white stripes adding colour to it. He has a blue jean trouser, with brown trainers. His beret is green, yellow and red. He has eyeglasses on. Looking every inch younger, except for the frame that has grown heavier; he seems an appropriate feature of a returnee out to make a point. If you didn’t listen closely, you’ll probably think that Ras Kimono, the rub-a-dub master, speaks only patois language. He does so efficiently, especially when the issue is a grime subject matter. This afternoon, his upbeat demeanour belies the earnestness of his message.
Over the years, Kimono has been consistent with his brand of reggae music. Under Pressure, his debut album, released by Polygram International in 1988, won the Gold Disc Award. The follow-up, What’s Gwan clearly surpassed the first. In fact, it won double Platinum. That album swept all major music awards in Nigeria including Reggae Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Artiste of the Year Award.
His next album, Run Fi Cover, came out in 1992 and it was master hit. In 1994, he released another hit album, Oracle of Jah and nine years later, he came out with Still I Arise.
He has taken his message out of Nigeria to the world by playing major concerts in the United States, England, Italy, Kenya, Ghana and Papua New Guinea where his Benson and Hedges stadium concerts attracted a record average of 45,000 people per concert. He has also performed at the PANAFEST in Ghana, URTNA in Kenya, ROTOTOM Reggae Sunsplash in Italy, Golden Tones Reggae Sunsplash (Lagos and Kano, Nigeria), Vienna (Austria) and Essen (Germany).
In the United States, Kimono has performed in reputable clubs such as New York’s Tramps, S.O.B. and MONDO Festival at the Central Park, B.B. King Night Club New York and Zanzibar Water Front Washington D.C. He has also played at the Equator (Chicago), Carabana (Houston), Masquerade (Atlanta) and in various clubs in St. Louis.
The artiste, who has performed with top reggae artistes such as Shaggy, Shaba Ranks, Lee Perry, the late Lucky Dube, Culture, Inna Circle, Steve Wonder, Eve and K.C. and JoJo and a host of others, has developed his own style of root reggae music that skillfully blends his African roots with classical Jamaican rhythm.
When he strolled into the Rutam House den recently, he had more than he bargained; as veteran music writer, Benson Idonije, the arts writer Jahman Anikulapo and myself, Gregory Austin Nwakunor, drilled him.
What’s happening to Kimono after several years of being outside the scene?
Everything is going on fine. I’ve been away for several years, but I’m back with a finished product that has to be released. I have nine tracks on the reggae album and two extra tracks that are something different from Ras Kimono’s stylee as singles. If the company that will sign me on likes them, I will drop it for them to release as singles and let the people see my other side. It took me about 10 months to record this album and it was produced by me, Alex Zito and a brother called Chilly. The flashpoint of this album is that this is the first time I’m recording with a high technology. I did something with Zito and because he knows what is involved in having quality output and as a musician, you won’t be disappointed with the quality. I used his studio because he has one of the best up to date studio equipment. In fact, he has a state of the art studio. There’s a great gap from the rest in terms of quality and production.
The album features original songs composed by Kimono including Veteran, Matter of Time, Wicked Politicians, Good To Be Conscious, Mixed Dance, Beginning Of The End, Tribute To Lucky Dube, Screw Face by Alex Zito and Kimono, and Honour To Perry Ernest originally done by Perry Ernest himself.
Is there any record label marketing it?
At the moment, I’m in discussion with some companies but we’ve not made a head way yet.
What of your former recording company, Premier Records?
Well, we’re still talking because my contract with them expired before I travelled. If they’re interested in my latest work, I will give it to them.
Any release date?
There is no release date for now, but I’m still discussing with a couple of marketers. I can’t do the marketing because there is need for job specialisation. I don’t own a label and I don’t intend to do that.
Can you tell us your market expectation of the album?
The artiste does not preempt good sale. All I have is prayer and Jah blessing for people to like the album and go for it.
You’ve been away for sometime. What have you been doing in America?
I’ve been doing music and playing shows out there when it comes. I’ve been doing and living on music.
What’s your view of the music industry today?
It’s doing greatly. Lots of musicians are doing very well. Many of them are driving big cars and living in good houses. It’s good. Talking about the musical context, people follow the rave trend.
Are you threatened by the sudden rise of hip-hop music?
I’m not in competition with the new generation of musicians playing hip-hop because none of them is playing reggae music.
In other words, you don’t feel threatened at all?
No, I’m not threatened at all. The brethren are doing other kinds of music and I’m doing reggae music. My believe is that there are more than one million Nigerians, who are still in love with reggae music in our society and I know these people will definitely follow Ras Kimono. So, I’m not perturbed with what is going on back home. The first time I hit the music scene, there were many big time musicians, but I still found my bearing in the market. So, I will still be here doing my thing, while the younger ones do theirs.
Let me tell you this, when I was away, I was monitoring the local scene. There is this website I often visited — I don’t know whether Nigerians hosted the site — but all I know is that most times, I go to the site to see what is happening in music, video and films and unfortunately, I don’t think I noticed any strong competition. I don’t believe that the strong passion these days for hip-hop music is a threat. The artistes are not doing what I’m doing. Nobody is really doing what I am. I came back to see that the vacuum is still there. There’s a great gap that we have to fill. I have space to fill. If it were reggae, I would be scared. I’m not coming back to win the youths, but just to say that with time, they will love and appreciate. You know over the years, they’ve not heard good messages. In my subsequent albums, I will work with some of them. All these artistes that you say sing hip-hop have reggae feel in their music and that’s because they didn’t want to lose their fans.
Is there any possibility of doing something with the young ones?
Maybe in subsequent album, I can team up with the young ones. The problem with youths here is that they are always looking for easy way out to make quick money. Sometimes, you will see young guys come up to say to you, ‘uncle I’m into music’. He gives you what he has done, and you will be surprised that the music has no quality, and that it is not done out of passion, but just for the money. They are always seeking easy money and fame. Since there is easy access to laptop and keyboard, you can programme what you want to. To make it worse, a lot of TV stations play these songs. You are now forced to ask what is National Broadcasting Commission doing and why there are no Not To Be Broadcast (NTBB) tag on them. Some of the lyrics are vulgar and are played on air and NBC is not doing anything about it. In the US, there are club versions and radio version. They just do one version and this is what is played on air. Easy lyrics. Some of the youths, who play this music don’t have conscience. Give them four to five years and they will fade out completely.
Are you not disappointed that the music industry is not the way you left it?
I wouldn’t say I’m. Our music is growing. My only disappointment is that nobody is playing live music anymore. Everybody is miming and that’s not good for professional instrumentalists in the music industry. I intend, with my organisation, to do a welcoming concert for the media and some key people in the corporate world. I don’t mime, so, it’s going to be live music. I want to bring back live music with my coming back.
What would you attribute as the problem?
It’s big. However, to change the trend, I’m coming back with live music and do it the way it used to be. Live bands and live concerts. I intend, with my organisation, to do a welcoming concert for the media and some key people in the corporate world. I don’t mime, so, it’s going to be live music. I want to bring back live music with my coming back. I’m coming with live music because you know, Kimono doesn’t mime. Trust me and when I start again, others would follow suit.
How do you manage your concert plans?
At a time, Sybil was doing the concert arrangement. Then Eddie Lawani came. The truth of the matter is that most corporate organisations have agents, who make arrangements with the artistes.
Don’t you think with the growing importance of hip-hop, that you may get to perform in fewer concerts?
Let me correct one impression, there is no single artiste, who can pull all the crowds in a concert. Every organiser brings different artistes to add variety.
Can you tell us more about the songs?
My music is spiritual. It has a special message that I want to pass across. A few tracks are danceable. Mixed Dance is like rumba stylee. In Veteran, I want to talk to people, who are flashes in the pan. Matter of time talks about people who think that you have nothing to offer again… I mean people, who think you are finished. Good to be conscious is also about the society, the greed of Nigerians. They are never satisfied. In Wicked Politicians, I speak to politicians. I’ve got no business with politicians. Look at what they did to the late Attorney General, Bola Ige? How he was murdered and till date, there is still no clue about the killers! My message to them is that they should desist from their evil ways. I pray that they will listen. Screw Face, which Zito and I did, is about what’s going on in the society. Beginning of The End is about what is happening in the world over. The catastrophe and everything. It is to tell people that we are coming to the end of time. The Northeast Blackout of 2003 was a massive widespread power outage that occurred throughout parts of the Northeastern and Midwestern United States, and Ontario, Canada on Thursday, August 14, 2003. At the time, it was the most widespread electrical blackout in history. The blackout affected an estimated 10 million people in the Canadian province of Ontario and 45 million people in eight U.S. states. Who will ever believe such a blackout was going to occur in the US. Look at the tsunami that swept across Asia? The world cried because of the number of deaths, but what happened during Hurricane Katrina was far greater. What happened in Katrina is worse than what has happened in Africa. Tribute to Lucky Dube is to honour a nice, humble guy, an unrepentant soldier, whose fight was total emancipation of the blackman.
Youths should know that if Michael Jackson could be there without drug, they can equally do it. Youths should leave drugs alone because it can do them harm.
Honour to Perry Earnest is an attempt to honour such a veteran of highlife music. I’m looking forward to meeting Perry. A lot of people have asked me why did I do a song in Perry’s language. But I tell them, did I know anything about Ajakubo before I did the song. It was in The Guardian that I met Ben Tomoloju and I told him that I wanted him to give me right to the song. He gave me the right here. That’s why when I hear people say to me that I stole Tomoloju’s song, I reply them it is a lie.
Are you back fully in the country, or just to launch your album?
I’m back. You know, I always move around spreading the message of Jah all over the world, I cannot say wholly yes. I may be in Ghana or anywhere, but now, I’m home to promote my music and help the industry to grow.
TEETH 4 TEETH
BY JUSTIN AKPOVI-ESADE
‘Embattled’ Paul Obazele
PRESIDENT of the Association of Movie Producers, Nollywood actor, Paul Obazele, was having a good time last Friday. At the food and drinks — laden table at O’jez that evening, Paulo, the embattled AMP helmsman was drinking and eating away like there was no tomorrow. This was the same Nollywood star some detractors claimed was almost physically impeached from office (the Nigerian government under Obasanjo’s style) some couple of weeks ago. Reports had it that Paulo had to hold on to the heavy desk as the angry (disgruntled) producers tried to drag him from office. But for the quick response of the police, maybe, our dear star would have been dragged out of office. Reminiscent of the hiding of the mace by the late Senate president, Chuba Okadigbo, Paulo the report claimed (I no dey dia o o), held on to the desk (which in this case represented the Okadigbo mace). Anyway, the battle I hear is still on and Paulo is now ready for future occurrence of the incidence. Back to last Friday. T4T walked up to Paulo and risked a punch when he asked what had become of the plot to oust him from office and if he was truly an embattled president. He looked at me and with his mouth munching away, asked: “Do I look embattled?” Indeed bros, that night you did not look or even feel embattled, but after sunshine comes rain or vice versa. You cannot spend the whole time brooding over a hovering scare, so it is good to unwind sometimes. Nice action Paulo, but hope your detractors who also come to O’jez will not choose the hang –out to impeach you as you unwind.
Presido Zeb Ejiro’s Truly The ‘Sheikh’
HAVE you had the opportunity of seeing one of Nollywood’s prolific directors and producer, Zeb Ejiro, who is widely known as either the ‘Sheikh’ or ‘Presido’, having a good time? You will rob a bank to witness it. That same evening T4T put his jaw on the line to confront Paul Obazele on his embattled state, Zeb Ejiro was sitting on the same table with him. Zeb, a national honour’s recipient of OON, was drinking an expensive bottle of red wine (a detractor claimed he was literally drowning in the wine), he was the centre of attraction. The way he even attacked and devoured the O’jez ‘baked’ fish with clinical precision, left T4T sitting some tables away, green with envy. While T4T was talking to Paulo, he also hailed the movie producer, who in his trademark deep, husky voice, hailed back (the guy is a bros, sha). A simple Math showed that what Bros Zeb Ejiro was devouring alone aside the ones by Nollywood stars Paulo and Zach Orji, was worth 10 grand (VAT inclusive). Recall the song two television actors, Idemudia and Kokori (of Hotel De Jordan fame), sang during the campaign of a former governor in the South South region? In case you don’t, Mr. Zeb Ejiro OON, I will refresh your memory. “I no chop today and forget tomorrow (repeat +2)... think of future, think of future, think of wetin you go leave for children...” A word is enough for the wise, becos dis one wey person dey chop 10 k for only one night so, ehen, pikin dem dey house o o.
Ejike ‘Arrested and Detained’ In Zimbabwe
SOME people will just go to any length to ‘finish’ somebody; if not, how will you reconcile this scenario. Two weeks ago, on a Wednesday night to be precise, T4T as usual was hanging out at O’jez (where else as im no get house o). Who else but with another embattled president, this time, of Actors Guild of Nigeria; Ejike Asiegbu. He just returned a night earlier from Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe and shackies were flowing like water. Then suddenly T4T’s two mobile phones beeped: an SMS and an email message. Haba, the peson plan am? Anyway, both messages were from the same source. As T4T read, he looked up in amazement: “Breaking news! Former President (never knew Ejike had been removed) of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Ejike Asiegbu, has been arrested and detained in Zimbabwe for selling Nigerian movies without authorisation (so Ejike na movie marketer now?).” The message continued and ended with a convincing tone. “Call for more information. Thanks as you go to press with this exclusive information.”
I looked at Ejike again to convince myself I was not seeing somebody else. The sender of the message refused to pick up his call, I had wanted to thank him for the vital piece of news. Trust the AGN president, he went hysterical as expected. Well, true to the advice of the sender of the ‘exclusive’ news, I am now telling you about the ‘arrest’ and ‘detention’ of AGN president Ejike Asiegbu. Thank you for reading this ‘exclusive’ news.
Ayoola Sadare Was ‘Caught’ Red handed
HOW on earth did I forget this crucial piece of information? The only reason would be that future Benson Idonije (in jazz music matters sha), Ayoola Sadare, has done juju that temporary made me forget to tell you what transpired at the celebrity hangout about two weeks ago. Oh, you do not know Sadare too well? Too bad, but let me make it my duty to educate you. The public relations expert and jazz promoter, Sadare is the guy trying so hard (sponsors permit) to promote jazz in the country at present. He has organised jazz festivals and recall I told you he was sighted in the library of a very big newspaper with Pa Idonije, discussing jazz matters. I had finished my runs at O’jez that night and it was pretty late (too late for any family man to be out, and I am not saying Sadare is not a family man o o), and as T4T walked to his tuke tuke car, his side view caught somebody who had also sighted him, and was making a detour to avoid him. The familiar features of the man (dark, bushy hair, dark rimmed eyeglasses etc), registered. Few people have that feature. Then the nickel dropped, it was Sadare trying to avoid the eagle eye of T4T.
Anyway, it is only when somebody, a celebrity especially has ‘bad’ intentions that he avoids T4T. I am not saying Sadare had ‘bad’ intentions that night o o. T4T hailed him and reminded him that he had been ‘punked’. Advice. Do not try avoid T4T in future, because he is watching. (Dis T4T na SSS or FBI agent?)
Pray, Where Is Charly Boy?
PUBLIC notice! Please have you seen the self-acclaimed father of all touts in Nigeria, Area Fada, Charles Oputa aka Charly Boy? If found (I’m in a loss), please do let him know that there is fire on the mountain at PMAN. Two ‘presidents’, one they say enjoys his support and the other one that has fallen out of his favour, are fighting for the soul of the musicians’ body. Members of the dreaded OPC sect with charms and mobile policemen wielding loaded guns are freely being used, chaos is now the order at the national secretariat, Ikeja. As ‘President General’ of PMAN, some of your detractors are saying you should either as usual come or ‘install’ another president or leave the place empty. But since your ‘retirement’ from PMAN, you have chosen to busy yourself, with singing Ninja Bike, allowing your home to crumble and fall apart. Over to you C B, this is not about granting interviews and telling us (you have been telling us same thing in your interviews for years now, ‘Charly Boy philosophy’) how your parents kicked against your music career, joy of being a grandfather and how understanding Lady D is etc — this is the time to quench this fire your detractors claimed you started in Kaduna in 2005. No be me talk am o o.
‘Embattled’ Paul Obazele
PRESIDENT of the Association of Movie Producers, Nollywood actor, Paul Obazele, was having a good time last Friday. At the food and drinks — laden table at O’jez that evening, Paulo, the embattled AMP helmsman was drinking and eating away like there was no tomorrow. This was the same Nollywood star some detractors claimed was almost physically impeached from office (the Nigerian government under Obasanjo’s style) some couple of weeks ago. Reports had it that Paulo had to hold on to the heavy desk as the angry (disgruntled) producers tried to drag him from office. But for the quick response of the police, maybe, our dear star would have been dragged out of office. Reminiscent of the hiding of the mace by the late Senate president, Chuba Okadigbo, Paulo the report claimed (I no dey dia o o), held on to the desk (which in this case represented the Okadigbo mace). Anyway, the battle I hear is still on and Paulo is now ready for future occurrence of the incidence. Back to last Friday. T4T walked up to Paulo and risked a punch when he asked what had become of the plot to oust him from office and if he was truly an embattled president. He looked at me and with his mouth munching away, asked: “Do I look embattled?” Indeed bros, that night you did not look or even feel embattled, but after sunshine comes rain or vice versa. You cannot spend the whole time brooding over a hovering scare, so it is good to unwind sometimes. Nice action Paulo, but hope your detractors who also come to O’jez will not choose the hang –out to impeach you as you unwind.
Presido Zeb Ejiro’s Truly The ‘Sheikh’
HAVE you had the opportunity of seeing one of Nollywood’s prolific directors and producer, Zeb Ejiro, who is widely known as either the ‘Sheikh’ or ‘Presido’, having a good time? You will rob a bank to witness it. That same evening T4T put his jaw on the line to confront Paul Obazele on his embattled state, Zeb Ejiro was sitting on the same table with him. Zeb, a national honour’s recipient of OON, was drinking an expensive bottle of red wine (a detractor claimed he was literally drowning in the wine), he was the centre of attraction. The way he even attacked and devoured the O’jez ‘baked’ fish with clinical precision, left T4T sitting some tables away, green with envy. While T4T was talking to Paulo, he also hailed the movie producer, who in his trademark deep, husky voice, hailed back (the guy is a bros, sha). A simple Math showed that what Bros Zeb Ejiro was devouring alone aside the ones by Nollywood stars Paulo and Zach Orji, was worth 10 grand (VAT inclusive). Recall the song two television actors, Idemudia and Kokori (of Hotel De Jordan fame), sang during the campaign of a former governor in the South South region? In case you don’t, Mr. Zeb Ejiro OON, I will refresh your memory. “I no chop today and forget tomorrow (repeat +2)... think of future, think of future, think of wetin you go leave for children...” A word is enough for the wise, becos dis one wey person dey chop 10 k for only one night so, ehen, pikin dem dey house o o.
Ejike ‘Arrested and Detained’ In Zimbabwe
SOME people will just go to any length to ‘finish’ somebody; if not, how will you reconcile this scenario. Two weeks ago, on a Wednesday night to be precise, T4T as usual was hanging out at O’jez (where else as im no get house o). Who else but with another embattled president, this time, of Actors Guild of Nigeria; Ejike Asiegbu. He just returned a night earlier from Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe and shackies were flowing like water. Then suddenly T4T’s two mobile phones beeped: an SMS and an email message. Haba, the peson plan am? Anyway, both messages were from the same source. As T4T read, he looked up in amazement: “Breaking news! Former President (never knew Ejike had been removed) of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Ejike Asiegbu, has been arrested and detained in Zimbabwe for selling Nigerian movies without authorisation (so Ejike na movie marketer now?).” The message continued and ended with a convincing tone. “Call for more information. Thanks as you go to press with this exclusive information.”
I looked at Ejike again to convince myself I was not seeing somebody else. The sender of the message refused to pick up his call, I had wanted to thank him for the vital piece of news. Trust the AGN president, he went hysterical as expected. Well, true to the advice of the sender of the ‘exclusive’ news, I am now telling you about the ‘arrest’ and ‘detention’ of AGN president Ejike Asiegbu. Thank you for reading this ‘exclusive’ news.
Ayoola Sadare Was ‘Caught’ Red handed
HOW on earth did I forget this crucial piece of information? The only reason would be that future Benson Idonije (in jazz music matters sha), Ayoola Sadare, has done juju that temporary made me forget to tell you what transpired at the celebrity hangout about two weeks ago. Oh, you do not know Sadare too well? Too bad, but let me make it my duty to educate you. The public relations expert and jazz promoter, Sadare is the guy trying so hard (sponsors permit) to promote jazz in the country at present. He has organised jazz festivals and recall I told you he was sighted in the library of a very big newspaper with Pa Idonije, discussing jazz matters. I had finished my runs at O’jez that night and it was pretty late (too late for any family man to be out, and I am not saying Sadare is not a family man o o), and as T4T walked to his tuke tuke car, his side view caught somebody who had also sighted him, and was making a detour to avoid him. The familiar features of the man (dark, bushy hair, dark rimmed eyeglasses etc), registered. Few people have that feature. Then the nickel dropped, it was Sadare trying to avoid the eagle eye of T4T.
Anyway, it is only when somebody, a celebrity especially has ‘bad’ intentions that he avoids T4T. I am not saying Sadare had ‘bad’ intentions that night o o. T4T hailed him and reminded him that he had been ‘punked’. Advice. Do not try avoid T4T in future, because he is watching. (Dis T4T na SSS or FBI agent?)
Pray, Where Is Charly Boy?
PUBLIC notice! Please have you seen the self-acclaimed father of all touts in Nigeria, Area Fada, Charles Oputa aka Charly Boy? If found (I’m in a loss), please do let him know that there is fire on the mountain at PMAN. Two ‘presidents’, one they say enjoys his support and the other one that has fallen out of his favour, are fighting for the soul of the musicians’ body. Members of the dreaded OPC sect with charms and mobile policemen wielding loaded guns are freely being used, chaos is now the order at the national secretariat, Ikeja. As ‘President General’ of PMAN, some of your detractors are saying you should either as usual come or ‘install’ another president or leave the place empty. But since your ‘retirement’ from PMAN, you have chosen to busy yourself, with singing Ninja Bike, allowing your home to crumble and fall apart. Over to you C B, this is not about granting interviews and telling us (you have been telling us same thing in your interviews for years now, ‘Charly Boy philosophy’) how your parents kicked against your music career, joy of being a grandfather and how understanding Lady D is etc — this is the time to quench this fire your detractors claimed you started in Kaduna in 2005. No be me talk am o o.
ogbuus@yahoo.com
Around and about Nollywood...
BY SHAIBU HUSSEINI
Cannes gets woman Jury President
FRENCH actor, Isabelle Huppert, has been named jury president for this year’s Cannes Film Festival. She is the fourth woman to head the panel in the event’s six decades, following stints by Liv Ullmann, Jeanne Moreau and Françoise Sagan. Huppert said in a statement that the appointment made her “very glad and very proud”. She added: “Cannes and I have a long history and this next meeting will definitely seal my love for the festival, as well as for world film.” Dubbed The Cannes Film Festival (French: le Festival de Cannes), and founded in 1946, the Cannes International Film Festival, which runs from May 13 to 24 is reputed to be one of the world’s oldest, most influential and prestigious film festivals. It holds yearly in May at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, in the resort town of Cannes, in the south of France. Nigeria is to make its presence felt at this year’s edition. The Nigerian Film Corporation will be mounting a stand and there are plans to host a film and investment forum.
NFC calls of commissioning ceremony
THE proposed commissioning ceremony of projects at the National Film Institute earlier scheduled to hold in Jos, Plateau State on May 8 has been called off. Brian Etuk, the Nigerian Film Corporation image maker, announce the postponement during the week. Though he didn’t give reason for the shift, he said that a new date would be announced later; observers say the postponement may not be unconnected with the recent inauguration of the Governing Board for the Film Corporation headed by the veteran musician, Bongos Ikwue. It is expected that the board will be on hand to join the Managing Director of the Corporation, Afolabi Adesanya, to receive the Information and Communication Minister, Dora Akunyuli, when she storms Jos for the commissioning later in the year.
CFC empowers teenagers to produce films
COMMUNICATING for Change (CFC), a leading developmental communications organisation, has held a graduation ceremony and film screening for the female teenage participants of a video story telling workshop it held recently. The practical workshop, according to a statement signed by CFC’s Chichi Uzuegbu, allowed 12 girls from Lagos and Kaduna, from Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND) and Girl Child Concern (GCC) to come together to learn the art of video storytelling and production. The workshop was produced and facilitated CFC, with support from the Global Fund for Children (GFC), and the Nike Brain Trust Initiative.
The workshop, the statement continued, empowered the girls and equipped them with a solid foundation in video storytelling and included sessions on creative scriptwriting, production, camera operations and the editing process, all undertaken with state of the art technological equipment.
During the time they spent together at the workshop, the girls were able to learn from their different cultures and bond with each other. Through their newly acquired skills, the girls were able to film, produce and edit their own videos, inspired by their shared life experiences. The graduation ceremony and video screening, held at CFC’s office in Lagos, was the culmination of the 10 day workshop and will provide a platform for the girls to showcase their work and share their experiences and lessons as a result of their training.
As part of the project, the girls will be able to take the filming, production and editing equipment back to their respective centres so they can build on their newly acquired knowledge and continue to produce and distribute films that they have created. During the graduation ceremony, the girls presented two films they wrote and produced to the press in attendance. The first was a moving drama, which touched on issues of early marriage and girl child education, while the second was a short documentary on an inspiring caterer, who started her business with just N10,000 (less than $100), and today, earns over $300 a day selling local delicacies to her community. The outcome of the workshop will be included in an on-line resource centre, which will be available to local and overseas community based organisations so they too can learn the art of video storytelling and equip young filmmakers with the skills they need to produce their own challenging videos.
Don Pedro’s Movistar goes Premium
MOVISTAR, an entertainment channels from May 12, will go premium. Don Pedro Obaseki, head of the channel has asked television and movie goers to get on board and fast too. The movie director and producer who describes himself simply as a entertainment content entrepreneur informed that Movistar will be on Sky Digital on Channel 330. Additional information should look it up at www.aittv.co.uk.
-
Waka pass…
Producer- Amebo A. Amebo
Director- Mr. Gossip
Actors- Nollywood Celebrities
Rita Dominic goes to Malawi
THE gist is all over the place and when we buzzed her during the week, she expressed her preparedness to light up Malawi. But in case you don’t know — the delectable Rita Dominic, will be in Malawi soon. Rita will be signing autographs, giving talks to women and young people and engage in some charity work during the tour of Malawi being facilitated by the pay channel MNET. Rita says she had gone on tour of some African countries such as Liberia in the past but that there is something about this diet to Malawi that she can’t just explain. But one waka pass said we must get Rita to explain, whether now or in the future, how much she is getting from MNET for the tour. Apart from just knowing for the records, one other waka pass said he wants to be able to guess how much Rita will spend on the clothes she will wear in Malawi. Dem say Rita no dey play with her wardrobe again since wen Bros Niyi and him organisation declare am a fashion icon. But we take style think say the question na sake for say make something remain from the MNET largesse for the boys!
Joe Dudun is Itsekiri not Ijaw
AH, how could we have made that kind of mistake? How could we have suggested in our last major interview with big bros, Joe Oghosanine Dudun that he is Ijaw? Kai! That mis-writing is regretted. Our phones have not stopped buzzing since that publication. Itsekirians from all parts of the world have been calling to express their displeasure on how yours sincerely wanted to deny them of a true son of the soil. In fact, they mentioned that Moviedom risked being ‘hijacked’ (not even kidnapped) if we don’t publish a corrigendum. They insist and maintain that Oga Joe Dudun is Itsekiri and not ‘proud Ijaw, Delta State native’ as we suggested in that interview published in an earlier edition of the Saturday Guardian. In fact, they hold that it is the Itsekiri heritage that has coloured his perspective as Nigerian and so any attempt to deny them of their brilliant son, who is though proud of his Ijaw and Isoko ancestral linkages, will be resisted by thunder and fire. Well, here is an apology to Oga Joe… we recall that he actually mentioned that he was born and bred an Itsekiri. So Oga Joe, how do we hail Itsekirians in Itsekiri? Our phone lines are open.
Stephanie Okereke is back
Delectable Stephanie Okereke, is back from the United States where she had gone to receive the African Jewel Award. The award is brainchild of African Focus Incorporated (AFI), US. The Nollywood star, who is hailed as a diva with an infectious personality took turn after the US born and Grammy award winning singer, Chaka Khan, Monique, and Hope Foye to receive the 2009 Yearly African Goodwill Awards. The organisers disclosed that the graduate of English and Literary Studies of the University of Calabar, who was voted Best Actress in 2003 by organisers of Reel Awards for her effort in Emem Isong’s Emotional Cracks earned the recognition for acting abilities. A one-time second runner-up in the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria pageant, who trained as a director at the New York Film Academy, Stephanie, star of some of Nollywood’s remarkable works like Terror, Private Sin, ‘More Than A Woman, Emotional Cracks, Queen Sheba, Together As One, Taste Of Sin, Diamond Lady, Pretender, Sensational Spy, Deep Love, and Strength Of A Woman and one of the most sought after actresses in the local movie industry, disclosed that she felt good mounting the stage with such revered personalities to receive her award. Anyway we asked her what she brought back for us like ‘spoils of the occasion’ but the line went off. We have since been trying though to get back to her. If we do succeed, someone said we should inquire if she saw anybody that looked like or in the words of the waka pass ‘resembled’ her former hubby–– the Nigeria Ex-International Chikelue Iloenyesi. I mean in the estimation of the waka pass, ‘since na US dem give di award, the original copy of the shadow copy of bros Chyke should be everywhere’. Na him talk am oooo!
Who said he saw Leo Mezie?
THAT’s the question someone asked us to ask the new acting sensation, Leo Mezie. Someone swore (even though we consider it a rumour until it is verified) that the handsome actor frequents a particular street in Surulere, where a campus of the Lagos State University is located. Because Leo is our confirmed friend, we refused to hear the tori but the waka pass kept rehashing the fact that he comes every now and then to either drop off or pick one equally beautiful peperempe. They even say (na dem say ooo) that the star of Labista doesn’t joke at all with the lady who is an undergraduate at the school. But the part we enjoyed most was that Leo said that he mentioned to a fellow on phone that the lady is the only person who has the complete set of his ribs. Bigz Boys ala Jenifa. Well, we will stop here until we see Leo koro koro. And be sure that if we see him, we would ask if the peperempe in that campus of Lasu is the same one and one pence that he mentioned in the last interview with us. Hear what Leo told us in our last interview: ‘Something is on the pipe line but people should not break the pipeline, please. I have somebody on line. We had started dating long before she knew that I was an actor’. Oga Leo, where are thou?
What of Mary Chukwuma?
WONDER what took us to that area of Surulere where we heard this rumour about Leo! We had hardly moved away from the scene of the gist when someone prayed we waited on him for another round of tori. This time it is that Mary Chukwuma, mother of the little actor who won the AMAA 2009 crest for best child performer has just been admitted into the same LASU campus. They say Mary, who also featured in Small boy, the same movie that gave her son the crest, is seriously eyeing a degree or is it a diploma in communication? Anyway, we congratulated Mary and wanted to proceed but the waka pass begged us to please beg Mary to stop tormenting people–– meaning students with the half jeans and sleeveless tops that she normally wears to school. Which one come be half jeans? We asked the waka pass and pronto he gushed; ‘you no sabi dat jeans wey ladies dey wear wey dey stop for their knees? Eheee, whats wrong with that? We asked again and he went: ‘the thing dey over expose her strong dark kemtu’. Ask me what is Kemtu? ‘Mary’s back leg muscles before her knees’. To God be the Glory
Cannes gets woman Jury President
FRENCH actor, Isabelle Huppert, has been named jury president for this year’s Cannes Film Festival. She is the fourth woman to head the panel in the event’s six decades, following stints by Liv Ullmann, Jeanne Moreau and Françoise Sagan. Huppert said in a statement that the appointment made her “very glad and very proud”. She added: “Cannes and I have a long history and this next meeting will definitely seal my love for the festival, as well as for world film.” Dubbed The Cannes Film Festival (French: le Festival de Cannes), and founded in 1946, the Cannes International Film Festival, which runs from May 13 to 24 is reputed to be one of the world’s oldest, most influential and prestigious film festivals. It holds yearly in May at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, in the resort town of Cannes, in the south of France. Nigeria is to make its presence felt at this year’s edition. The Nigerian Film Corporation will be mounting a stand and there are plans to host a film and investment forum.
NFC calls of commissioning ceremony
THE proposed commissioning ceremony of projects at the National Film Institute earlier scheduled to hold in Jos, Plateau State on May 8 has been called off. Brian Etuk, the Nigerian Film Corporation image maker, announce the postponement during the week. Though he didn’t give reason for the shift, he said that a new date would be announced later; observers say the postponement may not be unconnected with the recent inauguration of the Governing Board for the Film Corporation headed by the veteran musician, Bongos Ikwue. It is expected that the board will be on hand to join the Managing Director of the Corporation, Afolabi Adesanya, to receive the Information and Communication Minister, Dora Akunyuli, when she storms Jos for the commissioning later in the year.
CFC empowers teenagers to produce films
COMMUNICATING for Change (CFC), a leading developmental communications organisation, has held a graduation ceremony and film screening for the female teenage participants of a video story telling workshop it held recently. The practical workshop, according to a statement signed by CFC’s Chichi Uzuegbu, allowed 12 girls from Lagos and Kaduna, from Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND) and Girl Child Concern (GCC) to come together to learn the art of video storytelling and production. The workshop was produced and facilitated CFC, with support from the Global Fund for Children (GFC), and the Nike Brain Trust Initiative.
The workshop, the statement continued, empowered the girls and equipped them with a solid foundation in video storytelling and included sessions on creative scriptwriting, production, camera operations and the editing process, all undertaken with state of the art technological equipment.
During the time they spent together at the workshop, the girls were able to learn from their different cultures and bond with each other. Through their newly acquired skills, the girls were able to film, produce and edit their own videos, inspired by their shared life experiences. The graduation ceremony and video screening, held at CFC’s office in Lagos, was the culmination of the 10 day workshop and will provide a platform for the girls to showcase their work and share their experiences and lessons as a result of their training.
As part of the project, the girls will be able to take the filming, production and editing equipment back to their respective centres so they can build on their newly acquired knowledge and continue to produce and distribute films that they have created. During the graduation ceremony, the girls presented two films they wrote and produced to the press in attendance. The first was a moving drama, which touched on issues of early marriage and girl child education, while the second was a short documentary on an inspiring caterer, who started her business with just N10,000 (less than $100), and today, earns over $300 a day selling local delicacies to her community. The outcome of the workshop will be included in an on-line resource centre, which will be available to local and overseas community based organisations so they too can learn the art of video storytelling and equip young filmmakers with the skills they need to produce their own challenging videos.
Don Pedro’s Movistar goes Premium
MOVISTAR, an entertainment channels from May 12, will go premium. Don Pedro Obaseki, head of the channel has asked television and movie goers to get on board and fast too. The movie director and producer who describes himself simply as a entertainment content entrepreneur informed that Movistar will be on Sky Digital on Channel 330. Additional information should look it up at www.aittv.co.uk.
-
Waka pass…
Producer- Amebo A. Amebo
Director- Mr. Gossip
Actors- Nollywood Celebrities
Rita Dominic goes to MalawiTHE gist is all over the place and when we buzzed her during the week, she expressed her preparedness to light up Malawi. But in case you don’t know — the delectable Rita Dominic, will be in Malawi soon. Rita will be signing autographs, giving talks to women and young people and engage in some charity work during the tour of Malawi being facilitated by the pay channel MNET. Rita says she had gone on tour of some African countries such as Liberia in the past but that there is something about this diet to Malawi that she can’t just explain. But one waka pass said we must get Rita to explain, whether now or in the future, how much she is getting from MNET for the tour. Apart from just knowing for the records, one other waka pass said he wants to be able to guess how much Rita will spend on the clothes she will wear in Malawi. Dem say Rita no dey play with her wardrobe again since wen Bros Niyi and him organisation declare am a fashion icon. But we take style think say the question na sake for say make something remain from the MNET largesse for the boys!
Joe Dudun is Itsekiri not Ijaw
AH, how could we have made that kind of mistake? How could we have suggested in our last major interview with big bros, Joe Oghosanine Dudun that he is Ijaw? Kai! That mis-writing is regretted. Our phones have not stopped buzzing since that publication. Itsekirians from all parts of the world have been calling to express their displeasure on how yours sincerely wanted to deny them of a true son of the soil. In fact, they mentioned that Moviedom risked being ‘hijacked’ (not even kidnapped) if we don’t publish a corrigendum. They insist and maintain that Oga Joe Dudun is Itsekiri and not ‘proud Ijaw, Delta State native’ as we suggested in that interview published in an earlier edition of the Saturday Guardian. In fact, they hold that it is the Itsekiri heritage that has coloured his perspective as Nigerian and so any attempt to deny them of their brilliant son, who is though proud of his Ijaw and Isoko ancestral linkages, will be resisted by thunder and fire. Well, here is an apology to Oga Joe… we recall that he actually mentioned that he was born and bred an Itsekiri. So Oga Joe, how do we hail Itsekirians in Itsekiri? Our phone lines are open.
Stephanie Okereke is back Delectable Stephanie Okereke, is back from the United States where she had gone to receive the African Jewel Award. The award is brainchild of African Focus Incorporated (AFI), US. The Nollywood star, who is hailed as a diva with an infectious personality took turn after the US born and Grammy award winning singer, Chaka Khan, Monique, and Hope Foye to receive the 2009 Yearly African Goodwill Awards. The organisers disclosed that the graduate of English and Literary Studies of the University of Calabar, who was voted Best Actress in 2003 by organisers of Reel Awards for her effort in Emem Isong’s Emotional Cracks earned the recognition for acting abilities. A one-time second runner-up in the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria pageant, who trained as a director at the New York Film Academy, Stephanie, star of some of Nollywood’s remarkable works like Terror, Private Sin, ‘More Than A Woman, Emotional Cracks, Queen Sheba, Together As One, Taste Of Sin, Diamond Lady, Pretender, Sensational Spy, Deep Love, and Strength Of A Woman and one of the most sought after actresses in the local movie industry, disclosed that she felt good mounting the stage with such revered personalities to receive her award. Anyway we asked her what she brought back for us like ‘spoils of the occasion’ but the line went off. We have since been trying though to get back to her. If we do succeed, someone said we should inquire if she saw anybody that looked like or in the words of the waka pass ‘resembled’ her former hubby–– the Nigeria Ex-International Chikelue Iloenyesi. I mean in the estimation of the waka pass, ‘since na US dem give di award, the original copy of the shadow copy of bros Chyke should be everywhere’. Na him talk am oooo!
Who said he saw Leo Mezie?
THAT’s the question someone asked us to ask the new acting sensation, Leo Mezie. Someone swore (even though we consider it a rumour until it is verified) that the handsome actor frequents a particular street in Surulere, where a campus of the Lagos State University is located. Because Leo is our confirmed friend, we refused to hear the tori but the waka pass kept rehashing the fact that he comes every now and then to either drop off or pick one equally beautiful peperempe. They even say (na dem say ooo) that the star of Labista doesn’t joke at all with the lady who is an undergraduate at the school. But the part we enjoyed most was that Leo said that he mentioned to a fellow on phone that the lady is the only person who has the complete set of his ribs. Bigz Boys ala Jenifa. Well, we will stop here until we see Leo koro koro. And be sure that if we see him, we would ask if the peperempe in that campus of Lasu is the same one and one pence that he mentioned in the last interview with us. Hear what Leo told us in our last interview: ‘Something is on the pipe line but people should not break the pipeline, please. I have somebody on line. We had started dating long before she knew that I was an actor’. Oga Leo, where are thou?
What of Mary Chukwuma?
WONDER what took us to that area of Surulere where we heard this rumour about Leo! We had hardly moved away from the scene of the gist when someone prayed we waited on him for another round of tori. This time it is that Mary Chukwuma, mother of the little actor who won the AMAA 2009 crest for best child performer has just been admitted into the same LASU campus. They say Mary, who also featured in Small boy, the same movie that gave her son the crest, is seriously eyeing a degree or is it a diploma in communication? Anyway, we congratulated Mary and wanted to proceed but the waka pass begged us to please beg Mary to stop tormenting people–– meaning students with the half jeans and sleeveless tops that she normally wears to school. Which one come be half jeans? We asked the waka pass and pronto he gushed; ‘you no sabi dat jeans wey ladies dey wear wey dey stop for their knees? Eheee, whats wrong with that? We asked again and he went: ‘the thing dey over expose her strong dark kemtu’. Ask me what is Kemtu? ‘Mary’s back leg muscles before her knees’. To God be the Glory
Nollywood rivals Bollywood in film/video production — UNESCO
India remains the world’s leading film producer but Nigeria is closing the gap after overtaking the United States for second place, according to a global cinema survey conducted by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS).
ACCORDING to the survey, Bollywood produced 1,091 feature-length films in 2006 compared to 872 productions (in video format) from Nigeria’s film industry, which is commonly referred to as Nollywood. In contrast, the United States produced 485 major films.
The three heavyweights were followed by eight countries that produced more than 100 films: Japan (417), China (330), France (203), Germany (174), Spain (150), Italy (116), South Korea (110) and the United Kingdom (104).
These and other findings were collected through a new international survey launched by the UIS in 2007 with financing from the Government of Québec.
“Film and video production are shining examples of how cultural industries — as vehicles of identity, values and meanings — can open the door to dialogue and understanding between peoples, but also to economic growth and development. This conviction underpins the UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity,” said Koïchiro Matsuura, the Director-General of UNESCO.
“And this new data on film and video production provides yet more proof of the need to rethink the place of culture on the international political agenda.”
Overall, the survey yielded data from 99 countries. It is important to note that response rates were limited especially among African countries where there is a general lack of statistical information on cultural issues.
Despite its limited coverage, the survey provides a unique perspective on how different countries and regions are transforming traditional approaches to the art and industry of filmmaking especially in video and digital formats.
In particular, the explosive growth of Nollywood attracts considerable attention, especially in developing countries looking for alternatives to the U.S. or European models of film production and distribution, which require considerable investment.
To begin with, Nigerian filmmakers rely on video instead of film to reduce production costs. And as the survey points out, Nigeria has virtually no formal cinemas. About 99 per cent of screenings occur in informal settings, such as “home theatre.”
Finally, the UIS survey reveals another key element of the Nigerian success story: multilingualism. About 56 per cent of Nollywood films are produced in Nigeria’s local languages, namely Yoruba (31 per cent), Hausa (24 per cent) and Igbo (1 per cent). English remains a prominent language, accounting for 44 per cent, which may contribute to Nigeria’s success in exporting its films.
The survey also revealed considerable linguistic diversity in film production in Spain and Canada. In Spain, almost 69 per cent of films were produced in Spanish, 12 per cent in Catalan, about 9 per cent in English, 4 per cent in Basque, almost 3 per cent in French and 4 per cent in other languages. In Canada, 67 per cent of films were produced in English and 31 per cent in French in 2006.
Despite these results, English remains the dominant language in filmmaking globally. In total, 36 per cent of films produced in 2006 were shot in English, according to the survey.
U.S. films continue to dominate admissions globally. Although the survey is not exhaustive, a clear trend emerges when considering the provenance of the top ten films viewed in diverse countries.
All of the top ten films seen in Australia, Bulgaria Canada, Costa Rica, Namibia, Romania, and Slovenia were made in the U.S., according to the survey. There were however some notable exceptions.
Bollywood productions were the obvious favourite in India. In France, seven out of the top ten films were French. And in Japan and Morocco, domestic productions accounted for five out of the ten most widely viewed films.
The survey also addressed additional issues related to the digitalisation of films, the types of cinemas available in selected countries and information concerning co-productions and distribution networks. The UIS has prepared a short analytical paper on these data (available in English and French). All of the results can also be accessed at the UIS Data Centre.
Do you subscribe to the report of this UNESCO survey, please send your reactions (not more than 200 words) to guardianlife2005@yahoo.com and shaibu70@yahoo.com
Calabar, Oh!... Loving it in beautiful Canaan
BY BISI ALABI WILLIAMS
CALABAR, with an estimated population of 1.2 million residents, is the capital of Cross River State. Of late, the city has been in the news following the state government’s effort to transform it into a tourist destination.
Bordered by the Calabar River, the Great Qua Rivers and a lot of creeks, the city is a pure delight. The sign “You are in Calabar, keep it green”, which welcomes a visitor into the city, aptly captures the entire ambience.
Indeed, the atmosphere can be mistaken for any major city somewhere in Europe, perhaps. The weather is calm and pretty quiet, the streets are extra-ordinarily neat; and the lawns well laid out like a craftman’s piece of work.
Lightings and signs are strategically positioned on almost every road. The roundabouts are designed with beautiful sculptural works and hardly can one find potholes on the roads. This, no doubt, is a place any tourist would love to visit.
Life in Calabar is good. Traffic flows on the wide roads and streets like a sweet rhythm. There is hardly congestion anywhere on the roads; the residents abide by traffic regulations.
The commercial motorcyclists, popularly known as okada riders, comport themselves with some measure of discipline and pride, as they move around the city with their helmets on their heads, in full compliance with road safety regulations.
The people themselves are warm and friendly. As long as the visitor understands English language, finding his/her way around the town is very easy. Places to start tour in Calabar as a first timer are many; they include the national park, which houses an interesting collection of plants and animals.
I WAS on official assignment. It was a roundtable for print and electronic practitioners in Nigeria. We lodged at Pyramid Hotel, one of the best in the city. It indeed proved to be a beautiful place, a well thought-out location. The meals were sumptuous, with a wide choice of cuisine.
Break time and the end of session was a great opportunity for me and my team members to escape to town. Moving round the streets was fun, watching its magnificent hills also a joyful experience. The parks are famous for their scenic beauty. Notable among the tourist sites was the Duke Town church, said to be one of the oldest in the country, established by the Presbyterian Church missionaries; and also the tomb of Mary Slessor, the missionary. The old town (Duke Town) is well known for its many shops, which line the streets.
At the river bank, you are sure of getting sea catch from local fishermen at an affordable price. The museum is a must visit; it concentrates on the history of Calabar, region, people and slavery. It boasts of large collection of original documents and artifacts.
The University of Calabar is located in the heart of the city; which also has a botanical garden, the first of such in the country; developed by the British colonialists to cultivate some plants for export. A new botanical garden is currently being cultivated at the same site.
As night falls, the street lamps light up the city. Where to relax, eat or spend the night is the individual’s decision, as there are many hotels, restaurants and bars scattered throughout the city. My teammates and I drove round town with friends resident in the town to a buzzing section of the city, called Atekong. Here, it is fun all the way.
I MADE two young friends; one of them, Ekaete Akpabio, who was very eager to be debriefed about the city, revealing the secret of its clean look. She said the women take a few hours in the early morning to clean the streets before going home to get their children ready for school.
“Calabar streets are always kept clean because the people are naturally clean. We are proud of the environment in which we live. It is part of our identity. We see cleaning not as an activity that is beneath us but as a way of life,” she said.
Her friend, simply called Christy, was quick to add that during weekends, “the city is filled with tons of people due to its strategic location. People come in from all the neighbouring states and towns such as Port Harcourt, Benin, Asaba, Warri, even from the creeks and other villages to enjoy the peaceful and quiet atmosphere of Calabar, mostly fun seekers. They spend the weekend and find their way back to their places on Sunday evening or first thing on Monday morning.”
Calabar, though richly endowed in some way, cannot boast of having most of what some metropolitan cities in Nigeria have, but the people try to use what they have wisely.
It was learnt that about 823 women are employed to sweep the city’s streets for three hours a day, earning around N7,000 naira a month. The city also employs around 700 men to clean drains, prune trees, cut grass and collect refuge. Refuse bins are found on almost every corner.
The streets of Atekong would linger in one’s mind because it is a different part of town. It is a busy, sizzling part of town. The streets are well lit. Multitudes can be seen everywhere: in shops, restaurants, clubs and all kinds of joints, chatting or ranting noisily with one another over some local dish — a plate of pepper soup or goat head, popularly called isiewu in Igbo language, served with drinks. My friends are I were equally busy in a corner.
As I sat there, sharing thoughts with them, I thought within me that it would be a wonderful idea were I to move to Calabar, my beautiful Calabar!
Que Sera Sera
BY WOLE OGUNTOKUN
TAKE a moment with me to hum that old, familiar tune, Que Sera Sera, which has delighted families for countless generations. The Whisperer learnt it from his mother and older sisters around candle-lit tables in the early days.
Call to mind the second stanza, “When I grew up and fell in love, I asked my sweetheart ‘what lies ahead? Will there be rainbows day after day?’ Here’s what my sweetheart said- ‘Que Sera Sera, whatever will be, will be, the future’s not ours to see, Que Sera Sera’.”
From childhood friendships and puppy love, The Whisperer has wondered about the difficulty in predicting the outcome of relationships. As a 17-year-old, I could have sworn that I had found the perfect girl.
She would work through my school with confidence as all eyes would follow her; she had eyes with an oriental slant, said she loved me and made me feel like a king, right up until the time she left me for an undergraduate. I found out the hard way that except you’re like the writer, Alexander Pope, who peaked very early, teenagers do not often end up in long-term situations with their ‘true-loves’. We met as adults and I couldn’t believe how little I felt. That wasn’t the real thing.
THE song, Que Sera Sera is not for those who have doubts about their relationships from the onset. Often, many start relationships knowing they will crash into the abyss before half a year runs out.
If you suddenly decide after a month from the kick-off of your relationship that the musk of your partner would be better if masked by a very powerful deodorant, this song is not for you. If you can’t walk at the same pace as your partner, you walk a little in front or a little behind so they don’t realise you’re the beauty walking with the beast, it’s not a Que Sera Sera moment. If you find yourself staring after your partner’s friends, unable to tear your eyes off a particularly scrumptious one, you know you’re in for the short haul.
Que Sera Sera is for those who have found true beauty, who have stumbled like Ali Baba, upon that cave which holds magical properties that can change lives forever.
Yet they know deep down, that life being what it is, sometimes curve balls will come at the very moments when you are least expecting surprises. So one lover in the song asks the other, ‘will there be rainbows day after day?’
THERE are relationships people enter knowing they would never exchange it for all the oil in Siberia. You find someone who calls out to your heart even without words.
Your eyes speak volumes across rooms even when many others are present. He (or she) knows exactly when you are silent because you hurt, and this person will swallow pride repeatedly, to make up with you so you both do not lose what you have found.
The Whisperer has seen and experienced this, as many others have too. There really is true beauty in the world.
But one day, life intervenes, the ‘reality’ of the situation hits you in the face, the next work transfer comes in, the next job offer across the Atlantic, the parent who says you are of different religions, the guardian who says you are of varying economic backgrounds, and suddenly, the pot of gold at the bottom of the rainbow is not as attainable as it once was.
There are countless ‘perfect’ relationships broken and scattered across the continents because they couldn’t stand the complications of life, ‘perfect’ couples who ended up in the arms of others for the long run.
Now this will open up a new debate. Is there only one perfect mate for you in the two and half billion potential partners that exist on this planet? Won’t there be people as nice if not better than the one you have lost or might lose? That is not the subject of my discourse.
My point is that when you find this person, who makes you see the world through new eyes, there is no one else anywhere on the planet at that particular point in your life.
The most generous, best-looking, suave people will not do it for you at that point because you have found that one who helps make time stand still as you two move alone through the earth, at peace with the world, loving each other, looking, savouring, basking in the sun and being in harmony with the universe.
There are moments when we wish the world would remain still, that we are forced to move, to continue with life, as we know it.
Still, there are ways one can beat life at its own game. If you follow your heart (and be sure it is your heart you follow, not some hazy concept you have of love) you can build a new reality.
But there is no one who has fought a duel with life that has not paid a price. Not one person. The dancer or actor, on any continent who decides there is only one profession for him must be prepared to starve for a while, that ‘while’ being relative. It may last for a few weeks or many years.
However, if he decides he will go for it at any cost, he must ready himself for the worst life can throw at him and have faith it will all turn out right. There are many bankers who have not found fulfilment at work and many actors who have.
IT is the same with affairs of the heart. If you find the relationship, you must be prepared to look life full in the face and stare life down (and that is a very, very hard thing to do). You must be prepared to create your own future so you have space for this one thing.
If the circumstances all just fall in place for you, you are indeed a blessed person; if they don’t, help the situation. “Not only strike while the iron is hot, you must make it hot by striking”.
If one is not prepared to do this, and then you must be ready to sing, “Whatever will be, will be”. The wind does not blow for those who have no destination to sail to. Amor Vincit Omar, the Latin maxim says. Love conquers all.
laspapi@yahoo.com
TAKE a moment with me to hum that old, familiar tune, Que Sera Sera, which has delighted families for countless generations. The Whisperer learnt it from his mother and older sisters around candle-lit tables in the early days.
Call to mind the second stanza, “When I grew up and fell in love, I asked my sweetheart ‘what lies ahead? Will there be rainbows day after day?’ Here’s what my sweetheart said- ‘Que Sera Sera, whatever will be, will be, the future’s not ours to see, Que Sera Sera’.”
From childhood friendships and puppy love, The Whisperer has wondered about the difficulty in predicting the outcome of relationships. As a 17-year-old, I could have sworn that I had found the perfect girl.
She would work through my school with confidence as all eyes would follow her; she had eyes with an oriental slant, said she loved me and made me feel like a king, right up until the time she left me for an undergraduate. I found out the hard way that except you’re like the writer, Alexander Pope, who peaked very early, teenagers do not often end up in long-term situations with their ‘true-loves’. We met as adults and I couldn’t believe how little I felt. That wasn’t the real thing.
THE song, Que Sera Sera is not for those who have doubts about their relationships from the onset. Often, many start relationships knowing they will crash into the abyss before half a year runs out.
If you suddenly decide after a month from the kick-off of your relationship that the musk of your partner would be better if masked by a very powerful deodorant, this song is not for you. If you can’t walk at the same pace as your partner, you walk a little in front or a little behind so they don’t realise you’re the beauty walking with the beast, it’s not a Que Sera Sera moment. If you find yourself staring after your partner’s friends, unable to tear your eyes off a particularly scrumptious one, you know you’re in for the short haul.
Que Sera Sera is for those who have found true beauty, who have stumbled like Ali Baba, upon that cave which holds magical properties that can change lives forever.
Yet they know deep down, that life being what it is, sometimes curve balls will come at the very moments when you are least expecting surprises. So one lover in the song asks the other, ‘will there be rainbows day after day?’
THERE are relationships people enter knowing they would never exchange it for all the oil in Siberia. You find someone who calls out to your heart even without words.
Your eyes speak volumes across rooms even when many others are present. He (or she) knows exactly when you are silent because you hurt, and this person will swallow pride repeatedly, to make up with you so you both do not lose what you have found.
The Whisperer has seen and experienced this, as many others have too. There really is true beauty in the world.
But one day, life intervenes, the ‘reality’ of the situation hits you in the face, the next work transfer comes in, the next job offer across the Atlantic, the parent who says you are of different religions, the guardian who says you are of varying economic backgrounds, and suddenly, the pot of gold at the bottom of the rainbow is not as attainable as it once was.
There are countless ‘perfect’ relationships broken and scattered across the continents because they couldn’t stand the complications of life, ‘perfect’ couples who ended up in the arms of others for the long run.
Now this will open up a new debate. Is there only one perfect mate for you in the two and half billion potential partners that exist on this planet? Won’t there be people as nice if not better than the one you have lost or might lose? That is not the subject of my discourse.
My point is that when you find this person, who makes you see the world through new eyes, there is no one else anywhere on the planet at that particular point in your life.
The most generous, best-looking, suave people will not do it for you at that point because you have found that one who helps make time stand still as you two move alone through the earth, at peace with the world, loving each other, looking, savouring, basking in the sun and being in harmony with the universe.
There are moments when we wish the world would remain still, that we are forced to move, to continue with life, as we know it.
Still, there are ways one can beat life at its own game. If you follow your heart (and be sure it is your heart you follow, not some hazy concept you have of love) you can build a new reality.
But there is no one who has fought a duel with life that has not paid a price. Not one person. The dancer or actor, on any continent who decides there is only one profession for him must be prepared to starve for a while, that ‘while’ being relative. It may last for a few weeks or many years.
However, if he decides he will go for it at any cost, he must ready himself for the worst life can throw at him and have faith it will all turn out right. There are many bankers who have not found fulfilment at work and many actors who have.
IT is the same with affairs of the heart. If you find the relationship, you must be prepared to look life full in the face and stare life down (and that is a very, very hard thing to do). You must be prepared to create your own future so you have space for this one thing.
If the circumstances all just fall in place for you, you are indeed a blessed person; if they don’t, help the situation. “Not only strike while the iron is hot, you must make it hot by striking”.
If one is not prepared to do this, and then you must be ready to sing, “Whatever will be, will be”. The wind does not blow for those who have no destination to sail to. Amor Vincit Omar, the Latin maxim says. Love conquers all.
laspapi@yahoo.com
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