MEET QUINTESSENTIAL DRAMATIST LADIPO DURO.

Nigerian playwright, producer, actor, and founder of Duro Ladipo National Theatre which made an innovating contribution to the revival of traditional theatre in Nigeria in the mid-twentieth century.
Duro Ladipo employed his native Yoruba language and the use of Yoruba musical instruments, chants and dance to create, according to Yemi Ogunbiyi's essay in the book Dance and Theatre in Nigeria, "a different kind of Yoruba theatre, self -consciously traditional (in the best of word), invigorating, intense and with a charm of its own. imbued with a genuine sense of cultural revivalism, Ladipo reached beyond the morality plays characteristic of the forerunners of Yoruba travelling theatre, into the new territory of Yoruba historical drama."
Duro Ladipo was born in Osogbo on 18 december, 1931, the son of a local Anglican church official. Despite his parents' intention for a strict christian upbringing, young Duro Ladipo showed keen interest intraditional Yoruba festivals and rituals, "as exemplified by the fact that I followed closely the activities of different masquerades and cultists", he said later in describing his childhood. He nevertheless attended local mission schools, becoming in the 1950s a pupil -teacher at the Holy Trinity School at Ilesha. From there he went to Kaduna in the north of Nigeria, as a teacher at the United Native Anglican School whose dramatic society he founded and launched with a production of his interpretation of Shakespeare's As You Like It.
He returned to Osogbo in 1956, still as a teacher but now with a profound interest in dramatic productions. In June 1960, he produced his Easter Cantata at the All Saints Church in Osogbo, amidst considerable controversy over his use of the Yoruba talking drums in the church. The authorities considered the instrument s incompatible with the christian religion because of their use in traditional festivals and rituals.
A reviewer in the Daily Service said at the time that Ladipo's production was "truly Yoruba in character and a welcome change from the usual dreariness of the English hymns. The church authorities hardly appreciated the importance and significance of his work. They insisted on having conventional english hymns incorporated into the performance, thus ruining the artistic effect of the work." His attitude could be summed up in his phrase: "If Christianity is to survive in Nigeria, it must undergo the general process of Nigerianisation".
From that point, Ladipo sought new avenues for his productions in schools, on television and elsewhere by performing plays on a purpose-built wagon which his group used as a mobile stage. In December 1961 the Duro Ladipo Company produced a Christmas Cantata at the newly founded Mbari Club in Ibadan.
On March 2, 1962, Ladipo founded in Osogbo the Mbari-Mbayo Cultural Centre, emulating the example of the Ibadan intellectuals and artists who had opened the Mbari Club. Soon his Mbari-Mbayo, meaning in Yoruba "when we see it, we shall be happy", became the home based for his company as well as the vocal point of a new artistic expression- the Osogbo School- exemplified by Jimo Buraimoh, Twin Seven-Seven and other yoruba painters.
Having launched the centre with his first musical play Oba Moro in 1962, Ladipo celebrated Mbari-Mbayo's first and second anniversaries with the production of Oba Koso and Oba Waja respectively. Of the trilogy of the Oyo empire, Oba Koso is best known, having been performed more than 2,000 times in at least fifteen countries before Ladipo's death in 1978. Oba Koso won the first prize at the 1964 Berlin Theatre Festival and was enthusiastistically received in Britain the following year at the Commonwealth Arts Festival. Also that same year, 1965, Ladipo himself was made a member of the order of the Niger by his country's Government, in recognition of his impressive contribution of some twenty full-lenght plays and over fifty sketches to the Nigerian theatre. The Oba Koso, Oba Waja and Oba Moro trilogy has become classics of the Nigerian traditional theatre, expounding Yoruba dramatic ideas and rituals to an increasing international audience through world-wide productions and literary criticism.
True to his dedication to growth and promotion of the traditional theatre Ladipo, in the later part of his life, took up a research appointment with the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, where he engaged in research work on mythologies. He was doing this, in conjuction with running the Ladipo theatre company, when he died on 11 March, 1978. The company continues to exist and perform Ladipo's work under the headship of his wife, Abiodun Ladipo, also a renowned artist in her own right.

USMAN DAN FODIO (1754 -- 1817)

Nigerian Islamic scholar, politician, and crusader whose Jihad -- holy wars-- were responsible for the spread of Islam in Nigeria in particular and neighbouring West African countries. He was born in December 1754 in the small Fulani village of Maratta in Gobir, northern Nigeria. The family moved to Degel where Usman grew up impure form of islam. This was met with threats to his life and attacks on his followers which force them to flee from Degel to Gudu on 21 February 1804.
This flight, Hijra, still honoured in the moslem calendar in Nigeria, has significance for the Fulani because of its similarity with the flight of Prophet Mohammed from Mecca to Medina in the 7th century. Usman's followers saw the Hijra as the final justification for launching a jihad. Usman Dan Fodio was elected caliph and giving the title of Sarkin Musulumi (Commander of the Faithful) and had the political title of Shehu bestowed upon him, in preparation for the wars against the Hausa rulers.
In February 1804 the first attack was made against the King of Gobir but the state did not fall to the Fulani until 1808. However, by 1804 they had captured Zaria and Katsina, paving the way for the taking of all Hausaland in 1809 and the emergence of the Fulani empire which later spread southward as far as the Oyo Kingdom in Yorubaland.
In later stages, the jihad lost most of its original religious character; what had begun essentially as a clash between Usman dan Fodio and the ruler of Gobir turned out to encompass a revolutionary movement, led by intellectuals, with far-reaching political consequences. The jihad thus resulted in a system of government, based on Islam, in place of the traditional dynasties south of the Sahara.
Although Usman's personal involvement in wars decreased with age, he was the mastermind behind the movement whose spirit and intentions he articulated eloquently in his writings. It was he who guided his son, Muhammadu Bello (q.v.) and his brother Abdullahi, during the invasions of Hausaland. With the war won and the new Fulani empire established, Usman divided it into two dynasties, Sokoto under Bello and the other, Bornu, under Abdullahi. He retired from politics in 1809 and went to Sokoto where he died at the age of 63, in April 1817.

MEET MADAM EFUNROYE TINUBU

Nigerian businesswoman and patriot, after whom a prominent Lagos landmark, "Tinubu Square," is named. She lived in the 19th century and was born in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Western Nigeria, to a trading family.

After a period of trading apprenticeship under her mother, Tinubu went to Badagry, an important trading post on the outskirts of Lagos, where, despite her lack of formal education, she soon established a flourishing trade in tobacco and salt. The entreprising Tinubu was later to expand her trade, which brought her into contact with the European slave traders, with whom she dealt as a middleperson.

In 1846 Tinubu, now a successful businesswoman, played hostess to the exiled King Akintoye of Lagos who sought refuge in Badagry; she used her influential position to inaugurate a pro-Akintoye movement dedicated to the eventual return of the king to the throne in Lagos. Thus commenced her involvement in the politics of Lagos, which was dominated by men of wealth and education.

In 1851 Akintoye regained his throne and Tinubu was invited to Lagos where she soon transfer her business activity. She strengthened her position as an intermediary in the trade between the expatriate community and the indigenous population of Lagos on the one hand and the interior which include her birthplace, Abeokuta, on the other.

Her influence in the court of Akintoye grew to such an extent that she was often accused of beign the power behind the throne, a belief which in 1853 led to the rebellion of two prominent chiefs. By 1853, when Akintoye was succeeded by Prince Dosunmu, Tinubu's influence grew even more.

In 1855 she led a campaign against the Brazilian and Sierra Leonean immigrants in Lagos for using their wealth and power against the King and for subverting the ancient customs of the island, thus displaying a degree of nationalism which worried the British. The latter retaliated with mass arrests of the organisers, followed by explusion from Lagos. Tinubu and her followers were deported to Abeokuta in May 1856.

In Abeokuta Tinubu expanded her business activities to include a wide range of wares such as gunpowder and bullets. In time her influence began to be felt also in Egba politics in which she played two important roles; her contribution to the successful defence of Egbaland during the Dahomean invasion of 1863 following which she was awarded the title of Iyalode (First Lady) in 1864.

In the Alake succession crisis of 1877 her chosen canditate was installed. The conferment of the title of Iyalode placed her in a position of power, which she was denied in Lagos, for, by virtue of it, she not only acquire d a constitutional right to participate in Egba affairs but was also accorded honour and esteem in the community.

She died in 1887 when she was at the height of her popularity. Today in Abeokuta, a monument stands in the town square named after her, Ita Iyalode (Iyalode Square).

REMEMBERING OGUNDE HURBERT.

Nigerian dramatist, musician, dancer, actor-manager, film maker and versatile artist. Hurbert Ogunde was the doyen of modern Nigeria theatre. He was born in 1916 at Ososa near Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.
His father was a Baptist Minister, Jeremiah Dehinbo Ogunde; his mother was Eunice Owatusan Ogunde. He had a babalawo (traditional healer and diviner) grandfather whose influence blended with his Christianity upbringing and created in him strong interest in both Christian and Yoruba traditional beliefs. these desperate influences shaped his dramatic output, as can be clearly seen in his early Christian plays and the strong flavour of traditional beliefs in his later plays and films.
He had his primary education at St John's School, Ososa (1925-28), at St Peter's Faji School, Lagos (1928-30) and at Wasimi African School, Ijebu-Ode(1931-32). Between 1933 and 1940 he was the choirmaster and organist of Wasimi African School, where he also taught.
He joined the Nigerian Police Force in 1941 and while serving there started (as an amateur) a theatre company called the African Music Research Party, and came out in 1944 with his first "Native Air Opera" called The Garden of Eden and the Throne of God. In 1946 he left the police and went professional and stormedthe stage with the production of Tiger's Empire, an opera which earned him a caution by the police. Later that year, in Jos, his theratre was banned for staging the play Strike and Hunger.
Ogunde's theatre progressed through different phases, from the opera concert party to the contemporary theatre it was at the time of his death. These phases are reflected in the different names he gave to his company. In 1945 it was called African Music Research Party, but in 1947 the name was changed to Ogunde Theatre Party. In the 1950s it became the Ogunde Concert Party and it was again renamed The Ogunde Theatre in the 60s and retain this name thereafter.
The thematic preoccupation of his plays varied; from folklore, he went on to tackle other themes, such as satire, history and politics.The themes that interested him are a reflection of the influences acting on his art. He was influenced by European theatre, an influence which he made use of creatively to come up with a unique theatre all his own. He was, perharps, more profoundly influenced by the classical travelling theatre of the yoruba called the Alarinjo theatre which had its beginning in the 16th century.
Ogunde's theatre become very popular, especially among his yoruba audience, because of its preoccupation with cultural nationalism. He catered for the interests of not only the nationalists but also the ordinary people. His theatre came to be closely identified as a vehicle not only for entertainment but also for social comment, political action and instruction. Thus, through his theatre he became a leading figure in the nationalist struggle. The colonial government viewed his theatre with disapproval and saw it as an effective voice in the agitation for independence and consequently did what it could to silence it.
Ironically, Ogunde's theatre also suffered persecution in the 1960s after independence was achieved and this time at the hand of Western Region Government under Chief S.L.Akintola(q.v) after the staging of Yoruba Ronu ("Yoruba Think") in 1964. The theatre was banned for two years until the ban was lifted bythe military government of Col. Fajuyi after the 1966 coup d'etat.
His theatrical performances were remarkable and memorable; he was a charismatic personality. His usual lively and dynamic presentations held his audience spellbound. His was a fascinating family theatre group constituted by himself and his many wives and children. Ogunde has over eight wives and numerous children, and most of them are member of his theatre. The commitment of Ogunde and his entire family to the theatre company which was the family business, was profound. Thus his theatre had a cohesion, durability and resilience lacking in many other yoruba travelling theatres. Ogunde's success in the theatre took him to many parts of Africa, Europe and the Americas where he performed to very enthusiastic audiences.
He was constantly writing and producing new operas and plays all his life. Among the most famous of his operas are The Garden of Eden and theThrone of God(1944), followed by Worse Than Crime(1945), Strike And Hunger(1946), King Solomon(1948), Bread and Bullet(1950), and MY Darling Fatima(1951). Some of his most remarkable plays include Yoruba Ronu(1964), Ayanmo(1970), Onimoto(1971) and Aiye(1972). A large number of his political works provoked a ban or caution from the authorities, but many of the political plays were well received by the government of the day. These works include Song of Unity(1960), a play commissioned by the Nigerian government to mark independence, Keep Nigeria One(1968) Muritala Muhammed(1976) and Nigeria (1977).
One of Ogunde's major contributions to history of professional theatre in Nigeria is thathe made the theatre accessible to the ordinary people, thus wresting it from the tutelage of court and church. He founded the Union of Nigerian Dramatists and playwrights in 1971 and by 1990 the union had a membership of over a hundred professional travelling theatres. He founded a film village in his home town of Ososa. In 1979 he set up a film company to record his most successful and popular plays for posterity. At the time of his death, he has four screen titles, including Aiye and Jaiyesinmi, to his name, in addition to 51 stage productions and eleven record titles, produced by his record company.
In 1982, Ogunde was honoured by his country with the award of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic. Ogunde , one of the finest and most productive dramatists Nigeria ever produced, was active as ever in the last years of life. He wore his age gracefully, and when he died on 4 April, 1990 at the age of 74, he was still a very dynamic and tireless actor and producer.

EKPE & ABAKUA: LINKING NIGERIA & CUBA.

Ekpe is an age -long traditional, sacred institution which served as an agent of cultural dispersal during the slave trade.
Ekpe is open to men in Calabar, and has over many centuries been a part of the hinterland, stretching from Akwa-Ibom to Abia, Imo and Ebonyi states.
Not too long ago, it was reunited with its Cuban counterpart, the Abakua.
These hand crafted cultural representations are carefully handcrafted by the villagers using dyed raffia and wool to create a true representation of the masquerade.
Only men are allowed to wear the elaborate masquerade costumes and in some cases, women are not allowed to look at the masquerades.
The masquerades are displayed at ceremonies, while songs and dances are usually accompanied by cultural drama.
They also come out during chieftancy title presentation and coronations, seasonal celebrations and other important events. It is an important cultural event and its roots are deep in traditional religion.
The Ekpe masquerade, the folklores (known as Ekong-Nkeh, Nke Ekon Abasi) and the Ikombi dance have won international recognition; they have become a form of entertainment to welcome important dignitaries to the state and at other events outside the state.

NOBERT YOUNG IS 50.

Friends, associates, colleaques and relations of beloved actor Nobert Akpojerharo Young will converge at his Isolo home today to felicitate with him as he turns 50.
Cultural tips bid our own Young Happy Birthday.

AYANGALU PASSES ON AT 65.

Celebrated drummer , Ayantunji Amoo, popularly called Ayangalu, has passed on at 65. He died on Thursday, and has since been buried according to Islamic rites.
Until his death, he was reputed to have performed on the Yoruba stage classics like, Ona koso, The Palmwine Drinker and many more. His talent and dexterity as a drummer is quite evident in Saworoide and Agogoeewo.