Tributes continued to pour in from colleagues and culture agencies as arts community mourn the passing on of veteran actor and folklore singer Olujimi Solanke, who died age 81. They described death of the culture ambassador extraordinaire, who conquered the screen, stage and radio as end of an era, Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports.
Last week Monday, the arts community was thrown into mourning with the loss of veteran actor and folk singer Jimi Solanke, 81, who died after a brief illness. His demise has been described as shocking and a huge loss to the sector by many stakeholders in the creative industry. And many have continued to pay tributes to the legendary culture advocate, who traversed the Nigerian art space like a colossus. Armed with an expressive face, baritone voice and contagious smile, Solanke took on every performance with selfless commitment while on stage.
Former Deputy Editor of The Guardian, producer and culture advocate, Ben Tomoloju, in his tribute, said: “Baba Agba, are we in the twilight’s delusion? I can only hear the gong in subdued tone at street corners. Tell me, Oluode, has the forest truly swallowed the hunter. What I hear is that LOGUNOFE has only charmed his corporeal self into the wind and vaporised. LOGUNOFE has not died. Agbedo. He only vaporized.”
Laolu Akinwunmi said in his condolence message that he grew up in Ibadan knowing Jimi Solanke and Tunji Oyelana, Akin Ogungbe, Ogunmola, Lere Paimo, Adejumo Baba Sala, Duro Ladipo, Hubert Ogunde and many others.
“While each of them was a prolific professional, to me, Jimi Solanke was the star. Why? He was bigger than just acting or singing or entertainment in English, Yoruba and even pidgin. He was more than all these. JS was the consummate artiste. He is truly creative and perhaps in the class of the late Ted Mukoro. To simply describe Solanke as an actor or singer or whatever else he did so well, would amount to a denial, a travesty an academic dishonesty and perhaps an intellectual ingratitude. Jimi Solanke was infinitely more.
“I watched the stage presentation and production of “Kunrunmi”, the epic written by Prof Ola Rotimi. Solanke played Kunrunmi. It was unbelievable. He transported me to the era, took me to the old Oyo Empire. At various points during the play, I almost stopped breathing just watching him and Ola Rotimi. It was a magnificent production.
“Kunrunmi” is an epic and a tragic drama of a war general who fought a war to maintain a dying tradition. Kunrunmi refused to allow time change the traditions of his people. It is pretty much the same theme that Chinua Achebe presents in the ultimate novel, Things Fall Apart.
“A tragedy, Jimi Solanke brought all of his acting skill into the role of Kunrunmi, such that when he was committing the error that brought him down, the entire hall sobered up. It was an amazing denouement. You wished he didn’t take the decision. You saw him take the decision. And you knew that was the end.
“Just like the news of his passage today is definitely the end of an era. For me I am not sure the stage or the theatre will produce another Jimi Solanke who animated the audience with the rise and fall of his voice and the expressions of his face. Truly the creative world has lost a gem.”
Born July 4, 1942, Olujimi Solanke, a native of Ipara Remo, Ogun state, the Baba Agba, African culture ambassador extraordinaire, trained at the University of Ibadan, School of Drama and began his professional acting career in 1961 as one of the pioneer members of the Orisun Theatre Group founded by Wole Soyinka. His father, Alfred Tayo was a chief in Remoland like his grandfather. Both were Lisa, next person to the paramount ruler, which was the reason Jimi’s middle name is Adeboye.
He was a veteran of varied exposures, experiences and impacts in the global entertainment industry, which resonate in many broadcast stations, countries and festivals. His epic performances at the Western Nigeria Television, WNTV, Ibadan in the 1960’s; to his stunning presentations and amazing stagecraft in Senegal at the World Festival of Negro Arts and Algeria for the Pan – African Cultural Festival in the 1970s attest his hot passion and theatrical brilliance. He has featured in great epics like Death and the King’s Horseman, Kurunmi, Kongi’s Harvest, The Divorce and Ovonramwen Nogbaisi, a performance that turned him into an immediate resident of Benin City for five years on royal.
In his tribute titled Where is the golden voice? Art critic and TV presenter Ola Awakan wrote: “If there is a vacancy in heaven for the most captivating voice to lead a stage orchestra, you wouldn’t need to be auditioned.
“If Angels are to host a concert, you would be the first to perform because your golden voice is tested and trusted for holding the audience from dusk to dawn. If our Creator is to judge by the quality of voice texture and stage mannerism, you would be the most favoured. Your voice got us intoxicated. From Story Land, you created a land of stories in our memories.
“Your disposition to life stood you out among your contemporaries. Lest we imagined how you were able to break boundaries. You conquered the stage, screen and radio. The sound of your voice from afar is always too near for our ears to ignore. We didn’t only hear your echoes, we see them reverberating more causing a soothing relief to our souls. That, which we may never see again. Pa Jimmy Solanke, your vocal chords are just too heavy for any to carry.
“But we will continue to listen to the numerous which you have left with us We will watch you again, again and again until another is berthed to fill your vacuum for generations you never waited to school,” he said.
High Chief Lekan Alabi in his tribute to Solanke said the late poet was a well-known musicologist, theatre/stage icon and university teacher…
He recalled that he first came in close contact with Pa Solanke,fifty three years ago, when they both attended the audition, in Ile-Ife, in 1971, for the epic stage play, KURUNMI written and produced by the theatre giant, Prof Ola Rotimi, then a lecturer at the University of Ife, since renamed Obafemi Awolowo University.
“While I was in the service of Odu’a Investment Company Limited as the pioneer General Manager, Corporate Affairs, I facilitated a collaboration between Pa Solanke and the conglomerate, which resulted in the production of the Yoruba children moonlight tales and folklores. “Two years ago, I was invited as a special guest of the OGSG-EVERGREEN MUSIC COMPANY LIMITED -sponsored gala night in Abeokuta to celebrate the 80th birthday of JS, who, 61 years ago, composed the popular highlife song: ON’ILE GOGORO. The number was recorded as a single by the Ikare-Akoko-born primary school teacher-turned highlife musician, John Akintola, alias Roy Chicago.
“JS was a gentleman and lover of youths, young enough to be his grandchildren. I never, even for a moment, saw him agitated or shout.”
In its condolence message, Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC) said: “Uncle Jimi’s passions and contributions to the Arts transcended mere craftsmanship. They were sources of inspiration and enlightenment that ignited a spark in others which thereby fostered a creative spirit that will continue to resonate for generations to come.
“Among our several fond memories of the late thespian at CBAAC was when he served as Chairman at our 2021 Public Lecture on ‘African Hairstyles, Dress Culture and Fashion in Contemporary Times’ held in Ibadan, Oyo State, in October, 2021.
“He was also a lead presenter at our 2021 International Conference titled: The Renaissance of African Culture: Music, Crafts, Language, Literature and Folklore, which held in Lagos in December, 2021. His paper, titled, African Folklore and its significance in Contemporary Times was arguably the most interesting session we had at the conference. At the insistence of the participants, he had to re-present the paper on the second day of the conference.”
The statement said, “we are, indeed, grateful to have experienced his artistic prowess first hand and this has in no small way enriched our Cultural landscape with his unique perspectives and talents.
“As we reflect on his life, we honour the impacts he has had on the arts community and express gratitude for the invaluable gifts he shared with the world. May his artistic legacies live on as a testament to a life well-lived,” it added.
Nigerian actor, and filmmaker, Ropo Ewenla, while recalling the uniqueness of Solanke’s voice said: “He was an icon in every sense of the word. He was an enigma. He was an institution. There goes a library; a heritage. “Uncle Jimi Solanke was a rare breed in his simplicity and accommodating nature. He would forever be present in our memories – in his songs that speak to our everyday reality, in his body of visual arts (something most people are not aware of), in his stage crafts, in his written works. I am honoured to have ever worked with him before. He was an actor’s actor. He was a jack of all trades and master of all.”
Some of his evergreen folksongs include Ojoje, Baba Agba, Osupa, Bare Ni Joye, Bi a Ba Jeko, Oil Boom Palava, Omiyale, Onile Gogoro, Eje ka jo, Jenrokan, Na today you come and he was a consultant for Theatre for Development, UNICEF, UNFPA, Women and Children’s Health.
When he turned 78, he said in an interview that in all the arts that he had taken as profession, music, theatre and dance.
“I make sure that l interpret roles painstakingly. That is the job of an actor. The reason why l am teaching and training stage actors is so they will be able to play with me. We have different schools of acting in Nigeria today. I believe they are rolling out actors in large numbers. We have customised acting in this land and our special acting style has come to stay,” Ewenla said.
Baba Agba, as he was widely known by his numerous fans across the country, Solanke was born July 4, 1942, in Lagos. From his early age, he had begun to hold audiences bound by his theatrics, starting from his school performances during Parents and Teachers’ Day. He was sneaking into Abalabi Nite Club, Olorunsogo to sing with Roy Chicago’s Band.
He also worked with many global musicians, including Chubby Checker of Twist fame and Millicent Small of Rock Steady years later. He was with Ralph MacDonald, the lead voice in the chartbuster, Ona La, The Path.
He was one of the first set of graduands of the School of Drama, University of Ibadan, which later became the Department of Theatre Arts. Solanke obtained a diploma in drama at the University of Ibadan
Solanke was mentored differently by theatre experts such as, Wole Soyinka, Ola Rotimi, Akin Euba, Peggy Harper, Dapo Adelugba and Demas Nwoko, upon graduation from Ibadan, he relocated to the United States, where he founded a drama group called The Africa Review, dedicated to promoting African culture
He also starred in several shows on Nigerian Television (NTA) including The Bar Beach Show, For Better for Worse, Village Headmaster, Family Scene on Lagos Television (LTV), Children’s Half Hour, Storyland, African Stories on Africa Independent Television (AIT), Sango – The movie and many others.
He was at different times described by the Oxford Times and the New York Times as a ‘Skilled Nigerian Actor’ and an ‘Excellent Troupe’ respectively, owing to his performance of Wole Soyinka’s Kongi’s Harvest, during a tour of Europe.
