The Nation Newspaper

Category: Arts & Life

  • Jalada releases Africa’s most translated short story

    The Pan-African writers’ collective, Jalada Africa, has published the short story by one of the continent’s most engaging writers, Ngugi wa Thing’o.

    It is titled Itu)ka R)a Miringari: Kana K)r)a G)timaga Andi Mathi) Maringi)  and has been translated into over 30 African languages; thus making it the single most translated short story in the history of African writing.

    Itu)ka R)a Miringari is a previously unreleased fable by the revered scholar and author and serves as Jalada Africa’s Translation Issue: Volume 1. It is a vast body of collaborative work by professional and amateur translators plus language enthusiasts from 14 African countries.

    The story is available at www.jalada.org in Kikuyu, Ahmharic, Dholuo, Kikamba, Lwisukha-Lwidakho, Ikinyarwada, Arabic, Luganda, Kiswahili, Afrikaans, Hausa, Meru, Lingala, IsiZulu, Igbo, Ibibio, Somali, isiNdebele, XiTsonga, Nandi, Rukiga, Lugbarati, Shona, Lubukusu, Kimaragoli, Giriama, Sheng, Ewe, Naija Languej, Marakwet plus French and English at http://jalada.org/2016/03/22/jalada-translation-issue-01-ngugi-wa-thiongo/

  • 173 authors in race for NLNG $100k literary prize

    173 authors in race for NLNG $100k literary prize

    The race is on for this year’s edition of the Nigeria Prize for Literature sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited which focuses on the Prose Fiction genre.

    It has 173 authors gunning for its most coveted 100,000 prize money.
    This year’s entries, which came in response to a call for entry published in February, were Wednesday handed over to the panel of judges the prize’s advisory board chair Emeritus Prof Ayo Banjo at a ceremony in Lagos.
    Although there was no winner for its Children Literature category last year, the prize’s sponsor and the advisory board are optimistic, saying this year’s promises to be interesting, considering the entries we have got which is lower than the number in the last cycle of prose fiction competition.
    They, therefore, enjoined the judges led by the distinguished Professor of English Language of Prof Dan Izevbaye, Bowen University, to continue the tradition of excellence and integrity the prize is known for.

    “Today, we hand over the 173 entries received for this year’s edition of the competition and I have strong confidence that with their (the judges) very rich knowledge, experiences and competence, the process will again throw up a book of high quality,” Prof Banjo said.
    According to NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations, Kudo Eresia-Eke, the submissions would be pruned based on editorial excellence, creativity and story plot, with the aim that a final winner may emerge in October to coincide with the anniversary of the company’s first shipment of LNG cargo.
    The last winner of the literature prize in the Prose Fiction category was Chika Unigwe in 2012 who beat 213 authors to the prize, which was established in 2004, with her book On Black Sisters’ Street.

    This year’s prose fiction award will run concurrently with NLNG’s prize for literary criticism which has two entries. It was introduced in 2013 and carries a monetary value of N1 million.
    Alongside Prof Izevbaye, who was one of the earliest members of the panel judges when the prize started, the award will be adjudged by Prof Asabe Usman Kabir, a professor of Oral and African Literatures at Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto and Prof Isidore Diala, a professor of African Literature at Imo State University, Owerri and first winner of the award for Literary Criticism. Prof Kojo Senanu of the University of Legion is the international consultant.

    Other members of the board are Emeritus Prof Ben Elugbe and Prof Jerry Agada.

  • Mbanefo lauds Drums Festival initiative

    Mbanefo lauds Drums Festival initiative

    DIRECTOR General Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mrs Sally Mbanefo has described the Nigerian Drums Festival as a big boost for tourism in Ogun State and Nigeria as a whole.

    Mbanefo said the Yoruba has a lot to showcase to the world in terms of cultural heritage and tourist destinations both natural and man-made.

    She spoke at the opening of the Nigerian Drums Festival last week organised by the Ogun State government and held at June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta.

    She said: “Africa has come to standstill today because of Ogun State. The state is the centre of action with this well-packaged event. The Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Eniitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, came with many African Ambassadors to this event. That shows the importance of Yoruba heritage and culture in Nigeria.

    “Most of the African Ambassadors are here today because of tourism. All the Ambassadors have come here to support the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, the people of Ogun and the Egbaland in particular. We want to unify from within: the Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba and African countries at large.

    “The success of the Drums Festival 2016 is a clear indication that if cultural tourism is well-developed and promoted in Nigeria, we will have labyrinth of tourists’ footfalls, which will greatly boost the nation’s economy, create huge employment and empowerment in the communities where the tourist sites and cultural festivals are located. It will interest you that the crowd-pulling carnivals in Nigeria are so much that you cannot finish writing about them.

    The NTDC boss, however, decried the adverse effects of  civilisation on the culture and heritage of the Nigerian people, saying “civilisation has made us forget our culture and heritage. We must know that a country that forgets its culture and heritage has lost its essence. Thus, we need to appreciate and be proud of our culture and heritage and give good attention to the promotion of our cultural heritage.

    “I made the traditional rulers my first point of call wherever I go because they are the rightful custodians of our culture and heritage. To practically promote our cultural heritage, we must work together with the traditional rulers.”

    Describing the importance of drums, Mrs Mbanefo said drumming is a good form of communication and a fantastic means of entertainment.

    “We are happy to be here today. We are here to celebrate the unity of the Nigerian people,” she added.

     

  • Behold the world’s tallest drum

    Behold the world’s tallest drum

    Thousands of guests last week converged on Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, for the maiden edition of the Nigerian Drums Festival, organised by the government. Dressed in colourful attires, the guests defied the scorching sun to witness the unveiling of a 16-foot tall Isokan (unity) drum, the world’s tallest traditional drum.The venue was the June 12 Cultural Centre in Kuto, Abeokuta. Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports.

    The phenomenal role of the drum in the socio-cultural life of Africans took the centre stage last Tuesday at Abeokuta, with no fewer than 12 individual and state troupes drawn from Ogun and Kano states performing at the first Nigerian Drum Festival. Apart from the entertainment value, the four-day  festival, which ran from April 19 to 22, brought to the fore the critical role of drum as a communication tool as well as the need to revive the act of drumming among Nigerians.

    The message on the need to revive a dying culture was not lost in the drumming performances as each speaker emphasised the significance and relevance of the drum to the socio-cultural life of every African. Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed summed it up saying that the drum festival initiative was laudable and should be encouraged and supported by all.  He urged every state to design a cultural product to boost tourism, create jobs and generate revenue.

    “The drum signifies a lot to every community. I see this festival going places,” he added.

    Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State who unveiled the two drums, Isokan and Saatogaa described the festival as a cultural reawakening to connect to our roots, as well as a platform to glorify that which connects us as Africans. He said the festival is also an opportunity to learn more about dance steps of the people, describing Ogun as a cultural haven.

    Governor Amosun declared that from today, ‘we will not just call it the Nigeria Drums Festival, but the Africa Drum Festival’ adding that drums are the sensual parts of the African race and our day to day experiences as Africans and are measured on improvement of ourselves and drums. “In fact, drums have been in existence since time immemorial as they all perform different purposes,” he said.

    He stated that apart from the entertainment value, drums are also part of our spiritual health and it is therefore not wrong to say that drums are drawing a similar part in our culture. “Beating the drum is a matter of awakening us to our rich cultural heritage; that is all what the festival is all about. If there is anything to take away from the festival, it is the need for cultural re-awakening in various states, genuine social economic and political development. The festival was indeed the first of its kind and the government used it as an opportunity to announce that Ogun state is a cultural and tourism ground. Tourists should not just to pass through the state, but allow the state to pass through you as you will not regret doing that,” he added.

    Ogun State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism Mr. Muyiwa Oladipo said culture and tourism make invaluable contributions to the economic, social and environmental well-being of a society and its people, adding that in Nigeria, this sector is unique in its commercial and cultural significance and has the potential to contribute to every state’s economy while enabling Nigerians to explore their heritage and celebrate their cultural diversity.

    He said the 16ft tall drum has a symbolic relevance to Ogun and the IFA heritage and that with the numerous heritage sites and festival, Ogun should qualify as cultural capital of Nigeria. He noted that ‘our culture is dying and the festival is part of efforts at reviving it. Drum is universal to all mankind and as such it is central.’

    The opening of the four-day event attracted frontline custodians of culture and traditions such as His Imperial Majesty Adeyeye Babatunde Ogunwusi Ojaja II, the Ooni of Ife and Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo Okukenu IV, the Alake of Egbaland, Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, the paramount ruler of Yewaland.   Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed represented by Executive Secretary of National Institute for Cultural Orientation Dr. Barclays Ayakorama, Director General National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) Mrs Dayo Keshi, Director General Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) Mrs Sally Mbanefo and CEO of La Campagne Tropicana Mr. Wale Akinboboye  among others.

    Also at the event were Aambassadors of six African countries to Nigeria ­— Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Ghana, Senegal and Zambia.

    His Imperial Majesty, Adeyeye Babatunde Ogunwusi Ojaja II, the Ooni of Ife, stressed the critical role of heritage in governance dating back to pre-colonial Nigeria, noting that before the amalgamation of Nigeria there has been governance, which was driven by heritage and tradition. He said there is a strong binding force- drum, which is common to all Africans as well as the dress culture. The Nigerian Drums Festival, he said, is a strong binding force and ‘we should not joke with it. This will reflect in the nation and continent as witnessed by the presence of African ambassadors at the festival.’

    “We should work on harmonising our resources to help promote our cultural heritage. This is what we own and must be proud of it. I am proud that we are rejuvenating our heritage and culture. This is a good starting point,” he added.

    Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo Okukenu IV, the Alake of Egbaland said since the 1977 FESTAC, Nigeria has not gone back to its roots but that with the Nigerian Drums Festival, ‘we are back to what we should have done.’ He noted that oil is gone and Nigeria must use what it has to get what it needs. “Ogun you have set the pace for others. Let us learn the culture of our neighbours,” Alake said.

    Oba Olugbenle, the paramount ruler of Yewaland, said the festival would usher in blessings and turn-round in the state economy. He stated that ‘our heritage remains our roots and we will not go back to Egypt.’

    Director General NCAC Mrs Dayo Keshi said there is an increasing recognition of the enormous potentials of festivals such as Nigerian Drums Festival in stimulating economic growth. She stated that festivals also present one of the best ways to integrate and generate economic growth right from the grassroots which has the custody of our heritage to state, national and international levels.

    “Every state in Nigeria has cultural products around which cultural industries could be built in such a way that it becomes a win-win situation for income generation from grassroots in a bottom up creation of wealth. In furthering the economic growth of Nigeria creative industries, I wish to recommend that each state should establish an arts and craft village in its capital which pulls cultural products from all their local governments. These would serve as a cultural and commercial hub which would stimulate growth of rural economy and wealth generation from bottom up,” she said.

    According to her, to further promote and expand on the economic gains from the sector, the private sector supported by government should give a serious consideration to the establishment of art malls where the best of works drawn from all states are sold.

    The evening was not all about long speeches as troupes from Ogun and Kano states as well as solo and individual cultural groups thrilled the guests to scintillating drumming. They included the late Hubert Ogunde Troupe, ARA dance troupe, Unique Fingers, Olo Bata group, Palm-wine Kegite  Club(Ilya Olumo), and Oluweri, which featured a 84 year-old woman dancer. Others were Bata Egba, Zealous, a hip-hop two-man group, Ogodo Egba and T-Raper, a 10-year-old boy.

    The evening performances got to a crescendo when the late Hubert Ogunde Troupe mounted the stage. In unison, the audience joined the troupe in rendering the popular yet controversial song entitled Yoruba Ronu, a clarion call on the need for Yoruba to evaluate its position in national development. To the audience, the presentation was a refreshing outing with lots of nostalgic feelings. All through the duration of the festival, it was drumming extravaganza as different troupes took turn to perform every evening.

    The festival would have been more grandious but for the challenge of funding. It was learnt that about 15 states cultural troupes confirmed their participation but couldn’t make it due to lack of funding, including neighbours like Oyo and Lagos states.

    The maiden edition of the Nigerian Drums Festival could not have come at a better time than now when Nigeria is seriously in dire need of alternative sources of income apart from oil. If well packaged, the festival is capable of generating revenues for the state and the country at large. But to achieve these, the organisers must start planning for next year’s edition today by creating specific committees and setting targets for them. The marketing of the festival as a cultural product must be done aggressively in order to reach wider audience and corporate sponsors.

    Branding rights should be granted to local artists who can produce gift items, souvenirs, t-shirts, and other unique crafts that bear the logo of the festival. This is one way of making the locals feel a sense of belonging and ownership of the cultural product and consequently protect it. The organisers should also  keep records of visitors and guests to the festival. This will be useful for planning and marketing strategy when sponsors are being approached.

     

    Isokan: Tribute to Africa

     

    The drum was conceptualised and produced by Femi Coker of Femi Art Warehouse. It is designed on the concept that the family is the most important unit of the community and the society as a whole. Historically, man was created to be provider and head of the family, while the woman’s role is to be his help-meet and manager of the home. The children are the fruits and reward of their union. Isokan drum is very symbolic of this aspect of our history and it is a tribute to this heritage.

    ‘It is a representation of the nuclear family that expands to becoming the extended family. The concord, affection, peace and love that exist in the family are shared and extended to members of the community.

    The tallest drum stands at 16 ft tall, and number 16 is a significant number to the Yoruba race. IFA, a popular traditional religion in Yorubaland typifies 16 Odu (corpus). Also, in Ijebu part of Ogun State, the notable deity Agemo, is typified by the number 16 (Alagemo merindinlogun) hence the world’s tallest traditional drum is significantly measured at 16ft.

    “Isokan drum is made of hard wood and sealed at the top end with deer’s skin. Constructed around its long solid body/frame are carved reliefs of various cultural and historical representations and interpretations. The performance on Isokan drum represents three slit-dancers in a ceremonial and celebratory dance and the folklorist who chants the cognomen of the monumental drums.  This is a tribute to the true history of the African continent, the irrepressible spirit of Africa and the immense contributions of the people of African ancestry to global trends, innovations and civilisation.”

     

    Saatogaa: Africa’s Commemorative drum

    Saatogaa, a re-adaptation of the Saato drum is conceived and designed by Abiodun Fagbire. It is common to the Egun speaking people in Ogun, Lagos and Benin Republic.

    It is constructed from Apaa wood found in Dagbewe forest in Benin Republic.  It took the artist two months to complete the construction which was done at Isembaye Gallery of Drums, Iju-Ota, Ogun State.

    The drum is designed to look like the Igunnuko masquarader of the Tapa Community in Ogun.

    Among the illustrations on the drum are Ori Olokun, Queen Idia head (Iyoba of Benin, mother of Oba Esigie), Nigerian Drums Festival logo and theme and Olumo rock.

     

  • Transcorp Hilton wins five World Travel awards

    Transcorp Hilton wins five World Travel awards

    Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, has won five awards at the 23rd World Travel Awards for the second consecutive year.

    The hotel, which is owned by Transcorp Hotels Plc, the hospitality subsidiary of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria, won the prestigious World Travel Awards for Africa’s Leading Business Hotel, Nigeria’s Leading Business Hotel and the Nigeria’s Leading Hotel.

    Others are Nigeria’s Leading MICE Hotel and Nigeria’s Leading Hotel Suite (the Presidential Suite).

    The awards were announced at the Africa and Indian Ocean Gala ceremony 2016 hosted by Diamonds La Gemma Dell’est on the northern tip of Zanzibar, Tanzania with hundreds of industry leaders in attendance.

    General Manager, Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, Etienne Galliez, described the awards as great honour.  ”It is a great privilege and honour to receive World Travel Awards in five categories for the second year in a row. We are delighted that our efforts at delivering world class experiences consistently are recognised and appreciated by our discerning guests.

    “The awards are a fitting reward for the hard work and dedication of our team members”, Etienne added.

    The hotel’s Public Relations Manager,  Mr. Shola Adeyeye, said the recognition and the awards came on the heels of Trip Advisor’s 2016 Travelers’ Choice Award and the 2015 Hilton Brand Awards for Middle East and Africa in two categories.

    “The hotel had embarked on the implementation of operational excellence initiatives that focus on delivering extraordinary guest service”, Adeyemo said. Commenting on the awards, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Transcorp Hotels Plc, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo said he was proud of the achievements of the team, which deliver personalised guest experiences on daily basis.

    He said: ”I am proud of the achievements of our Team at Transcorp Hilton Abuja. The prestigious awards recognise and appreciate the efforts of our team members who deliver personalised guest experiences every day.

    “Winning these awards ahead of the planned refurbishment of an award-winning facility means that we are poised to deliver an unparalleled guest experiences on the continent of Africa”.

    World Travel Awards was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry. Today, the World Travel Awards brand is recognised globally as the hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire.

  • Leaders in waiting

    Leaders in waiting

    Some secondary school girls in Lagos recieved training in leadership, ethics, morals and etiquettes. They were also  trained  in technology, engineering, mathematics and  related fields, which most of them acknowledged  marked a turning point in their lives and prepared them  for the future, reports  Seyi Odewale 

    The amphitheatre of the five-year-old college was filled with lively and animated pupils, girls all, whose one week camping ended that day. They have  been together to share experiences and learn new ones, courtesy of the Christopher Kolade Foundation (CFK) in conjunction with the Thames Valley College (TVC), a world class private secondary school in Shagamu, Ogun State, whose premises was used for the programme.

    The weather was clement, the atmosphere vivacious and the joy of bounding together unlimited. Girls within ages 12 to 14, drawn from various schools in District Six of the Lagos State Education District had what they described as an experience of a lifetime.  The way they chatted animatedly among themselves, as if they had known one another for a long time, showed that the little time spent together was meaningful and allowed them to establish a lifetime friendship.

    The closing event, which was the high point of the week-long camping, however, reminded them that human beings meet to part and part to meet in life, but the memories of such meetings would linger forever.

    The week-long programme afforded them the opportunity of learning how to use the computers, which they described as awesome. They learnt how to do research, just as they received training in leadership, moral and ethics, etiquettes, how to comport themselves as ladies, how to celebrate success and create games for fun, among others. All these made the pupils to wish for an extension of the programme.

    Tagged: SHE initiative camp programme for STEMMA Hands-on Empowerment, it is a seven-day residential science camp for disadvantaged girls from public schools around Lagos. It formed part of an extended and robust science immersion programme. The initiative, according to its organisers, “is a girl-only programme designed to stir participants’ curiosity and interest in exploring the world of science and technology”.

    The programme is aimed at changing stereotype around girl and science and equip participants with lifelong skills in the realm of science and technology. It also offers participants personal development, leadership and ethics education.  56 girls participated in the programme.

    In the words of the organisers, “given the current state of education in our country and based on our shared belief that we must provide solutions at all levels to our problems. We believe that this will be a good opportunity to highlight how individuals and private institutions are working together to solve the challenge in our education system.”

    The guest speaker at the event, Kofo Akinkugbe, said she was impressed with what she saw when some of the pupils narrated their experiences, which they termed as awesome. According to Akinkugbe, the programme was right for the girls as it afforded them the opportunity to share from the experiences of people like her, who never allowed her gender as a barrier to being successful in life.

    Her gender, according to Akinkugbe, inspired her to reach for the tops and be counted first among the male dominated business world. She said she was underrated, owing to her sex, but she was determined to be the best in her chosen career and everything she has done.

    As a science student, studying Mathematics in the university, none of her lecturers gave her a chance, but she proved them wrong, coming tops as the best student in her class with a First Class in Mathematics. She did not stop at that, according to her, she proceeded abroad to do a Masters’ programme in Business Administration (MBA).

    “What my love for the sciences and mathematics did to me was to make me know logic, which I eventually applied in my MBA Maths, is a direct science where you can create orderliness in a state of confusion. Maths developed my logic and analytical minds,” she said.

    The school proprietor, Mr Nurudeen Fagbenro, who spoke on the reason behind the programme, praised the commitment of the CKF founder, Dr Christopher Kolade, who he eulogised for his integrity, honesty and sheer commitment to anything that adds value to mankind.

    He recalled a story of how he met the elder-statesman, whose impact, he said, marked the turning-point for him in life. He declared before the pupils why he chose to have him as his mentor. “I admire him for his strength of character, his integrity, honesty and rare commitment to impacting meaningfully lives of people around him,” he said. According to him, integrity could make one to be lonely and could be dangerous, but there is no substitute for it. He told the pupils the reward of integrity, may come after much intimidation, harassment and persecution.

    He said it was because of these values, which he saw in Dr Kolade that made him to be part of the programme to impact on the lives of the girls positively.

    Speaking at the event, the founder of the foundation, Dr Christopher Kolade, said attending the closing ceremony is a very interesting thing because if ‘I was in doubt that there were actually some girls who came to camp here, my doubt is gone. I can see some girls. When the Chairman of the foundation told me about the programme I kept to myself that until I see it.

    “Again, it is very encouraging to hear the testimonies of the Chairman of this organisation.  This is because you wonder when you give talks like this, how many people listen to you and when you hear things like this it encourages you to do more and that somebody is listening to you, you can speak as long as life allows you”.

    He thanked his wife, who is the chairman of the foundation. He thanked Hon Biodun Jaji, whom he described as a long standing friend.

    He said when Akinkugbe said she had to work 10 times more to be able to excel in a men dominated world, he simply thanked the men for keeping women on their toes.

    He said he was pleased with what the girls said about their experiences. The programme, according to him, started as an idea, which he had and was supported by people around him, who believe in that same idea. Two things, he said, walk together-idea and the opportunity to express it. Idea has no meaning until it is expressed for people to see and can be achieved with only those who believe in it.

    He enjoined the girls, who must have developed one idea or the other, to seek out for good people, who will help in making it come to fruition.

    Parents and guests were conducted round various projects embarked upon by the pupils. The project ideas were theirs, and were only guided by their trainers and facilitators.

    Present at the event were Dr Kolade, his wife and Chairman of the foundation, the proprietor of the school, Mr Fagbenro the guest speaker, Mrs Akinkugbe and a host of others.

  • Jang-Gu drum: with love from Korea

    percussive  instruments took the centre stage when Nigerian instrumental artiste Isioma Williams, in conjunction with the Korean Cultural Centre (KCC), introduced the Jang-Gu drum to performance artistes. Oluwatoyin Ajibola writes.

    An artiste, Isioma Williams, has called for exposure of Nigerian artistes to South Korean culture. He said Jang Gu experience would expose young artistes to various cultural, religious, geographic and socio-economic backgrounds which will provide opportunities for them to develop a greater understanding of the diversity.

    He spoke in Lagos at the National Theatre, Lagos during a workshop on Journey of the Jang-Gu drum to Africa.

    The Jang-Gu is a South Korean drum first used at banquets. It was believed to have been derived from a smaller instrument called “yogo” which means “waist drum.” The hourglass core of the Jang-gu is hollow and it is made of porcelain, tile, metal, wood, gourd or tinned sheet. It has a round wooden tube between the two sides of the hourglass which is called jorongmok and a skin is attached on each side of the drum.

    Williams disclosed that he first encountered the drum when he travelled to South Korea. “As a result of my participation in the National Theatre of South Korea CPI 2013, I experienced the brilliant, amazing and the eclectic Jang Gu drum. The Jang-Gu drum and its drumming technique appeals to me so much that it creates a semblance of my love for Bata drums of the Yoruba culture.”

    Williams added that it will help  develop positive relationships with others as well as make them understand a broader range of perspectives and develop the knowledge and skills needed for participation in our multicultural society.

    He said the workshop would serve as a means to help create and promote the international awareness for the traditional South Korean culture in Nigeria particularly in Lagos and across Africa. He noted that it will bring a collaborative experience for both the Jang-gu and Bata drums as well as  help in encouraging Lagos- based traditional drummers to evolve through creativity and innovation.

    However, the Journey of Jang Gu will be in four segments: the first segment will be a workshop where Nigerian drummers will learn how to play the Jang-Gu drum which will be for three months. The second phase will be a Jang-Gu drumming competition in which those who are perfect in the act of drumming Jang-Gu will compete for a grand price.

    The third aspect will involve masters in playing Jang-gu and Bata drums who will first meet in a workshop and then a concert that will be a tour across Nigeria and also in South Korea and this will last for two weeks, thereafter, the performance will be staged.

  • Group urges govt to create friendly entrepreneurship eco-system

    Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs (AYE) President Summy Francis has urged governments to create a friendly entrepreneurship eco system and a stable economy where infrastructure takes priority to attract local and foreign investors.

    Francis, who spoke in Lagos, said investors were willing to come to Nigeria, but high production cost hinders  them as locally produced goods cost much more than imported ones.

    Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs (A.Y.E) is an organisation committed to empowering young entrepreneurs across Africa by creating platforms that facilitate intra-trade on the continent.

    “Our natural resources are areas we could always tap in to as a nation. There is need for Nigeria to shift focus into other opportunities that are available. Nigeria is a country where a lot of things are still focused around the government and there are a lot of people that feel before their company can function properly, there is need to be a government affiliation, partnership, contract or tender meanwhile, a lot of nations are doing well through private entrepreneurship. We see companies like Facebook and WhatsApp whose annual generation financially is bigger than a country’s budget, and it is because that country allowed and made it comfortable for entrepreneurship to thrive.

    “This is the major reason we find ourselves in the situation right now, that the oil which we have always been dependent on is facing challenges and directly or indirectly is affecting the whole nation. The world is shifting and it is high time for Nigeria to shift with the world,” he said.

    He noted that Nigeria must be able to identify opportunities, power entrepreneurs, empower entrepreneur’s organisations and spread the gospel of entrepreneurship.

    “We must take advantage of our strength in Nigeria and of the fact that if we can think it we can achieve it. We can take advantage of our buying power and population of over 174 million which means that we have over 174 million brains available and we have over 174 million people available to purchase the commodity.

    “It is a shock that Nigeria is not the manufacturer of such basic amenities as tooth pick and pencil. It is time to take advantage of our buying power, start to produce and create things in our own environment. We need to start focusing on large scale industry into manufacturing and this will also move on job creation in the country’’, he said.

    He said:’’The opportunity we need in Nigeria is to bridge the gap, locate the problem and find a solution which could come in so many aspects depending on the way you see it. Opportunities are everywhere and in everything; all you need to do is to look around you. Ideas are very cheap and everywhere but the execution of the idea against all odds is what makes you an entrepreneur,” he said.

  • Yoruba Art and its battle of methodologies

    •Continued from last week

    The focus of Blier’s book is on works she categorizes under Florescence and Post-Florescence eras. She ties the Florescence era to Obalufon II, an Ife king noted in Yoruba tradition as a major art patron and who Blier describes as the king and art patron that encouraged the marriage of old and new Ife, the period before and after the ‘emergence’ of Oduduwa. Drawing connections between Ife rituals such as Oramfe and Olojo in particular, Blier identifies the preoccupation of ancient Ife sculptures with the theme of conflict, change of political order, and reconciliation of both losers and winners of the struggles for power over the kingdom. By relating the works of other cultures: Ugbo-Ukwu, Tada, Benin, and Igala, for example, Blier suggests that ancient Ife was undoubtedly a cosmopolitan center for a large section of precolonial West Africa. Similarities in artistic motifs and style, she affirms, must have affected the creative industry in a city-state that was in its own time a melting pot for several nationalities and their cultures. The suggestion that the art of ancient Ife was enriched by contact with neighboring cultures should not surprise observers of influence of other cultures on the Lagos of today.

    Without doubt, readers will find these two books insightful for different reasons. Both of the books cover a wide range of visual objects, ranging from memorialization of monarchs to depiction of animals. In an ancient society that was characterized by animism, it is not surprising that totem of power, such as leopard, elephant, horse; totem of peace such aseja-aro (a sub-specie of cat-fish) and snail; as well as totem of alterability or change such asagemoor oga(chameleon) featured prominently in the samples examined by both Blier and Abiodun. Similarly, the Yoruba habit of elaborate dressing that includes layers of clothing and adornment of dress with elaborate embroidery acknowledged byAbiodun andBlier in ancient Ife art is also a major part of Yoruba fashion today.

    On the surface, especially with reference to the introduction to both books, readers are likely to find the messages of the two books to be counter-signs, but the body of each of the two books makes the authors’ analyses act more like co-signs than counter-signs. Both books have substantial significance to the study of Yoruba culture, especially its aesthetics and iconography. Abiodun in his book combines old and new Yorubaaesthetic concepts and vocabularies to make Yoruba visual art—naturalist, stylized, and idealized—intelligible to both specialists and people with interest in understanding the relationship between Yoruba thought system and artistic production.  He provides new analytical techniques that can provide models for art and culture scholars not only in the Yoruba world but also in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as forthose in other parts of the world who need knowledge of indigenous perspectives to enrich their understanding of African visual culture.Abiodun popularizes an area of study of African cultural production that has been kept on the back burner for long; development of emic or indigenous perspectives and concepts that explain nuances (and sometimes the so-called mystery) of visual art in Africa produced by artists who practiced largely in the era before their contact with Westernepistemology and hermeneutics.Abiodun does effectively with Yoruba art what Western art scholars do with theirs: art interpretation in relation to Western worldview: philosophy, ethics, metaphysics, values, and language. His work is in good stead to motivate others working in the field of African art and criticism.

    Blier in her own book provides additional methods of reading ancient Ife art in a way that can be intelligible to the Anglophone world, which also includes Africans in diaspora and professional art critics on the African continent.She provides insights on the desire of ancient Ife artists to tell stories about the evolution of the kingdom by applying a multidisciplinary analysis to numerous samples of Ife visual art. While recognizing the politics of ancient Ife art, Blier provides insight on the connection between Ife art and desire of its ancient leaders to overcome the division that periodic struggles for power created or could create. She also uses her methodology to suggest a clue to issues that may puzzle the Yoruba world; the role of multiculturalism in ancient Ife and its influence on the flowering of sculpture in the ancient kingdom.

    Each of these two books deserves whatever investment goes into its purchase. The books complement each other in many ways and will be of immense benefit to art and culture scholars who want to deepen their knowledge of an ancient artistic tradition that continues to exciteart connoisseurs worldwide. Students of Yoruba art should read Abiodun’s book before reading Blier’s, as doing so will enhance appreciation of Blier’s book. In addition, it will be a profitable investment in knowledge and culture, if Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, in collaboration with other knowledge centers,guardians of Yoruba culture such as: Ooni, Alaafin, Awujale, Olowo,Osemawe, Orangun, Ewi, etc., and rich collectors of Yoruba art such as OmoobaShyllon,can organize an international colloquium at Ife, to discuss the two books that seek to change for different reasons the study of Yoruba art.

     

    N.B.  Yoruba Art And Language: Seeking The African In African Art by Rowland Abiodun published by Cambridge in 2014 has 386 pages.

    Art And Risk In Ancient Yoruba: Ife History, Power, And Identity, C. 1300. Suzanne Preston Blier also published by Cambridge in 2015 has 574 pages.

    •Concluded

  • Nmesirionye dissects Lagos

    It was during the just concluded The Genesis art exhibition organized by the Ovie Foundation, Lagos, that his works blossomed to the excitement of guests.  Joshua Nmesirionye is a versatile full-time studio artist whose love for form and texture is unparalleled.  His works were so outstanding that most guests felt that it is either he has been quite unsung or too busy in his studio to bring his paintings to public glare.

    His work, Lost in the crowd, a symbolic presentation of a typical Lagos road/street, was able to prove too that indeed Lagos is good.  It is a boisterous place where life goes on endlessly; where the gregarious busy streets go to prove that life in Lagos is for the most energetic.  It is the crowd that makes a mega city tick.  It is the never-ending commercial life of the people that keeps the city ever on its toes.  Thus, believing that Lagos is good, Nmesirionye goes deeper to espouse and express those salient ingredients that help to define the fortunes of Lagos as a state.

    In Locks, he shows a wonderful picture of a dreadlocked Rastafarians.  It is not clear whether this dreadlocks is natural or has been grown by the Rastafarian to prove a point.  Nonetheless, in it, the artist proves that this is one of the signs of people who want to look different; who are in the habit of showcasing their belief in the powers of the Nazarene.  Dreadlocks in most parts of the world comes with the belief that they are specially chosen by God.

    The power imbued in the looks is what Nmesirionye tried to bring to the fore in the way he hammered on its engulfing beauty and underlying importance.

    In Green Seduction, he expressly elaborated the central beauty of womanhood.  He celebrated the beauty and elegance of this young lady as she lay sprawled in her bed.  Her eyes glitter invitingly to the opposite sex.  She is ready to ensnare a man and hold him captive for the sake of love.  The artist did not economise his intention in this regard.  It is to show clearly that the seductive power of a woman lies in her ability to use her spellbound sexy eyes to attract and keep the man.

    Essentially Nmesirionye tells his stories through textured surface art.  “Yes,” he agrees,” the inspiration for them comes from the people and the environment around me.  Often too they come from my own inner imagination.  This is so because my goal is to connect representational art with abstract art and contemporary sensibilities through the physicality of paints on the canvas.”

    A member of the Universal Studios of Art, Lagos, Nmesirionye is a product of Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State, where he specialized in painting.  He has been involved in many group exhibitions both at home and abroad.  He believes he can often use Nigerian situations to tell the stories on canvas.  This is why he has won many awards which go to show his deep love for the art.