Last week, October 1, being the 65th Independence anniversary of the nation, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other notable political leaders gathered at the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, now known as the Wole Soyinka Centre for Creative Art for the reopening of the Centre. It was an apt moment for the National Troupe of Nigeria, the nation’s dance ambassadors to prove their mettle. The dances and cultural displays by the Troupe put everybody on their toes as reported by Edozie Udeze.
The moment was a good moment. At once the whole complex stood still. It stood still not only for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but for the whole nation, Nigeria. The National Theatre, now christened The Wole Soyinka Centre for Creative Art, came alive to its fullest bloom. It was a day to remember, a day to witness that the Theatre has resurrected from its slumber. The mainbowl was packed to full capacity. The house and stage lights glittered on endlessly. The airconditioners seemed to have gone crazy, tearing deep into the skins and bloods of all as people shivered and begged for mercy.
The hall came on in full swing. Artists were in their best moods, in glittering attires that suited the occasion. Visitors and stakeholders held on to the dictates of the night. It was time to dance, time to display cultures. It was time when artists, young, old, male, female, painters, dancers, singers, comedians, creators, writers, journalists, all, came together to jolly in the beautiful euphoria of a recreated centre for the creative art.
The President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu sat quietly in company of his wife, Senator Oluremi. His face glowed with joy. His countenance could not hide his amazement at the new looks of the National Theatre. Also in place was Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President. With them were Tajudeen Abass, Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives who also came in company of his deputy, Benjamin Kalu. In the house was Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu of Lagos State. And with the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, the roll call was almost complete. Also present was Olayemi Cardoso, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria.
But then there was Professor Wole Soyinka, the epitome of the creative world, first African Nobel Laureate in Literature. The man whose name has come to dominate the National Theatre and occupied the night to the full. All the big artists were present to witness this new rebirth of a national monument that almost went into extinction if not for the prompt intervention of Buhari and Bola Tinubu who ensured that the Bankers Committee went into action with dispatch. So for close to four years, the Centre went under heavy renovation, with series of patch ups and innovations here and there. As the works were going on, the entire arts community, the creative nerves of Nigeria waited with unbridled patience. The National Troupe of Nigeria, indeed the apex dance hub of the nation expected the turn-around maintenance to come through in a jiffy. And that was why on the night of this epoch-making reopening the Troupe dazzled to precision. The National Troupe under the able leadership of Hajja Kaltume Bulama Gana thrilled as if dance would never end. It was good. It was glamourous, quite spectacular. The whole edifice stood still as soon as their entrance was announced.
The level of acclaim as soon as Dr. Nzekwu, one of the anchors of the programme mentioned the name of the Troupe showed that in the corridors of power, the Troupe rings a bell. Stage by stage, the Troupe presented different dances, cultural displays that stunned and impressed the people. The hall suddenly came alive. The stage lights came on fully to shine on the fleeting feet of the dancers, the sonorous voices of the singers and the heavy hands of the drummers who pelted away in joyous mood, with accurate precision and rendition.
Bulama sat up front, eyes happily glued onto the stage as she smiled and exchanged pleasantries with fellow directors and artists. In truth, the Troupe opened with dances from the south south parts of Nigeria. The rhythms of the songs flowed easily with the colours of Nigerian flag. Remember this show was on October 1, Nigeria’s 65th Independent anniversary and the whole nation was agog with happiness. So, the boldness of the dancers, the deliberate displays of colours, the masquerading nature of the masquerades, the glowing of the different colourful costumes, all made up to show a Troupe that was well prepared to dazzle to no end.
The dance of elegance from Edo State depicted the rich culture of the Benin kingdom. The grace was deliberate, the ease and measured dance steps with red beads on their necks and hand fans made of woods, brought to light, once more, the historic nature of the Benin cultural ensemble. Trust the Troupe. They danced with renewed hope and reinvigorated aplomb; after all they had waited for close to four years for that moment.
From Edo State, the Troupe moved to the more interiors of the Niger Delta, this time recapturing the elegant dance style of the Itshekiri people. The dance came with songs in the Itshekiri dialect, showing the magnificent nature of the palace dance where tradition is upheld. The Itshekiri are naturally rooted in idioms and wise sayings that the dances dwelt on all that. Then came dances from the core Efik and Ibibio domains. The Ekpe tradition which is sacrosanct quickly resurfaced. This thrilled the audience to no end. The Ekpe is synonymous with the Ibibio and the Efik of Akwa Ibom and Cross River States of Nigeria respectively.
It was not so much as the dances. It was more of the vigour, the heavy energy that dancers brought into the displays that kept people endlessly enwrapped. The songs brought hope to the people. It was a way to use culture to entertain, to reunite a nation. The songs hinged on hope; they emphasised the immediate need to celebrate peace and love as a people. The presence of the masquerades in their best costumes brought beauty and nature and near innocence closer to the people. The audience clapped, relaxed, laughed and showed acclaim, appreciation and respect.
The dances from the West and the North proved to be the climax. But not yet. The dances of love, courtship, harvest and abundance depicted the richness in all spheres in Nigeria. With the implements and props and costumes in place, the Troupe took the whole nation back in time. Culture is a bridge, it brings back memories; it also rebuilds the nature of broken hopes. Culture is not just dynamic, it gears up for a better tomorrow. The dances elaborated these features so much so that Eugenia Abu and Henry Nzekwu, the two anchors of the programme could not old back their admiration. As usual the sensational movements occasioned by the Yoruba dancers evoked love, romance and appeasement. The ones from the north hovered around crops and the dominance of the male over the female. But all pointed to the family as the core of the society.
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In all, the Igbo dance came with an accelerated energy, an energy long bottled up. The whole arena became recharged as the flute (oja) went far into the air with the tone of vehemence. The dancers gyrated, the flutist mesmerized as the stage lights flickered into full bloom. Indeed the night was coming on with vigour reminding all that this is the centre of entertainment, the hub of the creative economy and the creative world, where drama, dance, all sorts of the art rule and predominate.
The stages of dances were brought to a close with the stylish appearance of a masquerade. An artiste sitting close to me in the hall just exclaimed – “this shows the fullness of Nigeria”. Truly that masquerade did not only come with an arousing ancestral presence, it showed how deeply the night had impacted on the people. As the stage gradually blossomed to see a new creative centre of the nation, Gerald Eze of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, tore into the stage with his brand of stage craft of folkloric songs and demonstration that also stole the night. In all, it was a night to remember and all guests – big, small, initiated and uninitiated got enough baptism of what artists can do with their creative mien and talents. The National Troupe will, like someone whispered to me on our way out, always show itself even in the most uncomfortable environment or situation. The Nigerian dance project runs in their blood.
But it is all kudos to Bulama and her team. Bulama loves what she does. She has put herself into it. Here is a visual artist who now loves masquerades more than masqueraders themselves. An artist who loves to reinvent dance in the mold of Ogunde. Bulama now has keen ears for all sorts of musical drums almost same way her brushes serenade strokes on the canvass. In her we can see the total justification of why the National Troupe of Nigeria and the National Theatre are two in one, established for the same purpose for the creative economy. Same edict, same act of faith for performances, the two establishments must always complement each other for the more profound need to prosper the creatives in Nigeria and beyond.
And in the process ensure that the different cultural properties and elements of the larger society are kept ever afloat, active and functional. Essentially National Troupe has made it clear and unambiguous that culture is a unifier and that the current leadership is in conformity with these positive tenets.