WE have had a couple of fun times together during local and international film festivals and other events that took the African cinema on tour, and many would tell you that the presence of filmmaker Kunle Afolayan usually adds glitz and entertainment to every outing, a situation which sets him aside an in-born entertainer. But the first time I took a notice of his more diverse creativity was in 2014, at the African International Film Festival (AFRIFF) which held in Calabar, Cross River State.
Afolayan and his Dazzling Mirage spouse, Kemi Lala-Akindoju took to the stage when it appeared the band members at the Tinapa Lake Hotel were tired. From Kcee’s Limpopo, which Lala remixed into reggae to Victor Olaiya’s Baby Jowo which Afolayan led, and several other contemporary and highlife tunes, both artistes showed that their talents aren’t limited to acting – it was the best of duets by these artistes who merely improvised to make the evening tick, and fellow artistes not only cheered them to high heavens, they danced emotionally to the songs.
Again, away from his promotion of the African culture through his films, Kunle Afolayan, last month, made debut with a magazine entertainment event which targets the renaissance of the African tradition through a potpourri of exciting offerings such as local food and drinks, music, dance and poetry.
Tagged Kulture Centrik, the aura at the pool side of Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, venue of the event, on September 29, 2016, brought so much to desire of life before the massive rural-urban migration. Afolayan’s opening signature at the show was greeted with loud applause, as he arrived paddling a canoe. This was just as masquerades and a troupe of dancers announced his grand entry.
The cultural fanfare continued with performances by Nigerian soul singer, GT Da Guitarman, performing his hit single, Ejika; Adekunle Gold with his rave songs; the legendary Jimi Solanke ever green show; Salawa Abeni with her classics and Seyi Solagbade’s popular songs which he jointly performed with Afolayan.
It is very likely that this monthly event will celebrate the foods, drinks, music, dance and splendour of other ethnic groups in the country, going by what the convener described as a goal to celebrate the arts, culture, and heritage of the great people of Nigeria.
Another strong incident that defined this filmmaker’s passion for tradition was his recent trail of Yoruba deities; considered as the original religions of Africa which he said have been declining over time owing to the influence of western acculturation by Christianity and Islam. Ifa, the original religion of the Yorubas, is one of such African religions caught in this erosion and Afolayan thought it would make an interesting exposé if reasons leading to this are revisited and presented in film documentary. The result was a series of lessons on Yoruba traditional religion that made debut on Mnet on January 1, 2013.
A young and curious filmmaker; the creative ingenuity of Afolayan is so riotous to the degree that some feel that playing along the edge of the rule is precarious. But the young man has got the creative license to provoke thoughts.
At the wake of 2013, the native of Igbonna, Kwara State, thought of the traditional connection of the Yoruba race with Brazil, and decided to travel to Rio, armed with still and video cameras.
Six hours by flight to South Africa, five hours of waiting to connect, another 10 hours by flight to Sao Paolo, eight hours of waiting to connect, yet another 1 hour’s flight to Rio, Afolayan made for himself another family of Ifa worshippers, spending seven days as a sojourner. Yes, their language is Portuguese, but like a Muslim who may not speak Arab but recites the Holy Quran fluently, these families who do not speak Yoruba recite the Ifa verses in Yoruba language. A stunned Afolayan could not believe this.
Needless to say that this experience which later took him to Cuba, was the beginning of his studentship of the Yoruba traditional religion, honing his skills around Ifa divination, the Olodumare (self-existing deity) and the Orishas; known to be the intermediaries between Olodumare and humanity. These smaller deities, like you would find in a Babalawo scene in a Yoruba movie include: Esu, (a trickster deity who generates confusion but is also a protector); Ibeji (the deity of twins); Ogun (the god of iron, war, justice); Orunmila (the oracle divinity); Osanyin (the god of magic and medicine); Osun (the goddess of the river Osun); Oya (the goddess of the river Niger); Sango(the god of thunder and lightning; Sopona (the divinity associated with smallpox); and Yemoja (the goddess of all rivers) among others.
Back in Nigeria, the expedition took him round the South Western states where for several weeks he was the guest of Obas, High Chiefs and Ifa Priests, and other custodians of culture, tradition and religion within the Oduduwa kingdom. The said 26-episode documentary features these Royal Fathers of Yoruba land, Ifa Priests, shrines, cultural festivals, traditional games and the general lifestyle of the descendants of Oduduwa. When next you find yourself in the company of the actor, dial his phone number, and just listen to his ring tone. You may find out that it is an Ifa chant through the voice of High Priest Ifayemi Elebuibon, a famous Babalawo in Yoruba film and title holder of Araba Awo of Osogboland, Osun state.
This is how personally passionate Afolayan is getting with culture and tradition. He is not only thrilled by his new discoveries, he is excited about its predictive audiences and perhaps the filmic style that will further assert him as a creative filmmaker.
For this unusual passion in a world widely eroded by western culture, this rave-of-the-moment filmmaker and scion of doyen of Nigerian theater; Ade Love, dumped a promising banking career to promote our culture through arts and entertainment. Indeed, Kunle, as many call him, is a cultural ambassador next door, if only we can see it.
