...simply an expression!
Monday, March 19, 2012
Nostalgia: Cock crow at dawn Bongos Ikwue
I Can See Clearly Now
Lets believe in the Nigeria Rising!...it is time.
@omedekina
For Odia Ofeimun at 61, Its Nigeria The Beautiful
Perhaps, no one believes so much in the workability of Nigeria more than poet, political activist and playwright, Mr. Odia Ofeimun, as he deploys his creative prowess to how the country can overcome its myriads of challenges.
FROM the not-so humble poetic flowering with his controversial The Poet Lied in the 1970s and to his assertive voice as a poet of note to his numerous political essays and finally to the stage, Ofeimun has shown his total commitment to using literature to save humanity.And so, from Under African Skies, where he let the “Intermeshing of myth, fiction and reality to yield space for a positive representation of Africa” and wean the continent away from being a part of “Europe’s celebration of five hundred years of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the New World”; to using A Feast of Return to tell the story of Africa from the beginning of time to the liberation struggles and the story of South Africa to her eventual liberation alongside the freeing Nelson Mandela from prison.
Now, Ofeimun has returned again to the stage with his new work Nigeria The Beautiful, a dance drama, which he and its director Mr. Felix Okolo said was a work in progress. Its sneak preview took place at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, last Wednesday as part of his 61st birthday celebration. Indeed, it’s a work certainly in progress but brimming with hope for a possible future greatness both in thematic scope and its visual feast in celebrating a country so much put down as directionless and visionless by those who inhabit it. This makes the work all the more significant in its apparent rejection of hopelessness as fait accompli for Nigeria that seems all too glaring; it’s a prayer for signs of positivity to emerge.
For those familiar with Ofeimun, this view may not be new. While he is impatient with those who have long led the country into its dark night at noonday, his positive outlook that Nigeria can indeed rise again from the anomie she has been sunk is matchless. He has often expressed the view that literature, and indeed, poetry, can save humanity and that Nigeria is eminently save-able if only Nigerians can try a little bit more.
This grand vision is what he has designed into an equally grand artistic statement in Nigeria The Beautiful, a dance drama that takes a historical sweep of the diversity that is Nigeria, her contentious politics, her abiding oneness in diversity and the greatness she is striving desperately to live up with. In spite of all these, there’s affirmation that hope abounds. So, indeed, in spite of all the flouderings that has been the lot of the nation, Nigeria’s beauty is inescapable; it does shine out of the mud she seems mired.
With a set that tells her colonial history and interspersed with what she is capable of becoming (symbolised by Jack, the British flag and the white green and white flag), the tone is set for the explosive and turbulent history that has been Nigeria’s. The voices of Lord Luggard, Ahmadu Bello and others speaking their minds and roles in the formation of the country in an uncertain journey (Nnamdi Azikiwe and Obafemi Awolowo would also speak when completed – not all was given away yet), Nigeria’s history is made to unfold before the audience in its amazing labyrinths and mazes until its arrives 2011, the present.
But what becomes of the future trajectory the country is headed? That is the crux of the matter. It’s the stuff the dance drama is made of; it’s the visual and artistic feast Ofeimun has call on all Nigerians to have in all of theatre’s grandeur.
Interestingly, the sneak preview served as part of his 61st birthday celebration. So, also, it turned out a typical Odian moment to give life to the best of poetry reading and performances. Drawing from a large member of the literary and culture community in attendance, the audience was treated to a thrilling moment of poetic renditions and musical performances, too.
To kick start proceedings was the Segun Adefila-led Crown Troupe of Africa giving snippets of the paradox that is often Nigeria. Then it was time for readings. The poems were largely from Ofeimun’s definitive collection of poets mulling on the inimitable city of Lagos titled Lagos of the Poets. Bangkong Obi opened the reading session with ‘Apparition on Allen’; then Funmi Aluko read ‘Lagoon Skies’; Ikuo Eke partly read and partly performed Femi Fatoba’s ‘Eko’.
Then it was time for the young female live band performing group ‘Topsticks’ led by Tope, who plays the drum set with two other young girls blowing away at the saxophones and a fourth strumming away at the gangan Yoruba talking-drum. Jumoke Verissimo read her piece ‘A Monday Morning in Lagos’ while Toni Kan also read his piece ‘Sanusi Fafunwa at Noon’. But it was Akeem Lasisi that set the hall aflame when he performed ‘A Song for Lagos’.
After which the all-female coral group Neffertiti came on stage with their soul-lifting songs and serenaded the celebrant Ofeimun. Then other performers followed: Uzor maxim Uzuator (Molue poet, Lagos blues); Ausyn Njoku (Flood Lagos); Nike Adesuyi (The New Testament), Tade Ipadeola (Platinum Meridians), Dr. Wunmi Raji (On seeing a dead body at Oshodi), Vicky Sylvester (A Night and a Day), Prof. Akachi Ezeigbo (Lagos Slums), Prof. Femi Osofisan (Go to Lagos, They said), while Dagga Tolar read J.P. Clark’s ‘Maroko’.
However, Remi Raji refused to read the piece ‘In Memorial: Lagos’. He cited Ofeimun’s inability to respond to the beckoning talking-drum by Topsticks to come out and dance as reason, saying it was Ofeimun’s day and wondered why he would not dance. Crown Troupe of Africa again performed Wole Soyinka’s recorded satirical music on the paradox that is Nigeria ‘I love dis Lagos, I no go lie’. Then Ofeimun read to the delight of the audience his poem ‘Lagoon’.
It was a well-attended event; this was not surprising given that it was a free show. Ofeimun, however, expressed the hope that Nigerians would begin to see the need to pay fees to attend even poetry reading as a way of boosting the art form and giving encouragement to poets and performers in all forms. After which, Ofeimun dinned with some of his guests at upscale restaurant La Scala Restaurant to round off a remarkable day.
Amongst those in attendance were Kunle Ajibade, Mr. and Mrs. Omo Uwaifo, Alumona Jenkins, Richard Umaru, Bayo Onanuga, Sam Omatseye, Mr. and Mrs. Gbenro Adegbola and Mrs. Francesca Emmanuel.
culled from: www.thenigeriandaily.com
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Does it really matter who puts the food on the table?
A friend of mine Ebi Akpeti; Author of the “The Perfect Church” sent this to me. It is a true life experience and worth the share…happy reading and hope we all learn a great lesson from this…
A guy who had no job got married to a banker, despite his fears & advice that it's not good to marry without a job. Every month the girl will give the guy her full salary N135k after removing her N15k tithe. The guy will give the wife N20k for personal up keep & the guy determines what happens to the remaining money, this wnet on for 3 years. There was happiness in the family & the girl never refused to do her primary home duties for those 3 years despite wrong advices from friends “ That you can't pay the bills & still be doing all the work”…..
There was a particular month the guy used about N70k to travel from state to state for different interviews. The guy finally got a job with a good firm in Port Harcourt. His salary was N600k monthly for a start. He bought his first car (brand new) for N4.5m, he gave the wife the car key while he continued to take public transport to work for about 2years before he bought the second car for N6 million. After he bought the second car he took the keys of the 1st car & gave the wife the key of the second car. They were very happy. They finally moved into their personal house after a few years.
One day, the wife was looking for some documents; she saw a file hidden. When she opened the file she saw her wedding picture when she was very slim in the first page of the file. She finally saw that the document to the purchase of the land & every other thing in the house were in her name only. At the last page was the guy's wedding picture and a note written by the husband, '' MY WIFE IS ALL I HAVE GOT,NOT EVEN THIS HOUSE WORTH N24MILLION AS AT THE TIME I BUILT IT''.
This couple got married in 1998. Last Sunday was their wedding anniversary with two children a boy & a girl. True LOVE still exists up till this day. Are you sure, the love you have for your spouse can be compared to this one you just read? No matter what, remember you chose each other, please share...it doesn't matter who puts the food on the table…Selah.
A world of Choice!
All of life is a product of choice; the only point in time you really do not have a choice is at the point of conception and birth. God gives the gift of life to the baby; it is not the choice of the baby to be born. When the years of discretion set in, choice takes over.
You choose to eat, sleep, walk, run, marry, give, hold back, talk, and shut up. All are products of choices. Your ability to make the right choices determine how far you go in life. Your choice has the capacity to birth or take life. Little wonder the scripture says, “I have given you life and death, blessing and cursing, but choose life that you and your family will live”… this is simply what I call the commandment of choice. It’s between two options; a plus or a minus.
How we often so miss great opportunities by virtue of wrong choices, the greater disservice we do to ourselves lie in not making a choice at all.
While reading a book "Choices" by my friend Femi Olabanji, I found out that one of the key bed rocks of life and our existence all lies in the concept of choice. “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only begotten son…” this was a product of choice…and Abraham without questioning God lay his one and only son on the alter to be sacrificed…choice; David saw Bathsheba and desired to have her….choice.
We can go on and on; the scriptures we read, were inspired by the spirit of God through men who chose to obey and heed God’s word by putting them down in writing…choice.
Our world is simply a world of choices!
@omedekina
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