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
