My Popular Social Media Friends.

It is a new year and so much has been happening to me before now. I have asked myself a lot of questions and I have thought to myself why haven't I updated my blog in months? Why haven't I written on some of the most important things that I found interesting in the past year. Right now I feel I am back and I am more compelled to write as I please and freely throw my opinion on this space.

Paramount on my list of wonders is the new media and it has been manipulated in the past few years as a tool for ego-strapping and self-imposing advertisers.I sincerely agree that people should use the internet to their advantage; to popularize themselves and advertise their work. It is however distasteful when young folks who have reached stardom through their popular projects become agents of political propaganda and manipulative elements simply because they have thousands of friends on Facebook or they are been followed by several hundreds of innocent teenagers.

It is sad that the youth of today do not question ideas thrust to them by these scavengers. Because certain people appear frequently on TV doesn't mean what they say must be believed. The state of Nigeria today doesn't require anyone to motivate you that Nigeria will be great again. We hope so but we do not see any signs that there is even a vision 2050. That a group of artistes campaigned for Jonathan does not mean he is the man for me. Those I am talking about know themselves, the youth leaders of today, the public relation guru's, social media moguls and tough talking experts who have excelled in their fields and have now been identified by the government as the youth leaders.

I respect that but please do not influence people with the force your witty articles like the new or proudly Nigerian campaigns. Please do not distract people that Nigeria is good nation or this country is getting better. It isn't! Remember, the few hundreds you gather at your seminars or the several hundreds that like, follow or comment on your updated status does not represent the millions of young people out there bearing the brunt Nigeria's economic hardship.

Please I beg you, just encourage people to work hard, tell them the truth about corruption and teach them build careers and be better people than their parents were. You have been privileged to be where you are, create opportunities for people rather than use their follower ship to get favors and political appointments. Sincerely I do not believe in the government of Nigeria but I do believe in people. Remember we are watching you and we will remind you of your evil deeds when the revolution comes.

I could say i went on recess but I am back. Just concluded a production with Renegaded theater...Ajai the Boy Slave". It was an integrated cast so we had actors come in from London to be a part of the play. Ill do a review of the play very soon.

On Tinsel

Great news that Nigeria has finally delved into the cocoon of quality television production with the advent the popular M-net series, TINSEL.I must confess that it is a laudable effort. With an array of carefully selected cast and crew, the production no doubt turned out to tower the usual standards we are used to. The production is clean, interesting and stimulating to the eyes.It has definitely caused a revolution proving that we can get our pictures, art direction,sound and lighting design right.
In terms of production quality it places us in the league of Egoli, Jacob's cross, The Agency and some other fascinating drama productions. One challenge I have though, how many Nigerians tune in to M-net see the much acclaimed television drama? It is interesting, but is it captivating? does it grab our attention by telling the true Nigerian story through eyes of a film production house? I beg to disagree!
First, Tinsel does not represent a typical production company because film houses are not structured in a formal enviroment.In which production houses do you have the main characters in suit doing formal business and passing files around all the time? Why tell the story of a production house in that fashion? To me Tinsel should have been modelled after a marketing communications company or an advertising agency.It doesn't cut the picture of a production house in anyway.
When I watch Tinsel I really don't get any sense of suspense, intrigue or adventure.The flow and plot of the drama looks a little laid back for me. At times the dialogue is drab, "clicheic" and uninspiring except for normal love stories.
I found the Reginald and Angela drama fun but the main plot lacks vision technique and artistic substance. Lighting good! Art department excellent...I was just wondering what happened to the creative use of shots to tell a captivating story? The story appears too linear for me,the frame do not connect to put me at the edge of seat,the camera movements doesn't create the right dramatic tension. I just can't believe the story because it doesn't sound original to me. There is more excitement and activity in a film company than what I see in Tinsel.Where are the everyday people,I don't even see emphasis on the creative department.Where are the director's, the art designers, the actors and the main people you find in that kind of outfit.
Where is the pre-production meeting,where is the drama within a drama and where is the exciting conflict that overrides the production of a film?I still maintain that we do not have that kind of culture being potrayed by Tinsel.The atmosphere is just too prim and proper.In a studio you would find far more interesting and fully rounded characters...characters with varying degrees of insanity and sanity, characters that would interest and keep you at the edge of you seat everytime you watch.
The writers most definitely have never shared in that kind of experience or maybe they should have done more research, studios don't look that way and things really happen in an unplugged situation.I am hoping that thing will change in the seasons to come, I hoping that the producer's and writers will consider telling a truthful and compelling story because history at the moment is being made.

Moremi in RSV mode

I have decided to dedicate all my available resources to appreciating and critically appraising every work of art I am privileged to see, from Drama to Dance, Music, Poetry, Television and Film. These are core genres that confronts us boldly and I sincerely appreciate the exceeding progress so far. On the 1st of march 2009 I had the honours of seeing Ayo Arigbagbu and Crown troupe's abridged version of Moremi which they titled Moremi RSV.

The performance opened with the sonorous voices of the sensational Nefertiti as their soulful voices rent the air. This was a prelude to the documentary piece titled Bariga Boy - a topic for another day. Some talented kids thrilled the audience with the Apeja dance before the play opened.

The play centers round Queen Moremi Ajasoro,  a figure of high significance in the history of the Yoruba's of southwest Nigeria. She hailed from Ile ife, a town that was being incessantly attacked by the adjoining Ugbo (not to be confused with the Igbo people).

The story of Moremi, a beautiful woman of the ancient Ile-Ife in Osun State, predates the pre-colonial era. Her people were being subjected to constant raiding by the Ugbos, as a punishment by their gods for some evil. After several sacrifices were made to appease their god and abate the raiding failed, Moremi in an altruistic act, decided to allow herself to be captured by their oppressors in order to learn their secret.

Bidding farewell to her people, she went to the river goddess, promising to sacrifice to her if her plot turned out successful. Due to her beauty and intelligence, she was given to the king for a wife in her land of captivity.

On discovering that their invaders whom they (the Ifes) thought to be gods were humans, she escaped back to her people to leak the secret of their victory. As the Ugbos came back to attack them as usual, the Ifes put forward a counter-attack and defeated them. To make true her promise, she returned to the river goddess, who demanded for nothing else but her only son, Olurogbo. Bereaved, she had no other choice than to consent.

Segun Adefila daunted the flames of convention by launching into the avante-Gard world of post-modernism . Segun Adefila's interpretation of Moremi is best described in Martin Irvine's definition of postmodernism; 

'a cultural, intellectual, or artistic state lacking a clear central hierarchy or organizing principle and embodying text, in a way that is often indistinguishable from a parody of itself. It has given rise to charges of fraud's complexity, contradiction, ambiguity, diversity, interconnectedness or interference with reality'

It takes artistic courage and a great amount of creative energy to subvert an historical piece such as Moremi and I must say, that is a feat in  itself. In Adefila's evocative performance, hip-hop, reggae, jazz and soul were blended with other traditional forms like percussion and local drums.The Ifa priest consults the oracle via the Internet while the warriors make phone calls to their gods requesting for more arms and at some point they run out of credit. 

The audience found interesting the infusion of contemporary songs into the play. Olu-orogbo woos his lover singing 'Fall in love' by D'banj and instead of dying in the end resurrects and finds himself in the magnificent city of new York in the United States of America dancing to hip-hop music.The praise singer to the king ends his chant with the popular hip-hop tune by DJ zeez;

...orie .....

orie ..........

o fokasibe

Warrior movements have been replaced with popular dance-styles such as alanta,yahooze and some pop and lock moves. Some Fuji Accapela was rendered in the course of the play.

The theme and bane of Arigbagbu's play was however not sacrificed for Adefila's post-modernist ideas. The audience could decipher the travails of the Ife people and Moremi's misadventure and latter victory.

The post modernist twist also included use of costumes as Moremi had on a pair of glasses,Obatala re-incarnates as a doctor chauffeured in ambulance with his stethoscope . I love the conversion of the Igbo (A tribe in Nigeria) to Igbo (Indian hemp) a clever play on words-the same Igbo becomes the archilles heel that destroyed the Igbo empire - a Fela piece would done some good to the interpretation of this inclusion.

Crown troupe's theatre is an example of culture adapting to simulation, theatre and the visual media becoming undifferentiated equivalent forms, simulation and real-time media substituting for the real.The big question however is this; should Adefila substitute his guerrilla and total theatre approach for a different post modernist concept? I saw actors battling with the delivery of lines and the interpretation of language. Should a post-modernist convert attempt to marry realism and absurd ism? I would have adored a full-fledged total theatre approach to Moremi RSV.

We should have seen a full exploration of mime, music and dance in the realization of Arigbabu's play script. There was just a little bit of spectacle here and there and sparks of electrifying moments.

Once I saw a post-modernist interpretation of OBA KOSO, play on the legendary Oyo king, warrior and magician at the University of Ibadan Arts Theatre. Sango appeared in suit and his two warriors were clad in camouflage military outfits with their machine guns and sophisticated weapons.Sango would spit fire from his mouth but this sango has a remote control with which he dished out fire and brimstone. His wives were smartly clad in trendy outfits while the plot and theme of the were driven through the music of Fela and Lagbaja.

For some reason Adefila suspended his practical theory of electrifying performances, which were always interlaced with music, dance, mime and rich poetry for some mixture of elegant delivery of lines. I found some adlibs and improvisation tending towards slapstick, the emphatic piont is that, we saw less of Crown troupe's blueprint of an all round performnace. The performance could have passed as a splendid Moremi musical and dance drama. They would have explored more popular songs, more dance performances for the warrior scenes and a clearly dosmeticated style of speaking.

I wanted to be wowed with the use of more contemporary costumes,light design,props and musical instruments - i saw half measures. I just wanted a clean departure from previous versions of the Moremi material but that didn't resonate. What ever happened to crown troupe's unique style of dazzling its audience with dance routines and witty delivery of lines blended with upbeat and tempo riddled music? I am sure the audience kept looking out for that connection between the old and the new,which is what I think post-modernism is all about. 

Overall the audience got a dose of a new form beckoning for attention; the absurd theatre in post-mordern fashion. The performance was moderately satisfactory with raging applause from the audience when the right connection was made. In their usual mode Crown troupe brought on their special technique involving quality music rendition,interesting dance patterns and mime. It is surely the begining of better days for the theatre,saying to the African Theatre:

''lets take the new media to the theatre,lets bring the old wine and pour it in the new wine,mix it with some other new wine brands so that the deadly theatre can come alive''. 

Kudos crown troupe!

Jay-z Abami Eda

"omi olota

water e no get enemy"

(instrumentals)

This is one notable piece from the legend, the super hero of afro-beat, Fela Anikulapokuti- abami eda. I have a full collection of fela's songs as i adore his philosophy,lyrical compositions and mind blowing african rhythm. If i am not sounding heretic i worship fela's beats- he is an inspiration to my "musical inclinations". Fela's songs shaped my appreciation for music. He was one of those artiste i grew up listening to. Think of those early saturday mornings when father would place his record (old school disc plate) on the turn table and we rocked to the soothing rhythm.

Even as a teenager i remember those days when we locked ourselves up in the room singing along and miming every word of fela's lyrics. I have now confirmed that i love nigerian music than anyother brand, style or genre of music and for this reason i hold a rich library of nigerian music,i guard them jealously and secretly. Do not get me wrong i love wyclef,will smith, lauryn hill, india arie, fergie,alicia keys and other artistes from other continents but don't try my passion for the home goomed naija breeds from the old to the new school.

Recently i got the amazement of my life....i listened to jay-z's new hits and found out that he had sampled fela's beat in no small measure-it was shocking,confusing and maybe excitng to hear.I mean baba's songs have been remixed by an american rapper of "repute".I felt some thing different, a feeling that our cultural artifacts have been stolen once again! On the other hand i appreciate the fact that other cultures are depending on nigeria for their creativity. I wonder what dede mabiaku, kola ogunkoya, alariwo, seyi sologbade, lagbaja and many other afro-beat artistes would be thinking now:

"we didin't even go this far

na who give this yeye jay-z and mike love right

to sample baba song?

Who give them chance? femi or seun!"

Well i saw the rat in the cupboard when talib kweli (another american rapper) produced his video in nigeria and particularly shot a bulk of his footage at the african shrine. He must have gone ahead to do some tatafo for jay-z. Jay-z and co-conspirator mike love didnt take it easy,they sampled not one not two no three of fela's songs; they went all the way... check out the tracklisting and the Fela samples used.

1. Intro "Army Arrangement" from, the Best Of Fela Kuti (2000)"VIP" from, VIP (1979)

2. Pray "Sorrow Tears And Blood" from, the Best Of Fela Kuti (2000)

3. American Dreaming"Upside Down" from Album, Upside Down (1976)

4. Hello Brooklyn"Mistake" from Live! (With Ginger Baker), (1971)

5. No Hook"Ariya" from album, Roforofo Fight/The Fela Singles (1972) (2006)

6. Roc Boys"Water No Get Enemy" from, Expensive Shit, (1975)"Mop / movement of the people" from Live in Amsterdam (1984). "Stop The Violence" from, By Any Means Necessary-BDP (1988)

7. Sweet "My Lady Frustration" The'69, Los Angeles Sessions (1993)

8. I Know "Confusion" from, Confusion (1975)

9. Party Life"Viva Nigeria" from, The Los Angeles Sessions '69, (1993)

10. Ignorant Shit "Fear Not For Man" from, Stalemate (1977),

11. Say Hello "Coffin For Head Of State" from, the Best Of Fela Kuti (2000)"Mr. Grammarticalologylisatitiona Is The Boss" Monkey Banana, (1976)

12. Success "Swegbe And Pako" from, Open & Close (1971)

13. Falling "Mattress" from, Noise For Vendor Mouth (1975)

14. Blue Magic"Water No Get Enemy" from, Expensive Shit, (1975)

15. American Gangster "Kalakuta Show" from, Kalakuta Show (1976) "Wayo" The'69, Los Angeles Sessions (1993)

Wetin man go do now? when jay-z has done a tight sample of fela's song. what is the significance of this in the socio-cultural scene, does it validate that notion that nigerian has what it takes to evolve as a world leader in different spheres of life?does it mean we are been exploited? does it mean there are no versatile and creative writers to adapt blasts from the past? do we have to wait for people like wyclef,akon to remix obey and sunny ade's songs before we realize that there is a lot potential in those archives that we label rusty?