July: Of Exuberance and Melancholy

femi Akintunde-Johnson

Today, the peculiar month of July, 2021, extinguishes – yet, it has accommodated quite a distinguished list of Nigerian creative talents. Some were born without aplomb in a July, and quite a bunch stepped out of the stage permanently in one July or the other, trailed by exclamations of regrets or condolences.

We have been blessed in the outgoing month as families, friends and fans felicitated their reigning stars celebrating birthdays; or memorialised the passage of their fallen stars. Method actor, Norbert Young was 61 on July 3; Richard Mofe Damijo, mostly known as RMD, was 60, and his favorite director and friend, Tade Ogidan was 61 on the same day – July 6; and notable documentarian and filmmaker, Mahmood Ali Balogun, was 62 on July 19.

On the other side of life, it was on July 7, 2010, that theatre empress, Toun ‘Mama T’ Oni excused herself from our gathering, at 72; then certified industry grandma, Bukky Zainab Ajayi, followed in her footsteps on July 6, 2017 at 82; much earlier, the chief exponent of reversal film in Nigeria, before the advent of video Production, Adeyemi Meshioye (of Meshfilms) had crashed out of our space on January 5, 2008 – he was just 49 years old (born July 9, 1957).

We anchor this admixture of exuberance and melancholy on two significant players in the annals of the creative process: one alive and well at 79, on July 11; the other is of lingering fond memory whose legacy stands unimpeachable – he bowed finally on July 23, 2017.

OLU JACOBS, MFR

Big in all ramifications. Nigerian’s most regarded active actor (male or female) is an icon on stage, film, television and video. Born July 11, 1942, Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs has passed the great portals of the British National Theatre; has worked with some of the fathers of British post-modern feature films and television adventure dramas. With credits in Ashanti, Dogs of War, Pirates and Vigilante, few if any, can measure up to the pearly acting skills of this Ogun State-born thespian. Let’s look up some of his big-screen credits for clarity – Movies: Customs Officer in The Dogs of War (1980), Col. Nsogbu in Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend (1985); Boomako in Pirates (1986), and the crime celluloid, Vigilante (1988).

Longevity doesn’t necessarily bestow prestige; it’s deep in his haystacks of creative credits. Look and see his bulging TV series portfolio: The Goodies (1971), Spyder’s Web (1972), Till Death Us Do Part (1974 and 1981), The Venturers, Barlow (both 1975), Centre Play, The Crezz (both 1976); Musa Ladipo in Angels (1976-1983), 1990, The Tomorrow People, Storyteller in Jackanory (all 1978), Ashanti, Sylvester in The Professionals, Not the Nine O’Clock News (all 1979); President Gadin in Squadron (1982), African Doctor in The Mad Death (1983), Rumpole of the Bailey, Mr. Alabaster in The Witches and the Grinnygog (both 1983); Play for Today (1984); and Inspector Best Idafa in The Third Eye (1990–1993).

OJ-Naija, as pals of yore were fond of calling him, is married to the talented veteran actress, Joke Silva since 1985, and has consistently worked hard at his craft to amaze his audiences in every of his performances – irrespective of the locale or the culture.

When he deigned to check out what all the fuss about Nollywood was, he got sucked in…to the tune of no less than 500 flicks! He had an uncanny capacity to morph into the Igbo cosmology, and typecast a troubled or somnolent Eze (king) effectively… helped by his imposing gait and big tremulous voice. Here is another shortlist: Iva (1993), Another Love (1996), Obstacles (1998), Twins of the Rain Forest (short), Endtime, Oganigwe, Aba Riot (all 1999); Private Sin, The Kingmaker, Ago Kan Oru, Mission to Africa (all 2003); Eye of the Gods, Turn Table (both 2004); Soul on Fire,To Love a Stranger, Ultimate Crisis, Women in Power, A Time to Die, Omaliko, One God One Nation, Opin Irin Ajo (all 2005); The Prince and Me, One-Bullet, Royal Doom (all 2006)….

The phrase “home alone” was non-existent for Jacob in 2007 with almost 40 videos shot that year alone! …About 12 years ago, getting close to 70, the chief-incarnate began to slow down, a little; but he still gave us a handful: Bent Arrows, Bitter Generation, Power of a Kiss (all 2010); Sacred Lies (all 2011), Potomanto, Covert Operation (both 2013); Oba Ekpen in The Antique (2014), Oloibiri (2015), as Richard in The Royal Hibiscus Hotel (2017).

It is therefore not out of place that most of today’s budding stars gaze at OJ-Naija as a beacon, an inspirational fire-fly whose influence on the acting world is phenomenal. It feels really great to have an Olu Jacobs amongst us.

ADEBAYO FALETI, OON

His legacies are seething in several pioneering efforts. For a man who was meticulous in the use, deployment and transfer of correct information, the several strands of misinformation about his biodata is staggering.

Contrary to fancy stories that portrayed him as (born in 1921), that he was young, restless and unable to get his primary education dream flying, thus resorting to founding a theatre group, Oyo Youth Operatic Society (in 1949)… blah, blah, blah…most of what you see online are largely bunkum.

The official documentation accessed in the blerf.org, the Nigerian encyclopaedia run by foremost librarian, Nyannkno Osso, gives the avuncular multi-pioneer, Ajibade Mosobalaje Adebayo Faleti a fairly well-storied, robust educational and administrative trajectory which paint those other interesting biographies as colourful conjectures. The Blerf bio was updated six months before his demise.

Here are the cold facts – “Education: Native Authority School, Masifa-Ogbomosho, 1940; Baptist Day School, Isokun, Oyo, 1941-1944; St Joseph’s Catholic School, Oyo, 1945; Ibadan Boys’ High School, 1951-1955; University of Ibadan, 1965-1968; University of Dakar, Senegal – summer of 1968; Radio Netherlands Training Centre, Hilversum, Holland, 1971.”

Sieving through his career high points is more illuminating. Let’s focus on areas relevant to our remit. He served as a ‘Cinema Commentator’ at the Western Region’s Ministry of Home Affairs and Information (1956 – 1959); pioneer Film Editor and Film Librarian, Western Nigeria Radiovision Services (WNTV-WNBS), 1959; Executive Producer – Television Entertainment, WNTV-WNBS, 1974; Executive Producer, Radio Entertainment, 1975 (WNBS); Controller, Radio Programmes, 1976 (WNBS); Controller, Radio O.Y.O. Programmes, 1976-1977; Director, Programme Services, Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS), Ibadan, 1977; General Manager, BCOS, 1981 – 1985; Permanent Secretary, BCOS, 1983; and lastly, the Director of Arts and Culture, Oyo State, 1984.

The pioneer newscaster, arguably Nigeria’s first film editor and librarian, Faleti has over the years nursed a formidable reputation as a notable poet, playwright, writer, astute translator, and occasional actor. Adebayo Faleti had written several important plays (and some have been adapted to movies, and quite a number used in Nigerian literature classes) – all in Yoruba language. His publications include: Won Ro Pe Were Ni (play, University Press, Ibadan, 1965); Omo Olokun-Esin (novel, University of London Press, 1969); Paadi Mikailu (play, Onibonoje, Ibadan, 1971); and Basorun Gaa (play, Onibonoje, 1972).

Untamed by age, undaunted by modernity, his later works revealed a mind confident of his position in history. He acted, wrote, and produced a number of movies, which include: Eda Ko Laropin (1995), Thunderbolt: Magun (2001), Afonja (2002), Basorun Gaa (2004), Sawo-Sogberi (2005), and Okun Ife Yi (2007).

Faleti died about 6am on Sunday, July 23, 2017 at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State. His official bio insists he was born on December 26, 1935 (meaning he died at 81).

(With extracts from Reflections: Anthology of Thoughts on Nigerian Movie Industry).