OjuOponIfa

Funke — A calm dream halts (Published in The Guardian in 2002) Today from 6pm, artistes and friends of the National Troupe of Nigeria will converge for a rite. Not for the type of high performances that the apex performing troupe in the country is renowned locally and international. No! It is a dirge.... a dark rite to send forth one of the troupe’s bright stars who died unripe last Saturday after an illness. Venue is the Artistes’ Hostel within the National Theatre Complex. SHE was thin. Perhaps too thin for a dancer, or so one thought. Yet the light-face young lady was always in the heat of dance sessions. She would never be missed in a show of the National Troupe of Nigeria. Her bosses said it was because she had the first requirement: right attitude to work. She has the others too: talent; skill; zeal; energy and; resourcefulness. Besides, "she is well brought up, with the right manner", said Ahmed Yerima, the bereaved boss of the lady dancer. Olufunke Ajibaiye. Pr...

A Season Wed. Text 28/8/2002 A season for distressed artistes By Jahman Anikulapo (It was 10 years ago in June that Hakeem Died) Only the Festac Town access bridge separates the two distressed men. The one lives in a black of flats in the Amuwo Estate, which he won in 1973 through a ballot. The other lives in a type-8 house 'loaned' to him in 1994 by his in-law. But the men created a coincidence on February 10. They rode the news in culture town. While the one in Amuwo was formally presenting his latest novel publication to his colleagues and friends at the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, the Festac Towner was on the airwaves, as guest on the afternoon belt magazine programme of Radio Lagos, The Beat. The coincidence however testifies to a season of distress, not only for the two men, but for the artist. While the National Theatre's heart palpitated to the appliances and backpating that heralded the ingenuity of Hakeem in producing perhaps, the first ever compendiu...

NIGERIA WILL RULE THE WORLD; JUST WAIT, WATCH… AND SEE (Interview conducted in 2004 for the Radio Nigeria by Danielle Badagri in 2004) Danielle: It is my pleasure to bring to you Jahman Anikulapo, the editor of The Guardian on Sunday. He is an artiste extraordinary, a culture activist par excellence; a journalist of hhigh repute… How are you? Jahman: I’m fine, but … eh… . that was very heavy. Danielle: Well, having you here with me defies monetary quantification, I can tell you that. How has it been since you took over the helm of affairs of The Guardian on Sunday. What are the challenges and prospects? Jahman: Well, it’s indeed a challenge. It was offered to me a long time ago but I didn’t want to take it because I thought I was just made to write on arts and culture. But when it was represented -- always by my M.D.-- I decided to take it up; and I think it has been very challenging in many dimensions. The first one is the fact that on the Arts desk, while I was Arts Editor, I was u...