Archive for the ‘Yoruba General Talk’ Category

Laid the foundation for Nollywood

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

Laying the path for nollywood

The relevance of the movie profession in the effort toward realization of peace and harmony in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized. One of those that made that relevancy a reality is Charles Olumo, the Abeokuta-born prominent Yoruba artist that has successfully spent 54 years showcasing Yoruba culture through movies.
The 83-year-old man, popularly called Agbako, the movie name that shot him into the limelight, spoke to Bashir Adefaka in Lagos recently. Excerpts:

What can you tell us about your background?

I was born in Abeokuta and had my early education there. When I was in school I was into sports because I ran a lot and did well in other sporting activities. This year I’m 83 years precisely.

When did you join the movie industry and why did you choose to play the role of Agbako (trouble) in the many movies you partook in the past?

First and foremost, I must tell you that today I am one of the happiest living persons on earth because I live to realise that I am still alive.

I embraced the Theatre in 1956 and I chose to be Agbako (Misfortune) in movies because I wanted to drive home a point that bad and good go together. As there are bad people so there are a lot who are wonderfully good.

My bad role in movies was to enable people identify bad people and be able to understand also what is bad. It was also my idea to make people know the consequences of being evil.

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Nigerian music artistes are singing trash and smiling to the banks –Alariwo of Africa

Monday, February 8th, 2010

Rotimi Etumudon-Martins, a.k.a Alariwo of Africa, has made his mark on the Nigerian music scene. He tells CHUX OHAI why he is coming back to music after a long break.

You have been away from the music scene for a long time. What have you been doing?

I have been busy. I‘ve been busy in the studio working on my new project. I am almost done; the title of the album is ‘Back on Track‘. It is a 16-track album. When the time comes, people will understand why I have been away.

You recorded your first music album in 1998. Why has it taken so long to come back to the scene?

I released my second album titled ‘Boju Boju‘ in 2002 and since 2002, I have not another album. Now I am releasing my third album in 2010, eight years after, the noisemaker is back. I wanted to take my time and I have been busy all the while. I have been anchoring events as an MC and I am into event packaging. I run a music studio of my own and I am equally a broadcaster. I have been making noise here and there and positively too. Music is my calling and I felt I should take my time as the industry has become more competitive. I love competition and the competition is getting annoying, hence I have to do it right.

What do you mean by the competition getting annoying?

It is getting annoying in the sense that it is getting more interesting. Some people are playing trash, but they are selling. I think these days it is about singing nonsense to make money. That is not the kind of music I want to do, I am too mature for that. I would say with confidence and without apology that I am a veteran in this industry, in my own little way. I have to take my time to come up with something very creative and that is exactly what I am doing.

If some of your colleagues, I suppose younger colleagues, have been singing trash and smiling to the banks, don‘t you think you should toe the same line?

I am a godfather in the industry. I don‘t need to sing trash because people are singing trash and smiling to the banks. And I can tell you that 85 percent of them are doing well, it is only 15 percent that are singing trash. Most of them however are very creative and making sense with their music. I don‘t have to imitate them. When I released ‘Yawa go gaz‘, most of them were either in primary school or secondary school. I wanted to take my time; I didn‘t want to rush anything. When the time is right people will decide, I am a matured artist so I have to play mature music.

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My Regret On Getting Married

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

She is one actress who has traversed Nigeria’s movie industry and is still standing tall to be counted.
She has acted in movies shot in Yoruba, Igbo and English languages. In Yoruba movies, she has accolades to tell her story. In Living in Bondage shot in Igbo language, she gave Nollywood its first real wet kiss on the set .
In this encounter, Ngozi Nwosu, the Arochukwu-born screen actress talks about her career, her failed marriage and her new found faith.

Ngozi Nwosu: I found peace in Yorubaland

You’ve been in Nollywood for quite sometime. But now you seem to be digressing. What’s going on?
I have not left Nollywood. But I had to chill out for sometime because I have other things that I’m doing. But at the same time, I’m still with them because I still have time to do some movies.
Have you done up to 50 movies?
I can’t count the number of movies I have done. The last time I needed to include some of them in my CV, they were more than that. The person I gave my CV to was like, ‘wao!’ What’s going on! So, I can’t count my movies. They are more than 50.

Complete Interview

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/10/24/my-regrets-about-my-marriage-ngozi-nwosu-speaks/

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