For the late theatre icon and dramatist, Duro Ladipo, the legacies he bequeathed in promoting African culture and tradition through his exploits reverberated in Osun last Monday when traditional rulers, the academia, families and friends converged on the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding (CBCIU), Osogbo, Osun State, for his 41st posthumous anniversary.
Duro Ladipo, a native of Osogbo, who bestrode the entertainment industry in the post-colonial era, carved a niche for himself by dictating the pace in the production of traditional drama series and celluloid films that brought to the fore the rich cultural heritage of the Yoruba ethnic group.
A peep into the historical background of Duro Ladipọ indicated that he was born on December 18, 1931 and died on March 11, 1978, while he remained one of the best known and critically acclaimed Yoruba dramatists who emerged from postcolonial Africa.
Writing solely in the Yoruba language, he captivated the symbolic spirit of Yoruba mythologies in his plays, which were later adapted to other media such as photography, television and cinema.
His most famous play, Ọba kò so (The King did not Hang), a dramatisation of the traditional Yoruba story of how Ṣango became the god of thunder, received international acclaim at the first Commonwealth Arts Festival in 1965 and on a European tour, where a Berlin critic, Ulli Beier, compared Ladipo to Karajan. Ladipo usually acted in his own plays.
While his short sojourn on earth lasted, the then 47 years old icon tried hard and succeeded in exposing himself to traditional and Yoruba cultural elements, especially when living under the veil of a Christian home. At a young age, he would sneak out of the vicarage to watch Yoruba festivals. This fascination with his culture goaded him into researching and experimenting with theatrical drama and writing.
CCB tempered with the asset declaration forms I submitted ― Onnoghen
After leaving Oṣogbo, he went to Ibadan, where he became a teacher. While in Ibadan he became one of the founding members of an art club called Mbari Mbayo and became influenced by Beier. He later replicated the club in Oṣogbo, and it became the premier group for promoting budding artistes and dramatists in Oṣogbo. Throughout his career, Duro Ladipọ wrote ten Yoruba folk operas combining dance, music, mime, proverbs, drumming and praise songs.
Ladipo started his personal theatre group in 1961, but he became fully established with the founding of the Mbari Mbayo Club in Oṣogbo. His popularity as the leader of a folk opera group rested on his three plays: Ọbamoro in 1962, Ọba ko so and Ọba Waja in 1964. (Ọba Waja – “The King is Dead” -was premised on the same historical event that inspired fellow Nigerian playwright Wọle Ṣoyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman.) He also promoted Mọremi, a play about the Yoruba heroine of the same name.
He later transformed Mbari Mbayo into a cultural centre, an arts gallery and a meeting point for young artists seeking to develop their talents. Duro Ladipọ wrote quite a number of plays, such as Suru Baba Iwa” and “Tanimowo Iku.” Some of his plays were also produced for television. In fact, he created Bode Wasinmi for the Nigerian Television Authority, Ibadan. In 1977, Duro Ladipo participated in FESTAC ‘77, the second world festival of Black and African Arts and Culture, in Lagos.
Speaking at the 41st posthumous anniversary of Duro Ladipo held inside the Ulli Beier hall of the CBCIU, the former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, maintained that the late playwright’s legacies succeeded in promoting African culture, tradition in global arts community.
Oyinlola, who was represented by the former Secretary to Osun State Government (SSG), Alhaji Kazeem Adio, said “that we all gathered here today 41 years after to memorialise and honour this great African speaks much about who Duro Ladipo was and what he continues to represent for global arts community.”
According to Oyinlola, who is also the chairman, board of trustees of CBCIU, there was critical need among all the relevant stakeholders to promote Yoruba language among the Nigerian youths and strive to preserve African cultural heritage so as to protect the identity of the black race in the world.
He stated that “Duro Ladipo’s untiring dedication to Yoruba stage play at the time virtually few expressed interest in them remains phenomenal. And given the fact that he departed too soon at a time his experience, expertise and knowledge were most needed, a heavy burden was placed on us his enthusiastic devotees to enliven the legacies he left behind.
“What CBCIU has, therefore, done as part of its noble contributions to the memory of Duro Ladipo is its decision to build a mausoleum at the playwright’s final resting place and also rehabilitate the famous Mbari Mbayo club which when completed will serve as a worthy international tourist centre and melting pot for all culture enthusiasts.”
Earlier in his address, the executive director of CBCIU, Professor Siyan Oyeweso noted that the late Duro Ladipo contributed immensely to Nigerian theatre and stage play, stressing that “like his contemporaries, such as late Hubert Ogunde, Oyin Adejobi, Kola Ogunmola, among others, left for us tangible reasons to learn from.”
He further stated that “as one of the pioneers of the Yoruba traveling theatre in post-colonial Nigeria, his plays occupy a significant standing in the political, sociocultural and religious milieu of the Yoruba people.”
Delivering a lecture entitled: ‘Design and Aesthetic Elements in Duro Ladipo’s Oba Koso and Moremi’ at the event, Professor Duro Oni of the Department of Creative Arts, University of Lagos said “Oba Koso is undoubtedly Ladipo’s most successful and popular play, a recreation on stage of the story of the legendary Yoruba thunder-king, Sango, who was also at some points, the Alaafin of Oyo.”
According to him, “the performance captured Sango’s war exploits, rise to power and fame and subsequent clash with his lieutenants, especially Gbonka and finally his disgrace and abdication of the throne, to his subsequent suicide and deification by the people.
“Georgina Beier was Ladipo’s main technical designer. According to her, and with particular reference to Oba Koso, the main concern was how to construct the set that was mainly a backdrop which represented what she described as both Beier and Ladipo’s attraction for tempestuous characters with creative energy that was to unfold and mature around the theatre.
“While designing and supervising the production of the set (backdrop), Georgina also monitored the costumes production. Especially, the costumes worn by Sango’s two lieutenants, Gbonka and Timi played by Ademola Onibonokuta and Tijani Mayakiri, both of whom brought their individual expertise to their roles. While Mayakiri was a renowned dancer and graphic artist, Onibonokuta was an Ifa priest. Both actors designed their costumes and added necessary materials to enrich the attires and enhance their individual roles.
“Looking back to when he (Ladipo) started shortly after being expelled from the church, most especially the Christmas Cantata that he wrote, directed and produced and which he presented with musical imagination, inventiveness with full range of dundun and bata drums, Ladipo’s foray into Yoruba ritual and its aesthetics that was central to his theatre was enthusiastically received and established him as one of the greatest dramatists of the time,” Oni said.
Dignitaries at the posthumous anniversary included the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun; the Orangun of Oke-Ila Orangun, Oba Adedokun Abolarin; the Eesa of Iragbiji, Chief Muraina Oyelami; students and lecturers of the departments of Theatre Arts, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, University of Lagos, among others.
and then