Wole Soyinka: An activist writer @ 76

Last Tuesday marked the 76th year of existence of one of Africa’s most brilliant yet controversial minds, and in our bid to remember him, as one of Africa’s literary giants and Pan- Africanist, we explore who the man Wole Soyinka really is.
Soyinka is no doubt an African enigma. While it is difficult to put a definition to the man known for his bravery and outspokenness especially in the face of injustice and what he sees as the oppression of the just man, Soyinka has established himself over the years as a person who is also known to favour ‘two sides of the coin’, who wants people to know the story.
While it would be simplistic to say Soyinka is flatly an activist, it would be on the safer side to say, he is a writer, an idealist yet realist. This much of Soyinka could be glimpsed from his interactions with the forces of the society (his realism), and his desire for what is ideal as expounded in a number of his books.
Not to confuse him with Chinua Achebe, with whom he has often been compared, Soyinka is an optimist, who sees a measure of good in his characters, and constructs them to achieve a deeper purpose in life. The differences between him and Achebe would further be played out in real life situations: Soyinka believes in Nigeria and Africa; he believes that things could be put aright if certain measures are put in place. This, among many other reasons, was why he had chosen to live in Nigeria despite his being world-wise like Achebe. Achebe, however, seem to believe that everything is lost; and nothing could be done to redeem the black man.
Soyinka’s activism is pronounced. He had wanted to serve in the Second World War, even at age 10; but his height, which was way too below what was required, fouled him. He was one of the Original Seven who founded the Pyrate Confraternity, now the National Association of Seadogs, to oppose the Westernisation of African students at the then University College, Ibadan, and to defend the minority female students. He opposed the Nigerian Civil War of 1967-1970, negotiating with Western powers not to support any of the warring factions. He was imprisoned for close to three years for this ‘treasonable felony’. While in prison, and denied access to a paper and pen, he invented the Soy-ink, and was scribbling away at edges of newspapers, and other scraps he could lay his hands on. All these were in his youth.
Even in his old age, Soyinka has never for once left his activism, or may be his activism never left him. Last year, he branded a BBC documentary on Lagos set in the slum areas of the once Nigerian capital as both condescending and colonialist. He had months earlier called Britain a ‘cesspit of religious extremism’ while responding to the case of the Christmas bomber, Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab.
The series of three programmes, titled ‘Welcome to Lagos’ follows groups of people living in three impoverished areas: a rubbish dump, a Lagos lagoon and the city’s beach area.
In an interview with The Guardian about the series, Professor Soyinka said that the BBC2 observational documentary was ‘the most tendentious and lopsided programme’ he had ever seen. Although the series was well received in UK by most critics, Soyinka is not at all at home with the message portrayed by the series. He said the programme displayed “the worst aspects of “colonialist and patronising” attitudes towards Africa.
“There was no sense of Lagos as what it is – a modern African state. What we had was jaundiced and extremely patronising. It was saying ‘Oh look at these people who can make a living from the pit of degradation’. He lambasted the BBC which has over the years built a close relationship with him.
Where did Soyinka get his activism, and his views of everyday human society?
A re-reading of his autobiographical books, Ake and Ibadan, which document his youth, upto the age of 10, and his growing up, attending the University, both in Nigeria and London, and his eventual emergence as a teacher of Drama and Literature, help reconstruct the septuagenarian’s activism. Most recently, his memoirs You Shall Set Forth At Dawn brings to fore his hindsight of events, and either a justification or rebuke of these.
Born in 1934 in Abeokuta, Western Nigeria, Soyinka tells us in Ake of being an emissary in the Women Riots of 1949, where his mother took an active leading role. That was the breeding grounds of Soyinka’s activism. A son of a teacher whom he refers to as Essay in his book Isara: A Journey Around My Father, (apparently, a factionalised biography of his father) Soyinka was always beside his disciplinarian father, listening to elderly comments on current realities, and possible solutions. Right from this young age, the stage was almost set for young Soyinka to evolve into an activist that we now celebrate.
In Ibadan, Soyinka recollects his experiences at the Government College Ibadan, a colonial school at the time; and how he stood up on many occasions to the teachers. He recounts instances where he daunted all odds and dug out a juju supposedly buried by a Bini boy. In all these, it was evident that Soyinka was not at all getting prepared for a passive adult life.
It may be said, without much contradiction, that Soyinka’s writing is a way of giving vent to his activism. He has participated in a number of road walks, campaigning against one form of injustice or the other; yet this could not really distinguish his voice from the million others that also agitate along with him; thus Soyinka takes the pen.
Soyinka is credited as one of the best users of the English language in the world. How does it happen? An answer is still present in his upbringing as a boy in a purely Yoruba culture, where the mastery of language is encouraged. The truth is that Soyinka mastered his own culture, and falls on it in writing. This is probably the answer why his play Death and the King’s Horseman though written in English could be translated into Yoruba almost word for word.
Soyinka is an organiser, and a thinker. While he taught drama and literature at various universities in Ibadan, Lagos, and Ife, where, since 1975, he has been professor of comparative literature, he founded the theatre group, "The 1960 Masks" and in 1964, the "Orisun Theatre Company", in which he has produced his own plays and taken part as actor. He was also known to have composed a lot of music most of which were performed by his theatre group. Notable among this was I Love My Country, composed in pidgin. Not to forget, he has also been touted as only second to the late Ken Saro-Wiwa in the use of pidgin.
Soyinka has also been known to be a very astute critic of the Nigerian government. He has also written and performed celebrated plays and satires of African colonialist attitudes and on African dictatorships. He has even spoken out against the regime of Zimbabwean leader Mugabe.
Amongst his birthday wishes, Soyinka has been called ‘one in one hundred and forty million’, and he has also been called the ‘untainted soul’. People world over, and Nigerians view Soyinka as a fruit without blemish who has inspired a lot of Africans world over to do the right thing and criticize their government when it seems to be heading the wrong way.
A case in point of Soyinka’s views is captured in his critically analysed work ‘The Interpreter’. ‘The Interpreter’, set in post colonial Nigeria, revolves round the lives of six friends, who have returned to the country with foreign degrees, and high hopes of snagging rewarding jobs. First things first however: they have to fit into the system. The book tells of each of their experiences in their quest to achieve their dreams. It also tells of the then corruption which has not still left Nigeria; ‘Sagoe, the somewhat cynical journalist, faces corruption as he discovers that his American degree is not all he needs to attain a good job. Following an interview with a newspaper over a possible position, a member of the paper's board demands for a bribe and explains, "... degree is too plenty... so everybody is rushing to fill all vacancy."
According to writer Amina Maikori, The Interpreters' as a cocktail of sorts, laced with humour, social realism and giving an insight into the neo-colonised system that used to and still pervades the Nigerian society.
Associated with the post-colonial movement in writing, Soyinka is one of the most prolific writers ever to emerge out of Africa, having published plays, poetry collections, novels, autobiographies, reviews, essays and critiques, speeches as well as children story books. No doubt that Africa’s first literary Nobel laureate deserves to be celebrated, not just as a fanfare on every July 13, but as an open-ended subject of Africa’s social realities and literature.

Finding relevance for Gambian actors in the face of telenovelas

No TV soap captures the soul of a nation like Shades of Sin does The Gambia, maybe. One may wonder what is unique about this Brazilian telenovela, (originally titled Da Cor do Pecado), that once it was taken off-air to make way for the three-week long Kanilai Festival, many were disappointed, and some began the frantic search to find alternative sources of buying it. For them, only one thing was important: how does it all end?
Preta de Souza (Tais Araujo) is the protagonist of our play, facing a serious battle of the mind, and of possession of Paco/Apollo Lambertini (Reynaldo Gianechinni) with Barbara Campos Sodre (Giovanna Antonelli). This romance evolved into tragedy, that is, the supposed death of Paco, and the crisis that followed of who really is Paco’s son between Rai (Preta’s son) and Octavius (Barbara’s troubled son). It progresses into the deadly games that Tony (Barbara’s husband) plays with everybody’s life. The comic scenes of Mr. Eduardo, (Barbara’s father), his wife and Bekao, and that of the Sardinhas and so on and so forth, are the stock in trade of Shades of Sin.
If one may ask, what is that glued the people to it for so long?
Some avid followers of the soap are in concert that ‘Shades of Sin’ has something to offer though it has its downsides. According to an art critic and writer, Edward Carayol, “Shades of Sin is a very educational and electrifying soap, which glues one to the TV as soon as one starts watching it. Its theme is thick, and its scenes are edited such that one cannot wait for another episode as one finishes.” In other words, one could say the production is ‘tight’. Edward continues: “It is a nice soap, which contains comedy, action and romance. It also depicts plots of deception which makes it all the more interesting.” Edward’s view was shared by many people.
However, not everybody agrees with his analysis. Another respondent, Alhassan Darboe, Political Science major at the University of The Gambia said: “It is a silly film full of deceit, use of vulgar words, lessons and settings from which our children stand to learn nothing from.” He has a right to his opinion. In fact, Alhassan was happy that the soap, along with others like ‘Two Sides of Anna’ and ‘Passion’ were taken off-air to make way for the Kanilai Festival. Don’t try to gauge his disappointment as the shows breezed back into our homes.
There are others who are not in support like Edward, and neither in antagonism like Alhassan. Kebba Ansu Manneh, who has his interests in the promotion of tourism in The Gambia, represents this group when he says: “My impression of the films is truly mixed. Though they are really enjoyable, educative and entertaining, but they do interfere with the precious time of children to focus on their studies.” Mark Kebba’s words. Kebba was concerned that many children who have become the most ardent lovers of these soaps waste their precious times delaying homework and avoiding house chores because ‘Preta is here again!’.
Within these subtle prisms, it is important to look at what is in it for us. It is entertaining, yes; educative, maybe; consumes time, an emphatic yes. While everybody could give the GRTS (Gambia Radio and Television Service) the kudos for making us glued to our national TV now, (there had been times that some people know RTS (Senegal TV’s) schedule more than they do GRTS’; some have been considering what big investment and cultural gain it would have been for The Gambia if local artistes have been organized and sponsored to make such soap. I am proudly a member of this group.
First, the millions of dalasi that go into the sponsorship of these soaps could be invested in local artistes. By so doing, we build the abilities of Gambian actors to partake on the global stage, building their resilience and confidence to compete wherever actors compete. We do not need actors from other countries to ‘help’ us make films, but to ‘collaborate’ with us in making films. A word for ‘Big Brother’ Nollywood there.
Second, the fact that the GRTS is now on satellite gives us that comparative advantage to show to the world what we have got. It does make little gain for us if we promote Brazilian soaps on our satellite. Rather, people should see what is Gambian on our Gambian TV. Let us draw an example from Nigeria, not because it is better, but because it offers a model we can adapt. The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) is the national TV of Africa’s most populous country. While it has at least a station in each of the states of the federation, it still has national stations and also the international arm on satellite. (The other smaller NTAs also are on satellite.) On NTA International, it’s rare that you see programmes that promote other cultures except Nigerian and African culture. Don’t ever dream of a Brazilian soap opera on the NTA International. It won’t happen!
The same way, the national TV here could ensure that rather than showing all these Southern American soaps to the outside world, our home-made, specifically funded local movie productions are shown. This is the cultural advantage we talk of.
There are challenges, however. Foreign soaps are cheap to acquire; they are better produced, and they offer something entirely new to our cultural experience. I capture some of Kebba’s thoughts here: “The fact that these films are of higher standard than the local ones; people do have a stronger appetite for them than ours. This tends to kill our own growing acting industry.”
Edward shares Kebba’s thoughts. For him, however , the Southern American soap operas do not kill the local industry, because that local industry is inexistent. Edward is wary of some of the ‘foreign’ and undesirable traits that these soaps may leave with us. We have seen some people who have taken up the character of Ruby (remember the wayward girl and protagonist of the soap opera ‘Ruby’) since the soap ended. Edward was worried: Imagine how it would be to see a Gambian child behaving like Mr. Eduardo, a weird old man, who combines lechery with pick-pocketing. It is disastrous! That’s Edward’s declaration. Edward is in a way explaining the power of the television. Children model themselves after their heroes. Mr Edward or Bekao could be someone’s hero, note that.
Another respondent, Jami even points at indirect effects of these soaps. Mothers have left children uncatered for because they are glued to their TV. Hey, Preta is back, and don’t disturb! Don’t forget the fact that businesses are also affected; workers sneak an eye on the TV, productivity reduces etc. Some children know the names of the actors in these soaps more than they know the names of teachers in their schools.
While we cannot rule out the fact that right now, we have these visitors in our homes, even if we do not invite them, are there ways that there could be collective gains. Yes. Amadou Camara, a political science student at the University of The Gambia believes that Gambian artistes can learn from the professionalism of our dear Brazilian actors and make this reflect on their own careers. He believes that once they refine their act, then we can take over from Preta and company. For Edward, it is high time that cinema halls are built. According to him, the presence of a space to act makes it the more endearing for actors and actresses to gather and make good use of their talent. Many tourism pundits would agree with Edward. The presence of a cinema house would rake in additional revenue for Gambian artistes. Tourists love to pay a few bucks for some nice performance. Many people would also agree that part of the millions of dalasi that is being spent sponsoring these soaps can also be used in building more sustainable structures for Gambian artistes to take their rightful space in the movie world.
While we welcome Preta and friends back into our homes, we would like to canvass for ways of making our artistes replace them in the nearest future.

UK court jails Gambian brothers for dealing drugs

A court in Portsmouth, United Kingdom has jailed two Gambian brothers after they were found guilty of dealing in cocaine and other drugs.

According to Portsmouth’s ‘The News’, the two brothers, who entered England in 2007, tried to deny they were related after their drug dealing den was uncovered.

“When police raided a one-bedroom flat in Goodwood Road, Southsea, in October last year they found £2,000 of cocaine hidden in jars in the kitchen and £1,700 worth of cannabis stuffed inside a bongo drum,” the paper reported.

According to the paper, Lamin Darbo tried to claim he had been forced to sell cocaine while his younger brother Bubacarr denied they were related and said he had no involvement in the drugs.

Bubacarr even spelt his surname with an 'e' on the end in an effort to show they were not related. But a judge at Portsmouth Crown Court rejected their story and said they had rented out a flat to set up their cocaine and cannabis operation.
The brothers have now been jailed for eight-and-a-half years.

Judge Graham White said: 'I have no doubt at all that this was a property that both of you had set up together to be a drugs house from which you could go out to the streets to deal to increase the evils of the drugs trade, to increase the misery which is put on members of society by the use of unlawful drugs.'

Lamin Darbo, 34, pleaded guilty to possession of class A and B drugs with intent to supply. He was jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Bubacarr, 30, was found guilty after a trial of possession of class A and B drugs with intent to supply and possession of criminal property, which was £370 in drug profits. He was jailed for five years.

Judge White said: 'You have no addiction yourself. This was a commercial enterprise.
'The public and people like you have to know that prison sentences will follow convictions of this sort.'

PC Mark Stephenson, who led the investigation, said: '
'They both tried to lie their way out of it. This sends a message to anyone who thinks they can deal class A drugs in Portsmouth that they will receive a substantial prison sentence.'

How Gambia’s Queen is batik-ing the US

Amie Krubally, popularly known as Queen Amie is one of The Gambia’s export to the United States of America. And for her, there seems to be only one goal, only one motivation: to dazzle America with her unique batik designs.

Born in Bakau, Ms. Krubally because of family ties, which stretch to Senegal and Mali, had the opportunity to travel frequently as a child. The rich cultures of Mali, Senegal, and her own country, The Gambia, had a profound influence on her during her formative years. Over the years, she developed a view of art and history that was finally brought to life when she was introduced to Batik in 1963. The state of the art, which at the time was known as "Stamp Batik," was a process where pieces of wood were carved to make patterns, which were dipped in wax and placed on fabric to make designs. The first major departure from this method in Bakau was pioneered by Amie Krubally and resulted in the expressive and painterly forms that distinguish her art from its precedents.

Amie has gained worldwide recognition for her innovation and artistry. The Gambian government granted her the title, "Queen of Batik", in recognition of her wide-reaching influence in the art of Batik. Over the past forty years, she has worked, taught, and exhibited in locations as diverse as Los Angeles, London, and Berlin. Ms. Krubally is renown not only for having led the revolution in forms and techniques of Batik but also for having used her art to tell the rich histories of her Cassamance and Gambian heritage, springing from Bintong Krubally, a Malian king and her great grandfather. Her works tell the stories of her ancestry: Sundiata Keita, slavery, motherlessness, pain, victory, life - themes that bring admiration for a woman who can boast of a Bakau Primary education and some training in the United States but who has gone on to sit with city mayors, presidents, and renown artists and dignitaries throughout the world.

Now living in Tenderloin, neighborhood of San Francisco, United States, Amie holds exhibitions and trainings which have made her gain wide popularity among the neighbourhood. Amie’s batiks have been described as a “remarkable, ambitious, and complicated melding of culture, class, and creativity.”

Queen Amie participated in a neighbourhood exhibition in September, 2009, where her designs were singled out as unique. The themes in the artwork include, among other things, human trafficking, theater, homelessness, immigrant communities, local history and architecture, and giving a voice to children shuttered by the environment.

Amie’s designs are based on her own personal stories and the folk myths from her native land. For the past several years, she has been living in the Tenderloin, unable to ply her craft due to her current living situation. However, it took the support of artists Doug Hall and John Roloff who used the Wonderland Project as a vehicle to provide Queen a much-needed studio to produce her work, and enable her to share her batik legacy and expertise through an exhibition and workshops, giving her a voice and means to share her enormous talent with a larger audience and the community.

Hall and Roloff managed to find Queen a studio space, along with equipment and materials, where Queen has been working, displaying her wares, and teaching her craft for the duration of the Wonderland exhibition. Thanks to the generosity of the clothing designer, Lily Samii,Queen Amie enjoyed the use of a dream studio; Samii donated the large ground floor of her building at 125 Hyde Street where Samii's production studios are located. Here, over the past month, Queen was able to display her artwork, create new work, and offer several batik workshops for friends and residents of the Tenderloin.

Hall and Roloff explain, "During our research [for Wonderland], we came up with numerous ideas, many of which involved procedures for interacting with and celebrating members of the community and their stories. While a couple of these excited us, they seemed, at the same time, overly abstract and perhaps self-serving in the sense that they imposed our vision onto the community rather than allowing elements within the community to come forward and to do so on their own terms and with their voices intact, which has been our intention all along." Their work with Queen, in which they acted less as "artists" and more as promoters and facilitators, turned out to be a perfect match - not merely a temporary artistic intervention in the neighborhood, but instead a collaboration with Queen and the Tenderloin community that hopefully will produce lasting effects.

This work highlighted the talent and also hardship of the local artist living in the Tenderloin. Queen conducted four workshops for adults and children living in the Tenderloin (including the Tenderloin Boys and Girls Club) imparting her knowledge and skill in this almost forgotten art form.

"Queen ran a batik factory in The Gambia, employed hundreds of people, and got an award for her exemplary leadership there," said Roloff. "When Doug and I met her, we were charmed by her spirit and immediately empathized, artist to artist - here you have this enormous potential and talent, but it's not being fulfilled." Hall and Roloff hope that after Wonderland concludes, a permanent studio can be found for Queen to continue to work and utilize her talent and craft, preserving the techniques she's developed, and allowing her to pass them on through her artistic practice. Roloff noted, "She's a living master - and such an asset to the city, to the community. Perhaps this can create a model for other people like her."