Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi, (B.A. Hons English, U.I, M.A, Ph.D. Dramatic Lit, NYU) started out with full commitment to academia. Somehow (fate? luck?), he segued into journalism and the rest, as they say, is history.
Born in Kano to a Yoruba father and Igbo mother (he was the original WAZOBIA), that early search for ‘home’, of being ‘the other’ translated into a super power, well, two super powers, actually – three languages and a deft hand at winning friends and influencing people.
Committed, engaging and forgiving (his words), Dr. Ogunbiyi is that enigmatic open book. Fulfilled man, deep thinker, great reader, friend to all and foe to none. Non, Il ne regrette rien.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Pre-civil war Kano, Igbo masquerade songs, the Yoruba Oriki and the search for identity;
- Great Ife, those halcyon days and the absolutely forgivable name dropping – Soyinka, Aboyade, Kole Omotoso, Biodun Jeyifo, Niyi Coker, Akinwunmi Ishola, we could go on….and we do;
- Babangida, Daily Times of Nigeria and that recurring juxtaposition of high points and low;
- Ghadaffi, Bhutto, Sankara, Mugabe, Thatcher, Shimon Peres, Kaunda - Dr. Ogunbiyi has interviewed them all. And he has the book to prove it;
- AWO (or to the uninitiated, Chief Obafemi Awolowo), the man, the ‘Royal WE’ and yes, the definitive book – Dr. Ogunbiyi is writing it;
- Playing Boswell to Soyinka’s Johnson? – there’s one for the bucket list;
- Fela, Jazz, the funny ha-ha story and, naturally, it involves another iconic figure.
The ready wit, the telling anecdote, this episode will invoke, perhaps, a smidgeon of la recherche du temps perdu. And, as he is a believer, 2 Samuel 1:19-21.
Links:
📘 Encounters with History: The Road Never Forgets – Yemi Ogunbiyi
📕 Adventures in Power: My March Through Prison – Obafemi Awolowo
📗 Fugitive Offender – Chief Anthony Enahoro
🎭 Death and the King’s Horseman – Wole Soyinka
🎬 The Battle of Algiers – Gillo Pontecorvo
🎞 Memories of Underdevelopment – Tomás Gutiérrez Alea
🎶 Water, Trouble Sleep, Lady – Fela Anikulapo Kuti
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