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A Piece On Duro Ladipo... by RothmasPop: 8:04pm On Sep 04, 2016 |
uro Ladipo (1931–1978) was one of the
best known and critically acclaimed
Yoruba dramatists that 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 dramatization of the traditional
Yoruba story on how Shango 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 Ladipọ to Karajan . [1] Ladipo
usually acted in his own plays.
Early life
Duro was raised in a Christian family, his
father was a minister at an Anglican
church in Osogbo . However, Duro may have
been influenced by his grandfather, who
migrated to Osogbo after the Jalumi war .
His grandfather was well versed in
Yoruba mythology, especially those
emanating from Old Oyo , and was known
to have worshipped Shango and Oya .
Career
Ladipo 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. After
leaving Osogbo, he went to Ibadan , where
he became a teacher. While in Ibadan he
became one of the founding members of
an artist society or club called Mbari
Mbayo and became influenced by Beier.
He later replicated the club in Osogbo and
it became the premier group for
promoting budding artists and
dramatists in Osogbo. Throughout his
career, Duro Ladipo wrote ten Yoruba
folk operas combining dance, music,
mime, proverbs, drumming and praise
songs.
He started his theatre group in 1961 but
he became fully established with the
founding of the Mbari Mbayo Club in
Osogbo. His popularity as a folk opera
group really rests on his three plays:
Obamoro in 1962, Oba ko so and Oba Waja
in 1964. (Oba Waja - "The King is Dead"
- is based on the same historical event
that inspired fellow Nigerian playwright
Wole Soyinka's Death and the King's
Horseman .) [2] He also promoted Moremi.
He later transformed the Mbari May I
into a cultural center, an arts gallery
and a meeting point for young artists
seeking to develop their talents. Duro
Oladipo wrote quite a number of plays,
such as Suru Baba Iwa, Tanimowo, Iku.
Some of his plays were also produced for
television. In fact he created Bode
Wasinimi for NTA Ibadan.
In 1977, Ladipo participated in Festac
'77 , the Second World Festival of Black
and African Arts and Culture, in Lagos,
Nigeria.
Notes
1. ^ Ulli Beier, p.c. (1965) to Prof.
Herbert F. W. Stahlke.
2. ^ Soyinka, Wole (2002). Death and the
King's Horseman. W.W. Norton. p. 5.
ISBN 0-393-32299-8 .
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