Gbawe has said it all, the op did Ogunde no justice, how can he associate him with 'Nothinwood', he should have aptly titled it 'The Father and Founder Nigerian Film'.

dont8: Gbawe has said it all, the op did Ogunde no justice, how can he associate him with 'Nothinwood', he should have aptly titled it 'The Father and Founder Nigerian Film'.

Nollywood is another name for crappy movies and I agree with most posters that it is a grave injustice to associate an icon like Pa Ogunde with it. Even the first home video shoot titled Ekun was done by a yoruba guy in 1988 as against a living in bondage of 1993!
Days of films shot on celluloid by great yoruba actors cannot be compared with nollywood

In 1975, John Chukwu has already made a film and yet he could not be called the founder or father of Nollywood. This same applies to Fela Anikolakpu Kuti and his music. When the western regional based news media were blowing horn about Fela’s music, those of us in south, especially south-east, never cared about his music since they have songs from musicians and bands such as Osita Osadebe, Peacooks, Oriental Brothers, Oliver De Coque, Cardianl Rex, Uwaifo, Wings, Funkies, Founders 15, Wrinkers Experience, Strangers, Semi Colon, Magnificent Zenith, Black Children, Apostles, One World, Sweet Breeze, Doves, etc.

It has been inherently evidenced that Yoruba people will arrogate to themselves as founders of everything in Nigeria. Although such claims seemed to be correct in certain circumstances but draw serious blank in majority of the areas.

^^ Please, more details of John Chukwu and his works will be highly appreciated.

Dede1: In 1975, John Chukwu has already made a film and yet he could not be called the founder or father of Nollywood. This same applies to Fela Anikolakpu Kuti and his music. When the western regional based news media were blowing horn about Fela’s music, those of us in south, especially south-east, never cared about his music since they have songs from musicians and bands such as Osita Osadebe, Peacooks, Oriental Brothers, Oliver De Coque, Cardianl Rex, Uwaifo, Wings, Funkies, Founders 15, Wrinkers Experience, Strangers, Semi Colon, Magnificent Zenith, Black Children, Apostles, One World, Sweet Breeze, Doves, etc.

It has been inherently evidenced that Yoruba people will arrogate to themselves as founders of everything in Nigeria. Although such claims seemed to be correct in certain circumstances but draw serious blank in majority of the areas.

Arrrrgggg and Fela isn't even the first Yoruba to make music in Yoruba land... This same Ogunde was making music before theater art!!! And many artists before him..

Name one Artiste from the "east" bigger and better than KSA? or Better or bigger than Sunny Ade? My friend proof!! Appreciate good music. Yorubas no dey una level guy!

Mehn and those artiste you called didn't make music that touched people's lives like Fela's music did. Stop Stop!!! Fela kuti is badder than, all of you, all of youuuuuuu (Singing Davido's all of you)!

WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE JOHN CHUKWU'S FILM? E NO GET NAME? I'm not here to even contest Nollywood, as many have said, Nollywood is crap but before y'all started shoot

It's true.

In every era an igbo man will be more successful in the arts that his yoruba counterparts but yoruba people will try to raise their own artificially as the end all be all of whatever the art is.


For example. You can speak of King Sunny Ade, but the highest selling nigeria musician before PSquare was Prince Nico Mbarga with his Sweet Mother Single which has sold millions in Latin America alone, and even more in Africa (estimated 12million world wide). For proof go to youtube and type on Sweet Mother and see the plays, then type in Sunny Ade's biggest hit and see the difference. Prince Nico is in the millions while Sunny Ade doesn't have a song past the hundred thousands (i just checked)


Even Today the trend continues

Igbos make Nollywood, Yoruba make Yorubwood (!?)
Igbos bring Genevive, Yoruba bring Omotola and try to act like the two are 'rivals' when it's clear that Genevive is the face of african entertainment world wide.
Igbos bring Psquare, Yoruba bring Dbanj and by ALL indicators Psquare is bigger, more well known, sells more, more popular, and more internationally excepted that Dbanj, who is popular mainly among Nigerians and now people in the UK. For proof, again go to Dbanj's music and go to Psquares on Youtube and compare the plays.


But even when Chop My Money was the most played african single of all time (fact), Yoruba people are still trying to force Dbanj on everyone as what's 'reigning'.

Today there's nobody left for them to prop up in music. Wizkid is laying low, Davido is laying low, Dbanj is washed up, and Flavour is ruling the airwaves mercilessly.

If you go to any african function, when they bring Nigerian music they will play Do Me, Bizzy Body, Chop My Money, and Ashawo Remix .... never Tongolo lol.
This is how it will always be. Igbo are lucky because they have the courage to pioneer and do something first but a Yoruba people will come afterwards and say their own is the highest in the igbo craft. I even remember when Yoruba people were trying to claim Omotola's orobo stature was finer than Genevive.

Sibrah: ^^^The fact that Ogunde and co made better movies in their time isn't really an issue here. The big question should be, where does Nollywood start and end? From my own little knowledge i think it was suppose to refer to the Nigerian Film making industry at large.

Gbam!!!

Let me tell you something most of you didn't know; In my hometown,Umuoji Igwulube Okodu Nmili Manyuli Oku,Idenmili north lga,Anambra state,we have an ANCIENT DRAMA GROUP that started before the arrival of the ENGLISH man called "NDI NKWELITA". This local drama group dates as far back as 18th century. They have characters like "Eze mbala","Adaeze","Odibo Eze","diochi" and many other characters in the troup. They will usually go entertain and make families who has lost someone laugh and ease up pains,after the burials. They were very popular in southern Umuoji and has also been to many towns in Anambra to entertain people,especially those that has lost a family member. This group is made up of mostly old married people and my mother was a member of the troop.

Now, I will ask those of you that think Hebert Ogunde started holywood to tell me where you put this drama group that has existed before Ogunde was born?

ElRazur:
By the way, I wouldn't say he was the founder of nollywood. He was amongst the fore-fathers, but not exactly the founder.

I mean there have been actors and movies around the same time as his two most popular movies. Don't forget that these folks started on stage and doing "Theatre" as it is called back home, before shooting movies.

I think it is fair to credit others too - Oga Bello, Baba Sala, Aluwe, Ray Eyiwunmi and his group, Isho Pepper (Ishola Ogunshola) etc. Those are the people who in my opinion cleared the path to what is now nollywood.

back in the day.

Becomrich0:
Most of them were not doing film. Nollywood is about nigeria film industry, not about television. or stage production. It is film we are talking about. Ogunde is the one responsible for it. Film in nigeria those days had only one name ogunde. Even in the North where they did not speak or understand yoruba. His film was there, because it was the only nigeria film out there. They had no choice , it was either they watch hidu film or Ogunde film.

Baba sale later came to film. He did mostly television.  Ishola ogunsola came after him. I show pepper. Ade love  The other option those was bruce lee.

you are a connoisseur o.

Ikengawo:
tribalistic lie.

how so?

WarriPikin1:


hmmmm, so Nigeria had quality films done in the 1950s that nobody knew about and the world definitely did not want to watch our "quality films" nor give any awards at all. But now the "crappy" film industry we call nollywood from 1991, is a global award wining African film industry which is much sort after. To the extent that our "crappy Nollywood film industry" have inspired other African countries to try and develop their own film industry.
Somebody is telling a big lie here. Some Naija people sabi lie well well o!

well, you can thank America for issuing so many visas to Nigerians to go all over the world with their movies?

or what other explanation do you have?

Gbawe:


Look, it is even insulting for Ogunde to be associated with Nollywood. The OP does the great man a disservice.

.

well, true sha.

Sibrah:
What about the Duro Ladipo of this world?
Like Gbawe rightly pointed out, it is more of a disservice to associate Ogunde with the current crop of film makers we have today, but at the same time i think he deserves the tag of "father of Nollywood" as Nollywood describes the Nigerian film industry at large.

true, but at the same time, nollywood doesn't really attest to the quality of his work.

just saying, nollywood folks should not carry it on their head and run to make interviews or photoshoots or whatever.

Ghgh

Why was the oyibo friend causing trouble sef.

Black na black, which one is he is also from Nigeria.

And what is wrong with the black friend sef, must everything be fight? Why not just say "I am Igbo" if Nigeria is anathema to you??


Lord have mercy!

He is not the faTher of nolly wood.....probably the pioneer of stage acting.......there where other theatre groups during his time. His was one of the most popular.......respect to him, but he isn't

Sibrah:
What about the Duro Ladipo of this world?
Like Gbawe rightly pointed out, it is more of a disservice to associate Ogunde with the current crop of film makers we have today, but at the same time i think he deserves the tag of "father of Nollywood" as Nollywood describes the Nigerian film industry at large. I remember very well when the Igbos started making films, we called them Igbo-films at first because the the Igbos were never known to most Nigerians for making movies.

YOU ARE RIGHT EVEN TILL NOW THEY STILL CALL THEM-IGBO FILM

I really don't understand you guys. We are talking about pa hubert ogunde and you guys are talking about baba Sala. The first theatre group in the entire country was founded by pa Ogunde. When most of the people you were mentioning were toddlers or rather not born yet. Don't get me wrong, I am not talking about the name Nollywood. That's just a mere name given to the industry after the industry has started to gain recognition. Kudos to the founder of Nigeria theatre art Pa Hubert Ogunde.