₦airaland Forum

Both are mediocre.

Not all of us have mukina saving our behinds, dude. Keep feeling funky. Woman Wrapper

londoner:
reloaded, Ghanaian films strick a cord with non africans because,if you notice they only ever show stories about westernised Ghanians, who are middle to upper class. They tend to present a fairy tale type storyline without the rawness of Nollywood movies. They are hinged off the back of a very handsome guy (van) and Jacie Appiah/Burahi mainly.

Its not the rise of an industry its merely the following of a "fine boy". Even many of their films are Nollywood films with then starring in them.

I suppose I disagree with the notion that accomplishment of African films is only when they recieve foreign acclaim. In Africa, people will pick up a Nollywood film faster than they will the so called blockbusters with all their acclaim.

Lol like I said I dont even wanna go into my rant about Ghanian movie industry. I think their own way is even worse than Nollywood.  I'll be here til tomorrow if I start on why they annoy me but I wont. Film/Cinema blah blah. Huge passion of mine    (which is why Im usually in discussions like this) but I apologize to afam for the route this thread has taken but in a way it goes hand in hand which is culture/language is being pushed aside

As for your last paragraph, that's true. The way I look at films is soooo different than most people. A movie selling all over the world doesnt mean much to me. I believe in Quality over Quantity. Nollywood only cares about Quantity. That's what they see as "accomplishment", I see things differently. Oh well.

londoner:
Dereloaded, I meant as Yoruba movies as an Industry, not a singular movie alone. Even the movie you mention is big right now IN NIGERIA you say, where else? One movie is not an industry, Just like Slum dog millionaire or Totsi. I would not say that Ghanaian movies are taking over, some of their stars are emerging through Nollywood mainly and in the same same films as their Nollywood counterparts. Even those films are in English.

There is no need to attack Nollywood for not winning oscars, Yoruba movies are there using the language, shouldn't they then be doing what Slum dog and Totsi have done then? I would like to see some changes in Nollywood, but I am not going to damn their achievements of  the past years just because they have not gotten everything right.

I dont mean Ghanian movies arent taking over the African industry in general, I mean they are taking over with non-Nigerians esp non-Africans. Patience used to be the big selling point, now it's Nadia Buhuri or Van Vicker. Accomplishment is when international film boards take notice, not small hair shops that's my opinion obviously.

RichyBlacK:
Excellent!

In Slumdog, English was spoken about 70% of the time!

Look at this liar. Only time English was spoken was when they finally grew up which made about the last 30 mins. The children used cant even speak English as made evident on Oscar night so please be quiet.

asha 80:
DeReloaded i agree with you.i did not understand why they had to switch to total english films.As an igbo guy i was angry at the switch .If they had to do english movies they did not have to switch totally.Maybe a 60%english and 40%igbo would have been okay.

Simple.  

Some even claim their names deny them job opportunities.

A Chinasa will sooner get a job than a Natiqua

Can you explain to me why Yoruba speaking movies do not enjoy the same widespread appeal/success? Even among Nigerians, Nollywood movies are far more widely watched IMO.

Can you name one movie more popular than Jenifa at the moment? My sister went to Naija and it was non Yorubas that were telling her all about it. Totsi, South African movie, NOT in English was a huge success here and won an Oscar. Tunde Kelani movies have been shown in international film festivals in the States. I dont see how Nollwyood movies being show in Jamaican hair shops is the same as 'achievement" and even then Ghanian movies are now  the ones taking over that "market" now.

The only time you see these movies use Igbo names nowadays are when they are ritual movies. It's insulting. When they are doing "mordernized americana wannabe" movies, the whole cast have English names. when it's about rituals or palmwine tappers, that's when you will get some Igbo names and even then the daughter of the local palmtapper will be known as "Susan"

It's pathetic.

chiogo, my comment wasnt to insult you but your comments reeks of someone who's been in this country for too long. You're making excuses for people doing away with their "local names". Just the fact that you call these names "local" says alot and it shows you're young. People making fun of names is more of a middle/high school thing in this country.

Of course nigerians are nOT the only ones guilty of this. In my college there were alot of Koreans with English names with completely different names on their name tags/passports. I just think it's sad. They claim it's people butcher names. So what? People butcher surnames too. Why not have us change or surnames as well? The russians n ko with their tongue twisting names? Why dont they change theirs? When you are proud of something, you wont hide it or try to change it. That's my take. Asians (Indians, Pakistanis, etc) have long ass names. They dont change it. The MOST you might see is them shortening it. I think shortening a name is way better than just completely changing it to some English name. I personally cant think of any English name better than my name.

But hey that's just me/

Ghanian movies have already taken over. Keep on fooling yourselves heir own industry makes me sick as well but I wont get into that. . . for now.

Some would say that Timaya has taken over Dbanj though.

who is Timaya?

I think this is a slight over simplification, Bollywood blew up in nigeria because it was cheap and readily available and there was a cinema culture then.

Be that as it may, it doesnt change the fact that people that dont understand Hindi wwatch these movies (Slumdog Millionair was 90% Hindi 10% English) so I refuse to fall for "oh but we make them speak English for others to understand". Hasnt stopped French, Japanese, South African movies from being critically acclaimed worldwide by those who dont speak these language so Nigeria had better find a better excuse for their shame.

Lol, at the fool that would rather give her children English names than her own cultural names or as she put it, 'local' names. It shows how stupid and shallow some Nigerians are. Brain washed bull sh!t.

She's young plus she goes to school here so her comments arent that surprising. Let it go

4Play, benu soun. You're tired of your "new wife" already? Olodo.

Sagamite, I have nothing to say to you. I made a passing comment, you decided to make it personal(blah blah no achievements) now you are whining cos I responded to you in kind. Typical hypocrite. You;re an uptight lunatic. Case Closed.

londoner:
I would love to see more Igbo speaking movies, but I know for a fact, Nollywood would not have the success and wide appeal it has today if not for it being English speaking.

I disagree. People keep making excuses for this outright SELLING OUT that they did. I dont understand how they arent ashamed of themselves. It's NOT a coincidence that once they switched to English, the quality (story wise) of these movies went to hell.

Did they not start it all with Igbo speaking movies? I can list them in case anyone wants to deny it. Also this whole "people wont understand" thing, I just dont get it. Bollwyood movies were BIG In Naija from the 70s to the mid 90s. I dont remember them ever speaking English. You had to rely on the subtitles, no be so? So why are Nigerians making excuses for the fact that they are ashamed of their language? It wouldnt even be so bad if they didnt make it worse by completely removing Igbo names from these characters. Rent any recent English movie now and show me one where the character doesnt have an English name. Stupid names like Maximillary, Stefano, blah blah. It's pathetic and it bothers me that it doesnt bother YOU guys. I know if YMG did that shit, they will hear from me and many others.

Like I said afam has every right to be annoyed but the music scene is the least of their problems. At least that one has a somwhat justifable reason.

Lol, it seems Re-loaded is just trying to get a rise out of you all and you are letting him.

Im female jo. And yes that is my shtick, you'd think most of these uptight loons would get used to it or rent a funny bone by now.

Richy, ko ni dafun awon elebi e. Oloshi. Stalker.

@dereloaded, come on now. I wouldn't call it "taking over" as such, just a prevelance. If you want to talk about wide appeal, you cant get any better on the continent than P-square or even Tuface (in the past), not just Nigeria alone but across the continent.

D'banj and lu Maintain are just two people, its not a general trend, neither am I saying it should be. My piont is if its considered such a sign of progress, Igbo's should not be the main ones who stand out as doing it.

Londoner, I like you so Im not gonna argue with you. "taking over" was sarcastic. After all I am making fun of this thread. Although it bothers me when people try to deny what Lagos is. That aside I do agree with some things, I think what afam is worried about is valid, the whole names stuff, etc. Music wise, it's like whatever. Most people are right. The big market for Entertainment is Lagos. Lagos is a Yoruba state. There are MANY non Yorubas that live there that can definitely school me in the language. It's just how it is.  

Im sure it's not all Igbo artist that run around singing in Yoruba, I dont think I've heard P-Square sing any song in Yoruba. Then again I've never heard them sing in Igbo either. My question is, why not?

Btw Dbanj has definitely taken 2Face's title.

Sagamite:
It seems you lack a lot of achievements in life.

So explain to me how this an achievement (especially of yours)?

It seems you are confusing me with your family, you uptight prick.

Get a bloody sense of humor and still whining around me abi am I the one who made this sad mess of a thread.

Obviously it's paining you guys so do something about it. Quit giving your kids senseless English names, protest for Nollywood to go back to Igbo speaking movies(which ironically had the better stories/plots), create avenues for Igbo speaking songs to be more popular. Dont take your anger out on me.

making Igbo movies would not have taken nollywood to Ghana,Togo,Sierra Leone and beyond.

How did Indian/Bollywood movies get to Nigeria? Not only did they get here, they became a HUGE hit and still are in some places. Do they speak English?

The same thing that happened nwado, cept this dude is mad cos I didnt accept his love poem  

AfroCynic:
It is not common for Yoruba artist to sing in other languages that is why I admired D'banj for making that Igwe tune. I think because Lagos is the nerve centre of Nigerian culture, it is more likely that other non Yoruba will use the language, as soon a yoruba based in Abia makes a song, I will be a happy bunny.

For some reason when Yoruba artist venture out of Yoruba or English in songs, it's usually into Hausa. It's kinda weird.

londoner:
but maybe the Yoruba's should also sing/rap in other languages too, since people are saying its "good for the country" and all.

Some do. Dbanj has songs in Igbo. Olu Maintain sings in Hausa alot as well.

Sagamite:
You are taking over what?

Gutter cleaning?

Don't go and achieve something with your life and be thinking being in one tribe makes you important.

Get over yourself, 2nd hand pata seller. The taking over part was in regards to the language.

You're whining about our language ruling music. That's a huge achievement in my eyes 

hehhehe we are taking over andthe soon er some of you accept that Lagos is still and always will be a Yoruba state, the better.

You didnt realize your language was dying when Nollywood completely pushed Igbo speaking movies to the side for English ones. Making fun of those who refused to jump the 'wannabe white" bandwagon.

Start with your movies first before worrying about Music.

Watched the Reader Fricay Night

Wasnt that great. 70% porn. Everything else was just meh. Not Oscar Worthy IMO.

Afam if you are worried about extinction of the ibo language, the least of your worry is that some Igbo artistes are singing their chorus in Yoruba.

You should be more worried about the common trend of people giving their children English names and not speaking the local language to them.

Abi o