“LBHF is still growing, and will grow into international,” he tells me in a chat. He doesn’t hide his joy seeing foreign participants at LBHF. I know about seven people who came to witness the festival from the Los Angeles, United States of America. They told me they were coming, and I ensured they were part of the festival, and they were happy they made it to the festival.”
As the festival grows, he is optimistic tourists would be attracted in their hundreds and thousands. He adds, “And we could see the beauty and gain of having the festival. We are in an era of enhancing all the areas of the arts, both the creative and the performing arts; and, at the end of the day, through the grace God and reality, we will get there even in less than five years.”
Don’t be a pessimist. The Solankes of Nigerian arts haven’t vanished from the scene yet. “Because people like us won’t die, and God will grant our request. There are more changes in Nigeria, and all the people working towards revamping the arts scene, I’m praying for them.”
Solanke, no doubt, is a virtuoso storyteller any day. But, how did he begin? He soon regales you, “It is started a long time ago. I was brought up from a family where stories were told, and I got used to listening to them and ended up telling the stories.”
He started out with a programme on Lagos Television Channel 8, “Family Scene”, together with Biddy Wright before something happened along the way. He recalls, “We were treating the same issues of folksongs, folktales and other school songs to entertain, educate and inform children; but, at a point, Biddy and I were not able to continue. After some time, the Nigeria Television Authority sent me a letter to come to NTA Jos School for a conference and workshop on children entertainment. That was when The Storyland was born.”
Bent on revitalizing his children educative programme, he moved on to African Independent Television (AIT). Though his audiences grew round the world, he wasn’t smiling to the bank. He had to stop it, but he took consolation in the fact that it made in road into the hearts of many youngsters.
“But some of the stories then impacted on the young ones and their foundation. Looking at what we have today, what is your impression today? You see when we want to compare folktales and the regular Billy The Blue or Mikky Mouse; they are not very close to cultural infinity or affinity,” he declares.
He explains further, “How can you compare stories that have been packaged to impact on our children from our ancestral point of view and those constructed with sketches made up by anybody? I don’t trust any white man and their children. One watches some characters of children knocking their heads on the wall, and these are the vulnerable group of people who can think of hitting their head on the wall and come alive again. Such cannot be compared with traditional folklore, folktales and folksongs.”
How, then, does this affect the kind of stories we use in Nigerian movies? Solanke isn’t one of those sold to the generalization that “stories are stories.” His reason is enchanting, “It is true that stories are stories, but, in Nollywood stories, what we have is synopsis. And whatever and whoever loves to impact on the people, it dawns on him on such filmmaking affairs.
“But majority of our films have been Americanized and not localized; our films are totally Americanized and fused with gun brandishing, violent and x- rated. We can still entertain, minus all such things. Talking about revamping the industry, many people have claimed leadership of the industry, and majority of them boast of the number of films they have produced.”
He has lived in America for a long time and knows how things work. A good film has the capability to keep paying the filmmaker’s bill for years. He shares his experience with glee, “An American artiste could make a film in 2005, for instance, and may not have gone back to set immediately, because he is still reclining on his entertainment sofa, enjoying the money being made from the film.”
Here, the case is different. He says, “What is the point in saying one has made several films and still riding a rickety car? We must come down from our old horses of disdain, show-off-ness and pride of how many films we have in the market. I have never made a film in my life, but I’m still living well at 73 years, and able to do many things as a retired teacher of the arts.
“I loathe it when people begin to enumerate their accomplishments in the arts. Since I have been in the arts, each programme I have been involved in has been another stepping stone. It is not a matter for discussion or showing off. At my age, I’m still doing more for the industry. So, it is what one sees one knows, other people see a different thing in Ile-Ife where I live and the artistic things I’m doing for them. They are still enjoying it. They are not available in Lagos where there are several obscene shows in the name of being an artiste and a lot of major marketing offices are backing them. This is rubbish!
Solanke surely has some core ideals dear to him. Hear him, “As an artiste, one has to be decent and as contemporary as a doctor in one’s work, thought and deeds. There is nothing that should reduce an artiste from the level of integrity of a scientist or demean him from a man. An artiste should not be like a baga, moving from pillar to post. For example, a job I have done for a good pay fifty years ago is what some people have done so cheap.”
What’s his take on those who think they hold the ace in arts sector? He responds, frowning at local champions. “Anybody who is holding any ace in arts sector in Nigeria has my deserved honour.. But let there not be a situation where the ace is restricted to Nigeria. In arts, everywhere in the world, be it creative or literary, artistes are well respected.
“When an artiste of 70 years and above dies, CNN always celebrates it. What have we done in Nigeria to merit that? This is what the people holding the aces [here]have to think about. We must have integrity in the enterprise of arts –total attitude of realizing tomorrow in arts, because, if we keep our attitude like the young men in the industry today, who, when they make 1 million naira, begin to sing Omo yi lowo (The guy has made money). In two or three weeks he buys a car, lives in a hotel and do untoward things, and the money will be gone, and the artiste, consequently, will be forgotten. We must be realistic and serious with the industry,” he cautions.
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