<p><strong>Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi</strong>, (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. </p><br><p>Born in Kano to a Yoruba father and Igbo mother (he was the original <strong>WAZOBIA</strong>), 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.</p><br><p>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.</p><br><p>In this episode, we discuss:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>Pre-civil war Kano, Igbo masquerade songs, the Yoruba Oriki and the search for identity;</li><li>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;</li><li>Babangida, Daily Times of Nigeria and that recurring juxtaposition of high points and low;</li><li>Ghadaffi, Bhutto, Sankara, Mugabe, Thatcher, Shimon Peres, Kaunda - Dr. Ogunbiyi has interviewed them all. And he has the book to prove it;</li><li>AWO (or to the uninitiated, Chief Obafemi Awolowo), the man, the <strong>‘Royal WE’</strong> and yes, the definitive book – Dr. Ogunbiyi is writing it;</li><li>Playing Boswell to Soyinka’s Johnson? – there’s one for the bucket list;</li><li>Fela, Jazz, the funny ha-ha story and, naturally, it involves another iconic figure.</li></ul><p><br></p><p>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, <strong>2 Samuel 1:19-21.</strong></p><br><p><strong><em>Links:</em></strong></p><p>📘 <em>Encounters with History: The Road Never Forgets</em> – Yemi Ogunbiyi</p><p> 📕 <em>Adventures in Power: My March Through Prison</em> – Obafemi Awolowo</p><p> 📗 <em>Fugitive Offender</em> – Chief Anthony Enahoro</p><p> 🎭 <em>Death and the King’s Horseman</em> – Wole Soyinka</p><p> 🎬 <em>The Battle of Algiers</em> – Gillo Pontecorvo</p><p> 🎞 <em>Memories of Underdevelopment</em> – Tomás Gutiérrez Alea</p><p> 🎶 <em>Water, Trouble Sleep, Lady</em> – Fela Anikulapo Kuti</p><br><p>Sponsored by <a href="https://www.bananaislandschool.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.bananaislandschool.com/</a></p><p><strong>Banana Island Living’s </strong><a href="http://www.instagram.com/bananaislandliving" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Instagram</strong></a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/banana_living?s=08" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong> Twitter</strong></a>, <strong>YouTube channel: </strong><a href="https://youtu.be/yIS0FwNp1I8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>https://youtu.be/yIS0FwNp1I8</strong></a></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
