Victory over evil

Book review
Title: The slave that ruled
Author: EstherAdemoji Adesulu
Publishers: Crofes printing press, Ondo
Year of publication: 2006
Number of pages: 65
Reviewer: Joe Agbro Jr.

The story of Africa and Africans can never be over told. In these times when western ideas and cultures seem to be eroding our consciousness, there is greater need for awakening this consciousness. History is a part of a people’s heritage that ought to be preserved, and learned.

“The slave that ruled” written by Professor Esther Adesulu takes a look at the terrible practices of Africans before the arrival of the White men and civilization. The book which is the third in the African series carves real life occurrences with a little bit of modification.

The book tells the story how slaves were considered less than human in Idoida town.

Acccording to the book, it has been the practice to offer slaves as sacrifice to the god Olorosa during its festival.

The Ikoko of Idoida was a very powerful man; he was second in command to the king. He was also rich because of the taxes many workers were mandated to pay to him. Important decisions affecting the town could not also be taken without his consent. He was also the man appointed to slaughter slaves at the Olorosa shrine during Olorosa festival.

Whenever it was nearing the period of the festival, the slaves in the king’s palace were always sad. This is because it was only from among slaves owned by the king that the oracle chose the slave to be sacrificed. For indigenes of Idoida however, Olorosa festival was a day for merriment, celebration, dancing, eating, and drinking. But actually not every Idoida was happy at the occurrences at the Olorosa festival.

On a particular year, the story told of Pekuje and Adalo - two teenage Idoida boys who after a hard day’s work at the farm stopped by the stream to take a swim. After swimming, Pekuje expressed his unhappiness at the coming Olorosa festival and how he could not eat during the last festival. “Were you sick?” Adalo asked his friend. “No, I was just unable to bear the scene of that slave being led to the slaughter”, Pekuje told his friend. In accord with Pekuje, the two friends concluded it was a wicked practice and wondered why the slave to be killed couldn’t even resist since it was only the elderly Ikoko and the slave that went beyond the Igoje where no one must follow. They prayed something happened fast.

Unknown to them, a slave from the king’s palace was listening to their conversation. Later, this slave relayed the discussion of the boys to other slaves and a plan to resist the Ikoko at the next Olorosa festival was hatched and spread around all the slaves in the palace. This was because any of the slaves in the palace could be chosen.

The day of the Olorosa festival when the slave was to be sacrificed finally came and it was Igulo that was chosen. As Igulo’s hands were tied and he was led away by the Ikoko, the other slaves prayed he would not forget the plan. When chief Ikoko and Igulo got the surrounding of the shrine, the chief saw Igulo hands were free and he new he might face some problems. Chanting incantations, he tried to subdue the Igulo, but was unsuccessful and Igulo killed him. As Igulo emerged from the shrine with the knife stained with blood the people of Idoida at first thought it was chief Ikoko coming out. But when they saw who it was, it dawned on them that the unthinkable had happened and it was chief Ikoko that had been killed. It was well-known that anyone who emerged from the Olorosa shrine is the Ikoko, but is was unheard of that a slave had done such thing and the people of Idoida fled.

Igulo approached the town square and the king was at first afraid knowing that Igulo has become the new Ikoko and now had a lot of powers. However, he bowed to the king and showed reverence. When asked by the king to address the town, Igulo asked for all the slaves to be present. Addressing the people and slaves in Idoida, he talked on the sanctity of human life and how no one was born to be a slave. After this, the king now proclaimed him the new Ikoko of Idoida. Igulo however placed some conditions before he could accept, amongst which was that that would be the last Olorosa festival and that all slaves in the town should regain their freedom. To these conditions, the people and king of Idoida agreed. The conclusion of the book shows victory of over evil.

Each chapter also ends with a segment called “Action point”. These “action point” sets discourse to engage the reader into taking retrospection of the topic. For instance, at the end of chapter five, the “action point” is “Think of how you treat the house helps in your family. Do you see them as slaves who can be beaten anytime? Do you share with them the house chores? Do you tell lies against them? Do you show them love? Do you realise they are human beings like you? Also, at the end of the book a segment is dedicated to showing the meaning of words used in the book. This would definitely be of benefit to the young readers in vocabulary building.

The author is definitely a good story teller and this book serves as a modern replacement to the moonlight tales which is fast disappearing in our climes. Written in simple language designed for easy understanding, the book is bound to be well appreciated by all categories of readers.

Beyond making Art quake...

Beyond making art quake…

The duo of Ice-K and Adex make up Artquake. Since coming out in 1999 with a hit single "Abule la wa", they have continued to wax strong on the Nigerian music scene. Ice-K spoke with JOE AGBRO, JR. on what they have been up to and their plans for the future

“It all began in Kwara Poly; I was miming raps while Adex was into miming raga. After a couple of campus shows, it got to the point we realized there was something I have that you need and something you have that I need, and why don’t we come together. The collaboration eventually turned out to be Earthquake. The name Earthquake was to signify the ground-shaking presence we seek to create anywhere we are. However, because of the destructive connotation synonymous with Earthquake, there was a misconception in some quarters and we felt a change of name was appropriate. Hence, by removing the ‘e’ and the ‘h’ from ‘earth’ leaving ‘art’. Thus we became Artquake in 2003, a name which suits our exploitation of art”, Ice-K said.
Apart from playing music, they now own a full entertainment outfit called AQ Multimedia, which for now is into production of music videos. Musing ebulliently, Ice-K said, “We produced the Splendour video for Sir Shina Peters and the Ijo Fuji video that won Adewale Ayuba a CORA Award in 2004. Before then, some channels like Soundcity did not play Fuji or Juju music, but with the kind of touch we added, the videos have more appeal. And we are billed to shoot videos for veteran Juju musician, Fatai Rolling Dollars. In addition, plans are on the ground to veer into advertising. We are aiming to exploit as much aspects of the art in which we are competent. We have the equipment and the professionals.”
On Artwork, their current album, Ice-K said, “We’re coming out tighter. Already, the promo video of Bus-Stop, a song in the ten-track album has been enjoying airplay on the local stations, Channel O and on MTV. There are other songs as well which will suit nearly every temperament. A video of Twist and Roll is another song which will be rolled out at the album launch. It is going to be hot. Also, this time around, I and Adex are doing one solo song each on the album.”
Asked if this is an indication of a split, he quickly explained that they were just trying to experiment and the bond was stronger than it was at the beginning.
The relationship of the duo according to Ice-K transcends friendship. “He is my cover brother from another mother. Money, women, fame and even the press have tested our relationship. I attribute it not to the fact that we don’t quarrel, but that there is no room for any third party to come between us. We quarrel and settle.”
When asked if he was married, he said he and his musical partner would probably wed on the same day. His reason was that this would their wives understand when the call of business comes and they have to stay late out or for some days. “For instance, if Adex is married and I’m not, his wife might say it is me that keeps her husband out because I am not married.”
Ice-K is not prepared to rest on his oars and for is now learning designs. From the way he talks, it is evident he enjoys what he is doing.
“Although it is work I enjoy it. How many years person go live sef? We are very happy. Just like someone saying I am not rich, I am not poor, but I am very, very comfortable,” he said.
In addition, chilling out for him comes spontaneously and instantly. He says with the power of a man in command “If I wan chop fish, na now now.”
Ice-K, a graduate of Marketing and Adex, a graduate of Accounting seem to keep everything in the family.
“My course is really helping. You know marketing covers nearly all aspects of business and the training has been useful as we diversified into other aspects of art. On the other hand, Adex with his accounting background is able to look at figures and ascertain the feasibility of projects.”
They duo comprising Artquake indeed make a good combo.

A journey begins

18th September, 2007
Today is the first day I'm attempting to post. Been looking forward to sharing my thots with you guys, but I've been to lazy...about starting, I mean.. Working full time as a journalist does not really give one the luxury of ample free time. In the turbulent world of our profession, you only get free time by stealing it.......... and that is exactly what I'm doing here. So for any stray....this goes out to you.... Buckle up for an exciting trip with moi

Guinness grooves the Smooth way

Grooving it the SMOOTH way.

In its bid to connect with consumers and create more affinity with its consumers, Guinness Extra Smooth thrilled the people of Ibadan to a five-day music and entertainment fiesta, aptly dubbed the ‘Smooth Groove.’
The expansive Ibadan Recreation Club, popularly called ‘Rec’, was venue for the event and while the Smooth Groove lasted, it was fun all the way. Beginning on Tuesday, white-collar workers, entrepreneurs, students and people with a desire for a great but easy evening relaxation, thronged Rec, for five days of smooth enjoyment.
Tuesday night started with performances from local music acts in and around Ibadan culminating in the grand performance of the night by the ‘ajasa’ exponent, Lord of Ajasa. By the end of the night he left the Ibadan fun seekers reeling for more with his down-to- earth original Naija flavour.
Wednesday night was the turn of Yemi Sax to perform. Rendering popular Nigerian hip-hop songs in nothing but a saxophone flavour, he gave a whole new jazzy and entertaining appeal on the night, absolutely mesmerizing everyone present with his artistry. 9ice of the ‘make them talk…’ fame, put on a superlative stage performance on Thursday night that brought a great crowd excitement that even the drizzles could not drench. Dancing to his music, Bisi, a student of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, proclaimed loudly in his slightly wet clothes, “I’m enjoying myself terribly”.
The rains showers had somewhat reduced to hundreds what would have been a great crowd turnout between the opening Tuesday and Thursday as conceivably, a lot of people found the nights a shade too cold for an outing. However, on Friday night following heavenly reprieve, Ibadan residents besieged the venue, where they were treated to renditions of Juju melodies by Gbenga Falope, an upcoming Juju artiste.
It seemed no length was spared in the execution of the event as the ambience oozed planning and thought, starting from canopies to a cooling van to chill the drinks to world-class sound production. According to the Brand Support Manager of Guinness Extra Smooth, Jide Alade, “it is all about ensuring our consumers have a great time and have a lasting experience and relationship with Guinness Extra Smooth.”
Asked the role and place of Guinness Extra Smooth in the consumers’ drinking repertoire, Jide Alade explained that Guinness Extra Smooth is the perfect easy-to-drink beer. “ Smooth is about relaxation, taking it easy and still having a great time. For instance, there are people who after work want to drink a bottle or two but want to drink light in readiness for the next day’s job. You know, you’ve had a busy day at work and want to unwind with friends at your favourite bar but you’re conscious that you need to be in great shape for the next day; Guinness Extra Smooth is the perfect beer for such occasion and many others as its alcohol content is just about the same as lager and has millions of tiny bubbles all which combines to make it very smooth and as easy to drink as lager.”
The grand finale on Saturday night was the height of the event. Yemi Sax again mounted the stage and for about thirty minutes held the crowd spellbound with his Saxophone. Then came Wale Zion, another up and coming act. But there was apparently nothing local about his performance as he got the crowd to their feet in frenzied excitement at his mixture of funky Yoruba upbeat music. Everyone danced to his or her hearts delight at his renditions. The arrival of Olu-Maintain, the final act and star performer of the week-long galvanized the excitement of the crowd. Being an Ibadan boy, he was on ‘home-ground’ and the crowd welcomed him as they would a king. The Yahooeze exponent then thrilled the crowd to his hit and popular music. Bringing an element of the hit Yahoozee track to life, he threw several dollar bills into the crowd which they loved.
All through the week-long event DJ Dino, gauging the mood of the crowd, played music that sent them wild. He spun the wheels of steel to produce Fuji, raps, hip-hop, and other accepted genres of music, both local and foreign.
Apart from the artistes’ performance, there were also other side attractions. Yemi Sounde and a host of other comedians cracked jokes that delighted the crowd. In addition, there were dance competitions which were a big hit with crowd. And there were just rewards too. Consumers who bought two bottles of Guinness Extra Smooth got a bottle free also with a raffle ticket that qualifies them to participate in the daily raffle draws. DVD Players Typhoon-type standing fans, a 29” Flat-Screen TV and a 3.5 KVA generator were won by consumers. Victor, the winner of the generator was lost for words when presented the prize by Tunji Folayan, Marketing Manager Lager/RTD, Guinness Nigeria Plc.
At the venue, the only drinks sold were Guinness Foreign Extra Stout (Udeme), Guinness Extra Smooth, and Malta Guinness. Those present had no other option but to explore the Guinness hospitality. “I never knew that Smooth was this nice. The thing no too strong as I dey think”, quipped Joseph who had always drunk only lager before.
It was really a smooth and ‘easy’ week at Ibadan, but for Guinness Extra Smooth, the groove goes on.