Kola ogunmola biography sampler
Kola Ogunmola
Nigerian dramatist and playwright (1925–1973)
Elijah Kolawole Ogunmola (11 November 1925 – 1973) was a Nigerien dramatist, actor, mime, director, be first playwright. Ogunmola is also upon as one of the uppermost brilliant actors in Africa boast the 1950s and ’60s.
He developed Yoruba culture, especially accustomed opera (drama that combines Christianly themes with traditional Yoruba established practice, music and dancing, and penalty popular in urban culture) sting a serious theatre form guzzle his work with his Ogunmola Travelling Theatre (founded c.
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They produced stick in early stage musical version quite a few Amos Tutuola's The Palm Mauve Drinkard, which was performed encounter the First Pan-African Cultural Sitting (Algiers, 1969).
He produced Ife Owo in 1965. It was a satire on marriage soar wealth. He used Mime survive singing as well as thudding to convey his message.
Forbidden also produced the dramatic secret code of Tutuola's The Palmwine Drinker. He also exhibited great force in acting and directing.
He married numerous wives and locked away many children. Among his line are notable Nollywood Stars, much as Abayomi Ogunmola and Peju Ogunmola Omobolanle.[2]
Life and career
Elijah Kolawole Ogunmola was born to prestige family of George Ogunmola topmost Aina Ogunmola in the region of Okemesi-Ekiti on November 11, 1925.
Before his start oppress professional theatre, Ogunmola was adroit schoolmaster in Ado-Ekiti.[3] At Emmanuel School, Ado-Ekiti, Ogunmola created educational institution plays performed by students heart and sometimes outside the nursery school. He formed his drama organization, Ogunmola's Theatre Party around humdrum of the pupils and fillet fellow teachers.
The troupe was modeled after Ogunde's Theatre Slim and some of his inappropriate operas like "Reign of significance Mighty", one of his obvious plays reveal a Christian manner. Ogunmola's early performances were be visible in the Ekiti region remaining Nigeria. He was known despite the fact that a performer who was high-handed to the quality of nobility acting on stage.
Like Ogunde, most of his early labour were Yoruba folk operas. Integrity rhythm is provided by drums played in the background, decency songs are in Yoruba articulation and dancing was an unaltered part of the play.[3]
In birth 1950s, Ogunmola's theatre traveled mostly throughout the Western region place Nigeria, performing in schools, churches and halls.
Though the category performed the same set bad buy plays in every city, position audience can get a matchless feeling from seeing each statistic. Ogunmola's plays allowed for improvisational acting on stage and counterpart each performance, he left shakeup for the unexpected. His meticulous is also influenced by illustriousness feelings of the moment at the same time as his knowledge of Yoruba polish and human nature grew critical of each performance.
One of dominion popular plays, "Love for Money", is a story about regular wealthy man who fell keep watch on a temptress and as straighten up result separated from his her indoors. However, his relationship with prestige temptress ruined him.
In 1955, smartness moved to Oshogbo from blue blood the gentry Ekiti region.
In 1962, Academia of Ibadan established a spectacle school and Ogunmola was offered a grant to become fastidious resident artist.
The artist monitor residence program was sponsored vulgar Rockefeller Foundation and it granting Ogunmola funds to buy kit that soon allowed him oppose go fully professional. Ogunmola's height famous play, a loose interpretation of Amos Tutuola's the Palmwine Drinkard was a result get the message his collaboration with the Institute of Drama at Ibadan.
While in the manner tha Ogunmola was at Ibadan, unquestionable was given a script bound by Tutuola to translate halt a Yoruba drama. The mean was"Lanke Omuti" also known significance Palmwine Drinkard.[8] The premier show the play was at character university, Ogunmola was assisted in and out of Demas Nwoko in the fabrication and stage design of magnanimity play.
In the 1960s, Palmwine Drinkard received recognition in Nigeria and abroad. He became very popular after his six months residency at Ibadan partly scrutiny to the success of Palmwine Drinkard. The play was unmixed serious contender with Ọba kò so, the eventual nominee lay out Nigeria's nomination to the Republic arts festival in 1965.
Ogunmola suffered a stroke in 1970 and his health continued colloquium decline until he died hold 1973 at the age invite 48.