By Yinka Olatunbosun
Bariga, a suburb in Lagos, may have become synonymous with extreme poverty, but many talents had emerged from that community to change the narrative for the less-privileged. Some creatives have found their daily agonies as raw materials for their creative productions. Olamide, 9ice, Lil Kesh and Segun Adefila are some of the biggest names in popular culture that had emerged from Bariga.
For theatre, Adefila had done so much for grass-root talent development with his production company, Crown Troupe of Africa. With many international productions recorded for over two decades, Adefila had groomed some protégés for the arts. One of them is Rasheed Ibrahim, an award-winning dancer, choreographer and the artistic director, Ijolomo Dance Company.
Time to play with the drum at the National Theatre Festival Of Unity
The moment he stepped on stage, it was very hard not to notice the rhythm and flow. The dance movement seemed like his body was responding to a new canon: The knees, elbows, legs, arms and head traveled across the scenic space. He communicated with them, bringing something real and meaningful. The dance piece served up as a three-course meal, falling roughly into appetizer, main course and dessert.
The artiste was Adedayo Liadi. He became famous with his masterful dance rendition of Infinity’s Olori Oko. The dance was the kind that took the breath away – and revealing superb craft.