Mofe Damijo Will Read At Ikes PartyTHE actor Richard Mofe-Damijo will read excerpts from Toads For Supper, at the arthouse forum for Chukuemeka Ike at 80. The event is scheduled for 10am on May 13, on the grounds of the Nigerian International Book Fair at the University of Lagos. Toads, a tragic story of broken relationships and deferred dreams, was published in 1965. It turned out to be one of the most popular novels produced by the independence-era generation of Nigerian writers. Mofe-Damijo has been quite like a son to Chukwuemeka Ike, since he and Osita Ike, the novelists only son, bonded together at the Weekend Concord, where they both worked in the early 90s. The arthouse forum, organized by the Committee for Relevant Art, is largely a programme of readings and discussions of books of the author of 13 novels. It is a homage to a gifted and prodigious writer who helped to give shape to the idea of the African novel. Mofe-Damijos performance will be preceeded by spoken poem delivery by Akeem Lasisi, the countrys leading spoken word poet-in-English. Lasisi performs poems in English with all the ingredients of the Yoruban Ijala and Ewi, and he does them at a moments notice. There will also be a discussion of three of Ikes books by a panel of three secondary school students. The main event, however, is a panel discussion of four novels of the writer: Toads For Supper, Bottled Leopard, Expo 77 and Sunset At Dawn, by the poet Tade Ipadeola, president of PEN Nigeria and the novelist Tony Ujubonu. It will be moderated by Akachi Adimora Ezeigbo, a professor of English at the University of Lagos. Ghetto Dreamz On Emotional High All ThroughSitting in Room 4 of the Silverbird Cinemas in Lagos on e evening last weekend, it was difficult not to compare the architecture, flavour and content of the movie Ghetto Dreamz, which was on screen, with that of Notorious, which screened at the same venue two years ago. The two pictures are biopics about hip hop rappers, hugely popular in their respective communities, who died at the very peak of their careers, largely out of sheer recklessness. Youd assume that Ghetto Dreamz, the story of the Nigerian musician Dagrin, would pale in significance besides Notorious, based on the life of NOTORIOUS B.I.G, which is backed by Hollywoods enormous infrastructure. But, does it, really You have to see Ghetto Dreamz to see what it means for a movie to be on an emotional high from start to finish. Theres an unforgiveable mistake in the continuity department. We first meet Dagrin in school, supposedly in his mid- teens. But Trybson Dudukoko-roughly about Dagrins age in real life- plays Dagrin, plays both the teenager and the adult, without any visible physical difference, throughout the eight year stretch covered in the movie!. If you allow that to pass, Ghetto Dreamz doesnt fail to live up to its mandate; of delivering a rags to grace story with telling humour, candour and compassion. Dudukokos portrayal of Dagrin is utterly convincing, even admirable. The film declares that the language of the urban Lagos youth is multilingual; the Yoruba language is presented in the dynamic, if crooked, form that its multi ethnic speakers deliver it on the street today. You should watch out for Doris Simeon, who handles, evenly, the role of the girl in Dagrins life. The excitable character Onome(Gabriel Afolayan), who is Dagrins eternal sidekick, sees life as a jollyride even as he wallows in poverty. He represents the very dysfunctionality of the system; from the state to the personal. CORA, IREP To Interrogate The New NollywoodTHE Committee For Relevant Art is looking to interrogate the new Nollywood at its first art stampede, scheduled tentatively for late May 2011. The group is working in concert with IREP, organizers of the documentary film festival earlier in the year. The proposed venue is Freedom Park on Broad Street, in Lagos. Titled NEW TRENDS IN NOLLYWOOD, the idea is to present an interactive public forum involving the producers of what is certainly the new narrative in Nollywood. CORA is working to assemble producers/directors of such new narratives as Figurine, Through the Glass, Reloaded, Tango With Me, Ije, Inale, Tenant, Bent Arrows, Champion of our Times, Bursting Loose, Holding Hope, Private Storm, Jungle Ride, In America, Anchor Baby, Mirror Boy, Aleros Symphony, Lilies of the Ghetto, The Child, and so on. These are obviously works have helped to shape and redefine movie making in Nollywood, says CORAs spokesman Ayo Arigbabu.We intend to engage those behind these works in an intellectually engaging and stimulating dialogue that will help us appreciate the new bend that Nollywood is negotiating.Yenagoa: Theres Energy In The Night LifeYenagoa, the cramped, poorly developed capital of Bayelsa State in the Southwest of the Niger Delta basin, can neither boast of the posh bars of Port Harcourt, nor the numerous sit outs (pepper soup joints) of Warri. Still it has something that these two oil cities can only envy: theres so much energy in its night life. Like most Nigerian cities outside Lagos, a first timer needs a guide to know where the watering holes are located. But once you get a hang of it, Yenagoa is the most navigable place after 9pm. In a town where every street has at least two hotels, the entertainment spots are, unlike Lagos or Abuja, all located outside the Inns. The leading bar is Xtreme, which doubles as a car wash space. Xtremes in-house DeeJay understands sound sequencing; theres no drop in the tempo, (the music reminds you of Xtal Lounge in Abuja), which is why it is packed every night from Wednesday. For someone looking for a place to compare with a Lagos nightclub like, say, No 10 or La Casa, try V-TEN. This is where youre likely to locate the Yenagoa equivalent of the Lagos peppersoup Elite.Compiled by staff of Festac News Press Agency, femag@hotmail.com, sundayreports@yahoo.com
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