FIRST VILLAGE-COMMUNITY ANTHEM IN NIGERIA COMPOSED BY BAYO ADEBOWALE

FIRST VILLAGE-COMMUNITY ANTHEM IN NIGERIA COMPOSED BY BAYO ADEBOWALE
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FIRST VILLAGE -COMMUNITY ANTHEM IN NIGERIA

IGBO-ELERIN ANTHEM

YORUBA

Igbo- Elerin wa
Ile wa olokiki
K’Oluwa ko bukun wa
K’ani alafia

Osi o ni ta ‘wa
Awa l’ayo a sope
Idunnu ati ‘lera



Ko je ipin ti wa

K’a ni ‘losiwaju
Ife ati ‘sokan
K’a ni ‘tesiwaju
L’okunrin l’obinrin
Imole wa si ma tan
Gege bi ‘rawo sanmo

Igbo-Elerin wa
Ile wa olokiki
K’Oluwa ko bukun wa
K’ani alafia

FIRST VILLAGE-COMMUNITY ANTHEM IN NIGERIA
IGBO-ELERIN ANTHEM

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Igbo-Elerin land
Our land of mark and fame
Blessing of good Lord with us
May we all be at peace

We ‘ ll rise above penury
We are thankful, we praise thee
Happiness, abundant health
Shall become our portion

Let’s have steady progress
Unity and regard
Let’s have advancement
For all men and women
Our fame is going to spread
Like bright stars in the sky

Igbo-Elerin land
Our land of mark and fame
Blessing of good Lord with us
May we all be at peace

Press Release: BAYO ADEBOWALE COMPOSES THE FIRST RURAL-COMMUNITY ANTHEM IN NIGERIA

History was made in an Ibadan District in Lagelu Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria on Saturday 3rd March 2018, when the community people’s anthem ( Igbo-Elerin Wa- Ile Wa Olokiki) was launched, with thousands of enthusiastic rural community people, from about 300 villages and hamlets in attendance. The anthem, which was composed at African Heritage Research Library and Cultural Centre, Adeyipo and rendered into song by poet and novelist Bayo Adebowale, turned out to be the First Official Village Community Anthem in Nigeria.

The anthem highlights the fame and popularity of this Ibadan District, and admonishes the community people of the area to always strive to attain peace, unity and advancement for their beloved fatherland, praying that happiness and sound health would be their portion as they continue to shine like bright stars in the sky.

The anthem was presented by the students of Igbo-Elerin Grammar School, and the pupils of Unity School, Adeyipo, with Abraham Olukunmi Agboola conducting it before the audience (of eminent personalities, including His Eminence, DrSunday Ola Makinde, Prelate Emeritus Methodist Church of Nigeria; Professor (Chief) Ezekiel Olukayode Idowu; Professor Harry Taiwo Ladapo; and all 21 Baale’s of Igbo-Elerin land) at Igbo-Elerin Grammar School Ground on 3rd March 2018.

Bayo Adebowale (PhD) (Associate Professor of Creative Writing in English) who composed the anthem, is

a poet, novelist, short story writer,critic, literary scholar, librarian, community leader, and the Director/Founder, African Heritage Research Library and Cultural Centre, (AHRLC) Adeyipo Village, Ibadan, Nigeria.

(From: Gbemisola Edun, Secretary, AHRLC)

FIRST RURAL-COMMUNITY VILLAGE ANTHEM COMPOSED BY BAYO ADEBOWALE

THE FIRST RURAL-COMMUNITY ANTHEM IN NIGERIA COMPOSED BY BAYO ADEBOWALE

IGBO-ELERIN ANTHEM

YORUBA

Igbo- Elerin wa
Ile wa olokiki
K’Oluwa ko bukun wa
K’ani alafia

Osi o ni ta ‘wa
Awa l’ayo a sope
Idunnu ati ‘lera



Ko je ipin ti wa

K’a ni ‘losiwaju
Ife ati ‘sokan
K’a ni ‘tesiwaju
L’okunrin l’obinrin
Imole wa si ma tan
Gege bi ‘rawo sanmo

Igbo-Elerin wa
Ile wa olokiki
K’Oluwa ko bukun wa
K’ani alafia

FIRST VILLAGE-COMMUNITY ANTHEM IN NIGERIA
IGBO-ELERIN ANTHEM

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Igbo-Elerin land
Our land of mark and fame
Blessing of good Lord with us
May we all be at peace

We ‘ ll rise above penury
We are thankful, we praise thee
Happiness, abundant health
Shall become our portion

Let’s have steady progress
Unity and regard
Let’s have advancement
For all men and women
Our fame is going to spread
Like bright stars in the sky

Igbo-Elerin land
Our land of mark and fame
Blessing of good Lord with us
May we all be at peace

Press Release: BAYO ADEBOWALE COMPOSES THE FIRST RURAL-COMMUNITY ANTHEM IN NIGERIA

History was made in an Ibadan District in Lagelu Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria on Saturday 3rd March 2018, when the community people’s anthem ( Igbo-Elerin Wa- Ile Wa Olokiki) was launched, with thousands of enthusiastic rural community people, from about 300 villages and hamlets in attendance. The anthem, which was composed at African Heritage Research Library and Cultural Centre, Adeyipo and rendered into song by poet and novelist Bayo Adebowale, turned out to be the First Official Village Community Anthem in Nigeria.

The anthem highlights the fame and popularity of this Ibadan District, and admonishes the community people of the area to always strive to attain peace, unity and advancement for their beloved fatherland, praying that happiness and sound health would be their portion as they continue to shine like bright stars in the sky.

The anthem was presented by the students of Igbo-Elerin Grammar School, and the pupils of Unity School, Adeyipo, with Abraham Olukunmi Agboola conducting it before the audience (of eminent personalities, including His Eminence, DrSunday Ola Makinde, Prelate Emeritus Methodist Church of Nigeria; Professor (Chief) Ezekiel Olukayode Idowu; Professor Harry Taiwo Ladapo; and all 21 Baale’s of Igbo-Elerin land) at Igbo-Elerin Grammar School Ground on 3rd March 2018.

Bayo Adebowale (PhD) (Associate Professor of Creative Writing in English) who composed the anthem, is

a poet, novelist, short story writer,critic, literary scholar, librarian, community leader, and the Director/Founder, African Heritage Research Library and Cultural Centre, (AHRLC) Adeyipo Village, Ibadan, Nigeria.

(From: Gbemisola Edun, Secretary, AHRLC)

Posted by YEYE AKILIMALI FUNUA OLADE at 6:45 AM

BAYO ADEBOWALE'S LATEST POWERFUL AFRICAN POETRY BOOK-"ORIKI"-TRADITIONAL POEMS(CELEBRATING HEROES AND HEROINES OF AFRICLAND)-GET YOUR COPY KIAKIA(QUICKLY!!!)

PUBLICATION OF A NEW POETRY BOOK: 
                  ORIKI
        TRADITIONAL POEMS
(CELEBRATING HEROES AND HEROINES OF AFRICLAND)
                   BY
       BAYO ADEBOWALE
A BOOK CRAFTED WITH ARTISTIC DEXTERITY!!!
PUBLISHED BY BOOKSMITH,IBADAN,NIGERIA
         2016
     120 PAGES



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BAYO  ADEBOWALE’S  AFRICAN MELODY

SINGS FULL-THROATED POETIC SONGS FOR AFRICA

Bayo Adebowale’s newly- published book, AFRICAN MELODY, (A Poetic Exposition of the African Essence) combines sweet melody with harsh melody, melody of expectation with melody of hope, for the African Continent. The 144 page book, containing a total of 61 poems, takes readers on a poetic excursion through the socio-cultural history of a Continent at the focus of global attention.

 

Nature and landscape in the book receive close scrutiny, as much as a number of selected political and historical events in the life of Africans on the Continent, and Africans in the Diaspora. (e.g slave trade, colonialism, coup d’etat, poverty, class distinction famine, racism, genocide, etc.)The poet adulates the achievements of the heroes and heroines of the land, while despots who smear the Continent’s beautiful garment with mud, receive castigation and several knocks on the head.

 

Sweet melody reverberates right from the beginning of the book, as readers encounter ‘motionless crocodiles basking under the blazing afternoon sun, at the magnificent swimming pool of Limpopo’ (p.12); ‘termites milling protectively round their Queen in the palatial fortress, inside the kingdom of the giant anthill’ (p.86); ‘photographs of brown-grass savannah teeming with spotted long-necked giraffes  journeying on the express road of the mind in the open horizon of Pategi’(p.19) ; ’ the receding evening sun sitting down on the busy bay of Lake Chad, immobile like a fat market woman transacting business.’(p.6)

 

Harsh melody, in one other section of the book, exposes Africa as ‘an ailing giant walking with the limbs of a stegomyia and nursing a pulsating numbness in the region of his left leg’(p.53). The ancestral land here has become ‘an elephant crippled by a snare; an antelope caught in a trap; an impala extricating from a tightening noose; a puff adder with his stomach swollen by an undigested rodent; and an earthworm dancing the dance of death in a lake of salt.’(p.59-60)

 

Melody of hope resounds in the book with the arrival of notable icons – African role models like Shaka –‘ the black pugilist of the unconquered land of the rugged Zulu nation’(p.14); Kwegyir –‘ the amiable Goldcoast whiz kid who at school chanted multiplication table with ease and acted Daniel in the Lion’s Den with dexterity’(p.21); Makeba – ‘the cool evening nightingale perching on the African bamboo, dishing out symphonies of pleasant solo tunes in mezzo-soprano octave to a listening universe’(p.84); Luthuli – ‘the blooming banana rhizome on the bank of the roaring River Orange’ (p.10); Ali –‘ the buzzing bee with a deadly sting, the graceful butterfly floating in the openness of the blue sky’(p.110); and Mandela, ‘who trod, unscathed, the narrow freedom road, strewn with pricks and pains, thistles and bristles.’(p.98) and Barrack Obama – ‘the long African broom, sweeping the New World horizon incredibly clean and penny – bright… the arrow head of mighty Luo spear shooting staright to target’ (p.124).

 

In Bayo Adebowale’s AFRICAN MELODY, it is music all the way; Music ‘touching the incore of our heart; jerking us to alertness; and stimulating in us, wonder and incredulity’… Music,’ soft as the murmur of the dove at dawn, pervading our days with delight, in cadences of joyful bubbles; and music, harsh as the monotonous tap on the blacksmith’s anvil permeating our nights with grief, in sequences of sad gurgles.’ (p.23)

 

The inclusion of a Classified Index in this brand new book is unique, so also is the full-colour display of imaginative photographs {nine of them}, supplied with highly creative captions by the poet, for readers delight. Adebowale’s AFRICAN MELODY indeed is a ‘deeply-researched and competently – crafted work of art.’

                                            PROFESSOR ISAAC ADEBAYO ADEYEMI

                                            VICE CHANCELLOR

                                            BELLS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, OTA.

 

Cover Price of the Book: N600; $5 {+ $2 Postage Cost}; £4 {+ £1 Postage Cost}

Page: 145

Year of Publication: 2012

Contacts for Purchase:

-          African Heritage Publishers (AHP); P.O.Box 36330, Agodi Post Office, Ibadan, Oyo State, NIGERIA.

-          Email     :               africanheritagelibrary@yahoo.com

-          Phone:                 +2348034495485

+2348072871715

                Yeye Akilimali Funua Olade:      +2348160176922

                Gbemisola Edun:                             +2347063413233

 

"WE HAVE GREAT WORK TO DO. WE HAVE BEEN CALLED UPON TO BUILD A NEW AFRICA AND A NEW BLACK WORLD!"
DR. BAYO ADEBOWALE,DIRECTOR/FOUNDER
AFRICAN HERITAGE RESEARCH LIBRARY AND CULTURAL CENTRE
nigeria-arts.net/literature/institutions/african_heritage_research_library/

book review AFRICAN MELODY red.doc 31K View as HTML Scan and download

BAYO ADEBOWALE-"THE WRITINGS OF A VILLAGE MAN" BY AKINTAYO ABODURIN IN NEXT ON SUNDAY NEWSPAPER,JUNE 2010

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One of the author’s works was adapted into a Tunde Kelani Film, ‘The Narrow Path ’ Photo: AKINTAYO

The writings of a village man

By Akintayo Abodunrin June 20, 2010 01:16AM

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Novelist Bayo Adebowale dabbled into poetry some years ago with ‘Village Harvest’, a collection of poems. He has since published ‘A Night of Incantations and Other Poems’ and ‘African Melody’.

“There is no strict demarcation between prose and poetry,” he states while explaining why he took up poetry. “If you are writing prose and poetry, you are virtually writing on the same plane; using almost the same diction. So, poetry can be prosaic and prose can be poetic. If I want to express my ideas in a compact form, I dabble into poetry but if I want to expand what I’m writing, I dabble into prose.”

An interesting feature of ‘A Nights of Incantations’ is its exposition on incantations, an aspect of Yoruba tradition. The poet highlights malevolent, benevolent and propitiatory incantations in the work and explains his action.

“All the three are aspects of our culture and tradition. When you are angry and you think you have an enemy, you can recite incantation that will bring down God’s anger on him.

“In the same token, if you find yourself in a difficult situation and you want to escape, you can recite incantations that will save you. When you burn roots and leaves of trees to cure yourself, you propitiate with them and you recite special incantations for that.”

He adds that the collection has sections on curses, desperation, voting and protest because, “It’s part of the culture of the people to curse. If you feel wronged by your detractor or your foe, you can curse him. When you curse, it’s a general phenomenon, not just in Africa but in other parts of the world. When you say may the devil take you, may you go into perdition or things like that in anger, it’s part of the culture. It is common to find people cursing their enemies. Those who have caused harm or brought unhappiness into their life.”

But is it Christ-like to curse?

“Don’t you think that even in the holy Bible we have things like that? Why is Jerusalem cursed? ‘If I forget Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its cunning.’ Have you forgotten ‘woe unto you that betray the son of man? All these woe are curses in the Bible, they are reflected in Christian liturgy so you cannot say these things are not evident in the Holy Bible. Even in churches you curse the enemy. You bring fire down upon your enemy. May the enemy be consumed by the fire of the Holy Ghost. I have gone to services in churches where they devoted a large part of their prayer to cursing the enemy. ”

The Virgin

‘The Virgin’ published in 1985 is Adebowale’s first novel and arguably his most popular. Two villages go to war over Awero, the major character who loses her virginity contrary to tradition. Though virginity appears somewhat trifle for villages to war over, the former Deputy Rector, The Polytechnic, Ibadan, insists that “The cause of the matrimonial problems of nowadays can be traced to virginity. The lack of trust in your wife, the suspicion the wife has of the husband can be traced to virginity. If your wife did not come to your house as a virgin, it will continue to haunt you throughout your matrimonial life. But if you met your wife a virgin, you will have implicit trust and confidence in her that if she can keep herself like that, I should trust her to a large extent. Mistrust and suspicion can be traced to virginity so it is relevant even nowadays.”

He also discloses how the novel was first adapted into the short film, ‘The White Handkerchief’, and later the feature film, ‘The Narrow Path’, by Tunde Kelani’s Mainframe Productions.

“It was Tunde Kelani who came to tell me that they are interested in the story. He told me what will change and what will remain. He told me the title will change and that the ending would also change because in the novel, Awero did not commit suicide but she did in the film. He said the impact will not be felt by viewers if she walks away. If she commits suicide, they will know that there is a good reason for war.”

The self-confessed writing addict who took up the art in 1963 also reveals what made him adopt the tack he did in ‘Out of His Mind’, his second novel. “It’s not everything that you tell your wife in real life. It’s not that you want to harm her but out of consideration for her flexible mind. You say instead of disturbing my wife, let me get over it. I can always tell her later. It’s the same with Alamu. They were newly married and he didn’t want anything that will upset the lady, hoping that sooner or later he would sort the problem. In any case, if he divulged the secret to the wife, there would be no story to tell again. The suspense will not be there again.”

Starting out

“I started with short stories and I have over 100 published short stories. It might interest you to note that my novels are adapted from my short stories. ‘The Virgin’ is from a short story ‘The Wedding Day’. I expanded another short story, ‘Burden of a Secret’ into ‘Out Of His Mind’. It’s the same with the short story ‘Lonely Days’ and the novel also so titled. I have been expanding on my short stories.

“Right now, I’m on another one, ‘Beyond Control’ and it is also adapted from one of my short stories titled ‘Tanko’s Exit’. There is not much difference in the technique of writing short stories and novels because they are all prose so I find it convenient. It is only that you have to be more compact, straight to the point in short stories whereas in the novel you have the liberty to expand and to explain certain process.”

Inspiration and influences

Adebowale was inspired to write by reading literary works. “I started telling myself this is something I could do too. I began by criticising the works of writers I read, and then I started writing.” Though the works of authors including Edgar Allan Poe, Ernest Hemingway, Alex Dumas, Charles Dickens, Chinua Achebe and Cyprian Ekwensi among others influenced him, his primary influence, “is my background as a village man.”

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reader comments (1)

Posted by Olajide on Jun 25 2010

Having been taught by Dr Adebowale while I was at The Polytechnic, Ibadan I believe he has the prowess as exemplified in his novel. He is a man to celebrated always.

The virgin (Egret romance & thrillers)

Out of His Mind

A TRIBUTE TO A GREAT NIGERIAN/AFRICAN-CHIEF N.O. IDOWU BY BAYO ADEBOWALE,AFRICAN WRITER-FROM THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER,APRIL 28,2010

BAYO ADEBOWALE (CENTER) WITH CHIEF AFE BABALOLA

FROM THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER

This is Google's cache of http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/letters/article01/190310?pdate=190310&ptitle=The%20N.O.%20Idowu%20that%20I%20know&cpdate=200310. It is a snapshot of the page as it appeared on 28 Apr 2010 01:42:40 GMT. The current page could have changed in the meantime. Learn more

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The N.O. Idowu that I know The beauty of Africa
Is slain upon the high places.
How are the mighty fallen!
SIR: The Erin-wo epitaph clearly sums up people's general opinion of the eventful life and times of Chief (Dr) Nathaniel Olabiyi Idowu (OFR), the Mayeloye and the Okanlomo of Ibadan land. Chief Idowu led a crowded life of progress and specular achievements in virtually all fields of human endeavour Ð as a community leader, philanthropist, pillar of sports, business tycoon, devout Christian, committed family man and a complete Omoluwabi.
Steadfast, diligent, disciplined, intelligent, honest, firm and forthright, N.O. all though, kept his head while others were losing theirs, in the face of challenges and vicissitudes of life. He was adored by his admirers and venerated even by his detractors, over whom he perched mightily like an eagle bird on the giant Baobab tree. He was in perfect accord with friends and at peace and harmony with all who dug holes round him.
Chief Nathaniel Olabiyi Idowu had no space in his tender heart to harbour malice, rancour and recriminations. His heart was a level-ground for positive thinking and record-breaking tendencies. No nooks, no crannies. Several times he had summoned us in African Heritage Research Library and Cultural Centre (AHRLC) to Lagos, to discuss confidential matters which touched his heart intimately, and these were matters concerning the progress and development of Eniosa, Adeyipo, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria and Africa. At such meetings, N. O. would bubble with hope, optimism and the commitment of a true messiah, on a rescue mission to improve the lot of his people. A great lover of the rural communityÉ When we took the news to him about Chief Afe Babalola's unprecedented act of philantropism to AHRLC at Adeyipo village, he grabbed his phone and poured encomiums on the legal luminary telling him, "You have done what Napoleon would not do, Afe, turning back the Duke of Wellington. May Almighty God continue to enrich your purse and bless you abundantly as you put smiles on the faces of my people. Congratulations."
On Saturday, September 24, 2005, during the official commissioning of AHRLC, Chief N. O. Idowu risked his health to grace the occasion. That day, he met with seven thousand jubilating community people of Olorunda Abaa, Igbo-Elerin and Igbo-Oloyin waiting impatiently to welcome their mentor and leader with traditional dundun and sekere music. Fortified by a sudden gift of good health and strength from above, N.O came that day to Adeyipo smiling, singing and dancing (in company of late Archdeacon Emmanuel Alayande and Chief Mrs. C.A. Idowu, his amiable wife, in front of a vociferous community audience who bestowed on him honour and recognition, never before witnessed in Lagelu Local Government Council of Ibadan, Oyo State. Together with Chief N. O. Idowu (our beloved Grand Patron) we formulated a universal caption for the task ahead of us in AHRLC, it is that: We have great works to do,
We have been called upon to build a new Africa
And a new Black World.
The N.O. Idowu that I know was a patriotic and worthy son of Africa. A man who stretched himself to ensure relief and comfort for the poor and the needy. A man who put others first and himself last; who kept sleepless nights to secure solutions to the problems of the society. A great man who left his footmarks boldly in the sands of time.
Chief (Dr.) Nathaniel Olabiyi Idowu (OFR) can never die, in the hearts of all of us who love him at home and abroad. He will forever be aliveÉ so, Death be not proud! Because those whom thou thinketh thou slayest, Dieth not, Poor Death!
Bayo Adebowale.
Adeyipo Village, Ibadan