Between
two decades before independence and two decades after, is a period Femi
Osofisan refers to as the ‘age of
innocence’. Nigeria knew its golden age of extremely creative talents who
shook the world; they are so many that I have decided to pick one of them as
the matter of this article, one with whom I feel closest to. Wole Soyinka. That
lone tree, which might not make a forest in this ‘age of madness’.
As a
Dancer/Choreographer and one of the most privileged young artists in
contemporary Nigeria, with a wide access to the international art market. I
consider myself one of the very rare remaining Nigerians – not to say
Africans – who have access to the prerequisite elements for creating, and
able to retain the precise mental balance that their creative temperament
requires. Get residencies when needed, an access to theatres to conclude
technical aspects of creations, and a ready network for touring. Those who are
however aware of the loss that comes with negotiating one’s space of influence
and cultural backdrop before the unforgiving gaze of the ‘other’, will
understand that every traveling artist, especially of this contemporary times
of flux and mixing, where every notion of ‘roots’ and ‘home’ is perpetually
shifting, the need for a locality is much stronger than any time.
As a
traveling artist who continuously struggles to fix his sense of locality on Nigerian terrain – like many of my likes – I have mostly relied on the brains of such writers as Wole Soyinka to regain the memory of a time before time. For the purpose of authenticity and that of choice, I recognize the need for a body memory, which has lived longer than my own lived power or freedom. Soyinka’s writings have helped me a great deal in recognizing such mental territory of existence, but that is a locality solely based in a psychic asylum.
Let
me get back to earth; let’s take a quick excursion around the nation state
called Nigeria.
