When Nollywood invaded Paris.

Those who were slightly familiar with my artistic preoccupation, have asked me "what is it exactly that might have propped the mind of a dancer/choreographer, with such an outrageous touring calendar, that turns him into a die hard fan of Nollywood?" 

It is indeed a curious case, but there is surely an explanation, i take it therefore that, since I deal with body movements, with the texture and architecture of moving bodies on stage, and cinema on the other hand, deals with motion pictures in frames, meanwhile, the stage, just like cinema plays with the tones of light, shadows and color. As a dancer, I've told stories with my works, just as cinema does; so, in that magical territory of visual spectacle and of story-telling, you can see that I am not a learner.

As a creative artist however, raised on Nollywood stories in Lagos, a professional life in Paris and across the globe, has made the dream of a different utopia evident for me, with few friends we have previously organized a tour around six African cities, for a documentary film project i titled "Do We Need Coca Cola to Dance?" The title alone attest to my never ending quest for fresh air, for a different story and evidently; a different utopia. Then a strange idea came; NollywoodWeek in Paris.

Just the sound of it give hints of a wonderful thing. The nollywood story is by any consideration a most phenomenal story, for an industry that began almost by accident, and has not benefited from any official nor foreign support. A totally homegrown industry. Nollywood has created its proper commercial path, through popular and old fashion manner of reaching out from doors to doors, it has therefore, positioned itself as the legitimate business model, for the way Africa must position itself within global negotiations. 

Nollywood now prides itself as the first homegrown african initiative with a global appeal. Everywhere you travel these days, you will realize that Nollywood have been there before you. Therefore the question for me was, what should a NollywoodWeek Paris be like? Because a phenomenon like Nollywood, More than a Festival, the appropriate gesture must be that of gratitude, that is, a wonderful occasion to say thank you to all those who dreamt what was to become Nollywood today, This enormous success of the contemporary Nigerian cinema, has made a complete redefinition of contemporary African art. Without any formal schooling, without recourse to foreign assistance, without the benefit of hefty budgets or of any of the dazzling gadgetry of Hollywood, Nollywood outstrips all its former predecessors, within the first two decade of its birth, and initiated a completely novel cinematic genre in global media. 

It is indeed a story to marvel about, worthy of celebration and sharing with the world, that a group of half-literate dramatists of the popular traveling theatre tradition, seeing their trade tottering on the brink of extinction, because of the harsh economic policies of the 80s, could, out of desperation, seize the opportunity of newer technologies, and, in alliance with small-scale entrepreneurs, they harnessed it with such inventiveness, and now their successors have tirelessly turned it into a multi-million naira film industry, whose products have almost completely displaced the far more sophisticated, far more technically competent products, of Hollywoo. d and Bollywood. 

Between May 30 to June 2nd, YK Projects presented the first edition of NollywoodWeek in Paris, at the Cinema l'Arlequin, in the heart of

Paris, France. We gathered around 1500 spectators from around the world. In addition to having access to watch the most recent and talked about films from Nigeria on the big screen, seven movies were screened; MAAMi, PhoneSwap, IJE, INALE, Tango With Me, Last Flight to Abuja and Man On Ground. Our festival attendees also had the opportunity to meet the directors, producers, actors, scholars and French based film industry professionals during conferences and Q&A sessions held throughout the festival. 

 

For four days, Parisians celebrated Nigerian cinema and voted the film Phone Swap by Kunle Afolayan as the Public Choice Award winner for this first edition of NollywoodWeek. With the added Nigerian touches throughout the weekend, from Nigerian cuisine at the 'Lagos Lounge' to live musical performances, including a surprise session from Keziah Jones on the Opening Night, many walked away feeling this event was a success. As we celebrated however, we were equally aware that we are simultaneously responding to the increasing global curiosity for Nollywood movies. With this festival we have been able to speak to millions of Parisian cinephiles, who are so much in deep need, and deep thirst of a different utopia; watching stories, films, images, made by people who they share imaginations, questions, thirsts, needs, and dreams with. 

Lastly, We at Yk Projects are very much honored to present the best of New Nollywood to an entirely new audience, to make a resounding echo of all those who worked so hard to make the dreams become films; to be watched all over nigeria, all over Africa and throughout the world. With this new platform, we also hope to create an annual hub, for all those scholars, journalists and researchers who have taken their time, to record and document a phenomenon that is constantly changing and constantly evolving. And to make it a legitimate meeting point between actors, directors, producers, co-producers, distributors and other industry professionals to exchange, to inspire one another and eventually, do things together.

Qudus Onikeku

Founder and Artistic Director

Yk Projects

Co-founder and Artistic Director

NollywoodWeek Paris. 

www.qudusonikeku.com | qwww.ykprojects.com | www.nollywoodweek.com

UN CORPS EN EXIL

« UN CORPS EN EXIL » Entretien par DAGARA DAKIN, traduit de l'anglais par Latifa Aït Naceur.

Article issu du N°1286-1287 (numéro double), juillet-octobre 2010 : Les migrations subsahariennes
Rubrique : Article de dossier

« L’exil, s’il constitue étrangement un sujet de réflexion fascinant, est terrible à vivre. C’est la fissure à jamais creusée entre l’être humain et sa terre natale, entre l’individu et son vrai foyer, et la tristesse qu’il implique n’est pas surmontable. » Edward W. Said, Réflexions sur l’exil, éd. Actes Sud, p. 241

Diplômé du Centre National des Arts du Cirque (CNAC) de Châlons-en-Champagne, en tant que danseur acrobate, Qudus Onikeku a été interprète pendant plus de dix ans sur la scène chorégraphique de la capitale nigériane Lagos. Il est, entre autre, à l’initiative - au printemps 2008 - d’un projet au titre évocateur « Do we need Cola Cola to dance ? » qu’il a mené avec une équipe composée d’un photographe, d’une danseuse et d’un vidéaste. Ce projet de danse dans la rue l’a conduit dans sept villes du continent africain. Interprète dans les créations de Heddy Maalem, notamment Le sacre du printemps en 2009, il a tourné en Europe, aux Etats-Unis et au Brésil.

De décembre 2009 à mai 2010, il était en résidence au 104 à Paris, nous l’avons interroger son approche de la notion d’exil, thème qui sous-tend son spectacle intitulé « My Exile is in my head »

Dagara Dakin : Pouvez-vous nous raconter en quelques mots votre parcours, comment vous êtes devenu danseur ?

Qudus Onikeku : J’ai grandi en faisant des acrobaties, en voyant autour de moi les gens faire des « flips », j’ai surtout vu faire des flips arrières। Alors j’ai commencé à les imiter. Je faisais des séries de cinquante à la suite. Je le faisais surtout à l’extérieur car au domicile familial c’était difficile. Je suis le dernier d’une famille de treize enfants et tous me sommaient de m’arrêter de peur que je ne me fasse mal. C’était leur façon de me protéger. J’étais le plus jeune et cela me frustrait car j’avais très envie de faire des acrobaties chez moi. Alors à la moindre occasion, quand on m’envoyait faire des courses, sur le chemin de l’école, je m’exprimais à travers les acrobaties.

D. D : Quelle place a pris la danse dans votre scolarité ?

Q. Onikeku : À l’école, il y avait ce qu’on appelle « les clubs », des lieux d’expression en quelque sorte। Des membres du « clubs » dédié à la culture « Cultural club » étaient venus dans ma classe et m’avaient proposé de les rejoindre. Ils recherchaient des individus qui aient un don artistique du type chant, danse etc. et lorsqu’ils m’ont parlé d’acrobatie, alors j’ai tout de suite souhaité participer. Au sein de ce « Cultural club », je me suis petit à petit intéressé à la danse et j’ai décidé de m’impliquer aussi dans cette discipline.

D. D : Vous avez donc très tôt fait le choix d’une filière artistique…

Q. Onikeku : J’ai été plutôt surpris, car étant inscrit à l’école dans une filière plutôt scientifique j’avais l’impression que des disciplines telles que la danse n’étaient peut-être pas compatible avec ma filière d’origine। Mes parents pensaient d’ailleurs la même chose et jusqu’à la fin du lycée ils m’ont surtout demandé de me focaliser sur les études scientifiques. Je me suis donc beaucoup moins impliqué dans la danse que je considérais comme un divertissement. A 16 ans, j’ai quitté le lycée et là, j’ai pu reprendre la danse plus sérieusement. C’est à ce moment là que j’ai décidé de devenir danseur professionnel.

D. D : Vous venez de clore une résidence de 6 mois au 104 comment vous êtes vous retrouvé dans ce lieu ? Pouvez-vous nous dire comment est né le projet « My Exile is in my head » ?

Q. Onikeku : Le 104 a fait un appel à projet et j’ai postulé. C’était en 2008, année d’ouverture de ce lieu culturel, je finissais mes études au CNAC. Je pensais à ce moment là à traiter de la question des Sans-abri et de la notion de « homeless », d’être sans domicile fixe, le fait d’être toujours un nomade, à la recherche d’un lieu. C’est de là qu’a émergé le projet.

Le titre m’est venu au cours des mois d’avril, mai 2009। Je pensais à cette chose que l’on nomme « Home », la maison. Je me suis posé la question de savoir ce qu’était mon chez-moi. Et en pensant à mon enfance, au caractère polygame de la famille au sein de laquelle j’ai évolué, je me suis rendu compte que très jeune je cherchais déjà ma place.

D. D : Qu’est-ce que l’Exil dont parle le titre de votre spectacle et comment traduire ce concept dans la discipline qu’est la votre?

Q. Onikeku : L’Exil que j’évoque n’a pas seulement à voir avec le fait de voyager, en réalité il a plus trait à un questionnement sur soi, une recherche pour aller à la rencontre de soi, pour se créer selon l’image qui convient à soi-même, de définir ce que l’on veut pour soi-même. L’Exil est selon moi, un passage obligé pour tout artiste. Ça correspond parfois à cette période de la vie où l’on commence à être incompris des gens qui nous entourent, alors commence parfois le genre d’Exil dont je parle.

De nos jours nous vivons dans une société qui nous oblige à nous positionner par rapport à tel ou tel courant politique, religieux etc।, à savoir dire à quel pays nous appartenons. Alors, j’ai moi-même ressenti le besoin de définir d’où je venais ; Mais cette idée me perturbe, je n’aime pas l’idée de devoir appartenir à tel ou tel groupe, qu’il soit ethnique, religieux, politique, etc.

D. D : Votre approche est donc très personnelle même si vous vous êtes nourri de la lecture d’auteurs tels que Wole Sonika, Olu Oguibe ou encore Edward Saïd.

Q. Onikeku : Je ne suis pas à l’aise avec cette idée de définir le reste de l’humanité qui m’entoure comme « les autres »। Voilà, pour moi l’idée de l’exil, c’est de n’appartenir réellement à aucun groupe. Mais attention, je ne souhaite pas que l’on assimile cela à une sorte de « crise existentielle » car ce n’est vraiment pas le cas ici. Je suis, disons, dans une dynamique qui va me permettre de porter attention à la moindre partie de ce qui fait mon « MOI ». Je suis nigérian, je suis yorouba, je suis africain, je suis hétérosexuel, je suis musulman, je suis danseur, je suis tout ça à la fois, aussi pour moi ça ne fait pas sens de ne m’attacher qu’à un seul aspect de ma personnalité. Je ne veux pas avoir à choisir un aspect au détriment des autres. Evidemment, à un moment donné on est obligé de choisir, par la force des choses, de se définir par rapport aux « autres ». Je veux être dans la vie à part entière.

D. D : Il n’est donc pas question d’un exil politique ...

Q. Onikeku : Souvent, le thème de l’exil est associé à une idée politique – évidemment, on ne peut pas nier cet aspect – mais j’ai souhaité lui donner une autre dimension। En tant que danseur j’avoue que j’éprouve une certaine difficulté à m’exprimer avec les mots, et mon corps est pour moi le meilleur outil d’expression. Via la danse j’exprime ce que je suis. On pourra distinguer dans ma danse des éléments de hip-hop, de capoeira, de buto, de danse contemporaine. Ce corps est ce que j’appelle « un corps incarné » parce qu’il s’alimente de différentes choses, différents styles pour finalement n’en faire qu’un.

D. D : La danse vous paraît donc être approprié pour traiter ce thème ?

Q. Onikeku : Le thème de l’Exil pourrait d’après moi, se décliner en une multitude d’expression artistique, autre que la danse, si je voulais aller plus loin dans la réflexion. Je pourrais utiliser l’écriture, la vidéo, la musique, les jeux de lumière mais je ne tiens pas à enfermer le public dans mon exil, je veux qu’il vienne me voir performer et qu’il se divertisse devant mon spectacle. Je ne pourrais dire dans un livre, tout ce que je pense sur la question de l’Exil.

Qudus on Global Nomad blog.

Originally from Lagos, Nigeria and now residing in Paris, France, Qudus Onikeku is a Dancer, Acrobat, Choreographer, avid Blogger, first time documentary film maker and some would say, a Cultural Activist.

Why are you a global nomad?

For we are in the age of global tribe, that’s the only way to be an active part of the future and able to tame the panther from whatever stand point. N.E.W is the future (Nomadism. Exile and Worldliness) Exile being a permanent state of being, rather than a condition.

What made you start this venture? Why are you doing this?

Questions, seeking for answers and because I know that I will never get the answers I seek, it leaves me endlessly stupid, endlessly poor. The will to endlessly get out of my stupidity and poverty is what leads to my many projects. Man’s journey can not be predetermined by his parents or his wishes, series of overlapping events and coincidence is what becomes our destiny, it’s not a human calculation. I’m naturally curious, adventurous, with a genuine love for the world and a strong compassion for its inhabitants.

What do you hope to achieve?

I am a glutton for a world of peace, for a world where what drives men is not opportunism and greed, a world where people of power and authority don’t despise us and enslave us, regiment our lives, tells us what to think and what to feel! Stop to drill us - diet us - treat us like cattle, use us as cannon fodder. Turn us to unnatural men - But teaches us the love of humanity and strive to build an empathic civilization.


How long have you been working on this?

This kind of project is a project of the heart, and since i realized that I have a tender heart for such subject matter, even before I realized my talent as an artiste I have been working on this.

What is the most interesting discovery you have made since starting this project?

For me that will be the initiation of my non-conventional space dance project that I titled “Do we need cola cola to dance?” It brought me to the realization of the powerful connection between artists of all kinds and human rights. Artist and activist sometimes stand up against the establishment to say what needs to be said in the name of humanity. The need to break bounds and refusal to hegemony brought about this project. This artwork communicates across boundaries of geography, politics, gender, race, cross all divides and belong to every individual in those public spaces. Freedom of expression is vital for an artist’s work and we work to protect that very right and in the end the relationship is more fundamental. We experienced art together with our audience, it makes us feel human, and moves us to protect the human rights of others. Everyone has a voice and should use it… No one sees the world in exactly the same way, no one sees the world through the same eyes as I do, nobody will see how I think and feel about the world unless I express it in some ways. The interactive moments we shared with our audience was another means of getting closer to them, I was ready to hear their stories as much as they might like to hear mine. This can awaken their consciousness in a way politics or radical activism may not, this on the other hand inspires both fellow artistes and our audience, give self-confidence to people who believe in something but feel that they are alone.

Where do you see this project in 10 years?

After the African tour in 2007, we made a movie with the same title in 2008, in 2009 I did a similar project in Sao Paulo, in 2010 I returned to Brazil for a tour in Londrinas, Campinas, Joao Passoa and Recife. All these tours proved to me that this is where my heart is, as I continue to create for conventional theaters to feed my secondary needs, I will as well continue to do this project all over the world, to feed my basic need.

When did you start traveling?

2001, it was the very first time I left Lagos my city of birth.

How and why did you travel for the first time?

I traveled by air and it was for the purpose of performance in Madagascar.

In what places have you lived and what languages do you speak?

I have lived in Lagos, Ibadan, Chalons en Champagne and Paris. and I speak Yoruba, Nigerian Pigin, English, French and a bit of Portuguese.

What’s your favorite city so far?

I’ll pick Lagos, for so many obvious reasons, but I felt a similar vibe in Sao Paulo, Johannesburg and New York.

If you could only take one item with you to travel the world (other than your passport), what would it be?

My Quran.

Give us your global nomad profile:

window or aisle? Window. I can’t just stop admiring the work of God.

boat or plane? I can only swim in a pool. So I go for Plane.

train or bus? I love fast Train.

walk or bike? Bike for sure, Okada like we call it in Lagos

metro or trolley? Metro, but it depends where, if it is in a dirty and disorganized metro like in Paris, no thanks, I prefer a trolley.

tropical, temperate, polar? Tropical

hotel, hostel or local’s apartment? Local Apartment for sure. Even in the most dangerous favela, the locals will show you their survival technique, being in a five star hotel in a very safe neighborhood doesn’t guarantee your security.

must have fashion piece when traveling? Ma ALL STAR, My ever ready to dance partner in any condition.

explore/map or tour guide? Explore without Map. I’m an African. My mother told me if you cultivate the habit of asking people your way, you will never get lost. And I also feel its a very social thing to do.

My Exile... at Parc de la Villette

Lagos destination Paris

Curled from my travel diary.

9th July 2006 (Sunday)

...Joy, fun, fear, encounters and memorable events are often my sky team partners during each trip, beautiful hostesses and cute hosts who adds glamour and splendor to the trip, aside from some few carriers who I think experience matters a lot to them, who recruits mass of frail boned papas and mamas with make ups as that of ancient porn-stars celebrating the remembrance of their days of sunshine. Not withstanding, they all seem to make me laugh during turbulence, they try to be relax and do as if all is well to make me and other half hopeless passenger like me get over our fear and panic, while deep down in their heart one could feel the fear in them and I often imagine how I could be flying every now and then as my profession and not putting all the risk and stress in mind. This brings me back to the only part I find really risky and stressful in my profession. It is the joy of every artiste to export and exhibit his/her product out of the shores of his country, being it African, Asian, American or European.

One other moment that annoys me most in traveling is when I’ve finally got to my destination or transiting through any of the so called western European countries. On sighting my Green ever popular Nigerian passport, then I know at this point I must be ready to sacrifice my precious time for the often long mustached immigration officer who for all he cares you didn’t get your visa in the legal way and your passport might have been fabricated or retouched at OLUWOLE. So all he is looking for is the sign of face changing, data changing or how the visa page was attached to the existing international passport. If he finally didn’t find any fault then he begin to imagine how a black Nigerian as I am could get visa from or for a civilised white western world, which opens to another phase of interrogation, ranging from; where are you going to? What are you going to do there? Where is your invitation? And other document you used in processing your visa? - as if one could get a visa without these documents but one just need to be patient with them, eat, chew to ruminants and swallow your ego if that trip is important to you because this is just the result of the mistake our great grand fathers had made so we are just a victim of the 21st century that nothing could be done to restore at this stage - Moreover the questions continue; for how long will you be there? Can I see your return ticket? Your hotel reservation? Name and address of your employer or that person who is expecting you.

I mean series of those same stupid questions that I was actually asked while applying for my visa. After all asked and properly answered with care, it doesn’t end there because he might not be contented and so he will be obliged to call another officer who is often a slimmer and maybe shorter version who will then take me through series of closed doors that could only be accessed by an immigration officer or other airport officials, as I was victimized at the Milan Malpensa airport. Italy. To get me more shocked, sitting on the waiting room were series of unfortunate Blacks who are waiting to be tested or screened. So i joined the queue of the children of sinners, so for no clear reason i'm still waiting, i see some mustached guys coming to check on me from far from time to time, this is when i realised that waiting could mean so many things, the time can tick so very slow when you are in the hands of official kidnappers but, it is only when you have something to hide that you try to proof that you are clean. Finally it got to my turn, i walked towards this irritating guy with Italian accent, "can you keep your bag please" obviously he was going to search it again, making it the sixth time, "Please take off your shirt" i thought it was a joke, not knowing that i was still going to take off the last fabric that covers my dignity and take my urine, it seems to me that they got a clear information that i had something on me. Well they got it wrong, after a moment of stripping, debates and interrogation, I got acquainted and discharge without bail. 

The price i paid costed me more than i could afford, its memory stays with me forever. I felt raped and it reminds me a similar case at the London Stansted airport where I actually missed my flight because I was still being stripped by the time my flight was leaving for Paris, yet the only word that comes out of their mouth is “you can go sir” i.e. polite at last and no more. Getting to the boarding gate another polite flight mistress at the gate of the just departed flight telling me “sorry sir you’ve missed your flight” then at this moment I knew I could do but just be polite enough to sleep right there at the airport to wait for tomorrow’s flight. Wow twenty four hours at that airport which is at the outskirt of London is just nothing good to talk about, but did i survive it, yes i guess cos here i am writing it...

-DITTO-
For some one like me who got his roof in between borders and abode often tapped in an economic class of a flying box, this is my forth international passport, three filled with visas and stamps, so you can imagine that the war is far from being won, where do i start from? do i have to lament about the over rude perfect visa officer behind the window, the battle with the local thugs at the airport, the professional hospitality you get in the plane, to the international clowns welcoming you, and stripping you off your very last pant, in search of one white substance that you've only seen or hear about on tv... its sad ahn, but what can you do when it becomes part of your job, profession and life, you can choose to be arrogant if you want, but does it change a thing? when they are just puppet of some powerful guys behind close doors, all through my life, i have searched for other human policy that is worse than immigration policy.

-DITTO-
I know this might sound ODD, but when people tell me to be careful about what i put on facebook, cos of their privacy policy, i tend to blush in silence, when i got all my fingers stamped to get Nigerian passport, got all my fingers printed at the embassy, on getting to the newark airport, i didn't just got my fingers printed but also had to look into some machine that looks like a microscope - even to the extent of taking another picture of me, and i wonder if i was applying for an american passport. So i think we are just trapped all ways always, but lets be aware of fascism, lets redefine what globalisation is suppose to mean and let the world order not just treat Africa as the poor little sexy continent, but a geographical location with people born just the same way as those across the atlantic, so if we claim to love to see children play, love to show them love and see them grow, so nothing makes the African child different, so lets ask them, why do we extract the juice of the sins of the fathers from the child ? what do we make out of our common shared history? who bears the heavier baggage of history? how come the third world citizen pays a more expensive visa fee? how come the so called benefit of globalisation, industrialisation and our technological advancement cost more than 50% of what is required in the west? At a very tender age of my life i felt the urge not just find but seek answers to some illogical questions, later i realised that the solution is to create more questions to add to the existing questions.

My EXILE is in my head!

Hey hear me out,

I think i found another title for my next creation, i decide to change its title again from HOME SERIES, now i want to call it "EXILE" or better still "MY EXILE IS IN MY HEAD" hmm... I find it really exact for what i want to say, especially these days i feel so much away, a self exile, its like i am on a sabbatical expedition yet my chord is always tilting towards Nigeria, at times i feel i need a divorce with that nation, i feel its just too much of a burden to carry on a responsibility i don't think i could fulfil its needs right now, but that kind of divorce don't last me a week most times, there is a constant voice in my head, this voice rages at me, it barks at me, i feel it calls me silly names for being this guy that will not just be at peace and let things go away unnoticed, let life pass through me and just enjoy where my head leads me along with my dancing feet.

A work in progress. (i must setforth at sunset)

I feel i still don't understand why i tend to be political, but other times i tell myself "but that's not being political", not being able to succumb to the lure of those that oppresses me, in relation to views about social relationships that involve power or authority is not being political, not having the temperament of keeping quiet when there is a moral or racial or political or social injustice and rationality doesn't mean I'm political, does it? So i think this EXILE still reside in myself, one that exist out of whom my parents never thought of. One that makes me have a continuous love/hate relationship with my people, my country and my race. At times i get so mad at myself after i might have done something really radical, because i never want to sound too wise nor foolish, i don't want to make deliberate enemy, and those that knows me can testify to my cool head, but presently i feel I'm on a crossroad, where i have to decide where i belong, because in this world, its all about where you belong, who are your pals, who do you identify with, what's your race, culture and religion, what are your beliefs similar to mine. AND I'M SORRY I TEND TO DISAPPOINT EVERYONE.

But like every man, i also love good life, i love those things that makes me feel like a complete man, i also want success, i also want to promise a good life to my family, wife and kids and beloved ones, for it is them we do all these for at times, when we claim not to be greedy and selfish. However, am i ready to belong? that is the question Q. and the answer A for now is NO... NO... NO. I think what killed me in my first life was fraternity, cults, peer groups, alliance to oppress, beliefs that tramples on the lesser people, those that bunch up to rule the world, i think they were the ones that killed me in my initial life, i hate them so much, and i tend to do everything to make them hate me so much.

Yet I'm aware of their curious eyes watching out for me, pinned above my head and they want me to believe that its raining, amongst them lies those that sing far away songs to sooth my dance steps, amongst them are the play boys, finding my body really sexy to award me a top bid, amongst them are those clever ones who validates our artistry with a prize and trophy, amongst them are those who promise us heaven for the gratification of their own affairs... I'm strongly aware of all these curious eyes, and I'm in EXILE, far away from the space they occupy, far away from their belief, away from their reach, they will only hear the echo and feel the vibration, because my own success and (r)evolution will not be broadcast on CNN; le monde might not hear about it, jeune Afrique will walk pass by me without knowing, the big brothers of Africa and the arts will search for me in Europe and America and perhaps in Asia, but they will not find me, cos i might just be in a little room in Mexico, or Santo Domingo, i might be just under OLUMO rock, just by myself and my conscience, for i want to live a life of pride and honour, i want to be as modest as i can be and be arrogant enough to tell even the person feeding me right now how wrong he is, when i feel he gets it wrong.

My exile is in my head i think, now I'm beginning to realise, its not about being in France or in the states, nor anywhere foreign to Nigeria, for even when i am in Nigeria, i still feel far away from the Niger area, its not much about others, its more about me i think, i don't ever regret this life i didn't choose for me, i don't feel sorry for myself, this is just the path at which i find my tent, and my sole quest now is... Survival, i know i have to seek for other means of surviving the massive weight of this pessimist world that promises to crush me, other means of living healthy and alive in the midst of all my antagonising foes and generous benefactors. talk with crowds and still keep my virtue, walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch, neither foes nor loving friends will hurt me no more, all men count with me, but none too much; i must survive this life, live my dreams up to my desired world, and find my liberty within the midst of all my antagonising foes and generous benefactors. I must definitely survive and set forth only after my sunset.

Q'dance (my new name!)