{"id":3893,"date":"2019-02-04T17:16:44","date_gmt":"2019-02-04T17:16:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.com\/nigeria\/?p=3893"},"modified":"2019-02-04T17:16:44","modified_gmt":"2019-02-04T17:16:44","slug":"reliving-old-oyos-glory-at-afonja-launch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/reliving-old-oyos-glory-at-afonja-launch","title":{"rendered":"Reliving Old Oyo\u2019s Glory At Afonja Launch"},"content":{"rendered":"

YOU would think you were back in time, in the old Oyo Empire. The attires, hairstyles, meals and drinks were retro in conformity with the theme, \u2018Back to Oyo\u2019. There was, among others, eko (cold pap) and palm-wine as the gastronomic needs of guests were catered to at the foyer before the main event started inside the Agip Hall of the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos last Sunday.<\/p>\n

The occasion was the launch of Tunde Leye\u2019s historical novel, \u2018Afonja The Rise\u2019, the author\u2019s fascinating retelling of the story of the Aare Ona Kakanfofo who most mainstream accounts blame for the decline of the Oyo Empire.<\/p>\n

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The TV presenter, Titi Oyinsan, who looked sharp in her female dashiki and matching pencil trouser, anchored the event and did an excellent job. By way of whetting people\u2019s appetite, especially those that had not read the novel which animates history and gives a different perspective on Afonja\u2019s role in the demise of the Oyo Empire, broadcast journalist, Bella Rose Okojie read an excerpt from it.<\/p>\n

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Spoken word artist, Rez d Poet (Adebola Afolabi) accompanied on the flute by Awoko was up next after her reading. He reiterated the importance of knowing one\u2019s identity in his performance.Because of the historical nature of \u2018Afonja The Rise\u2019, there was also a panel discussion on the book. A lawyer and poet, Oladimeji Ojo, moderated the session which featured renowned cinematographer and producer, Tunde Kelani; a retired Chief History lecturer at the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Mrs Elizabeth Ajayi and host of Channels Book Club, Kunle Kasumu. The illuminating discussion affirmed the importance of cultural rebirth through proper learning of history and culture.<\/p>\n

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Responding to moderator\u2019s question seeking to know if slavery was part of Yoruba culture before colonialism, Mrs Ajayi, who is also a doctoral candidate at the University of Ibadan, said yes but that it was different from the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. She explained that: \u201cIn an agrarian community, labour was essential, but the household constituted the major source. Men had several wives to have many children to work on the farms. Slaves were part of the labour force, but domestic slavery was different from Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.\u00a0 The way the Yoruba treated their slaves was different from the Trans-Atlantic Slavery. There\u2019s a consideration that you give to your slave; a slave that has been loyal can become almost part of the household. The Yoruba did not treat slaves like they were during the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked what made the kingship institution experienced a decline, Kasumu said it was the 1861 annexation of Lagos by the British.\u00a0 \u201cWhen the British came, they took over the people; they took over our culture. That\u2019s how the British operated. Once colonialism happened, there was a loss of culture. They used Lagos as leverage to take over the surrounding kingdoms. And once that happened, the structures, the culture all went away. The Trans- Atlantic Slave Trade story is not told enough. Nobody talks about Nigeria. Only a few people realise that 23 per cent of those taken away were from this part of Africa. Some of these structures still exist, but they are not as powerful as they used to be,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Contributing, Kelani began by commending Leye for a job well done. \u201cAs a storyteller, it [book] is cinematic already,\u201d he added before referring to the conference on the Alaafin of Oyo at 80 organised by the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding (CBIU) last year. He recalled how eminent historian, Professor Toyin Falola canvassed for the study of \u2018Alaafinology\u2019 and \u2018Ifaology\u2019 in universities and other institutions of higher learning as well as Oba Lamidi Adeyemi\u2019s address at the occasion.\u00a0 The Alaafin told them about separation of powers and checks and balances in old Oyo. significant women in work, noting that they remain powers behind the throne in modern times. \u201cIn power politics, women have always been behind the scene manipulating the leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n

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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

YOU would think you were back in time, in the old Oyo Empire. The attires, hairstyles, meals and drinks were retro in conformity with the theme, \u2018Back to Oyo\u2019. There was, among others, eko (cold pap) and palm-wine as the gastronomic needs of guests were catered to at the foyer before the main event started […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":3897,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,17],"tags":[140,139],"class_list":["post-3893","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-culture-and-art","tag-art","tag-culture"],"yoast_head":"\nReliving Old Oyo\u2019s Glory At Afonja Launch - Nigeria<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/reliving-old-oyos-glory-at-afonja-launch\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Reliving Old Oyo\u2019s Glory At Afonja Launch\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"YOU would think you were back in time, in the old Oyo Empire. 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