Ọba Kò So : The Return of Sango
For Epic Yoruba Film
Ọba Kò So returns from the Lake of Fire to present day Oyo to fight against bandits and terrorists who have attacked the people and kidnapped the Alafin with his first wife and others. Can Sango rescue them? The kidnappers are not ordinary people. They are from the Nupe tribe. An epic battle awaits Ṣàngó in the ancestral kingdom of his mother. Against whom? Of course, Ṣàngó cannot return with Oya from Odo Oya (River Niger). As we say in the Yorùbá language, "Ija yen a ga!"
History of Sango adapted from the records of Yoruba historians and IFA priests.
By the way, my father was the only non-Yoruba Ifa priest since he grew up among the Ijebus from the age of 9 and was also a hunter and a soldier of the Royal West African Frontier Force who fought in Burma during the World War 2 (1939-1945).
Who was Sango?
Sango, the 4th Alafin of the Oyo Kingdom
Sango is an historical Yoruba king who through the story of Oba Koso ("The King does not hang") has joined the ancestors, and in the new world has become one of the seven principal Orishas. In the Afro-Cuban Santeria, Sango is recognized as the god of lightning, thunder, drums, dancing, and yams. Because he shares lightning and fire with Oya, the godess of the whirlwind (and winds in general and "the gates of the cemetery"), Oya traditionally is said to be Sango's favorite wife, both warriors who, in the New World at least, ride to war together.
In Cuba and in Brazil, however, it is sometimes thought that Oya is also the wife of Ogun (the machete wielding blacksmith Vulcan), which offends traditional "monarchist" Yoruba insofar as among her other attributes Oya is also the principle of steadfast devotion and loyalty. There is a passage in Orisun Omi in which the young narrator states flatly that "Oya is the wife of Ogun," which does not play well in Ile Ife. On the other hand, Sango is said to have an eye for Osun (Aphrodite, Venus), so perhaps, devotion or not, the New World Voodoo is simply acknowledging that what's good for the goose is good for the gander.
Oba Koso
Oba Koso is one of Duro Ladipo’s most important plays, also the best-known work in the repertory of Yoruba operatic tradition. It was with this play that Ladipo marked the first anniversary of the Oshogbo Mbari Mbayo Club. The play, published in Three plays by Duro Ladipo in 1964, was translated by Ulli Beier.
Oba Koso, meaning “the king did not hang” is an eight-scene dramatization of the death of the Oyo king deified as the Yoruba god of thunder. In the play, Sango’s ultimate inability to control his two belligerent generals, Timi and Gbonka was brought to the fore. Employing divide-and-rule tactics, he had set the two against one another in the hope that they will be so weakened by war that neither of them will be able to pose a threat to his power. In the ensuing battle, Gbonka, one of the warriors, defeats Timi repeatedly, to Sango’s disappointment. Thereafter, Gbonka recognizes Sango’s duplicity and invades Oyo. Deserted by his supporters, Sango suffers defeat, withdraws from the capital, and hangs himself in humiliation. His followers band together and deify him: the king did not hang (oba koso), they claim, he simply metamorphosed into a god.
The Supernatural Story of Sango, Ọba Kò So as shared by Bola Olalekan.
Adapted by historians, backed by Odu-Ifa and as told in folklores in the Yoruba religion sphere. Oranmiyan was the father of Sango, Oranmiyan the founder of Oyo kingdom and the youngest grandson of Oduduwa the progenitor married a Nupe woman who bore him Sango.
All stories about Sango are dramatic, it was said that he went in search of his father Ajagun and at a point, had to throw himself inside a burning lake to prove his lineage as Ajagun was the king of fire (this is in line with the debunked story).
Anyway,when Ajaka was Alaafin , Oyo kingdom was under incessant treat of war from Owu, Olowu was Ajaka’s cousin; who ruled Owu Kingdom. Olowu sent his warriors to capture Alaafin Ajaka and to bring him to Owu dead or alive. In their effort to rescue Alaafin Ajaka, the Oyomesi sent for Sango in the land of Nupe where Sango was living, Sango's fame was flourishing at Nupe, he was powerful, fearless and could spurt fire from his mouth. Sango was highly short tempered, he would spurt fire when angry.
Ajaka was sent on exile emanating from a vote of no confidence from the Oyomesi, Sango was made king after he rescued Oyo. He thus became the third Alaafin and ruled fearlessly.
Sango had three wives. Oya, who he loved dearly and became fond of, Sango would allow her to touch his hair which was an abomination but Oya later betrayed him by revealing his secrets of wizardry. Osun, the river goddess who was his favourite because of her cooking skills and Oba, who tried to win Sango's love by making a meal out of her ear for Sango. Sango later sent her packing resulting from a dispute between her and Osun, Oba left and out of frustration, turned into a river now called River Oba, which becomes turbulent whenever it meets with river Osun.
Sango was known to plait his hair into a style known as Suku, he designed it with red apparel and cowries (Laba and Yewu), he was known to hold double bladed axe (Ose Sango). Ram was is usual animal and still being uphold as symbolic pet of Sango by his followers, his favourite colour was red. He possessed a special sort of drum called 'Bata' and enjoyed eating bitter kolanut, porridge and yam. His followers of the glorious Yoruba Ifa religion still possess these features. They dress like Sango and could breathe fire, and are extremely pyromania.
The Latter Days Of Sango
King Sango had two warlords whose names were Gbonka and Timi, they were equally as lethal as Sango, Sango knew this and secretly planned to get rid of them.
He set the both of them up in a deadly contest with each other which later boomerang, Timi got killed and Gbonka who all of a sudden realised Sango’s hidden tactics, countered Sango and over powered him.
He banished Sango into the outskirts of Oyo. Sango was forced to desert Oyo and was said to have hanged himself at a place later called Koso. This, his disciple refuted, they claimed he only ascended to heaven to take charge of thunder and lightning. The popular saying “Obakoso or Olukoso” means King Sango did not hang.
Locations of target audience:
Nigeria, Benin,Cuba, Brazil, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Vennezuela and Ecuador.
Population:
Over 600 million.
The Diaspora:
United States
46,936,733 (2020)
Brazil
14,517,961 (2010)
Haiti
9,925,365
France
3.3–5.5 million
Other countries with significant African, Mulatto, or Zambo populations in Dominican Republic (8.5 million), Cuba (7 million), Colombia (5 million), Venezuela (4 million) and Ecuador (1.1 million).
Special reference:
In episode 28 of the telenovela Celia, loosely based on the life of Celia Cruz (produced by Telemundo), the cultural ancestors of Celia's African heritage visit her in her dreams, chanting and invoking the presence of Chango
Important notes on Oya and Sango:
When it’s time to ravage their enemies, Oya, who had the power to summon wind, would lead the charge. With her power, she would blow off roofs, fall trees and breathe life into the fire set by Sango’s thunder. Generally, Oya was more than a wife to Sango. They were like Bob and Helen Parr of The Incredibles.
I welcome partnerships with Executive Producers.
