WHAT WOULD FELA DO?

 WHAT WOULD FELA DO?

Since the greatest Nigerian musician of all time, Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti passed on in 1997, the majority of Nigerians have become ass lickers and lap dogs of the  political ruling class and no single Nigerian musician or human rights activist has the balls and guts to dare them and call a spade a spade as Fela dared and faced the consequences without apologies and without regrets.

Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti was a revolutionary musician, both an awesome sociocultural and sociopolitical phenomenon.
No other musician in Nigeria and the rest of Africa and the world has been as awesome as Fela. And it is funny how young singers of the present generation who cannot read and write music are claiming to be great.Great in what sense?

Great in winning American and European music awards that Fela never bothered to compete for?

They cannot even have a small band compared to the Afrobeat music enssemle of Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti.
See

117 Ensemble Organization of the Band of Fela Anikulapo- by A Oikelome · 2017 · 

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
aka "Orikinla Osinachi".

O Tempora, O Mores! Oh! Chico Ejiro!

                                                   Chico Ejiro.

Those celebrating their selfish egos in the entertainment industry of Nigeria while #Nollywood is mourning the shocking passing of Chico Maziakpono Ejiro,  one of the titans of the Nigerian film industry are only confirming their true characters.

Today, I found myself wearing the same clothes I wore the last time we met during the 9th Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) in November, 2019 at the Landmark Retail Boulevard on Victoria Island in Lagos, Nigeria. I was reflecting on what we discussed before the Honourable Federal Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed joined us where we sat in the lobby. 

Without Chico Ejiro and his fellow trail blazers and torch bearers of revolutionary guerrilla filmmaking in the 1990s, the phenomenon of Nollywood would not have become what has attracted the attention of the rest of the world. His over 200 movies have become subjects of film studies and African studies in different universities in Nigeria and foreign countries. 

I cannot imagine going on to produce the new documentary film, "Nollywood Rising" without the prominence of the leading role of Chico Ejiro in the making of the phenomenon of Nollywood.  So, since the shocking news shook Nollywood yesterday, I have been in a surreal mood. As I always do in such unforeseen circumstances beyond human control, I fall back into arms of the great Comforter in communion with the Holy Spirit. For the light of the Holy Spirit shines brightest in the darkest moments of human existence. 

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

Publisher/Editor,

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series

NOLLYWOOD is the National Treasure of Nigeria

NOLLYWOOD is the National Treasure of Nigeria

Nollywood is our precious National Treasure. But majority of Nigerians, including the majority of the practitioners in Nollywood don't have this realisation that everyone of the icons in Nollywood is a national treasure; the filmmakers, actors, screenwriters, cinematographers and the other indispensable professionals who have made Nollywood an international phenomenon in filmmaking and in the literary culture of motion picture.

The realisation of the importance and significance of Nollywood is the primary purpose of publishing the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series, the first book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry which has become a vital part of the knowledge base of Nollywood and the history of filmmaking in Nigeria. 

Nollywood is the focus of scholarly researches on African studies, film studies, haute couture and the literary culture of the literature of Nollywood screenplays in numerous universities in different parts of the world.  The  sociocultural, socioeconomic and sociopolitical developments in Nollywood  have only been fully realised by film students and scholars and they are increasing the knowledge economy of Nollywood which is more important to nation building than the short term benefits of the film and TV productions, cinemas and OTT platforms combined.  

The realisation of Nollywood as a very important national treasure of Nigeria will increase the local and global appreciation of the Nigerian film industry and the greatness of Nigeria in the world.

- By EKENYERENGOZI Michael Chima 

Publisher/Editor, 

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series 

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