THE CORUSCATING LESOTHO BARD

By OMOSEYE BOLAJI

“The love of a man and a woman has always been special but lately it’s exploited and ripped out of its definition…women, recall and respect men for their position, and you men, remember (that) women are just a rib of your whole package – they are highly fragile; that’s why they need your touch”

- Sheila Khala, in FORMULA

It is not the province nor perimeter of this short piece to ponder whether the above quotation – penned by a very young female writer from Lesotho is essentially true or false. Suffice it to say that I am more concerned with the exhilarating emergence of the author (Sheila Khala) herself.

Having said this, I must briefly point out that whilst younger, I was very much intrigued with the book, The anatomy of feminine power produced by one of the most erudite and brilliant African intellectuals, Chinweizu. For him, women’s fragility is a façade; they are actually the opposite!

And world history has also churned out many examples of how “un-fragile” women can be, especially during warfare: the dreaded Amazons (female warriors) of erstwhile Dahomey; and the role of women during the French evolution when “the women returned with the heads of those who had fallen…baying for even more blood…it was a most shocking scene”

Most of us we men will however like to believe that women might well be “highly fragile” – even if it’s mainly in our dreams!

But back to Sheila N. Khala. Remarkably she was only 19 when she published her first book of poems (Formula) which was published in 2009. She is a dynamic and fecund poet in every sense of the word. It is understood that her second book of poems will soon be out.

For lovers of literature, there is always that frisson of excitement when a new and very young writer takes the stage. Of course these days more and more African women are making big strides in the genre of writing. Sheila is already holding her head high in poignant African female black writing at a very young age – reminding us of international icons like Buchi Emecheta, Tsitsi Dangarembga, Helen Oyeyemi etc who did the same.

Of course a lot of cynicism is entwined within the warp and weft of creative writing, especially where new voices are concerned. Some literary protagonists have stated that “Sheila is probably one-dimensional; a good poet. She can’t produce stuff like fiction that would cement her stature even more as a writer”

But I beg to disagree. There are more than enough glimpses in Sheila’s poetry to suggest that she can be creative, fluent and evocative when she wants to. For example in her poem, “I love you” she writes inter alia:

“When you see me
Do you have a heartbeat that
Accelerates as space becomes thinner?
Or you can’t wait for me to walk out of the door
So you exhale a deep breath of Relief…
How do you react when you walk towards me
Are you faking the butterflies you claim run in your stomach?”


For aficionados of African literature, note the name: Sheila N Khala

This columnist will like to hark on the obvious now –

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

THE MUSICAL MAESTROS

By OMOSEYE BOLAJI

“T’emu ba funfun balau ninu igba
Kan mi igba kan
Se kan ko mi, ko tun se kan ko ra re
K’a jo ma mu lo!!!”

Since members of my particular generation were kids, we have been captivated by the extraordinary brilliance, brio and prowess of “King” Sunny Ade with the guitar; and his complementary lyrics as exemplified by the above quote.

There was always an acute, irresistible rhythmic perfection in Sunny Ade’s songs – he was more than a legend in Yorubaland, so to speak. Kids and adults reeled off the memorable, even esoteric words from his many songs over the decades – all over the world really. But it was his artistry with the guitar that set him on the way to what one might even call his apotheosis.

Wherever you see Yoruba people anywhere in the world (including in South Africa here) you can be sure Sunny Ade’s songs, his old classics, would still be treasured. Tales are still told about live performances dished out by the great man; as he strummed on his guitar many people seemed to go crazy!

It has always fascinated me the intriguing personalities of those enamoured with the guitar, no matter their colour or nationality. “Guitar men and women” always seem to stand out. Their transcendental devotion to their craft, their unique personalities, the general way they seem to be wrapped up in their own world...

Like my friend Deon Simphiwe, multi-talented South Artist based in Cape Town; who would put it this way: “Acoustics strings – strumming on life with all its follies and triumphs – don’t intend to hit a note” Whatever this means! These artists many times seem to exist in their own arcane world.

And again like my pal, Seleke in the Free State, such a fine, accomplished guitarist. A man who has given so much to music; a familiar respected figure with his guitar in South Africa; he has also belted out series of moving songs. He also has that ethereal feel about him – though he can be worldly wise!

We often take our friends for granted, and seem not to appreciate them intermittently. Seleke has supported me, or been beside me at so many crucial moments, eg when I was conferred with the Chancellor’s Medal by the University of the Free State. We even appear together on one of the covers of my books! But on my own part, I don’t think I have supported him enough. But we are still close pals.

The point is that Seleke is a brilliant musician and guitarist, one of South Africa’s best. He is at his happiest and best when he performs at major musical events, like the mammoth Vuka (Music) Festival that took place in the City of Roses in South Africa in December (2010) How proud of him I was! How he lapped up the applause!

Hmm...these guitarists. Yet there is a difference between guitarists in Nigeria and their South African counterparts. Here in South Africa it seems they are more subdued, staid, “intellectual”, perhaps more cosmopolitan. But Nigerian guitarists, musicians, are often so off the cuff, even whacky, a whirlwind of spontaneity, playing to the gallery – epitomes of jabulane!! (fun)

THE GRISLY SIGHT

By OMOSEYE BOLAJI

Pandemonium reigned as everybody around reeled with profound shock at the horrific discovery. People gathered at the site not believing what they were seeing...how could the house of God be desecrated in such an unedifying way?

But there was no running away from the evidence before their own eyes. Even as police cars screeched to a halt here at JB Mafora, Mangaung, South African township, tears welled up in many and the dam broke with most people crying inconsolably. And they were not alone.

Even some of the police officers soon joined the fray of those weeping as they contemplated the plight of what had been a full bodied promising young man. Now he had not only been killed in the premises of a Church (Jesus Never Fails Ministry), his body had been mercilessly mutilated, cut to pieces by ruthless miscreants!

Soon it emerged that the murdered and mutilated gentleman was 27-year old Stephen Nakedi. Flaxman Qoopane, a distinguished South African journalist was one of the first people at the scene, before giving me a call. “It was terrible,” he told me. “I have never seen anything like it. The dead man was cut to pieces...it was the first time I would see the police at a scene crying.”

Mr. Flaxman indeed tracked down the family of the poor young man who had been brutally murdered, and it was a terrible interview indeed. All I could do was watch and take in the palpable, heartfelt anger, sorrow and indignation of the community. This was a muti-murder of course.

Muti murder? Yes, what in Nigeria would be called juju or oogun murder, the type Nigerian author, Victor Thorpe made famous in his novel, The Worshippers. But right here in South Africa, this was no fiction – as the police discovered parts of the body of the pertinent murdered young man and arrested some suspects.

Part of the outrage involved the fact that Stephen Nakedi had been murdered in the premises of a church. As South African pastor and author, Thabo Mafike told me: “This is unfortunate, Mr Bolaji. It shows that those people responsible, the evil people who cut Stephen Nakedi to pieces did not have any scruples about killing him at what should be a sacrosanct place. It is very sad!”

Such muti murders do take place in South Africa every now and then, mainly because of the belief that certain choice body parts are useful and can be used by South African sangomas, witch doctors/babalawos, to increase good fortune, a belief alas held in many parts of Africa. But what about the horrific plight of the person unfortunate to be ruthlessly attacked and cut to pieces? Apparently in such cases only a miracle can save the hapless victim.

Such a miracle did happen a couple of years ago in South Africa, in a celebrated case where one night, a young lady was attacked by such muti killers who were about to use their vicious knives and inflict a horrendous painful death on her in a sort of glade. And then a big snake suddenly appeared from nowhere and attacked the attackers, ran for their lives leaving the girl alone! Such a pity that there was no reprieve for poor, poor Stephen Nakedi!