Hubert Ogunde

Chief Hubert Adedeji Ogunde D.Lit. (; 10 July 1916 – 4 April 1990) was a Nigerian actor, playwright, theatre manager, and musician who founded the first contemporary professional theatrical company in Nigeria, the African Music Research Party, in 1945.

Hubert Ogunde changed the name to Ogunde Theater Party in 1947 and Ogunde Concert Party in 1950. Finally, in 1960, he changed it to Ogunde Theater, a name that remained until his death in 1990. He has been described as "the father of Nigerian theatre, or the father of contemporary Yoruba theatre".

In his career on stage, he wrote more than 50 plays, most of which incorporate dramatic action, dance, and music, with a story reflecting the political and social realities of the period. His first production was a church-financed play called The Garden of Eden. It premiered at Glover Memorial Hall, Lagos, in 1944. Its success encouraged Ogunde to produce more plays, and he soon left his job with the police force for a career in the theatre.

In the 1940s, he released some plays with political commentaries: The Tiger's Empire, Strike and Hunger and Bread and Bullet. During the 1950s, he toured various Nigerian cities with his travelling troupe. In 1964, he released Yoruba Ronu, a play that generated controversy and earned him the wrath of Chief Akintola, premier of the Western Region.

The Ogunde Theater was banned in the Western Region of Nigeria for two years as a result. This ban was only revoked by the new military government of Lt. Col. F. A. Fajuyi on 4 February 1966.

In the late 1970s, Ogunde was spurred by the success of Ija Ominira and Ajani Ogun, two pioneering Yoruba feature-length films, to co-produce his first celluloid film, Aiye, in 1979. He released Jaiyesimi, Aropin N'tenia, and Ayanmo, feature-length films influenced by Yoruba mysticism, thereafter.

Ogunde starred in Mister Johnson, to the family of Jeremiah Deinbo and Eunice Owotusan Ogunde. His father was a Baptist pastor, and his maternal grandfather was a priest of Ifa, an African traditional religion. Ogunde briefly lived within the precincts of his grandfather's compound and was exposed to Ifá, Ogun and many other traditional religious celebrations. Both the Christian and traditional religion of the Yoruba influenced his upbringing. He had his education between 1925 and 1932, attending St John School, Ososa, (1925–1928), St Peter's School, Faaji, Lagos, (1928–11930) and Wasimi African School, (1931–1932). Around the time that he wrote Human Parasites, he first changed the name of his troupe to Ogunde Theatre Party. Ogunde's plays from this period were folk operas in which the actors on stage sang their lines with limited dialogue.

In 1947, Ogunde and Adesuwa, his wife and frequent co-star, traveled to London to make contacts with theatre agents for the promotion of his shows in England. The talks were not fruitful but while in London, they had the opportunity to take waltz and tap dance classes. In his later operas, he syncretized the waltz with the traditional Batakoto dance and tap dance with the traditional Epa dance.

1950s–1960s In 1950, Ogunde continued writing plays with political undertones. Bread and Bullet, first performed in 1950, is a play about the coal miners' strike in Enugu that resulted in the shooting of twenty-two people in that year. In Northern Nigeria, the performance of the play was limited to certain areas due to allegations of seditious dialogue. It was during this time that Ogunde introduced the English language to the dialogue of his plays. In January 1950, he staged a reproduction of his 1945 play Black Forest, re-arranging the play to introduce English and Yoruba dialogue. The African music featured was created by both Western and African instruments. The re-produced Black Forest and Bread and Bullet changed his style of drama from Yoruba folk opera to an improvisational theatre where dialogue is spoken.

Ogunde then released a string of plays with dialogue either spoken or sung. He released an Islamic morality tale, My Darling Fatima, in 1951. He followed this with three situational comedies: Portmanteau Woman (1952), Beggar's Love (1952) and Princess Jaja (1953).

In 1955, his theatre went on a tour of Northern Nigeria that included performances at the Colonial Hotel, Kano. During this time, Ogunde ceased to write as often as he did in order for him to be able to go on grueling road tours to different parts of the country. The Ogunde Theatre Party became a traveling theatre group thereafter. He also changed the name of the group, from Ogunde Theatre Party to Ogunde Concert Party, in 1950.

In 1964, he produced two important plays: Yoruba Ronu and Otitokoro. They both spoke of the political events in Western Nigeria, events which led to the declaration of a state of emergency in 1963. He was the most prominent of the dramatists of the folk opera. He composed over 40 operas in Yoruba. His play Yoruba Ronu (or "Yoruba Think") was a satirical account of the strife that plagued Yorubaland in the 1960s. The protagonist of the play, Oba Fiwajoye, is betrayed by the actions of his deputy. He is given over into the hands of his enemy, Yeye-Iloba, leading to the imprisonment of him and two of his political allies. The deputy then ascends the throne and rules as a tyrant before he is eventually killed by the people.

The play was staged at an Egbe Omo Olofin meeting in the presence of NNDP leaders such as Akintola. During the performance, Akintola and a few others walked out, feeling it was a subtle attack on their role in the Western region crisis. It was banned in western Nigeria for two years (1964 to 1966) as a result, but was produced with great success in other parts of the country.

In the 1960s, The advent of Western Nigeria Television (WNTV) gave Ogunde an avenue to reach his audience without traveling. He produced his plays Ayanmo and Mama Eko for the television audience.

Ogunde was a representative of Nigeria at Expo 67 in Montreal. On his way back to Nigeria, he stopped in New York and performed at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

Celluloid years In the late 1970s, film director Ola Balogun directed two successful Yoruba films. The first, "Ajani Ogun", was co-produced with the actor Ade Love. The second, "Ija Ominira", starred Ade Love. Ogunde decided to join the trend. He invited Ola Balogun to direct Aiye, an adaptation of one of his stage plays. Ogunde chose the play partly because it attracted crowds during its run of performances.

A portrait of Ogunde hangs in the National Gallery of Modern Art, Lagos.

During his life he had been honoured with a chieftaincy title, thus making him an Oloye of the Yoruba people.

Hubert Ogunde Memorial School Akute was founded (1995) by his daughter, Abosede Ogunde Oloyede, in memory of the Late. Chief (Dr.) Hubert Ogunde.

Work

Plays

Garden of Eden and the Throne of God (1944) Africa and God (1944) Israel in Egypt (1945) Nebuchadnezzar's Reign and Belshazzar's Feast (1945) King Solomon (1945) Worse than Crime (1945) Journey to Heaven (1945) The Black Forest (Igbo Irunmale) (1945) Strike and Hunger (1945) Tiger's Empire (1946) Darkness and Light (1946) Mr. Devil's Money (Ayinde) (1946) Herbert Macaulay (1946) Human Parasites (1946) Towards Liberty (1947) Swing the Jazz (1947) Yours Forever (Morenike) (1948) Half and Half (1949) Gold Coast Melodies (1949) Bread and Bullet (1950) My Darling Fatima (1951) Portmanteau Woman (1952) Beggar's Love (1952) Highway Eagle (1953) Princess Jaja (1953) Village Hospital (Ile Iwosan) (1957) Delicate Millionaire (Olowo Ojiji) (1958) Songs of Unity (1960) Yoruba Ronu (1964) Aropin N'tenia (1964) Otito Koro (1964) Awo Mimo (1965) Ire Olokun (1968) Keep Nigeria One (1968) Mama Eko (1968) Oba nta (1969) Ogun Pari (1969) Oh, Ogunde (1969) Ewe Nla (1970) Iwa gbemi (1970) Ayanmo (1970) Onimoto (1971) K'ehin Sokun (1971) Aiye (1972) Ekun Oniwogbe (1974) Ewo Gbeja (1975) Muritala Mohamed (1976) Oree Niwon (1976) Nigeria (1977) Igba t' ode (1977) Orisa N'la (1977)

Films Aiye (1980) Jaiyesimi (1981) Aropin (1982) as Oba Fiwajoye Ayanmo (1988) as Osetura Mister Johnson (1990) as Brimah

Television Ogunde: Man of the Theatre – BBC (1983)