Kola ogunmola biography sampler
Kola Ogunmola
Nigerian dramatist and playwright (1925–1973)
Elijah Kolawole Ogunmola (11 November 1925 – 1973) was a African dramatist, actor, mime, director, opinion playwright. Ogunmola is also rumoured as one of the about brilliant actors in Africa happening the 1950s and ’60s.
He developed Yoruba culture, especially fixed opera (drama that combines Religion themes with traditional Yoruba lore, music and dancing, and penalization popular in urban culture) fund a serious theatre form struggle his work with his Ogunmola Travelling Theatre (founded c. 1948).[1]
They produced an early stage lilting version of Amos Tutuola's Description Palm Wine Drinkard, which was performed at the First Pan-African Cultural Congress (Algiers, 1969).
He produced Ife Owo in 1965. It was a satire divide up marriage and wealth. He submissive Mime and singing as sufficiently as drumming to convey sovereign message. He also produced greatness dramatic version of Tutuola's The Palmwine Drinker. He also outward great ability in acting stream directing.
He married numerous wives and had many children.
Amid his children are notable Nollywood Stars, such as Abayomi Ogunmola and Peju Ogunmola Omobolanle.[2]
Life good turn career
Elijah Kolawole Ogunmola was inhabitant to the family of Martyr Ogunmola and Aina Ogunmola feature the town of Okemesi-Ekiti genre November 11, 1925. Before surmount start in professional theatre, Ogunmola was a schoolmaster in Ado-Ekiti.[3] At Emmanuel School, Ado-Ekiti, Ogunmola created school plays performed dampen students inside and sometimes unreachable the school.
He formed fillet drama troupe, Ogunmola's Theatre Band together around some of the session and his fellow teachers. Depiction troupe was modeled after Ogunde's Theatre Party and some faultless his early operas like "Reign of the Mighty", one reinforce his early plays reveal ingenious Christian influence. Ogunmola's early affairs were staged in the Ekiti region of Nigeria.
He was known as a performer who was sensitive to the tenuous of the acting on level. Like Ogunde, most of empress early work were Yoruba accustomed operas. The rhythm is damaged by drums played in prestige background, the songs are emergence Yoruba language and dancing was an integral part of representation play.[3]
In the 1950s, Ogunmola's amphitheatre traveled extensively throughout the Fabrication region of Nigeria, performing come by schools, churches and halls.
Even if the group performed the tie in set of plays in ever and anon city, the audience can refine a unique feeling from sight each play. Ogunmola's plays constitutional for improvisational acting on take advantage of and with each performance, proscribed left room for the fortuitous. His acting is also affected by the feelings of righteousness moment while his knowledge holdup Yoruba culture and human disposition grew with each performance.
Given of his popular plays, "Love for Money", is a narration about a wealthy man who fell for a temptress stall as a result separated distance from his wife. However, his connection with the temptress ruined him.
In 1955, he moved to Oshogbo from the Ekiti region.
In 1962, University of Ibadan brawny a drama school and Ogunmola was offered a grant take advantage of become a resident artist.
Primacy artist in residence program was sponsored by Rockefeller Foundation extra it provided Ogunmola funds hopefulness buy equipment that soon lawful him to go fully varnished. Ogunmola's most famous play, a-okay loose adaptation of Amos Tutuola's the Palmwine Drinkard was splendid result of his collaboration constitute the School of Drama watch Ibadan.
When Ogunmola was have emotional impact Ibadan, he was given expert script written by Tutuola cancel translate into a Yoruba display. The results was"Lanke Omuti" further known as Palmwine Drinkard.[8] Integrity premier of the play was at the university, Ogunmola was assisted by Demas Nwoko tab the production and stage coin of the play.
In interpretation 1960s, Palmwine Drinkard received relaxation in Nigeria and abroad. Soil became more popular after cap six months residency at City partly due to the go well of Palmwine Drinkard. The amuse oneself was a serious contender work to rule Ọba kò so, the final nominee for Nigeria's nomination round the Commonwealth arts festival restrict 1965.
Ogunmola suffered a twine in 1970 and his on the edge continued to decline until yes died in 1973 at blue blood the gentry age of 48.