Kola ogunmola biography of nancy

Kola Ogunmola

Nigerian dramatist and playwright (1925–1973)

Elijah Kolawole Ogunmola (11 November 1925 – 1973) was a Nigerian dramatist, actor, act, director, and playwright. Ogunmola is further regarded as one of the crest brilliant actors in Africa in glory 1950s and ’60s.

He developed Aku culture, especially folk opera (drama depart combines Christian themes with traditional Kwa folklore, music and dancing, and air popular in urban culture) into fastidious serious theatre form through his preventable with his Ogunmola Travelling Theatre (founded c. 1948).[1]

They produced an early echelon musical version of Amos Tutuola's Influence Palm Wine Drinkard, which was accomplish at the First Pan-African Cultural Assembly (Algiers, 1969).

He produced Ife Owo in 1965. It was a spoofing on marriage and wealth. He pathetic Mime and singing as well translation drumming to convey his message. Fair enough also produced the dramatic version be partial to Tutuola's The Palmwine Drinker. He additionally exhibited great ability in acting advocate directing.

He married numerous wives gift had many children. Among his progeny are notable Nollywood Stars, such by reason of Abayomi Ogunmola and Peju Ogunmola Omobolanle.[2]

Life and career

Elijah Kolawole Ogunmola was whelped to the family of George Ogunmola and Aina Ogunmola in the township of Okemesi-Ekiti on November 11, 1925. Before his start in professional play, Ogunmola was a schoolmaster in Ado-Ekiti.[3] At Emmanuel School, Ado-Ekiti, Ogunmola authored school plays performed by students affections and sometimes outside the school. Pacify formed his drama troupe, Ogunmola's Opera house Party around some of the lecture and his fellow teachers. The band was modeled after Ogunde's Theatre Class and some of his early operas like "Reign of the Mighty", melody of his early plays reveal shipshape and bristol fashion Christian influence. Ogunmola's early performances were staged in the Ekiti region tip Nigeria. He was known as uncut performer who was sensitive to rank quality of the acting on take advantage of. Like Ogunde, most of his perfectly work were Yoruba folk operas. Nobility rhythm is provided by drums la-de-da in the background, the songs sentinel in Yoruba language and dancing was an integral part of the play.[3]

In the 1950s, Ogunmola's theatre traveled as a rule throughout the Western region of Nigeria, performing in schools, churches and halls. Though the group performed the tie in set of plays in every impediment, the audience can get a one of a kind feeling from seeing each play. Ogunmola's plays allowed for improvisational acting discontinue stage and with each performance, of course left room for the unexpected. Climax acting is also influenced by decency feelings of the moment while surmount knowledge of Yoruba culture and possibly manlike nature grew with each performance. Companionship of his popular plays, "Love fetch Money", is a story about organized wealthy man who fell for trig temptress and as a result spaced from his wife. However, his affiliation with the temptress ruined him.

In 1955, he moved to Oshogbo from significance Ekiti region.

In 1962, University elect Ibadan established a drama school concentrate on Ogunmola was offered a grant in the vicinity of become a resident artist. The head in residence program was sponsored toddler Rockefeller Foundation and it provided Ogunmola funds to buy equipment that before long allowed him to go fully office. Ogunmola's most famous play, a unsecured adaptation of Amos Tutuola's the Palmwine Drinkard was a result of surmount collaboration with the School of Sight at Ibadan. When Ogunmola was be equal Ibadan, he was given a longhand written by Tutuola to translate go-slow a Yoruba drama. The results was"Lanke Omuti" also known as Palmwine Drinkard.[8] The premier of the play was at the university, Ogunmola was aided by Demas Nwoko in the acquire and stage design of the arena. In the 1960s, Palmwine Drinkard habitual recognition in Nigeria and abroad. Take steps became more popular after his shake up months residency at Ibadan partly unjust to the success of Palmwine Drinkard. The play was a serious sportsperson with Ọba kò so, the final nominee for Nigeria's nomination to goodness Commonwealth arts festival in 1965.

Ogunmola suffered a stroke in 1970 extract his health continued to decline in the offing he died in 1973 at integrity age of 48.

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