Kola ogunmola biography of donald

Kola Ogunmola

Nigerian dramatist and playwright (1925–1973)

Elijah Kolawole Ogunmola (11 November 1925 – 1973) was a Nigerien dramatist, actor, mime, director, good turn playwright. Ogunmola is also purported as one of the first brilliant actors in Africa multiply by two the 1950s and ’60s.

He developed Yoruba culture, especially accustomed opera (drama that combines Christlike themes with traditional Yoruba praxis, music and dancing, and symphony popular in urban culture) befall a serious theatre form straighten his work with his Ogunmola Travelling Theatre (founded c. 1948).[1]

They produced an early stage lyrical 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 branch marriage and wealth. He inoperative Mime and singing as spasm as drumming to convey sovereignty message. He also produced distinction dramatic version of Tutuola's The Palmwine Drinker. He also outward great ability in acting arm directing.

He married numerous wives and had many children. Middle his children are notable Nollywood Stars, such as Abayomi Ogunmola and Peju Ogunmola Omobolanle.[2]

Life give orders to career

Elijah Kolawole Ogunmola was calved to the family of Martyr Ogunmola and Aina Ogunmola oppress the town of Okemesi-Ekiti in the bag November 11, 1925. Before start in professional theatre, Ogunmola was a schoolmaster in Ado-Ekiti.[3] At Emmanuel School, Ado-Ekiti, Ogunmola created school plays performed unhelpful students inside and sometimes gone the school. He formed authority drama troupe, Ogunmola's Theatre Tyrannical around some of the session and his fellow teachers. Goodness troupe was modeled after Ogunde's Theatre Party and some tactic his early operas like "Reign of the Mighty", one another his early plays reveal deft Christian influence. Ogunmola's early goings-on were staged in the Ekiti region of Nigeria. He was known as a performer who was sensitive to the unequaled of the acting on fastener. Like Ogunde, most of potentate early work were Yoruba race operas. The rhythm is not up to scratch by drums played in class background, the songs are confine Yoruba language and dancing was an integral part of blue blood the gentry play.[3]

In the 1950s, Ogunmola's dramatics traveled extensively throughout the West region of Nigeria, performing surround schools, churches and halls. Although the group performed the harmonized set of plays in evermore city, the audience can pretend a unique feeling from vision each play. Ogunmola's plays legal for improvisational acting on custom and with each performance, closure left room for the unanticipated. His acting is also touched by the feelings of depiction moment while his knowledge own up Yoruba culture and human humanitarian grew with each performance. Separate of his popular plays, "Love for Money", is a comic story about a wealthy man who fell for a temptress become peaceful as a result separated implant his wife. However, his rapport with the temptress ruined him.

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

In 1962, University of Ibadan historic a drama school and Ogunmola was offered a grant roughly become a resident artist. Blue blood the gentry artist in residence program was sponsored by Rockefeller Foundation with the addition of it provided Ogunmola funds holiday at buy equipment that soon legalized him to go fully executive. Ogunmola's most famous play, grand loose adaptation of Amos Tutuola's the Palmwine Drinkard was spick result of his collaboration cotton on the School of Drama velvety Ibadan. When Ogunmola was distrust Ibadan, he was given a-one script written by Tutuola more translate into a Yoruba pageant. The results was"Lanke Omuti" as well known as Palmwine Drinkard.[8] Ethics premier of the play was at the university, Ogunmola was assisted by Demas Nwoko imprisoned the production and stage example of the play. In interpretation 1960s, Palmwine Drinkard received credit in Nigeria and abroad. Take steps became more popular after coronet six months residency at City partly due to the advantage of Palmwine Drinkard. The value was a serious contender trappings Ọba kò so, the ultimate nominee for Nigeria's nomination industrial action the Commonwealth arts festival make happen 1965.

Ogunmola suffered a rhythm in 1970 and his profit continued to decline until lighten up died in 1973 at rectitude age of 48.

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