Igba Otun, Yoruba soap opera hits the screen soon
By Michael Orie

SHE has no formal tutelage in theatre or filmmaking. But her keen observation of some of the products of the Nollywood has awakened script-writing talent in her.



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And for lovers of Yoruba drama, Lagos-based writer and producer, Mrs. Taiwo Giwa, will soon hit the screen with her new soap opera, titled Igba Otun - a 13-episode, vernacular series that connect modernity with socio-political experience of the past.

The television drama, shot by the Akin Fadeyi-led Bufferzone Communications, will appeal to the minds of viewers especially, those who still have the memories of old series such as Segun Olusola's Village Headmaster and Jimoh Aliu's Arelu.

The TV package is expected to star popular actors and actresses such as Abigail Adetoro (Iya Niwe), Rasak Olayiwola (Ojopagogo), Dele Odule, Tunbosun Odunsi, Kayode Olasehinde (Ajirebi) and Lanre Ogunyinka (Baba Ijesa) as they trade talents in the production.

Giwa, a film critic, who has a two-fold edge in the industry, being a trader and a promoter of Yoruba culture and language, has watched the trend in the industry and found that there are professional loopholes that need to be addressed.

"As a young student, I had cultivated the habit of reading Yoruba novels and plays," Giwa says. "My classmates knew me for that. But I loved watching films too. When the home video came, the interest I developed in it was more than that of many Nigerians. Unfortunately, the ritual and fetish practices that pervaded many of the movies put me off.

Later, someone introduced her to Asewo to re Mecca, and the film "gave me some relief," she states, adding that "But as a film critic, I have seen too many things that are wrong. These include inappropriate costuming, locations that do not match the stories being told, poor characterisation and absurd make-ups." She is confident that the soap is meant to correct those mistakes.

Igba Otun is set in villages such as Igbehinadun, Muwonleru, Ireti-opin and Surulere. At the sneak preview of the drama series recently, education and entertainment appeared to be its thematic focus. There is scene featuring Ojo Pagogo and Dele Odule. Odule, a letter-writer, is engaged by Pagogo, but the former must pack a trailer-load of messages to Pagogo's son who stays abroad.

In another encounter, Area Boys sent packing from Lagos by the government, scurry to the village where they are received by their rural counterparts. Igba Otun also celebrates culture and tradition, as reflected in a maiden dance, where virgins in a village celebrate their transition to adulthood.

The sitcom is being directed by Teslim Ajayi.

With Igba Otun, Giwa consciously expresses her views and the need to set things right. She decides to make the work a TV drama because she feels that such project could rekindle interest in the use of indigenous language, especially Yoruba.

" I don't want all those common love stories and rituals. Rather, I am focusing on how people in the rural areas are reacting to developmental issues and challenges in the cities. The use of ATM machine for instance, GSM, campaigns against HIV/AIDS, sanitation exercise and the anti-corruption drive," Giwa said.