Soyinka in a photo session

 By Nehru Odeh

This year’s edition of World Poetry Day was one with a difference. Though an annual global event, the Lagos event was a double celebration as it coincided with the 90th birthday anniversary of Professor Wole Soyinka, who turns four scores and ten on July 13 2024.

Aside from celebrating poetry, the event, which was organized by Providus Bank in association with Culture Advocates Caucus was also an opportunity to celebrate Soyinka, the first African winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature

Though it had all the trappings of an international poetry festival, what with poets drawn from across the globe putting up spectacular performances and interrogating the literary icon’s poetry, Soyinka, who is naturally not given to celebrating birthday, yesterday used the opportunity to poke fun at the organizers of the event held on Thursday 21 at Eko Hotel and Suites Victoria Island, Lagos. The theme of the event was: “World Poetry Day: Engaging the Quintessential Poet at 90.”

Soyinka and Newton Jibunoh2

And indeed the poets who performed that day engaged the Nobel Laureate. Still, with a characteristic sense of humour, while appreciating Providus Bank for organizing the fifth edition of the event, which was meant to celebrate him, Soyinka said the organizers jumped the gun as his birthday, which comes up on July 13, 2024, is still some months away. The literary icon, who graced the occasion with his wife, Folake, asked why were they such in a hurry to celebrate his 90th birthday. He also asked them whether it was their birthday.

“You jumped the gun. We still have a few more months to go. Why are you in such a hurry? Is it your birthday? Go and get a proper watch. So you know what the time is. Thank you. It’s been a very pleasant and touching evening. Happy birthday to all of you,” Soyinka said.

World Poetry Day is celebrated every March 21 globally as declared by UNESCO to “promote the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world to and, to “give fresh recognition and impetus to national, regional and international poetry movements.”

Since 2020, the Providus Bank under its CSR initiative – “Providus Bank Poetry Cafe” has hosted the celebration, curated by the Culture Advocates Caucus, CAC, directed/produced by Jahman Anikulapo, under the supervision of the Nobel Laureate,  Professor Wole Soyinka.

The 2024 edition coincided with the 90th birthday anniversary celebration of Soyinka, who is a globally celebrated poet, dramatist, memoirist, essayist, public intellectual and, above all, a human and civil rights defender.

Soyinka and his wife, Folake

This year’s event was very spectacular. It was an evening of poetry performances, dance, and songs as well as an exhibition showcasing Soyinka’s photos from his childhood till date, tagged WS: A Life In Full.

Unlike the previous ones, which treated themes relating to the general human condition, this event was not only dedicated to celebrating Soyinka’s 90rh birthday, it was organized in such a way that the poets who performed did not pay tributes to the celebrant but engaged and interrogated his poetry.

The poets who performed that day were: Uche Uwadinachi, a performance poet and the author of “Scar in the Heart of Pain”; Salamatu Sule, poet,  social commentator and book reviewer; Evelyn Osagie,  journalist, performance artist and spoken word poet; Akeem Lasisi, award-winning performance poet, author and journalist;  Owoicho Oko, award-winning poet, performance artist and scholar.

Soyinka and some of the poets

Ruth Mahogany, spoken word poet, musician and storyteller; Malika Booker, British poet, performer and playwright of Grenadian and Guyanese heritage; Nathalie Handal,  French-American poet and writer and Ngwatilo Mawiyoo, Kenyan poet, filmmaker and actor. Three of the poets were from Kenya, the United Kingdom and the United States.

In his welcome address, Mr Walter Akpani, Managing Director /CEO of Providus Bank, who was full of praise for Soyinka for the support he had given the programme over the years, said the event was special for two reasons.

“The first is that it is the fifth year. And the second is that we see this as a great opportunity ahead of Prof’s 90th birthday. So we have taken this as a future-forward in anticipation of that. So it is future forward.

“And we are delighted to kick-start what I know would be an elaborate event today, just like any other event that we’ve had to mark the anticipated milestone for someone who has been a mentor to so many of us.

“A lot of us have benefited from what he has done for us in this country and all over the world. To many, he is a global citizen. We see him so and also a humanist.  But having said. that, what we are trying to do is to ensure that we leave a legacy for the future and for generations to come,” Akpani maintained.

Professor Soyinka

Mr. Jahman Anikulapo, for his part, also spoke about why this year’s edition was dedicated to celebrating Soyinka. “As has been explained by the MD, we started this actually six years ago, we had to cancel one and we have never had the opportunity to celebrate  him. It’s only being given around themes with the human condition as you read in the brochure.This year we discovered that it was coinciding with his birthday and we thought we should use this opportunity to celebrate him.

Akeem Lasisi

“So what the poets are doing is to respond to some of the ideas already projected in Wole Soyinka’s poetry. They are not reciting his poems, and they are not doing tributes. If any of you should have a tribute to Wole Soyinka, please remove it because he doesn’t even like that. You are responding to or critiquing Wole Soyinka’s poems. So it is an engagement. That’s why the theme is “World Poetry Day: Engaging the Quintessential Poet at 90,” Jahman noted.

Evelyn Osagie set the performance rolling with her dramatic poem entitled “It is No Longer Leah” which she wrote in response to Soyinka’s “A Humanist Ode to Chibok/Leah. She held the audience spellbound with that dramatic performance. She also performed “Darkness at Dusk”, which is also a response to Soyinka’s poem, “Darkness at Dawn.”

Salamatu Sule

“It’s an honour to be here today. Thank you Daddy for being an inspiration to all of us. And for being the light we see in the tunnel. My apologies, for starting with this because this shows the poet as a seer. His piece  A Humanist Ode to Chibok/ Leah, for me, is timeless and timely. We all know what happened recently in Kuriga.

“That poem by Prof is still speaking to us. Last month was six years after Leah Sharibu was kidnapped Next month, 14th to be precise, it’s going to be 10 years since the Chibok girls were kidnapped,” Evelyn said, while introducing her poem, “It is No Longer Leah”.

Evelyn Osagie

Ngwatilo Mawiyoo, a Kenyan poet  recited “Sweat Is Living For The Earth,” “Ujamaa”, “The Child Before A Mirror Of Strangers”, “The Kick” and “Goat Meat”.

Uche Uwadinachi performed “Her Joy” and “Night”. Uche also put up a spectacular show, performing with a model in a blue skimpy dress to whom he confessed his love. Salamatu Sule recited “In The Small Hours” and “Procession Hanging Day 1”, which is a response to Soyinka’s “Procession One, Hanging Day”.

Malika Booker read “One In Labour”, “Anoint My Flesh,” and “The Section- Future – An Anthem To Humanism”. Ruth Mahogany recited “My Mom” and “Eulogy To The Ugly Duckling”. “A Child Before A Mirror Of Strangers”, “Civilian and Soldier”.

Nathalie Handal

Akeem Lasisi did not disappoint as put up  spectacular poetry performances in both English and Yoruba as he performed “In The Spirit Of Bringer Of Peace” and “The Savages Are Back In The Sacred Zone”, which was written in response to Soyinka’s “A Humanist Ode To Chibok/Leah.” While Nathalie Handal recited “Retrospective”  and a poem in response to Soyinka’s “Selected Poems: 1965 -2022”.

Akeem Lasisi’s scintillating performance signalled the end of the evening, as he alongside his fellow poets and dancers invited the celebrant and his wife to the stage with style. Soyinka then gave a brief speech and had several photo sessions with the poets and guests.