Eyin'juOdu

What would Nigeria have done without Ras Kimono and his kindred in the Reggae music genre? In the 80s through the 90s – when the music industry had lesser financial and media muscles as it has in these days of hip-pop and afro-pop – Ras Kimono with such other popular adherents like Majek Fashek (Prisoner of Conscience), Orits Wiliki (Koleman Revolutionary), Victor Eshiet (Mandators), Andy Shurrman, Peterside Ottong (late), Evi Edna-Ogoli, among others put Nigeria’s name on the global stage of Reggae music. Ras Kimono is particularly remembered for his unique heavily percussive reggae idiom, which sounded more like a cross-over between reggae and Afrobeat music. His form he had christened Rhumba Style – and he issued no les than six albums to prove his control of that peculiar form. In no time, he was the very top of the bill and no concert – Benson & Hedges, Lekki Sunsplash, Surprise 89, Badagry Black Music etc — was complete without the Massive Dread Band, which he led. Parti...

• Osifuye with Yong Woo Lee (artistic Director of Gwanju Biennale, and jahman Anikulapo on the ex hibition ground The 7th Gwangju Biennale, will be directed by the – to use the cliché – Nigeria-born America-claimed Okwui Enwezor, who has made tremendous impact around global art circuit as Curator and Art Director of mega shows, including the Documenta in Kasel, Germany. The show is slated to open on September 5, 2008, and could run for about six months or more drawing thousands of visitors in its first few weeks of staging and subsequently still attracting visitors from all over Asia and tourists from the West and Europe. Gwanju Biennale is the mega art show in the deceptively rural-faced Gwanju city, way off the techie capital of South Korea, Seoul. Though not as big and influential as the Documenta I Germany, or the Venice Biennale or the Sao Paulo Biennnale and others in their class and status, the Gwanju Biennale is about the most emotive and grossly evocative of the struggle of...