Name Olatubosun Oladapo | Role Poet | |
CHIEF OLATUBOSUN OLADAPO (a.k.a. Odidere Aiyekooto)
Olatubosun Oladapo, also known as Tubosun Oladapo, or Odidere Aiyekooto – "the loquacious parrot" (born 19 September 1943), is a Yoruba-language folk poet, playwright, music producer, radio personality/broadcaster, writer, and researcher from Nigeria whose audience resides chiefly in South-West Nigeria, and speak Yoruba.
Contents
- CHIEF OLATUBOSUN OLADAPO aka Odidere Aiyekooto
- Life literary and broadcasting career
- Writing
- Traditional titles
- References
Life, literary and broadcasting career
Born Abraham Olatubosun Oladapo, he attended Phillip's Primary School in Araromi Owu in 1950, then went to St James’ Olanla in Akinyele, Ibadan (1951–54), and the University of Lagos.
He underwent training at St. Luke’s Teachers’ Training College, Ibadan, where he first started performing poetry with a presentation at the school in the 1965 festival of arts where he chanted Ijala, Yoruba oral poetry. He completed that in 1967 and was posted to St. David's School, Kudeti, Ibadan. He has said: "It was at St Luke’s that my talent in drama was discovered, and it was on account of this that I was sent to the University of Lagos to study for a diploma in Yoruba Studies free of charge. I came out with a distinction in that programme."
In 1969 he joined "The Sketch newspaper", GbounGboun, a Yoruba newspaper, where he worked for a year before moving in 1970 to Western Nigeria Television (WNTV), Western Nigeria Broadcasting Service (WNBS). There he met the likes of Adebayo Faleti, who impacted on him greatly and Prince Adebayo Sanda, the presenter of Kaaro Ooojiire and Tiwa N’tiwa. Oladapo resigned in 1977 to found a record company, Olatubosun Records, to seek out, promote and produce indigenous-language artists and folk poets across the Yorùbá country.
He has produced more than 51 different albums and produced 200 artistes’ records on the label, including the late Ojogbon Ogundare Foyanmu from Ogbomoso, Odolaye Aremu from Kwara, Ayanyemi Atoko wa gbowo nile, the talking-drum specialist; Alabi Ogundepo, and Duro Ladipo International Theatre, among others. His personal Yoruba poetry (ewi) albums typically feature Yoruba poetry recited over an orchestra of folk music. Oladapo's back-up choir once included the famous "K-12 Voices" led by the now-deceased Diipo Sodiipo.
Writing
Oladapo has released about 29 different books, some of which are used as recommended text across primary and secondary schools and Universities in Nigeria and abroad.
He is the author of print collections of poetry, Aroye Akewi (1 and 2) and Arofo Awon Omode. His plays Ogun Lakaaye and Egbade Falade were joint prize winners of the Oxford University Press drama competition in 1970.
Traditional titles
He is a traditional chief in the city of Ibadan (in Oyo State) and Ire-Ekiti (in Ekiti State), Nigeria.