A GREAT man is defined by his excellence through sweat and defiance against all evil; when he copes with all the bitterness, hardships and obstacles that are the very nature of life, never surrendering.
This best describes the man Jahman Oladejo Eniolorunda Anikulapo, former editor of The Guardian on Sunday, Culture Activist, and Programme Arrowhead for Soyinka@90 global celebrations.
Speaking about his resolute commitment to the Arts notwithstanding all that he has been through, Anikulapo said, “I grew up with creatives. Ayinla Omowura came from Itoko, where my mother also came from in Abeokuta. They were related. He came to our house whenever he was in Lagos i those days. i was in my teenage years then. Other musicians also came around to our house, or the next house to ours to spend their leisure time,
“My maternal grandfather was an Ifa priest, while my maternal grandmother was the priestess of Adaatan in Abeokuta. She would wake up at 4 am to go and fetch water from Ijaiye area. Barren women came to drink water from her fetch which they believed aided them to have fruits of the womb Later they would give testimonies about the birth of their baby.”
“The contradiction for me, which talks about Yoruba culture, is that the same woman would at 5 am take off her priestess dress and go to the mosque. Her role as the priestess of the shrine was, if there were any disaster or bereavement, she would be at the front of people’s houses, chanting and singing until the bereaved came out with smiles or laughter. I would accompany her to her outings. I was the lead dancer. I took my daughter to the spot where I did dance then recently,” he added.
On the come about of his name Jahman, the 61-year-old states: “My paternal grandmother named me Eniolorundakosefawawekosefenutembelewiwolaawo (He whom god has socially created s incomparable, cannot be abused, nor disparaged, cannot be wished ill-luck, you just endure him). And that is what translates to Jahman. Names matter to us the Yoruba people. It speaks to our identity as a people. and we need to always insist on the full import and meaning of the names. When relating with my child, I say to her that her full name is EyiowuawiT’oluwalase (What a man proposes God’s decree will always prevail, while my son’s name is Oluwaseunrereninuileaiyemitinkolegbagbetitilailai (Gof has done a wonderful thing in my life that I cannot ever forget or take for granted).
“In 1979, I was a rascally, errant biy; just a footballer. But then when, under the leadership of Ben Tomoloju, we formed the Kakaaki Arts Kompany, there was a guy named Oluwaloni, who had a spiritual gift. When we started to give ourselves names, He named me Jahman. He called Biodun Ayoyinka (Papa Ajasco), Fayaman… He did not even know I was EniOlorunda, he just named me Jahman, which translates to Man or Son of God.”
On relationship with Prof Wole Soyinka, which spans over 30 years, Jahman said: “I have been with him, off and on, since. In anything he wants to do, he tells me what to do. I wasted some part of my life…when I decided to be a journalist. Working with him has been a learning curve for me…. “In 1986 after winning the Nobel Laureate prize, he (Prof) was asked Kakaaki to go to Italy to produce the Jero Plays. He was unable to go. He told Ben Tomoloju to represent him with Jankariwo… The relationship started since then.”
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