Hubert Ogunde facts for kids

Hubert Adedeji Ogunde (born July 10, 1916 – died April 4, 1990) was a famous Nigerian actor, writer, and musician. He is often called the "father of Nigerian theatre." He started the first modern professional theatre group in Nigeria in 1945.

Hubert Ogunde's theatre group changed names several times. It began as the African Music Research Party. Later, it became the Ogunde Theater Party, then the Ogunde Concert Party. Finally, in 1960, it was named Ogunde Theater, which it remained until he passed away in 1990.

During his career, he wrote over 50 plays. These plays often included acting, dancing, and music. They also showed what was happening in society and politics at the time. His very first play was called The Garden of Eden. It was shown in Lagos in 1944 and was a big success. This encouraged him to leave his job as a police officer to focus on theatre.

In the 1940s, he created plays that talked about politics. These included The Tiger's Empire and Strike and Hunger. In the 1950s, he traveled around Nigeria with his acting group. One of his most famous plays, Yoruba Ronu, caused some trouble in 1964. It was banned in the Western Region of Nigeria for two years.

Later, in the late 1970s, Ogunde started making movies. His first film was Aiye in 1979. He also made other films like Jaiyesimi and Ayanmo. In 1990, he acted in the movie Mister Johnson alongside Pierce Brosnan.

Early Life and First Steps in Theatre

Hubert Ogunde was born in Ososa, a town near Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State, Nigeria. His father was a pastor, and his grandfather was a priest of Ifa, a traditional African religion. Both Christian and traditional Yoruba beliefs were part of his childhood. He went to school between 1925 and 1932.

His first experience with performing was as a member of a traditional masked theatre group. After school, he worked as a teacher and also led the church choir. In 1941, he joined the Nigerian police force. While working as a police officer in Lagos, he started an amateur drama group in 1945.

Like many other theatre artists of his time, Ogunde's theatre journey began with the church. In 1944, he created his first play, The Garden of Eden and The Throne of God. It was made to help raise money for a church building. This play was different because it used realistic acting, dancing, and singing. This made it very popular.

After the success of The Garden of Eden, he wrote more plays. In 1946, he decided to leave the police force. He wanted to become a full-time theatre artist.

Building a Professional Theatre Career

Hubert Ogunde's African Music Research Party, started in 1945, was Nigeria's first modern professional theatre company. Before him, most theatre groups relied on courts or churches for support. Ogunde changed this by using advertisements and posters to promote his shows. He also changed the stage design to be more like modern theatres. He made his plays more realistic and relied on audiences buying tickets to support his work. This helped start modern professional theatre in Nigeria.

After leaving the police, Ogunde began writing plays that were about Nigeria's independence. Many of his early plays were co-directed with G. B. Kuyinu. In 1945, he produced Worse than Crime, a political play with Yoruba dance and folk songs. He also wrote The Black Forest and Journey to Heaven, which used traditional Yoruba stories.

In 1945, he wrote Strike and Hunger, a play about a general strike by workers. In 1946, he produced Tiger's Empire, which criticized colonial rule. This play was special because it was the first time women were paid to act as professional artists in Yoruba theatre.

Ogunde's plays became very popular. By 1948, he started touring with his group to major cities across Nigeria. He even tried performing in Ghana, but the audience there did not understand the Yoruba language. He then wrote Human Parasites, a funny play about people who spent too much money on special clothes for parties. Around this time, he changed his group's name to Ogunde Theatre Party.

In 1947, Ogunde and his wife, Adesuwa, went to London. They wanted to find agents to promote their shows in England. While there, they learned new dance styles like waltz and tap dance. He later mixed these new dances with traditional Nigerian dances in his plays.

Plays and Political Messages

In the 1950s, Ogunde continued to write plays with political themes. Bread and Bullet, first performed in 1950, was about a coal miners' strike where many people were shot. Because of its strong message, this play could only be performed in certain areas in Northern Nigeria. Around this time, Ogunde started using English alongside Yoruba in his plays. This made his plays more like spoken dramas, rather than just sung operas.

He then created several plays with spoken or sung dialogue. These included My Darling Fatima (1951), a story about Islamic morals. He also made comedies like Portmanteau Woman (1952) and Princess Jaja (1953).

By 1955, his theatre group became a traveling company. They toured many parts of Nigeria. He also changed the group's name again to Ogunde Concert Party in 1950.

In 1964, he produced two important plays: Yoruba Ronu and Otitokoro. These plays talked about the political problems in Western Nigeria. Yoruba Ronu (meaning "Yoruba Think") was a satirical play about betrayal and bad leadership. During a performance, some political leaders walked out because they felt the play was criticizing them. As a result, the play was banned in Western Nigeria for two years. However, it was very successful in other parts of the country.

In the 1960s, television became popular. Ogunde produced his plays Ayanmo and Mama Eko for TV audiences. In 1967, he represented Nigeria at a big arts festival in Montreal, Canada. He also performed at the famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York.

Moving to Film

In the late 1970s, Hubert Ogunde decided to start making films. He was inspired by the success of other Yoruba films. He invited film director Ola Balogun to help him make Aiye, which was based on one of his popular stage plays. The film was released in 1979 and quickly earned back its production costs. Aiye explored Yoruba spiritual beliefs, witchcraft, and ideas of good and evil.

Ogunde sold some of his own property to pay for the movie. His next film was Jaiyesinmi, a sequel to Aiye. He also made Aropin N'Tenia and Ayanmo, which were also based on his stage plays. He funded all his movies himself.

In 1982, Ogunde built a film village in his hometown of Ososa. This village served as a studio for shooting his films. His last two films, Aropin N'tenia and Ayanmo, were filmed there.

Music and National Recognition

Hubert Ogunde also released many music albums. His unique voice was a key part of his songs. Like his plays and films, his music showed a deep understanding of Yoruba culture. Some of his albums included Ekun Oniwogbe (about human conscience) and Adeshewa (about the loss of his wife). His most famous album was Yoruba Ronu, which was the soundtrack to his play. He created over 90 songs between the late 1950s and 1988.

In 1986, the Nigerian government asked him to form a national drama group. He represented Nigeria at the Commonwealth Festival of Arts, performing a play called Destiny. This play included many dancers and different Nigerian dance styles.

Ogunde also built an estate in Ososa. This place was used as a rehearsal center for the national drama group.

Family and Lasting Impact

Hubert Ogunde had more than ten wives and many children. His theatre company was largely a family business. All his wives and children were involved in the productions. Some acted, while others played music, sang, or sold tickets. All his wives performed on stage with him at different times.

One of his wives, Clementina Oguntimirin, became known as Adeshewa Clementina Ogunde or Mama Eko. She got the nickname from a popular play she starred in. Other wives included Ibisomi Ogunde and Risikat Ogunde.

Ogunde became a leading maker of Yoruba films. His movies like J'ayesinmi and Aiye were groundbreaking.

He became ill while filming Mister Johnson. Chief Ogunde passed away on April 4, 1990, in London after a short illness. A portrait of him hangs in the National Gallery of Modern Art in Lagos. He was also honored with a chieftaincy title, making him an important leader among the Yoruba people.

Works

Plays

Films

• Aiye (1980)
• Jaiyesimi (1981)
• Aropin (1982)
• Ayanmo (1988)
• Mister Johnson

Television

• Ogunde: Man of the Theatre - BBC (1983)