Thursday, October 27, 2011

Focus on the family - Mr Solomon Adeyinka Sholanke

If you were at our last Yodaai meeting in October, then our member family this month needs no introduction. Awon ayan, alagba Sholanke - our surprise onilu at the meeting, providing us with indigenous entertainment.

Ayodele Babatunde Sholanke (son) and Solomom Adeyinka Sholanke.
Mr. Solomon Adeyinka Sholanke was born in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria in 1952. From an early age, Mr. Sholanke has been passionate about and proud of Yoruba culture. He began studying Yoruba-style drumming at the age of 7.  Living in Nigeria and studying extensively about prolific Nigerians & Yoruba pioneers like Wole Soyinka, Madame Tinubu, the Iyalode of Egbas, Pa Fela Sewande, and Mrs. Fumilayo Kuti had a profound impression on him. Also, growing up around fellow Yorubas taught him how wise it is to respect and learn from the elders and those who come before you. He knew that the Yoruba culture is ripe with knowledge. 

Mr. Sholanke came to the United States in 1975 to attend college. He settled in Alabama, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Management and a Master’s degree in Business Administration. He married Cynthia Bradford Sholanke in 1978 and had two children, Abiola and Ayodele Sholanke. 

After coming to the United States, Mr. Sholanke discovered that Yoruba culture is everywhere. In fact, he learned how Yoruba culture is respected and regarded around the world outside of Nigeria in places like Puerto Rico, Cuba, Brazil, the Caribbean, parts of South America, other places where African culture survived the Transatlantic Slave Trade. He also learned that the culture is also celebrated by people who are not even descended from Africans. The culture is so rich that it attracts people from all over the world. Mr. Sholanke has always been and is still very proud of this culture. 

Disillusioned by the misinformation and prejudice toward Africans and African culture in the West and the lack of respect for the culture by even some Africans, in 1988 Mr. Sholanke was inspired to found the Osumare African Drum & Dance Ensemble, a vehicle to present authentic drumming, dancing, singing, and drum-making from the Yoruba culture, other ethnic groups in Nigeria, and other parts of Africa. His philosophy was that if he can educate people then they would be better informed and begin to appreciate the wonderful, powerful cultures of Africa. 

He utilized the ensemble as a vehicle to specifically preserve Yoruba culture as well as educate Westerners about African culture in general. During performances and lectures, audience members are exposed to traditional music and dance from the Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa and other ethnic groups of Nigeria, as well as from other countries on the African continent and the African diaspora - hence the name “osumare,” which means “rainbow.” 

 The ensemble has performed extensively in the city of Birmingham, state of Alabama, and various states in the Southeastern United States. Most of his programs have been sponsored by the Alabama State Council on the Arts, including performances and educational presentations, the council’s Apprenticeship Program, and the Rural Schools Touring Program in which the ensemble exposed students in rural schools to African culture for the first time. The Osumare ensemble is well-known in Alabama’s fine arts communities and he continues to be a practicing artist.

Aside from his family, one of Mr. Sholanke’s deepest concerns is the preservation and reverence of his native Yoruba culture. He wants people to know that we must embrace all aspects of our culture - the traditional drumming, the singing, dancing, oriki, fashions, etc - because it is our history and it is who we are.


*Thank you to Mr Sholanke for sharing a little bit about yourself and your family. We appreciate it.



See the "comments" or "post a comment" section in green down here? Go on! Click on it and see what happens. Join the community. Leave a comment! Even anonymously. Be an active participant.

Funke Abolade Social/publicity Secretary

Friday, October 21, 2011

Save the date!

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Please keep the December 18, 2011 date free for our upcoming Ajodun. 

Click on this link An invitation to our friends and family to see the full invitation if you didnt already get one. Hope to see you and your family there!


See the "comments" section in green down here? Go on! Click on it and see what happens. Join the community. Leave a comment!

Funke Abolade


Social/publicity Secretary

Sunday, October 16, 2011

A scavenger hunt, a drummer surprise & another fine Yodaai meeting!

E n'le n 'be un o. A ku ipade Satide! Was that not another fine Yodaai get together?

If you missed our October gathering, not to worry! A full recap is on the way in our Yodaai news letter. In the meantime, here are some photos from the meeting.

There was a lot of love and affection in the air...
New faces, Mr and Mrs Lawal. E kaa bo so'ri eto yi o!
Dr Badewa,  Board member
Dr Ogunbi, l'ati isale Eko

Awon alagba wa n'ko m'ole pelu onilu wa...!
Yodaai President, Dr Adediji & Mr Latunde Addey


A scavenger hunt - those kids actually had to read & follow instructions...


More love...
Left to Right - Mr Sholanke and son, Mr Babatunde
L to r Dr Sesi Ogunbi, Mrs Adagunodo and the Secretary of Faaji, Mrs Abolade...
Awon omo Babatunde, omo Odeleye, omo Badewa, Omo Fadamiro, ati omo Adediji
Our Onilu surprise, Mr Sholanke, the senior and Mr Sholanke, the son.
Surprise!
Mr Okeowo ati Akowe imowe, secretary of education committee, Mrs Popoola.
Mrs Babatunde, (Thanks for the catering asistance)-, Dr Sesi Ogunbi, fine collector, Mrs Adagunodo
Mrs Adediji, (thanks for the catering assistance) and Mrs Abolade, Secretary of Faaji.


See the "comments" or "Post a comment" section in green down here at the end of the post? Go on! Click on it and see what happens. Join the community. Leave a comment! You can be anonymous too. Just say something to be an active participant.


Funke Abolade.

Social/Publicity Secretary

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Yodaai members in action at the Nigerian Independence day Celebration by the Nigerian Community of South Central Alabama Inc.`

*Thanks again to our "guest editor", Dr Oluyinka Adediji,  for submitting this post.  He was in attendance at the celebrations of Nigerian independence day by the Nigerian Community of South Central Alabama Inc. 

At the Nigerian 51st independence Celebration organized by the Nigerian Community of South Central Alabama Inc, yesterday, members of YODAAI featured conspicuously.  In a surprise move, Dr Adediji was called to the high table as the chairman and he had to give a key note address.  Mr Latunde-Addey  was busy coordinating the event,  collecting funds with an unparalleled  level of seriousness. Co - hosting the event was our vice president, Mrs Sola Popoola  who brilliantly - ( in YODAAI fashion, with time consciousness and discipline) moved the event along seamlessly,  leaving every one with plenty of time for fun and dance.
Our members are encouraged to participate in the national events in their areas of residence as much as possible. Thank you.


See the "Post a comment"  or "comments" section in green down there? Go on! Click on it and see what happens.  Join the community. Leave a comment! Even anonymously.

 Funke Abolade

 Social/publicity Secretary

Saturday, October 8, 2011

A video invitation and reminder...






Ipade wa bi oyin. O d'igba kan na. Ki Olorun Eledumare so wa d' igba na a ati ju bee lo. Amin.

E ma ya se o.

Funke Abolade

S/P/Sec


Friday, October 7, 2011

Poetry friday and The good race

This is from an excerpt of the poem "The Good Race". It's from the book, "Echoes of Conscience" by Oluyinka Adediji, M.D . Click on the "post a comment" section at the end of the post to say something and join the community.

Do well without exploitation (Se rere m'a s'eka)

For the reward is never direct (Ere w'anibe bi o t'ile ri)
 
Goodness brings goodness (ohun rere l'ohun mu 'rere wa)

Evil promotes evil (Ebu ika asi ma s'eso ika)

Only goodness has a chance, (Iwa rere l'ole k'ayeja)

A chance to thrive on any soil (ohun n'ikan lo le t'agbo)

As I opened my eyes and looked around (Mo y'aju mo tun aye wo)

My limbs trembling, (ese mi ngbon pelu eru)

Realizing the baton is idle (o dun mi pe a ti f'asiko s'ofo ni'nu ije ere)

When I should have passed it on... (Oye k'a ti na opa ere si omo elomiran)

edited for posting by blog editor

F. Abolade

S/P/Sec.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

The preeminence of food security

*Originally written by Dr Adediji, president of Yodaai, this post is excerpted from comments to a blog post on Efo Riro. In case you missed the comments section, this is one of some of the interesting comments people left. If you haven't commented yet on a post, join the community and say something. You can post a comment anonymously too. Click on the little green "comments" at the end of every post to make your comments. Thanks for your support.


The preeminence of food security: 




Ohun t'a a je l'agba ohun t'a a se.
(Seeking what we are going to eat is more important than what we are going to do) 

Eru Inu la a k'odi k'a to di 'tode

( one must pack his or her stomach full first before packing the luggage) 

ALL FOODS ARE NOT EQUAL:






Iyan l'onje (Pounded yam meal is the true beffiting  meal),


Oka l'oogun
(Heavy starch cassava meal -oka - is strong like energy drink),


A i ri rara l'a a j'eko (Eko - corn meal - is only the last resort in the absence of the 2 above)



Ki enu ma dile ni ti Guguru. (Guguru(pop corn) is mere snack )

Quenching hunger is the first step toward success. (
Ti ebi ba kuro ninu ise, ise buse.)



*Edited for posting by blog editor


F. Abolade


S/P/Sec

Congratulations to one of ours!

Please say a big congratulations to another one of ours, Dr Henry Fadamiro, who, today has been honored at Auburn University for his excellence in teaching and research.



 We are happy for you and your family. Anytime one of us does well, we all shine in their reflected glory for the moment. More grease to your elbow.  More where that came from!

Funke Abolade.

S/P/Sec