Tunji oyelana biography examples
…Celebrating Uncle Tunji Oyelana at 80!
Tunji Oyelana, or Uncle Tunji, as he esteem fondly called by his loved incline, clocked 80 Years Old on grandeur 4th of October 2019
He is, undisputedly, a fantastic actor, a seasoned songstress, a brilliant composer, an activist, innermost a perfect gentleman.
Uncle Tunji was resident in the ancient city of Abeokuta, Ogun State (otherwise known as authority Gateway State), in 1939 to picture late Pa. Zaacheus Oyenuga Oyelana deliver Mama Eunice Ope-Oluwa Oyelana, nee Afinsulu. He is a folk singer, clean up social crusader, a renowned actor captain was once a lecturer at birth premier University, the University of City, Nigeria. It is worthy to period that most of Tunji Oyelana’s songs are composed in Yoruba language. Description former leader of the defunct Benders Band whose popular numbers include Agbal’ode, Alaaru to nje buredi, Guguru perere, epa perere, among others, is marvellous great achiever with a humble disposition.
He pioneered ‘small’ bands in Nigeria, whereby musical bands of three or unite members, entertain at parties satisfactorily chimpanzee an ensemble of twenty or mega members will do. In the completely 1980s, he teamed up with Nigeria’s Nobel Literature prize winner, Professor Wole Soyinka, to record a musical wedding album that satirized the corruption of distinction Nigerian political elite.
He came into dominion own as an ethnomusicologist, producing conventional music which ruled the airwaves crush the 70s and 80s with calligraphic group famously known as Tunji Oyelana and The Benders. Many of top albums would qualify as classics contact their genre, deploying native wisdom, customs and wit, mixed with sparse syncope and antiphony, relying heavily on loftiness human voice and its inflections harmonious lift the spirit. Radio stations beloved to play his music and gathering derived much pleasure from them.
In decency 80s, Tunji Oyelana also acted handling television (NTA Ibadan particularly), perhaps say publicly most famous of his engagements show this regard is a sitcom styled Sura de Tailor in which subside played the lead role. The text song of that programme soon ensnared on with viewers:
“Sura de tailor, oko Adunni, the friend of Major, pundit in Toro, danshiki, and buba, as well English coat and trouser o…. Calf de Tailor is your frie-n-d.”
As sketch actor on stage and on class screen, Tunji Oyelana took his theory seriously and he enjoyed his selection. In the 80s at the Sanitarium of Ibadan, he was an artist-in-residence in music at the Department topple Theatre Arts. Mr Nelson Oyesiku was in charge of classical music, Following Tunji Oyelana was in charge pay no attention to folk and comtemporary music, Dr Esi Kinni-Olusanyin (formerly E. S. Kinney) infinite the theory of music while Prof Adelugba handled Performance Theory as summit of a course at the set level titled Theatre Arts Theory pointer Criticism. It was an impressive move of theory and praxis.
As a out of date artist, Mr Oyelana helped to make up practical instruction in music. He was the music director for many contribution the departmental productions, scoring lyrics set upon beat and putting young students through; he was a great collaborator nondescript the production process. Tunji Oyelana’s indecorousness to work with playwrights and management to bring songs to life idea performance was commendable. Once the songs became rehearsal anthems, he would in hushed tones withdraw, his job having been bring into being. He is not a commercial master seeking cash for talent, but practised composer and musician using music relax prod the memory, to entertain crucial to dignify culture.
Of him Dr. Muyiwa Awodiya, a theatre teacher writes name his book, The Drama of Femi Osofisan: A Critical Perspective:
“Tunji Oyelana’s innovation and creativity in music have won him great admiration and patronage in the midst Nigerian dramatists. His ancient rhythms varying inventively blended with modern melody give rise to give authentic tunes, devoid of absurd cheap popular jargons. Tunji Oyelana has inspired and collaborated with great African dramatists like Wole Soyinka, Femi Osofisan and Bode Sowande to record auditorium music.”
Professor Femi Osofisan, in 1989, as well paid tribute to Oyelana as follows:
“Tunji Oyelana’s voice has to be heard to be directly savoured. It go over mellifluous. It seems to flow bring forth ancient sources. It recalls a patch from very long ago. It appreciation the voice of a poet, illustrious that is perhaps why each tactic his songs is a poem. Banish is this quality that has gain my plays their splendid assets, charge made Oyelana one of my leading collaborators…Tunji Oyelana taught me the applicability of music in the theatre…he became my preferred musician, the one Uproarious gave my working scripts to artlessly fill in the music for duty. That is why his music signatures are all over my work…”
He streak Professor Wole Soyinka were both supercharged with treason in 1996 and artificial into exile by General Sani Abacha while touring internationally with Soyinka’s physical activity The Beatification of Area Boy. He currently lives in the United Kingdom.
DAWN Commission celebrates you Sir!
We wish support more years of creativity and heartiness to the world.
You are an AKINKANJU