Yoruba music is the pattern/style of music practiced by the Yoruba people of Nigeria, Togo, and Benin. It is perhaps best known for its extremely advanced drumming tradition and techniques, especially using the gongon hourglass shape tension drums. Yoruba folk music became perhaps the most prominent kind of West African music in Afro-Latin and Caribbean musical styles; it left an especially important influence on the music used in Santería practice and the music of Cuba.
An agogô is a single or a multiple bell now used throughout the world but with origins in traditional Yoruba and Edo music and also in the samba baterias. The agogô may be the oldest samba instrument and was based on West African Yoruba single or double bells. The agogô has the highest pitch of any of the bateria instruments.
Moses Olaiya, better known by his stage name "Baba Sala", was a Nigerian comedian, dramatist, and actor.
Ola Balogun is a Nigerian filmmaker and scriptwriter. He also ventured into the Nigerian music industry in 2001. Balogun, who has been making films for more than three decades, is part of the first generation of Nigerian filmmakers.
Kunle Afolayan is a Nigerian actor, producer and director. He is widely credited for elevating the quality of Nollywood movies through larger budgets, shooting on 35mm, releasing in cinemas, and improving cliché Nollywood storylines. After starting his film career as an actor in the 1999 political drama Saworoide, Afolayan made his directorial debut in 2006 with Irapada, a Nigerian supernatural thriller, which won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Film in an African Language. His follow-on directing credits include The Figurine, Phone Swap, October 1, and Citation. October 1 was the winner of 16 major African movie awards in 2015 and the second highest grossing Nigerian film in Nigerian cinemas at the time of its release, a feat Afolayan was to repeat two years later with The CEO. In 2021, the director signed a three-picture deal with Netflix. Swallow, the screen adaption of Sefi Atta's book of the same name was the first to be released in October 2021, followed by Aníkúlápó, an epic Nigerian fantasy released in September 2022. Afolayan has described the work as a "Game of Thrones recreated in Nigeria but with a better representation of our culture”. Eleven days after its release, it was the #1 most-watched non-English Netflix original film.
Tunde Kelani, popularly known as TK, is a Nigerian filmmaker. In a career spanning more than four decades, TK specialises in producing movies that promote Nigeria's rich cultural heritage and have a root in documentation, archiving, education, entertainment and promotion of the culture.
Maami is a 2011 Nigerian drama film produced and directed by Tunde Kelani. It is based on a novel of the same name, written by Femi Osofisan, and adapted to screen by Tunde Babalola. It stars Funke Akindele as Maami, along with Wole Ojo and Olumide Bakare. Though the film was a commercial failure, it was generally met with positive critical reviews.
Yemi Shodimu is a Yoruba dramatist, television presenter, film director and filmmaker.
The Narrow Path is a 2006 Nigerian film, produced and directed by Tunde Kelani. The film was adapted from The Virgin, a novel written by Bayo Adebowale.
Golden Age or Golden era are terms used in Nigerian film history to designate the motion picture industry of Nigeria from the late 1950s to the late 1980s. It captures the mode of visual and sound production, as well as the method of distribution employed during this period. This period began with the formal recognition of the Nigerian Film Unit as a sector in 1954, with the first film entirely copyrighted to this unit being Fincho (1957) by Sam Zebba.
Nollywood, a portmanteau of Nigeria and Hollywood, is a sobriquet that originally referred to the Nigerian film industry. The origin of the term dates back to the early 2000s, traced to an article in The New York Times. Due to the history of evolving meanings and contexts, there is no clear or agreed-upon definition for the term, which has made it a subject of several controversies.
Ayọ Ni Mọ Fẹ is a Nollywood Yoruba drama film sequel that was directed by Tunde Kelani and released in 1994 through Mainframe Films and Television Productions.
The Campus Queen is a 2004 Nollywood musical that was directed by Tunde Kelani with production from Mainframe Films and Television Productions. The film premiered at the 2004 edition of the African Film Festival in New York City, U.S.A. It was also the official film selection at the Black Film Festival in Cameroon.
Saworoide is a 1999 Nigerian political drama film, produced and directed by Tunde Kelani. It stars Kola Oyewo, Bukky Wright, Lere Paimo, Larinde Akinleye, Peter Fatomilola, Kunle Bamtefa, Adebayo Faleti, Kayode Olaiya and Doyin Hassan.
Ti Oluwa Ni Ile is a Nollywood Yoruba drama film sequel directed by Tunde Kelani. Released in 1993 through Mainframe Films and Television Productions, the film was Tunde Kelani's debut film as a film director. It was made in 3 parts and listed as one of the 10 best selling Yoruba movies.
The New Patriots is a 2020 Nigerian political drama film directed by Adebayo Tijani and Terry Ayebo. The film was produced by Rotimi Adelola, from a screenplay by Niji Akanni and translated to Yoruba by Prof. Mrs. Oluwayemisi Adebowale. The story was written by Rotimi Adelola, inspired by Patriots and Sinners, a novel written by Nnenna Ihebom. The script contributors include Tunde Kelani, Rotimi Adelola, Niji Akanni, Muritala Sule, film director Dami Taiwo and Jibola Soyele. The film received positive reviews from critics and was screened at several international film festivals
O Le Ku is a 1997 Nigerian romantic drama film produced and directed by Tunde Kelani. It is an adaptation of Prof. Akinwunmi Ishola's novel of the same name. It was released in 1997 by Mainframe Film and Television Productions. It was made in two parts.
Kòseégbé is a 1995 Yoruba drama film directed by Tunde Kelani based on a stage play of the same name by Akinwunmi Isola. The cast consisted of actors from the Obafemi Awolowo University theatre. It was released through Mainframe Films and Television Productions.
Thunderbolt: Magun is a 2001 Nigerian drama film directed and produced by Tunde Kelani. It was based on a book title Magun written by Adebayo Faleti and adapted for screenplay by Femi Kayode.
