UISpace
Welcome to UISpace, The University of Ibadan Institutional Repository. A collection of theses, articles, books, videos, images, lectures, papers, data sets and all types of digital content originating from the University of Ibadan Nigeria. This repository is managed by the Kenneth Dike Library University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

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National Character and the Narrative of Self-Image in Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom and Obasanjo’s My Watch.
(2022) Aguoru, D.
Building on the view of biographical writing as a cultural practice and expression, this article adopts identity and narrative theories to discuss the interconnection between national character and identity construction in political autobiographies. It used Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom [LWF] (1994) and Obasanjo’s My Watch [MW] (2014) as primary texts. It identifies prejudice against black South Africans as the national character in LWF and postcolonial political disillusionment in Nigeria as that of MW. It further demonstrates how the personalities of Mandela and Obasanjo are rooted in role-based identity and the respective saliences that activate this identity type. Additionally, it discusses the modes of narration in the two texts. The article concludes that national character is a socio-cultural and psychological indicator that influences identity construction in political autobiographies.
From Alarm jo to Oniduro: Stand-up Comedy as a Neo-Cultural Expression in Nigeria
(2022) Aguoru, D.
Comedy (Awada), a treasured genre among the itinerant (Alarinjo) theatre of the Yoruba, has become a dominant influence on diverse performances in Nigeria. Indeed, it could be argued that contemporary Nigerian stand-up comedy has been largely influenced by the indigenous Alarinjo tradition of the Yoruba, which harks back to the turn of the 21st century. Building on Alarinjo as a dominant precursor, the Nigerian stand-up comedy platform, in the last two decades has integrated ethnic, linguistic and religious affiliations to become a bastion of recreation transcending the boundaries of the nation-state. Phenomenal though it has been, researchers have hardly traced Nigerian stand-up comedy from its Alarinjo antecedents, it being a dominant source and influence, to its eclectic contemporary state. Therefore, this study, through a neo-cultural lens, examines the development from Awada/Alarinjo to Stand-up comedy in Nigeria; with a view to providing a credible understanding of the origin, influences, trends, motifs and forms of the fledgling industry. While acknowledging the complexities inherent in empiricism and positivism, the paper charts a genealogical argument for Nigerian stand-up comedy beginning with the performances of unnamed palace satiric entertainers which are traceable to almost every ethnic group in Nigeria, the diverse comic performances inherent in mask dramaturgy, through the Alc-ritualizcd’ itinerant troupes among the Yoruba. It connects this with the professional travelling theatre of the Ogunde Tradition that brought the traditional theatres of Nigeria, the art of Moses Olaiya, and Gbenga Adeboye, the precursor of Yoruba and indeed contemporary stand-up comedy in Nigeria into limelight. Linking these with aspects of the art of Alii Baba, Gbenga Adeyinka I, Julius Agwu, Basket Mouth, Gandoki, De Don Klint de Drunk and Mohammed Danjuma among others, stand-up comedy-as a contemporary art- is purposively interrogated. Thus, the paper chronicles the sociological, literary and multicultural metamorphosis of this theatrical and comical form.
Retrieving, Translating, and Archiving Hubert Ogunde’s Aye
(2022) Aguoru, D.
As the rapid evolution into a globalised community progresses, translation across languages becomes a major tool of cross cultural and transnational negotiation. This study is conceived more as a translation of the libretto of Hubert Ogunde’s Ay for archival and literary purposes. This is with the understanding that as the contemporary world continues to move centripetally towards globalisation, translation across languages becomes more important than ever. The significance of Hubert Ogunde’s works as precursor to the Nigerian Operatic Alarinjo (Travelling) theatre can only be preserved in translated forms that makes the performance texts retrievable. This paper is divided into four parts : an introduction to the opera of the Alarinjo School,a synopsis of the opera, an inclusion of a picture of the translator with Hubert Ogunde’s statue standing before the drum he played in his life time, a sequential arrangement of the full music of the opera as produced by Hubert Ogunde in his earliest performance of the opera on stage and the translation of the full music of the opera by this author - Adedoyin Aguoru.Hubert Ogunde’s theory, art and performance defined the earliest professional theatrical movement in Nigeria. The preservation of this national theatrical form through translations and storing it in a retrievable format will enhance the preservation of this national treasure.
Yugen And Iwa Lewa: The Underlying Principle Of Xcellence In Japanese And Yoruba Operatic Theatre
(2019) Aguoru, D.
Numerous studies on Japanese and Yoruba aesthetics have focused on the elements and ideals that form the essence of both cultures most of which are regarded as graceful and near esoteric. Several of these investigations centre on Japanese and Yoruba aestheticism which is thought to have been as elevated as spiritualism in the Japanese courts and provinces in the tenth century and in the same contexts in pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial Yoruba Courts. This theatrical inquiry encapsulates aesthetic ideals that are central to the cultural identity of the Yoruba and the Japanese. They include Japanese art- the literary, the performing and fine arts and the Yoruba indigenous performing arts, and ceremonies among others. This paper examines Iwa lewa and Yugen, as theoretical underlying currents in Yoruba Alarinjo and Japanese Noll art. It portrays the concept of beauty across these nationalities as an agency within theoretical agencies engaged bv Zeami Motokiyo and Hubert Ogunde in designing and nurturing Ndh, Japan's ancient operatic theatre and Alarinjo, Nigeria's ancient and earliest professional operatic travelling theatre. Yugen. a concept that has become a profound and fundamental ideology in Japanese theatre, continually generates scholarship. Its near encyclopaedic definition is best summed up as 'elegant beauty' which is largely o f a visual quality, one that translates to a near indescribable but pleasurable experience. Hubert Ogunde's Iwa lewa substantially postulates that significance, rapport and social activity culminate in beauty and edification. Zeami Motokiyo's and Hubert Ogunde's treatises and critical insights as playwrights can be engaged as theoretical agency in examining contemporary and modern forms of Nohplavsand Alarinjo plays. The transformation of Nohfrom simpleplotal episodes ofSaragaku-Ndh into symbolic performances, evolved a form that maintains contemporary relevance. Similarly, Alarinjo evolved from the masque cult to diverse 'deritualized' performances. The postulations of these two dramatists have continued to serve as critical, civic, and political agency within the Japanese and Yoruba theatrical ambit. Noh and Yugen and Alarinjo and Iwa lewa contimieto in form contemporary ideals in Japanese and Yoruba performances, creating a new public evolving from the aesthetic principles, artistic and creative abilities which continue to permeate sensory experiences in both national literatures and cultures.
Mentoring and Art: A Bio-critical Engagement of Ulli Beier and Duro Ladipo's Lives
(Signet Impressions & Designs Ltd, 2018) Aguoru, D.
Several studies on Ulli Beier and Duro Ladipo have established that they were precursors in the development and preservation of aspects o f Nigerian indigenous theatrical arts. There have been polemics arising from the critical opinions about the relationship that existed between these two artists and the implication of the influences they wielded, one on the other. Diverse forms of mentoring, an established system o f a co-creative process, is identified as the informal but effective ideology that sustained and reinforced the Beier-Ladipo collaboration. This study bio-critically explores two biographical works, Wole Ogundele's Omoluabi: UlliBeier, Yoruba Society and Culture and Aderemi Raji-Oyelade, Sola Olorunyomi and Abiodun Duro-Ladipo's Duro Ladipo: Thunder God on Stage. The paper engages their subjects beyond their lives to their creative passions that impacted Nigeria as well as the international communities beyond their lifetimes. The unmistakable significance o f mentorship as agency in the Beier-Ladipo collaboration culminated in the emergence of two dramatists, the Duro Ladipo School and a historical form o f the Nigerian operatic travelling theatrical tradition. Examining these antecedents is with a view to interrogating the contemporary value on mentoring relationships on the preservation o f culture