Ten years is not enough to reduce the charm, colour and the magic of this masterpiece from my encounter with Ghonjubola, the real Arugba. She led the procession every year from the palace to the river followed by a thousand moving colours and pulsating drums but the people existence continues to spin counter-clockwise – out of control.
An unusual love story, ARUGBÁ seeks socio-political relevance, inspired by cultural experience. Ten years on, what has changed? Kò ì yé wọ̀n – Yí ò yé wọ̀n lọ́la! Watch Bukola Awoyemi, Segun Adefila, Peter Badejo, Kareem Adepoju, Dele Odule in riveting performance. Dance sequences choreographed by Segun Adefila and performed by the Crown Troupe of Africa.
ARUGBÁ has been described as a thinly disguised allegory reflecting Nigeria’s socio-political fortunes. People have identified one or two characters and their lifelike representation. The film is coded and operates on several levels. Cinema sometimes is a matter of the more you look, the less you see. As a parting shot, I can now disclose that the film was set and shot at Abeokuta and not Oshogbo the real location of the Osun Oshogbo Festival.