By Anote Ajeluorou
A veteran of the
film industry, Chief Eddie Ugbomah, has for many years now been rebuilding history
for the creative sectors of film and music, twin entertainment arenas where he dedicated
much of his last 50 years. In his quiet Ilogbo-Eremi country home on the outskirts
of town, along Badagry Road, Ugbomah, who turns 74 on December 19, has devoted much
of his talent and resources to erecting two Halls of Fame for movies and music,
as he has his eyes set on providing historical materials for posterity.
For
this reason, the portraits that make up the two galleries will soon be
relocated from Ilogbo-Eremi to town. Frustrated and disappointed by his
inability to reach his own governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, to fulfill
his promise of hosting the galleries in the state capital Asaba, Ugbomah is
mulling his options. Relocating the galleries to main town Lagos seems the only
option left him since Uduaghan seems reluctant to keep his word. Lagos State
Governor, Babatunde Fashola, Ugbomah noted, is also reluctant to play a part.
In any event, the indefatigable filmmaker is determined to forge ahead and
bring to the open space the work that has tasked much of his talent and
resources.
His set goal is simple: history and record-keeping
are poorly served in this part of the world. Ugbomah contends that it’s for
this reason that many blunders are being committed in the movies and music currently
being made in Nigeria, which fail to draw from the richness of what obtained in
the past resulting in the flatness and drabness on display. How to redress
this? Keeping history alive! To achieve this, the former Chairman of Nigerian
Film Corporation (NFC) started creating the two galleries that document the
history of personalities that have made impact in music and movies. He has had
portraits made of past and present major players in bother genres of entertainment
along with a documentation of their specific parts in shaping their respective
industries. Stretching it further, he is in the process also of conducting
interviews with these masters of their craft for a composite documentation
comprising of portrait and film documentation.
And so on his 74th birthday at the National
Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, on December 19, Ugbomah will show some of the films
that set him apart from the current crowd of home video makers and why he
remains a force in the industry. Some individuals will also be inducted into
the two Halls of Fame in movies and music in a two-part celebration that ends
on January 15, with a big concert to raise funds for scholarship for indigent
students.
In spite of failing to get Lagos and Delta
States’ chief executives and the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National
Orientation, Edem Duke, to do the needful and preserve history to serve
posterity, Ugbomah said the show must go ahead as planned. Deserving musicians
and moviemakers will be inducted into the Halls of Fame on his birthday, he has
said, adding, “I want to keep the gallery and history; that is why the boys and
girls are singing and shooting nonsense. They don’t have anything historical to
fall back on, somewhere they can learn how to do it, where it had been done
before.
“The gallery must leave Ilogbo-Eremi to town
to an open space for people to see history of Nigerian entertainment”.
For the January 15, which he calls ‘A Rumble
in Lagos’, Ugbomah said 12 old school musicians will face 12 comedians plus a
sprinkling of 8 new artistes. Orits Williki, Ras Kimono, Sir Shina Peters, Dele
Abiodun, Adewale Ayuba, Stella Monye, Charlie Boy, Daniel Wilson, Daddy Showkey
and Tee Mac make up the old school. Julius Agwu, Nkem Owoh, John Okafor (aka
Ibu), Charles Awurum, Bovi Ugbomah, Yaw Yaw, Akparoro with negotiation still
ongoing with Ali Baba and Gordons, who will make the comedy pack. Young
artistes include DJ Gallaxy, G Lord and actress-singer, Jennifer Eliogwu.
Ugnomah said he has been promised media blitz
from AIT, STV, Channels TV, Vanguard and Gallaxy TV , which will give full
weight to his 50 years in entertainment business in Nigeria.
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