LERE PAIMO: EVERY MAN’S BEST OF ALL TIMES

Bukola Lasisi

The thespians’ craft was a 360-degree exhibition of raw and natural talents. Many of these professionals reigned on the vintage gramophones with their captivating renditions, flawless language use and sonorous voices that melodiously tore tympanums with the combination of sounds that were pleasant to the ears.

Growing up, some actors left us glued to our TV screens as we watched in awe of their awesome performances and talented acting. The thespians’ craft was a 360-degree exhibition of raw and natural talents. Many of these professionals reigned on the vintage gramophones with their captivating renditions, flawless language use and sonorous voices that melodiously tore tympanums with the combination of sounds that were pleasant to the ears. These wonderful souls truly combined airwaves, streets, stages and screens. In the 80s and 90s Movies like “Ogbori Elemoso, Koto Aye, Iya Osogbo, Osa Eleye, Elebolo” and many other movies were produced and acted by these legendary actors who made these movies exciting and entertaining to watch. Mentioning the names of these top old Yoruba actors without mentioning the popular Chief (Dr.) Olalere OsunPaimo MFR may render the list incomplete as the actor is arguably one of the best.

A lover and promoter of Yoruba culture, chief (Dr.) Lere Paimo will not be forgotten for his creativity and innovativeness in the Yoruba theatre arts world.

Lere Paimo is among the several pioneers whose hard work laid the inspiration for today’s Nollywood. He’s the quintessence of knowledge, expertise, and attraction, and he has served as an inspiration for both the English and Yoruba film sectors in Nigeria. He comes from an earlier time when the theatre had been all about educating essential life classes.

The Yoruba legend popularly known as Eda Onile Ola is one of the frontrunners of the Nollywood Yoruba industry. Eda Onile Ola is a household name who would be remembered for a long time due to his amazing talent and the amount of effort he put into the cultural industry.

Holder of the traditional title of Aare Arobajo of Ogbomoso, Paimo hails from Ogbomoso, Oyo state in the western part of Nigeria. A teacher, actor, singer, dancer, radio & seasoned dramatist, Chief Lere Paimo was born on September 19, 1939, in Ile Ikoyi Odan Osupa Ogbomosho. His father, Elder Joseph Osunpaimo was a tobacco and yam farmer, and leader of the local farmer’s organisation and his mother, Adunola Alake was a trader.

From his childhood days, Lere Paimo recognized his passion for entertainment as he always took part in the end-of-year activities like drama, poetry, etc while in primary school without realizing that one day his passion will become his profession. He was also fascinated and inspired by the exceptional performances of stage and screen legends like Duro Ladipo (M.O.N) and Oyin Adejobi, both of blessed memories. All he wanted was to act and make people laugh because he derives joy from joy.

Lere completed his primary education in Ogbomosho and then left for Gold Coast (Ghana) where he schooled up to the Teacher’s training college. Shortly after, He returned to Nigeria and stayed in Osogbo where he worked as a classroom teacher in a Baptist Missionary School, Newton Memorial School.

In 1960, while working as a teacher in Osogbo, (Dr.) Paimo joined the Oyin Adejobi theatre group founded by Pa Oyinade Adejobi. This theatre group was a travelling theatre performing plays for schools, churches, social events etc popular flicks like, “Ekuro Oloja”, and “Orogun Adedigba” among other great works.

Late chief Oyin Adejobi was a very popular dramatist and seasoned actor in South-Western Nigeria. He wrote and performed in a variety of Yoruba productions on the stage, on television, and in movies. He was especially well known for his autobiographical movie ‘Orogun Adedigba’. He also had a weekly television show, ‘Kootu Asipa’ meaning “Ashipa’s Court” on Nigerian Television Authority, Ibadan. The Oyin Adejobi Popular Theatre Company is named for him. He died in the year 2000.

After a while of working with Pa Adejobi, Chief Lere joined Duro Ladipo’s Theatre Group where he featured in his first stage play titled Obamoro with the role of comedian, “Chief Basa. At some point, he was invited by Duro Ladipo to Mbari Club to partake in art production. He was given a lead role in Eda, a Yoruba version of ‘’Everyman’’. He played everyman himself. He acted the role so well that the alias Eda Onile Ola stuck to him to date.

The script was entitled: “Every Man”, an adaptation of Germany’s Hofmannsthal play titled ” Jedermann” in 1911. The script was said to have been introduced to the late Duro Ladipo’s theatre in the mid-60s by the duo of Ulli Beier and Suzanne Wenger Àdùnní Olorisha. The script was adapted and translated to the Yoruba language.

Lere Paimo regards Duro Ladipo as a formative influence on his career, and up to this day refers to him as ‘my boss.’ He stayed with Ladipo for more than ten years. He became Ladipo’s manager and right-hand man.

Duro Ladipọ was one of the best-known and critically acclaimed Yoruba dramatists who emerged from post-colonial Africa. Writing solely in the Yoruba language, he captivated the symbolic spirit of Yoruba mythologies in his plays, which were later adapted to other media such as photography, television, and cinema. In 1962 he founded the Mbari Mbayo Club, and for its inauguration, his new theatre company performed his first opera, Oba Moro (“Ghost-Catcher King”). He premiered Oba Koso (“The King Did Not Hang”) at the club’s first anniversary in 1963 and a year later introduced Oba Waja (“The King is Dead”). All three Yoruba operas are based on the history of the Oyo kingdom and are available in the English language (1964). He died in 1978, in Osogbo.

Eda Onile Ola worked under Duro Ladipo dutifully and respectfully for twelve years as an apprentice before establishing his theatre group: Lere Paimo theatre group in 1973.

As a proud indigene of Ogbomoso, he produced an epic movie titled ‘Ogbori Elemoso’, where he played the lead role of Soun Ogunlola. It was one of the blockbuster movies, and still one of the best historical movies in Nigeria. This Movie shot Lere Paimo into the limelight.

Ogbori Elemoso

Elemoso is a mysterious man acted by Fatai Odua (Lalude). He terrorises the terrain of Ogbomoso killing, kidnapping & destroying lives & property. Some view Elemoso as a spirit, wild animal, or strange human.
Soun Ogunlola acted by Lere Paimo is a brave hunter who has been known for his heroic acts like slaying bandits & marauders terrorising Ogbomoso and it’s environs before the era of Elemoso. There is a conspiracy against him which could have led to his death, but he is banished from the town.
When Elemoso start to terrorise the people of Ogbomoso, they need a brave person to challenge him, kill or capture him. Ogunlola volunteer to capture Elemoso and lay a siege for the oppressor. Both have a historic fight and Ogunlola manage to sedate Elemoso. Through this, he is able to cut off Elemoso’s head and become victorious. The people of Ogbomoso are so elated that they make Ogunlola their new king. Till today, Ogunlola is known as the first Soun of Ogbomoso.
Soun means se ohun (be controlling/staying there (Ogbomoso is a distant town to old Oyo).
The movie was released in1995.

Other collections of plays he produced include;

• Aye n yi,
• Onikoyi
• Gbangba Dekun,
• Irinajo Eda,
• Aago alaago,
• Ere ogun
• The Slim Path (2006)
• Agogo èèwò and many others

 

All these plays were based on traditional oral narratives promoting Yoruba culture.

With over 400 movies to his credit, ever since on the stage performing, Lere Paimo has won several awards and laurels which include but are not limited to

• Trophy for participating in the world Berlin Art festival awarded by the then Governor-General of Nigeria, Nnamdi Azikiwe in 1964
• First position in drama at the Commonwealth Art Festival in 1965
• Best actor award in the first National Film Festival
• Best Yoruba actor theme award 1999
• Chieftaincy tittle of Aare Abobajo of Ogbomoso land by HRM Oba Oladunni Oyewunmi Ajagungbade III in 2004
• National award of Member of the Federal Republic in 2015 awarded by President Olusegun Obasanjo

So far, Chief (Dr.) Paimo has been able to cut across both the Yoruba and the English genre of showbiz on a global scale. In May 2013, it was reported that Lere Paimo had a partial stroke, an attack which he eventually survived.  In April 2014, he won One Million Naira cash prize in a Nigerian game show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

Regardless that Chief Lere Paimo has not been so regular on the film scene, he has already created a legacy that can by no means be erased. It has however been reported that the 83-year-old actor returned to the screen for Seun Oloketuyi’s film ‘Adedibu, Alagbara Ibadan’ dramatizing the life of late Lamidi Adedibu. It is scheduled to hit cinemas in July 2022.

 

Picture credits – Internet