JIMI SOLANKE: NIGERIA’S MOST ENDURING LIVING MONUMENT OF ART
Bukola Lasisi
Armed with an expressive face, a baritone, sonorous voice, and his usual trademark cheerful smile, Sir Jimi Adeboye Solanke is one of Africa’s grandfathers of folk music. He is an enchanting folklorist, an engaging singer, a captivating dramatist, and an icon of the arts
A man of many artistic parts – teacher, actor, singer, writer, fine artist, dramatist, dancer, multi-instrumentalist, children’s television presenter, and film director, Jimi Solanke has spent eight decades as a thespian with vast knowledge, experiences, and global impact in the entertainment industry.
African culture ambassador extraordinaire Jimi Solanke was born on 4th July 1942 in Lagos, but he hails from Ipara Remo. He attended Odogbolu Grammar School and was one of the first set of graduands of The School of Drama by the Institute of African Studies, the first in Africa at the University of Ibadan. It later became the Department of Theatre Arts.
With his baritone voice, Baba Agba’s captivating delivery of folktales, backed with gestures, movements, and caricatures to pass messages, is an outstanding feature he possesses. When he sings, he sings wholeheartedly, with expressions of wisdom and knowledge. When he dances, his whole body is taken into creative expression.
Solanke joined the Department of Dramatic Arts at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU) in 1969. He is an Associate fellow of the Institute of Cultural Studies. He began his professional acting career in 1961 as one of the pioneer members of the Orisun Theatre Group, founded by Wole Soyinka. His father, Alfred Tayo, was a chief in Remoland like his grandfather. Both were the next person to the Paramount ruler.
A cerebral folklorist and actor to the core, Jimi, also known as Baba Agba, has one of the richest voices on earth. He speaks eloquently and sings sonorously. He is a born actor made for both screen and stage and a multi-instrumentalist who knows his onions.
Baba Agba’s expedition into the musical world grew while he was a student at Odogbolu Grammar School, Remo, Ogun State. Together with his friends, he formed a band, Koroba. They used their steel buckets as musical instruments to perform sundry folk songs back then. Jimi wrote songs like Onilegogoro, Ore Titan, Na Today You Come, and Khaki No Be Leather in secondary school for the then Highlife music Legend Roy Akintola Chicago. He often sneaked to Abalabi Nite Club at Olorunsogo in Lagos to sing with Roy Chicago’s Band. He also featured in the band of other great Highlife veterans like Eddy Okonta and Chris Ajilo.
Amazingly, while growing up, Uncle Jimi thought he would become an engineer. He was technically oriented; he loved to build and create things with his hands, so he thought he would become an engineer. Then, he usually would repair and dismantle objects and put them together. He used to make movies using candles and have other children watch while he played the role of a narrator. He never knew he could end up a performing artist. He was the favourite of his mates, and they all looked forward to his creative acts, which then were just unpredictable.
To help him actualize this dream of becoming an engineer, his uncle, who had a casting company, made him the assistant technical officer to build up his dream and make him understudy the profession. He never enjoyed the job as much as he went to his uncle’s workshop every day. Meanwhile, he was getting more popular with a variety show on the radio then, and the accolade accompanying it was also soothing. At that point, he would do anything to avoid going to one paper printing press that would merely soil his hands. Not long before, he started dodging work, and others started repulsing his actions. Finally, he was reported to his uncle, whose instruction was to conform to his wish or leave his house. He would not see any sense in what had suddenly taken Jimi off his engineering dream. So, young Jimi left and ended up in his friend’s house. There and then, Solanke’s vision for theatre arts became clearer and more achievable.
After graduation, Solanke moved to the United States, where he created an ambitious drama group called The African Review, with the mission to expand the cultural reach of the African Culture. The group was focused on the production of African content with African specifications. This group usually wore African clothing, specifically Yoruba costumes and adornments, and performed in black African schools. The group became successful because they were known to produce drama content redefining the African identity. This marked the beginning of his storytelling career.
While on a tour of Europe in 1970, he was described by the Oxford Times as a “Skilled Nigerian Actor” and by the New York Times as the star of an “Excellent Troupe” in the Performance of Wole Soyinka’s Kongi’s Harvest. He was also described as a “master storyteller” by CNN. Baba Agba is dedicated and driven to make impressive impacts.
To his credit, he has popular folk songs like Baba Agba, Bare Ni Joye, Osupa, Oil Boom Palava, Bi a ba Jeko, Gbangba Kedere Eko, Ojoje, E Je Kajo, etc. In addition, Solanke composed Onile Gogoro, Eje ka jo, Jenrokan, Na today you come, and he was the lead voice in Ralph MacDonald’s “The Path” recorded in New York in 1977
On his return to Nigeria, his already built reputation won him the lead role in most of Ola Balogun’s films. He played lead roles in Death and the King’s Horseman, Kurumi, Chattering and the Song, Kongi’s Harvest by Wole Soyinka, The Divorce, and Ovoramwen Nogbaisi (a performance that turned him into an immediate resident of Benin City for five years) and many more. In addition, Baba Agba starred in several Nigerian television shows (NTA). With Children’s Half Hour and Storyland, Uncle Jimmy captured the love and adoration of the nation in heart-warming children’s renditions. He replicated the same feat with African Stories on (AIT), Sango – The movie and many others.
The prolific artist, poet, and singer rose to fame in Nigeria with his two children’s television shows, “Storyland” and “African Stories.” The successful TV programmes were shown across the country, entertaining and educating different generations of Nigerian children.
All these heroic performances and unique stage crafts confirm his theatrical brilliance and passion.
With his baritone voice, Baba Agba’s captivating delivery of folktales, backed with gestures, movements, and caricatures to pass messages, is an outstanding feature he possesses. When he sings, he sings wholeheartedly, with expressions of wisdom and knowledge. When he dances, his whole body is taken into creative expression.
Beyond doubts, this quintessential songwriter, actor, performer, visual artist, poet, and storyteller extraordinaire, learned well the spartan way from his mentors and bosses, like Wole Soyinka, Ola Rotimi, Akin Euba, Peggy Harper, Dapo Adelugba, and Demas Nwoko.
Solanke is happily married to Margaret and has ten children.
To his credit, he has popular folk songs like Baba Agba, Bare Ni Joye, Osupa, Oil Boom Palava, Bi a ba Jeko, Gbangba Kedere Eko, Ojoje, E Je Kajo, etc. In addition, Solanke composed Onile Gogoro, Eje ka jo, Jenrokan, Na today you come, and he was the lead voice in Ralph MacDonald’s “The Path” recorded in New York in 1977 and a consultant for Theatre for Development, UNICEF, UNFPA, Women and Children’s Health.
Baba Agba is a gift that keeps giving back to the world. His ongoing building project demonstrates his passion for growth, sustainability, and continuity for thespianism. The place he is building is in Ipara, Ogun State. He describes it as a centre for creative and performing arts enhancement. It is called Ibudo Asa. It is a learning centre where skills will be enhanced by taking students through a practical approach to the rudiments of stage presence, voice mastery, acting, and total theatre experience for the continuity of live stage performance.
Solanke is one of our country’s most enduring living monuments of the art.
Picture credits: @jimisolanke on IG
