Ladepo is the son of consummate Yoruba playwright and actor, Duro Ladipo. He talks about the life of his father as one of the founding fathers of Nigerian theatre in this interview with GBENGA ADENIJI
Tell us about yourself?
My name is Ladepo Duro-Ladipo. I am one of the children of the late Duro Ladipo, one of the founding fathers of Nigerian theatre. I was born over forty years ago. I am the first child of his third wife, Idowu who he often referred to as his best dancer. He had three other wives; Mabel, Abiodun (Moremi) and the last wife, Funke. I studied at St. Paul’s Anglican Primary School, Ibadan, Oyo State and at Gbongan-Ode Omu Anglican Grammar School, Osun State. I later went to the University of Ilorin where I studied performing arts. I stayed with my paternal uncle to continue my education after my father died on March 11, 1978. I now practice as a performing artist.
Which fond memories of your father can you share with us?
My father was a man with a lot of energy. He was a visionary. He knew what he wanted and was an artist to the core. He did all he could in order to make a mark in the theatre industry. Though a teacher then at Ila Orangun in Otan Ayegbaju, Osun State, he did not hesitate when his passion for the arts started manifesting. He loved his family so much and always tried to make out time for us. My father was a perfect polygamist. I say so because despite the fact that he had four wives, there was no rancour whatsoever. He managed his home so well. He used to say he would not want his children to discriminate among themselves. He employed a nanny for us and gave us an apartment to live together while each of his wives had separate rooms. Our nanny catered for us and our mothers only cooked for him. He wanted us to be united and he did not allow any one of them to influence us against one another in any way. Whenever we were going to school in the morning, we would all line up to greet him one by one. My father would not open his eyes but draw us closer to him one after the other to feel his affection. After we had all greeted him, he would give us allowances. He bought a bus and employed a driver to convey us to and from school.
How did he settle disagreement among his wives?
There were hardly quarrels among his wives. It was a very peaceful home. In fact, if there was any misunderstanding then, it would be between my father and his wives not among his wives. It could be because they asked something from him and he did not give them on time. I did not have any experience of the wives engaging one another in squabble.
What was his reaction when he had misunderstandings with them?
Most times he took things calm knowing the nature of women. My mother being an Ijesha woman would not give in and could be tough. But my father often showed maturity and he handled things well.
Apart from you, are there any of his children taking after him?
We are 15 children in all; eight girls and seven boys. My sister Shola is the director of Osun State Arts Council. She is really doing well. The two of us are in the arts. My father being a teacher also, one of my sisters, Mrs. Yetunde Falade, takes after him. She teaches and I run a school too.
Did you ever watch him perform on stage?
Yes. I watched him perform before his death. I must say that I got a lot of inspiration from his performances. I travelled with him and his band to Europe. I was with him in the then Western Germany where he performed Oba Koso (The King Didn’t Hang) and Moremi. I was part of the troupe. I played the role of Oluorogbo in Moremi and bata drum in Oba Koso. One thing about him was how he invoked fire on stage in order to create a spectacle. And the audience trooped in to see Sango on stage emitting fire. As a young boy, I often wondered how he did that. I was very inquisitive and used to admire him. I used to ask some of his troupe members who were hunters questions. My father had a grand stage presence and energy. Duro was a very fine actor. Each time he played the role of Sango (God of Thunder), people would think he was the deity. During one of his performances in Brazil, his acting of Sango impressed so many people that they started calling him Sango.
Is it true that your father used magical powers while on stage?
I would not deny that because during those days, plays were expected to be real, I mean true-to-life. There was no film trick. So, he could have invoked some powers to make his plays convincing. Being an African researcher interested in African science and culture, his contribution was recognised. I think it explained why he was made Artist-in-Residence at the University of Ibadan.
Did he ever influence the career choices of his children?
I would say he influenced my career because he used to teach us music. Besides, whenever he was rehearsing with his troupe, we used to gather and watch them. So, in a way, I think he did either directly or indirectly. He often beamed with smiles and showed happiness whenever he saw us imitating him.
Did he pay his children and wives who participated in his productions?
He was not paying anyone except members of his troupe. But he used to give them allowances as a form of appreciation and he cared so much for all his children including his wives. None of us was on his pay roll.
How did he relax at home?
Being an organist, he played the piano sometimes when he was at home. His friends such as Prof. Wole Soyinka, Wale Ogunyemi, Wole Oyebamiji and Jibola Dedenuola among others, used to come to our house way back then. He would also play the piano for them as they discussed heartily. His versatility on the piano assisted greatly in his operas. If you listen to his melody, you will see that it is in accordance with Western music. He loved to relax in a big chair then at our family house in Bodewasinmi, Orita Bashorun, Ibadan, called Duro Ladipo House of Culture. My father would carry a recorder with him to record songs when inspiration came to him. He also loved nature. There were lemon and orange trees in our compound then. He admired the voices of birds and loved listening to their chirping. My father enjoyed where he would be inspired as an artist.
What kind of food did he like?
He liked eba with boiled eggs. He also loved okro soup and pap. There was a bowl that his wives took turns to make pap with.
What values did you learn from him?
The first value I imbibed from my father is hard work. My father always told us that there was no short-cut to success in life. There were two dogs in our house then. One was named Eyanwon (good people are scarce) and the second Manirarekololeyan (Depends on no one). The two names gave us something to reflect on. I trust nobody but myself and when anybody disappoints me, I do not often feel bad. My father gave the dogs the names to make us realise how complex life can be at times.
Where are the dogs now?
The funny thing was that the two dogs died few months after his death.
How did he die?
He was sick and the University of Ibadan tried to take care of him including family members. We did not know the nature of his sickness until he died and we did a pot-mortem. It was then that we discovered that it was caused by liver problem. I was not with him when he died. He was shooting D.O Fagunwa’s Ogboju Ode Ninu Igbo Irumole before his death.
What has become of the arts club, Mbari Mbayo he founded in Osogbo?
When he died, he left an instruction that he should be buried inside Mbari Mbayo because that was where he started. We did as he instructed. The building is a bungalow with some rooms. I learnt that when Mbari Mbayo, Ibadan was being inaugurated in 1961, my father was in attendance with the likes of Prof. Soyinka and Ulli Beier. It was there he expressed the desire to establish a similar club in Osogbo because of his interest in the arts. When he got to Osogbo, he converted his father’s house to an art gallery and a theatre. When he died, the late Austrian-born artist and Yoruba priestess, Susan Wenger (Adunni Olorisa), later beautified the place to make it a tourist attraction.
How did he discipline any erring child?
My father was a disciplinarian. He did not hesitate to spank me if I misbehaved. He did not like children running around the house and I did that a lot. But no matter how angry he was, he would still call us after beating us to advise us. At times, he would call and discuss vital issues with us and ask us for suggestions. That showed how loving he was. We were always surprised that he asked us for suggestions on some crucial matters. But he would tell us that it was important he discussed things with us.
What was his best form of dressing?
He liked native attire and that was what he wore throughout his life.
What do you miss most about him?
I miss his love because he loved all his children equally. I remember when he went to Brazil. Before he left, his landlord had evicted him but he ensured that all children were kept with relations. He also rented a room and put some of us there with the nanny. His wives went with him because they were part of his troupe. He married some of them because of their talent. When he got to Brazil, they performed Oba Koso everywhere; schools, hotels, ships and theatres. Nobody knew he had accommodation problems because he was popular then. He made sure that he worked very hard with his troupe there in order to raise money to settle his accommodation problem. My father knew the condition he left his children and was determined to make us happy upon his return. That was the kind of father Duro was.
Did you ask him why he introduced traditional drums into the church during an Easter cantata?
My father was the one that introduced traditional drums into the church, especially Anglican Church. But the missionaries kicked against it because they felt it was part of paganism. He was the choir master of the church and all his cantatas; Easter and Christmas cantata people enjoyed it. There was a particular cantata which he organised.That day, the church leaders were surprised to see dundun, omele and talking drums in the church. They asked him to cancel the programme. He later went to town with his group and held it there. I was too young then to understand what happened but I later read about it when I entered the university. Ironically, my father’s dream to have a blend of traditional drums such as bata and dundun ensemble during the cantata is embraced in most churches today.
While in UNILORIN, did you enjoy any special favours from your lecturers?
Yes. There was preferential treatment from my lecturers because of who my father was. In fact, Prof. Zulu Sofola was always ensuring I did the right thing. They expected so much from me and if I did not do anything well, they would shout that my father was never like that as an actor.
Oba Koso is your father’s most popular epic plays. What are the efforts made by his family to sustain the play’s popularity since his death?
One of my mothers, Abiodun tried all she could to make the play live after my father. She took the play to several places and some of my brothers played Sango. We are doing all we can to make it a commercial success. The play was celebrated at the first Commonwealth Arts Festival in 1965. It has also earned many laurels in Nigeria. The play is more popular in the academic community because thespians stage it always.
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