THE LARGER THAN LIFE FELICIA MABUZA

Book: Dare to Dream
Author: Felicia Mabuza

One of Africa's most remarkable and stunning successes - that is the author of this work. Think Oprah Winfrey of USA (and indeed the world) and then Felicia of South Africa. She is not just a copycat, she has been a marmoreal, relevant success in her own right. Hence a book touching on her life, an autobiography, would always appeal. Like Ramphele's.

Felicia's awesome talent as a communications guru was forged in the USA, where she not only studied, but initially distinguished herself in her niche. But even earlier in this book, the author tells us about her earlier years in South Africa, how she was not too impressed with many things, including the conditions in which certain male workers lived. She was always imbued with the urge to be successful in life, and going overseas was ideal for her.

Here, she comments on her initial impressions of 'God's own country" and from the female perspective some of these vignettes are quite illuminating, eg how women would even invest everything they had just for their hair to look good, to look appealing etc. Americans apparently, when confronted with different accents might find the same fascinating, or think you are from England!

Through it all, we are impressed with the determination, passion and earnestness of the author, as she finishes her studies and begins to carve a niche for herself in the world of communications, including when America hosted the 1996 Olympics which many might remember for Boxing great Muhammad Ali striving to light the torch...

That Felicia would decide to come back home to SA and contribute her own quota to her mother country with Nelson Mandela in the saddle was indeed fortuitous. She has been a household name for decades now in her South Africa thanks to her marvellous talk-show. A magnificent communicator, she has the knack to make everybody feel at ease with her laid-back style; why, even her quiet, always polite voice pulses with empathy and sympathy during sombre editions of her show; and the fact that she speaks virtually all the major African languages complements her multiple award winning show.

 





This book contains some of the plaudits that have come Felicia's way, thanks to the show. But she is a larger than life personality, a brilliant, endearing lady - and mother - in so many ways. This is one of those books that everybody, African or not, really should read...
- Malome E. B

THE NOVELS OF AYI KWEI ARMAH. By Robert Fraser

If there was a poll for the greatest ever African writer, a fair number of informed readers would surely plump for Ayi Kwei Armah, the Ghanaian writer who since his emergence as a young writer many decades ago has garnered extraordinary respect and followership.

Robert Fraser, in this monograph, more than captures the essence of Armah - focusing as he does on his first five remarkable novels, the life and times of Armah, and his excellent vision. It is impossible to think of any other African concerned with moral regeneration as Armah has done for decades.

Fraser zeroes in on this aspect, starting with Armah's first, and by far the most famous of his works, The beautyful ones are not yet born. The startling story of an incredibly principled yet impecunious protagonist - he stoically refuses to indulge in any acts of corruption even when opportunities present themselves. Even his family are certain this is crazy self-flagellation.

"The man", who is given no name throughout the book is not so different from Baako, the principled protagonist of Fragments, Armah's second novel, as Fraser points out in this work. Alas, the society mocks and denigrates Baako too (in contradistinction to the flashy flagrant "been-tos"). Armah and his main protagonists luridly rail against materialism and corruption in African societies.

Fraser also examines Armah's other novels like Why are we so blest? (A trio of interesting rather zany individuals feature here too), Two thousand seasons (his most controversial and polemical work), and The Healers, which features profound thinkers and intellectuals annealed within the African crucible.

The author (Fraser) unequivocally admires Armah a lot as a superb, principled, analytical yet highly creative writer, and this is obvious throughout this monograph. He is on Armah's side most of the time even whilst the author is at his most polemical.

 

It is an eclectic, thought provoking study, with interesting analyses, allusions, and analogies. Eg whilst examining Two thousand seasons, Fraser juxtaposes some sections there with Alex Haley's Roots. I also liked the reference (s) to the work of another early great Ghanaian writer, Kofi Awoonor.

Fraser is rather enamoured with Armah's prose too, including African idioms, ululations, aphorisms; eg he reproduces (in Fragments) the philosophic musings of an old woman "Each thing that goes away returns and in the end nothing is lost...". He sums up the vision of Armah in his writings, the significance of the individual, and the collective, plural striations of society.

One cannot but feel that this is a remarkable study of a remarkable African writer. The essence of Armah has been captured, even if we know little or nothing about his later major works (eg Osiris Rising; KMT; and The Resolutionaries - Armah's very latest work)

Oh I love monographs on African writers...
- Malome Eric B

TOADS FOR SUPPER. By Chukwuemeka Ike

This rather early African novel reminds us of how important marriage is, or should be, and how very important the process is to those who hail from rural areas (village) even if the protagonist is having a western education at a university. From the perspective of his parents, the ideal woman for Amadi would be the well brought up if naive village girl they want him to marry. But with his exposure to campus life, Amadi meets other women from other regions who seem more appealing. Yet Aduke, the woman he is most attracted to, despite higher education, is naive in her own way too, especially in sexual matters as we see. Amadi finds himself in a very tight corner in the end - in this fine work where campus/academic life is vividly recreated.
- Madolyn Chukwu

THIS MOURNABLE BODY. By Tsitsi Dangarembga

It is always gratifying to see iconic African writers being consistent and prolific over the decades with their striking publications. Ngugi and Soyinka easily come to mind in respect of this. And of course the world class Tsitsi Dangarembga whose early classic Nervous Conditions shook the literary world in 1988. Some 30 years later (last year) Tsitsi again published another work, This Mournable Body, the third in the trilogy of the series.  It is trite to note that the distinguished lady always writes very well with tantalising imagination anchored on reality; hence she does not disappoint with her latest offering (The book's title latches onto one of Teju Cole's scintillating articles,) but of course this project is much longer and focuses on protagonist Tambu's later life, in Zimbabwe to boot. Despair, frustration and a lot of angst is her lot as one would expect from the author.  Yet the conclusion is not really sad. Thank heavens. 

FELA: THIS BITCH OF A LIFE. By Carlos Moore

I have always been fascinated by people who go out of their way to put together books, monographs, studies or biographies involving others. I often feel that in most cases such works are labours of love, as it were.

In the case of this book, the subject/protagonist, Fela is one of the most fascinating and flamboyant characters in African history. "Abami eda" (Fela) was a larger than life character, a spectacular musician, an "Africanist " - and what a polemicist!!

This is a comprehensive work focusing on the life and times of Fela, his initial nuclear family, his education, travels, his evolution over the years. Here we meet Fela the maverick and iconoclast, often clad in his underwear, sociable, inviting people to do things "the African way" including sitting down on the floor, being guided by the spirits, the "Iya Alaje" et al.

Few people suffered the way Fela did, brutalised by the powers that be, soldiers, police etc. He was arrested countless times and charged with so many offences, including murder. His edifice was famously burnt down, his aides and many wives viciously beaten up. Yet Fela remained defiant to the very end. He was along the line accused of kidnapping, "corrupting" women, mainly young women who became his dancers and singers. Fela's response? He married all the women in one fell swoop, over two dozen of them at the same time and occasion!!!

And the women feature prominently in this book, too. The author actually goes out of his way to interview all the "queens", as they were stated to be. It is a fascinating section as the women express their admiration and respect for Fela; talk about structure, discipline, and even the sex life of Fela, which includes his "timetable" in respect of sleeping with so many women. We might be moved to laugh when one of the queens, eg, referring to Fela in bed, declares: "'e be like pepper...'e sweet like pepper!"

The man who put this book together, Moore, for decades, has been something of a maverick himself, a formidable intellectual intrepidly dedicated to the cause of "Blacks", too. As this book shows, his prose is lucid, flowing, powerful. Even after decades, this book still remains a definitive work on "the man who has death in his pouch"(Fela)

- O Bolaji (Eric)

KAYODE ADEGOKE HONOURED

Mr Kayode Adegoke, a top-notch civil servant in the state of  Osun in Nigeria has been honoured by the Lagelites '79 Association. 

An alumnus of Lagelu Grammar School in Ibadan, Mr Adegoke was highly lauded in the formal Citation at the event, sparking applause and plaudits along the line. He was commended for his achievements over the years, his career of meritorious service to the nation, and his exemplary personal life as a dedicated family man and sports enthusiast.

Also honoured at the occasion were Prof Bolaji Owasanoye, Kabiyesi (Dr) Bayo Windapo, Senator Soji Akanbi, and Prof Segun Odunola - all alumni of Lagelu Grammar School (1979 set). 

"I'm happy that my set produced many outstanding individuals," Mr Adegoke said, in his modest, affable, suave manner. "It's been an auspicious occasion"