Banana Island Living Podcasts

The Accidental Activist Episode

Ayo Obe (née Ogunsola), legal practitioner, trustee of Senegal’s Gorée Institute, trustee of the Brussels-based International Crisis Group and a massive member of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign is incredibly modest about her epoch defining role in the shaping of Democracy (with a capital ‘D’) and Human Rights movements in modern day Nigeria.Intelligent, lazy (lazy?) and efficient – her words - Ayo Obe’s CV is one many would envy. She has been President of the CLO (Nigeria’s first indigenous human rights organisation), been chair of the TMG (an election-monitoring/democracy-building coalition of independent NGOs), on the Steering Committee of the World Movement for Democracy and Nigerian Civil Society’s panel on Police Reform, the list goes on.In this episode, we discuss:The fight for democracy, the funding and evolution of the Civil Liberties Organisation and the heroes of the day – Olisa, Abdul Oroh, Chidi Odinkalu …;Bring Back Our Girls, End Sars, and no, Ayo doesn’t believe there was a massacre at toll gate;Salvation Army, feast to famine (and back again), Tufnell Park to Seascale, the parent as Deus ex Machina. In there lies the moving tale – Nope, Ayo suffers no angst, thank you very much;AWO, Gaza and famine as a weapon of war. Yes, heroes do sometimes have feet of clay;Peter Tosh – Equal Rights, Down Pressor Man – Ayo CAN hold a tune;The back story, the present one, the continuing activism and, yes, the soft-spoken modesty; this episode is one for those of us with much to be modest about.LinksAmericanah – Chimamanda Ngozi AdichieDown Pressor Man, Equal Rights – Peter ToshStagger Lee – Lloyd PriceSponsored by https://www.bananaislandschool.com/Banana Island Living’s InstagramBanana Island Living's TwitterBanana Island Living's YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/yIS0FwNp1I8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Accidental Journalist

Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi, (B.A. Hons English, U.I, M.A, Ph.D. Dramatic Lit, NYU) started out with full commitment to academia. Somehow (fate? luck?), he segued into journalism and the rest, as they say, is history. Born in Kano to a Yoruba father and Igbo mother (he was the original WAZOBIA), that early search for ‘home’, of being ‘the other’ translated into a super power, well, two super powers, actually – three languages and a deft hand at winning friends and influencing people.Committed, engaging and forgiving (his words), Dr. Ogunbiyi is that enigmatic open book. Fulfilled man, deep thinker, great reader, friend to all and foe to none. Non, Il ne regrette rien.In this episode, we discuss:Pre-civil war Kano, Igbo masquerade songs, the Yoruba Oriki and the search for identity;Great Ife, those halcyon days and the absolutely forgivable name dropping – Soyinka, Aboyade, Kole Omotoso, Biodun Jeyifo, Niyi Coker, Akinwunmi Ishola, we could go on….and we do;Babangida, Daily Times of Nigeria and that recurring juxtaposition of high points and low;Ghadaffi, Bhutto, Sankara, Mugabe, Thatcher, Shimon Peres, Kaunda - Dr. Ogunbiyi has interviewed them all. And he has the book to prove it;AWO (or to the uninitiated, Chief Obafemi Awolowo), the man, the ‘Royal WE’ and yes, the definitive book – Dr. Ogunbiyi is writing it;Playing Boswell to Soyinka’s Johnson? – there’s one for the bucket list;Fela, Jazz, the funny ha-ha story and, naturally, it involves another iconic figure.The ready wit, the telling anecdote, this episode will invoke, perhaps, a smidgeon of la recherche du temps perdu. And, as he is a believer, 2 Samuel 1:19-21.Links:📘 Encounters with History: The Road Never Forgets – Yemi Ogunbiyi 📕 Adventures in Power: My March Through Prison – Obafemi Awolowo 📗 Fugitive Offender – Chief Anthony Enahoro 🎭 Death and the King’s Horseman – Wole Soyinka 🎬 The Battle of Algiers – Gillo Pontecorvo 🎞 Memories of Underdevelopment – Tomás Gutiérrez Alea 🎶 Water, Trouble Sleep, Lady – Fela Anikulapo KutiSponsored by https://www.bananaislandschool.com/Banana Island Living’s Instagram, Twitter, YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/yIS0FwNp1I8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Award Winning Journalist Episode

Stephanie Busari, award-winning journalist, tri-lingual story teller and soon to be media mogul (from our mouths to the ears of God), believes journalists are born not made. She got her first byline on her first assignment and hasn’t looked back since. Friendly, happy and kind (her words), Stephanie does not believe in hiding the female light under a bushel. From that award winning, career defining Chibok girls’ story to turning the lens on to other women with her latest project ‘HERSTORY’, Stephanie Busari straddles the information landscape with, she hopes (no prays) truth, faith and a touching incongruous gentleness.In this episode, we discuss:The CHIBOK GIRLS story and the juxtaposition of high points and low points;LA LAW, big energy and being blinded by ambition;Her next power moves – HERSTORY, the Story Telling Academy and ….. (stay tuned to her channel ….)The scramble for African minds, African Stream and the Western news machinery;Legacy media, alternative facts and our bewildering post-truth present;Church, faith and yes, Nathaniel Bassey (again); Mother as the favourite person vs ‘How to Talk So Your Teen Will Listen’ - that sweet agonising circle of life;The challenge of finding the ready joke or even anything for the Bucket List – O to be an award-winning journalist! As Stephanie steps into her next chapter, the sun in her face, the world at her feet, HerStory is now for the telling. This episode will get you thinking about stories and narratives, how they are framed, how they are told and who does the telling. Links:HerStory – Stephanie BusariHow to Talk so Your Teen Will Listen, Adele Faber, Elaine Mazlish Nobody Wants This, NetflixTrevor Noah, Born A Crime.Nathaniel Bassey – Greatest Hits.Sponsored by https://www.bananaislandschool.com/Banana Island Living’s InstagramBanana Island Living's TwitterBanana Island Living's YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/yIS0FwNp1I8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Political Educator Episode

Kingsley Moghalu, the newly minted head of the newly minted African School of Governance, presents his super impressive backstory with pride, with the conviction of a man who believes he is walking his destiny and manifesting the strategy he (and his much-revered father) laid out. A proud Igbo, this is a man whose Chi has clearly said YES, when he proclaimed that YES for himself.Just a few months after his birth in Lagos, he was beginning the globe-trotting that would mark his journey – Switzerland, Washington, Cambodia, New York, Croatia, Tanzania, Geneva and now, Kigali. More of that later. To ‘strong, visionary and kind’ (his own words), one could add STRATEGIC and tell no lie – he fully owns it.In this episode, we discuss:The Nigerian political and economic landscape – borrowing (or not), FDI (or not), the UN and closing disillusioning chapters;NewsWatch, Ray Ekpu, Prof. Akinyemi, Prof. Yemi Ogunbiyi, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi + excellence + hard work + God = carte blanche to write your own story;Mindset, World view and the all - important work to write a new African story;The African School of Governance (ASG) – no, it is not just a relabelling of the Lee Kwan Yew School of Public Policy;EAS, Ecowas, PAPPS, pick your acronym;Democracy vs The Benevolent Dictator – the jury is definitely out;The BBC and agenda laden news sources;Israel, Palestine GENOCIDE, Kingsley has a view;The highs, the lows, the Bucket List;An evangelical Christian, Kingsley doesn’t mind being controversial and owns his words with his full chest.Longer than usual, this episode will get you checking out your Bible and pondering Mark chapter 6 verse 4.Sponsor: Banana Island SchoolBanana Island Living on InstagramLinks:NewsWatch - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newswatch_(Nigeria)Emerging Africa, Kingsley Moghalu - https://bookcraftafrica.com/single/view/69Dead Aid, Dambisa Moyo - https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/56126/dead-aid-by-moyo-dambisa/9780141031187Rema, Calm Down - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQLsdm1ZYAwProsper Ochimana, Ekwueme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBRg3hsvcBcMichael Scott – Baumann - https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/michael-scott-baumann/the-shortest-history-of-israel-and-palestine/9788119300402 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Music Man Episode

Juwon Ogungbe marches to the beat of his own particular Classico Euro/African drum (yep, we made that one up). He sings, composes, hosts his own radio show and describes himself (faux?) modestly as a content creator.Curious, creative and considerate – (the jury is still out on the last bit, after all, which young person really is considerate) – Juwon has lived his life unapologetically and on his own creative terms, but always, always, with music, theatre and creatively.In this episode, we discuss:Being black in 70s UK;Inter-racial fostering and the dislocation of relocation;Great Ife, the under-age thing and meeting kindred spirits;Theatre, Soyinka, Chuck Mike, Niyi Coker, Biodun Jeyifo, the creative greats, in that one place, at that one time, and we didn’t even name drop them all;The inevitable segue into music, Black Dust (IYKYK), dropping out and searching for your purpose;From Asa, Burna, Buraimo to Haruna Ishola, Ebenezer Obey and the ubiquitous Fela. The richness, breadth and variety of Nigerian music. Absolutely incredible!Stephen Sondheim v Quincy Jones – Juwon educates and, shock, almost convinces.Yes, Juwon has a bucket list and yes, it does involve music. Quelle surprise!He has led, he is living, a fulsome life, on his terms and reached autarky and peace and yet, still, perhaps paradoxically, still craves more creatively, of course.This episode will take you on a musical journey with a creative soul and get you wondering if you have really found what you are searching for.Links Mentioned:Asa – Asa (Asha)Soyinka – Opera Wonyosi: Brymo – Good morningHaruna Ishola – Oriki Social ClubThe News Agents - PodcastsThe Rest is Politics - PodcastsSponsored by https://www.bananaislandschool.com/Banana Island Living’s InstagramBanana Island Living's TwitterSee More of Banana Island LivingBanana Island Living's YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/yIS0FwNp1I8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.