This week, our Legend is Chief Muraina Oyelami. A man of two worlds, Chief Muraina Oyelami is known by many as one of Africas foremost visual artists while others know him as a great performing artist. We, at Yoruba Drum Festival, refer to him as a Legend of the Talking Drums. Described as a poetic painter with romantic approach, his works grow out of specific experiences (portraits, stories, folktales, landscapes and recent happenings). Chief Oyelami was a founding Member of Duro Ladipo National Theatre, Osogbo (1963-1966). He was one of the few intellectuals who drew global attention to the study of Yoruba talking drums through his Yoruba Dundun Drumming Research/Training under Oba Laoye, Timi of Ede(1963-65) and Yoruba Bata Drumming Research and Training with Abeyefo of Iseyin and Ayantunji Amoo of Okinni (1963-1966). Chief Oyelami has written books on Bata and Dundun talking drums and on Yoruba culture. Chief Oyelami began his career in arts in 1964 as one of the original members and the first generation of the famous Osogbo Art School initiated by Professor Ulli Beier and his wife Mrs Georgina Beier. He toured with the Duro Ladipo Theatre group to Berlin Festival of Art (Berliner Festwochen) in 1964 and the first Commonwealth Arts Festival in Britain in 1965. HChief Oyelami was an Artist in Residence and Fellow of The National Black Theatre in Harlem, New York in 1973. He did Technical Theatre course at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (then University of Ife) with specialization in Theatre-Design where he also taught traditional music between 1975 and 1987. While on a study leave from Ife, Chief Muraina Oyelami was a guest Professor in African Studies at the University of Bayreuths IWALEWA-HAUS, Germany during the winter semester of 1981/82. He has exhibited his works and performed traditional and fusion music throughout Europe, Asia, Africa Australia and the United States. His varied and enormous list of credits include: composer and musical director for Professor Wole Soyinkas Death and the kings Horseman at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, England in 1992; Guest of the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, Poland, International Tutor at Summer School organized by Black Dance Development Trust of England (based in Birmingham) in 1990 and 1991, numerous artist in residencies and exhibitions in Germany, recordings of fusion music with contemporary jazz combos. Among his numerous prizes, honours and fellowships are: Copeland Fellow, Amherst College Amherst USA 2002-2003 “2002 Award of Excellence for Arts and Culture” – Chapel of Radio and Television, Osun State Union of Journalists, Nigeria. “2001 Award of Excellence for Arts and Culture” – Chapel of Radio and Television, Osun State Union of Journalists, Nigeria. Best Painter – Osun Festival of Arts and Culture – OSFAC 2000, Nigeria. “Balogun Asa Yoruba” – Title of Honor by the Association of Yoruba language Teachers of Osun State, Nigeria – 1999. Artist-In Residence – Djerassi Foundation, Woodside-Palo Alto, USA 1985 Visiting Professor - Iwalewa-Haus, University of Bayreuth, Germany 1981-82. Gold plaque “in recognition of his contribution to the promotion of understanding between artists of the USA and Nigeria,” – Art Safari, New York, USA 1979 International Visitor under the auspices of Federal Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, State Department, Washington DC. 1974 Visiting Fellow, National Black Theatre, Harlem New York, NY USA 1973 On February 14th, 1993, Chief Oyelami was installed as the Eesa of Iragbiji in Osun State, Nigeria. Today, we celebrate him as our living Legend of the Talking Drums
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 07:04:23 +0000
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