TRIBUTE: Ògògó: Death on the River Bank
So the man who, in May 1990, dazzled the crowd with an excellent praise poetry at Hubert Ogunde’s burial rites at the National Theatre in Lagos would go ahead to become a household name, not necessarily because of his mastery of Yoruba panegyrics, but essentially because of his charm, physique, and charismatic appeal on the big screen.
But the man that would become a larger-than-life persona on our big screen turned out a somewhat different character altogether: while Ogogo of the 1990s became the confident, daring, city-dwelling Lover Boy and all-round Mr Nice Guy, the younger Babatunde of the early 80s was a shy, rustic chanter.
In the midst of the crowd stood a man who, for four decades, embodied the artistic essence of that cultural moment on the big screen, projecting the image of Ilaro to every Yoruba household outside the rustic roofs of Ago Ishaga: Taiwo Babatunde Hassan a.
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