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One of many refreshing qualities about Morounfolu Tessy as he’s fondly called is that he clearly has a sense of passion for the Yoruba Identity and serving the tribe is something he’ll always do.
He sees himself as someone who will pursue his dreams because of his motivations and abilities. He did a lot of research about Yoruba heritage which has made his name to be synonymous with the production of Traditional Yoruba Movies, including his next epic: Aebaejiogbe Oduduwa
He’s an ace boon coon of the CEO.
*Tessy, how are you*
I am fine and you too
*Can you tell us about Aebaejiogbe Oduduwa*
Aebaejiogbe Oduduwa is an historical Yoruba Epic movie that intends to bring back the lost ancient Oduduwa’s alphabets to the nation of Kaaro Ojire (Yoruba Nation), the movie illustrates the usefulness of the alphabets to the Yorubas as the only talking alphabet in the world. This movie tells us the movement of Lamurudu (Nemroid) from Mecca to Egypt and later to Ile Ife the cradle of Yoruba dynasty. The story was unveiled by Chief Taiye Oguntosin, written and produced by Prince Moronfolu Hadji Tesleem and Directed by Seun Olaiya -Black Magic Director
*What is your motivation for such idea*
One of the motivations behind the movie is to reawaken the “Africanness” in us and proof to the whole world that Africa, particularly the Yorubas have their own writing system and method of documentation long before colonial onset.
*But don’t you think, it’s an odd decision to take at this time, considering the fact that youth of the present age would rather pick interest in movies that set them into the future instead of the past*
No, this is because, the future itself is being mould and influenced by knowledge of the past. If you don’t know your background or where you are coming from, how do you know your destination.
That is why an African linguist asserts that if Africa is to grow, it must have its own orthographies or writing system. A civilized and ancient Niger-Congo language like Yorùbá should not forget its past or rely on a borrowed orthography to encode its thoughts and philosophy. So this move is definitely meant to shape the future with the knowledge of the past.
*Doing this project must have cost you a lot*
Yes, Aebaejiogbe Oduduwa is a project going to the cinema which has been budgeted for #20million . But its forcast benefit is what keeps us going. The movie after release, will definitely bring back the lost ancient alphabet of Yoruba dynasty.
As history has it, in 1843, Reverend Samuel Àjàyí Crowther of the Christian Missionary Society developed the Yorùbá orthography by adopting Latin script with diacritics — or accent marks.
Ever since, thousands of books have been published in Yorùbá using Latin script instead of Ajami, an Arabic script used before 1843 to write in West African Indigenous languages such as Yorùbá and Hausa.
*It sounds as if your movie is a liberation tool from neo-colonialism*
- Yes, some language advocates have even contended that using Latin, a foreign script, to encode African languages, keeps the continent in an enslaved mindset.
So that’s why this move is more than necessary. Instilling this new writing system follows a history of ancient writing system in Africa, like Egyptian hieroglyphics, the Adrinka collection of the Akan tribe of Ghana, Ethiopian Ge ez, the Nsibidi ideographic script of West Central Africa which date back to 5000 BC, as well as Vai alphabet scripts, all are of African origin.
*Your parting words*
Well, I want to say that every African home should make it a task to communicate with their children in mother languages.
Let them go to school for the Oyinbo language, that’s why teachers are paid. With that one is cautiously strengthening the cord of his tradition, and tradition as we know is the foundation of self actualization, the movie is just a must watch for all the Yoruba race and the world as a whole.
