Ogunjimi is a character known from the Yoruba TV hit drama, Koto Orun, which reigned on the airwave from 1989 to 1992. He played a torn in the flesh of wizard, Abija and his witch collaborator, Oyiboyi.
Yoruba people's traditional clothing
Early Life and Career Beginnings
To put the record in proper perspective, the journey of Ajileye’s fame cannot be separated from his very early TV success, prior to the coming of Koto Orun.
The credit of that exposure of the actor goes to no other person than the veteran television producer, Laolu Ogunniyi.
As an independent producer, Ogunniyi was the person who produced Ajileye’s first ever hit Opa Aje, which was a huge success on television, between 1988 and 1991.
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Further revisiting how he met Ajileye, the Ibadan-based pioneer independent producer recalled that it was late actor, Oyin Adejobi with whom Ajileye had a brief training that recommended the Osogbo born artiste to him in 1986.
"After we met through Late Pa Oyin Adejobi who insisted that I should do whatever possible to assist Ajileye, he brought a script entitled Balogun Abija. The script in my opinion was though good, but identical in concept with another popular TV series then," Ogunniyi said.
What eventually came out of that script of which Ogunniyi said he worked on together with Ajileye, to fit his own standard as an established and experienced independent producer, was to launch the late actor into stardom.
Rise to Fame: Koto Orun and Beyond
Ajileye must have underestimated the impact of Koto Orun until he hired out the tape to a film exhibitor in Ibadan shortly after the series stopped running on TV.
The exhibitor, (names withheld) was said to have made a huge financial returns from chain of cinema release in Ibadan to the envy of Ajileye.
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One cannot forget, so soon, characters such as Abija, a torn in the flesh of wizard, Ogunjimi and his witch collaborator, Oyiboyi in the Yoruba TV hit drama, Koto Orun, which reigned on the airwave from 1989 to 1992.
The same work made star of the comic character, Koledowo.
Ajileye, under his theatre troupe wrote and produced the drama for television that starred mainly members of his group some of whom were trained under the Osogbo born actor.
The success of Koto Orun led to sequel like Koto Aye, which was part of the early releases into the very young home video setting of that time.
Having made such a monster star of the Abija characer played by actor, Tajudeen Oyewole, Ajileye’s entry into the video scene was a smooth success as several other works from the group followed.
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Unlike most actors who, as a result of the video upsurge, abandoned the tube, Ajileye soon returned to TV.
From the tube, he further made a star of a member of the group and one of his wives, Mujidat Ajileye who later passed on in November 2003.
The theme of the TV drama Mama Mi L’ Eko (My Mum in Lagos) was built around the title and central character played by the late actor’s wife.
Challenges and Later Works
Success, they say, don’t come without a trying moment.
One of Ajileye’s trying days was the sudden change of attitude of actors which the home video scene brought then.
To the established traveling theatre groups in the South West, the home video as a fast growing medium turned out a double edge sword: most troupes started losing their key members to independent video producers.
For Ajileye, his most popular star actor, Oyewole (a.k.a Abija) could not resist tempting offers from these producers.
This, naturally set the actor in collision with his master, a crisis that seriously affected the Ajileye production company until amicable settlement was reached.
For Ajileye, the worth of an actor was leaving an imprint on the stage.
His subsequent works in the video industry till he breathed his last had a kind of identity that can be likened to that of Ogunde.
His works like Ide, shot some years back and the last one, Aiye Alaye produced under Yem Kem International’s Gold Link Communications and released shortly after his death, are though mainly of traditional and periodic settings, but usually involved large cast and lavish costumes as well as sets similar to Ogunde’s films.
But Ajileye’s effort at meeting the yet to be equalled standard of Ogunde are usually lost in the electronic image medium of video.
The Significance of Ifa Corpus
Both Jagun Jagun and Anikulapo draw on the Ifa Corpus. This is why the Ifa Corpus remains a literary reference in Yoruba theatre and films.
Ifa is an ancient religion and a complex system of divination conceptualised many centuries ago by the Yoruba people of west Africa.
Ifa Yoruba religion is based on oral literature scriptures known as Odu Ifa or the Ifa Corpus. It is the blueprint of life used to guide humanity towards the manifestation of their destiny in a positive way.
It provides guidance on how to make good decisions and how to proceed through uncertain times.
Ifa Divination
Ogunjimi in Contemporary Context
Those looking at the story from a historical point of view should turn their binoculars to the recent happenings around our global village and its war mongering and wanton destruction.
Ogundiji can be heard in one scene discussing how the white men have just sent him some highly sophisticated weapons and he is going to try then out in his next escapade.
The film therefore interrogates and explores some issues that I find universal, even though steeped in African and specifically Yoruba canons. It brings to mind, for instance, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the gathering of world powers, represented by kings who are propped on the throne by the likes of Ogundiji.
The movie also speaks to Nigerian politicians and rulers who hide their own children abroad for safekeeping, mentoring and tutelage while deploying children and relatives of other citizens as cannon fodder in senseless wars and acts of aggression, before, during and after electioneering.
The film’s two love stories between Ajitoni, Wehinwo’s fiancee, and the rejected suitor, and Gbotija and Kitan are antithetical to how relationships are struck and sustained.
Ajitoni does not want the man she is to be married to but loves another man. Kitan initiates a relationship with Gbotija as the man she chooses.
Some critics of Jagun Jagun may see this movie as a Hollywoodisation or Chinese Kung Fu-nisation of Yoruwood, the other cinema in Nollywood, but it is also possible to see some cross-fertilisation.
That is, it’s strongly influenced by art cinema like the films of US film-makers Scorsese and Coppola and others like 12 Monkeys and The Batman.
I think, however, that movies will do well to explore cross-fertilisation more, possibly through upping budgets and taking Nigerian films to the next level, drawing new viewers.
Despite a staggering number of names of ancient kingdoms and too much focus on superficial historical references, it’s a really, really good movie.
The plot is original and the direction is strong.
Is this the present? Is this the past? Is there a future of Nollywood to be glimpsed in Jagun Jagun?
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Influence and Collaborations
One of the front line actors and producers whose works contributed to that change was Yekini Ajileye who, sadly, passed on last week, October 11, 2006, nearly two years after his wife and actress, Mujidat Ajileye died.
Describing Ajileye’s death as a big loss to the entire industry and Yoruba sub-division in particular, the producer of the 1979 TV hit, Wind Against My Soul recalled his working experience with the deceased during the production of Opa Aje.
"Ajileye was a very gifted artiste; there is no doubt about that. His death is painful and a big loss to the industry. If there is anyone to know, I should be the one as our working together in Opa Aje gave me the opportunity to see his wealth of creativity," Oguniyi said.
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