Tobi Ijalana
Africa’s largest art collector, Yemisi Shyllon, is the suitor for choice metaphors in Akeem Lasisi’s new poetry video, ‘House of Memory’.
The video released about two weeks ago is in tribute series the acclaimed performance poet started with the celebration of the Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka.
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The video, shot in Shyllon’s super art-rich garden in Lagos and his newly built, equally art-saturated country home in Abeokuta , principally features Edaoto, while Lagos-based artist, Uche Obidrums, lead other dancers in the feast.
It was shot by Sanjo whose inspiring talent had earlier shown in Lasisi’s videos such as ‘Udeme’, ‘Ori Agbe’, ‘Deadlock’ and ‘Asabi Alakara’.
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The clean video is blessed with beautiful cultural dance steps, colourful costume and captivating settings punctuated by a huge variety of multimedia art works in the Shyllon’s enviable empire.
On why he dedicated ‘House of Memory’ to Shyllon, Lasisi says it is in recognition of the roles that he (the collector) has played in the development of arts and culture in Nigeria and beyond.
According to the award-winning poet, the poem was originally composed some five years ago for to mark one of the major programmes of the great collectors’ initiatives under the umbrella of his Omooba Yemisi Adedoyin Arts Foundation (OYASAF).
Lasisi adds that the poem will feature in his upcoming collection titled ‘Citations’.
“The collection principally contains poems I dedicated to people and institutions that have made some marks in various areas of development,” says the performer who also has a major poetic tribute for Dr Stella Adadevoh, heroine of Nigeria’s battle against Ebola.
Watch the Yemisi Shyllon video here:
