*January 1 1947-February 18 2010
By Segun Martins Fajemisin
ALTHOUGH he’s no longer with us in person, the late Rufus Abiodun Orisayomi left fond memories to be cherished by his family, friends and associates. He was much loved within and outside of the primary constituency of his artistic family.
His life no doubt mirrors the Latin translation of the (original) Greek aphorism, ‘Ars longa, vita brevis’ (Life is short, and art is long).
Rufus Orisayomi had vast experiences steeped in professional and academic training in the arts and culture. Previously a full-time lecturer at the University of Benin, Nigeria, he also taught at several institutions of higher learning abroad.
An accomplished film and documentary producer, his more known works include the 2004 coverage of the Commonwealth Game for Nigeria’s Ministry of Sports and the World Cup in Japan; a documentary of Professor Wole Soyinka (Kongi Here and There, 2005) and the 2006 half-hour documentary of traditional flute players of the Northern Nigeria (Kakaki) for Denver, Colorado Museum.
As a playwright of note, one of his epochal works is the adaptation of William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ in Pidgin English, and set in 15th-century Yorubaland, Nigeria.
‘Akogun’, incorporating dance, drama and music was performed across the United Kingdom to rave reviews.
Orisayomi also worked with the Yorkshire Television (UK) as a producer on ‘Benin: an African Kingdom’, with the late Anthony Isaacs on various productions for the widely acclaimed ‘The World About Us’ series and with Richard Taylor on ‘Nigeria: A Squandering of Riches’, a BBC documentary on profligacy and matters allied to the Nigeria oil products.
Before his transition, Pappy Ru produced an epic hour-long documentary, ‘30 Years of Black Dance in the UK’ which was presented to the UK diverse communities and garnered wide acceptance. He was the publisher of a bi-annual arts journal, ‘Kayode’, in the United Kingdom.
A culture ambassador, Orisayomi was a founding member of the pan-Yoruba organisation, Congress of Yoruba Heritage, Arts and Culture (COYHAC) established in March 2008 in the UK and had served as Special Adviser to the group.
May his gentle soul continue to rest in peace.
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