Dear Diary.
Sunday 13th of July, the day the Prof. Wole Soyinka transcended into the world of octogenarians was a day i had been anticipating.Not only because he is a worldwide Iconic figure but also because of the promising schedule of events that has been lined up for the celebration. The friendly and homely sight of Olumo Rock, the mother and pride of Ogun state announced our arrival in Abeokuta at about 1pm on on Sunday and i marveled at its immortality.
On getting to the Ogun state cultural center, which had been prepared to welcome guests to the event with “adire” fabric laid as the ‘red carpet’, the breathtaking display of the portraits and paintings of the Professor and celebrant evoked in me an emotion that could only be described as reverence. The Hubert Ogunde hall in the state’s cultural center was a kaleidoscope of traditional and cultural wealth as the majority of the guests were dressed in different traditional costumes.
The First lady, Her Excellency Mrs Olufunsho Amosun a vision of poise and beauty, caught my sight as she addressed her audience and i couldn’t help but let my gaze wander around the expanse of the hall.After presentation of prizes to winners from different categories of talent filled competition/and the WS80 Essay Competition , the thunderous beats from drums filled the air as dancers from Osun state dance troupe in white indigenous ensemble entertained guests with songs and the Yoruba bata dance steps. The Ogun state dance troupe followed suit on the stage in attires made from raffia and danced fiercely to the rhythm of the drums.
After the Event,we went to our hotel for a quick rest. The Evening session started some hours later. It was all about Spoken Words and Poetry. “Dialogue through Spoken Word” and the theme was “Freedom Of Creative Expression” and i could say that the Poets literally set the stage on fire that Night… Stay with us. This is the WS80Diaries Celebrating a living Legend.
