‘Enigmatic’
Olumide Bisiriyu is a poet, spoken word artist, movie producer, poetry promoter
and Founder/CEO, EGC Media & Properties Company. In this exclusive
interview with BankHALL of LinesNLyrics, he speaks of his background, marriage,
career and his trending spoken word video, "I COUNT" unleashed on
Tuesday, September 1st, 2015.
BankHALL: Good
day Sir Enigmatic
Enigmatic: Good
day BankHall.
BankHALL: We
heard of your trending video going viral on the internet now, tell us about
it...
Enigmatic: I
Count is a spoken word Poetry video about mother Nigeria and her children.
BankHALL: How
did you come about the title "I COUNT" ?
Enigmatic: It's
a product of many thinking, about the many mistakes we make as Nigerians that
has been taking us backwards since independence till now, about the many
bombings of Boko Haram, the many petty thieves who get jailed Or killed for
stealing small money, the many big thieves in politics who steal big money and
still go scot-free, the many injustice, and the many ways we enjoy suffering as
individuals without actually wanting to change.
BankHALL: What’s
the primary message you intend to pass with the video?
Enigmatic: The change we
were looking for is finally knocking on our doors, but it’s not government that
will bring about the change, its understanding of the power of the masses over
the government.
BankHALL: Did
you encounter any challenge producing the video?
Enigmatic: Not really, because
i am a cinematographer and I prepared before hand for likely challenges.. The
only challenge may be during recording as the producer /engineer couldn’t get
what I wanted on time and I kept going back to record till they got it.
BankHALL: Was it
your first time?
Enigmatic: No. I have one or two short films that I kept away
from the public. But it’s my first Poetry video.
BankHALL: How do
you feel doing what you do in a country where poetry is still growing, unlike
music and movies?
Enigmatic: I think it’s a privilege to be among those doing
Poetry before it became popular. It’s just a matter of time and consistency
before Poetry gets her place in mainstream entertainment. But we poets need to
work more together if we are to get there faster.
BankHALL: Can
you give us a brief of your background and upbringing?
Enigmatic: Well,
I was born in Ajegunle area of Lagos. Second Son, of five kids from my Mum. I
later lived in Ikeja GRA for about 11 years. Then I went to school in Ibadan.
Then went to Katsina State. And then back to Ajah in Lagos to work and now I
shuffle Ibadan and Lagos.
BankHALL: Did
poetry have anything to do with your choice of a life partner?
Enigmatic:
Perhaps... Though I have known my wife for about 10 years before we got
married. We lost touch and only reconnected when she started making comments on
my poems on facebook wall (I used to post poems on facebook you know).
BankHALL: Tel us
about your journey into poetry performance and promotion
Enigmatic: I started
writing Poetry in around 1994, but I didn’t know it was Poetry because I sing
then. In 2004 I made a 7 tracks album that has one Yoruba “ewi” (traditional
poetry) and a pure spoken word Poetry . I took it to some professionals for
critique and fell more in love with Poetry because they loved the poems more. I
actually started performance Poetry in concerts just before then. I eventually
started Poetry Promotion when I met more poets in events around 2010, having
realised that if we do not promote one another our dreams of creating a vibrant
spoken Poetry industry may just be a mirage.
BankHALL: How do
you merge Property Management, Poetry Promotion, Talent Management and Movie
Production?
Enigmatic: I
actually can’t explain that. I think it’s in the blood.
BankHALL: Where
do you see poetry writing and performance in the next 10 years in Nigeria?
Enigmatic: I see
it becoming a big deal. Even the musicians and actors will want to switch to
poetry, Or at least do Poetry once in a while.
BankHALL: What
do you think you or other Poets/Spoken Word Artists can do to get poetry the
place where music is today?
Enigmatic: Supporting the works of one another and
promoting them. We should learn from how comedy industry blew up. They were
always there for one another. We should avoid cliques, sentimentality, and
everything that separates us. And most of all, we should keep doing what we are
doing and don't stop.
BankHALL: What’s
your advice to newbies who have passion for written /performance poetry, who
may be looking up to you as a Role Model and/or Mentor?
Enigmatic: A portion of the scripture says
the glory of the latter House shall be greater. You have every opportunity to
achieve that. Learn from those before you. Be better than them but respect and
don't look down on them. Most importantly, be consistent. Know
your style, message, and stick to it.
BankHALL: Thanks for your time, Enigmatic.
Enigmatic: Thank you.
BankHALL: Thanks for your time, Enigmatic.
Enigmatic: Thank you.
To view the latest spoken word video in Nigeria (“I COUNT), visit: https://youtu.be/qd2qUlmvlpo OR http://edimulo.blogspot.com/2015/09/my-favourite-poetry-video-i-count-is-out.html OR http://egcreativity.blogspot.com/2015/09/i-count-poetry-video-by-enigmatic.html
For everything trending on poetry and spoken word, kindly visit our blogsite at: http://linesandlyrics.blogspot.com OR Facebook.com/LinesNLyrics or betterstill, send us an e-mail via lyricalpoett@gmail.com WhatsApp: +234(0)8127745061, Twitter: @BankyWhiz
Quite interesting
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