History of Chief Hubert Ogunde

Here’s the full history of Chief Hubert Ogunde ¹ ²:

Hubert Adedeji Ogunde was born on July 10, 1916, in Ososa, near Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria, to Jeremiah Deinbo and Eunice Owotusan Ogunde. His father was a Baptist pastor, and his maternal grandfather was a priest of Ifá, an African traditional religion. He was exposed to both Christian and traditional Yoruba religions, which later influenced his work.

Education and Early Career

Ogunde attended St John School, Ososa, from 1925 to 1928, then moved to St Peter’s School, Faaji, Lagos, from 1928 to 1930. He completed his education at Wasimi African School from 1931 to 1932. His first experience with performance art was as a member of Egun Alarinjo during his elementary school days. After completing his education, he worked as a pupil-teacher at St. John’s School and was also a church choirmaster and organist.

In March 1941, Ogunde joined the Nigerian police force in Ibadan. Two years later, he was posted to the Denton Police Station in Ebute Metta, Lagos, where he joined an African-initiated church, the Church of the Lord (Aladura). In 1944, he co-produced his first folk opera, “The Garden of Eden and The Throne of God,” commissioned by the Church of the Lord. The success of the play encouraged him to write and produce more, eventually leaving the police force in 1946 to become a professional dramatist.

Theatre Career

In 1945, Ogunde founded the African Music Research Party, the first contemporary professional theatre company in Nigeria. The company’s name changed several times over the years, finally settling as Ogunde Theatre in 1960. His plays often incorporated dramatic action, dance, and music, reflecting the political and social realities of the time. Some notable plays include:

– “The Tiger’s Empire” (1946): An attack on colonial rule, featuring women as professional artists for the first time in Yoruba theatre.

– “Strike and Hunger” (1946): A play about the general strike of 1945.

– “Bread and Bullet” (1950): A play about the coal miners’ strike in Enugu.

– “Yoruba Ronu” (1964): A satirical account of the political strife in Yorubaland, banned in Western Nigeria for two years.

Ogunde’s plays were performed in remote villages and metropolitan centers across Nigeria and West Africa. His company was known for its improvisational style, with Ogunde sketching out the basic situation and plot, then writing and rehearsing only the songs. The dialogue was improvised, allowing the actors to adjust to their audience.

In the 1960s, Ogunde began to produce plays for television, and in the late 1970s, he ventured into filmmaking. He co-produced and starred in the 1990 motion picture “Mister Johnson” with Pierce Brosnan.

Legacy

Chief Hubert Ogunde is regarded as the father of Nigerian theatre and contemporary Yoruba theatre. He wrote over 50 plays, many of which are still performed today. Through his work, he sought to reawaken interest in Nigeria’s indigenous culture and paved the way for a successful commercial theatre in Nigeria. Ogunde passed away on April 4, 1990, at the age of 74, leaving behind a legacy that continues to influence Nigerian theatre and film.