Alade Aromire’s last interview: Says, I’m fulfilled in everything

By David Ajiboye

Late Prince Muhideen AromireYou were known to be an actor and a movie producer. Why did you veer into cable television business?
It's because only television encompasses the whole thing – movie, music, acting and the rest. I studied film and television production in Cologne, Germany. And since I came back, I have done some crash courses on acting in London and Germany. When I returned, I wasn't interested in a paid employment, so I asked my father for a loan, which he gladly gave. And ever since, I have started movie making. I pioneered video movie-making.

Along the line, I was looking for challenges. I just wanted to do something that could be different in a way. Most actors then were not willing to get trained, they were looking at the industry as a short cut to success. Then you had riff-raffs who are not really ready to make artistic statements. If you watch Yoruba movies now, you'll get pissed off. Of course, except in recent times, when Jide Kosoko became ANTP president. He has been trying to make some changes.

But that is not to say there isn't some nice productions from the sector. The likes of Kelani and Wemimo have been doing a lot, don't you think so?
Wemimo started very recently. He came in earlier, released Ododo Eye and went into politics, and then he came back. Wemimo is not a trained movie-maker. He just came in to make money just like some others who thought they've got money and could make more in movie.

Most of them are making movies because they want to eat. And movie-making shouldn't be like that. You make a statement with movie. What's happening in Iraq and Iran, Americans had already shot movies about it years back. They're using their movies to make a statement that, “this is America”. When I couldn't realise my vision through the movie, I decided to try it through television. So I started Yotomi Television, which is an all-Yoruba channel. I'm using Yotomi Television to make the Yoruba entity interesting to the outside world. I want people to say, I'd like to speak Yoruba language.

How has it been so far?
It's been challenging and fun, too.

What problems have you encountered so far?
I don't have any problem. Anything that comes to me in form of a challenge or a problem, I see it as a stepping stone towards going for greater heights. I must tell you, everything that I'm involved in, in terms of entertainment, has been fun to me. You know, you can't do it properly if you don't get to correct one or two mistakes. And without mistakes, there can't be perfection.

Your expectations have been fulfilled?
Definitely! I'm fulfilled.

How old is Yotomi?
We're just five years now.

There's this controversy surrounding the origin of the home videos film in Nigeria. It is believed in some quarters that Living In Bondage was the first movie to come out of Nollywood.

It can't be! Living In Bondage? No, no, no! Go and ask Kenneth Nnebue. Let me tell you, if you can write it properly, Kenneth Nnebue had produced over 40 Yoruba movies before he even thought of producing an Igbo movie. Living In Bondage is an Igbo movie. It is an Igbo language movie. Probably, they want to claim that Living In Bondage is the first Igbo movie. Before he dreamt of making that film, he had produced 40 Yoruba films. He started with Aje Ni'ya Mi. And there had been a flourishing movie industry before he came on board. So how can you say he started it.

So who produced the first home video?
I did! I pioneered the industry.

Which movie did you start with?
Ekun. And it's the first Yoruba (home video) movie.

His burial programme

The burial programme of late theatre practitioner and entertainment consultant, Prince Muhideen Agboola Aromire popularly known as Alade has been released.

The release shows that there would be a special service of songs and a candle light procession tomorrow (Thursday), at both LTV 8 and the deceased’s Yotomi Television complex, both at Agidingbi in Ikeja.

Also, some of his movies will be shown at the LTV 8 main hall before the candle light procession by members of the Association of Nigeria Theatre Practitioners (ANTP), to be led by its president, Prince Jide Kosoko.

There would be a lying-in-state at the National Theatre, Iganmu on Friday while interment follows later in the evening at his yet-to-be-commissioned palatial residence at Magboro area immediately after the long bridge on Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

Alade pioneered the home video business in Nigeria when he produced the first home video entitled Ekun in the early 80s.

He died in an accident in Lagos on Friday, July 4.