From the lineage of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo emerged a literary scion, in his grandson, Ladi Soyode. A lawyer, poet and politician, Ladi’s latest effort which he entitled: He Spoke is sequel to his first collection of poems, Love Bird in the Jungle.

Beyond the lyrical power of the singing bard, Soyode is unique in his multi-media approach to poetry appreciation. Gone are the days of the obscurantist poet was the slogan with which this politician, capped this new trend in performance poetry.
His words: “Among the Yoruba for example, poetry is part of social life. The Oriki ( praise chant), Ekun Iyawo (bridal chant), Ijala (hunters’ chant), even the dirges sung at burial ceremonies, are invocations of feelings.”

Against this background, traditional African poetry is not obscurantist. Soyode, who is currently vying for the post of chairman, Apapa Local Government then wonders why some contemporary poets deliberately tilt towards obscurantism.

“We should start writing poems that touch the emotions. Consider some of the old English poets, William Shakespeare, William Blake, Wordsworth, even some of the early modern African writers, Wole Soyinka, Leopold Senghor, John Pepper Clark, Chinua Achebe are accessible. But these days, we see people intentionally trying to be obscurantists, which takes away the fun.”
Lovers of Soyode’s creativity would recall how his maiden effort, Love Bird in the Jungle, drew audience’s admiration seven years ago at a public presentation in Lagos. At that time, drama was the vehicle with which the lawyer pushed his thoughts.

This time, he is seeking a permanent format to document his latest pieces: He spoke and The Coronation which is a tribute to his grand mother, Chief (Mrs) HID Awolowo on her 90th birthday.
Essentially, the latest effort was a product of that line of thought. He spoke, uses sound and picture for effect. The voice over (poetic lines) was rendered by Soyode, while the pictures (still and motion) give clarity to the writer’s thoughts. In He spoke, the politician uses symbolism and life’s opposites to lampoon different aspects of human folly.

From under the sea, to the surface of the earth and the firmaments, Soyode presents empirical evidences to show that the only thing man needs in life, is to hold onto his/her actions, and inactions. The poet also offers a caveat ‘whatever we do on earth goes a long way to determine where we go hereafter, is it heaven or hell? That is why I compare man’s sojourn here to a phrase (incomplete sentence). Our stay in this world is that short” he stressed. He hinted that towards the end of the long poem lies the principal message. The need for empathy by members of the political class has become more imperative now than never, he pleaded.

Asked about the duration of the project which was released on the stable of Cupid Agencies, Soyode revealed, ‘ He spoke, took me 48 hours to write, but I spent one week producing it on VCD. ‘ Layode who disclosed that he detests writing under pressure also said that he completed the book in 2003 but kept it until the idea of what to do with the piece struck him. His words “ I don’t write under pressure. If the inspiration doesn’t come for many years, I won’t write and that is why I give kudos to journalists who have to write everytime because they have a deadline to meet”.

Produced and performed by Ladi Soyode, He Spoke was released on the stable of Cupid Agencies Productions. While Ladi solely performed He Spoke, Darusha Preye and Nma Maiya Osenife, and Obukohwo Mama joined him in rendering The Coronation. A guest appearance by Ladi’s elder brother Dr Femi Soyode, doing a gospel tune to the guitar is a confirmation that creativity runs through the Soyode family. Only recently, the VCD was presented at a fund raising event, but he hinted that the work would be available at specified sales outlets in Lagos and beyond.

Called to the bar in 1992, the poet, lawyer and politician, said his poems have been published in various literary journals including a translation to German Published by Horleman books. His first collection, Love Bird in the Jungle received a honorary mention on two poetry prizes by the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) in 1999.