By Franca Nwogu
The Beginning
In 1993, Mark Dery, in an essay, “Black to the Future: Interviews with Samuel Delany, Greg Tate, and Tricia Rose,” wrote: “Speculative fiction that treats African-American themes and addresses African-American concerns in the context of twentieth-century technoculture — and, more generally, African-American signification that appropriates images of technology and a prosthetically enhanced future — might for want of a better term, be called “Afrofuturism.”
Thus, the term “Afrofuturism” was coined, and books written by Blacks and for Blacks were classified and defined as “Afrofuturist” works. From 1993 to the early 2000’s, scholars and literalists have welcomed this word and further explained it, but for some, Afro was simply not enough to represent the Black race.
An essay written by Mohale Mashigo and published by Johannesburg Review of Books, “Afrofuturism: Ayashi’s Amateki,” Mashigo wrote: “I believe Africans, living in Africa, need something entirely different from Afrofuturism. I’m not going to coin a phrase, but, please, feel free to do so.”
In 2019, Nnedi Okorafor, coined the word “Africanfuturism” and “Africanjujuism” in a blog post entitled “Africanfuturism Defined.” In this blog post, which marks as the point of revolutionary for Africans, Okorafor, in a simple term, noted that Afrofuturism was a term that related with the life of Africans in the diaspora and that Africanfuturism had nothing to do with Africans in the Diaspora. It was not centred on the West.
The evolution
In 2018, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki’s short story, “The Witching Hour”, won the Best Short Story category of the Nommo Award. In an interview with Daily Trust, when asked how easy or challenging it was it for [him] to build [his] story around the lives of witches? Ekpeki noted that “[Witches] are a thriving phenomenon in our society.” And this is just the pure scenario to best explain Africanjujuism. Every society has its own supernatural and superstitious beliefs – including Africa as a continent. Being a sub-category of fantasy, Africanjujuism does not and is not intended to represent the West or bring the Western culture into works that are meant to represent Africans; this is the difference between Afro and Africa.
Africanjujuism has evolved slowly and steadily. Although, unlike African futurism, which is fast, Africanjujuism is evolving slowly as it is trying to deepen its roots into African culture. The Palm-Wine Drinkard is a very good example of Africanjujuism – though the author may not have intentions to write a fantasy novel, because, according to Ekpeki, “they were all known and called “literary fiction”. In an anthology produced by Bernth Lindfors, which curates the reviews about The Palm-Wine Drinkard, entitled “Critical Perspectives on Amos Tutuola”, the book was heavily criticised. Some reviewers said the book was naïve, primeval, unwilled, lazy and, above all, barbaric! This is because the book had nothing to do with the Western culture — a full representation of African fantasy! This is proven by a 1953 review of the novel by Selden Rodam of The New York Time Book Review, according to Rodman, I quote: “[The Palm-Wine Drinkard has] no connection at all with the European rational and Christian traditions.”
For the third generation, another example is Akwaeke Emezi’s Freshwater (2018). The main character of Freshwater is an ogbanje. Someone from the United Kingdom has nothing to do with an ogbanje. Ogbanje although has different meanings, it is widely accepted to be a reincarnated marine spirit and highly associated with mami water — the African version of mermaids. Emezi tried to give her own view of what she understands to be an ogbanje. The novel in no way, tried to please the West, or centre itself on the Western ways. In Ife-Iyoku, the Tale of Imadeyuagbon (2020), Ekpeki weaved African traditions and culture, particularly that of the Yoruba, into a beautiful masterpiece which has been nominated for and won different prestigious awards. Africans give tales to the offspring to pass down to the younger generation, they perform rites and rituals and keep their women delicate and away from harm – these are all evident in Ife-Iyoku. Ekpeki explored themes such as colonialism and exploitation of resources done by “explorers”. The novella explored the nigh-African way of life during a time of war, hunger and depression.
Africanjujuism has evolved. Writers, such as Mazi Nwonwu, Dandy Jackson Chukwudi, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, have given the genre a huge push, mostly through short stories.
The culture
Africanjujuism, in an understandable sense, means works based on African tradition and culture. In the culture, folklores are one of the characteristics of almost every African culture. And this is what Nnedi Okorafor calls “Natural Fantasy”. For every African who lived in Africa, folklores are something they must have grown up with, thus, it is natural. In David Mogo, Godhunter, Okungbowa explored Yoruba folklore. To a Nigerian reading the novel, it is very relatable. The settings in Eko (Lagos), to the lack of electricity and all. It presented to them, in a relatable way. They understand the conversations with Mogo and his father; they understand that bribing is one of the ways to be a friend to the police; David Mogo, Godhunter, didn’t teach them that: it has been there, and, according to Nigerians, “it is what it is”.
The Legacy of Orisha series by Tomi Adeyemi, which encompasses Children of Blood and Bone and Children of Love and Virtue, she explored the pantheon of the Yoruba gods. From the Sky Mother to her offsprings, to the deserts and the gambling life of the locals. My grandmother who speaks Yoruba as her first language kept on smiling when I gave her the book to read. Sometimes, I would hear her soliloquising, “Bami Soro” while reading the book. This is because the novel was centred on some of the traditions and cultures of the Yoruba people – while it also delivered the message it was designed for. Evidently, Africanjujuism cannot exist without the application of African cultures.
In short stories, “Rainmaker” is a very good example of Africanjujuism. “Rainamaker”, which was published in Africanfuturism: An Anthology, edited by Wole Talabi in 2020, explored Africanjujuistic themes. In most African societies, the south-eastern part of Nigeria, to be precise, rain could be enchanted using some mixture of leaves and palm fronds – and a few chants. Bama explored all “tools”, the dance he made, in Igbo culture should be best known as Surugede – the dance of the ancestors. Notwithstanding the fact that it had Africanfuturist themes, its main theme is heavily Africanjujuistic. “Who Killed, Nwosu?” by Dandy Jackson Chukwudi explored the beliefs of most Africans who believe that witches disguise as teachers in elementary or secondary schools to bewitch children and, most horrifically, turn them into dolls. Dandy, like usual, possibly drew his inspiration from this very urban-legend. In “Who Is Like The Creator?”, Dandy explored the feud between Ekwensu – the Igbo god of craft, trade and deception – and Amadioha – the Igbo god of war, lightning, and vengeance. These stories based on Igbo mythology and culture, gives the meanings of Africanjujuism!
Major references:
Ekpeki, Oghenechovwe Donald (2019) “How Grandma’s story made me.” Interviewed by Nathaniel Bassey. Daily Trust
Selden Rodam (1953) “Book Review: The Palm-Wine Drinkard.” The New York Time Book Review.
Dery, Mark (1992) “Black to the Future: Interviews with Samuel Delany, Greg Tate, and Tricia Rose.”