MY ENCOUNTERS WITH ABASS AKANDE OBESERE
– With comical touches, JAIYEOLA AJASA, the Landlord of Jaiyeola Street, tells the story of how he met and linked Abass Obesere, a popular Yoruba singer, to Sony Music God used me in the life…
Author: deleajajablog
I’LL BE YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE
– The phrase shrewd people DON’T use till they secure power As a Yoruba man from Southwestern Nigeria, I’m conversant with the axiom, “Bí ọwọ́ ọmọdé kò bá tẹ ẹ̀kù idà, kìí bèrè ikú tó…
HEAL THE WORLD
– Build Bridges “Our wounded yesterday shouldn’t remain our children’s unhealed tomorrow, when we are done and gone. Build bridges and smoothen the rough edges between groups.” – Dele Ajaja IMAGE: Links. #AfricanPerspectiv es #AfricanPhilosophies…
CONSCIENCE
– Resist Harm to Humanity “I would decline, if the state mandates me to wrong the innocent person. Posterity judges people according to their deeds; NOT by what the state ordered them to do.” –…
YORUBA IS LINGUISTICALLY STUNNING
– The elegance of Yoruba Language is reflected in many ways – including their chants Fọn, fọn, ni t’ifọ́n, Àsùn má p’ara’dà ni t’igi àjà! Omodé ló ní nkú, Á sùn fọn, fọn, kò ní…
HOW MANY BIRDS FOLLOWED ROBIN TO THE WORLD?
– Ẹyẹ Méló T’olongo W'áyé (YORUBA) (A Yoruba folksong, mostly sung by children. “Ẹyẹ olongo” is the robin bird. ‘T’olongo w'áyé” sounds like the short form of “tọ olongo wá ayé,” which means “followed robin…
WORK IS THE REMEDY FOR POVERTY
– Iṣẹ́ Loògùn Ìṣẹ́ (YORUBA) (More poetry by the late J.F. ODUNJO – from one of his popular "Alawiye" series) Ise l'oogun ise, Ise ni a fi nd’eni giga. Bi ako ba r’eni f’ehin’ti,…
ENHANCE YOUR CHARACTER, MY FRIEND
– Tọ́'jú Ìwà Rẹ, Ọ̀rẹ́ Mi (YORUBA) A poetry on “character,” by the late Chief Joseph Folahan (J.F.) Odunjo, renowned Yoruba playwright, poet, politician, and statesman – from one of his popular Alawiye series. To'ju…
LEADERSHIP
– Blazing the Trail for Others to Follow “Leadership” is synonymous to "Responsibility." A “leader” is the man or woman with the aptitude and attitude for guiding or influencing a group. Customarily, the leader is…
YORUBA: LANGUAGE OF THE DEEP
– The Dictum of the Brave YORUBA: Òwúyẹ́wuyẹ̀ wúyẹ́kẹ́, aṣòro sọ bí ọ̀rọ̀. B'áa'wí, a o kú; báà'wí, ọ̀run là ńlọ. Ìgbà l'à ń'lò, ẹnìkan ò lo'lé ayé gbó. ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY DELE AJAJA: Hush-hush,…