It is good to be back, dear friends of the creative industry and lovers of arts and culture, as we welcome you to the latest edition of your periodic creative industry companion, The Culture Quarterly.
The last quarter was filled with artistic programmes that we are delighted to bring to your reading pleasure in this colourful edition.
However, we believe two events particularly stood out. One was the “coronation of the century,” as sons and daughters of Ibadan fondly describe it, the coronation of Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland.
The other took place on October 1st, when the National Arts Theatre in Lagos roared back to life.
Although an event that happened in October should ordinarily feature in the Q4 edition, which will be published in the first week of January 2026, we thought it fitting not to wait three months before highlighting such a historic occasion. Hence, this landmark event is acknowledged in this edition through the Publisher’s Introduction.
We therefore did not hesitate to lead this edition with the story of Oba Ladoja’s coronation, a man born in 1944 who became an Imperial Majesty, the 44th Olubadan, just a day after celebrating his 81st birthday.
We celebrate this great man, a former senator and governor, with a special lead story and an accompanying opinion piece chronicling how ready this successful businessman and supporter of the arts truly is.
Significantly too, October 1st was a very special day for Nigeria as the country marked its 65th Independence Anniversary and the unveiling of the National Theatre after years of renovation and refurbishment.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, together with his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and son, Seyi Tinubu, led a distinguished array of dignitaries from government, the corporate sector, and the creative industries to unveil the new-look premier home of the arts, an event that also symbolically celebrated Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary.
The magnificent edifice and its cultural institutions have now been rechristened the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, a fitting tribute to the revered Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, whose literary and theatrical contributions to the development of theatre, literature, and film in Africa are immeasurable.
The three-hour unveiling ceremony featured a rich array of performances, highlighted by a command performance of the popular musical Fela and the Kalakuta Queens by Bolanle Austen-Peters. The show thrilled the audience with its stellar cast, outstanding acting, and spectacular dance routines, all infused with evergreen songs by the legendary King of Afrobeat, the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
Although it was a teaser performance lasting only half an hour, it added unmistakable vibrancy to the event, especially as it preceded the speeches by the Central Bank Governor, Mr Yemi Cardoso, and President Bola Tinubu.
It was therefore fitting to celebrate Nigeria and the unveiling of the nation’s foremost culture house with a play directed by the multiple award-winning theatre and film icon, Bolanle Austen-Peters, serenading the President and guests with the story of the legendary Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and his Kalakuta Queens.
“The story of Fela and his Kalakuta Queens is as compelling as it is deeply moving and emotionally engaging, and we are happy that it was selected as part of the performances to bring back to life the famed National Arts Theatre,” Mrs Austen-Peters said at the historic event.
The play journeys through the honest and selfless love the Afrobeat icon shared with his dancers (Queens) who left their homes to follow him, believing in his vision of building a better community through art and music.
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The musical also explores the lives of these women, who were an integral part of Fela’s band, offering a unique insight into the interplay of gender and power relations within Fela’s famous Kalakuta Republic. It further showcases their distinctive fashion, dance, and African identity while dispelling common misconceptions about them.
I warmly welcome you to this beautiful edition of The Culture Quarterly.
Do have a blast.
