THE POETRY COURT
"WORLD POETRY DAY"
21st March 2015
AN INTERVIEW WITH ONE OF THE FINEST POETS IN NIGERIA -
DONNA
ThePoetryCourt: Lets meet you
I am, DONNA.
A Nigerian and proud of it; daughter to Prince & Princess Babatunde Ogunnaike, sister to Marvin, David, Seun and Wale and wife to Babatunde Shodipo.
ThePoetryCourt: How did you get to meet poetry?
I was introduced to poems by Mrs. Emily Duncan, my English Literature Teacher in Atlantic Hall (my secondary school); she was an excellent teacher and the first one to notice that I had a gift and a deep understanding of poems beyond my years and peers of the time. I was about 12 or 13 years old at the time. I have been in love with poetry since then.
Thepoetrycourt: How do you manage your time as a lawyer and a poet, especially as a performance poet?
"Passion does what it must" is what a friend of mine used to say to me all the time and I now believe it. I just "Get on with it!" as Mrs. Emily Duncan used to say. I sacrifice what is not important to my future for the present moment - sleep, movies, sometimes laundry, LOL! - and just spend the time doing the things that add to my future. For now, that will be meeting deadlines at work and writing poems, music, ideas and then performing poetry as much as I can. Oftentimes, people see me and say "you look tired", or "are you getting enough sleep", and I just smile because while I sometimes do not get enough sleep, I am getting destiny done and that suffices.
ThePoetryCourt: What role should poetry play in our society?
We poets should be all things to all men: gatekeepers to the leaders, reminding them of where we come from and egging them on to where we should be going, we should be an inspiration to visionaries, the perfume to lovers, examples to the youth and muses to artistes.
We ought to fill every sphere of societal influence with our words, skill and craft; this is our place.
ThePoetryCourt: Can poetry change a society?
Yes, I certainly believe that it can.
I have received messages from many people who have been moved by some of my messages through poem and it is always a blessing to hear someone say "I was going to do X and when I heard you perform, I changed my mind/found hope/ was moved to tears/ was encouraged/felt better etc..." That tells me that I am doing something right and I believe that if we focus our energies on bringing about a change, we definitely will.
I think that the more we as poets lend our voices to societal issues in whatever way we are inspired, we can at least reach the ears of our audience and plant ideals in them. We must not lose that opportunity… ever.
ThePoetryCourt: How can poets be able to survive in this kind of society that they find themselves?
Have a day job or a side business so that your art can remain pure.
The economic reality of Nigeria is such that it would be hard for a poet to survive as only a poet; even in the banking industry, many of the bankers have pet projects. We just have to buckle up and get qualified to work at skilled employed or entrepreneurial labour while pursuing passion, at least until the poetry starts to yield reasonable income that one can be content with.
ThePoetryCourt: Is there anything you find difficult and challenging in your writing?
Focusing on traditional writing forms and expectations. I am constantly torn between writing a poem that will hold up against criticism from the more traditionally inclined poets/writers and just flowing with heart and let the message speak no matter how loosely crafted. It is an on-going battle with heart winning many times.
ThePoetryCourt: Do you have a major theme that runs through your mind when writing, and what are they?
Not really a theme, because that changes per topic, but I do have questions: "What will they learn, feel or take away from this piece?"...because I am constantly trying to pass on a message, I tend to focus on the impact that message will bring. The theme does not really matter as much to me because that usually comes by inspiration, but it is the message behind the theme I tend to focus on. So with “Songs of The Forlorn” for example, the theme was ritual murders, but the message was that it is evil and not worth it. So for me, I think about how I felt when the poem came and how to make people feel the exact same way or carry some kind of emotion or ideal forward after they have heard or listened to it.
ThePoetryCourt: Do you plan to write something in some other genre of literature?
Yes, I intend writing a novel or two. I think I have some stories within me that need birthing.
ThePoetryCourt: What were the challenges that you faced in the process of releasing your poetry album ?"'Water for Roses"
I was my biggest challenge.
I had the bad habit of procrastinating and if you have a day job and a passion project, then you must learn how to make time effective; I did not do this at the time and ended up being chased around by IBK Spaceshipboi, my producer, to even fix dates for the studio recordings. He had heard my idea for the project and because I had told him I needed help with procrastination, decided to be my personal motivation to see the project through! LOL. Can you imagine having a dream and someone else convincing you to pursue your own dream?! It's weird, but I guess God sent me the help I needed.
So in April of 2014 I had to ask for leave from work, and went into the studio for 10 days, 10 :00 am to 10:00 pm and we just put in our sweat. After recording I had fights with myself because I could only hear my mistakes, slurred words from too much passion or a dry throat or even just not the right tone I had envisioned for a particular poem. IBK largely ignored me because he knew that if he left it to me, I'd criticize my own work to distraction. He went ahead to produce and sent me the completed works in June, 2014.
Next difficulty? For me, the next steps and procrastination - again. This dream was becoming a reality and it scared me. It took me another 8 months to push the album out; but we are here now and I am glad!
ThePoetryCourt: What's that thing that triggers you to write, cause you sometimes write with much passion, like your poem on "RIGGIT!" What the driving force behind your writing?
My Spirit. Most of my poems come whole and come with the emotion or passion that would follow the performance of the poem through. I just birth it.
ThePoetryCourt: In no particular other, can you give us a list of poets "Spoken Words" that moves you anytime you hear them perform their piece.
Toperdo Mascaw
Jeffrey Plumbline
Ayeola Mabiaku
Obii
Sheila Ojei
ThePoetryCourt: What books do you read, and why?
A lot of African Authors and biographies. I like to learn of Africa through my brothers and sisters that see it and live it and I love to learn of people's lives - it's the best mirror that shows both a past and a possible future and traces why people become.
I love Seffi Atta, Toni Kan, Maya Angelou and Richard Branson's books.
ThePoetryCourt: Do you see any improvement so far in the Nigerian reading culture, or they have not started reading at all?
I think we are growing and returning to study ourselves some more through written works, but there is still so much more to be covered.
ThePoetryCourt: How have you been able to join force with other poets to support poetry?
I recently partnered with Efe Paul and Ndukwe to birth "GRIOT" and this platform widened into the collective that produced Nigeria's first spoken word theater production "Finding Home" which was performed at Terra Culture in November, 2014.
I was once a co-coordinator for Freedom Hall with Tope Sadiq (Torpedo Mascaw) and Jumoke as well. I have also been called upon to judge a number of Word Up Poetry Slams and provided nominations for the "EGC Platform" on its informal ranking of poets in Nigeria.
ThePoetryCourt: As the world celebrates "WorldPoetryDay" what do you think that poets can do, to make their art more attractive?
Work on their skills. Own it until it is a pure form of you.
ThePoetryCourt: Where do you see poetry in the next ten '10' years from now?
Much bigger than it is today. Certainly.
ThePoetryCourt: The first time you claimed a stage to perform, how was it like for you?
I was full of nerves and drank (I still drink) a lot of water but something within me felt like I either performed or burn from the desire to do so and so I just let it out!
ThePoetryCourt: Since you met poetry, what's the thing that have once discouraged you, that you felt like quitting poetry?
Too many things. Starting late (in my opinion); my day job (which is my priority); not finding like minded and/or trustworthy people to push things forward and just that question "what are you really doing?", that my self-doubt rings up every now and again. I am constantly fighting to push through.
ThePoetryCourt: Thanks for being with us, hope we can get your attention some other time?
Definitely! But these are a LOT of questions though! LOL.
ThePoetryCourt: Thanks (smile)
You can follow DONNA on twitter @ThePoet_Donna
And you can also get her C.D "water For Roses" @ Jazz Hole on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
