UnknownT:
Passport of Mallam Illia by Cyprian Ekwensi

Zehner:
that's called " The passport of Mallam Illia

mysticgal:

The passport of Malam Ilia.. Cyprian ekwensi.
Still got the book in my library

junnyjake:



The passport of mallam iliya by Cyprian Ekwensi.

lovat:
passport of Mallam Ilia

snthesis:

passport of mallam ilia

Thank you guys. I'll go look for it tomorrow. It used to be my best visually imaginative book.

naptu2:
I used to see him every single weekday in the late '70s and 1980s. He used to busk on Igbosere Road and Broad Street on Lagos Island. I had Ekwensi's book, but it was not until the 1990s that I discovered that the book was loosely based on Kokoro.

What amazed me the most about him was that he knew the streets so well that he could walk around unaccompanied.

I doff my hat sir.


Unfortunately this country does not know how to treat its heroes. When I see legends in tha arts die off with their talents i always feel hurt. An American resurrected a set of old musicians of the 1950s and turned them into Grammy Award winners in less than one year. They are known as the Buena Vista Social Club which has its website.

armadeo:
Naptu I think you opened a thread I this guy sometime ago.

Or is this De ja vu.

It's almost de ja vous (in more ways than you can imagine), but not quite. This is the thread that you are referring to.

https://www.nairaland.com/3228867/nairalanders-how-many-remember-these

Henry240:


Grand-Pa!



Sir, there's a book I'm also looking for, i can't remember the title of the book or Author (most have been Cyprian Ekwensi or Elechi Amadi).

I remember, the story was about a boy who met a man, a Northerner in the train. This man goes on to tell the boy or amaze the boy with stories of his adventures. I think the train was traveling from Lagos - Kano.


I would be glad if you can help me recall the title of the novel, i won't call it a proper novel, it's more like a story book. Just a few pages long.

It must surely be "passport of mallam illa" by kola onadipe

Henry240:


Grand-Pa!



Sir, there's a book I'm also looking for, i can't remember the title of the book or Author (most have been Cyprian Ekwensi or Elechi Amadi).

I remember, the story was about a boy who met a man, a Northerner in the train. This man goes on to tell the boy or amaze the boy with stories of his adventures. I think the train was traveling from Lagos - Kano.


I would be glad if you can help me recall the title of the novel, i won't call it a proper novel, it's more like a story book. Just a few pages long.

passport of mallam illia

saheedbadmus:
wow..read the book when i was small...now i know were osupa saheed drummer got the name 'kokoro" taofiqi from lolz

kokoro taofiqi is a back up singer"oluferi" is d drummer #ireppasumatho

Henry240:


Grand-Pa!



Sir, there's a book I'm also looking for, i can't remember the title of the book or Author (most have been Cyprian Ekwensi or Elechi Amadi).

I remember, the story was about a boy who met a man, a Northerner in the train. This man goes on to tell the boy or amaze the boy with stories of his adventures. I think the train was traveling from Lagos - Kano.


I would be glad if you can help me recall the title of the novel, i won't call it a proper novel, it's more like a story book. Just a few pages long.

The passport of mallam illia

And it was an IPOB that brought him to limelight in one of his works! Even his fellow afonjas did nothing for him in his condition!

Tell me what an afonja anywhere has done to bring an Igbo person to limelight rather than bash and cheastbeat with tribal rantings? Sick peeps

naptu2:
I used to see him every single weekday in the late '70s and 1980s. He used to busk on Igbosere Road and Broad Street on Lagos Island. I had Ekwensi's book, but it was not until the 1990s that I discovered that the book was loosely based on Kokoro.

What amazed me the most about him was that he knew the streets so well that he could walk around unaccompanied.

Mehn, you don old o. Kneeling down

Henry240:


Grand-Pa!



Sir, there's a book I'm also looking for, i can't remember the title of the book or Author (most have been Cyprian Ekwensi or Elechi Amadi).

I remember, the story was about a boy who met a man, a Northerner in the train. This man goes on to tell the boy or amaze the boy with stories of his adventures. I think the train was traveling from Lagos - Kano.


I would be glad if you can help me recall the title of the novel, i won't call it a proper novel, it's more like a story book. Just a few pages long.

The Passport of Mallam Ilia is the title.
Quite an interesting book I tell you.

baddosky1:
And it was an IPOB that brought him to limelight in one of his works! Even his fellow afonjas did nothing for him in his condition!

Tell me what an afonja anywhere has done to bring an Igbo person to limelight rather than bash and cheastbeat with tribal rantings? Sick peeps

Your case is irredeemable.

Daninya11:
One of the best novel that I have read is, " African Night Entertainment". I can't even remember the author sef.

We also had great novels like the drummer boy, passport of mallam Ilia, born without the silver spoon and so many others.

I noticed that if I don't read for a day, I find it difficult to carry out a decent conversation.

i love that novel "An African Night Entertainment by Caprien Nwesi

GurlFriend:
If you have read 'Drummer Boy' by Cyprian Ekwensi, you may not know that the writer based the character of Akin, the blind drummer on a real life blind drummer named 'Kokoro'.

Benjamin ‘Kokoro’ Aderounmu was a widely known blind minstrel from Lagos, Nigeria. He was born into a polygamous royal family in Owo, Ondo State, and became blind when he was aged ten. A jealous step mother was said to have been responsible for his condition.

While his blindness halted his formal education, he refused to be beaten by life’s adversity and he developed his unique art of singing to the accompaniment of tambourine to support himself.

He developed a unique style of singing accompanied first by a drum, later by a tambourine. He moved to Lagos in 1947, where he became exposed to major local musicians such as Ayinde Bakare, Bobby Benson and Victor Olaiya.

In the 1960s and 1970s he featured regularly on Federal and local radio stations, and was widely respected for the depth and wisdom of his lyrics. An early pioneer of Jùjú music, he sang in Yoruba about love, money, conflicts and urban decadence. He had wide influence on other musicians.

Cyprian Ekwensi wrote a fictionalized version of his life in his novel for adolescents, The Drummer Boy.

He performed in many cities in Nigeria and overseas, but was exploited by people who took advantage of his blindness. Often he was homeless, playing on the streets to make ends meet. Kokoro performed for close to 60 years but never released an album in his lifetime. An early attempt reportedly failed due to the foot-dragging of the record companies.

Benjamin Aderounmu, better known as ‘Kokoro’, the unmistakable and widely- known tambourine-playing minstrel, died in a Lagos hospital on Sunday, January 25, 2009 a month to his 84th birthday.

It is said that adversity will either make a man, or break him, depending on how he responds to it. Kokoro’s life is clear proof that disability is not synonymous with inability.While he was never rich in monetary and material terms, Pa Benjamin Aderounmu triumphed over life’s challenges, as evidenced by the celebration of his life, even in death, by many from various walks of life.

Not many of his performances were ever recorded, but one has managed to survive. This performance titled 'Ominira' was recorded at the NBC Lagos for the Nigeria Independence celebrations in 1960.

Click to listen: https://soundcloud.com/lekan-babalola/ominira-nigeria-1960-by-kokoro?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=facebook

Image credit: NNP

http://www.lailasblog.com/2016/11/meet-kokoro-real-life-drummer-boy-pic.html

.

OP, thank you.

We grew up on Lagos Island seeing him perform on the streets. He was a towering man with a throaty voice.
He would have been great and wealthy if he had God fearing managers. And his fellow musicians who were more fortunate failed to support him.

naptu2:


Telephone service was provided by P&T (Posts And Telecoms) which became Nitel in 1985. There were area codes - Ikoyi was 68, Victoria Island was 61, Lagos Island was 62, Festac was 88, Ikeja was 97, etc.

You had to wait for a dialling tone before you could make a call. We were lucky, the government paid our phone bill.

There were huge telephone books (1978, 1979, 1982 and 1983) and you could find people's phone numbers with the telephone books.

Some short codes were 199 (emergency), 198 (speaking clock), but I can't remember what the ring back short code was.

You had to book international calls with the operator.

Baba oooo!!

Ancient of Weeks

demandtruth:


You are quite right.

He used to trek alll the streets on Epetedo then.
from Freeman, Osho, Cow-lane, igbosere, Oshodi,
upto Lewis, Hawley, Simpson etc.

He'll curse anyone that there call him 'Kokoro', though
I wouldn't know why then.

He was a walking miracle then.
May God grant his soul eternal rest

Another 'ancient' one sighted

Stanleywaxy:
I lost my appetite for books , novels most esp after I had a smartphone.

Was a cool story anyway.

swear no b only u

naptu2:


It's almost de ja vous (in more ways than you can imagine), but not quite. This is the thread that you are referring to.

https://www.nairaland.com/3228867/nairalanders-how-many-remember-these

Yeah this is it.. nice one.

Lilcentt:

It must surely be "passport of mallam illa" by kola onadipe

Kola Onadipe bawo?

Statue of Kokoro at Tinubu Square.

saheedbadmus:
wow..read the book when i was small...now i know were osupa saheed drummer got the name 'kokoro" taofiqi from lolz

i like the guy like cray...hope he's back with Osupa?

Henry240:


Grand-Pa!



Sir, there's a book I'm also looking for, i can't remember the title of the book or Author (most have been Cyprian Ekwensi or Elechi Amadi).

I remember, the story was about a boy who met a man, a Northerner in the train. This man goes on to tell the boy or amaze the boy with stories of his adventures. I think the train was traveling from Lagos - Kano.


I would be glad if you can help me recall the title of the novel, i won't call it a proper novel, it's more like a story book. Just a few pages long.

I think the book's called Passport of Mallam Illa(sic?)

Henry240:


Grand-Pa!



Sir, there's a book I'm also looking for, i can't remember the title of the book or Author (most have been Cyprian Ekwensi or Elechi Amadi).

I remember, the story was about a boy who met a man, a Northerner in the train. This man goes on to tell the boy or amaze the boy with stories of his adventures. I think the train was traveling from Lagos - Kano.


I would be glad if you can help me recall the title of the novel, i won't call it a proper novel, it's more like a story book. Just a few pages long.

the passport of mallam illia or so

times changes....it shall come to pass

Henry240:


Grand-Pa!



Sir, there's a book I'm also looking for, i can't remember the title of the book or Author (most have been Cyprian Ekwensi or Elechi Amadi).

I remember, the story was about a boy who met a man, a Northerner in the train. This man goes on to tell the boy or amaze the boy with stories of his adventures. I think the train was traveling from Lagos - Kano.


I would be glad if you can help me recall the title of the novel, i won't call it a proper novel, it's more like a story book. Just a few pages long.

the passport of mallam iliya by Cyprian Ekwensi

Henry240:


Grand-Pa!



Sir, there's a book I'm also looking for, i can't remember the title of the book or Author (most have been Cyprian Ekwensi or Elechi Amadi).

I remember, the story was about a boy who met a man, a Northerner in the train. This man goes on to tell the boy or amaze the boy with stories of his adventures. I think the train was traveling from Lagos - Kano.


I would be glad if you can help me recall the title of the novel, i won't call it a proper novel, it's more like a story book. Just a few pages long.

PASSPORT OF MALLAM ILLIYAS

Henry240:


Grand-Pa!



Sir, there's a book I'm also looking for, i can't remember the title of the book or Author (most have been Cyprian Ekwensi or Elechi Amadi).

I remember, the story was about a boy who met a man, a Northerner in the train. This man goes on to tell the boy or amaze the boy with stories of his adventures. I think the train was traveling from Lagos - Kano.


I would be glad if you can help me recall the title of the novel, i won't call it a proper novel, it's more like a story book. Just a few pages long.

I am not sure but I am guessing it is 'Passport of Mallam Ilia'

Henry240:


Grand-Pa!



Sir, there's a book I'm also looking for, i can't remember the title of the book or Author (most have been Cyprian Ekwensi or Elechi Amadi).

I remember, the story was about a boy who met a man, a Northerner in the train. This man goes on to tell the boy or amaze the boy with stories of his adventures. I think the train was traveling from Lagos - Kano.


I would be glad if you can help me recall the title of the novel, i won't call it a proper novel, it's more like a story book. Just a few pages long.

Could it be "Passport of Mallam Illa" or something like that?

Passport of Mallam Ilia

Henry240:


Grand-Pa!



Sir, there's a book I'm also looking for, i can't remember the title of the book or Author (most have been Cyprian Ekwensi or Elechi Amadi).

I remember, the story was about a boy who met a man, a Northerner in the train. This man goes on to tell the boy or amaze the boy with stories of his adventures. I think the train was traveling from Lagos - Kano.


I would be glad if you can help me recall the title of the novel, i won't call it a proper novel, it's more like a story book. Just a few pages long.

Henry240:


Grand-Pa!



Sir, there's a book I'm also looking for, i can't remember the title of the book or Author (most have been Cyprian Ekwensi or Elechi Amadi).

I remember, the story was about a boy who met a man, a Northerner in the train. This man goes on to tell the boy or amaze the boy with stories of his adventures. I think the train was traveling from Lagos - Kano.


I would be glad if you can help me recall the title of the novel, i won't call it a proper novel, it's more like a story book. Just a few pages long.

mallam ilyasu or somethin like dt abi... Omo we no dy read again!
where is African press/spectrum abeg? are dy still operating?

naptu2:
I used to see him every single weekday in the late '70s and 1980s. He used to busk on Igbosere Road and Broad Street on Lagos Island. I had Ekwensi's book, but it was not until the 1990s that I discovered that the book was loosely based on Kokoro.

What amazed me the most about him was that he knew the streets so well that he could walk around unaccompanied.

Naptu2?? why didn't you go for a moniker like ANCESTOR or OLD G!!!

UnknownT:
Passport of Mallam Illia by Cyprian Ekwensi

yeah! pls there is this one where d main character was a blacksmith apprentice, (dy had a snake dy worshipped in Dia compound or he was bitten by 1) m not really sure!
can't recollect sha but I think it was written by a Cameroonian

armadeo:
Naptu I think you opened a thread I this guy sometime ago.

Or is this De ja vu.

You can say that again, I thought I was the only one that felt it