Voyage To Stardom   

Published on August 2, 2010 by TheNEWS   ·   No Comments

Bukola Awoyemi rises from relative obscurity to become the darling of many after a stellar performance in Tunde Kelani’s classic movie, Arugba

For an actress hitherto not used to getting so much attention, the Women of Colour Arts and Film, WOCAF, Festival held in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, where Tunde Kelani’s latest work, Arugba was premiered March last year, must have felt really special for Bukola Awoyemi. At the festival venue, fans were all over the ebony-hued actress. While some wanted autographs, others wanted to pose for snapshots with her.

The attention lavished on Miss Awoyemi was understandable. Her performance as Adetutu in the movie was top drawer and wowed the audience at the festival. That certainly was not a bad return for a young woman who, from childhood, had always wanted to excel as an actress.

“Acting has always been in me,” she explained. “While growing up, I’d gather children of my age and we’d start acting. At home, I sang, danced and dramatised to the delight of my family. I was keen to show them I’ve got the talent to take acting as a career,” Bukola recalled.

Now in her mid 20s, Awoyemi’s interpretation of the role of Adetutu, a votary maiden in the satiric film, has thrust stardom on her young shoulders earlier than she could have imagined, with plaudits coming from Nigeria nad beyond.

In the movie, Adetutu must juggle her role as Arugba, a beautiful young virgin selected by the Ifa oracle to carry the sacred calabash at the annual community festival, with her studies in the university. Set against the backdrop of a corrupt society deserving of some cleansing and rebirth, Adetutu achieves a blend of traditional values with urbane sensibilities in the impressive motion picture.

According to Awoyemi, playing Adetutu offered the opportunity to communicate with women about the way they portray themselves to the public. “When I was given the role and discovered that the character is a virgin, I was so happy because I’ve always sought an opportunity to speak about the dignity of a woman, her self worth and why we should always keep ourselves as women. Some women are blinded to their values and don’t know their real worth. So, the role gave me an opportunity to tell women that they will always survive with determination, hard work and prayers,” she explained.

Bagging that lead role was a defining moment in Bukola’s career. It was believed that two other female stars––Ara, the drummer and Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde––had earlier been penciled down to take that role. “It was God that made it possible. I got the script, coincidentally on my birthday and I’d prayed to God to give me a birthday present. Indeed that’s what He did,” she enthused. Yet, a few years before that breakthrough, Bukola had visited Tunde Kelani’s Mainframe office in search of opportunity to work with the great filmmaker as an intern. But she did not get the attention she craved.

“Before I left Ilorin for Lagos, I knew no one. But I brought along the CD jacket of one of TK’s films, Yellow Card, to trace his office. On locating the office, I requested to see him but he was not working on anything then. When I went back to see him in December 2007, he could no longer recognise me. Meanwhile, I didn’t know he was already working on Arugba. He had already auditioned several other budding artistes and known stars for the role of Adetutu. I only went into his office that day and told him I’d been there several times before and wanted to work with him. But he told me he couldn’t recognise me anymore. I told him I’d been coming to his office and just wanted to work with him. I was about leaving when he called me back and took my pictures. He later gave me a script. I read the script and he asked if I could speak pure Yoruba without mixing it with English. I said I could. So I left. It was in January 2008 when he called me for the rehearsals of the song, Afifilaperin that I realised that I’d gotten the role,” she narrated.

But are there similarities between her role as Adetutu and her real self? “Honestly, I would say not much difference, because the character I played and my real self are much related,” she said with a grin. According to her, some of her friends, especially male friends, who saw the movie, were surprised and kept asking whether she was actually acting her real self in the movie. “They keep asking me, ‘are you acting you in the film?’ Because they believe I am this strict person who will do what I said I’ll do and what I won’t do, I won’t do and nothing can change that. So, there is not much difference between the two persons,” she said. Asked if she is indeed a virgin? Awoyemi retorted: “Well, that is strictly personal. You don’t have to know whether I’m one or not!”

Awoyemi has some of the qualities needed to succeed in Nollywood: She is remarkably very optimistic and determined. This determination to succeed saw her brushing aside the disappointments she encountered as she moved around Lagos relentlessly in search of a movie role. In 2007, her efforts were rewarded when she started getting roles. She did a number of movies like Ocean Deep where she played sub-lead with Charles Okafor and Monalisa Chinda; another sub-lead in Poisonous Affairs with Desmond Elliot, Church on Fire, Reggae Angels and Bird Flu. Despite this, she wasn’t fulfilled. She just wanted something different.

The Africa Movie Academy Awards, AMAA 2009 nominee is a graduate of Performing Arts from the University of Ilorin. Her professional career began in Ilorin immediately she left school in 2005. She took the lead role in Away from Father, a movie produced by her Head of Department, Professor Ayo Akinwale. Though  many went for the auditioning, she was given the lead role and also did the sound track. But many did not get to see the movie because it was circulated only in Ilorin.

The second of four children of a father who is a politician and mom who is a secondary school teacher, Awoyemi says it is shameful for actresses to offer sex for movie roles. “I think it’s sheer ignorance on the part of those girls: not knowing who you are and not believing in yourself. They see themselves as inferior. Some of them really do not have the calling to be actresses. They just want to act because they want to be seen. They want all the glamour and the paparazzi effects all over them. And so, they will do anything to get it because they are desperate. If any producer wants me, all he needs is my talent. If I do it well, he keeps me and if I don’t do it well, he drops me. It’s not a do-or-die thing,” she opined

When it comes to matters of the heart, the pretty thespian is absolutely tight-lipped. Asked whether there is any man in her life, her response was curt: “I don’t want to talk about men. Let’s just put that aside. I won’t talk about that now.”

But it’s not as if this lady is not interested in men. In fact, she reels out qualities her dream man must possess. “My kind of man must be God-fearing. He must know God. If he doesn’t know God then we can’t relate. Secondly, he must be intelligent and hard working. He must be a man of vision who knows what he wants and goes for it. He must be good-looking and sociable, with a good dress sense,” she said.

Born in Ilorin where she has practically lived all her life, Miss Awoyemi is a native of Eruku in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State. She attended ECWA Nursery and Primary School and ECWA Secondary School, Ilorin. She later proceeded to Kwara State Polytechnic and ended up at the University of Ilorin. Apart from her brilliance as an actress, she also sings, dances and writes movie scripts. “If I’m not on location or too busy, I write. It is what I love best,” she said. After Arugba, she has done movies and soaps. She has featured in Iro Funfun produced by Femi Adebayo and Koloransi produced by Adebayo Salami (Oga Bello). So what’s the connection with the Adebayos?

“Yeah! I actually started with them somehow. I got to know Oga Bello through his daughter, Sola, who was my friend while in school,” she recalled.

Pretty Awoyemi loves designer wears and fast cars, especially Toyota brands, and hopes to drive one very soon. But above all, she has set her sights on improving on the rating that Arugba confers on her.

“By the grace of God, I have so many dreams that will be achieved beyond this country,” said the young lady who serves as a worker with the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG.

—Funsho Arogundade

Tags:  Bukola Awoyemi, Tunde Kelani, Women of Colour Arts and Film (WOCAF)