Iya Awero @ 50 Exclusive Interview

After 50 years in acting, veteran actress, Lanre Hassan, aka Iya Awero, tells ADEOLA BALOGUN how some challenges almost made her drop her ambition

How was it like taking up acting as a career 50 years ago?

I was very small then and I was in school. In those days in school, we did end-of-the-year parties, which always made me very excited. That was when I began to have interest in things like that. The preparation and rehearsals made me very happy, as I was always dancing and acting. Then, I was in St Peters School, Faji, Lagos while Baba Mero was at Christ Cathedral School; and we were also neighbours. While I was living with my guardian at Henry Carr Street, he was living at Joseph Street. We were both active on our streets, participating in drama and cultural dance. Then, it was a competition between us. We used to mark festivals with drama and dance. We would challenge each other to come and see what we were doing on our streets. I remember then that we acted the play where King Solomon sat in judgment between two mothers fighting over the ownership of a child. Later, we thought of coming together to form a group. We then came together and we did balloting to choose a leader among us. That was when Ojo Ladipo won and became our leader. We then named our group Ojo Ladipo Theatre Group.

But was it a popular thing for parents to allow their wards to take into acting then?

Not at all. People used to see us as never do wells, the hopeless in the society. You know, as young people, we were not bold enough to come out openly to say we were doing drama. I don’t know how it happened; someone hinted my guardian that her ward was involved in drama but when she asked me, I denied it. But she began to be on the watch out for me until she confirmed what she had heard. One day, she packed all my things and came to our rehearsal ground. She threw everything at me and asked me never to come back to the house. She said she was not in support of what I chose as a career. She was not happy that I chose it instead of facing my education. I pleaded with her that I loved the job and that it would not disturb my education. Then, there was what was called talent hunt, which is still common nowadays. In those days, theatre was not a popular course of study in higher institutions; stars were detected through talent hunts organised all over the place. Then, people like Prof. Wole Soyinka were very much involved in such talent hunts. If you were very good at acting then, and you were spotted by the scouting groups, you would be given scripts to study and prepare for competitions, which normally took place at the University of Ife. All what we had practised would be acted out on stage while the scouts would watch out for those that were really talented. They would ask us questions such as where we came from, which cultural or theatre group and so on. Then, if at the end of the competition you were outstanding, it was an automatic admission to the university drama school. There wasn’t anything like JAMB or any entrance examination for you as you would be accepted for a one-year or six-month course, as the case may be. Then, people like Wole Soyinka were in charge of those things. This encouraged some of us who were into acting to take it as seriously as we could, and through it, attend the university’s drama courses. That was how I was able to go to the drama school in Ife then.

When your guardian threw your things at you on the rehearsal ground, what did you do?

I had to plead with her to forgive me. I looked for some people to help me in appealing to her to allow me to come back to the house. I told her that I would no longer go to the rehearsals. I did that to make her happy even though I was going there secretly. Then, I did not know that talent scouts had started taking notice of my activities until one day, my letter from the scouting groups coordinated by Wole Soyinka got into the hands of my guardian. She was surprised that somebody like Soyinka was interested and involved in what we were doing, which was looked down on in the society. She called me and asked me to explain the meaning of the letter in her hands. I said its contents were correct and that through it, I could go to the university. She asked me to tell her whether that was really what I wante as a career and I said ‘yes’. I said that was the only thing that gave me joy and satisfaction. She then said if that was what I wanted, I could then go ahead and do it. I was overjoyed that at last, I was free to act without having to hide, at least from my guardian.

But did your parents agree with that?

My parents did not agree at all when they were informed. But my guardian pleaded with them to leave me to pursue my dream. She was able to convince them that she believed in me when a notable person like Soyinka was involved in my development. Even though they agreed, they believed that as I began to grow up, I would drop the ambition. But I did not drop it; instead, I began to wax stronger and today, here I am. I would say that I enjoyed my career without any problem at all, except when I got married.

What happened, didn’t your husband want you to do it?

Well, I don’t know; because even before we got married, my husband used to come and watch me at rehearsals. Maybe he believed that when we eventually got married, I would no longer act, but I found it very difficult to forgo it. I told him that he knew me as an actress before getting married to me and so should be able to accept it. I told him that this was what I loved doing and would not compromise it for anything. It was a very serious crisis between us because it threatened our marriage. Notable people in the industry intervened to convince him that he should leave me to do what I loved doing. People like Diran Ajijedidun, Art Alade, Bank Olemoh intervened. Then, we were at the NTA. They told him that what I was doing was a noble thing and since I loved doing it, it would not disturb our marriage. The crisis rocked our marriage but by the grace of God, it survived.

But we learnt that your husband accused you of going out with your boss then.

Not really. What happened was that we were two people acting Mama Mero then. Baba Mero and Mama Mero were husband and wife in real life while I, the other Mama Mero, was married to someone outside the industry. My husband used to quarrel then that my boss must have given me to another man when we went on playing tours. But my boss said there was nothing like that. Instead, he said he was the one actually protecting his wife since it was his responsibility to look after me. But my husband said no, if he wanted to marry me, he could as well go ahead. He was just feeling uncomfortable but I let him realise that I would not compromise because he saw me as an actress before he married me. I told him that I was not a prostitute even though I was an actress. My bosses then came in to talk to us and by the special grace of God, he let me be. But I must confess that the crisis nearly consumed my marriage.

How was acting in those days?

We used to play all over the place. In Lagos, there was no notable hotel or club house that we didn’t go and play. It was in Alagomeji, Yaba where Ebenezer Obey and Sunny Ade used to play that we met them. When they were doing their own show, we would watch and during the interlude or break, we would come on stage and entertain. My first tour was with the late Chief IK Dairo. We toured all the villages and towns such as Jebba, Basita, Minna and all the Northern states and all over Nigeria.

People know you more as Iya Awero. How did you come to be known by the moniker?

It was when we acted the play, Efunsetan Aniwura, in 1974, when the Oluyole Club did their anniversary. Diran Ajijedidun was the director of the play while Diran Babarinde was Efunsetan. It was in the play that I acted Awero. We started with stage play and we were going from one place to the other. Later, we started to experiment with celluloid and after that, everybody started doing home videos.

People nowadays perceive actresses as wayward. Was it like that then?

We are not wayward. You have to make sure that you know what you are doing. It is just a perception and a wrong one at that. Our work is just like what the preacher is doing and as such, you have to let people know that what you are doing is real. You put yourself totally into what you are acting to convince people. Our work is a serious one where we have to interpret whatever scripts we are given; but some people unfortunately think we are acting out our true character, which is not correct. That I act as a prostitute in a play does not make me a prostitute; it’s just make believe.

What role did money play when you started acting?

Everybody loves money, no doubt, but we were doing it with happiness. You cannot be doing one job and you say you don’t want money, that you are not doing the work because of money. But don’t let the love of money be the sole aim. Face the job squarely first and when you work very hard and well, money will follow you. But children of nowadays, they will first of all ask for money, which is very wrong. During our own time, it was passion and love for the trade. The little money we got, we used it to repair our drums and costumes. The love for the job was what we were after then.

Who were the other people you started with?

The other woman that I started with was Mama Mero; later it was with Oga Bello. Thereafter, it was Aluwe Dopolo who was my stage husband. After the death of Ojo Ladipo, we changed our company to Awada Kerikeri Organisation and the few of us that are still around are Oga Bello, Aluwe and myself. You know, 20 boys cannot play for 20 years, as the saying goes. Each of us had our own outfits. But we worked together when it was necessary. But I must say that we are not as active as we were because of age. If you are old, if you say you don’t want to retire, the job will retire you if you are not careful. Age will make you slow down. But for me, I will act till I drop dead. Acting is the only thing I know how to do and it is the only thing that keeps me happy.

How were you able to raise your children as an actress then?

I did raise my children even as an active and busy actress. I went everywhere with my children then. I once slept on the road in Zungeru with my children when our vehicle broke down. Then it was Bolekaja; we would sleep inside at times on the road with my children.

Didn’t this cause conflict between you and your husband?

No, so far I didn’t leave my children with anybody. The only person that I could leave them with then was my mother, and she is still alive. I must say that she helped me tremendously when I was raising my children.

Why didn’t you marry a fellow actor since you loved the job so much?

I come from a polygamous home and I know what I passed through because of that. That was when I vowed that I would never have anything to do with polygamy. And in those days, most of the girls would want to get married to actors. Then, you could see an actor having about 10 wives, seven wives. What happened was that those girls dancing on stage, before you knew it, had become wives of actors and I didn’t like that. That was why I looked for a neutral man who would not be exposed to those kinds of things. It’s just a pity that my husband is dead. He was married to only me and I had all my children for him. I wish he were still alive to see what acting has done in my life, but we thank God. He has been dead for almost 12 years now.

And you didn’t think of remarrying?

For what? I had five children for him but unfortunately, I lost two. One died while I was acting on stage; the second one died when Baba Mero died. Two of us left home together for Baba Mero’s place a day to his burial. The following day, I woke up but my child did not wake up. That was my saddest day in life. I would say that was the day I suffered a serious setback. That was the day I contemplated abandoning acting because I was so confused.

Didn’t your husband quarrel with you or accuse you of negligence?

Well, he didn’t because he knew that I was in the course of doing my job. There was nothing I could do to avert it because it just came without any warning. But we thank God for everything.

You said you came from a polygamous home? What did polygamy do to you?

I didn’t enjoy my father and my mother. The other wives did not allow my mother to stay with my father and that is why I was taken out to live with a guardian. That is one reason I don’t like polygamy.

People used to fear actors and actresses of old because of the belief that you use charms.

It is a wrong impression. There is no charm anywhere, I can tell you that. I am also a costumier. We would buy all the cowries and shells and red cloths and make dresses that looked like the ones worn by babalawos (witch doctors) or warriors for stage plays. Then, we would learn incantations and commit the lines to memory. All these things are just make-believe. The incantations we chanted on stage had to be perfect just to let people see it as real; that is drama for you. But beyond that, there is nothing.

But people regarded Duro Ladipo and Ogunde in particular as men with magical powers.

I worked with Pa Ogunde very closely, especially on costumes for all his films except Aiye. I did not see any charm with him. He was just a very good thespian and famous, he was not a juju man at all. When you are on location, there are so many professionals in all the departments and together they produce world class films. It was not as a result of any charm or magic. I worked with Isho Pepper and our daddy, Duro Ladipo. They were not babalawos or magicians. People called us all sorts of names because of what we do on stage, there was nothing like charms. I was raised as a Christian but today, as a Muslim, I pray to almighty Allah. I pray and fast to request what I want from my creator.

How was dressing as a young actress then?

One had to dress properly as a responsible person. When people criticise the way actresses dress, it is only when they are on stage. There is a difference between how one dresses on stage and in real life. There are some dresses meant for the stage alone but this is what some people see and condemn actresses. It is not right.

From stage play to video, how were you able to cope?

Well, there was no problem as such, but the challenge people like us who were trained in stage play usually have is that we attach so much importance to the stage. That is where the real action is; that is where you can showcase the real stuff you are made of as an actress. Well, when celluloid came, we were there and now home video. But the unfortunate thing happening now is that we are forgetting stage play. In fact, most of our people now cannot act on stage because they have never been exposed to it. Everything has changed and it is a pity there is nothing we can do to retain the stage. When the home video thing came, some of us said we would not participate; but when you are in Rome, you behave like a Roman. So, when video came, Awada Kerikeri did a number of films like Asewo to re Meca, Omo Orukan and comedy series. On my own, I did Ebun Igbeyawo, Ayo Okan, Sure funmi Baba. But piracy is killing the industry, especially when you put all your money into production. The pirates would deny you the reward of your sweat. That is why I prefer to come and work for you and get my pay and go.

What has acting done for you?

Apart from the fame, I have gained so many things. Acting has opened doors for me everywhere I go. If I get to any place where money is required to do certain things, people will be competing with one another to help me do it for free. I have children who are well trained by me. They are all I have now as my joy.