AV Club: ‘Blood Sisters’ & the value of criticism in Nollywood
On the varied reception of Netflix's first original Nigerian TV series
There is nothing as odd as showing up at a traditional Nigerian party in anything but traditional wear. Not only will you stick out like a sore thumb, you also attract the attention and questions as to the validity of your presence. Who invited you? Don’t you know how to dress to an owambe? Maybe you’re part of the help? No one might ask these questions verbally, but roaming eyes definitely will.
Maybe that’s why it’s a little absurd that the assassin hired to kill the groom at an engagement party in the first episode of ‘Blood Sisters,’ the first original Nigerian TV series for Netflix, came decked out in a leather jacket and a pair of jeans. Amid bright orange traditional outfits and shiny local caps, a guest that is inappropriately dressed for the occasion will attract eyes, which counters the point of discretely killing the main character at his nuptials. Of course, his target made him out, yanking away the element of surprise an assassin would supposedly have, leading to a hand-to-hand fight scene, despite owning a gun.
This sartorial mishap is an incredibly easy early flaw to spot in ‘Blood Sisters,’ a show that does have its merits, and stands out positively among the mixed bag of Nigerian films and shows that have landed on Netflix since the streaming giant took an active shine to cinema from Africa. This new, limited four part series digs into the aftermath of a murder, tracing its effects with a characteristic verve and some remarkable depth.
Kola Ademola (‘Deyemi Okanlanwon), the aforementioned groom, is killed by his fiancee’s best friend and maid of honour in a hotel room, while friends and family are gathered a few floors below for their engagement ceremony. It sort of happens in self-defence: Kola physically attacks Sarah (his wife-to-be) when she decides to call off the wedding due to his propensity for physical abuse. While joining her friend in defence, Kemi shoots Kola with the gun he confiscated from his grossly incompetent assassinator. What follows is a botched attempt at covering the murder, which digs Sarah and Kemi into the helter-skelter part of the plot, while the Ademola’s focus on their emotional turmoil.
It’s an engaging promise that does not fully justify it’s nearly 3.5-hour run time, but there’s enough movement in the storyline to keep things interesting. The acting on ‘Blood Sisters’ is consistently good – some you might even consider great, like Uche Jombo’s spot-on portrayal of Sarah’s mother. The two leads, Ini Dima-Okojie and Nancy Isime, who play Sarah and Kemi respectively, are wonderful individually and, as a pair, both show a strong chemistry that makes their on-screen ride-or-die friendship believable. They go through their ordeals with bravery and desperation, care and compassion, and the show is at its most encapsulating when it centres their bond over their high speed chase.
View this post on Instagram
The set up for the toxic Ademola family is also appealing. Kola Ademola, is given a thorough performance by ‘Deyemi Okanlawon. By watching his well mannered charm and easy smile, it makes sense that he is seen as the perfect golden boy by outsiders. Okanlawon switches to a visibly menacing candour in moments of anger without coming across as over the top. Even though he exits really early on, he is the ghost that looms large over the plot.
Then there is Femi Ademola (Gabriel Afolayan), the elder brother aggrieved that he’s not at the helm of the family’s pharmaceutical business, and his complementary, scheming wife Olayinka (Kehinde Bankole). Nascent actor Genevova Umeh plays the role of Timeyin Ademola, imbuing the character’s matrix of brilliance, insouciance and addiction problems with an admirable twitchiness. Acclaimed veteran Kate Henshaw portrays Uduak Ademola, the stern and consistently brawn-faced matriarch whose emotional abuse of her children, which could’ve been written off his tough love, is dutifully acknowledged on the show.
Unfortunately, aspects of the Ademola family were also some of the weakest points in the show. The same subtlety that was used to portray Kola Ademola is absent with the two primary female antagonists, Uduak and Olayinka. The show felt the need to remind us what a monster Uduak was with every word she spoke. Yet, one would think someone as image conscious as her would be more willing to fake politeness. She was far more interesting when grieving her son or when she appeared briefly bothered by the effect that her past behaviour had on her children. Uduak’s character would have been more engaging if she were more manipulative and unpredictable, which would have made some dark revelations about her character towards the end more shocking and not obvious. As for Olayinka, the wife of the oldest Ademola son, her Lady Macbeth-style villainess is all too common in Nollywood. While her character was enjoyable to watch, her one-note cruelty became repetitive after a few appearances.
Blood Sisters on Netflix is Nollywood shot in 4K
It’s all the bad acting you’d expect from a Naija series but shot with really good cameras
— Michael sCULfield (@UncleCul) May 16, 2022
Both the highs and lows of the Ademola family arch is a snapshot of the mixed bag ‘Blood Sisters’ is. For the apt representation of police work in Nigeria, where nothing gets done unless money and proximity to power plays a role, there’s a tenacious detective with a bad ‘Chicago’ accent who is more perfunctory in the grand scheme of things than his appearances suggest. For the crooked driver that transports people across borders, there’s the incompetent criminal known to the police.
Depending on who you ask, ‘Blood Sisters’ is either great television, riddled with far too many flaws, or just adequate. For EbonyLife studios, the production company behind the show, that might be a net positive, considering that their recent efforts have not been met by a lot of positive reviews. Earlier this year, the company released ‘Chief Daddy 2: Going for Broke,’ an atrocious sequel to the blockbuster 2018 film that was also not very good. In the wake of the polarising discussions that followed the film on social media, EbonyLife shared a video of its founder Mo Abudu threatening some sort of bifurcated access to those with negative takes. Obviously, that didn’t land well with Nigerian Twitter, and it would’ve played a role in the online reactions if ‘Blood Sisters’ didn’t have any merits.
In the days after the new show made its way to Netflix, social media was littered with opinions, both positive and critical of the limited series. The negative opinions have been fairly passionate, with people pointing out the weak story and unrealistic elements of the plot. Others have just as intensely defended the production, stating the unfairness in comparing it to a Hollywood production, with many calling for people to simply enjoy it for what it is.
People trying to compare blood sisters with Hollywood. Forming critic. It was a good watch, REST!!!
— IG : Footgasm.ng (@TheBolutife) May 8, 2022
Criticising Nollywood productions in general can be a strange undertaking. Nollywood is one of the most prolific film industries in the world, with thousands of films made each year. Classic Nollywood films are famously low budget and appreciated for the ridiculous campiness as much as anything else. It’s only in recent years that Nollywood films have gotten serious enough funding to make large scale productions. It’s easy to say people should not be so harsh on an industry that is in its infancy in some ways.
As nice as it is to simply focus on the merits of any achievements made in this country, things rarely change unless there’s some negativity. At this point, creators should know that their audience cares about quality. Of course, in an ideal world, all negativity would be constructive criticism. But the nature of the internet means there will be unnecessary vitriol mixed which could sour people towards valid critiques. In order for healthy debates to be held however, it may be necessary to take the good with the bad.
But we also cannot blame viewers for simply being proud of progress and who aren’t yearning for their media to be up to a certain standard. There’s room for cheesy, predictable work. For some viewers, there’s even room for out right questionable acting and story decisions. After all, don’t many of us watch questionable work from Hollywood? For those who want more varied stories, the success of shows like ‘Blood Sisters’ may mean more investment into the Nigerian film industry and more opportunities for stories of different shades to be told.
Words by Moore Wright and Dennis Ade-Peter.
ICYMI: HOW RUBY OKORO CREATED THE COVER FOR BOJ’S ‘GBAGADA EXPRESS’
NATIVE PREMIERE: Rigo Kamp Runs Ahead Of The Pack With The Visuals For “Marathon”
Rigo Kamp’s Marathon video is an intimate Afro-juju revival that pays homage to Sir Shina Peters and stamps...
Last Friday, Rigo Kamp, a NATIVE uNder alum and one of the architects of an equal parts nostalgic and refreshing sound released his self-titled debut EP, delivering a propulsive fusion of Alte, R&B, Funk, and Soul-infused rhythms.
Featuring previously released singles “Morning Sun” and “Summer”, the six-track eponymous EP executively produced by Odunsi The Engine sees Rigo lean heavily into his element as a sonic alchemist, jumping from silky falsettos to gritty grooves without losing an ounce of cohesion, and ultimately stamping the Abuja-born, Lagos-based singer-songwriter as a mad scientist of sound.
Just last November, Apple Music named Rigo Kamp as its Up Next artist, an acknowledgment that underscored his potential and confirmed what the tastemakers and underground scene already knew. Weeks later, he delivered an exhilarating live set for Spotify Fresh Finds in Lagos, proving he’s just as compelling live as he is in the studio.
On “Marathon”, the refreshing opener to the Rigo Kamp EP, Rigo borrows the bounce and swagger of Afro-Juju legend, Sir Shina Peters’ golden-era, fusing nostalgia with re-imagination to birth a vintage performance that feels like a private party for two, where it’s just Rigo, and you.
Get an exclusive first look at the video for Marathon here:
Listen to the Rigo Kamp EP:
Keep reading...
Togo YEYE & VLISCO’s new collaboration is a celebration of Lomé’s thriving creative scene
Togo YEYE is a community we are building for us by
Togo YEYE, a creative duo formed by Lomé-based creative director Malaika Nabillatou and London-based photographer Delali Ayivi, is a conceptual publication that was created to empower and champion Togo’s young fashion creatives. Since its inception in 2021, Togo YEYE has released several personal projects and has also partnered with a number of brands to further its hugely imaginative aesthetic mandate. For their latest collaboration, Togo YEYE teamed up with textile printing company VLISCO to present Blossoming Beauty. Tagged as a love letter to Togo’s creative community, the campaign captures Lomé’s scenic beauty alongside VLISCO’s vibrant prints with the aim of connecting the feminine grace of nature with identity and artistry.
What does Togo YEYE mean?
Malaika Nabilatou: My name is Malaika Nabilatou, I’m the creative director of Togo YEYE. I’m Togolese and I was born and grew up in Lomé. I see myself as a West African creative director and I’m working to be the best in a few years. Togo YEYE means new Togo in Ewe, one of the most popular languages spoken in the South of Togo.
What inspired you to create Togo YEYE?
Malaika Nabilatou: We started this project, my friend Delali and I, 5 years ago. We just wanted to show that Togolese youth are also creative. Togo YEYE is a community we are building for us by us. It wasn’t just a project for Delali and I. It’s become something for the creative scene of Lomé. Lomé is like our studio.
What role does Togolese culture play in your creative process?
Maryline Bolognima: For me, Togolese culture comes first. For example, in the South, there are the people of Anero. If you come, you can go to Anero. In the North, there are the Evals, so if you come to Togo, you’ll learn a lot.
What’s the most exciting part of working as a team on projects like this?
Malaika Nabilatou: I need to tell the truth, we dreamt about this campaign before [it happened]. When VLISCO contacted us, we were like wow. I can’t really explain how thankful we are to VLISCO for trusting us. Because it’s a risk that they took by trusting us, making that campaign here with our team and honestly we are going to keep it in our hearts for the rest of our lives.
Claudia Sodogbe: For me, it is the first big contract of my life that I had with Togo YEYE. I still remember, on the last day of the shoot, I was feeling nostalgic about separating from the teams and the others. It went well in any case, and I’m very grateful to have been on this project.
What has been your proudest moment as part of Togo YEYE?
Malaika Nabilatou: I think the proudest moment I had with this campaign was when I saw the result first on the website. When I saw the story, I was like “wow, we finally made it.”
Keep reading...
Inside The Parties Breathing New Life Into Lagos’ Nightlife Scene
No matter who you, these parties provide a safe space to let loose without fear of objectification or...
The crowd marches along on the dancefloor, vibrating to a pulse that is both familiar and electrifying. It takes a second to identify Grammy nominee, Rema’s “Ozeba,” pouring out of the speakers and whipping the crowd into a frenzy as it takes on new life as a turbulent EDM track. The crowd growls and screams in approval of the DJ’s remix, yet another banger in a night filled with back-to-back hits. Hands in the air, sweat dripping from glistening bodies, smoke floating around the dancefloor and young people gyrating with reckless abandon, Element House provides the people with the release they deserve and they reward it with an undying loyalty to its rhythm and raves as they keep coming back.
Party culture has taken on new dimensions in Nigeria over the last two decades as a reaction to economic, social and cultural progressions. This evolution of the way we party is significant considering that Nigeria is a society that lays heavy emphasis on certain accepted standards of moral behavior, rooted in culture and tradition. But that has never once stopped a good time from happening. Millennials and older gen-z will remember the street parties and carnivals of old, usually held at the end of summer holidays or in December, where music by TuFace, Mo’Hits, Akon, Shakira, Lady Gaga and 50 Cent were the staple, among others. There were certain songs automatically expected from any DJ worth his salt otherwise it was not too far-fetched to see a DJ, with his equipment on his head, fleeing for his safety while being chased by an irate mob of partygoers.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. These carnivals and street parties might have been phased out but the idea remains the same while the power and influence of communities powering party culture in Lagos and Nigeria at large has only gotten stronger, especially with the advent of social media. The Block Party series–started in Lagos, Nigeria as the Mainland Block Party–has become the go-to event to celebrate youth culture and foster connections that cut across multiple African cities and walks of life. Today, with curated events in Ibadan, Abuja, Lagos, Accra and others, a community of partygoers is assured maximum enjoyment whenever the Block Party organisers announce an event in their city of the month. The people will always return to where their tastes are catered to, bringing along friends, family and newbies eager to bask in the atmosphere of loud music and togetherness.
In 2012, Warner Bros. Pictures released Project X–a film that follows three friends and high-school students who attempt to gain popularity by throwing a party which ends up escalating out of their control and reaching epic proportions. This idea propagated by Hollywood would go on to influence several house parties thrown in Lagos during the mid to late 2010s. The idea that with the right DJ/music playing at the right venue and with just the right crowd, then immortality was possible–a party so grand that it would be spoken about in glowing terms for years to come until it became lore. Today, house parties are more intimate and controlled, the degrees of separation between attendees reduced by a mutual friend or WhatsApp group they all have in common. From game nights to karaoke sessions to kinky sex parties, whether it’s at Balloons & Cups, a Vogue Boys pool party, or a get-together by the ‘Lagos on a Budget’ IG Community, the role house parties play in the ever evolving party culture is not insignificant, creating a pipeline that feeds into the much larger raves which weekends in Lagos are becoming synonymous with.
Whether it’s Element House today, Mainland House tomorrow, Group Therapy next weekend, WIRED or a host of other house and EDM inspired movements, partygoers are spoiled for choice when it comes to where to indulge their fundamental music tastes in a secure and controlled environment. Nothing is off the menu and a good time is the only badge of honor worth collecting. The increasing popularity of the rave movement in recent years is testament to the fact that it works for both organizers and attendees. The Covid-19 lockdowns changed the way Nigerians party; after months of being isolated from their communities and having to socialize in more intimate and private spaces, it’s no surprise that raves, with their underground nature, became the outlet of choice for several young people as soon as the world opened back up. According to Tonia, a medical doctor and frequent raver living in Lagos, her first few times at parties following the end of the lockdowns were not fun. “I was partying with caution, wearing face masks constantly and carrying hand sanitizer around. It became a much better experience subsequently when everything relaxed and soon enough, I was back enjoying the time of my life at Lagos parties.”
Unburdened from the heavy spending, bottle-popping culture that characterizes Lagos nightlife and cloaked in the embrace of judgment-free anonymity and numbers, raves have become a safe haven for a community of partygoers determined to turn up in the midst of the sheer craziness of living in this day and age. For Michael-Peace, a brand & creative assistant and frequent raver, the appeal goes beyond a need to unwind and the feelings of peace he experiences at raves. “Whether I’m listening to the DJ or just watching the crowd move to the music, it’s a very mindful experience for me,” he says.“I’m grateful to just be there and appreciative of how we can all be one community or family for that period of time.”
The appeal of the rave scene is its inclusivity and it’s a common theme for the new wave of parties exploding in Lagos and environs. No matter who you are or what you stand for, these parties provide a safe space to let loose without fear of objectification or discrimination resulting from socio-economic and political differences, misogyny and other less elegant occurrences which are part of mainstream Nigerian nightlife. This is important to Tonia who, on multiple occasions, has been prevented by bouncers from entering clubs without a male companion. “I’ll always prefer raves, they are much freer and nobody is performing here. There’s no need to show off the number of bottles you bought like there is in a club. Everyone just wants to turn the fuck up and have the time of their lives.”
For five or six hours, the disco lights, turbulent music and fellow ravers provide solace from the outside world. “Dancing the night away” is not merely a suggestion but a divine mandate from the gods of the rave. It is almost impossible to emerge after such an experience and not want to do it again. The music beckons all and sundry to come out, purge yourself of all inhibitions on the dancefloor, then return home and spread the gospel of the electronic music scene to all who might listen. In Michael-Peace’s own words: “There are people I’ve put onto raves and who loved the experience and constantly thank me for introducing them to it. Once you get hooked on it, you’ll never want to let go.”
Party culture in Nigeria continues to evolve as the new wave of parties mark their time and place in history. But the street parties and carnivals of yesteryears are not to be forgotten. The power of community continues to connect the old wave with the new wave, ensuring that actual people remain the focal point of these events, and party goers can enjoy nightlife experiences uniquely tailored to their ever changing wants and needs.
Keep reading...
