The late Yoruba legend, veteran actor, broadcaster, writer, journalist and cultural icon, Alagba Adebayo Faleti has been finally laid to rest today in his hometown, Oyo. Today's event marks the end of the burial activities for the great legend who died on July, 23 2017 at the ripe old age of 95.
He was educated at the University of Dakar in Senegal, University of Ibadan, Ibadan and the Radio Netherlands Training Center in Hilversum, the Netherlands,where he studied French, Lit-in-English and Television Production respectively.
Faleti's contribution to the Nigerian film industry is immeasurable. He was a films director and actor. In fact, he was the first stage play director and film editor in Africa. Basorun Gaa, one of his movie received Breeze Award in London as the best epic movie of the year in 2004.
The great veteran was a fantastic poet and translator, he successfully published a "dictionary containing the formal or official use of Yoruba names, he was responsible for translating Nigeria's National Anthem from English to Yoruba, he also translated speeches being made by Nigeria's former Attorney-General of the federation Chief Bola Ige, military president of Nigeria General Ibrahim Babangida, former premier of the Western region of Nigeria, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Ernest Shonekan - Head of National Interim Government of Nigeria, from English to Yoruba".
As a broadcaster, Baba was a pioneer of the "first television station in Africa, Western Nigeria Television (WNTV), now known as the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA)". He was the first Yoruba presenter on Television. He was once the General Manager of Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS), then known as Radio OYO, Ibadan.
As a writer, he was a columnist with the Nigerian Tribune and the author of the award winning book 'Eda Ko L’aropin' which won him the Festival of Arts Award in 1995.
As characteristic of great men like him, Alagba Faleti has received many awards including the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), Doctor of Letters (D.Litt), Justice of Peace (JP), Jerusalem Pilgrim (JP). He also won the Afro-Hollywood Award for Outstanding Performance in Arts in the United States (2002).
By all standards, Baba Faleti is a successful and highly accomplished individual, the reason why the high and mighty, great academics, veterans in the media and entertainment industry like Wole Soyinka, Femi Osofisan, Akinwumi Ishola and a host of others continue to pour tributes on him. He was a great poet, writer, journalist, broadcaster, dramatist, translator, librarian and administrator.He was a giant in the media and entertainment industry.
Continue to rest, because great men do not die, they only go to rest.
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