{"id":273943,"date":"2011-01-14T13:07:29","date_gmt":"2011-01-14T13:07:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/?p=47308"},"modified":"2011-01-14T13:07:29","modified_gmt":"2011-01-14T13:07:29","slug":"justus-esiri","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/01\/14\/justus-esiri\/","title":{"rendered":"Justus Esiri"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>
Justus Esiri<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\nHe has been a regular face through the stage, national \ttelevision and of course Home video since the early 70s that he needs no \treal introduction. However, very few know the story of his life because he \t is not the kind who will readily give in to an interview that will talk \tabout such. Some journalists dread his disciplinary disposition because he \thas no room for so called dullards who are not up on their feet. He gives \taudience to Home Video People and this is it. An explosive bang. Enjoy the \tstory of his life.\u201cI am an urhobo man, come from an African aristocratic \tfamily. My forebears were educated. My great grand-father could speak \tEnglish at least.
\nI went to Urohobo College and my principal was a very principled man who \tattended the world famous Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone and later to \tDublin in Ireland. He later became a parliamentarian of the western region. \tLate Senator F.G. Ejaife. May his soul rest in peace. He was a great man, a \tman who allowed his students to believe in logic. We had a fantastic \tdebating and dramatic society, we had a beautiful library which told you \tabout every kind of things including costumes.
\nIf you wanted costume of many years back, there were books in the library to \tequip you. In 1959-1961, my school came tops in the Festival of Arts and I \twas part of that troupe. In form four, I had already taken charge of the \tsociety. When the brief came that we would participate in the Festival, the \tprincipal called me and handed them over to me, so I was the one who put \teverything down. I had to make the script available to others and rehearse \tthem. I had to go to the library to read up about the costumes required. We \twere well brought up in that school to be able to use our head. Maybe that \twas the talent that I wasted studying engineering. But God brought me back \t here.
\nBerlin<\/strong>
\nI went to Germany to study engineering so I lived in the West Berlin but I \thad several friends in the East of Berlin because there were fantastic \ttheatres in the east, so I often went to see them. For instance, I watched \tPoggy and Bess in the East of Berlin where there was a lot done for culture \tand the arts. The issue of the wall was not there then, just the arts. It \tdidn\u2019t stop a foreigner who was a student from going to the east from the \twest. I did go there frequently. They had great actors and actresses and \tbeautiful theatres. I enjoyed my stay. There was nothing like racism then. \tThe Nazi regime had gone and the government was trying to make everything \t available for the people. I still visit Germany now and then. I still speak \tGerman.
\nIn those days when I returned to Nigeria, I translated and read news in \tGerman in Voice of Nigeria, I presented my own programmes in VON in German, \twhen the late Zeal Onyia was there. We were all in Voice of Nigeria, German \tService. I also remember Bayo Martins, who was drummer in those days in \tGermany, a fantastic one at that. May his soul rest in peace. He was a \tfantastic guy and there are not many artistes like that these days. The \tVoice of Nigeria (VON) was a part time programme for me. When they heard I \tspoke German, they called me to translate the news and when you did that, \tyou read it yourself. From there, I went to present a music programme for \tVON. It was fun. Really fun.
\nReturn from Europe<\/strong>
\nIn Berlin, I was the only Nigerian on stage about 1968\/69 when I started. I \tcan\u2019t remember any other Nigerian on stage and TV in the whole of Germany at \tthat time. There were some French speaking Africans. I returned to Nigeria \tbecause I was performing on stage one evening and I saw some men in \tNigeriaagbada as part of the audience. Later, news came that these people \twanted to see me. They told me about FESTAC and that the Federal Government \tneeded Nigerian artistes in diaspora to return for the festival. I was \timpressed. I returned for FESTAC and since then, I have been here. We have \ttried to do our own thing. With the attendant publicity of FESTAC, we wanted \tto do our own productions and travel with it as travelling theatre the way \t Ogunde and his likes did it.
\nWe thought we might create another opportunity to educate and enlighten our \tpeople. But one soon realised it could not be done because of the logistic \tproblem of transportation. Theatres were not available at that time and not \tavailable up till now. I was working with young people and any time I wanted \tto travel, I had to take special permission from their parents and it had to \tbe at weekends. It wasn\u2019t very easy for me, so I decided to do some other \tthings, yet not forgetting the call. If you have a talent, you must make use \tof that talent. The bible says with thy talent shall thou feed. We have \t tried to use the talent to do one or two things. I am very impressed so far. \tWe could still do more. But we haven\u2019t used it effectively for our people. \tWe are still there and find every other day a challenge.
\nVillage Headmaster<\/strong>
\nBefore I featured in that programme, I never liked Village Headmaster \t because of the pidgin English. It was already in Lagos. One day I was at \thome when someone came to tell me that I should come for an audition for \tVillage Headmaster because according to him, they had tried a lot of people \tand decided I should come. At the National Theatre on that day, everyone was \tseated and they said they were going on location by the weekend. I had never \tseen the script before then, so I took it home and read it through. The \tlocation was in Badagry. On that day, everyone including Late Elsie Olusola, \tKabiyesi Funsho Adeolu, Joe Layode, Ibidun Allison, Kabiyesi, Wole Amele, \teverybody sat down watching because I had not worked with them before. To my \tsurprise, by the time I finished that sequence, they were all clapping.
\nWhen I am on set, I am a very deep person because of the belief that words \thave life and must be given life. People appreciated the way I handled \tVillage Headmaster. Then Supple Blues which was a different thing entirely. \tThen Things Fall Apart. There was a time I was three times weekly on network \ttelevision. That is why I feel very bitter that of all the programmes I had \tdone, those who took part in Samaja that came from the North of Nigeria, \tthose who took part in Masquerade and those who took part in other Yoruba \tprogrammes were given National honours while I have featured in several \tplays and have not been recommended. I am not judging them, I just feel \tbitter. It would come when it would. One thing I am happy is that people \tappreciate what I have done. One day a car was chasing me around and almost \t bumped into me when the woman in the car peered out of the window to tell me \tshe was sorry but she had told her driver to chase me so she could tell me \tsomething and that is that you \u2018make acting look like real life\u2019.
\nMy day was made. There are so many things one could do with this talent for \tthe benefit of our country. But when you write a proposal, they sit on them \tor give them to their cronies to do or they ask you why you should make \tmoney when you already have fame. What is wrong in making money when you \thave fame? Actors are not properly paid. Maybe some of them are now getting \ta better pay. I believe that some of those who are coming after us will get \tbetter pay. But the actors and actresses should be clapped for. Out of \tnothing we have made so much. There are no cinema houses where producers or \texecutive producers should go and show their films. You finish making a film \tand put it into direct VCDs and some lazy persons dub these things and \tpirate them.
\nOlder the wine<\/strong>
\nIn the last AMAA 2006, I remember saying that there is a saying that the \tolder the wine, the better it tastes. I don\u2019t know why I said it but it just \tcame. I also remember when I was on stage in Berlin, Germany and there was a \tmisunderstanding between the man who was directing the stage play and the \tactor, a well known actor and this actor had gone against the direction of \tthe director. He bluntly refused to do the director\u2019s bidding. This director \thad said to him, you are not 40 years yet and the actor said yes. He said \tuntil you are 40, you won\u2019t know what you are doing on stage if you have a \tdirector which means the older you get, the more you appreciate certain \tthings that you do. Every movie that I take part in is a challenge. One \tappreciates these things and I just feel that you must keep yourself up to \tdate.
\nYou must try. I have not gotten to the point I want to get to. Some people \tthink that every one who wants to act must be handsome or beautiful. That is \ttheir own cup of tea. It is how you act and how you express yourself. If you \tcan lift your audience from their seats into the box, you have got them. It \tis an art and you must learn this art. You must understand this art. You \tmust just be there. I believe that some actors are born but they must work \thard to be made.
\nMovies all the way<\/strong>
\nI don\u2019t like talking about my movies and you want to move me to that area. I \thardly watch my movies because I am very critical and if you work with the \tnumerous directors we have worked with, you would come to understand that \tsome of them are not very deep. In most cases, they just want to shoot \tpeople love Forever, The tyrant, Corridors of power. etc There are so many \tof them. I have not watched all of them. But I still need to be challenged.
\nEngineering as academic accident<\/strong>
\nI actually spent time in studying engineering. When I consider the course \twork and the practicals, I wonder. As a young man, one had ideas. One was \tfascinated by the things you see. When I got to Europe, and got to Germany \tand studied engineering. I did not practice this course for one day. That \ttells me that when God has a way for you, He opens it without you knowing \tit. I had gone to what one would call the bureau of employment where I had \tfriends and the woman says there is a production company who were in need a \tblack man who was good with the Dutch language. So she recommended me and \tkept the letter for me. I got a date to meet with the producer. And you \twon\u2019t believe it, my audition was like a joke. It lasted for a week.
\nSomeone would come and meet with me, chat with me over a cup of tea and \tleave. Another one would come and leave. These people turned out to be my \tproduction cast and crew. After the production was through, the leader of \tthe entire thing said \u2018Yustus\u2019 (Justus) you are good. I like to recommend \tyou to the school of performing arts. By the time I completed the studies, I \twas part of the travelling theatre travelling all over Europe. There is \thardly a city in Germany where I did not perform. There is hardly a theatre \tin the entire Germany I had not performed. I was in Austria, Switzerland. \tThat is what God wants me to do. That may be, is why I am still being \tsustained when some of my mates are out of the line.
\nStyle<\/strong>
\nI love suits and I have several of them and I wear them as well. The fact is \tthat you have not caught me wearing them my dear. I also love to dress as an \tUrhobo man. I have these types of caps that I wear when the occasion arises. \tThe other day you saw me with my walking stick. I do not have that all the \ttime. I dress very simple.
\nIt is hot out there and you need air. When you see me wearing suits, you\u2019d \tlove me. I used to buy designer suits. When I was in Germany, I used to \tmodel for Selbach. I was one of the first people who wore denim in different \tpatches of colours. My denim trousers used to match my briefs. Even my shoes \twere made directly for me. I just put my foot down and they measure it and \tmake them for me. For perfumes, I love it and use them in different names \tbut I won\u2019t advertise for them by mentioning the names of my perfumes. I \tmentioned Selbach because they are not here.
\nI won\u2019t tie wrapper on Monday or Tuesday. I will do that when I am going for \tan event that has to do with tradition. I will dress according to situation. \tI wear agbada if the occasion calls for that. But the bottom line is, I love \tto dress simple.
\nMy children<\/strong>
\nGod has been very nice to me. I have very disciplined children. Six of them. \tFive are already graduated. My last baby is going to the university. Three \tof my children are married and have given me grandchildren. One is a banker \tand a finance man. He is a chartered accountant, I have a daughter who is a \taccountant. I also have one who is an economist. Apart from these one of my \tsons is a dental surgeon while the other is a geologist. It is my son who is \ta dental surgeon that is into hip hop music and he is doing well at it and I \twish him the very best.
\nWhite wife?<\/strong>
\nI didn\u2019t think was very necessary. Not that I didn\u2019t have girl friends then. \tMarriage is when you get to that stage you get married. I knew where I was \tcoming back to and some of the problems peculiar to us. If I had returned to \tEurope after my FESTAC experience, maybe I could have picked up a white \twife, I don\u2019t know. I didn\u2019t want to run away from the situation. I decided \tto stay. I am married to Omiete and very happy with my wife, a wonderful \twoman from Kalabari land, Rivers state. At times I go out for weeks, ooh she \thas been wonderful. She has been a pillar of my home. I am just happy. You \twon\u2019t believe it, she is a textile designer and does all my local wears. \tWhatever I wear that is not foreign is made by her. It is what I call Ormi\u2019s \tDesigns. She makes them for me. Selects them herself and sews them.
\nLeisure<\/strong>
\nI play golf, If you were not here now, I would have been at the golf course. \tI play anywhere but my club is Ikeja. When you play golf, you have no time \tfor any other thing. It is the golf course and then your house. But it is \tvery interesting to play golf really.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

He has been a regular face through the stage, national television and of course Home video since the early 70s that he needs no real introduction. However, very few know the story of his life because he is not the kind who will readily give in to an interview that will talk about such. 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