Songs for Idoto (review)

SONGS FOR I DOT O Nigerian National Gallery, Lagos Po e t Ch ri st o ph e r Okigbo re m ai n s o n e of Africa's g re at e s t gifts t o t h e w orld. It w as in re c o gn itio n of th i s t h at , in t h e 1 9 8 0 s N o be l Lau re at e W ole So y i n ka i n s t i t u t e d t h e All Africa Okigbo Prize for Literat u re , t h e c o n t i n e n t s pre m ie r literary prize w hich is adm i n i st e re d by t h e A sso c i at i o n of Nigerian A ut h o rs. It h as be e n ove r th irty y e ars si n c e Okigbo die d in t h e earLy day s of t h e N ige ria- Biafra w ar, h av in g ab an d o n e d his literary c are e r at its ve ry h e i gh t t o f i g h t for t h e s e c e s s i o n i s t n e w re publ i c of Biafra. Th an ks t o his lite rary a c c o m p l i s h m e n t s , h o w e v e r, an d t h e e n o rm o u s i n fl u e n c e t h at his l e gac y h as h ad on su bs e q u e n t g e n e rat i o n s of po e t s in Africa, O k i g b o 's m e m o ry re m ai n s st ro n g . In 1 9 9 6 an d 1 9 9 7 an e xh ibitio n w as heLd in v e n u e s ac ro ss Nigeria as part o f a se ri e s of cultural e v e n t s t o c e l e brat e t h at m e m o ry . O rgan i z e d by Onix Co m m u n i c at i o n s an d c u rat e d by Onii Oke ke an d C. Kry dz Ik w u e m e si , "S o n g s for I d o t o : A Ce l e brati o n o f Ch ri st o ph e r O k i g b o " w as h e ld at En u gu fro m N o v e m be r 2 - 9 w h e re it dre w suc h v i si t o rs as t h e D ire cto r o f t h e N i ge ri an N at i o n al Art Galle ry , Chike Dike, t h e c o u n t ry 's f o rm e r v i c e p re si d e n t , Alex Ek w u e m e , an d t h e m i n i st e r of w o m e n af f ai rs, Ju d i t h A t t ah , a m o n g m an y o t h e rs . An ac c o m p an y i n g s e m i n ar h e ld at H o t e l P re si de n t i al , En u gu , f e at u re d Lectures by ac ad e m i c lum i n ari e s suc h as Be...