Case C - Screen Africa

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Profile Top of the pops By Karen van Schalkwyk Channel O’s general manager, Yolisa Phaahle, is passionate about music. Her background is as versatile as her career has been so far. Born in South Africa but forced into exile with her parents to the United Kingdom under apartheid, she is an intriguing crossover of both Africa and Europe. Phaahle studied classical piano and violin in the UK and travelled as a performing artist for some time. She was also an artist with the leading band Soul II Soul and worked in radio and television in the UK. She was BBC Radio 6 Music’s senior producer for four years where she produced numerous programmes for the station. She has over 10 years experience in the field of radio and held other positions such as Radio 1 music producer, BBC World Service music producer, studio manager and television presentations operations assistant for BBC1 and BBC2. In addition to her experience in these fields, Phaahle has also produced live events, including programming for Glastonbury and SCRATCHMASTER – Ready D MONEY IN THE BANK – Nonhle and 50 Cent 42 SCREENAFRICA – October 2007 radio programmes for Womad. However, it is her passion for world music, and specifically music from Africa that inspires her. She says that of all her years in radio and television in the UK, she is most proud of the documentary she produced for BBC Radio 2 on Ladysmith Black Mambazo. “I had to really sell the brand to the commissioners, who were not sure of the mainstream appeal and secondly, my mother’s family come from Ladysmith. As a British South African living in the UK I have always promoted the great music of South Africa.” Phaahle says that music has been her life. “Even though my passion is for African music, I love all music and I think this has been the result of many of my experiences. When I was studying classical music I was one of the few black people doing so. However I soon found the whole atmosphere too snobbish and onedimensional. The thing is that even Mozart and Beethoven were the rock musicians of their day.” Phaahle explains how she got the top job EvERYTHINg’S A “O” KAY – Yolisa Phaahle at Channel O. “I came back to South Africa to visit my parents, who had returned from exile. I stayed for a while, then the money started running out and I sent my CV to M-Net. They called me for an interview and I got the position of general manager. “This is the best job in music television in the world. I travel into Africa to experience different styles of music and programmes and select the content for the channel. I am also very involved in the whole look, feel and style and select all the presenters. It really is challenging at times but a great way to see African music being exposed and recognised for what it is.” Phaale adds that Channel O is the only local music channel in Africa. “This means that we have a great responsibility to reflect the sounds of the continent and 40% of what we air is African. The channel is also more popular than MTV. I think it’s very important for people to see themselves reflected on TV. African music is also gaining a worldwide reputation and we have many enquires from overseas about how they can buy or access our content.” The channel’s target audience is young, aspirant and urban. Phaahle elaborates: “It is the most watched channel with black, coloured and Indian audiences. Young South African audiences really are starting to support and show their enthusiasm for local music. I think the reason for our success is our incredibly strong branding. We will be celebrating our 10th birthday in October and I am sure that we will only go from strength to strength.” InteractIve Phaahle explains that part of their vision is to make the channel as interactive as possible. “We are developing a host of strategies to meet these demands, including a lifestyle aspect, website, competitions, events and developing all new media. The world is changing at such a rapid pace and we need to keep up with those changes and reflect the changes. We aim to combine culture, music and technology and keep abreast of global trends.” Phaahle elaborates that some of the most innovative and exciting programmes recently have been Mzanzi Ridez, hosted by Ready D and Saskia Falken. The show features all car gadgets that are synonymous with car customising, from car budget builds to cosmetic aspects like mag wheels and safety issues. Phaahle explains that everyone is interested in cars and music. The show has been running since January and has been successful.” The other show is O-Access and is hosted by Nonhle, who takes viewers on a rollercoaster ride with the biggest names in hip hop and R&B in the US. The show is shot on location in New York, Lost Angeles, Miami and Jamaica. Nonhle has spent time interviewing people like John Legend, Bow Bow, 50 Cent and many more. Phaahle says: “We are thrilled with this success and are witnessing the birth of Channel O’s international recognition. The fact that we can now secure interviews with the biggest names in urban music is proof of this. Best of all is the amount of support we are receiving from the industry both here at home and internationally.” Phaahle concludes: “I really believe South African and African music are coming home. After all, it is the home of music all over the world. I believe that we get stronger and stronger the more we take part and own our heritage and I am thrilled to be a part of this development and vision.”
Nollywood’s impact on Africa The positive or negative influences of film on the average individual often bring about a different approach to issues and their day-to-day relationships. Just as Hollywood movies can be said to have influenced the film industries in most part of the world, Nollywood movies have taken over a large percentage of filmmaking in West Africa. According to the director general of the Nigeria Film and Video Censors Board, Emeka Mba, Nigeria is currently recognised as the third largest movie producer in the world after India and the US. Says Mba: “Nigerian film products are widely available and in demand by not only Nigerians but by other Africans. The demand for Nigerian movies outside of Africa is driven by a huge population of expatriate Nigerians and other Africans living outside the continent. “No other realm of endeavour by Nigerians has so profoundly conveyed the value, character and promises of the nation in the global brand view. This is despite the fact that professionalism and quality are usually sacrificed on the altar of ‘speed and quantity’. Furthermore, the vast majority of Nigerian movies depict aspects of our national life which often reinforce the negative stereotypes of Nigerians.” However, not all movies shot in Hollywood are of a high quality either. Most Hollywood movies have presented the average American on the street as a gun toting individual, but that has not stopped millions of people thronging American embassies the world over. The Nigerian movie industry had existed before what is today known as Nollywood. Movie veterans like Ogunde, Baba Sala and a host of others shot films that met international standards. In those days film units were used purely as agents for acculturation or social change. With the advent of Nollywood practitioners consistently churning out movies every day, many Nigerian youths who might have opted for a career in crime have taken to acting, scriptwriting, wardrobe, make-up, photography and videography. This trend has since spilled into neighbouring countries which have seen the birth of young video club owners stocking their shelves with the latest Nollywood movies. Lots of movie sellers have also emerged. The successes achieved by some Nigerian actors not only put the country on the world map but made a celebrities out of them. Foreigners from as far as Tanzania come to Nigeria to purchase the latest Nollywood movies. FInancIal prospects According to the Global Media Entertainment Outlook Report commissioned by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC), the film and entertainment industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in the world economy, turning over billions of dollars and generating millions of jobs. The PWC report projects that the global entertainment industry is expected to generate over US$600bn by 2007. In the last 15 years the Nigerian industry has experienced tremendous growth in the television and motion pictures industries. It’s been argued that our film industry alone generates over N30bn worth of economic activities. Nollywood has over the years turned many of its practitioners into millionaires and the financial benefits and prospects accruable from the industry are enormous. Recently it has attracted investors form the banking sector. The banks are beginning to see the future of an industry that has grown beyond their wildest imagination. However, distribution and piracy are regarded as the two monsters plaguing the industry today. The majority of the Nollywood movies found in other countries are pirated. Some Nigerian movie practitioners have had to look for measures to curb piracy. At some point they have collaborated with government agencies like the Nigeria Copyright Commission, which came out with a scheme known as STRAP. QualIty and IdentIty There have been some who have complained about the video and audio quality of Nollywood movies. But a major issue of concern is ‘the bandwagon syndrome’, where a filmmaker produces a film similar to another just because it has made money. Often if an actor is used in a particular film and it is successful, the same actor is then called upon to appear in the same movie but under another name and maybe with some slight changes to either the storyline or the scenery. Yet, according to scholar and analyst Zainab Omaki, despite the flaws inherent in most Nigerian movies, Nollywood has been able to create a sense of nationhood. However, she frowns on the duplicity of storyline and story lifting. “If civilisation started in Egypt, I believe other cultures borrowed from Egyptian culture and improved upon it. That can’t be applied to Nollywood. Nigerians have absorbed the art of filmmaking, but they have failed to present their own creativity in their movies.” Omaki’s main complaint is that “films are generally meant to be national signifiers: they reflect the culture and the beliefs of a society. Nigerian producers, however, have absorbed western culture and mixed it with indigenous ones to make films that are neither Nigerian nor western. It is common knowledge that media consumption can affect the way people act. This is particularly true in Nigeria where much of the population is under 20 and interested in Nollywood. These mishmash movies are inspiring young people to shun their identity because the values instilled by producers do not reflect Nigerians objectively. “The producers rely on an overload of romantic and interpersonal conflicts, while the intelligence, creativity and normalcy of Nigerians are too often missing. By focusing on the country’s problems, Nollywood films give their viewers very little pride in their country. The movies that are not westernoriented are hardly an improvement, with their emphasis on black magic or ‘juju’. That has caused other West Africans and the rest of the world to view Nigerians as uncivilised and untrustworthy.” West aFrIca A scan through the TV channels of most West African countries will reveal a large dominance of Nigerian movies and soaps, such as 70% in Ghana. Arguably, Nigerian movies might be said to have changed the lifestyle of most West Africans. Most West African countries have adopted some aspects of the Nigerian dress sense. A case in point is the Nollywood blockbuster Abuja Connection and its sequel, which led to an Afro-like hairstyle in Cameroon becoming known by the same name. In addition, the costume design in the movie was also adopted by some Cameroonian ladies in the belief that it was the style of the nouveau riche. Some Ghanaian movie makers now shoot the majority of their blockbusters using notable Nigerian actors as leads. This process AfriCA The Nigerian film industry, dubbed Nollywood by Western journalists, is known worldwide for its prolific output. Not only can a thriving film industry impact positively on its national economy, it can have other far-reaching effects as well. Nigerian industry consultant TAIWO O TAIWO takes a closer look. NIgERIAN STORY – Taiwo O Taiwo has not only yielded a huge turnover in movie sales in both countries but has created a synergy and an enabling environment for ideas exchange and co-existence between them. In Uganda there are viewing centres where citizens flock to see African movies. According to a study titled Survey of Content and Audiences of Video Halls in Uganda 2005–2006, Ugandans are willing to pay more money to watch local, East African or Nigerian productions than for Hollywood and Bollywood blockbusters. Local productions apart from Nigerian, Ghanaian and some Kenyan films are very scarce, with the operators and owners concerned about copyright issues. However, some Africans have complained that Nigerian films are full of ritual scenes; trends they feel are crippling to the fabric of their own society. It should however be noted that these films were made to show the repercussions of believing in rituals as a means to solving life’s problems. One unique aspect of the average Nollywood story is that it tells the Nigerian story, with the tourism potential of the country and its way of life brought to the fore. Sometimes foreign producers cash in on Nollywood to produce movies which they aim to sell mostly in Nigeria or to Nigerian communities overseas. An example is Phat Girlz in which African- American actor Jimmy-Jean Louis played the role of a Nigerian doctor who falls in love with a voluptuous American lady played by Monique, another African-American. MovIes as a vehIcle For change Former Nigerian president Chief Olusegeun Obasanjo challenged Nigerian filmmakers to make movies that would help fight corruption. Many a filmmaker yielded to the call and made films that frown upon Advance Fee Fraud, popularly known as 419. Many more films exposing Internet fraud were produced. To ensure that these films were suitable for public viewing, the National Film and Video Censors Board embarked on a massive campaign aimed at sanitising the film industry. It declared total war on dubious practitioners who would not allow their movies to go through the normal classification process. With more and more movies coming out of Nollywood every week, Nigerian filmmakers have braved the odds and made good use of their talent in an economy that was not conducive to success. They have been able to tell the Nigerian story to the best of their abilities. One can only hope that other African countries who continue to watch these movies are inspired to produce movies that will tell their own stories. October 2007 – SCREENAFRICA 43
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Case C - Screen Africa

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