I Was Part Of This Iconic Kongi’s Harvest Photo – Ishola Ninuola

Going down memory lane now, I was part of this photo. The photo was taken on the set of ‘Kongi’s Harvest’ film in 1969. They say its the first Naija film in technicolour. The costume in that picture is that of Kongi, the maximum dictator, without the top jacket, which is Kongi’s military uniform, on which was mounted all the ranks and epaulettes. In the film, we, Pyrates on eternal Long Island Deck, were Kongi’s body-guard. I was not aware of the scene where this iconic picture was taken though and was not aware of the ‘small boy’ (Gbenga Daniel), as different scenes of the film were taken in different locations. The main location however was shot at Olumo Rock, and the main body of actors was lodged at then Lisabi Hotel, Abeokuta’s leading hotel at the time. I don’t know if it still exists. Needless to say that rum flowed like water during the shooting duration of that film.

It was Toks Durotoye (our former science teacher in EBBHS) that dragged me into the Pyrates Confraternity. He said I was the kind of ‘stuff’ for the ‘deck’ at the time. Toks was cousin of our own snr. Durotoye in EBBHS. And Toks is father of Fela Durotoye, one of Naija’s leading motivational speakers. Tok’s wife is anti Bisi, nee Onimole, of Lagos. I met Toks in UI, he as a post-graduate physiology student, and assistant lecturer, and anti Bisi, his then girlfriend as a geology finals student, in my department. When I’m a bit tired of our high class meals in Mellanby Hall then, especially on weekends, I moved over to Toks assistant lecturer quarters, where anti Bisi prepared sumptuous lunch or dinners for us. Ahoy, that was the kind of sweet memories God gave me, growing up; and I have opportunity to share it with some of you few close friends now, to God’s glory. May be I’ll include some of these reminiscences in my memoirs, which I’m preparing to start now. A lot of people around me have been challenging me to write, including the children; they themselves, accomplished parents now, by God’s special grace!!

‘Kongi’s Harvest’, was based on one of Wole Soyinka’s earliest books. It was directed by Ossie Davies, a leading Afro-American director then; and it was produced by our own Oladele here, one of Naija’s pioneer producers!!!