The Creativity Site

 By Victor Olubiye Born on May 29, 1905, in Abeokuta, Olufela Obafunmilayo Sowande grew into one of the most influential African composers of the 20th century. Trained in both African and European musical traditions, Sowande masterfully fused Yoruba folk melodies, Christian hymns, and Western classical music into rich, original compositions that earned him international acclaim. Educated at the University of London, Sowande became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists and worked as an organist in several London churches. He also performed as a jazz musician to support himself during school, playing with notable bands in the UK during the 1930s. In 1944, he composed his most recognized piece, the African Suite for string orchestra, broadcast by the BBC. It showcased African themes in a Western orchestral setting, helping to define a new genre known as African art music. Other major works include Folk Symphony (1960), Six Sketches, and various pieces for organ, like Yoruba Lamen...

 By Victor Olubiye Prof. Zaynab Alkali, born in Borno on February 3, 1950, is the first female novelist from Northern Nigeria. A graduate of Bayero University, she holds a PhD in African Literature.   She taught at major institutions including the University of Maiduguri and Nasarawa State University, where she became Dean of Arts.   Married to Prof. Muhammad Nur Alkali, she is a mother of six and author of books like The Stillborn and The Virtuous Woman.   She won the ANA Literary Prize in 1985 and remains a literary pioneer in Nigeria.

 By Victor Olubiye Nkemdilim “Mary” Onyali-Omagbemi (née Onyali, born 3 February 1968) is a Nigerian former sprinter, she was a 5x Olympian 1988 - 2004. She had won the bronze medal in the 4 × 100 m relay at the 1992 Olympic Games and in the 200 m at the 1996 Olympic Games. She also won the 1994 Commonwealth Games 100 metres title. Onyali-Omagbemi performed especially well in the All-Africa Games, winning a total of 7 individual medals in the short sprints. She won 100 m in 1991, 1995 and 2003 and took a bronze medal in 1987. Gold medals in 200 m were taken in 1987, 1995 and 2003. Furthermore, the Nigerian 4 × 100 m relay team won all races between 1987 and 2003, at the African Games. Born Mary Onyali, by the time of the 2000 Olympics she was known as Mary Onyali-Omagbemi, having married fellow Nigerian sprinter Victor Omagbemi. Competing for the Texas Southern Tigers track and field program, she won an NCAA title in the 200 metres. Her consecutive Olympic appearances from 1988 to ...

 By Victor Olubiye In 1967, a 24-year-old PhD student at Cambridge named Jocelyn Bell made one of the most important discoveries in modern astronomy. Working with a radio telescope she helped build herself, Jocelyn spent countless nights sorting through mountains of data, looking for signals from distant quasars. Then, something strange caught her attention—a steady, rhythmic pulse coming from space. It was so precise, some even joked it might be a message from aliens. They nicknamed the signal LGM-1, short for “Little Green Men.” But Jocelyn kept digging, and soon uncovered the real explanation. The signal wasn’t from aliens—it was from a neutron star spinning rapidly and sending out beams of radio waves. Today, we call these objects pulsars, and they’ve completely changed how we understand the universe. Despite being the first to notice and analyze this groundbreaking signal, Jocelyn was left out when the Nobel Prize for the discovery was awarded in 1974. The prize went to her ma...

 By Victor Olubiye In 1958, Nigeria's Chinua Achebe wrote his first novel book "Things Fall Apart" at the age of 28, which has sold over 20 million copies and has been translated to over 50 languages. • It was ranked as one of the Greatest Books Ever Written in a list by Encyclopedia Brittanica in 2018. • It was on number 5 on BBC's 100 Stories That Shaped The World. • It was also among the 100 books that were featured on the TV series, The Great American Read. • In 2011, Chinua Achebe forced 50 Cent to rename his forthcoming new movie "Things Fall Apart". He was contacted by Achebe's legal team that he couldn't use the title. Even when he offered Achebe $1 million dollars, Achebe felt insulted and rejected the money. 50 Cent later re-named his movie "All Things Fall Apart".

By Victor Olubiye Alhaji Kareem Adepoju (born January 6, 1945), widely known by his stage name Baba Wande, is a veteran Nigerian actor, director, producer, and scriptwriter. He rose to national prominence in 1993 for his iconic role as “Oloye Otun” in the classic Yoruba film Ti Oluwa Ni Ile. However, his career in the performing arts began much earlier—as far back as 1962, during the golden era of Yoruba traveling theatre. Early Life and Education: Baba Wande was born into the family of Mr. and Mrs. Adepoju in Nigeria. Public information about his formal education is limited. In interviews, he has candidly shared that he might have pursued a different career path—possibly as a company director—if he had received a formal education. Career Journey: Kareem Adepoju’s professional acting journey began with the Duro Ladipo Theatre Group, which he joined in 1963. Prior to that, he trained under the renowned Yoruba dramatist, Chief Oyin Adejobi, and later joined the Oyin Adejobi Theatre Group...

 By Victor Olubiye His name was Benedito Caravelas, later known as Benedito Meia-Légua (“Half-League”). Born into slavery, he became a symbol of resistance in Brazil’s southeast before slavery was abolished in 1888. His nickname came from his long treks between regions as he helped organize groups of Black fugitives to resist slaveholders. A natural leader, he knew the land well, forming small, mobile squads to free enslaved people and disrupt plantations across Espírito Santo and beyond. To protect himself and confuse authorities, every team leader dressed like Benedito. If one was caught, the real Benedito would resurface elsewhere, fueling the myth of his immortality. He always carried a small image of Saint Benedict, which became a powerful symbol of faith and protection. During one infamous capture in São Mateus, he was paraded as dead and buried. But the next day, his body had vanished — only bloody footprints remained, deepening the legend. In 1885, elderly and ill, Benedito...

By Victor Olubiye  Laila Dogonyaro was born on 10 December 1944 in Garun Gabas, located in what is now Jigawa State, Nigeria. Despite showing early promise academically, her educational journey was interrupted when she was married off at the age of 13—a common practice in Northern Nigeria at the time, where girls' education was often not prioritized. Her admission to Ilorin Secondary School was cut short by this early marriage . However, what could have marked the end of her ambitions became the beginning of a powerful legacy. Determined to change the status quo for women, Laila channelled her personal experiences into activism. In 1963, she became a founding member of Jam’iyyar Matan Arewa (JMA), an organization aimed at improving the lives of Northern Nigerian women through education, social services, and political participation. Her advocacy led her into politics. In 1977, she contested for a political seat in Kaduna State. By 1979, she was a member of the National Party of Nige...

By Victor Olubiye MEET THE FIRST NIGERIAN TO RELEASE A MUSIC ALBUM — CANON JOSIAH RANSOME-KUTI. While singing is as old as culture itself and no one can truly be called the first Nigerian singer, the first Nigerian to release a recorded music album was a remarkable Yoruba man: Canon Josiah Jesse Ransome-Kuti—the grandfather of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti and great-grandfather of Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka. Ransome-Kuti began composing gospel songs as early as 1878, writing hymns for the Anglican Church in Abeokuta. He was a trailblazer in using indigenous Yoruba language and melodies in Christian worship music. His compositions became anthems in St. Peter's Cathedral Church, Ake, Abeokuta. On August 4, 1921, he released what is now regarded as Nigeria’s first-ever music album. The original recordings, produced on shellac discs, are preserved at the British Museum—a legacy that connects Nigeria’s musical heritage to its colonial and cultural past. Canon Ransome-Kuti ...

 By Victor Olubiye Throughout human history, great cities have risen from dust and stone, only to be swallowed once again by time. Their ruins whisper stories of glory, ambition, catastrophe, and mystery. Here are ten legendary cities that once stood at the pinnacle of civilization but now linger only in memory, myth, and ruin. 10. Persepolis – The Fire-Claimed Throne of Persia Founded by Darius the Great in 518 BCE, Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of the vast Achaemenid Empire. Towering columns, ornate reliefs, and immense staircases bore witness to royal grandeur. But its splendor was short-lived. Alexander the Great set it ablaze in 330 BCE, perhaps in drunken vengeance or symbolic conquest. Today, its stone skeleton rises from the Iranian plateau like a ghost of lost empire. 9. Ephesus – The Forgotten Pearl of Ionia Once a major Greek city on the coast of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), Ephesus was home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient Wor...

 By Victor Olubiye Did you know? Hezekiah’s Tunnel, also called the Siloam Tunnel, is an amazing ancient water project built around the 8th century BC during King Hezekiah’s reign in Jerusalem. This 533-meter-long tunnel was designed to protect the city’s water supply during times of trouble by safely channeling water from the Gihon Spring outside the city walls to the Siloam Pool inside. What makes it truly incredible is that two groups of workers started digging from opposite ends and met perfectly in the middle—a sign of impressive planning and teamwork. Inside, an ancient Hebrew inscription tells the story of this remarkable effort, capturing the moment the teams connected and the excitement they felt. Today, Hezekiah’s Tunnel remains a significant historical and archaeological site, reminding us of the smart solutions people developed thousands of years ago.