By Micheal Chukwuebuka, Reporting
CHIEF Lere Paimo was born on September 19, 1939 in Ile Ikoyi Odan, Osupa Ogbomoso.
His father was a tobacco and yam farmer, the leader of the local farmers’ organization, while his mother was a trader.
Lere was sent to primary school in Ogbomoso, but then left for Ghana.
He continued his education in Ghana where he obtained Teacher’s Grade two certificate.
He eventually returned back to Nigeria and decided to stay in Osogbo where he worked as a class-room teacher in a Baptist Missionary School, Newton Memorial School.
In the 1950s, Osogbo was the seabed of Yorùbá indigenous culture Osogbo. Osogbo continued to serve as beacon for arts, culture and dramatics between 1950s and 1970s; cultural flowering took place during this place majorly in Osogbo.
No wonder ace artists, musician dramatists and actors started their career in Osogbo.
The likes of Duro Ladipo, Oyin Adejobi, Kola Ogunmola who were the 3 greatest and most talented actor-managers in the history of Yoruba theatre, established their careers in Osogbo.
Lere Paimo, like every other actors of the time, joined to the theatre through his experience of acting at school. Besides his experience, he was passionate about acting.
In around 1960, while working as a teacher in Osogbo, he decided to join Oyin Adejobi theatre group,
a theatre group founded by Pa Oyinade Adejobi which was an organization performing plays for churches, schools, and cultural and social clubs.
A year later, Duro Ladipo invited him to Mbari Club, the cultural centre founded by Ulli Beier, to take part in an art production.
He was interested in painting as well as in theatre, so he accepted the invitation.
From the beginning, Lere Paimo’s talent as an actor was recognized and he was given leading roles.
In Eda, a Yoruba version of Everyman, he played Everyman himself, so memorable that up till today, his nickname has remained Eda Onile ola.
While with Duro Ladipo, he featured in a stage play titled Obamoro with the role of “Chief Basa”.
For twelve solid years, he was an apprentice tutelage of the renowned international artist, Late Duro Ladipo before establishing his own Lere Paimo Theatre Group.
Duro Ladipo died in 1978 5yrs after Chief Lere Paimo started his own Theatre group.
Lere Paimo regards the years he spent with Late Duro Ladipo as a formative influence on his career, and up to this day refers to him as his boss.
He stayed with Late Duro Ladipo for Twelve years and eventually became Ladipo’s manager and right-hand man before starting his own.
Chief Lere Paimo, MFR, had set up his own Theatre group by 1973. In the 1970s, the theatre group was at its peak. Numerous theatre groups started in this particular decade, old theatre groups also “up” their games by becoming professional and
commercial so as to catch up with the trends.
By this time, Chief Lere Paimo was already well known and celebrated due to his well approved works with the renowned Late Duro Ladipo.
This gave him an edge over others as many aspiring actors already had their eyes on the veteran actor.
Chief Lere Paimo is unapologetically passionate and proud of his heritage as a Yoruba man.
After setting up his theatre group, he went ahead to produce most of the first well accepted movies.
As a proud indigene of Ogbomoso, he produced an epic yoruba movie titled Ogbori Elemeso where he played the lead role of Soun Ogunlana, the first king (Soun) of Ogbomoso and the founder of Soun dynasty; a movie depicting the history of his beloved hometown.
Other repertoires of plays he produced included; Onikoyi, Aye n yi, Gbangba Dekun,
Irinajo Eda, Idajo, Aye Gbege, Akukuu-bi, Gba die, Ago Alaago and Ere Ogun.
All the aforementioned movies promotes indigenous Yorùbá culture. Also, some of the movies were derived directly from the traditionalist style of play, being based on traditional oral narratives and making extensive use of indigenous art such as drumming, singing and dancing.
Chief Lere Paimo is no doubt, a rare breed.
Eda Onile ola participated fully in the extraordinary creativity and innovativeness of the Yoruba popular theatre. Like all the first-rate theatre of the 1970s and early 1980s, he introduced not only new themes and styles, but also new theoretical techniques.
He also used colorful backcloths which were changed from scene to scene and more elaborate lighting effect; he was a creative genius.
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