Continuing the Conversations - SOAS Virtual Events Series

Connecting the African Diaspora through Language: The Mapping of Yoruba with Dr Montré Missouri and Adékúnmi Ọlátúnjí and moderated by Dr Ida Hadjivayanis

It is well documented that second generation diasporans feel disconnected from what should be their culture. The Yorùbá in the UK are no exception. In fact the now millennial Yorùbá diaspora often had negative attitudes to their culture and sought to distance themselves from the language - despite it being spoken by parents and extended family.However, in the wake of recent attitude shifts, the value and utility of Yorùbá to create connections with culture has only begun to be considered important. This has no doubt been accelerated by the mainstreaming of popular Nigerian and African music, arts and visits "back home". Now the diaspora wish to reconnect with their heritage and see the language as the best way to do so, turning to education institutions to fill the gaps in knowledge. Therefore, how might educational policy and curricula best support this desire to reconnect, when at the core of much pedagogy is the assumption that any language being learned is new and unfamiliar which is not the case for heritage learners? The colonising power of English in the history of the Yoruba cannot be overlooked.

Mapping the Yoruba will also rely on archival materials in terms of cultural heritage as well as providing contemporary discussions on popular culture in connection to the Yoruba. Examples of popular culture could include further analysis of Yoruba folklore in Beyoncé’s visual album Lemonade or issues of Yoruba-Nigerian migration and diaspora in online situation comedies such as Meet the Adebanjos (UK) and African Booty Scratcher (US). Knowledge gathered from Mapping the Yoruba with regards to both cultural heritage and contemporary connections will be explored as well as critically examining notions of ‘Yoruba’ as a global diaspora identity.

THE LECTURE SERIES:

The Continuing the Conversations event series is designed to engage SOAS alumni but open to all. The event will include a talk for about 20 minutes and then a discussion regarding questions from the audience for about 20 minutes.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

Dr Montré Aza Missouri - is an Associate Professor in Film and Director of the Graduate Film Program at Howard University where she teaches Screenwriting, Film Directing and African Cinema. Dr. Missouri has worked in England, Northern Ireland, Ghana and Nigeria as an independent filmmaker. She is also the founding director of Parallel Film Collective that promotes international independent film and is a founding partner of award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay’s distribution company ARRAY. Missouri's scholarly research Black Magic Woman and Narrative Film: Race, Sex and Afro-Religiosity (Palgrave Macmillan) focuses on images of Yorùbá-Atlantic religions, racial and cultural hybridity as represented in independent and mainstream African American cinemas. Her creative research includes the documentary DJ’s, Dance and Deities currently in production, which explores the influences of Yorùbá-Atlantic religions and cultures on Afro-House Music and diaspora identities. Dr. Missouri studied at The London Film School, Goldsmiths College University of London and she holds a Ph.D. in Film Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) University of London.

Adékúnmi Ọlátúnjí - Kúnmi is a linguist and language enthusiast. She spent several years learning French, Spanish, Mandarin and Japanese and has extensive experience teaching English as a foreign language. She turned her professional attention to her heritage language of Yòrúba while on the SOAS MA Linguistics programme where she wrote her dissertation on the family practices which have contributed to a shift away from the language's use. She also produced a podcast episode as part of the series by ELAR celebrating UNESCO's year of indigenous languages in which she and a panel interrogated the concept of 'mother tongue' and its significance for culture, identity and the role in shaping power relations. After graduating Kúnmi worked as the Research Assistant for the Review of Africa at SOAS, focusing on the curriculum, and she has since been developing curricula and learning resources for other Yòrúba heritage speakers through the start-up she has co-founded called Gray Macaw.

MODERATOR:

Dr Ida Hadjivayanis - is originally from Zanzibar. She has lived in Dar es Salaam, Paris, Maseru, Conakry, Khartoum and Rome. She studied at the National University of Lesotho (BA in French and English), Middlesex University (MA in Translation) and SOAS (PhD - thesis looked at Norms of Swahili Translation in Tanzania ). She is the translator of Alisi ndani ya nchi ya ajabu, a translation of Lewis Caroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. She is currently involved in the production of the first Anthology of Swahili Translations. She will be moderating the session as well as adding insight as a Swahili speaker.

EVENT ACCESS:

Once you have registered for the event you will receive a link to access the event closer to the day.

If you would like to pre-submit a question, please email: events@soas.ac.uk