“Africa is not a continent of despair but of hope

I feel the pulse of Africa in the depths of my heart.

30 Quotes by Léopold Sédar Senghor

1. On Identity:
   • “Emotion is African, reason is Hellenic.”
   • “I feel the pulse of Africa in the depths of my heart.”
   • “The African is not only a body but also a soul.”
2. On Culture:
   • “Culture is the foundation of the nation.”
   • “To assimilate, not to be assimilated—that is the law of life.”
   • “The colonizer’s greatest weapon was the alienation of the colonized from their own culture.”
3. On Négritude:
   • “Négritude is the awareness of being black, the simple recognition of a fact that implies acceptance of it.”
   • “Négritude is the whole of the cultural values of the black world.”
   • “Négritude is not a wall but a bridge.”
4. On Unity:
   • “We must unite or perish.”
   • “The future of Africa lies in its unity.”
   • “Together, we are stronger than the sum of our parts.”
5. On Humanity:
   • “The civilization of the universal will be the meeting of all cultures.”
   • “Man is not only intellect but also heart.”
   • “The human being is a totality: body, soul, and spirit.”
6. On Art and Poetry:
   • “Poetry is the song of the soul.”
   • “Art is the expression of the deepest self.”
   • “The poet is the voice of the people.”
7. On Africa:
   • “Africa is the cradle of humanity.”
   • “Africa is not a continent of despair but of hope.”
   • “Africa is the future of the world.”
8. On Leadership:
   • “A leader is a servant of the people.”
   • “The true leader is the one who listens to the voices of the people.”
   • “Power is not an end but a means to serve.”
9. On Love:
   • “Love is the only force capable of transforming the world.”
   • “To love is to understand, to respect, and to cherish.”
   • “Love is the bridge between cultures.”
10. On Life and Death:
    • “Death is not the end but a passage to another life.”
    • “Life is a journey, and death is a return to the source.”
    • “The dead are not gone; they live in our memories.”

Ogene Music

Ogene music is a traditional Igbo musical style that originates from southeastern Nigeria. It is named after the ogene, a metal gong that serves as the central instrument in this genre. Here are some key features of Ogene music:

1. Instruments:
   • The ogene (metal gong) is the primary instrument, often accompanied by other traditional instruments like the ekwe (wooden slit drum), udu (clay pot drum), and ichaka (shakers).
2. Cultural Significance:
   • Ogene music is deeply rooted in Igbo culture and is often performed during festivals, ceremonies, and communal gatherings. It is used to celebrate, communicate, and preserve cultural heritage.
3. Rhythm and Dance:
   • The music is characterized by its lively, rhythmic patterns, which are often accompanied by energetic dances. The rhythms are complex and polyphonic, reflecting the communal and interactive nature of Igbo society.
4. Modern Influence:
   • Ogene music has influenced contemporary Nigerian and African music genres, including highlife and Afrobeat. Artists like Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe and Oliver De Coque have incorporated Ogene elements into their music.
5. Connection to Achebe’s Work:
   • Chinua Achebe often highlighted Igbo traditions and cultural practices in his writings. Ogene music, as a symbol of Igbo identity, resonates with the themes of cultural preservation and resistance to colonialism that Achebe explored in works like Things Fall Apart.

1. Ọ̀sá Méjì (Osa Meji)
   “Ọ̀rúnmìlà wá gbọ́ pé à ń bá ọ lọ,
   ẹni tí kò bá gbọ́, à á bá ọ̀un lọ.”
   Translation:
   “Orunmila came to hear that we are going with you,
   Whoever refuses to listen, we will go without them.”
   Meaning: This emphasizes the importance of heeding wise counsel and being open to guidance.
2. Ọ̀wọ́nrín Méjì (Owonrin Meji)
   “Ìwà lẹwà, àìlòwà kì í ṣe éwà,
   ẹni tí kò ní ìwà, kì í ṣe éni.”
   Translation:
   “Character is beauty, lack of character is not beauty,
   A person without character is not a person.”
   Meaning: This highlights the value of good character and moral integrity in Yoruba culture.
3. Ọ̀yẹ̀kú Méjì (Oyeku Meji)
   “Bí a bá rí ẹni tí ń ṣe bí ẹni tí ó ń jẹ,
   a ó rí ẹni tí ń ṣe bí ẹni tí ó ń kú.”
   Translation:
   “If we see someone acting like someone who is eating,
   we will see someone acting like someone who is dying.”
   Meaning: This speaks to the balance of life and the inevitability of consequences for one’s actions.

1. “Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.”
2. “One of the truest tests of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised.”
3. “The world has no end, and what is good among one people is an abomination with others.”
4. “We cannot trample upon the humanity of others without devaluing our own.”
5. “A man who calls his kinsmen to a feast does not do so to save them from starving.”
6. “If you don’t like someone’s story, write your own.”
7. “The impatient idealist says: ‘Give me a place to stand and I shall move the earth.’ But such a place does not exist. We all have to stand on the earth itself and go with her at her pace.”
8. “When suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him, he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stool.”
9. “Art is man’s constant effort to create for himself a different order of reality from that which is given to him.”
10. “A functioning, robust democracy requires a healthy educated, participatory followership, and an educated, morally grounded leadership.”
11. “The damage done in one year can sometimes take ten or twenty years to repair.”
12. “People say that if you find water rising up to your ankle, that’s the time to do something about it, not when it’s around your neck.”
13. “The only thing we have in common is our humanity; everything else is an accident of birth.”
14. “To me, being an intellectual doesn’t mean knowing about intellectual issues; it means taking pleasure in them.”
15. “A man who does not know where the rain began to beat him cannot say where he dried his body.”
16. “The storyteller has a different agenda from the emperor.”
17. “The whole idea of a stereotype is to simplify. Instead of going through the problem of all this great diversity—that it’s this or maybe that—you have just one large statement; it is this.”
18. “Privilege, you see, is one of the great adversaries of the imagination.”
19. “The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one.” (From Things Fall Apart)
20. “A child cannot pay for its mother’s milk.”
21. “The impatient idealist says: ‘Give me a place to stand and I shall move the earth.’ But such a place does not exist.”
22. “The writer cannot expect to be excused from the task of re-education and regeneration that must be done.”
23. “It is the storyteller who makes us what we are, who creates history.”
24. “The most important thing about oneself is that one is not somebody else.”
25. “The world is like a mask dancing. If you want to see it well, you do not stand in one place.”
26. “A man who pays respect to the great paves the way for his own greatness.”
27. “The only thing worth writing about is the human condition.”
28. “When old people speak, it is not because of the sweetness of words in our mouths; it is because we see something which you do not see.”
29. “The problem with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.”
30. “We have heard stories about white men who made the powerful guns and the strong drinks and took slaves away across the seas, but no one thought the stories were true.” (From Things Fall Apart)

Conclusion

Chinua Achebe’s quotes and Ogene music both reflect the richness of Igbo culture and the resilience of African identity. Achebe’s words remind us of the importance of storytelling, leadership, and humanity, while Ogene music celebrates the vibrancy and communal spirit of the Igbo people. Together, they offer a profound connection to Nigeria’s cultural heritage.

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