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By Damilola Fatunmise
Oluwatosin Omotoso’s interest in poetry grew during her secondary school days. To hone her skill, however, she went to poetry school and interned with some established poets.
Today, Oluwatosin is not only a specialist in African poetry; she’s also popular for chanting Ewi to entertain guests at social gatherings. Her latest work, Colour Me with Words of my Ancestors, which heralded her as a full-time poet, has been acclaimed as one of the greatest collections that depict the thoughts of a typical African child.
The graduate of International Relations and Diplomacy as well as Master’s degree holder in Industrial and Personnel Relations have had her works published on several digital platforms. In this chat, she gave reasons why she wants to project African values to the world through poetry. Enjoy it.
You’re known as an Ewi chanter, is this running in your family or you are the only muse?
I can categorically say I am the only muse. Although, my dad loves to sing, he sings frequently and spontaneously at family gatherings. But he does not write or chant Ewi. My family members were supportive when I expressed an interest in this, because it is a unique trait in the family.
Why exactly did you choose to be a poet?
This question occasionally makes me laugh; this is because I evolved into a poet. Growing up, I enjoyed writing down my thoughts; I kept a journal in which I recorded my thoughts everyday and wrote about what my friends told me. Let’s just say I enjoy writing. We had a social and cultural club in secondary school where we did various entertainment activities for our classmates. We had a traditional concept social gathering on this day, and we needed a variety of activities about our African culture, to which we as club members had to contribute. I was chosen to chant Ewi (a sing-talk type of music used to express words in their simplest form), which was simple for me because I had to go back to my written thoughts, structure them properly, and chant them. It was so lovely and expressive that I was inspired to write poems and chant them at school gatherings ever since. Following that, my interest grew.
You attended a poetry school and interned with some poets, what impact does this have on your craft?
This was a fantastic experience, and I’m glad I took the risk. Because of how my interest grew, I needed to learn more about it in order to be an exceptional poet. Furthermore, poetry is not widely appreciated in Nigeria, so poets are always excited to welcome new members. They are always eager and willing to teach. This influenced my interest in poetry and fueled my enthusiasm.
Now, how would you describe your kind of poetry?
My style of poetry could be described as ‘African sensation’. I am a big fan of culture, and I would say it influences my writing 80 percent of the time.
What gives you inspiration and is there any special thing you do before picking up the pen?
To be honest, I don’t do anything special before picking up the pen. I enjoy writing about my thoughts and current events. When a thought or an idea comes to mind, I write it down right away and restructure it when I’m in the right frame of mind.
What inspired your poetry collection, Colour Me with Words of my Ancestors?
Colour Me with Words of my Ancestors was inspired by the thoughts of people in my generation. There are many things we say around here, but older generations avoid such discussions.
How many bodies of work do you have till date, and which is your favourite?
I have a lot, but I’ve only published three anthologies. They include Colour Me with Words of my Ancestors, Words Reprinted for the Soul, and By the River. I’ll be back with more soon. However, my favourite is Colour me with Words of my Ancestors, which was created with a lot of thoughts and emotions. It’s very exciting and the feedback I’ve received has been very encouraging.
What are some of the challenges you encounter as a writer?
Writing can be influenced by your mood and current state of mind. When you are unstable, it is difficult to write. Another challenge is knowing that not every piece of work will be appreciated; you may have to give away your creative writings to the public for free for a large number of people to develop interest in it.
Having studied International Relations and Diplomacy, would you have loved to be a diplomat?
Not necessarily a diplomat, but I would have loved to use my degree to spread African poetry throughout Europe.
If married, how supportive is your husband to your creative writing?
I am single. I’d like to marry a supportive husband who will encourage my creative writing.
As a full-time poet, is creative writing self-sustaining in Nigeria?
To be honest, poetry is not well received in Nigeria. It is exhausting and unsustainable. Poets must work hard to sell their works and persuade people to buy them. That is why some of us chant them as a form of entertainment for people at events.
What new things do we expect from you as 2022 rolls on?
I am currently working on an anthology about the consequences of wars and terrorism in Africa. Watch out for it!
