Veteran broadcaster, actor, writer, translator and cultural ambassador, Pa Adebayo Faleti has been reported dead at the age of 86.
The respected Isokun, Oyo-Alaafin born showbiz impresario, according to a family source who spoke with PMParrot, died around 1 pm on Sunday, July 23, 2017.
Said our source “He died at home after he had been sick on and off. As a matter of fact, this particular illness that took his life was mild compared to seasons of illnesses that he experienced in the past couple of years. We did not expect him to give up the ghost just like that”.
As at the time of putting this story together, PMParrot was informed that the remains of Alagba Faleti had been moved to Adeoyo Hospital in Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo State.
Wikipedia records that he was a Nigerian poet, journalist, writer and actor. He was also known as a Yoruba translator, a broadcaster, TV exponent and a pioneer of the first television station in Africa, Western Nigeria Television (WNTV).
He was responsible for translating Nigeria’s National Anthem from English to Yoruba. He also translated speeches being made by military president of Nigeria Ibrahim Babangida and Chief Ernest Shonekan, Head of National Interim Government of Nigeria, from English to Yoruba.
Faleti published a dictionary containing the formal or official use of Yoruba names. He received many awards, both locally and internationally, including the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) the Festival of Arts award with Eda Ko L’aropin (1995) and the Afro-Hollywood Award for Outstanding Performance in Arts (2002).
Faleti was born in Agbo-Oye, Oyo State, though lived in Obananko, Kuranga, near Oyo State. He is the first son of his father, Joseph Akanbi Faleti and the only child of his mother, Durowade Ayinke Faleti. From an early age Alagba Faleti always had a passion for drama. Unfortunately, his parents could not fund his education to pursue his dreams due to the lack of income, so he decided to put his primary education on hold. He then gathered a couple of interested colleagues and started his own successful theatre group, named Oyo Youth Operatic Society (founded in 1949). Faleti later found his way back to school by getting a job in a primary school, in which he worked for six years to raise enough funds for his secondary schooling with the financial support of his father.
In 1966, he attended the University of Dakar in Senegal and obtained a Certificate of proficiency in French Language and Civilization. Two years later, he graduated from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, with an honours degree in English. In 1971, he attended the Radio Netherlands Training Center in Hilversum, the Netherlands, and received a certificate in Television Production.
Faleti has written, produced and acted in several popular Yoruba plays. He is also known for his poems. He was a teacher at Ife Odan, located near Ejigbo Town.
He was also the General Manager of Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS), which is also known as Radio OYO, Ibadan.
Earlier in 1959, he worked at Western Nigerian Television (WNTV), now known as NTA Ibadan, as a film editor and a librarian.
He has acted, written, and produced a number of movies, which include: Thunderbolt: Magun (2001), Afonja (1 & 2) (2002), Basorun Gaa (2004), and Sawo-Segeri (2005).
Faleti was known to have had three wives, but only had two as at the time he died. His first and legally married wife is Mrs. Moteniola Faleti. His current wife is Mrs. Olubunmi Faleti. Alagba Faleti had up to 15 children. His first child is Mrs. Adeboola Orunsolu (née Faleti).
Packaged by Alice Egbedele
