Adebayo Faleti passes on at 86

 

   The renowned Yoruba novelist, actor, broadcaster, Adebayo Faleti is dead. He passed on July 23, 2017 at the ripe age of 86. He died at the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, a city in which he had spent most of his life.


   He is survived by three wives including Mrs. Moteniola and Olubunmi, his current wife and has about 15 children. Pa Faleti was a Yoruba translator, TV exponent and a pioneer staff of the first television station in Africa, Western Nigeria Television, WNTV.
   He was responsible for translating Nigeria’s anthem from English to Yoruba. He also translated speeches made by the 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 and the Afro-Hollywood Award for Outstanding Performance in Arts.

   Faleti, the first son of his father, late Joseph Faleti and the only child of his mother, Ayinke, was born in Agbo-Oye. He was from a humble background who had to put on hold his primary education because his father was so poor to send him to school.

   In 1949, he founded a theatre group called Oyo Youth Operatic Society. After working for some time, he went back to school and completed his primary school education and in 1966, he gained admission to the University of Dakar in Senegal where he later obtained a Certificate of proficiency in French Language and Civilization.