Its a Konnect Africa Interview!
Ever doubted that your gift can open doors for you? Well, doubt no longer! Ekene Atusiubah the Nigerian Bard and Founder- New Earth Classics – a new Genre of Poetry -an Entrepreneur and Culture Custodian , is riding the waves of his poetic muse.
Honored by the United Nations, European Union and the Federal Government of Nigeria for his poem -I am Priceless- in support of the campaign against Trafficking in Persons, Ekene has become a game-changer in Nigeria’s poetic sphere and he shares his entire journey with us here;
Do enjoy!
A bit of history: Birth date, Ethnicity, and memories of childhood.
I was born into the noble family of Chief and Mrs. Ezulike and Nwakego Atusiubah of Nnewi Anambra State Nigeria.I am a descendant of the great King Dim of Umudim Nnewi.
My maternal Grandmother Princess Juliana Ozoka was a daughter of the Royal House of Nnewi Kingdom of Anambra State; both my parents are published writers.
I was born in a European Hospital in Gboko Benue State on the 11th of April 1975,I am the 4th child out of six children and my childhood was full of exciting memories because my Parents were career Government Administrators or Bureaucrats and we had to move around the country a lot. Both were originally teachers before going into government public service
I was born an intelligent prankster because of the excitement in and around my childhood. My first playground was the Missionary grave yard along Inikpi Road in Idah, Kogi State, Nigeria.
I grew up in an international community since there were many expatriates from different countries. Staff School Idah was my first impression of a real global society.
My Dad was an avid reader of books so I grew up in his library. In Staff School Afikpo I remember going to visit Sir Francis Akanu Ibiam at his Unwana residence and I remember that his massive compound had a fence of about three feet high.
There was a profound sense of serenity around my childhood until my Dad was framed by a group of corrupt officials.
Education…
After primary School I went to three different secondary Schools after which I decided to have some adventure of life. I left my comfort zone and went to Lagos-I joined Performance Studio Workshop Onikan in Lagos Island to study Performance Arts under The famous Chuck Mike,{An African American} and graduated in 1996.
I was part of the Team that wrote and premiered Nigerian Factory and Ikpiko. We toured with Ikpiko which was a play about female genital mutilation.{it was sponsored by UNICEF} between 1996 and 1997 while waiting for JAMB that never came;
I later studied Fine and Applied Arts in the Institute Of Management and Technology, Enugu and left the Institute in the dawn of 2000 when the first Poems of New Earth Classics as a new genre was given to me.
I am currently working on the Thesis of New Earth Classics as well as My defense papers for this new genre.
Your affair with poetry; how, when, where?
I was conscripted into this service of New Earth Classics by the Muse of this fast moving century. I have become a Poet by default because I never set out to become a Poet.
My Dad wanted me to become a lawyer and I wanted to become an Artist..I barely had any special writing talent prior to my experience in 2000.I woke up sweating and cold in the early hours of 1st January 2000 and realized I had lost the desire and talent to paint and classes were too restrictive, antiquated and boring.
I was caught up in a strange blinding light that seemed to make me recall different time zones of my past, present and future life.
I was scribbling furiously on a piece of paper near my bed; I also found myself naked and when later I woke up I had written 9 poems; I have never stopped writing from that morning and it seems as if I am possessed by the very new energies of this old Earth. {Hence the initiation of the title was confirmed.}
The Legacy of New Earth Classics is virtually captured in the Thesis of New Earth Classics which is near completion. When I arrived Abuja in 2002, I found the Abuja Literary Society and Association of Nigerian Authors and joined them. I also met with George Nkanta Ufot,the noble Director of Culture in the Federal Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation.
These people and organizations helped set me on my journey as a Maestro pioneering a genre of Poetry; and when my Classic poem ‘Mama Eko’ was chosen as my debut Poetry presentation at the Commonwealth Heads of Government events, there was no looking back and my future was classically ordained.
In 2005 Lucis Trust- a registered Charity and powerful organization with The United Nations announced that a poem I sent in for their In The tracks of Hercules Multi-Media Arts project was chosen from amongst entries in the world and I was invited to come and present my Poem myself- unfortunately my visa application was frustrated but Lucis Trust had a woman working in the United Nations present my Poem on my behalf and sent me copies of all the project details and compensations.
I have kept a low profile since then, working quietly and keeping the torch burning knowing that every dragon has his night and dawn.
Mentors?
The facts are, I am self-inspired and motivated because what I am pioneering is inspired from the energies from Earth Herself; my muse is purely a dynamo of seething energies of the very Aquarian Earth itself.
Of course I have read many books and studied several personalities but there is nothing quite like what I am currently doing. Any true and genuine reader and critic who reads through my work with enough sense will immediately remember that my works are original and carries the essence of pure craft and genius.
I write like nobody else on this earth, maybe somewhere else but definitely not on this planet. Certain people’s lives and books have inspired me like The Master Jesus, The Buddha, Alice and Foster Bailey, Chinua Achebe, Antonio Dehinde Fernandez, Innocent Chukwuma, Prophet Muhammad, Philip I. Orjiakor and A.B.C Orjiakor, Cosmas Maduka, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, Isaac Newton,Walt Disney, George Washington, Steven King, Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Crème, Queen Elizabeth II, Walter Russell,Leonardo Da Vinci,China, Folorunsho Alakija, the Pope, Rudolf Steiner, Ghandi, Kwame Nkrumah, Nelson Mandela, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Norman Vincent Pearle, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Rev Fr Arazu and of course Maitreya.
In your opinion, can poetry be taught?
Yes of course Poetry can be taught, but it can only be successfully ingrained on someone who is originally talented with creative seeds and of course there must be passion or else there would be no need.
Pure Poetry is the highest of all crafts and sciences, it contains a lot of things including geometry and other ingredients that make it sublime. Poetry is serious business for those that know what it is, and New Earth Classics is Poetry of Now for now-minded people, and if you look around you today, the world of today is evolving very quickly that if you are not fast enough ,you will be left behind.
New Earth Classics is Poetry for this century and time; we have entered an entirely new paradigm and yes we can teach people how to remember that they are in the NOW and how to leverage the opportunities that are very much available especially for the enterprising types.
If it wasn’t poetry, what else would you be doing?
Oh …you are getting it all wrong. Everything evolving towards perfection is on a poetic odyssey. You need to understand that Poetry, through New Earth Classics,was redefined that morning on the 1st of January 2000.
It is the Art of attempting to capture or attain divinity in all human endeavors, especially as pertains to the craft of writing’ A photographer can attain poetry in his work, same applies to a doctor, footballer, politician, student, jeweler, a musician, a scientist, or a car designer can attain poetry in his designs.
I am Light bearer for the new Spirit of Innovation, Global Peace, evolution and cultural emancipation of the Human species. My life work as a World Server is ordained through stimulating the hearts and minds of men.
Any other thing I do for a living is just a means to keep my mind and body together. I have two growing consultancy companies that seek to bring in low interest financing to bankable projects into emerging markets.
We have the capacity to bring in a minimum of $10 million USD into Nigeria as long as a client is able to issue MT760 as instrument. Meaning: As the market here is growing every day with the influence of Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala’s work, we accept Local Bank Guarantees issued against the facility and confirmed by a first rated Issuing Bank Abroad.
I am also currently the in-house Poet for the Italian Embassy in Abuja. As a Professional Artist and entrepreneur I belong to private groups of people around the globe who add value to my life because they recognize the vision and future of what I am pioneering.
These men and women of goodwill support my work for using my poetry to bring freshness, originality; cultural essence and resurgence of individuality and brotherhood to humanity.
Essentially to sustain us as we evolve into one of the Avant-garde custodians of the new Earth renaissance. I will say all I am doing is to become a better Poet in everything I do.
So it is possible to make a living off poetry?
I am able to pay my bills and run a home in an expensive city like Abuja. New Earth Classics is about being enterprising and being able to make money out of thin air like Bill Gates.
The opportunities offered to entrepreneurs in this millennium are so profound that in the coming future companies and private persons will pay thousands and millions of Dollars and Euros for New Earth Classics written by me and others who follow suit.
If Bill Gates can become a Billionaire and Philanthropist by selling software to the world, then given the right environment, support and platform we can attain anything we set our minds to achieve…Remember this.
What are the components of a good Poem?
Again in New Earth Classics we question what a good poem should be, what parameters are used to measure a good poem.
Every writer of Poetry retains the power to write as the muse dictates. Essentially, in the crafting of ‘a good poem’, we must recall that surgical procedures have evolved in the past 100 years and building technology has gone through myriads of innovations in the hands of architects and masons.
It is very important to remember that we are in a totally new millennium and even when the ‘old-model’ of things still appeals to the senses, it is more profitable and suitable to go with the flow of the NOW.
Let’s look at content and imagine that the poem you are crafting is a house, then the foundations must be solid and well measured out, the pillars of originality and perspective has to be clearly defined.
The imagery has to tilled carefully so as not to confuse and confound a ‘Tenant’ or visitor. Rolls-Royce, Mercedes Benz attained Poetry in their designs and products that have kept them ahead of the game, same for BMW, Toyota, Cadillac and Maserati to name a few whose parameters are used in these new times to determine what the components of a good driving machine is.
The use of metaphors, similes should look like the interior design of a well-built house, and should connect in a way to create equilibrium and rhythm; all known components have to align well to ensure stability and direction.
That way one is able to create balance so that a visitor to the Poem can navigate successfully through the beauty created by a human mind. Bear in mind that words are alive and powerful things and one must be very careful how they are used, managed and commanded.
A wordsmith has to see himself like a master jeweler or master mason or the captain of vessel. He oftentimes brings forth great elements into play to finish his craft and sometimes these components are not found readily in the lexicon of known dictionaries and languages.
When you remember that Poetry is the humans attempt at capturing divinity in all human endeavors ,then it’s easy to make sense of certain seemingly divergent elements that come to bear in the creation of a good poem.
In poetry, is talent enough?
A BIG NO! ….Let’s look at a car manufacturer. He designs the car, makes models of it, begins to fabricate the car and then runs them out in the assembly plant, as soon as they are tested and confirmed ready for market they hit the runways of car-shows and we find them in the market competing with other cars.
Almost the same applies for Poetry…especially New Earth Classics. We have paid our dues, we have been through the eye of a needle, we have been cooked in the furnaces of originality, individuality and entrepreneurship, we have been through the process of concept design, modelling, fabrication, assembly, shows and market.
Talent is more like the design; it’s the first essential of the product.
New Earth Classics is a brand that we are poised to sell to the whole world and right now we are in the process of running it out in the assembly plant, we have been tested and found good to go by the number of endorsements and accolades issued by Federal Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, The Italian Embassy, The European Union, The United Nations, National Gallery of Art,Abuja Literary Society, The Swiss Embassy, Association of Nigerian Authors, The Swiss Embassy, LucisTrust, The British High Commission and of course individuals like our own Noble Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has confirmed in writing my poetic dexteriy since 2005.
Jennifer, remember this …Packaging is the key to every business and we are in the process of packaging our product to a waiting world.
If you could change one thing about your life/past, what would it be?
I think that the destiny of one’s life is encoded in a divine live stream which we can decide to change when we realize our divine potential and identity.
The past is part of The Great NOW, and we don’t have the power to bring it back, but we can make restitutions when necessary, everything that has happened to me in the past has brought me to where I am today.
I have no regrets and the only thing I deeply feel is a profound feeling of gratitude to God, the Architect of the Universe. The Poet of all Poets who activated the divine seed of dynamic creative intelligence in me in the year 2000.
How do you keep motivated in the face of failure/disappointment?
Life is a likened to an endless ocean and of course there are different characters of the sea that influence our life,and the understanding that we are one and same with the ocean should only propel us towards evolving or sailing, or marching, or flying or navigating towards the eye of the storm where we can peace in the midst of a troubled world.
I also spend quality time with my family, travel, read a lot, eat healthy, practice meditation, and listen to quality music and of course I climb hills around Abuja.
What is your biggest achievement to date?
Marriage to a wonderful amazon and the birth of our two beautiful kids.
How do you remain relevant in your industry, year after year?
First by staying true to my craft, staying simple, keeping a quality low profile. Being humble, focused and never forgetting where I am coming from. And of course taking care of what is most important in my life, my family which includes people I know and don’t know.
If you were President for a day…
If I was destined to be President, I would definitely want to do complete time of the agreed tenure so as to complete projects and impact our potentially rich and fascinating nation and region. A day is not enough for this.
But if it was for a day then I will have an international press conference and speak to the world and tell them how much Nigeria needs electrification in every part so that every part of Nigeria can function like any other developed nation, electricity is the open and secret key to Nigeria’s ailing situation.
Even corruption can be truly managed if we have a dedicated power generating system.
Nigeria and Africa will truly rise when…?
When we have a dedicated Power system and Light is seen over Africa from outer Space, then and only then will Africa truly arise. This is the key to Africa’s development.
Could you kindly write us -Konnect Africans- a quick poem about achieving one’s goals?
Place your pen and plans permanently on the pinnacle of earth’s evolving perfection,
Package your prayers in printed and material form,
Paste them provocatively in your private and public presence and
Watch providence provide you with permanent profiting presents.
Kindly inspire a young African with one sentence.
… Remember you are born first a proud, endowed, cultured, honest, hardworking and ambitious, Global and Planetary African.
Ekene Atusiubah is a NIGERIAN BARD & Founder- New Earth Classics – a new Genre of Poetry –
Entrepreneur and Culture Custodian. He can be contacted via atusiubahekene@yahoo.com or via telephony: 08032169005.
