Revered poet, actor and broadcaster , Adebayo Faleti was on Friday laid to rest in his birthplace in Agboye, Oyo state.
The funeral service of the late icon was held at the First Baptist Church in Isokun.
Entertainers, dignitaries and politicians who were in attendance paid blooming tributes to the late veteran.
Faleti died on Sunday, July 23 at the age of 95.
Widow of veteran actor and literary icon, Adebayo Faleti has revealed the kind of relationship she had with her late husband. Abosede said she shared the same underwear with Pa Adebayo
She further revealed how her parents sent her away, after she got pregnant for the late Yoruba literary icon. According to her:” We were so close to the extent that I wore his pants and underwear. Up until his death, if you come to our house very early in the morning, maybe around 6am, I wear his clothes all around the house before getting dressed or set for the day’s activities. Baba was always willing to give me his Buba to wear. We were so close,” she told journalists.
“We were very close during his lifetime. From the time my parents sent me out after I took in (got pregnant) for him, he accepted me and my child and promised me that no hurt will come to me. He fulfilled his promises.
“Since we got married, I don’t eat alone, I will only eat when he gets back from work. He does the same thing by not eating out until he gets home because he knew I wouldn’t eat until he gets back from work.”
Following the death of Nigerian literary icon and actor, Adebayo Faleti there have been some doubts over the thespian’s true age as widely reported by the media. However his first son, Gbemi Faleti has said that his late father did not die at the age of 86.
Gbemi said that his dad passed on at “over 90 years old”, adding that the late movie icon should be “between 92 and 95 years old”.
Adebayo died on Sunday morning at the University College Hospital, Ibadan. He will be remembered for his passion for the Yoruba culture and the way he delivers his line whenever he was acting. He was known for spicing his lines with parables, proverbs and songs.
He starred in movies like Saworoide, Agogo Eewo, Bashorun Gaa amongst others.
Faleti will be laid to rest on the 8th of September 2017 in Ibadan.
The Nigerian arts cum entertainment industry mourns the sad death of Pa Adebayo Faleti.Like a giant, he straddled the world of theatre like he was born to do it. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said that his impact was real both in the arts and culture sector.
According to him:“We will really miss him. Pa Faleti, as he was fondly called, was not just a successful Thespian and broadcaster, he was also a patriot. He provided an example to follow when it comes to investing one’s intellect and talent in the propagation of one’s heritage. As he was doing this in probably all areas of the arts and entertainment, he was also participating in programmes and projects that could directly or indirectly impact positively on national development. So, his legacies should console us. I believe we all need to come together to celebrate and immortalise him, and I will be ready to be in the forefront of doing that.”
One of his protégés, Tunde Kelani described his death as that of setting a museum ablaze because he believes he represented the best of the people’s heritage
Hear him:”We thank God for his life. There is also the consolation that we can always revisit many of the creative works he left behind. But we must also be bold enough to observe that he was part of a breed that cannot be replaced. Or, in our present circumstance of cultural, educational and economic regression, can we still produce a true icon like Faleti? I am happy that I met people like him early enough – since the Western Nigerian Broadcasting Services days – and received the mentoring that I have continued to build upon.”
In his tribute, veteran actor Jide Kosoko wrote:”That was a good man; a good father to all of us. He was always very honest in his assessment of issues. If he had any fault, I think that was the fact that he was always too factual when speaking on issues. Baba Faleti would never call black ‘red’ even if that would displease his listener,” Kosoko said.
Faleti was among the pioneers of the first television station in Africa, Western Nigeria Television (WNTV), later known as the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).
He also published a dictionary containing formal Yoruba names.
In his lifetime, he received many awards 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 in 1955.
Nigerian actor and translator, Adebayo Faleti is dead. The successful thespian died at the age of 87 . Faleti passed on, on 22nd July 2017 at the University College hospital Ibadan.
Adebayo 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.
He published a dictionary containing the formal or official use of Yoruba names. He bagged many awards, both locally and internationally, including the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).
Alagba Faleti as he is often called by his proteges, has acted, written, and produced a number of movies, which include: Thunderbolt: Magun , Afonja and Basorun Gaa.
May his soul rest in peace