The late Ray Charles had lost his sight at the age of seven and his younger brother two years earlier. The world that he once saw and enjoyed the beauty and serenity of it had turned dark and misty. Facing hardships and seemingly insurmountable mountains as he wearily traveled down life’s road, he found solace in music, which turned out to be an escape route by which the late Ray Charles triumphantly walked to stardom. Such was the life of this great artist (albeit blind), who played the piano deftly, that in 2004 “RAY”, a biographical film starring Jamie Foxx and directed by Taylor Hackford, was released. Surely our parents would have a nostalgic feeling, reliving hits like “I got a woman”, “Georgia”, “Hit the Road Jack”, among others and with a dozen Grammy awards and others added to groundbreaking milestones recorded in their profile, Ray Charles, who rose to glory on June 10, 2004, was a true legend.
“This song is so delicious, I’m going the way of Cobilicious” was the rap lyric intro that Cobhams Asuquo sang on Dekunle Fuji’s hit song “No Lele”, though many Nigerians were unaware of his “null vision status” . His popularity skyrocketed among the populace when he performed the beautiful thought-provoking chorus in the song “Lagi Mo” (The Roof Top MCs), which made the song reach number one on some Nigerian chart shows. . He won the 2007 HIP Hop world Awards in the “producer of the year” category, increasing the number of statuettes he had already received. He is currently one of the most sought after producers in the music industry, making guest appearances on television shows and reality shows (Project Fame West Africa, Season 1) along with request for his services extending to corporate entities, banks (Sky bank’s ad with Akuna Matata’s song)
The icy hands of death almost took Yinka Ayefele in 1999 when he was involved in a car accident. The shock affected his spinal cord and sentenced him to life in a wheelchair. Through the trials of fire and the cessation of the pity party, he was brave enough to leave the trial behind and flow like water from a rock to quench our thirst with the refreshing and exciting taste of the Gospel. Fame, fortune, local and international awards have voluntarily made their way into his life.
The Nigerian musical field can boast of this duo that has triumphed on its stage, but the same can be said of the film industry. We have seen physically handicapped (visually impaired/lame) roles played by able-bodied actors to the best of their ability, but wouldn’t it be a surprise to millions of moviegoers that people with medically proven physical disabilities naturally fill those roles? roles assigned to their able-bodied counterparts. Who says there aren’t talented among them whose acting skills can’t be brushed up on? After all, not all A-list actors studied theater arts or attended schools that specialized in harnessing such talents.
There are many talented people with physical disabilities who are rotting simply because no one has dared to give them a chance. After all the scripts can be converted into Braille for them to read, at least we know that their sense of hearing is hyper-functional than the seer’s. A lot of reality TV shows have hit the screens in recent years (mainly in the entertainment sector) and new ones are emerging every day, such as Gulder Ultimate search, AMBO, Next movie star, The Intern, Maltina Family dance all , Star Quest, Football with Fash, The Twelve Ambassadors, Big Brother Nigeria, Apprentice Africa, Idols West Africa, Nokia First Chance, Project Fame West Africa.
No reality shows have been made for people with physical disabilities, probably due to fear of not getting sponsors (who are focused on making a return on their investments), or fear of total rejection by viewers. Who says that a reality show that people with physical disabilities can function in cannot be conceived and given birth, it is all about ingenuity and who can say if such a reality show can end up being the best among all? Nothing is impossible!
No one chooses to be born with a disability, a microscopic percentage land on topsoil with a disability, while a dominant proportion can be attributed to ‘man’s negligence, accidents and in some cases ‘remote controlled African incidents’. Stevie Wonder and the late Ray Charles had the chance to snag the tickets to stardom, which they did with appreciation, simply because someone believed in them and created opportunities for them to show the world what they had. Let’s help the physically disabled to live their dreams in Nigeria, because without a doubt, the ability is in the disability!
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