Afolarin Jamiu Olawale: A Content Creator Preserving Culture Through Entertainment

Afolarin Jamiu Olawale, popularly known as JACE, is the creative force behind Jayboi Art Century Entertainment. In an exclusive interview with Ranks Africa Magazine, he delved into his journey of entertainment.

From a young age, JACE was drawn to the world of entertainment. This passion led to his involvement in drama and cultural activities throughout his primary and secondary education. His dedication to the craft saw him studying acting at a theatre school and featuring in home-video movies as a child. By 2017, JACE began sharing his content online, including the popular and educational “Right and Wrong” episodes.

Below are some of the key points from his interview with our correspondence.

Embracing Indigenous Language

Inspiration and Significance; JACE’s content creation is deeply inspired. From the beginning, he has crafted his works in both English and various dialects of Yoruba. The Yoruba language holds a special place for him due to its profound meanings and his native connection to it.

Yoruba is a language rich in depth and wisdom, making it a natural medium for a native speaker like JACE. The frequent use of proverbs, idioms, and metaphors allows him to express his innermost thoughts and feelings, leaving his audience entertained and amused. For example, a playful Yoruba phrase JACE uses is, “Kemi ni sin ti o to wo telly mi, se emina le wo telly re?” which translates to, “Kemi, now that you’ve viewed my television, can I also view yours?” This humorous line is used to woo a lady.

JACE seamlessly blends cultural authenticity with modern storytelling techniques. His understanding of the Yoruba cultural setting and storytelling techniques makes plotting stories straightforward once inspiration strikes.

Moreover, one of the main advantages of being a native Yoruba speaker is the fluent expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. Creating content in an indigenous language also involves using appropriate costumes and locations, which JACE finds comes naturally, despite the occasional challenges.

Resonating with the Audience, he revealed that he ensures that the themes of his scripts resonate with his audience’s everyday lives, making his content relatable and engaging.

While promoting Indigenous Languages, he believes that video content creators play a crucial role in preserving and promoting indigenous languages and cultures. The more content created in indigenous languages, the more viewers learn about cultural heritage and how to speak these languages fluently.

Meanwhile, when handling complex issues, he often adopts a fictional writing style with the intended topic or theme as the backdrop, ensuring cultural sensitivity and appropriate representation.

He also discussed that during his creative process; When conceptualizing and producing content, he begins with inspiration, jotting down ideas in his notepad. He then seeks suitable cast members and proceeds to shoot the script. This process allows him to incorporate metaphors and idioms effectively into his work.

Furthermore, his Message and Vision; Through his content, he aims to convey humor, cultural knowledge, and the expressive use of the Yoruba language. He envisions his work contributing significantly to the preservation of indigenous languages and cultures, offering audiences both entertainment and a deeper understanding of cultural heritage.

Afolarin Jamiu Olawale, through Jayboi Art Century Entertainment, continues to thrive by showcasing the beauty of the Yoruba language and culture. His dedication to creating engaging and relatable content remains unwavering, promising a bright future for the preservation and celebration of indigenous languages.