Nigeria is chaos, humour, inspiration – Kayode Onyinbo

Weekend Magazine: You are American named Kevin Barry, how did you come by the name Kayode Onyinbo?Kevin Barry: When I studied Yoruba in college (at the University of Wisconsin), we had to choose Yoruba names to use in class.  I chose Kayode because it starts with ‘K’ and I feel like my personality embodies the […]

Weekend Magazine: You are American named Kevin Barry, how did you come by the name Kayode Onyinbo?
Kevin Barry: When I studied Yoruba in college (at the University of Wisconsin), we had to choose Yoruba names to use in class.  I chose Kayode because it starts with ‘K’ and I feel like my personality embodies the meaning (brings joy).  It kind of stuck from there, and sometimes it’s easier to have people in Nigeria call me Kayode than Kevin…A lot of people think it is ‘Kelvin’ or other incorrect pronunciation, so I just thought why not call me something that actually has meaning and is part of your culture? Nigerians adopt foreign names all the time, why can’t I? Spending time living and working in Nigeria, listening to Nigerian music and watching Nigerian movies, have also sharpened my listening and speaking.
WM: What major interest did you pick in the language that made you learn it?
Barry: Music has always been a passion of mine. I’ve been playing drums since I was in primary school and studied Cuban and Brazilian music in high school. A lot of this music has roots in Yoruba and other West African drumming traditions, so I had learned a little about Yoruba culture previously. I didn’t know much about Africa but knew it is often misunderstood by the West, so I decided to go out on a whim and take Yoruba to satisfy my foreign language requirement. After a semester, I found the language easy to learn and became more intrigued with the culture and Nigeria as a place in general so I decided to continue.
WM: How easy was it for you to learn the language?
Barry: I had a fairly easy time learning the language. I had amazing teachers who made it easy to learn quickly. We (the students) were exposed to Yoruba daily and had other tasks and assignments that kept us listening to, speaking, reading and writing Yoruba. We read Nigerian newspapers, listened to Nigerian radio, watched Nollywood movies, and ate Nigerian food. This repeated exposure as well as spending a year in Nigeria made it seems easy but it required a lot of time, persistence and energy. I’m really glad I learned the language as it has been a key to many doors.
WM: Why did you choose to become an actor and when did you start acting?
Barry: I never had the aspiration of becoming an actor, I just sort of fell into it. I work in consulting for my main profession. Speaking Yoruba has given me a lot of opportunities to act, though I am very choosy about what I work on. Since I don’t have the time to act full time, I want to make sure whatever I do play a part in is worth my while.
WM: You recently featured in a Saidi Balogun movie, ‘You or I,’ what was the experience like?
Barry: It was interesting to say the least. We worked on the project over the course of three years in several different countries. I had never worked on a Nigerian film before so it was a great learning experience and one that will stick with me forever. I think Saidi really has a unique sense of creativity and an interesting vision. It was refreshing to work with someone in a Nigerian context who entertains the idea of changing or challenging the status quo as opposed to following current trends.
WM: You play the drums too (bata), tell us about this talent.  
Barry: Like I said, music and percussion have always been passions of mine. When I studied in Nigeria during college I knew before I left the United States that I wanted to learn as much about Nigerian music as possible, particularly Yoruba music. Since I had been playing drums for about 10 years when I first came to Naija, picking up bata drums wasn’t too difficult as I already had the technical dexterity (“chops”) and coordination in my hands and feet. One of the most beautiful things about music is that it transcends language and culture…Musicians playing together can find a deep common ground from the unconscious no matter who they are, where they come from, or how different they happen to be.  The biggest challenge for me was sharpening my language skills and understanding the deep meanings of the various proverbs and idioms constantly communicated using bata and talking drums. Learning bata and talking drums ended up developing a symbiotic relationship with my language learning as the language and percussion are heavily intertwined, particularly in the Yoruba context.  
WM: What was your first impression of Nigeria when you came?
Barry: To a Westerner who has never visited Nigeria before, Nigeria is overwhelming in every sense of the word. Literally every sensory input you are exposed to upon arrival is so different and intense compared to what you are used to. I felt like the first couple days came and went in waves of intensity. Thankfully, I have an easy time finding humour in most situations so it was also highly entertaining. I remember I felt so confused trying to figure everything out at first. I also remember immediately noticing the genuine warm hospitality many Nigerians exhibit, which made me eager to spend more time in the country.  
WM: You summarised your stay in Nigeria in three words, chaos, humour and inspiration. Tell us an experience for each?
Barry: Chaos: Chaos is omnipresent in Nigeria particularly from a Western perspective. Whether it’s the traffic, general disorganisation, lack of a widely accepted linear time schedule, or the Nigerian cultural aversion to patiently waiting in line (queue), examples of chaos are countless. However, I have always been a fan of the phrase “chaos breeds creativity.”
Humor: Nigerians tend to be very jovial people who appreciate when you crack jokes. A sense of humour is my most effective coping mechanism for dealing with frustration in Nigeria. Usually if I find myself in a frustrating situation, I try to take a step back and quietly narrate what is happening to myself in my head. This almost always makes me laugh when I take a step back and objectively analyse what is going on. When all else fails the thoughts “I can’t believe this is happening” or “are we really doing this right now?” usually make me laugh.
Inspiration: For inspiration, Nigerians are hustlers to the core. The industrious, entrepreneurial and relentless nature of Nigerians necessary for survival in the country is inspiring and has always pushed me to do more.
WM: How did you come about acting a Nigerian movie?
Barry: I met Saidi Balogun a few years ago at an event in New York.  We talked over the course of a few months and he shared his vision with me for “You Or I.”  I have been approached by several different Nigerian movie producers to act in films, but I am always very hesitant and careful with what I choose to work on. It took a lot of convincing but once I saw that Saidi and I had a lot of similarities and he had fully articulated his vision for the project, I agreed.
WM: Do we see you acting more Nigerian movies?
Barry: I’m not opposed to it, but acting is not my main profession or life goal. If a producer has a good concept for a film and a high standard of quality, I will definitely consider working on it if the circumstances are right.  I’m not in a rush and am not forcing it though.
WM: What were the challenges while shooting the movie?
Barry: There were different challenges in the different locations we shot. The challenges faced in South Africa were different from those of Spain, the United States and Nigeria. I have a good base in the United States and Saidi has a good base in Nigeria, so we each utilised our different connections in those locations. In Nigeria, general disorganisation, lack of good infrastructure and general lack of reliability made things take longer than they should have and threw us curve balls we were forced to deal with and adapt to at the last minute.  In the United States on the contrary, time is money and things in general tend to cost more than in Nigeria so sticking to our budget was a challenge.  
WM: What is your favourite Yoruba phrase and what does it mean?
Barry: “Tubu nile, geere ode,” is a proverb that means ‘you live in a prison but promulgate an ostentatious image outside.’  I love this proverb because there are countless examples everywhere in Nigeria.  Contemporary Nigerian culture can be extremely superficial and Nigerians tend to value and conceptualise material possessions, money and financial status in a different way than Americans do. In Nigeria there is a pressure to always present yourself in the best light possible even if it means deceiving others. After all “everything na packaging.”  I think a lot of Nigerians get way too caught up in this mentality and it ends up dragging them down in the end as living beyond your means to sustain a fake image has an inherent danger of collapse.  “Ile ta fi ito mo, iri ni yoo wo.”
WM: What have been your biggest embarrassment so far while in Nigeria?
Barry: I love to exercise outdoors and I used to run outside in Nigeria when I studied at the University of Ibadan. Clearly a lot of people were not accustomed to seeing a white guy running around outside so I got a lot of funny looks and comments. “Where are you going?”  “What problems are you running from?  “God will help you!”  “What’s chasing you?”  “What are you chasing?” and phrases of the like.  Early one morning I was jogging in a remote part of the campus and was listening to my headphones with the music turned up loud.  I was rather oblivious to my surroundings, and didn’t think twice as I was approaching a very old and feeble hunchbacked man from behind. As I was about to pass him he suddenly turned around and drew a machete out of his agbada. I had clearly scared the living daylights out of him when he heard my heavy breathing and footsteps from behind he probably thought I was going to mug him.  I immediately prostrated and started to apologise profusely once I realised what happened. I was embarrassed because this moment showed me how much I stood out in the situation.  I guess the lesson here is to be humble and conscious of who you are and your surroundings. When existing in a foreign place you are not familiar with, it’s best to do as the locals do.
WM: Which of these do you watch more, Nollywood or Hollywood movies and why?
Barry: I definitely watch Hollywood movies more. I spend so much time in Nigeria and relating with Nigerians, sometimes I feel like my life is turning into a Nollywood movie of sorts.  I really like to watch TV series and Hollywood films to relax. I’m an avid Netflix user and love binge watching TV shows when I have time.  
WM: Do you intend to learn any other Nigerian language and which one?
Barry: Based on my experiences in learning Yoruba, I’m sure learning any other Nigerian language would be extremely interesting and rewarding. If I had to pick one I’d like to learn Hausa next.
WM: What is your favourite Nigerian food?
Barry: It depends on what mood I’m in. I love all foods so I always have a hard time answering ‘favourites’ questions.  If I had to pick a favourite starch and soup, it would be eba (gari) and efo (vegetable).  I also love beans and plantain, and yam and eggs.