Yoruba epic films are suddenly everywhere again, I love it

<p>After a long time in the wilderness, it's raining Yoruba epic films once again.</p>, <span>From left to right and top to bottom: 'King of Thieves,' 'Aníkúlápó,' 'Òrìṣà,' and 'Jagun Jagun' are defining a new age of exciting Yoruba epic films</span>, <h2>Something about watching a fire-breathing god onscreen feels like nothing else on TV could be better — that's what watching Ṣàngó felt for me as a 9-year-old.</h2>, <p>For the uninitiated, Ṣàngó is a Yoruba deity and is historically recognised as the third Alaafin of the old Oyo Empire. Considered one of the most powerful Yoruba rulers ever, a film about him makes sense, and Obafemi Lasode produced and directed one that he released in 1997.</p>, <p>Ṣàngó remains one for the ages, and watching it at a young age is one of the most significant reasons I fell in love with Yoruba epic films.</p>, <p>When the titular character, played by the towering Wale Adebayo, scattered common grains on the ground and summoned spirits to help him achieve what sounded like an impossible task, I cheered.</p>, <p>In a battle scene later in the film, Ṣàngó turned grains into live bats that attacked his enemies and plucked out the eyes of his main adversary.</p>, <p>This was cinema.</p>, <img src="https://cdn-fmcrawler.shalltry.com/public/prod/files/images/2023-07-31/original/ce99f7dc-727b-4973-965f-aba5366135e1.jpg">, <span>'Ṣàngó' enjoyed critical acclaim when it was released in the late 90s YouTube/Classic TV</span>, <p>Around the time of Ṣàngó's release, there were many more Yoruba epic films, especially ones touching historical characters, that made the rounds.</p>, <p>Adebayo Faleti's Baṣọ̀run Gáà is a dramatisation of the life of a real powerful kingmaker of the old Oyo Empire whose overbearing arrogance eventually led to his humiliating downfall.</p>, <p>A five-minute speech by the titular Gáà, played by the elegant David Ojedokun, explaining why he'd just ordered the elimination of yet another king bears striking resemblance to Roman senators justifying the brutal assassinatio