The Premiere of Kemi Adetiba’s “King Women” Series

March 31, 2017

Obangawan literally translates to female king (or Queen), now even better put – King Woman. It was the title to be conferred on Mayen Adetiba at the time, one reserved to honour the illustrious kinfolk in the community.

Kemi, in the screen opening, told the story of how at 13, her uncle teased her mum who was to be conferred the native chieftaincy title; he then told Kemi what Obangawan meant. That was the seed in Kemi Adetiba’s heart for the now fully emerged King Women series; what we now see decades later manifesting as the original idea of women sharing powerful and reflective stories of challenges, choices and triumph by women (who), and while they are still here.

The accelerate TV event is of course sponsored by Access Bank and Herbert Wigwe, the Bank MD, gave a hearty speech on how easy it was to accept Kemi’s Passion project, given the Bank is a pioneer supporter of women and women projects in Nigeria.

IMAX Cinema in Lekki was the venue on the evening of Monday 27^th. The first screening started about 6 pm for students and we were informed there was hardly a dry eye in the room once the lights came back on. While the second half of the Premiere of Kemi Adetiba’s KING WOMEN started out with beautiful cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at the signature lounge and ended even more beautifully after the screening, with high sparks of emotions in the now mellow air.

The event was anchored by Lala Akindoju and well attended by the sponsors and supporters from all walks of life. A few of the guests include Laure Beaufils, the Deputy High Commissioner for Lagos and of course, Kemi Adetiba’s parents, Mo’ Abudu, Sola Sobawale, Toke Makinwa, Nimi Akinkugbe… and the featured King women. Snippets of the impending show were put together for this screening and boy, we were not prepared for the highly emotional discussions about to take place. It featured Chigurl the comedienne, TY Bello, Tara Fela-Durotoye, Taiwo Ajayi-Lycett, Funmi Victor-Okibo and tw’s own Adesuwa Onyenokwe or Aunty Adesuwa as Kemi fondly calls her. These women told their captivating stories of challenges and rising above them – leading with strength and passion against all odds and travails.

I first stumbled on a teaser of the series about a year ago, I can’t be sure now. I remember I was searching for a recipe video then that led me to Kemi’s cooking vlogs and my curious eyes scanned the list for whatever else Kemi had ‘cooking’ outside the kitchen. Voila! It’s King Women and it picked my curiosity as I clicked to watch Chigurl’s teaser and all I have to say, ‘have you ever seen a comic cry… let alone, Chigurl?’ I was shocked to find her truth and even more shocked to listen to her gripping emotional story. I waited until this day, since the TW Magazine interview with Kemi in January, to hear finally that King Women was launching.

Can I just say Taiwo Ajayi-Lycett owned the night? And without stealing the show, she managed to leave us yearning for more King women after her intriguing preview but not until she gave a short, albeit fervent delivery in her usual sensational elocution. She left us with some words on marble, ‘…love is not in the groin; it is in between the ears. It is in the heart.

The wedding party Director clearly has many aces up her sleeves and luring these women to tell their stories is epic. We very rarely see these kinds of bare all, tell all, no holds barred interviews in Nigeria, except with a motive or victim-notion, but these series will be different, with heroic and conquest details to guide and help raise the heroes and heroines coming after them.

Kemi has proven yet again, her prowess and this project which has been about 2 years in the making, promises a riveting experience. The 13 part series, covering 12 brilliant women officially premieres on Accelerate TV on April 3^rd, 2017.

I personally, can’t wait to have my mind fed with the full stories of these women. I’ll just say tune in, it will be worth it.

I am woman, I am invincible, I am queen, I am #KingWoman and I am Today’s Woman.

See some pictures from the event below.

Kemi Adetiba and Colette Otusheso