Wole Soyinka: A Name Is More Than The Tyranny Of Taste



FESPACO 2013 - Read The Transcript Of Wole Soyinka's Epic Keynote Address Speech

Click here to read the complete report.






"A Name is More Than the Tyranny of Taste" is a celebrated essay by Nigerian Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka. First delivered as a keynote address in 2013, the essay explores the cultural, political, and historical significance of African names in the face of colonial legacy. 

Key themes from Soyinka's work include:
Colonial Imposition: He critiques how colonial powers and missionaries historically stripped Africans of their native names, replacing them with European or biblical ones under the guise of "civilization" or pronunciation ease. 

Decolonizing Identity: Soyinka argues that returning to or embracing native African names is a vital act of decolonization, as a name is deeply tied to an individual's heritage, destiny, and history. 

The "Tyranny of Taste": This phrase refers to the Eurocentric standards that dictated what was considered "acceptable," "refined," or "beautiful," dismissing indigenous African nomenclatures and cultures as inferior. 
Soyinka's address advocates for reclaiming linguistic and cultural autonomy, asserting that a name is a profound cultural text rather than just a phonetic label.
 
Read more on 
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/780260/summary 






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