Taduno's Song

Starred review from January 30, 2017
Uniting a retelling of the Orpheus myth, an indictment of totalitarian inhumanity, and a Kafkaesque meditation on identity within the spare language of fable, Atogun’s memorable debut novel testifies to the power of both oppression and art. Its protagonist, a musician known only as Taduno, runs afoul of the ruthless Nigerian government for stirring up the populace with his protest songs. Losing his famous voice as a result of their brutality, he goes into exile. Three months later, he receives a letter from his girlfriend, Lela, warning him that their homeland is changing dangerously. Deciding to reunite with her, Taduno returns to Lagos only to discover that no one recognizes him, all of the documents that prove his identity have mysteriously disappeared, and Lela has been abducted by the government in its attempt to gain leverage over him. Taduno realizes that the only way to regain his identity is to regain his voice. But his musical rebirth has an impossible cost: will he save Lela by singing for the government, or remain true to his people and his soul? Readers familiar with Nigerian political history or the country’s late musician-activist Fela Kuti will find echoes of both in the novel. But Atogan’s allegory, at once bleak and hopeful, needs no external glosses to speak clearly and powerfully.

Nigerian author Atogun's debut novel is difficult to categorize. It's primarily a story of survival with elements of allegory, folk tale, and just a touch of magic. Prentice Onayemi's lilting African English adds its own melody as he narrates musician Taduno's struggles to reclaim his voice and his music, which he lost under an oppressive regime. The slightest modulations of volume and tone allow Onayemi to capture Taduno's anguish and anger as he wrestles with the choice of saving his imprisoned lover and himself, or saving his beloved country. Atogun's dark picture of life under authoritarian rule is leavened by the hope Taduno embodies as he upholds music as a powerful weapon of defiance. Onayemi's lyrical presentation of this short novel offers an intriguing choice for adventurous listeners. M.O.B. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine