Art is the one purveyor of globalisation you can always count on to spread the crown jewels of the world (well, there’s also colonialism but this is a different party). In the heart of Kenya, past the thorn scrub, Timothy Matolo collects old Nollywood films the way an art enthusiast might collect an Edward Hopper or the way a philatelist might worship stamps of antiquity. 

MEET TIMOTHY MATOLO.

Mr Matolo works in the operations department at JKIA tour and travel services. When he isn’t working,  he collects cassettes of old Nigerian pictures. “I am very fascinated by Nigeria,” he says. “Every Kenyan here shares that same fascination. We enjoy watching the miracles of the Late TB Joshua and Adeboye of RCCG”.

Matolo is also an avowed admirer of our sporting achievements and teams. He expressed his admiration for Nigerian female sports while jocularly stating that Kenyans are adept at marathons. Nigerians are really good at sports, he says, and the women are especially exceptional. 

Matolo’s xenocentric hobby is a function of something unrelated to the lucrative and acclaimed Nigerian entertainment industry. Televangelism is perhaps our most unsung export to the crannies of the continent. 

HIS MUST-WATCH LIST:

His collection boasts of a bevy of classics like;  Sibling Rivalry and Shumiletta (Directed by Afam Okereke). Each film in his collection provides in numerous forms and modes a sociological snapshot of the Nigerian condition, which quite frankly, is punctuated by a sense of pride, theatrics and delusion. However, his favourites are Living In Bondage 1992 (Chris Obi Rapu), The Confidence (Christian Onu), Highway to the Grave (Teco Benson), Twin Sisters (Adaeze Ibechukwu), and Shumiletta (Afam Okereke).

If we set aside the glaring differences and the impediments of borders, we begin to see more individuals like Matolo who take pride in the sanctity of their culture and the cultures of others. The Internet which has long been seen as the abstract of the global centre pales in comparison to the cultural assimilation engendered by old things; posters, cassettes, and CDs. Our music is a staple in world culture but long before that, we have always been the de facto mecca of fads. 

I’m sure Matolo does not feel less Kenyan on account of what he hoards and watches. Still, you can envision him, amiable and broad-minded, watching some of our best films from his abode in the storied city of Nairobi understanding what it means to be Nigerian and the enduring magnificence of our many definitions.