Solomon John Ebikeseye na 26 years old young man wey dem dey call Fire Man, im full time job as e say na to “chop fire, play wit fire.”
“Some group of artistes come meet me for my house dat year for 2017, say dem dey want pesin wey go carri fire dey play wit say weda I fit do am?”
John tell BBC Pidgin as e remember how di journey into im fire craft take start for 2017 for im hometown for Bayelsa state, Southern Nigeria.
“I come reason di mata. As dem go, I carri firewood for my backyard, tire am wit wrapper, I come on am dey blow di fire dey carri am dey display, in di night dem come meet me say oya oh we don set for di show, I say oya make we dey go.
We go di show, I on my fire, as dem dey perform, me sef I dey play wit di fire, na so I come see di crowd wey dey shout for my fire works, I say ah ah, na so dis tin take make sense? di tin just enta my head”
John tori as e remember how e start.
‘No be jazz’
Dis kain craft no common for Nigeria, and dis wan don make am dey draw some attention.
John tok about di challenge of how pipo no dey believe say di act dey natural and no involve juju or jazz.
“No be jazz oh, na serious training and practice wey I dey do everyday for house. Dis fire work dey very-very dangerous and require a lot of energy. Sometimes e dey burn hand, dey burn body but di more I dey do am, di more I dey dey careful.”
At di beginning, John say e face rejection from pipo wey no trust di craft and wey dey fear till dem later understand am.
“Wen I start to dey chop fire, pipo reject me well-well, sometimes wen I go event, pipo dey comot from di hall like what is dis? dem dey fear say make dis tin no come burn us oh, and pipo no come dey treat me like human being becos dem believe say normal human being no suppose dey play wit fire di way I dey play wit am.” E tok.
‘I fit use fire do anytin’
Anoda challenge John tok wey dey around im craft as e no common na di challenge of how to classify am. E say, e classify im craft as fireworks and not fire dancing as e dey perform for stage and dey use fire take create tins.
“I dey use fire create names, I dey use fire create signs, me I fit use fire do anytin, dia is notin wey I no fit use fire describe and wit those description, fire dey bring out di beauty, so di work dey broad.” E tok.
“Wetin I like about my fire work, normally fire na light, so wen you on fire, darkness go run so I dey happy say dis my fireworks wey I dey do dey give pipo joy. E dey make some pipo no dey fear fire but dat wan no mean say make you go house go play wit fire, abeg oh!” E tok.
‘No try am for house abeg!’
Despite im love for fire and to dey light up di stage wit im craft, di African fireman get dis warning for pipo and im fans say di craft dey dangerous and no be for play anyhow.
“No be becos I dey play wit fire, no mean say make you go play wit fire for your house, abeg no go try am for house oh, na plenti hours of training na im carri me reach wia I dey today.” E tok.
John also tok about di disadvantage of im choice of craft as e say mentors no dey to look up to for Nigeria.
“Like di way DJ dem dey wey be say you dey see celebrity DJ, in as much as dem no dey sing but dey use dia craft to become celebrity DJ, me sef I wan be in dat position wia by dem go fit know me as African Fireman wey dey play wit fire but as celebrity fireman.
But as I no get anybody for top wey be say I dey look up to, I dey fear and I dey worry say how I go take be dat pesin, but I dey sure say one day, e go come true.” E tok.
E add say although one of di challenges e face na rejection of im work wen e start, now pipo don dey come to accept am.
Dis days, e dey perform for events like birthdays, clubs and oda gatherings as well as music videos.
