By Ogheneruemu Alexande
The dust from last Saturday 19 March – the grand finale of the biggest Sign language interpreters challenge in Nigeria, nay Africa is yet to settle. The prize winners and their fans are still basking in the euphoria of that moment.
The event, staged in Sub-Sahara Africa’s one and only College of Education for Special needs, garnered a massive turn out of predominantly deaf folks whose language was being showcased.
And so they came, deaf and hearing folks, en-masse, to rout for their favorite Interpreters in an atmosphere brimming with fun, thrills, skills, frills, and more.
True to hype preceding the show, the event lived up to billing in sterling performances put up by contestants as they jostled to outdo one another for the ultimate prize. In all, the program was a commendable success – unveiling a wealth of human talent and potential that can hold its own against the best in the world.
On Saturday March 19, we saw amazing raw talents on display. Some polishing here, some fine tuning there, a bit more professionalism, adoption of best practices, some much needed branding – and you have a nouveau industry to reckon with. Sentiments aside, that is.
In this piece, I outline core perspectives on the show.
Truly, people are spurred to excellent performances when under pressure. The pumping adrenaline, the allure of the ultimate prize, the euphoric drive that comes with swaying the heart of an excited audience, these factors, without doubt, contributed to the superlative performances that day. It is a natural phenomenon.
Still we can pick a vital point from thence, namely, that it behooves the contestants in that ultimate challenge to strive to replicate such sterling performances in a competitive environment in professional practice – bearing in mind that the substance of the show isn’t to hype and self project but to brand the image of the interpreting profession in positive light.
Now, in any language there’s something called clarity and fluency. Both are critical to effective communication. Sign language, though a visual language, is no exception. The observant mind would have noticed too many contestants overshadowing these fundamentals with plenty of gingering and swaggering in the bid to woo the audience. The result? Compromised communication. Here’s the caveat: a healthy measure of ginger and swags isn’t a bad thing, however these should never be at the expense of clear and fluent interpretation.
The judges did well to comment on the dress sense of contestants at the end of the contest. Whereas a handful of contestants passed the dress code test, few flouted the rules while trying to appear fashionable and hippie. It is a valid saying that “looking good is good business”. Still, it is good to observe the delicate balance between great dressing and ethics of the profession. And for the sign language interpreter, aiming to pass the message effectively is better than drawing attention to one’s trendy fashion. Professionalism or vain glory, which will it be? Now is the time to lay an enduring foundation.
At this juncture, permit me to say a word on the situation where the top 4 or so winners of the challenge were females. Now, I do not want to be controversial. Yet if truth be told, such a situation is bound to raise eyebrows and fuel suspicions – even if unvoiced. I submit therefore that there’s a need for deeper scrutiny in the area of judges decision if a healthy sense of fair-play is to be maintained.
Never underestimate the power of music. Sadly, much of this pleasure is denied to deaf persons. Fortunately, there’s “Musign”. I love that coinage for sign-singing music. And mehn, I still recall nodding with real inner enjoyment to the thrilling combo of creativity, graceful moves and sheer genius displays of the contestants during Musign. On this one I have nothing but accolades for the performances. For the first time, my attention was drawn to the subtle distinctions between rhythm/beats and lyrics in signing music. This is necessary for maximum enjoyment of music by the deaf. Then I noticed too, that doing both simultaneously constitutes quite a task for a single individual. So I felt there’s a better way. And that was the eureka moment – a subject for another day. I will however point out that Musign remains a promising niche that we should consider exploring to the fullest. The potentials are staggering.
In the final analysis, the substance I want driven home is simple. The ultimate Interpreters challenge is a welcome concept. However, the importance of the beginning/foundational stage should be borne in mind with the urgency of NOW! Yes, the time is now because everything eventually comes down to foundation.
There are pertinent questions to ask at this stage. What kind of foundation is being laid? What are the core values and principles back of this foundation? Will the foundation stand the test of time? Will the values and principles measure up to best practices? These, and many more demand depth of thought. The place of the sign language interpreter in the deaf community is well nigh irreplaceable. We’re in this together and we must work together.
For the perceptive reader, I will conclude this piece with the following warning lines from the immortal Shakespeare:
“There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures “.