Festival Honors Tall Tale Tellin'

Tejumola Ologboni can tell one heck of a lie.

"It happened in Kansas, 'cause that's where I was born," he begins. And before you know it, you're sucked in — willing yourself to believe he was once a bartender at a saloon where word of "Big John's" arrival scared all his customers away.

Whether he's spinning a tall tale or bringing a bit of African history to life, Ologboni uses his expressive eyes and ever-changing voice to entertain and to teach his audience a lesson.

He is one of dozens of storytellers converging in Providence for the 21st annual National Black Storytelling Festival and Conference. The event, which ends Sunday, features performances by award-winning storytellers as well as educational workshops on movement, rhythm and using the voice as an instrument.

The festival also features the ever-popular Liars Contest, where participants have three minutes to tell their most convincing tall tale. The 58-year-old Ologboni won the contest years ago with his fictional tale of Big John — a character who never appears in the story, but sends chills down the spine anyway thanks to Ologboni's dramatic, animated telling.

Linda Goss, co-founder of the National Association of Black Storytellers, said the goal of the festival is to spread the word and keep oral stories alive — something that has taken on more importance as videos and computers have replaced storytelling as means of entertainment.

This is the first time the conference has been held in New England, and this year's theme is: "Embracing the Many Shades of Black: Africa, Mother of Us All." It's fitting, since storytelling itself is so diverse, Goss said.

"We tell stories in so many different ways," she said, adding that some folklorists use drumming, or chanting. "We tell our stories as expressively as we can, whatever it takes to get a story out — sing, shout, get down and crawl around on the floor."

Goss, who described herself as "ageless," has her own style of storytelling, opening each performance with a jingle of her bells and the phrase, "It's stooooorytelling time!" She dresses in a brightly colored mud cloth and head wrap, and uses chants, facial expressions and song. She calls out to her audience, and engages them by asking them to repeat what she has said, or to answer questions.

"I feel like I was called to be a storyteller," Goss said. "It's very spiritual."

Ologboni, who dresses all in white as a symbol of creativity, has a different style.

"My favorite thing is to irritate people," he said, explaining how he draws his audience in through direct interaction. "Sometimes, I'll join the audience and talk about me, and say, 'Man, what's that dude up there talking about?"'

But whether the teller is relaying a historical tale or silly rhyme, most black storytelling has a lesson or contains a message, Ologboni said. Even the rhymes that children use when playing hopscotch or jumping rope are based on black experiences.

Ologboni, who is also an oral historian, said he wants to pass on African history and culture, since much of it is ignored in most school history classes. He also teaches that popular attitudes in some parts of black American culture, such as "boasts" for example, can be traced back to Africa.

Goss agrees, saying everything from the blues, to rap, to comedy, are connected to storytelling — and all kinds of storytelling help connect people to their culture.

"If we listened to each others' stories more, there would really be less strife," Goss said.

By Amy Forliti