I like Terra Kulture; I really do. Perhaps though I like the idea of what it represents more than what it actually is. For example they promote Nigerian cuisine and this is supposed to be the place you take your 'oyinbo' friends for a taste of Nigeria. Still I'd rather take mine to Yellow Chilli or if they had a sterner constitution perhaps even Jevinik. I find the dodo is hardly every ripe, and their stew rather bland and they garnish their white rice with raw diced green peppers (who does that?). On the other hand they also give greater access to the theartre and their plays are of a good standard, but every show does seem like a matinee version of some grander performance.
The art upstairs is a great detour whilst waiting for a friend or for food, however labels of many are often missing and there is no information on the artists' whose works are on display. The library, which houses many obscure nuggets of African culture and history (I once saw a book on the housing market in Lagos the 182 thousand Naira) has no system or logic to how it is arranged, so finding anything means scouring every shelf in hope. Now I'm not trying to put them down, really I'm not, for it is in the summation of these individually flawed parts that one gets a special package. They are the little engine that can but is not yet there. The crooked glass tops on the outdoor tables do give concern that they may not be paying enough attention to detail anymore, but one could forgive them for having at least one eye on the larger structure they are erecting next door to their current facility.
So keep up the good work Bolanle Austen-Peters.
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