20: DIGITAL TRANSMEDIALITY AND THE GLOBALIZATION OF AFRICAN IDENTITY IN THE PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF LISABI

This study examines the globalisation of African identity in the digital age through a performance analysis of Lisabi, directed by Niyi Akinmolayan. It interrogates how contemporary African narratives are mediated through digital technology to reach transnational audiences while retaining indigenous cultural integrity. Situating the film within performance studies and postcolonial theory, the research argues that Lisabi operates as a performative reconstruction of Yoruba history, transforming cultural memory into a globally circulating aesthetic experience. The study analyses performance elements such as costume, ritual embodiment, and visual composition to demonstrate how traditional Yoruba theatrical conventions are adapted within modern cinematic frameworks. Drawing on globalisation theory and media convergence, the study contends that technological mediation does not erode authenticity but instead expands the performative space through which African identity is negotiated and affirmed. Lisabi exemplifies a hybrid aesthetic that fuses oral tradition and epic dramaturgy with contemporary film technology, enabling local histories to assume global relevance. Ultimately, the study concludes that digital performance serves as a strategic site for cultural preservation, transformation, and global visibility in twenty-first-century African storytelling.