Stakeholders in the music and entertainment
industry have highlighted the vital connection between music, entertainment and
culture. The stakeholders who convened at the Lagos Airport Hotel for the first
ever Roundtable on Yoruba music, Ariya
Repete, also commendedGoldberg lager beer for the initiative, which they
say, signals a cultural rejuvenation among Yorubas.
In his keynote address at the roundtable which
focused on Juju and Fuji genres of music, Professor TundeBabawaleexplained that the rich cultural heritage of the Yoruba provided the
foundation on which the music genres of Juju and Fuji are built.
Babawale,a former Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Center for
Black and African Arts and Civilisation, CBAAC,noted that the attachment of the
Yoruba people of South West Nigeria to music and celebration has earned them
the appellation of “Owambe”, a reference to their love for ceremonies and
celebrations.
He traced the origin of Juju music to the old Saro (Olowogbowo) quarter
of Lagos where the genre emerged from ‘asiko’ music associated with “area boys”
in the quarter and added that the genre also incorporated Brazilian Samba
elements and the guitar style of Kru sailors from Liberia.
According to the professor, the music of the culture such as Juju and
Fuji has positively impacted every area of life of the Yorubas including the
reduction of socio-economic tension and the prevalence of religious tolerance.
A prominent Fuji musician, King WasiuAyinde Marshall (KWAM 1) thanked
the organisers and speakers at the event for what he described as an educative
initiative meant to preserve Fuji and Juju, vital aspects of the music and
culture of the Yorubas.
Sir Shina Peters, a frontline Juju musician also commended Goldberg for
providing such a platform to discuss indigenous music and called on other
corporate organisations to emulate the effort.
Ambrose Somide, a radio broadcaster with Faaji FM and a panellist at the
roundtable enjoined young musicians of Yoruba extraction to endeavour to
sustain the genres for the promotion of the Yoruba culture.
While welcoming guests to the forum, Mr. Kufre Ekanem, Nigerian
Breweries’ Corporate Affairs Adviser, who was represented by Patrick Olowokere,
the company’s Corporate Communications and Brand Public Relations Manager,
disclosed that the Ariya Repete
initiative was borne out of the company’s respect for
tradition and values of the people.
The special guest of honour, His Imperial Majesty, Oba AdeyeyeBabatunde EnitanOgunwusi,
(Ojaja II),the Ooni of Ife, who was represented by Oba AdebiyiAsoya, the Asoya
of Ile Asoya Kingdom, reiterated the need to sustain the current cultural
revival among Nigerians as championed by Goldberg lager beer in the area of
indigenous Yoruba music.
The Ariya Repete Roundtable, the first ever roundtable discourse on
Yoruba music in Nigeria attracted stakeholders from traditional institutions,
the academia, the entertainment industry and the media to provide informed
thoughts on sustaining and promoting the rich heritage of Fuji and Juju music.
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