Music: FESTAC @40 to address negative messages

@SimonEchewofun The commemoration of 40 years of Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) will be used to address conveyance of negative messages by some Nigerian musicians and dancers, an official has said.

The DirectorGeneral, Centre for Black Arts and African Civilisation (CBAAC), Dr Ferdinand Anikwe, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the event which holds from May to November would be used to revive preaching of morals and national unity and progress through music as done by old high life music tunes and dances.

FESTAC held in 1977 and this year celebration has since been tagged as FESTAC’77 @ 40.

He noted that old musicians such as King Sunny Ade, Victor Olaiya, the late Celestine Ukwu, the late Osita Osadabe, Ebenezer Obey and Paulson Kalu propagated messages of honesty, hope, peace and unity.

He said music by Mike Ejeagha, the late Sunny Okosun, the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and some others also preached morals. The musicians and their works promoted Nigeria’s culture, unity and progress contrary to nowadays music which conveyed little or no desirable messages, Anikwe noted.

Anikwe said: “Some of these legendary musicians and dancers will be made to urge younger musicians to promote African cultural heritage through their music and consolidate on what their predecessors put down.”