In deepening the usage of mother tongue among young Nigerians, stakeholders in the Creative Art Department of the University of Lagos (Unilag) have urged Nigerians to leverage the art through the several genres of music as a development tool.
This was the fallout of the Intercollegiate Choral Festival organised by the Creative Arts Department of Unilag as part of its annual ‘Africa Sings’ celebration, which was also used to honour the choral prowess of Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, the general overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles (MFM), for his contribution towards promoting indigenous music through his exceptional talents as a music composer.
The event’s atmosphere was unique, as the choirs rendered Olukoya’s compositions to treat attendees to an evening of captivating choral performances, exemplifying Africa’s rich musical diversity when delivered in their mother tongue.
The festival featured choirs from eight universities across Nigeria, including the University of Lagos; Mountain Top University; Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (they could not make to the choral festival for live performance, but sent their entry for the festival); University of Port-Harcourt; University of Ibadan; Lagos State University (LASU); University of Jos, and Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).
Albert Oikelome, the director of programmes for the festival and a professor in the Department of Creative Arts, said the choral festival was aimed at showcasing African culture, art and heritage through the transformative power of music.
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According to him, with over 200 compositions to his name, Olukoya has demonstrated his love for the development of choral music in particular, and the art in general. He further said that Olukoya’s contribution to the development of music in Africa has been very exceptional.
“Why do we continue to hold on to this man of God? Why shouldn’t we, for a man who has demonstrated an uncommon affection for the nation’s music; a man who is dedicated to the development of our calls as an artist, when others choose to look the other way,” Oikelome said.
Speaking further, Oikelome described Olukoya as an internationally renowned musicologist, a great academic, a scientist, a creative writer, a man of God with distinction, and an amazing philanthropist.
According to him, Olukoya is someone who has shown in his wish to ensure that wonderful music is experienced, and is also enthusiastic about the role of music among young people. He disclosed further that the department has been using some of Olukoya’s compositions as lecture materials in their classes.
