Africa looks forward to October reggae festival

By Reliable Click 

The cultural international reggae festival, ‘Africa Meets Reggae and World Music Festival’, domiciled in Los Angeles, California, will in October be berthing the soil of Nigeria with a potpourri of musical acts and performances as never before, according to its organisers.

The franchise is brought together by great Nigerian reggae legends such as Majek Fashek, Victor Essiet of the Mandators, the Rumba Dub Master, Ras Kimono, and a host of others who through the consciousness of their music, are bringing back their experiences to bear for the better on the generality of Nigerians, having traversed the length and breadth of the world in the course of their musical careers.

The festival, which will run for three consecutive days, October 3 to 5, is billed to take place in three different cities in Nigeria where reggae music rocks. They include Lagos, Port Harcourt and Calabar.

In addition to the country’s own musical stars such as King Sunny Ade, Femi Kuti, Tu Face and others, performances from select reggae artistes from across the world inclusive of Nkuli Dube (late Lucky Dube’s daughter) are part of the events to make the occasion thick.

While addressing journalists, Fashek chided radio and television stations for not playing the country’s original native sound, which is highlife and afro beat.

On the contrary he said the stations play dance music, which is alien to Nigeria and trying to kill reggae.

Given the present situation the country finds itself and while not condemning the hip hop artistes, radio and television stations, he said, are supposed to be playing sounds that appeal to the consciousness of the people and music which are in consonance with the situation at hand.

“I like these young boys, Wiz Kid, Tu Face, Davido and the rest of them because they come with different vibes. But, how can we be rejoicing all the time, especially with the condition in Nigeria.

“All I am saying is that the radio people should stop taking bribes pretending to help the consciousness of the African people.

“If you look around, you will see people trekking miles home, which is not good. They should promote highlife, juju and all other music 50:50.

“In America, that is how it is done. That will help the downtrodden.  How can you be paying N18,000 as minimum wage, they are supposed to be paying people at least N40,000.

“These are the kind of things that reggae music does, it helps the poor people.

Referring to themselves as the ‘Three wise men’ with music for the downtrodden, Kimono admitted that though they ran for cover for while, they are back again to re-enforce the fight they started previously.

“We can’t stop. Reggae music must continue. If a lot of people in Nigeria now listen to reggae music the way they used to back then, there will be a lot of peace in the communities and larger society.