Not fewer than 54 prominent musicians from all African countries will, on Saturday, December 2nd and 3rd, converge at La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort, Ikegun Village, Ibeju Lekki, Lagos, for the 2017 edition of the African International Music Festival (AIM).
The musical epoch event, which is the creation of Ambassador Wanle Akinboboye, aimed at ensuring the domestication of the prodigious creative industry for the growth, unity and economic brotherhood of Africa for Africans by Africans.
The landmark musical explosion is being shepherded under the AIM, an African music event like any other, which has been planned and packaged by the Motherland Beckons Initiative in conjunction with the Association of African Ambassadors and Diplomats.
According to Prince Adekunle Adeyemo, Executive Assistant to the President, Motherland Beckons, “The AIM Festival is predicated upon the trajectory of the need to sew neatly and tightly the loose intra-cultural tourism relationship in Africa. It is trite in the concept of nation building that the cultural ingredients of values, norms and mores and their strong pillars such as language and music, are the pivots of unity. Music is a potent weapon of intercultural understanding, appreciation and miscegenation. Good rhythm sans borders! That is the purpose of AIM Festival.”
He disclosed: “As of last week, we have received confirmation of 25 African music groups who are coming to blaze up the airwaves with their unique and distinct songs, dance styles, stagecraft, chants, displays and razzmatazz.
“It is going to be the best conglomeration of African musical acts in a single event. It is an event which will parade as guests pathfinders of musical glory as King Sunny Ade, Evangelist Ebenezer Obey, Shina Peters, Victor Uwaifo, Femi kuti, Lagbaja, Sunny Nneji, who are not performing, but making appearances.’
“The President of Motherland Beckons Initiative, Ambassador Wanle Akinboboye, is leaving no stone unturned at ensuring not only that the event explodes beyond imagination but also the maximum consummation of musical dreams. Thus, everything from the stage which is being handled by Zmirage, the four points Deejays booths, the security ground and aerial surveillance, the bonfire, the Rock ‘n Roll interactive session, and exceptional socialisation in a Tropicana ambience is waiting for the participants.
“It is morally uplifting to see the warm embrace of the AIM festival by African diplomats and their unflinching support at ensuring the success of the event. We are impressed that would be participants are very quick at obtaining the N10,000 ticket for regular and one thousand naira for the students, which shows that the African spirit of appreciation is within the conscience of African.’’
Adeyemo pointed out “there will be unlimited fun, streams of songs, dances, display and cultural stunts as Anu the Lady Ekwe, Olo Omidan Bata, Ara–Thunder, Wole Oni, Leslie Molds of Cameroon, Don Bra Don of Kenya, Joseph Chea of Liberia, Ammal of Uganda, Agossou Koffi Alphonse of Togo, Adigun Olohun Iyo, Choni the Cellist from USA, Kola ‘Ogunkoya- Gbedu Master, Kareem Peterson, USA, Akeem Lasisi, Beriola and others are not only ready but on the ground for the event.”
He explained that “music is a weapon to lubricate unity, togetherness and brotherhood and stoke the ember of collective reasoning, communal bonding and interest. The AIM festival will make you feel the vibes of African unity and its motherly conviviality through the beat and sonorous rhythm of good music, which has no borders. You just have to be there to feel the rhythm without pain.”
