5 months ago
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On Oyedele Ogunniyi Street, Anthony Village, Lagos, is an architectural marvel blocking prying eyes from seeing what lies on the other side. The sound of machinery carving the earth and animated workers shouting over the din at the construction site could be heard. The facility used to be Prince of Anthony 1960 Hotel. This building is now undergoing renovation. An architect’s drawing shows what the facility should look like once completed.
Located 10 km away from Murtala Muhammed International airport, the facility, known as Evergreen Music Heritage Foundation, is a musical museum, which will promote and celebrate Nigerian music. It is going to be a functional musical museum, which could be seen as an experience centre where people could visit to gain knowledge on all genres of music from 100 years backwards.
The museum would enhance the promotion of music from the past with strong moral principles.
The intention is to pass down a robust musical philosophy to future generations, while acknowledging the exceptional artistic brilliance of Nigeria’s celebrated musical talents, many of whom had been overlooked.
The museum will celebrate the diversity and influence of Nigerian music around the globe. It is going to be a centre for music concerts, cinema theatre, recording studio and so much more.
It will consist of a music museum, which is going to house music artefacts materials, memorabilia, music library, gallery showcasing head burst of artistes, display of over 1,000 pictures of Nigerian musicians from 1914 and relics of their costumes/old musical instruments, original vinyl of artistes, books, documentaries, cassettes, reel to reel, gramophone as old as 100 years, journals, cassettes and more and collections focusing on those who have contributed to the advent, growth and worldwide influence of Nigerian music.
This project is the legacy of Africa’s largest music collector, Samuel Babafemi Esho, who died on Monday, June 17, 2024.
According to a statement from the family signed by Bunmi Esho, he departed to greater glory during a brief illness at the age of 77.
Popularly known and referred to as ‘Baba Esho’, the late Esho was a key player in the vintage music community and a custodian and largest music distributor of the works of many African indigenous music legends for whom he campaigned tirelessly in a bid to immortalise their achievements as a symbol of cultural continuity and identity through sound.
Baba Esho, until his demise, was the Chairman of the Evergreen Musical Company as well as the Founder of the Evergreen Music Heritage Foundation. He was a mentor and “encyclopedia” to many ‘Highlife music aficionados.
He will be remembered as one who gave so much of himself to see to the “immortality” of the musical works of Nigerian Highlife, Juju, Sakara, Apala, Afrobeat and a crop of other Nigerian/African genre of indigenous music.
“The project is a massive one. It is a one stop shop for all music lovers all over the world as it will become a big tourist attraction centre for all enthusiasts of Nigerian music,” enthuses Bimbo Esho, Executive Secretary of the foundation and managing director of Evergreen Musical Company, while taking this writer on a tour of the facility, whose construction will be rounded off before the end of the year.
She says, “it will be a contribution to a legacy that is going to be sustained for generations to come, all of the enduring morals and intrinsic values that our music of yesteryears taught us, all of which is lacking today.”
For the Evergreen Musical Company boss, “the edifice is a place the youth can come to enjoy quality music and research into the past musical history of some of Nigeria’s most accomplished musicians of the 50s, the 60s down to the 90s.”
Evergreen Musical Company Limited is an indigenous music company that has been at the forefront of promotion and preservation of vintage Nigerian heritage music genres such as Afrobeat, Highlife, Sakara, Apala, Juju, Waka, Fuji, etc for over 25 years.
Having grown in leaps and bounds over the years, the company has been the brain behind popular Faaji Eko, Faaji Agba Eko, Nigeria Independence Parade of Stars, Dr. Victor Abimbola Olaiya’s 60 years on Stage, Formal launching of the music festivals in Nigeria like, A Centenary and Celebration of Nigerian Music at 100 Years (1914-2014), Last of the Originals a Celebration of the Juju Highlife King (Dele Ojo), Elders Forum, Ariya Eko Music Festival, Complete Works of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, etc with over 100, 000 original pieces of vinyl of different African musicians in the company’s repertoire the company boast to be the largest collector of music in Africa.
To put the museum heritage into fruition, Esho teamed up with an accomplished and respected preacher of the word and the Founder of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry (MFM), one of the most popular churches in Nigeria today, Dr. Daniel Olukoya.
While recalling how the famous preacher of the gospel is helping to actualise her father’s 25-year musical dream, she said that Olukoya bought into the idea because of his love and passion for music. Olukoya is not only a music teacher; he wrote his first song in 1976 and has over 200 hymns and songs to his credit. He has supported many musicians in achieving their goals. His church, MFM, is widely regarded as one of the best in the world, having won several international choir competitions in Europe and other parts of the world.
Recalling the moment her father discussed the Evergreen Project with Dr Olukoya, the man of God showed an unwavering support. “He committed himself 100 per cent to the project.”
She adds, “Olukoya’s financial and moral contribution to the realisation of the project has been invaluable. Not only has he used his goodwill together with ours to ensure we secure a magnificent edifice that perfectly matches the Evergreen Dream, his financial and moral contributions have been invaluable. It is to his credit that the foundation has been able to make huge progress so far.
“There is no doubt that both men have intense and undiluted love for music. They have over the years selflessly given so much in ensuring that the Evergreens don’t go into extinction.
“I have always had the conviction that the collaboration between these great men would birth that which generations will benefit from,” she said.
“Olukoya, who is the patron of the Evergreen Music Heritage Foundation, has shown us that his word is his bond. His consistency in ensuring that my dad’s dream of 25 years is brought to fruition is mind blowing.
“This bequeaths to future generations a strong philosophy on music while appreciating the sheer artistic genius of Nigeria’s renowned musical talents, many of whom had been forgotten”.
She said this was a viable platform to ensure music of yesteryears continually gain prominence which had been the age-long goal of the company.
She explains: “It is a historic landmark project that will stand the test of time and outlive all of us. Olukoya has been more than supportive to our cause. He has been magnanimous and we remain eternally grateful to him for his love and support for this dream. But there’s still plenty of work to be done.”
But she says there is still a long way to go and the foundation still needs a lot more financial support from well meaning Nigerians who appreciate quality Nigerian music and desire a legacy that will serve as a custodian of the country’s rich musical history and heritage.
“We are still calling on all music enthusiasts, lovers of Nigerian music all over the world to come support this dream, it will be your contribution to a legacy that will sustain for generations to come all of the enduring morals and intrinsic values that our music of yesteryears taught us, all of which is lacking today.”
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