By Anne-Marie Palmer-Ikuku
Of the Nigeria LNG Limited
Rex Lawson, the highlife music sensation was from Rivers State. Harcourt Whyte, a master in the art of integrating European-influenced harmonic structure with powerful African rhythms was from Rivers State. Adam Dagogo Fiberisima’s opera, “Opu Jaja” remains a world classic. He was also from Rivers State. It is time to unearth new Rex Lawsons, Harcourt Whytes and Dagogo Fiberisimas, whose fame will go beyond the State. This is the crux of the NIGERIA LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS, NLNG’s latest corporate social responsibility initiative, the Rivers State Choral Competition. To this end NLNG will today, sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with media houses for the promotion of the Competition. With a prize of ten thousand US Dollars, the competition is aimed at encouraging interest in music as a career path for talented youths in Rivers State.
The people of the state are known to be very good choral singers. It is a community where folk songs that are melodious beyond words and always sung with gusto, are heard everywhere - in the villages, churches and on moonlight nights. The competition will introduce the choirs and the cultural of the Rivers people to the outside world. It will also enable choirs in the State to meet up with international standards. Apart from supporting the discovery and development of latent talents in music amongst youths in the state, the competition is also expected to stimulate creativity and writing of contemporary art music, encourage government to make policies towards the study of music in the state primary schools and create an atmosphere for healthy competition among leading choirs. It will also significantly aid the growth of the music recording industry and the generation of jobs.
Renowned musicologists which include Prof. Richard Okafor of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Mrs Marion Akpata of the MUSON School of music and Mr Nimitein West of the Rivers State Organists Association are the individuals whose expertise will being be brought to bear in staging the competition. Nigeria LNG Limited, by this effort, is not only providing the youths of Rivers state with an excellent positive avenue for self-expression but is also pursuing its goal of helping to build a better Nigeria through recognition and reward of excellence which is one of its core values. As this commendable initiative kicks off today, there is the need for stakeholders and Nigerians in general to ensure that the objectives of this noble initiative are achieved. The nation’s youths, particularly in Rivers State will no doubt be better for it. Other corporate organizations should take a cue from the NLNG as we strive to make our nation great in all ramifications.
Source recorded live from FRCN daily commentary
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