Why People Must Embrace Positive Changes in African Arts, CBAAC DG Reveals
- The director-general of the Centre for Black African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC), Olubunmi Amao, has given a piece of advice to Nigerians
- Speaking in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo state, Amao said that traditional music and contemporary music are all important to the promotion of culture
- According to her, it is important that everybody should embrace positive changes in African Arts for cultural heritage
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Ibadan, Oyo - Olubunmi Amao, the director-general of the Centre for Black African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC), has said that there is a need to embrace positive changes in African Arts in order to project the salient elements of the culture.
Legit.ng reports that Amao, who was the former Oyo state special adviser, noted that traditional music and contemporary music are all important, adding that both have been employed to mutually reinforce each other and above all promote the culture and heritage of the African people.
Source: UGC
Amao said this during the African cultural festival titled: Celebrating the rich cultural diversity of black and African traditional music, dance and drama through the promotion of traditional music and rhythms, drumming and dance steps, held recently in Ibadan.
She noted that arts have also been changing as time does; hence, the need to embrace some of the positive changes that come with the times in order to project the salient elements of African culture.
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The culture icon said:
“We must embrace some of the positive changes that come with the times to project the salient elements of our Culture as times have changed and so are the arts too.
“Consequently, rather than view traditional music and contemporary music as rivals. They must be viewed as all-important since both have been employed to mutually reinforce each other and above all promote the Culture and heritage of the African people."
The director-general stated that all opportunities must be explored to guard African dance and music, adding that music and dance are African cultures being transmitted from generation to generation.
She explained further that over the years, both African music and dance have witnessed tremendous transformation, saying that one of the prominent features of the transformation is the infusion of traditional elements in contemporary music.
Amao also noted that most contemporary musicians still use traditional African musical instruments and overlay them with contemporary rhythms and lyrics, thereby producing exceptional forms of music.
She added:
“We must do everything possible to see that we guard African Music and Dance jealously as it would be very right to say that music and dance are our cultures being transmitted from generation to generation.
“Over the years, both African Music and Dance have witnessed the tremendous transformation. One of the prominent features of the transformation is the infusion of traditional elements in contemporary music.
“What is particularly of interest here today is the fact that most contemporary musicians still use traditional African musical instruments and overlay them with contemporary rhythms and lyrics, thereby producing exceptional forms of music in addition to its richness.
She described it as a hugely exciting form of expression for modern-day Africans and that what should be produced in terms of our music is loved and admired and danced to, the world over.
Amao said that this has contributed to making the African culture very rich in no small ways.
National Theatre Lagos remains a national heritage
Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the management of the national theatre, Lagos, reportedly leased out a portion of land within the premises to a private business owner.
It was reported that during the commencement of the first phase of the reconstruction of the national theatre, the minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed, made the government's position on the heritage known to all the stakeholders.
Mohammed stated that the national theatre remains a national heritage and that it should not be ceded to any person or group.
Source: Legit.ng
