The monthly Conscious Vibes Africa reggae concert will on July 26 at Freedom Park, Lagos, honour Emperor Haile Selassie I with performances from musicians like General Pype, Dear Kelly from South Africa, Captain Blazee, Verony Odili and Folusho Clarke. Others on the bill are: Diana Bada, Dr King Cobra, Benny Paladin and Janatty. The event will begin at 6pm.
Akintunde Sunday a.k.a. Captain Blazee, who together with a couple of others, organise the reggae concert, told TheNiche in a recent interview that it takes place every last Sunday of the month.
“It is a new movement set up with a vision to promote and revive reggae music in Nigeria, Africa and the entire world,” he said, adding that every month, apart from reviving reggae music, they also celebrate the legends.
Last month’s edition celebrated Marcus Garvey and before that Bob Marley.
This movement is their contribution through the encouragement of rastas and reggae enthusiasts in their goal to restructure African indigenous music in Nigeria to an international standard that will complement the efforts of good musicians.
Captain Blazee said they also intend to promote the creative spirit among Nigerian reggae artistes through the acquisition and performance of conscious music, presentation and preservation of Nigeria’s root reggae and dance-hall music.
“Our team has therefore designed this monthly concert and activity to achieve our goal and has continued to seek sponsorship and support,” he had stated.
Although writers have waged relentless battles against the perpetrators of tyranny, oppression, inequality and injustice, Captain Blazee said, music is a divine language that can pierce through the stony walls of hatred in the heart, the irrationality and fallacies of the mind and the darkness of the spirit.
“Musicians and songwriters have used their lyrics and melodies to defend and uplift the downtrodden, the exploited, the oppressed, the needy, the persecuted and subjugated. They have pumped up the volume against colonialism, racism, tribalism, imperialism, capitalism, communism, socialism, fascism, totalitarianism, individualism, militarism, sexism, adventurism, fatalism, hedonism, materialism, nihilism, pessimism, statism, corporatism and whatever else is left out. Where have Bob Marely, Lucky Dube, Fela Kuti,…. gone?”.
