Afrobeat Music Has Recorded Appreciable Progress Globally, Says Kakoma

Ugo Aliogo and Lawal Kehinde

A United States-based singer and song writer, Somi Kakoma, has revealed that Afrobeat music has recorded an appreciable progress globally, adding that the music genre has taken a life of its own.

She also noted that the music genre is promoting itself, adding that truth would always find its way to the light, therefore, the progress is measurable.

Kakoma who disclosed this yesterday in Lagos during the unveiling of the Fabric of Courage exhibition, said the event is aimed at celebrating the memory of FESTAC 1977, and the archive of the event.

The artist further explained that Nigeria is a cultural giant on the global stage and this is evident across various spheres of life such as music, literature, fashion, visual arts and others.

She hinted that the creative economy here is robust, vibrant, vast, and influential.

Kakoma stated: “I have lived in Lagos over the last 10 years, and one of the things that I always find challenging is realizing that despite so much art making and cultural production, there are these sacred spaces like where we are standing right now. Nigeria has always been in a position to be able to inspire, guide, encourage other people, other, not only national Nigerians, but across the continent and the world to continue to do this type of work. I have always been interested in going across the continent and taking historic cultural sites of cultural production and reactivating them.”

Speaking on the focus of the event, Kakoma stated that it is a multidisciplinary exhibition aimed at celebrating the memory of FESTAC 77, and the archive of FESTAC, adding that she was invited by an American photographer by the name of Marilyn Neves, who documented the American delegation and all artists at FESTAC in 1977.

She added: “I think that those women who were at FESTAC were already doing big things. They influenced us now, regardless of whether they were at FESTAC or not.”

Earlier in her remarks, the US-based photographer, Marilyn Nance, said the event represents a gathering of Africa people both old and young joining together to appreciate the beauty culture of Africa.

She expressed delight to participate at the event, noting that this is her first time back in Nigeria since the FESTAC 1977.

“The interesting thing about attending the FESTAC 77 is that I have been steeped in pan-African ideological political training before coming to Nigeria. So, when I came to Nigeria, I am already an African and I met other Africans too. We were admiring on another’s faces because our faces were familiar. It is like we had an African consciousness. Today, people are using photography to tell the story of Africa to the outside world because African is talked about the impression that is created in the minds of people is an ancient African, they don’t think about the young people of the continent who are breaking new grounds in different spheres of life. The best way to tell the African story through photography is to document what you see.”