BusinessDay 18 Feb 2018

Sunday 18 February 2018
Arts
C002D5556
BD SUNDAY 35
MTNF-Muson Alumni Concert: An
emotive Valentine experience
It was a night filled with
soulful love songs and
scintillating dance
performances as the
alumni from the MTN
Foundation Muson Scholarship
programme re-enacted
the celebration of love. The
concert under the aegis of
MTNF-Muson Alunmi was
the fifth in the series and
kicked off the commemoration
of this year’s Saint
Valentine’s Day. The concert
held at the Shell Recital Hall
of MUSON Centre Onikan,
Lagos.
The performances were
diverse in nature as the
scholars showed uncommon
dexterity as they switched
musical genres. The concert
kicked off with the rendition
of Nightingale, an ensemble
by the Jazz music great, Yanni,
and performed by Irede
Adegoke. Her performance
set the tone for a wonderful
evening as she made way for
Salome Nmesoma, a 2014
graduate of the MUSON
School of Music who performed
Disney Moments
Medley, by Alan Meken.
Later, Osewa David Olawale
took the stage, performed
Cobhams Asuquo’s hit song
Empty, and heightened the
excitement.
Olawale received intermittent
rapturous applause
for his singing ability and
for the way his dancers
buttressed the lyrics of the
song. The song tells the story
of an adorable woman who
recognizes the importance
of the partner in her life
and is constantly reiterating
that importance while
also telling the partner she
would be nothing (Empty)
without him. The dancers
made a dance drama out of
A performance at the concert
the song. The female dancer
(Nneka) is seen trying
to show affection to the
male dancer (Koray) but
her friendliness is rejected
but she kept begging him
to take her until the male
dancer reluctantly accepts
her but at that point she was
fed up and tired of his previous
rejections and so she
rejects him by shoving him
and walking out on him. That
action took the audience to
their feet clapping for the
wonderful rendition.
Next up was Imoleayo
Balogun a saxophonist who
performed a rendition he
titled Joint Love. With him
were trumpeters, drummers
and bass players. The highpoint
of his performance was
the instrumental rendition of
Bobby Benson’s classic song
“Taxi Driver”, which regaled
the audience who chorused
the song along with the instrumental
rendition.
In her congratulatory
message to the group for
putting up a show comparable
to the very best
concerts, Marion Akpata,
director of the MUSON
School of Music, praised
the performing artistes for
maintaining the high standard
of the school.
“We are very proud of
our students for putting
up a beautiful show once
again. They have shown
their creativity and have
consistently exceeded our
expectations. It is not a surprise
that they are achieving
great things in life. Only
a few weeks ago, Perpetual
Atife, known as Perpie, organised
a studio concert in
preparation for the launch
of her full studio album.
“We hope that someday,
some of them will return to
become executives of the
MUSON School of Music.
We are also grateful to the
MTN Foundation for partnering
with us to make this
possible”, Akpata said.
Also speaking at the concert,
Prince Julius Adelusi-
Adeluyi, chairman, MTN
Foundation, praised the quality
of the performance. He
said such display was a demonstration
of the confidence
the Foundation has in the
talents of the students. “We
have witnessed yet again an
astounding performance by
the alumni. Each year has
been an upgrade of the previous.
What they do, they do
very well and I am so happy
that MTN Foundation shares
in their success stories”.
“MTN Foundation is
proud to partner MUSON
School of Music to sponsor
students who have talent
and flair for music but are unable
to finance their education
in the school. The alumni
have justified MTN’s investment
in this initiative and
that will spur us to do more”,
Adelusi-Adeluyi explained.
The MTN Foundation
has partnered with MUSON
since 2006 to assist brilliant
talents fulfill their dreams of
pursuing a career in music.
Over 300 scholars have obtained
a MUSON Diploma
in Music through the MTNF-
MUSON Music Scholarship
programme, and have gone
on to become masters in
their chosen careers.
“MTN believes in adding
value and impacting the
lives of people living in our
communities on a sustainable
basis”, Tobechukwu
Okigbo, corporate services
executive, MTN, said.
He further said that MTN,
through its corporate social
investment arm, is investing
in people and communities
across Nigeria because it is
by so doing that the wellbeing
of the society can be
sustained into the future.
“MTN is committed to the
long term future of Nigeria”,
the telecom’s corporate services
executive concluded.
Nigeria and Namibia’s young artists called to ‘Give art life’ and enter 2018 L’Atelier art competition
This brings to 12 the number
of African countries participating
in the competition
The L’Atelier art competition
is one of the longest-running
and most prestigious visual arts
competitions on the African
continent. It was established in
South Africa 33 years ago, but in
recent years has been expanded
to include a number of other African
countries in order to reach
more young artists and further
the unparalleled opportunities it
affords those who participate in
the competition. For the first time
in its history, this now includes
the countries of Nigeria and
Namibia.
This brings to 12 the number
of African countries participating
in the competition, which is
jointly sponsored by Barclays
Africa (www.BarclaysAfrica.
com) and the South African
National Association for the
Visual Arts (SANAVA). The
other participating countries
include South Africa, Botswana,
Ghana, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda,
Tanzania, Mauritius, Seychelles
and Mozambique.
L’Atelier rewards young visual
artists with unparalleled
industry opportunities to develop
their talents abroad. As
such, the competition is open to
all professional and self-taught
emerging artists aged 21 to 35
who are permanent residents
of, and reside in, these qualifying
countries.
For thousands of artists
across Africa whose creativity
is their livelihood, art gives life.
Now, L’Atelier is asking these
artists to ‘Give art life’ as it calls
for entries into this year’s competition.
This inspiring theme of the
2018 competition reflects the
idea that the highly acclaimed
L’Atelier gives African contemporary
art, and the fresh young
talent behind it, a platform to
thrive. This is evident in the oncein-a-lifetime
opportunities presented
through the competition.
For the main winners, this includes
a six-month art residency
at the Cité internationale des
arts in Paris, and a cash prize of
R330 000.
Similarly, the first Merit
Award prize comprises a threemonth
art residency at the Bag
Factory in South Africa; the second
Merit Award, a two-month
art residency at the Sylt Foundation,
on the island of Sylt in Germany,
and the third Merit Award,
a one-month art residency with
the Ampersand Foundation in
New York, USA.
All Top 10 finalists in the competition
are also placed on a twoday
art professionalism course
to assist them in managing their
careers – a vital aspect in helping
young artists turn their talent into
profitable businesses.
Paul Bayliss, Absa Art and
Museum Curator, says L’Atelier
organisers and the entire adjudication
panel are looking forward
to seeing the works of
artists from Namibia and Nigeria
among this year’s entries.
“We are very excited to welcome
Namibian and Nigerian
artists on board, and to see them
join so many other artists from
across the African continent
in taking up the opportunities
presented to them through this
competition. L’Atelier has played
a significant role in the careers
of many influential visual artists
from Africa, particularly the winners,
who have benefited from
the exposure afforded to them
through the residencies.”
“Since extending the competition
to across the African
continent, the response from
young, up-and-coming artists has
been incredible. This bears testament
to the fact that emerging
artists realise the immense value
L’Atelier adds to their careers. It
has been very encouraging to see
Africa’s young artists making the
most of the opportunities that
are being created to support
and help grow their careers. It’s
important not only that artists
take advantage of these opportunities,
but that they put their
best works forward when doing
it,” says Bayliss.