Nigeria’s largest music collector Evergreen Musical Company has partnered Lagos State government in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic with the production of Orin Ajumose, a song of synergy.
Managing Director, Evergreen Musical Company, Bimbo Esho disclosed that Orin Ajumose was inspired by the popular Lagos State slogan Igbega Eko Ti Di Ajumose. She said the song would be distributed to radio and television stations across Nigeria to further sensitise the public, particularly the grassroots, on ways to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus. She praised Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on the proactive measures taken in combating the disease.
Bimbo, who is an anthropologist by training, said research studies showed the first major outbreak of a similar epidemic like Covid-19 was in 1920 (100 years ago) called Spanish influenza, which resulted in the total lockdown of schools (public and private), churches, mosques, theatres and entertainment centres, among others.
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On how music is used as a powerful force to heal the world and relieve tension during wars, epidemics, famine and austerity, she recounted how Jazz music icon Louis Armstrong recorded an evergreen song What a Beautiful World in 1968 and dedicated it to victims of the Vietnam War, with the hope of mending some shattered lives.
Also, she recalled the chart buster We are the world written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie in 1985, to relieve starving people in Africa, especially Ethiopia, where around one million people died during the country’s 1983/1985 famine.
In 1971, she said popular Nigerian juju music icon Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey released a song about the outbreak of Cholera infection, citing other Nigerian indigenous musicians like Kwam 1, Ibitayo Jeje, Amo Musicals, Orits Wiliki, Esther Igbekele, Adegbodu Twins, Lanre Teriba, Edaoto, Dele Gold, Mega99 who have also raised their voices in sensitising the public.
She is, therefore, calling on other Nigerian musicians and musical associations to join in using their music as an information dissemination tool to the public on the present pandemic.
