14 Dec 2009 |
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| Prologue TODAY’S GENERATION : CHILDREN OF AFRICA FOUNDATION Chief Onwuka Kalu, OFR, is a philanthropist, founder and International President of Children of Africa Foundation (COA), a charity to help children in need. The Children of Africa Concert organized by the foundation, remains the boldest step taken by any Nigerian at international level to highlight the plight of African children, 15,000 of whom die daily from preventable causes such as wars and easily preventable and curable diseases such as malaria and diarrhoea.
GENERATION NEXT: THE EXPERIENCE LAGOS http://theexperiencelagos.com/wp/?p=316 Pastor Paul Adefarasin, Senior Pastor of The House on the rock Churches Worldwide in conjunction with the Petra Coalition ministries on fire for Christ hosted the fourth season of The Experience Lagos: an annual free interdenominational gospel concert at tafawa Balewa square, Lagos, Nigeria bringing worship and salvation to the people; A Christian love fest of famous gospel music ministers and powerful prayer warriors from three continents. Attendance has grown from 70,000 in the first season in 2006 to over 450,000 souls this year. Supplicants raising up hearts and hands in worship and prayer. Testimonies of healing and miracles abound from previous seasons and no less is the petition of the faithful this year.
Season Four of, “The Experience Nigeria, the largest Gospel Music Concert in the World” has just held in Lagos from the 4th to 5th December 2009. It brought together some of the greatest music Ministers and Preachers in Christendom, building on the successes of the previous editions. In attendance this year were Donnie McClurkin, Bebe and Cece Winans, Kirk Franklin, Don Moen, Phil Driscoll, Lionel Peterson, Ron Kenoly, Tom Brooks, Chevelle Franklyn, Fred Hammond, Bishop Tudor Bismarck, Evangelist Dr. Ebenezer Obey, Sammy Okposo, The Rooftop MCs, Midnight Crew, Timi Dakolo, Lara George, Mike Aremu, Nikki Laoye and other Nigerian music ministers. Hearts and hands remained lifted in supplication to the Most High God from 7pm until 6.am the following morning. The six prayer sessions that interspersed the Music ministrations were conducted by notable Servant- Ministers of the gospel. They were led by Bishop Mike and Bishop Peace Okonkwo, Archbishop George Amu, Bishop Obi Onubuogu, Dr Felix Omobude, Reverend Dr. Ukaegbu, Dr Wilson Badejo, Reverend Sam Adeyemi, Reverend and Reverend Mrs. Victor Adeyemi, Pastor Kole Akinboboye, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and many other men of a great God. The Ministration for the evening was delivered by Bishop Tudor Bismarck who set the Square on fire with a deliverance anointing.
The entire 450,00-plus strong congregation let out a great wall-of-Jericho-breaking shout on the introduction of the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola; SAN who is truly beloved of the people. It could be heard on the Mainland and would have lasted more than the five minutes it did had I not as Anchor, requested an abatement to be able continue with the programme. The Governor was accompanied by his pretty and amiable wife, Abimbola as well as the indefatigable Deputy Governor, Princess Sarah Sosan. The effects of the event reverberated throughout Nigeria and echoed in the furthest reaches of Christendom. It has gone a long way to bringing salvation to the people’s doorstep and ennobling the perception of Nigeria across the world.
Let us momentarily turn our focus back into the past to the Mega-Concert that became a logistic nightmare despite its best intentions. Our searchlight is landing on another Concert that took place for the benefit of the Children of Africa almost twenty years ago, called by that name, The Children of Africa Concert. It was to hold between December 31st 1990 to January 2nd 1991 at the main bowl of the National Stadium and the whole of Nigeria had reverberated with expectation. This was going to be the biggest musical concert in Africa with music legends from across the world numbering over 150! Even Michael Jackson featured on a goodwill message clip to the concert and all expected that he would visit Nigeria in that period. Until ‘The Experience Nigeria’ series of Gospel Concerts hosted by Pastor Paul Adefarasin of House on the Rock Churches Worldwide, nothing in secular or gospel entertainment has ever come near the magnificence and logistic challenge of The Children of Africa Concert of 1991.
The Children of Africa Concert was organized by the Children of Africa Foundation headed by an eminent industrialist, Chief Onwuka Kalu, the Opuzu of Abiriba. It actually was supposed to cover two days with a Colloquium on Africa’s problems taking place in the daytime of the second day. It was also intended to feature over 150 musicians from three Continents, Africa, Europe and the Americas.
I joined the Main Organizing Committee of the Event as the Chief of Protocol, a role highly encouraged by the Bank I worked in, as it would provide a warehousing opportunity as well as promote the 6-month-old Oceanic Bank plc to the public. On my recommendation, the bank also contributed to the event as associate sponsors. The main recognition however went to First Bank plc whose Managing Director Chief Emeka Olisambu embraced the risk of promoting Entertainment – a first! His bank reportedly supported the event with GBP 1,000,000. An astute and seasoned Banker, this loan was to have a significant effect on his brilliant career as all well made plans were undermined by a “Deus ex machina” In this case, an act of a lesser god – President Ibrahim Babangida popularly known as IBB. Before I elaborate on that, first, let us walk through the background of foul-ups, obstacles and confusion.
The enterprise was plagued from the start with many handicaps. First, the promoter had gained plenty of recognition in business circles as a producer and merchant of nails and such hardware. Socially, he was especially popular for his grace to grass story (from houseboy to millionaire by the age of 23), but this in itself may have been a handicap in Corporate Nigeria, despite his chairmanship of Fidelity Union Merchant Bank, He did not have corporate acceptance by a snobbish and discriminating corporate public. I will expatiate on that later.
Secondly, the calibre of musicians that were being advertised as participating were of a standard that had not been experienced since Ben Bruce’s promotions in the early 80s. He brought several groups to Nigeria including Kool and the Gang, Dynasty, and Celebration. This was going to be much better. It was believed that Michael Jackson would be making a cameo appearance and so many other stars would perform including Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Robert Bell of Kool and the Gang, Nina Simone, the Jacksons, and many others. Other musicians being expected included Bob Marley's widow Rita and the I-threes, SARAFINA, Lady Smith Black Mombassa, the Commodores, Shaba Ranks, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Of course, the star of the occasion would be Mama Africa herself –Mariam Makeba. To buttress the fact of their attendance, short video clips of commitment statements by the stars promising, “To be there” were aired at a special Pre –event dinner hosted by the Okpuzu at Eko Hotel Banquet Hall and attended by the Who’s Who of Nigeria about three months to the event. The evening was a very colourful one and everyone who was present witnessed the promises by the music stars. The soiree was chaired by none other than the great philanthropist, Bashorun MKO Abiola himself. He was the popular business magnate who went on to win the Presidential Elections two years later but died in incarceration while trying to claim his denied mandate. Those clips were aired continuously on national television up until the eve of the event, yet the Public was still skeptical.
The third problem he faced was the cost of the tickets. Tickets were priced at N500 each at a time when the exchange rate of a dollar was N8:00, which meant that the tickets were the equivalent of approximately $63 or N9,500 per seat for the stands at today’s prices. To sit on the main field in front of the Bandstand, you paid double that amount. Despite all the protests of those of us who felt the gate fee was too high, the Okpuzu stuck to his high charges, insisting that the Show lineup was enough to attract people at that price. It may well have been so but for the last problem.
The final nail that sealed the coffin was the sudden announcement with less than a month to go, of the National Population Census to begin on the eve of the event. Government announcements on Television forbade movement and shut down the airports until after the close of the enumeration exercise of three days. This shook peoples’ confidence that the event would actually take place. How would the artistes fly in with the airports closed? Government rescinded the order on appeal and allowed human movement but restricted vehicles from moving. The announcement was a feeble one, too little, too late and held no comfort for us. How would people come from the far-flung outskirts of Lagos, or even the highbrow Ikoyi and Victoria Island? Alternatively, even from the airport?
For those of us who were close enough to him, we saw ample evidence that Okpuzu Kalu had done his homework. He had a file of letters, permits, written endorsements and agreements by the President, Ibrahim Babangida, many other Heads of State, Ministers and notable personalities including Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu, President Jerry Rawlings of Ghana, UNESCO, UNICEF, Executive Secretary of ECOWAS, Winnie Mandela, Lt Col. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, and former Head of State General, Dr. Yakubu Gowon. The latter pair met at the Pre-Event Dinner for the first time since the Aburi mediatory Conference in Ghana in 1966, which failed to halt the dogs of war. Since the declaration of war 35 years earlier, this was indeed the first time they would meet in person. They shook hands, embraced and smiled for the camera like old friends. It was indeed an historic occasion. That embrace seemed to be the symbolism bringing a final end to the hostilities and aftermath of the carnage. All these came about because of the concert!
It was also that evening that the generality of the public discovered that Chief Onwuka Kalu despite his humble beginnings had acquired a sophistication that highlighted his intelligence. He delivered his brilliant address ex tempore for about forty minutes in a performance that would have impressed even Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. The Nation was astounded by his elocution and eloquence and his credibility rating soared instantly.
Despite all the hoopla though, nobody was buying tickets in advance. Our bank had cornered the sales of the tickets and all branches were open to sales with plenty of advertisement, but no one wanted to buy. The belief was that with all the confusion and the Federal Governments’ sudden announcements and policy reversals, the Music Stars would be discouraged and not come. Confidence tricks were still alien to Nigeria, but people were quite wary. This was most especially as many of the names mentioned were world class Megastars idolized by the various generations from the sixties to the nineties. Nigerians were waiting until they had confirmed the coverage of the musicians’ arrival at the airport to buy their high-priced tickets and not a moment before. This was of course too late to ensure bulk selling of tickets and Chief Kalu finally saw sense and dropped the tickets cost from N500 Naira each to N50 across the board on the morning of the first day.
The television coverage was stunning as Color me Badd, The Temptations, Rita Marley, Nina Simon, Dionne Warwick and all the other stars arrived in Nigeria on specially chartered planes. The coverage of the event was syndicated on the biggest networks in the world and a lot of money had exchanged hands for filming rights. These included. CNN, BBC, SKY, VOA, NTA, Radio France International, Reuters, AFP, AP, NAN, PANA, etc. Nigerian stars were not left out of the limelight. All the greats were expected with the exception of Fela who pulled out from negotiations at the last minute, as the organizers were unable to accommodate his stringent demands. Others billed to perform included, King Sunny Ade, Onyeka Owenu, Sonny Okosun and Oliver de Coque.
The Stage and Music equipment, the lighting and all the effects were purchased and imported from the States with a special crew brought in to set it all up. I saw long-throw speakers for the first time, small but mighty deliverers of sound that could be heard for miles in the still of the night. All these were connected to banks of Mixers, Amplifiers, Synthesizers and all manner of sophisticated equipment beyond my technical grasp. The Stage was awesome to behold and all the International Artistes agreed the presentation was up there with the best. I understand from reliable sources that the equipment is still being warehoused somewhere in Lagos by the prime promoters of the event. Technology waits for no one and they will be largely obsolete by today’s standards.
On both days of the event, the stadium did not fill fast enough and despite the fact that the prices of tickets had crashed, the embargo on vehicular movement up until five pm meant painfully few people could move about. The stadium filled in trickles and everyone moved down to the main field regardless of the price of the tickets. The show began and people were thrilled by the Temptations, Nina Simone and all the more recent music stars in turn. It was upsetting that they had to perform to a half–empty venue. This was a show that was meant to showcase Africa in its best light.
The mix of sophistication, confusion, census prohibition and government recklessness conspired to bring the concert to its knees. By the first day, some of the musicians like Dionne Warwick came but did not get to play because she was scheduled to perform in Japan the following day and had to leave early to honour her commitment. The arrangements for her arrival in Nigeria were botched and so she came, she saw, but she did not Diva.
Air schedules were disrupted by the three-day Census, and flights were irregular or completely cancelled much to the chagrin of the organizers. The Federal Government had to step in and arrange a special flight for the Musicians returning to the US while those from the UK who were fewer were hurriedly rebooked unto other flights once flights resumed. The hardest hit were the Musicians from South Africa led by ‘Mama Africa’ herself, Mariam Makeba. They were stranded in Lagos for days after the event, with little being done to resolve their challenges. She had to move out of the hotel into accommodation provided by the late Senator Jacob Tilley Gyado’s family. I saw Mama Africa weep with embarrassment and frustration as major appointments crashed and burned while she was waiting to be ferried out. Eventually, thanks to the Tilley-Gyados intervention with the Presidency among other major leveraging, Mama Africa and the South African Contingent were flown out.
What had started with so much promise ended in unmitigated disaster due to a combination of factors combusted by the Government’s last minute decision to schedule the Census on the very same days that had been endorsed by the President on writing. In the aftermath, I hear that The MD of First Bank got pilloried for the investment gone badly. Opuzu Onwuka-Kalu himself did not go unscathed. The rest of us remained dazed by government’s action for years. Of course, our national reputation took a battering, and it took a long time for International Musicians to trust Nigerians enough to accept engagements on our shores. Recently, Thisday Publication and some of the Beverage and Communication companies have held mini concerts with international superstars but there is nothing on the scale of the gospel worship experience at Tafawa Balewa Square.
It is now almost twenty years down the road, the equipment is light years more sophisticated and the audience approached half a million faithful adherents this year. The Sound system was comprised of right and left arrays of 16 MICA line array loudspeakers anchoring the system, with four additional MICAs as front fill. Two MTS-4A full-range loudspeakers were used for side fill, along with 12 700-HP subwoofers ground stacked. Galileo loudspeaker management system handled system processing and drive, and SIM 3 audio analyzer was used for system tuning. On stage, eight MJF-212A stage monitors and 10 UM-100P stage monitors were used. Several artistes commented on how much they loved the World Standard equipment. At full blast, the music could easily be heard deep into the mainland.
Despite the fact that the venue was bursting at the seams with all standing space occupied, there was no single accident or incident of robbery. The Experience organizers had employed the services of over a thousand of the “Jesus Boys” of the ‘Fourth Service’ of the House on the rock. Fourth service is a Ministration especially for the street people that holds in the Onikan stadium simultaneously with the other services in the next-door MUSON Centre. The ‘Jesus boys’, are made up of the formerly unemployed youth known as “Area boys”, now gainfully engaged by the Fashola Administration in its Environmental Management efforts. They had undergone a remunerated training in security for weeks, been equipped with Tee Shirts, caps and whistles and deployed to security stations. The fourth season’s ‘Fourth Service Force’ identified, apprehended and handed over to the police two men carrying hidden weapons with the intent to rob worshippers. This is another of the reasons to support Pastor Paul Adefarasin and his Ministry team who have affected so many lives through the hosting of the greatest Gospel Music Concert in the world, ‘The Experience Lagos’ to the glory of God.
As co-Anchor of the ‘Experience’ this year, I held hands and prayed in agreement at various times with Don Moen, Ron Kennoly, Bebe Wynans, Bishop Tudor Bismarck, Donnie McClurkin and Kirk Franklin. It was truly a humbling experience for me personally and my life has never been the same ever since. The Experience is a revalorization of the African spirit and a labour truly pleasing to God. The Children of Africa have come of age. Hallelujah Children of Africa, Hallelujah Nigeria, Hallelujah Africa! Hallelujah The Experience !
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posted on 12-15-2009, 05:27:33 AM
Eja
Re: Saving The Children Of Africa
