The Committee for Relevant Arts (CORA) will be celebrating the eightieth birthday of foremost Nigerian music journalist Benson Idonije in grand style with series of events spanning four days from Thursday, June 16 through to Sunday, June 19 across several venues in Lagos themed The Benjay Phenomenon.
On Thursday, there will be a workshop with Music students from the Lagos State University, Ojo which will take place by 11am and be coordinated by Mr Biodun Adebiyi. Also, on Thursday, a tributes/colloquium session chaired by Dr. Christopher Kolade with the theme, Essential Benson Idonije, holds at Agip Hall, MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos.
Idonije’s books, Dis Fela Sef, The Great Highlife Party and All That Jazz, will also be presented by Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi while a documentary, The Essential Benson Idonije, will be screened, after which there will be a concert at Freedom Park..
On Friday, Prof. John Collins delivers a keynote address on the theme ‘Highlife – The Evergreen: Looking Back, Looking Ahead’ while on Saturday, by 11am, a town hall meeting with COSON members with the theme ‘All That Jazz: The Standards, the Cross-Overs, The Trans-forma-ion’ holds at Freedom Park, followed by a concert.
On Sunday, a conversation on ‘Music Forward: Decons-tructing. Reconstructing’ will be chaired by Mr Laolu Akintobi while keynote will be delivered by Mr Ayeni Adekunle. And wrapping up things is a concert tagged ‘A Toast to Granddad’ which features Idonije’s grandson, Burna Boy, and friends.
