Ugo Stevenson, the Director of the Ogbakoro theatre group, a professional theatre arts company, has commenced preparations for the first edition of the All Igbo Music Awards, otherwise known as Ekwe Awards.
Stevenson disclosed this while hosting a media-cum-artistic parley at the Lodan Hotels, Owerri.
"Ekwe is a percussive instrument used in all Igbo music styles. That is why we have chosen to brand the All Igbo Music Awards as Ekwe Awards," Stevenson said.
He added that the main focus of the honours ceremony was to celebrate those who have preserved Igbo language and culture "through the most effective medium of mass communication known to man, which is music".
Stevenson won awards for Best Highlife Artiste from the 2007 Awards Musical Excellence In Nigeria (AMEN) and 2008 Nigeria Music Awards (NMA).
"Anambra State is the home of Ekpili music while Enugu boasts of the Ogene sound. Bongo and Abigbo are peculiar to Imo, Odumodu is of Abia. Ebonyi has Nkwawite while our Ikwerre brothers in Rivers State have Ori Obo and the Igbos of Delta are masters of Oyorima," he said.
"These music styles are currently performed by more than two thousand practitioners around the globe, with high record of success."
He stressed that these unique music styles have found strong expression in Highlife, which may rightly be described as Igbo contemporary music.
The former National Director, Research and Documentation of the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Artistes and Practitioners (NANTAP) studied Theatre Arts at the University of Port Harcourt and worked at the Imo State Council of Arts and Culture as a performing artiste.
Sorce.Daily times Nigeria.
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