A Day For The Voice

• Carter-Cohn… His tireless efforts ensured Nigeria celebrated the World Voice Day for the first time

Through the effort of American Fulbright scholar, Nigeria, for the first time, joins other countries to commemorate the World Voice Day 2013

Ordinarily, the diverse choral groups, especially the commercial ones assembled in the hall are arch-competitors in Nigeria’s vibrant entertainment market. On Tuesday last week, however, as the groups massed inside the main auditorium of the University of Lagos, the purpose was different. They were there to celebrate the United Nations-backed World Voice Day; the first of its kind in Nigeria. The evening was the climax of activities to mark the day.

•The World Voice Day Nigeria mass choir singing
•The World Voice Day Nigeria mass choir singing

Through the concerted effort of Aaron Carter-Cohn, voice scientist and Fulbright scholar attached to the Creative Arts Department of the University of Lagos and an interdisciplinary committee set up for the purpose of marking the day, Nigeria’s first attempt at celebrating the World Voice Day turned out to be a huge success.

It attracted singing groups from the host institution,  University of Lagos, Lagos State University, Ojoo, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Ijanikin, Lagos, Music Society of Nigeria, other professional and amateur singing groups, including school children from selected secondary schools in Lagos.

The programme aims at encouraging oral health, helping people to understand their vocal abilities and enhancing proper use of the abstract part of the human body and the therapeutic use of voice. Carter-Cohn, who said he had been following Nigerian literature since he was 14 years old, explained that he was nudged into organising the event because the music of Nigeria is very rich.

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‘‘I have Nigeria choir in my own church in the United States. There are also lots of Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG churches growing there. So I started being exposed to music in different languages, about 500 of them from across the world. This kind of pushed me to study the way they spoke and the way they sang,” he told TheNEWS.

The Lagos City Choral group
The Lagos City Choral group

Professor Duro Oni, Deputy Vice Chancellor, who represented the Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Rahamon Bello, expressed delight that his university and indeed Nigeria has joined other countries in the celebration of a creative endeavour and has excelled at it. “This is a great event across the world. It adds to the excellence achieved by our writers and musicians. The diversity of language in our continent is so rich and deserves to be our cultural pride. It is not just about singing, but also about vocal art in Nigeria,” he argued, adding that with the event, a solid foundation for many World Voice Days had been laid.

Also speaking at the event, the Consular-General of the United States of America in Lagos, Jeffrey J. Hawkins thanked the organisers, noting that to bring so many professionals and other talents in one place is quite an achievement. He said voice plays an important role in so many professions and expressed the hope that the data collected from researches in the study of Nigerian sounds, will be useful to Carter-Cohn when he returns home to teach American students, after his exchange programme in Nigeria.

Unilag Theatre Unit take the stage during the World Voice Day celebration held at the Unilag auditorium Tuesday last week
Unilag Theatre Unit take the stage during the World Voice Day celebration held at the Unilag auditorium Tuesday last week

Earlier, at a symposium tagged ‘Know Your Voice,’ participants were led to understand the intricate role that voice plays in their daily lives. This session drew experts from various institutions, including Babatunde Bamigboye, an ear, nose and throat, ENT specialist from the University of Lagos Teaching Hospital, Professor Anthony Mereni, musicologist, Pat Uwaje-King, a member of the popular singing sensation, Midnight Crew, Sir Emeka Nwokedi of the Music Society of Nigeria, Helen Paul, a comedienne, Lanre Aina of Google Nigeria and the researcher, Carter-Cohn.

—Nkrumah Bankong-Obi

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