Something big and unprecedented is brewing right now! It is massive and its one of its kind. And when it is done and ready for launch, it will take the entire nation, and indeed the African continent, by storm. That is what happens when you have two brilliant minds, one, an accomplished and respected preacher of the word in the mold of Dr. DK Olukoya, and the other, the renowned music encyclopedia and practitioner, the legendary Femi Esho of Evergreen Musical company, come together to birth a phenomenal project.
As you read this, intensive work is in progress to build and complete before the end of the year the biggest music empire ever seen in Africa. It will consist of a music Museum, music library, gallery showcasing Head Burst of Artistes, display of over 1,000 pictures of Nigerian musicians from 1914 and relics of their costumes/old musical instruments, an event center for music concerts, cinema theatre, recording studio and so much more. It is a one stop shop for all music lovers all over the world as it will become a big tourist attraction center for all enthusiasts of Nigerian music.
It is called the Evergreen Music Heritage Foundation. The Chairman of this historic project is none other than Chief Femi Esho, the music Aficionado & practitioner, who also doubles as Chairman of Evergreen Music Company, while the Patron is one of Nigeria’s most revered preachers and prophet, the Iconic Dr. DK Olukoya.
This will come as a huge surprise to many who cannot understand the connection between the firebrand preacher/prophet, and this landmark musical project.
First, anyone who knows Dr. Olukoya closely will tell you that, after his unbridled love for God, comes his intense love for music. He himself is a music Aficionado. He loves music and he is knowledgeable about many genres of music, ranging from highlife to juju, folklore, traditional music, reggae, country music, gospel, etc. And his rich knowledge of music reflects undeniably in the music ministry of his church, MFM. In fact, many do not know he was a music teacher. He still teaches music. This is why it is common place to see the MFM choir sing and perform brilliantly during church programmes some of Nigeria’s most enduring highlife and folklore compositions. The idea is to bring back the morals in these classics and instil them in the minds of everyone listening to them. Little wonder why the MFM choir is widely regarded as one of the best in the world, having won several international choir competitions in Europe and other parts of the world.
So, for those who do not know, Dr. Olukoya is not just a First class major, best in his course at Unilag, first scientist to clone genes and a hugely respected preacher, he is also a lover of quality music. And this is why he has graciously agreed to be Patron of the Evergreen Music Heritage Foundation. He knows Chief Femi Esho very closely and respects his works. They both share a strong passion for quality music.
According to Bimbo Esho, the Executive Secretary of the foundation, Dr. Olukoya’s financial and moral contribution to the realisation of the project has been invaluable. It is to his credit that the foundation has been able to make huge progress so far. But she says there is still a long way to go and the foundation still needs a lot more financial support from well meaning Nigerians who appreciate quality Nigerian music and desire a legacy that will serve as a custodian of our rich musical history and heritage.
“The project is a massive one,” Bimbo Esho explains. “It is a historic landmark project that will stand the test of time and outlive all of us. Dr. Olukoya has been more than supportive to our cause. He has been magnanimous and we remain eternally grateful to him for his love and support for this dream. But there’s still plenty of work to be done.”
“This magnificent edifice is situated at Oyedele Ogunniyi street, Anthony Village, Ikeja, Lagos. We are still calling on all music enthusiasts, lovers of Nigerian music all over the world to come support this dream, it will be your contribution to a legacy that will sustain for generations to come all of the enduring morals and intrinsic values that our music of yesteryears taught us, all of which is lacking today. The edifice is a place the youth can come to enjoy quality music and research into the past musical history of some of Nigeria’s most accomplished musicians of the 50s, the 60s down to the 90s.,” she concludes.
