UNILAG HOSTS WORKSHOP ON THE LEGENDS OF WEST AFRICAN HIGH LIFE

The Department of Creative Arts, University of Lagos, in collaboration with the African Music Archive, Department of Anthropology and African Studies, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz/Germany holds a workshop on Composition, Creativity and Memory in Modern Popular Music in Ghana and Nigeria (Highlife) from July 28 to 31 at the University of Lagos.

The artists’ workshop is planned to be accompanied by lectures/seminars on subjects related to it: history of Highlife and the recording industry, Highlife and the West African Diaspora, popular culture/music and memory, composition and arrangement in popular music.

Speakers include Dr. W. Bender, Dr. Markus Coester, Prof. Duro Oni, Benson Idonije and others.

The workshop is part of the German Research Council funded project on Highlife in the 1950s and 1960s in Ghana, Nigeria and the UK, and in particular on its transnational dimension. The Goethe Institute, Lagos is also a co-sponsor of the Workshop.

Date: Monday 28th – Thursday 31st July, 2008
Venue: University of Lagos, Faculty of Arts Board Room (Rm401)
Time: 10:00am each day
Final Performance: Thursday 31st July, 2008 Unilag Auditorium @ 6:00pm
N.B Six key artistes of the genre four from Nigeria, Victor Olaiya; Orlando Julius; Peter king and Chris Ajillo; two from Ghana, Ebow Taylor and Stan Plange are expected to participate.

Prof. Duro Oni,
Head, Department of Creative Arts
University of Lagos