CHARACTERISTIC of the Christmas season, activity has suddenly heightened. Pentecostal churches are observing their yearly retreats. Transport fares have skyrocketed as a result of mass movement. There is music in the air!Christmas means many things to many people. To some, it is a time to reunite with friends and relations; some people see it as a time to change their furniture and renovate their homes; children look forward to Christmas as a season for wearing new clothes and shoes. Most people use the occasion to exchange greeting cards; there are others who regard it as a period for holding grand end-of-year parties.In the village when we were young, Christmas was a time to eat rice, which was for us a once-a-year delicacy. But for the genuine Christian, Christmas as a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, is a time for sober reflection, an opportunity to rededicate oneself to the service of the Lord; and for back-sliders to get fully restored to Christ.In order to promote this doctrine, radio has always had the tradition of renting the air with carols to put the listener in the right frame of mind; but the advent of commercial broadcasting appears to be working at cross purposes with this long-standing tradition in keeping with programme philosophies. FM stations have introduced overtly funkifiled, rock versions of carols whose import is suggestive of dancing and merry-making, a situation that is turning an otherwise serious and meditative affair to light entertainment and an occasion for jumping for joy.Radio should help maintain the focus of Christmas and establish its significance with music that helps to capture its very essence, and one such session of music created in Nigeria by Nigerians, and which deserves airplay is 'Black Bethlehem', a Christmas story based on biblical texts, and incorporating well known carols.The concept 'Black Bethlehem' paints the picture of the birth of Jesus very vividly, giving it an authentic African setting with all the characters ' Mary, Joseph and the three wise men - as Africans.Even though they are standard carols, which have been around from the beginning, they have been given a refreshingly revitalised African feeling by the coming together of two Nigerian music giants from different backgrounds. The music is directed by Professor Akin Euba, a musicologists who is also the leader of Eko Chorale and Drum Ensemble, an aggregation of talented professionals who collaborated with the Jazz, Preachers led by pianist, singer comedian and broadcasters, Art Alade.Recorded in 1979 on the Black Music International Label, 'Black Bethlehem' features nine singers, among them outstanding performers such as Funmi Adams, Afolabi Alaja Browne, Roseline Ngoh, Dejumo Lewis, Richard Bucknor and ten instrumentalists, among them, saxophonist Fuzzy Gbagi and Ferdinand Eklu, an experienced drummer who has imbibed the styles of Max Roach and Art Blakey from being around since the fifties. There are also traditional drummers and members of the Drum Essemble whose rhythmic patterns Akin Euba has given delicate arrangements that are stocked in the feeling of Christmas.The first side of the album features the popular 'Hark the herald angels sing' composed by Mandelsson but it is here given a new arrangement by the duo of Akin Euba and Art Alade, followed by 'The Annunciation' rearranged by Akin Euba with solos by the trio of Richard Bucknor, Afolabi Alaja Browne and Funmi Adams, whose voice sounds rather strong and consistent at low and high registers. 'The birth of Jesus Christ', a beautiful performance in terms of arrangement and solo rendition ends the first side.The B side is given the same brilliant treatment as it opens with 'Virgin Mary had a baby boy,' this time with instrumental solos featuring Richard Bucknor on piano and Emmanuel Arueyingho in a trumpet solo whose tonal conception is still in its formative stages in the Louis Armstrong/Harry James mould. Other carols on this side of the album are 'Adoration of the Magi,' O come all ye faithful' and 'Gbo Ohun awon angeli,' a carol in Yoruba, which means hearken to the voices of the angels rearranged by Art Alade, who also took a beautiful solo on it.But perhaps the song that drives the point home in terms of relevance and general performance is 'Keresimesi yi made,' one of Ayo Bankole's finest compositions, which means, 'Christmas is here'. The treatment is given so much feeling with vocalization and instrumentation that it sounds like a tribute to its composer ' the late great Ayo Bankole.Indeed, Christmas is here. I wish all our readers a sober, reflective Christmas!
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