Showbiz
Heritage Bank Promotes Nigeria’s Cultural Heritage via ‘Seki’ Dance Drama
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
As part of its commitments to the promotion of the rich cultural heritage of the country, Nigeria’s most innovative banking service provider, Heritage Bank Plc, has partnered with Yibo Koko in association with Bolanle Austen–Peters Productions to showcase some of nation’s cultures to the world through presentation of a dance drama known as Seki in Lagos.
The event which held at the popular Terra Kulture Arena was graced by members of the diplomatic corps, bank officials and lovers of arts and it featured notable celebrities like Hilda Dokubo, Monalisa Chinda Coker, Ibinabo Fiberisima, Julius Agwu, Ovunda Ihunwo, Peace Christian, Deborah Job, Opereke Jamabo Foh and Mercy Albert among others as casts.
Speaking on Heritage Bank’s involvement in the project, the bank’s MD/CEO, Mr Ifie Sekibo, said, “Heritage Bank is doing this to preserve the culture of our people, the wealth of the people is in our culture. Heritage is what makes us who we are. So it is that heritage we are preserving so that we can transfer it from generation to generation.
“We know this is entertainment industry and is a very big industry out there and there are so many ways we can capture the essence of who we are, our tradition, our values and this what they are conveying through this dance drama.”
Seki, which is created and directed by Mr Yibo Koko, a notable filmmaker; is a pantomimic dance drama which traces the America tap dance to the indigenous people of the lower Niger Delta area of Nigeria and it is fused with cultural heritage.
On what inspired the dance drama, Mr Koko, who used to be the head of production of African Magic with Multichoice, said the idea “is to start our own thing without necessarily relying on the white race for the interpretation of our culture.”
He explained that Seki “is to show how rich we are as a people, how we can embrace our culture that it is not fetish but it is colourful, beautiful and wonderful and something we can sell to the world.”
On why it was performed in Lagos, the director said, “It is to showcase what we have at first to a large audience so that they will not always associate the Niger Delta region with militancy,” adding that there are a lot of positive things for them to come and witness in the region.
Seki, the dance drama, which was originally created in 1998 as Owu-Amaputi, was an official entry to the 10th anniversary of the National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
“It is a collaborative rhythmic agreement of dance patterns of different ceremonial dance groups predominantly from the Okrika, Kalabari, Bonny and Ikwerre ethnic groups in the lower Niger Delta Area of Rivers State, Nigeria,” Mr Koko said.
The dance groups include Owembe Dancers, Pioru/Ogwein Dancers, Ojongowu Dancers and Ikule Pamba Owu Dancers.
According Mr Koko, Seki is of mythical origins whose narrative stems from the vault of oral tradition and essentially from pantheons of the Ijaws. The dramatized enactment in dance form is an interplay of a mystical union between the gods of the land who are domiciled in the womb of their aquatic residence but make frequent visitation to the earth to forge an inexorable nexus of relationship with mortals.
The director said the dance drama set to recreate the indigenous response to the struggle in resistance against foreign culture and the promotion of indigenous tradition, adding that the dance identified the African traditional theatre with specific reference to the lower Niger delta people with the experience taking from oral tradition.
By Dipo Olowookere
Mr Peter Nwachukwu, the husband of the late popular gospel musician, Osinachi Nwachukwu, has been sentenced to death by hanging.
Recall that in April 2022, the singer was said to have died from a domestic violence in the hands of her husband.
Mr Nwachukwu was taken to court on a 23-count charge bordering on culpable homicide punishable with death, criminal intimidation, cruelty to children, criminal intimidation of children, and spousal battery, among others.
It was reported that while in alive, their spiritual father intervened in the marital crisis between the couple, but the late singer was advised to endure, especially because of her status.
However, things degenerated and she died in the marriage, leaving their children devastated.
At an FCT High Court in Abuja on Monday, April 28, 2025, Justice Nwosu-Iheme found Mr Nwachukwu culpable of killing his wife.
According to the judge, the prosecuting team proved beyond reasonable doubt that Mr Nwachukwu was responsible for the death of the late musician.
The case could still head to the Appeal and Supreme Courts.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A popular music act, Mr Terry Alexander Ejeh, otherwise known as Terry Apala, has been remanded in a correctional centre in Lagos for alleged mutilation of the Naira notes in January 2025.
He was arraigned on Friday, April 25, 2025, by the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) on a single-count charge bordering on mutilating the Naira notes.
The musician was accused of committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007.
“That you, Terry Alexander Ejeh, on January 5, 2025, at La Madison Place, Oniru, within the jurisdiction of this court, whilst dancing during a social event, tampered with Naira notes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by marching on the same and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007,” the count read to Terry Apala today at a Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, read.
However, he pleaded not guilty to the offence when it was read to him, which prompted the prosecution counsel, S.I. Suleiman, to ask for a trial date, urging the court to remand him in a correctional centre.
The defence counsel, Mr Felix Nwabuda, informed the court of a bail application dated April 23, 2025, and prayed the court for a short date for the hearing of the application.
“Whilst praying the court for a short date for the hearing of the bail application, I will be craving the indulgence of the court to release the defendant to the defence.
“We undertake to produce him in court. He will not evade hearing. He came in from the United Kingdom on April 23, 2025; and on the invitation of the EFCC, he came on his own,” he stated
But the prosecution counsel opposed the application, saying, “The application is alien and unheard of.”
“I urge the court to afford us the opportunity to look at the application and respond properly so that the court can make a well -informed ruling,” he said.
In a short ruling, Justice Akintayo Aluko refused the application of the defence, ordering the remand of the defendant in the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending the determination of the bail application. The matter was, thereafter, adjourned till May 5, 2025.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Global streaming platform, Spotify, has announced the availability of its Artificial Intelligence (AI) playlist in Nigeria.
In a statement on Friday, it said the AI Playlist in beta is for its premium users in more than 40 markets, including Nigeria.
This feature can be found via the search tab of Spotify by simply typing AI Playlist and selecting one of the suggestions.
With AI Playlist, Spotify will curate a personalized playlist made just for users based on the tracks, artists, genres and more. This is easy to revise and refine as users only have to ask for what they want – like “more upbeat,” “more new releases,” or “happier songs.”
The most successful playlists are generated through “genre”, “mood” or “artist” prompts. But animals, activities, movie characters, colours – and even emojis – are all fair game too.
Some fun prompts the platform suggests users to try out include Afrobeat tracks for the dance floor, Trending K-Pop hits I need to know, Reggaeton for hanging out at the beach, Songs to hype me up for a football match, and Latin songs from my top genre, among others.
Since launching last year, premium users have created millions of playlists with the goal of finding music that fits any mood or moment in an instant.
Now, Spotify is making it even easier for users around the globe to create the perfect playlist and find their next favorite artist.
The company has promised that this feature would expand to markets across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean.
-
Feature/OPED5 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism9 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz2 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking7 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy2 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking2 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Sports2 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn
-
Technology4 years agoHow To Link Your MTN, Airtel, Glo, 9mobile Lines to NIN
1 Comment