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Tag: Lekan Babalola

  • Lions Club provides free eye screening, surgery for residents

    No fewer than 600 visually-impaired people have benefited from Sight Preservation Awareness Day exercise organised by the District 404B1 of Association of Lions Club International held in Lagos and Ibadan.

    The exercise featured free eye test/screening, donation of free eye glasses, medication and treatment of people with various eye challenges. Free surgeries were also carried out on those who had chronic eye problems such as cataract. White canes were given to the blind and the visually-impaired.

    The exercise also featured walk, singing, dancing and distribution of fliers to educate public on sight preservations and other diseases, the symptoms, treatment and how to eradicate them in the society.

    Speaking at the event in Lagos, the District Governor, Lekan Babalola, said the exercise was in accordance with the Lions Club’s worldwide week of service dedicated to end blindness and visual impairment as its part of humanitarian services.

    He said: “It is an international event organised to provide great opportunity to support our new global service framework, and our goal of serving 200 million people per year by 2021, by saving people’s sights in our communities.

    “I want to inform you that Lions Club International has five major global focuses, serving people that have diabetes which is the core centennial projects, vision preservation, feeding the hungry, protecting the environment and paediatric cancer.

    “Lions had offered eye/health care services to millions of people around the world since its inception in 1925. Eighty per cent of the visual impairment cases are preventable and curable. This indicates that Lions Club’s services are more important in the society now than ever before.

    “Lions and Leos screen eyes, educate communities, builds clinics, support eye/visually-impaired through assisting technology and vocational training programmes. We work together to preserve precious gifts of sight to the world.

    “In this week-long programme, we have been engaging in Lions Children Vision Care, eye/vision screening, eye tech programme, Lions time bounds and working with our vision partners and organisations, all to ensure that people regain their sights.

    “The District had partners with Ophthalmologists of Nigeria and has been able to carry out free cataract surgeries for many people.”

    He pledged that Lions Club would continue to maintain partnership with the Ophthalmologists of Nigeria and other health practitioners in order to provide good health services for the communities.

    He appealed to all clubs under the district to continue to execute projects that would address visual impairments in the community in the form of organising vision screening, donation of white canes or hosting an inclusive sporting event. When there’s a need there is a Lion.

  • Lekan Babalola tours UK cities with Yoruba sonnets

    GRAMMY Awards-winning percussionist, Lekan Babalola is bringing his music to a wider audience alongside his co-travelling Sacred Funk Sextet in a new concert series tagged Yoruba Sonnets.

    The multi-city gig will take place across major United Kingdom cities featuring Babalola’s kindred spirit, the accomplished spoken word poet and scholar, Dr Olu.Taiwo. Their artistic chemistry on stage will pick up from the successful Ebo Tour which held last year.

    Together, Lekan who is releasing a new album soon and Olu will bring to the stage the Yoruba Sonnets – a unique experience, presented by two very talented, very different individuals. The Yoruba Sonnets pair spoken word poetry and mime from Dr Olu Taiwo with live music from Lekan Babalola’s Sacred Funk Sextet. The result is a unique performance of ancient Nigerian verse incorporating Afro-beat music and the contemporary sound of Western Funk.

    Yoruba Sonnets will serve its first instalment in full doze on Saturday, July 28 at the Birchfield Jazz Festival, St Mary’s Church Hamstead and continues on Saturday, October 13 at The Performance Gym, University of Winchester, Hampshire. The music train continues at Cheese and Grain, Frome on Sunday, October 21 while curtains fall at Charney Manor, Wantage.

    Twice Grammy award winning Nigerian percussionist, Lekan Babalola, is well known for his innovative musical style, using his native Yoruba tongue infused with traditional music, Afrobeat and funky dance overtones.

    In addition to being a talented musician, Lekan has also undertaken education work as part of his artistic programme and has on-going relationships both in the UK, USA, Europe, Caribbean and Africa as a percussionist, art curator tutor, band leader / composer and producer.

    Dr Olu Taiwo is Senior Lecturer in Performing Arts at the University of Winchester. He has worked on identity and performance and is a well-established performer using digital technologies. He is engaged with critical debates around the interaction of body, technology and the environment.

  • Lekan Babalola,others to serenade fans with street music

    Nigerian percussionist, Lekan Babalola and his Eko Brass Band, will today, March 30, be thrilling his fans on the streets of Lagos Island with music.

    A day designated as Good Friday, Babalola, a two-time Grammy award-winning musician, who will be teaming up with the Eko Community Band and Temple Music artistes, Bisola and Jeff Akoh for the gig, says that the intention is to make the holidays even more memorable.

    The open-air music jam holds at Campos Area opposite Ebony Casket on Igbosere Road, Lagos Island.

    Organized with the support of Temple Management Company (TMC), the concert which promises to be a medley of sounds also features.

    Speaking about the concert, Lekan Babalola describes it as a ‘community project.’

    “It’s our little gift back to the community that has given me everything right from my childhood. The concert is my response to unstable power supply; we are making music that does not rely on electric sound. Together with support of my management, Temple Management Company and friends, we hope to create beautiful moments this Good Friday,” revealed Lekan Babalola.

    Olalekan Babalola is a Nigerian Jazz percussionist and musician. At the age of six, he had started playing the conga at his father’s Aladura church and later formed a patchwork band with his peers.

    In 1980, he left Nigeria for the United Kingdom to study Automobile Engineering at the Chelsea College of Aeronautical and Automobile Engineering after he won a Lagos State Scholarship. However, he dropped the engineering programme for music and later enrolled at the Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design where he studied filmmaking. He proceeded to the Northern Film School where he completed his Master’s degree.

    In 2006, he became Grammy Award winner for his work on Ali Farka Toure’s ‘In the Heart of the Moon’, receiving credit on three songs. He won a second Grammy in 2009 for his work on Cassandra Wilson’s album, ‘Loverly’.

  • Grammy winner Lekan Babalola dedicates song to Yoruba god

    Grammy winner Lekan Babalola dedicates song to Yoruba god

    Few months after signing to trending Nigeria’s talent company, the Temple Management Company, TMC, Nigerian percussionist and Grammy award winner, Lekan Babalola is hoisting the flag of traditional religion through a new song dedicated to Ogun, Yoruba god of Iron.

    Entitled ‘Mr. Lakaye’, the new song, according to promoters, is expected to satiate the appetite of his teeming African fans, which is in sync with the launch of his multi-city concert, tagged ‘Ebo’ (ritual) tour which kicked-off on June 17 at the Somerset Festival, England.

    ‘Mr. Lakaye’ was produced by Will Angelero, a New York/ United Kingdom-based Producer and has Lekan Babalola on the co-producer’s credit roll.

    With a title inspired by the Ogun deity’s Oriki (signature eulogy),Babalola’s voice booms in Yoruba over a bouncing tune enriched with infectious electronic elements and complemented with his signature percussion sound.

    A statement by TMC says the song will also be the sound track to the musician’s new art installation in honour of late American jazz artiste, John William Coltrane.

    According to TMC, ‘Mr. Lakaye’ is available on all digital stores to fans of the entertainer.

    Babalola who spoke about his inspiration for the new song said, “I was born in Lagos, Nigeria, into a Yoruba family. As custodians of Yoruba tradition of Ogun, Oro, Obatala and Ifa, my family taught me first hand Yoruba art and culture. Ogun is the patron of my father’s family; the Babalola of Ajibesin compound at Ile-Ogbo, Aiyedire local government of Osun State, South West Nigeria today.”

    The performer won the Grammy for the first time in 2006 for his work on Ali Farka Toure’s ‘In the Heart of the Moon’, receiving credit on three songs. He won a second Grammy in 2009 for his work on Cassandra Wilson’s album, ‘Loverly’.

  • TMC announces Lekan Babalola’s concert tour

    TMC announces Lekan Babalola’s concert tour

    Nigerian Grammy award-winning percussionist, Lekan Babalola, will embark on a tour of Europe this year with his concert series tagged ‘Ebo Tour’.

    Ebo in Yoruba means ‘traditional offering’, hence a beautiful nexus between the percussionist’s funk music and his ‘Ifa’ traditional religion as a lifestyle.

    Powered by the Sacred Funk project, and his agency Temple Management Company, the anticipated concert has been scheduled to tour major cities in the UK from June, starting from Saturday June 17 at Somerfest Festival, Somerset, featuring spoken word by Dr. Olu Taiwo.

    The Sacred Funk train is expected to move to Mostly Jazz And Funk Mosley Park in Birmingham on July 9.

    Next stop would be Manchester, at Band On The Wall, on July 27.

    Other schedules include Colchester Arts Centre, Essex on Sunday, September 24; Vortex Jazz Club, London on Thursday, September 28 and The Canteen, Bristol on September 30.

    A protégé of the late Fela Kuti, Babalola has twice won the Grammys with artistes; Ali Faka Toure and Cassandra Wilson.

    The artiste who is based in Birmingham, UK, is currently touring the world with the Atomic Bomb – The Music of William Onyeabor, featuring the likes of David Byrne (Talking Heads), Money Mark (Beastie Boys), Alexis Taylor (Hot Chips) and many others.

     

  • Grammy winner Lekan Babalola, Biyi Bandele sign with TMC

    GRAMMY winner and renowned percussionist, Lekan Babalola and notable filmmaker, Biyi Bandele have signed new deals with talent agency, Temple Management Company.

    The two-time Grammy award-winning musician as well as the Half of a Yellow Sun director signed their deals separately in London where they are both based.

    Lekan Babalola, who has been described as a “wizardly percussionist” by the Washington Post, is one of Nigeria’s biggest music exports. He has worked with many renowned acts such as the late Prince, Cassandra Wilson, Ernest Ranglin, Branford Marsalis, African Jazz All Stars, Roy Ayers, David Byrne, Damon Albarn and Tony Allen.

    “I am delighted to work with The Temple Management Company and I strongly believe the company’s contribution to my artistic success in Nigeria and Africa is highly important and I look forward to the partnership,” Babalola said.

    “I became sold when I stumbled on the impressive way that TMC executed the King Sunny Ade Sunny On Sunday Concert and I believe that TMC’s involvement is a pre-requisite for the success of my artistic career in Nigeria and Africa.”

    On his part, Biyi Bandele expressed optimism describing his new deal as a strategic synergy that will raise the bar in the African creative sector.

    “I have been looking for representation not only for my film work but also to engage in commercial opportunities across Africa,” he said.

    “Temple is the perfect fit and I believe we can export world class entertainment from the continent to the rest of the world.”

    Mr. Idris Olorunnimbe, CEO/ Founder, noted that Temple Management Company will work with Lekan Babalola and Biyi Bandele to put Nigeria on the map of the international jazz and film circuit respectively. Also lending his voice, Mark Redguard, TMC’s Head of Entertainment said the opportunities are limitless to work with two of the biggest creative forces out of Nigeria to the world.

    Since it set up shop in March, 2016, the Temple Management Company which boasts of a team of young professionals has offices in Lagos and Nairobi as well as a presence in London, New York and Johannesburg has positioned itself as one of the foremost players operating in the creative sector in Nigeria and Africa.

  • Again, Femi Kuti gets Grammy nomination

    Again, Femi Kuti gets Grammy nomination

    Afrobeat musician, Femi Kuti, has been nominated for the prestigious American music award, the Grammy. This is the fourth time the Nigerian artiste will be recording this impressive feat in 10 years.

    Although Femi has not been lucky to clinch the laurel, his fans are hopeful that he may be lucky this time.

    Another Nigerian who had been nominated four times for the same award, but had not won the trophy is Juju maestro, King Sunny Ade, popularly called KSA.

    If there was a Nigerian who could be said to have won the Grammy, it was notable percussionist and UK-based Nigerian singer, Lekan Babalola, whose group bagged the award in 2005.

    Kuti is being nominated in the ‘Best World Music Album’ category for his 2013 No Place for My Dream album released under Knitting Factory Records.

    The awards ceremony is scheduled to hold on January 26, 2014 at the Staples Centre, Los Angeles, United States.

    It will be recalled that the Afrobeat artiste in 2003 lost out to Panamanian salsa singer, Rubén Blades. In 2010, he also got nominated, but lost out to US-born banjo player, Bela Fleck. Again, in 2011, Kuti lost the award to Malian band, Tinariwen.

    This time, the musician will be contesting the category with the French group, Gipsy Kings; South African male choral group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Indian musician, Ravi Shankar, among others.

    Rapper Jay Z leads the list with nine nominations, including best rap album. Pharrell Williams follows closely with seven nods, while Drake has been nominated in five places.