SOME stakeholders in the art industry on Wednesday advised the Federal Government to handle the non-recognition of Femi Kuti and DJ Obi’s feats in the musical world by the Guinness Book of Records as a diplomatic issue to guide against future recurrence.
The stakeholders include: A popular music sensation, Timi Dakolo, Ace producer, VC Perez, , Kayode Badmus, a 52-year old music lover and the President, Guild of Nigeria Dancers (GOND), Adedayo Liadi.
They said that with support from the government, Nigerians artists would be more patriotic to their fatherland and repose more confidence in their own government.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Femi Kuti attempted a new world record for the longest single note held on a saxophone, last Sunday at the New Africa Shrine in Ikeja, Lagos.
Femi, as he is popularly called, attained the feat and the news was broken by his sister, Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti on her Instagram page @yenikuti.
“This evening 7th May at the New Africa Shrine, Femi Kuti broke the world record for the longest single note on a saxophone note set in 1997 by Kenny G. The record stood at 45mins 37 seconds….Femi did 46mins 38seconds!! Give it up, we have a world champ.”
Yeni said that the event was witnessed by a large audience that included Sen Ben Murray-Bruce, the deputy high commissioners of Netherlands and The United Kingdom.
However, an online post during the week said that the Guinness Book of Records would not be recognising Femi Kuti’s feat.
According to the records keepers, they had stopped monitoring the category in which the circular breathing technique was used.
Also, during the week, many Nigerians questioned why DJ Obi who set a new record for longest playing DJ and now Femi Kuti, were not recognised and honoured in the Guinness Book of Records.
The body had replied in a series of tweets alleging that for DJ Obi, they required additional evidence to back his claim and that Femi’s category had been previously suspended
A popular music sensation, Timi Dakolo, said that the denial of Femi Kuti’s and DJ Obi’s rights not to be recognized by the Guinness Book of Records should be taken as a diplomatic issue.
“It must be dealt with at the governmental level to correct future recurrence,” he said.
Dakolo told NAN that it was heartless for the record keepers to deny Nigerian artists the privilege of making history after so much efforts by them to break the existing records.
Dakolo said that government’s involvement in entertainment and how thespians were progressing was essential to curb such vices that could have negative effect on artists’ productivity and global recognition.
According to him, the government should take up its responsibilities and fight for the rights of her citizens.
“These guys must have put in so much time, resources and professional skills before attempting to break the existing world records.
“At the end, it will end up being hacked from them.
“It is to guard against such situations that we have always wanted our government to be part of our industry, to help us fight our course when the need arises,” he said.
Also, Ace producer, VC Perez, said that he was surprised at the level of professionalism portrayed by officials of the recording keeping organisation.
“We have seen countless Africans who were honoured by the Guinness Book of Records for breaking new records and these very achievements by our artists must not be over looked by it.
“For me, saying that they had stopped monitoring the category in which the circular breathing technique was used is suspicious and should be queried if the claim had not been documented before now.
“If nothing is done to reinstate that category, then we will take to the media; flying placards to show the world how Nigerians are marginalised and disrespected,” he said.
Similarly, Kayode Badmus, a 52-year old music lover, said that associations of musicians and music regulatory bodies were to blame for the denial of Nigerian artists, their rights.
According to him, no organisation has condemned the decision of the record keepers which indirectly portrays bad leadership at the helm of affairs of the music organisations in Nigeria.
“How can it be said that reputable artists known in Africa and the world over are denied their rights to be heard.
“Nobody from either the Performing Musicians’ Association of Nigeria (PMAN) or the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) has done something about it,’’ he said.
He said that the leaderships of such organizations should be in the forefront in fighting their members’ cause.
Also, the President, Guild of Nigeria Dancers (GOND), Adedayo Liadi, said that Africans were not well respected when talking of setting new world records in their chosen professions.
“Our people do not speak of the great things happening in our society and they don’t even cherish our own icons.’’
He said that nowadays, teenagers adore and emulate the western icons because the western society was appreciating theirs with the best respect.
They make their environment conducive for their people to excel, Liadi said.
He said that Nigeria and Africa have several living icons that had achieved greater feats in their fields.
Our government should identify such talents and promote them to national and international prominence, he said.
Liadi said that he was not surprised that Femi Kuti ad DJ Obi would suffer what had just happened to them, adding that he was once a victim of such an ugly development.
“As a proud Nigerian dance artiste and choreographer, I have been atop the dance scene nationally as number one in Nigeria, Africa and at the inter-continental level with countless international awards.
“With all I have achieved with the name and the flag of Nigeria; I have represented this nation for 30 years in 67 countries successfully and single handedly.
“This is because of the love I have for my country, but my country has not once recognized me till now.
“All I keep getting is wow! wow!! wow!!!. Can all the wows feed me and my family, accommodate me or help me to improve on my carrier? .NO!!
Liadi was, however, grateful to God for sparing his life to tell his own story.
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