Fast rising traditional chanter and singer, Mutiu Halima Opeyemi, known by her stage name as Atoke Akewi, has said that she intends to bring to live the forgotten traditions and cultures of the Yoruba through her music.
The traditional act, signed to Fly Rekordz, mentioned this during her media tour of four radio stations in Oyo State. She visited Crest FM, Naija FM, Splash FM and Agidigbo 88.7FM, Ibadan.
During this tour, she noted that chanting, which is traditional to the Yorubas has helped sustained traditions and legacies for centuries.
“Over the years, we have used chanting as a way to preserve our cultural heritage and identity but it is sad that our traditions are becoming moribund. You’d meet a Yoruba child and they do not even know their own eulogy, the eulogy of where they originated from, this is nothing but sad.
“I want to use my music to tell stories of how important it is to preserve our identities, make others learn more about the Yoruba culture and traditions, while appreciating the diverse cultures of the Yoruba,” she stated.
Speaking on the market competition in the music industry, she noted that it was important to first establish a core fan base which was organic and would be willing to spread the gospel of traditional Yoruba songs.
She added, “We are doing this to build an authentic fan base because nowadays, we now have those who appreciate it authentically and we can through this reinvigorate many of the lost traditions through chanting.”
She noted that her record label, Fly Rekordz, is going to champion the emancipation of a new order in Nigeria’s music industry.
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