By Charles Okogene
Heartical is a new reggae body founded by concerned reggae musicians and lovers of that genre of music, principally to bring back the good old days of reggae music in Nigeria, Orits Willik, one of the fore father’s of the protest music said recently.
Orits was speaking at a press parley held on Friday at Buchi’s Culture Yard, Adeniyi Jones, Lagos.
At the event attended by personalities like Black O Rice, Righteousman, Kunle Onime, owner of Roots FM 97.1FM, Don G among others, he regretted that reggae music, which in the 1980s was Numero uno musical genre in Nigeria, has been pushed away from that position by other forms of music.
But not to worry, reggae, he said will re-emerge again to take its enviable position with the coming to gather of like minds to form Heartical, which will devote its time and resources promoting talents in the reggae music industry.
He is not alone in this line of thinking, Mr. Larry Olaiwola Edun, who spoke after him, in a paper titled ‘Reggae Music Business,’ categorsied what an average, aspiring reggae act must do if he/she wants to blow.
These he said includes competent artiste manager, publist and others while AJ. Dagga Tolar traced the evolution of reggae music in Jamaica and concluded that only the Nigerian acts can make it happen again in the country as no politician or the very rich will invest in musicians that will sing songs that will critic them.
Black O Rice was the next to speak and he unfold the plans of Heartical to take reggae music back to the streets all over Nigeria and called on all Nigerians to attend all the concerts when Heartical hits the road.
However, during the questions and answers session, Mr. Charles Okogene of charlesokogene.com, observed that it is not true that the big politicians and men/women of means, will not patronise a good reggae music when they see or hear one but there have not been any since the likes of Majek, Kimono died and Mandator, Evi-Edna Ogholi re-located abroad.
According to him, if Fela, who was so critical of the government, military for that matter, could be loved and still loved even in death, if a good piece comes from any act, it will be irresistible.
He ended his observation by saying ‘who needs the support of a politician as a good music is like a good wine, which needs no advert.”
Righteousman whom Williki had earlier described as a pillar that holds Heartical in his brief submission called on all reggae acts to come together and support the vision of the founding fathers of Heartical like the Afrobeats acts are doing to one another.
