The long awaited moment for the celebration of 77th birthday of Africa’s first Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka last week, in faraway London kicked off with a well attended red carpet reception.

The project tagged, WS7728086, and being packaged by Zimarage Communications formally declared open at Theater Tabernacle, where a red carpet reception was hosted at the foyer/bar of the lovely Theater Tabernacle.

Tradition versus Modernism in Dance of Liberalism

The red carpet reception was graced by important personalities including : the head of the information section of the Nigerian High Commission in the UK, Mr. Simon Ogah who represented His Excellency, Dr. Dalhatu Sarki Tafida OFR, Head of Political Affairs at the embassy, Mr. Akin Oyateru; Mr. Alex Afari of Arik Air International, Davina Ojegba, former most beautiful Nigerian Girl (MBNG) 2007 and Face of Nigeria (FON) 2009, Flower, Ayoub. K. Mzee and Ife of Ben TV.

Other important dignitaries that attended the event include; British blues dance teacher Sara White, Stanley Amah of the Crown Prosecution Service, Otunba Tunji Sotimirin, Damilola, Folasade Kareem, Nigerian born, UK based writer and movie maker Samantha Iwowo, Stephanie Eniafe (Current Miss. FON 2009), Ade Adenuga of Hartford Consulting, Adrian Ajibade of EES Limited, Angela Winter and Ellen Thomas of Eastenders, Actresses Fatima Jabbe of Mirror Boy and Medina Ajikawo of Global 7 agency, Shola Enikanolaiye and Makeba Boateng (Original Former Miss. Ghana, UK) and a lot of other Nigerian and foreign professionals.

The event anchored by Mike Yomi Dada of ZMC and Nollywood’s Lillian Amah –Aluko took off with a rendition of Nigeria’s National Anthem. This was followed by an opening remarks given by Lillian Amah-Aluko in her capacity as the event’s producer.

Music veteran Tunji Oyelana regaled the audience with well spiced songs including such favourite tunes like; “I love my country”, a song which pulled the capacity filled hall on their feet. After several encores, the grand old man of music left to rousing applause from appreciative guests.

Also presented that night was Peter-Badejo-Choreographed-Dance drama. The courting dance had the crowd roaring with laughter whenever another male dancer hit the floor in the face of energetic wriggling by the females.

After the dance, the advocacy speaker for the evening, Mr. Akin Olukiran, CEO of Disability in London and the two panelists Mr. John Martin, Founder/Artist Director, Pan Project UK and Mr. Shabaka Thompson, CEO Carnival Village took to the stage.

Hour of discussion

They all gave good accounts of themselves and did justice to the theme of the lecture titled; Culture and Humanity. During the panel discussion moderated by Professor Segun Ojewuyi of Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, series of humorous and yet cerebral questions from audience kept the vivacious discussion stretching a few minutes beyond the originally allocated 30 minutes for the segment.

That done, the Segun- Ojewuyi directed Dance of Liberation, an excerpt from Wole Soyinka’s Kongi’s Harvest mounted the stage. The audience was breathless as Wale Ojo in the role of Superintendent marched on stage. Sir Peter Badejo played Sarumi, Kunle Bamtefa was Oba Danlola, Moji Bamtefa; Golda John, Abiola Dosumu and Yomi Oyekanmi.