By Benjamin Njoku
NIGERIA’s King of Highlife  music, Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe who died on May 11, 2017 and the musical genius that thrilled the nation with his one sting instrument, Dan Maraya Jos, are bound to live on, as organizers of the yearly Copyright Society of Nigeria,COSON, 2017  Week, have concluded plans to honour the  two musicians of all times with posthumous awards at this year’s event.

Osadebe

This year’s COSON Week kicks off  this Sunday, at Pastor Ituah Ighodalo’s Trinity House, in Victoria Island, Lagos.

The event tagged ‘COSON in the Church’ will pivot the superlative day of prayer and invocation to the Almighty for the progress of the Nigerian nation. The event will feature the most captivating gospel singers in the country and Nigeria’s most respected ministers of the gospel.

Unveiling the activities lined up for the week-long event, chairman, Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), Chief Tony Okoroji, said among other things that late Igbo highlife maestro, Osadebe and Dan Maraya Jos, a Hausa Griot best known for playing the ‘kontigi’ would be honoured with posthumous awards at this year’s Song Awards, which is billed to hold on November 5. Also, at the awards night, the music industry and fans will celebrate Shina Peters’ “Ijo Shina”, the iconic song that came with its own unique dance steps, got Nigerians rocking  like mad and began the spread of the disease known as ‘ Shinamania.’

“On the stage of the COSON Song Awards on November, Ijo Shina will be celebrated alongside the unrivalled songwriter and performer behind the song, Sir Shina Peters,” said Okoroji. Speaking further, Okoroji said, “the well-known slogan of the COSON Week has been seven days, seven mega events, seven enchanting venues: 777, adding “while the slogan remains in 2017, we have added a bonus event, Children’s Day at COSON House so that indeed  the 2017 COSON Week reverberates for an unprecedented eight days.”

According to him, on Sunday, October 29, Nigeria’s most admired gospel music stars from across the country will be headed for Trinity House, Victoria Island, as the COSON kicks off in grand style with the red carpet national day of music, prayer and supplication to the Almighty called COSON in the Church. Leading the pack of the nightingales that will be performing at this historic event is respected Nigerian born the UK based pastor, Dizzy K Falola.

He will be joined by the nation’s most respected ministers of the gospel in an unparalleled show that will be boradcast live by several TV network to all corners of the globe. Among top gospel artistes copnfirmed to perform at COSON in the Church include, Mike Abdul, Nathaniel Bassey, Segun Obe, Monique, Essence, Onos, Dieko, Segun Oluwayomi. Others are Favour Sax and the iconic President of the Gospel Music Association of Nigeria, Evangelist Funmi Aragbaye.