Queen Moremi Ajasoro’ musical initiative, the musical dramatisation of the life and times of the legendary Queen Moremi Ajasoro (QMA) initiative would return to the stage during the Easter celebration.
Its cultural ambassador, Princess Ronke Ademiluyi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the musicals had been slated for another round of stage performance from April 18 to May 5, following popular demand.
NAN reports that the first musical edition held in December recorded over 10,000 fans from 27 shows.
Ademiluyi said that the Easter package, which would hold at the Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, would feature 21 musical shows in 11 days.
She said that only guests and fans who had purchased their tickets would be admitted into the hall to watch the musicals.
“Music is a powerful tool that appeals easily to the heart of man consciously or unconsciously and that is why we decided to shift our strategy.
” Our first outing in December was a confirmation of the success of embracing the musical dramatization and it produced a positive response,” she said.
Ademiluyi, a lawyer by profession, added that the organisers of the event had discovered that telling a serious story in a relaxed and entertaining atmosphere was a unique way to disseminate an important information.
She said that translating the story into a musical format had helped to showcase itsuniqueness stin a way that was appealing to the younger generation, especially, the millenniums.
” Our target is to bring a serious historical story in an entertaining atmosphere that will appeal to and be of interest the general public,” she said.
Ademiluyi, also founder of Africa Fashion week, Nigeria/London, said the December performance had 27 shows sold out to culture enthusiasts.
“Our December show was quite encouraging with over 10,000 spectators that came around to watch them.
” We’re bringing it back again at Easter because of the popular demand from people who could not make it in December and want something to entertain at Easter season.
” The Easter show, which will start on April 18 and end on May 5, at the Terra Kulture on Victoria Island, Lagos, is going to be more interesting, ” she told NAN.
Ademiluyi said that the musical show was part of the Queen Moremi Ajasoro initiative conceived by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.
She said that the project started in 2016 as a cultural and leadership pageant, adding that it was a little bit difficult, because Moremi was from Ife and not a conventional pageant.
“We started with a cultural pageant in 2016; and in 2017, we developed a literature book on ” Queen Moremi Ajasoro ” in collaboration with the Obafemi Awolowo
University.
” In 2018, Ademiluyi in collaboration with Bolanle Austen- Peters started to produce the musical drama and Mrs Olufunsho Amosu, the wife of the governor of Ogun, was the executive producer.
” All these were to keep the memory of the iconic queen alive and also send a message on selfless leadership to Nigerians, ” she said.
The musical is another concept devised in 2018 to further promote the QMA initiative under the House of Oduduwa Foundation.
The stage show mirrored the history of Queen Moremi Ajasoro in a musical format, similar to that of “The Lion King “.
