There is Nowhere Like MUSON

Femi Adeniyi–William, Chairman Music Society of Nigeria, MUSON

Femi Adeniyi–William, Chairman Music Society of Nigeria, MUSON
By Osamudiamen Ogbonmwan
Muson has been in existence for the past 26 years. How has it faired in the past years?
Unfortunately there is nowhere you can compare it with but I probably won’t be the ideal person to judge Muson- maybe an outsider will be in a better position. What Muson sets out to do is to try and get the Nigerian youth to appreciate and enjoy classical music apart from our indigenous music. A school was set up to do that and we had admitted and graduated students. If you would rate us from that basis, I think we are getting to that goal we set out to reach but I think we still have a lot of challenges. Basically, it’s finance because all the money we use in running Muson is the money we get from donations, by people who appreciate what we are doing and some of the facilities we let out. The income we get from the facility isn’t enough to run the place but like I said, we have graduated students who are out there teaching others and earning a living out of it. Those who have been exposed to Muson have come to appreciate music even better.
When you listen to productions done by many musicians in the country today, what really registers in your mind?
There is a patronage for every kind of entertainment. There are some who will pay ten thousand naira to listen to Sunny Ade. The difference between classical music and our indigenous music is this: Not everyone can play Ade’s kind of music exactly like him. They can copy him but in classical music, you can score a note and give the manuscript to any musician anywhere in the world and he will play note for note.
In a few weeks time, Muson would be celebrating its anniversary. How do you plan to do it?
The festival would be celebrated with the theme “Africa Meets Europe.” We have a line up of events which have been spread for a few days. We didn’t want to do everything in just a week so that people won’t get fed up. What we have here is not what you go anywhere and see. We have peculiar things here. There is no other place you can go in Lagos to listen to classical music. We have a lot of classical musicians who compose religious or other genres of music. The Muson festival would be starting 25th October to the 6th of November. There’ll be a Musiquest, Highlife nite, Classical Concert, Drama, Choral concert and another called My kind of Music. We’ll be having musicians like Victor Olaiya and Victor Uwaifo and others. The festival will also be featuring the Muson Symphony Orchestra, a competition and more. This year’s drama would be ‘Arrow of God’ by Ben Nwabueze.
When did you resume office as the Chairman?
I became Chairman of Muson five years ago. I was Vice Chairman man 10 years ago. The first Chairman was Akintola Williams, the next was Louis Mbanefo, SAN, then Rashidi Gbadamosi. I have been involved with this association for long but soon, 1 will relinquish the position to Bashorun J.K Randle so that I can go and rest. I am 72 now.
How did you come to like classical music this much?
I listen to music a lot-Jazz, classical, name it. I had the exposure from my youth. My father was deeply into classical music and when I came back from school, I hear it all the time. It became part of me that when Muson was started, I was one of those who were invited to be part of the committee.
What is the criteria for becoming a student in Muson?
Well, you have to know why you want to join, that is why in the form you will have to fill, you will explain this to us. If you say you want to appreciate and enjoy classical music and also enjoy the performance, we will willingly embrace you but if you think we share money here, too bad.
Some people believe that enrolment into Muson is quite expensive what is your take on this?
It is not too expensive. There are various categories of membership. Ordinary, Sustainer, Benefactor membership etc. I think for the Sustainer and Benefactor membership, you’ll pay N250,000 per annum.