…The Chuma Anagbado and Gerald Eze example

By Olutayo Irantiola

Across the world, all aspects of culture have ways of fusing into one. Musical instrument are works of arts; the lyrics are another form of arts and eventual storage of music is also an art itself. The evolution of the storage of music has continued to change in recent times. Children born in the last 20 years, who do not know the turntable might not appreciate joy of carrying compact discs (CDs) around.

Recently, I was glad to see two young Nigerians who are on a journey of revolutionizing the Igbo culture through the convergence of visual and musical arts into digital arts. Anagbado, a multi-talented artiste and designer whose work cuts across traditional, digital and emerging creative mediums. He has continually reimagined functional ways of using both material and non-material aspects of Igbo existence in designing new structures and narratives to build a sense of identity and community.

With his experience across the world, Anagbado cut his teeth in the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) space in Nigeria and Sierra Leone. The Visual artist believes that Igbo culture chose him from the world go and he cannot but always be at the forefront of the promoting the culture through his various artistic expressions.

On the musical side is Gerald Eze, a lecturer of music at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka brings thought-provoking themes into his musicto address various societal issues from family values to feminism, governance amongst others. Eze also believes that there is no higher artistic responsibility higher than enhancing the indigenous Igbo music which are within his experience. He is passionate about the culture and music of the Igbo in a tone marked with activism.

Eze who can play not less than 16 Igbo different instrument and he also teaches his students. For him, “the only way to engage my students is by playing the instrument. Today, every instrument has gone beyond rituals and masquerades that it was used for generations ago.”

Both Anagbado and Eze, that met about 6 months ago, have fused their artistry, energy and craft into the creation of digital musical arts with various Igbo instrument. At a demonstration, Eze was playing the Oja flute of Igbo and at the same time, Anagbado’s laptop was synchronizing the songs with the digital image of the flute.

For Anagbado, his artistry on both paper and the e-formats are seamless coupled with his understanding of NFT (Non-Fungible Token) Technology. This has helped him to create and prove ownership, validity and scarcity in unique digital assets and this is what he aims to use in preserving the works.

The two Igbo Creative artists have put together their strengths and they are willing to preserve the culture for posterity. They are willing to extend the frontiers of the culture and take it to another height with the use of digital arts.

It is time for creatives across Africa to take a cue from Chuma Anagbado and Gerald Eze by collaborating in a way that will extend the frontiers of cultural knowledge and aesthetics.

Olutayo Irantiola blogs on www.peodavies.com.ng