Gospel Musicians Thrill City Hall Audience
As Fatu Davis Launches Liberia-Nigeria Praise Album
Published: 02 April, 2008
The theatre of the Monrovia City Hall was last Sunday the scene of a dynamic and spectacular Gospel music fest featuring the young and beautiful Liberian star, Miss Fatu Teta Davis, and her Nigerian co-star, Pecular Emegwana.
The hall was packed to capacity, with hardly standing room, the audience continuously bursting into singing, dancing and clapping.
Small wonder the theatre's partly broken stage floor did not collapse, as 25 or more from the audience frequently joined the performers on stage, throwing money at them, pinning them with flowers and other ornaments and joining them in singing and dancing to Jesus.
It was on that occasion that the two Gospel music greats, Fatu and Peculiar, launched their album, Nigeria and Liberia Praise the God of Elijah. The launching ceremony was performed by Daily Observer Kenneth Y. Best and Dr. Togba-Nah Tipoteh, Chairman of the Liberia People's Party and former presidential candidate in the 2005 elections.
Mr. Best described the occasion as “enthusiastic and electrifying,” saying he was grateful to the good Lord for blessing Liberia with such great youthful talent, “like Fatu Davis and so many others that are thrilling us here today with their talent. All they need,” Mr. Best said, “is encouragement from the public and we must do everything to support them.
He said the Daily Observer was committed to the promotion of Liberian artistic talent in music, art, drama, theatre, film and culture in general. That is why the newspaper runs a weekly Arts & Culture column every Friday. But we are prepared to cover the arts at any time, not just Fridays,” he added.
He thanked the audience for coming out on Sunday afternoon to support the artists, instead of spending their time resting or visiting friends.
“I urge you to continue patronizing our Gospel and other musicians, for in that way you encourage them to improve and perfect their talent so that Liberia will one day soon become a great music-producing nation.”
It was a pity, he said, that great Liberian musicians of yesterday, such as the blind musical genius, Howard Benedict Hayes, a pianist and organist, was not given the encouragement he so richly deserved, and therefore died poor. Mr. Best also lamented that some of the people closest to President Edwin Barclay, another musical genius and composer, allowed the many musical masterpieces he composed, including operatic pieces, to be lost in the 1980 upheaval.
He called on Liberians with means, and the public in general, “such as you here this afternoon, to give generously toward the development, improvement and refinement of the arts and artists in Liberia.”
Dr. Tipoteh said he was simply overwhelmed by the performances and praised the artists for their superb talent so brilliantly and movingly displayed.
The two launchers, Best and Tipoteh, extended appreciation to Peculiar Emegwana for coming all the way to Liberia with her husband to encourage Fatu Davis in her budding Gospel music ministry.
Fatu told the audience that she met Peculiar while in exile in Nigeria, and they befriended each other, since they discovered their common passion for Gospel music.
Fatu, who hails from Sanoyea in Bong County, Liberia, said she taught Peculiar to sing in Kpelle, while Peculiar, who hails from Eastern Nigeria, taught Fatu to sing in Igbo.
All of the musicians who stormed the stage Sunday afternoon, thrilling the audience Gospel music and dance are members of the Liberian Association of Gospel Musical Artists (LAGMA). Among them were Mocheline B. Dweh, the current LAGMA president, Decontee Yance, Trokon Cephas, Atina Prosperity B. Davis and V. Decontee Ballah.
Others were Rebecca Wilson, Geneva S.K. Togbah, who is not more than 13 years old, Caroline Reace, Rev. Mrs. Garmai C.D. Davis and Alaska Johnson.
Sunday afternoon's artists also included Sis Cherry J. Vaye, Lena Garbo, Gloria Favor Selmah and Dianan Davies.
J. Korvah Beyan of Truth FM and Real TV, operated by Renaissance Communication, played a creative and dynamic role as Master of Ceremonies.
Printer friendly version
