By Ajibade Morakinyo Photos: Ken Ehimen
The need to celebrate the great milestone in the life of Sir Shina Peters, popularly known as SSP, an enigmatic phenomenon in Nigeria and African music/showbiz entertainment space, was the reason committee of friends led by the Prince Bisi Olatilo gathered to brief journalists on the plans for the celebration of his 60th birthday tagged 60th Birthday Ball.
The event, scheduled to hold at the Balmoral Event Centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, on May 30, 2018, will feature an interactive session tagged “Dissecting the Phenomenon Called Sir Shina Peters”. The session will provide stakeholders in the entertainment industry the opportunity to give their different perspectives about Sir Shina Peters’ sojourn in the music industry which has spanned close to 50 years, and also see the launch of Sir Shina Peters Foundation for Mentoring and Empowerment of the Young Musician.
According to SSP, “the foundation will be to mentor and empower young artistes from different music genre, especially those on the indigenous music because I don’t want culture and tradition to die.
“I don’t want to die with my kind of music. Before now, I have being welcoming everyone on board, because I don’t want to die with the Juju and Afrobeat, which is premised on fast percussion beat with the use of electronic keyboard, saxophone, and guitar”, he said.
Speaking on what led to the formation of the foundation, a friend of SSP, and Vice Chairman of Peachtree Advertising, Gboyega Okegbenro, said it is aimed at instituting something beneficial to talents of generations to come.
“It is aimed at mentoring, raising productive minds, and a less costly platform that would benefits young minds, boost the economy of entertainment industry and pave way for the upcoming artistes in the industry,” he said.
It was also revealed that Sir Shina Peters’ birthday ball will feature performances by music veterans such as Ebenezer Obey, King Sunny Ade, Sir Shina Peters, producer of all time Laolu Akins, Tony Okoroji and many others like Toyin Oguns, Dimeji Ayoka, Gentleman Dele Taiwo, and several comedians would also take the stage.
The committee, which has other members like Ovation Publisher, Bashorun Dele Momodu, Major Akinpelu, Kunle Bakare, Azu Arinze, Michael Effiong, Kunle Abesin, Senator Demola Adeleke, and Clarence Peters – the iconic son of SSP has been meeting in the last month towards ensuring this celebration records more success than any other.
Sir Shina Peters, who started juju music at 10, has seized the momentum with the release in 1989 with the block buster Ace album, like Ijo Shina, Shinamania, Give Our Women Chance and several albums. He has over time raked in double platinum with these, and has indeed revolutionized the Juju music scene, breaking cultural and language barriers.
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