…as the 2025 MUSON festival of sounds kicks.
By Chris Onuoha
Lovers of good music are in for a swell time as the 29th edition of the Music Society of Nigeria (MUSON) festival of sounds beckons with exciting variety and incredible shows.
The center, known for its classical and opera, an elitist delight, has transitioned to a broader genre of music that appeals to a wider audience, as the 2025 MUSON festival starts featuring a music drama called “Sawa lele.”
Revealing this at a press conference ahead, to declare the festival open in Lagos, the MUSON Board of Trustees headed by indefatigable Sir Louis Mbanefo SAN, disclosed that after the previous year’s themes of Resurgence , Resilience and Revival, MUSON is now back “In The Flow.”
He noted that over four decades, the MUSON project has continued to thrive and flow beyond the dreams of the founding fathers and mothers.
According to him, these legendary icons, comprising Mr. Akintola Williams, Chief Ayo Rosiji, Mrs. Francesca Emmanuel, Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi, all deceased and including his humble self being the living touchbearer, have successfully sustained the tempo of promoting MUSON’s objectives through annual music festivals and other programmes the centre runs.
The two-week thrilling music fiesta which kicks, Sunday October 12, 2025, running to October 26, will feature as usual some of MUSON’s well curated masterpieces.
But the higlight indicates a tilt to something sensationally new; a theatrical musical show that relives the memory of the late Nigeria’s highlife legend, Cardinal Rex Lawson who popularised the theme show; “Sawa lele.”
The sensational new entrant into MUSON’s regular repertoire, ‘Sawa lele’ is a musical built around the amazing songs of Cardinal Rex Lawson of blessed memory, a Nigerian highlife music legend who passed away back in the early 1970s.
The storyline is completely original, according to Ayo Bankole, the project lead, who said the project is a brainchild of his students who, out of ingenuity, created something new from the existing songs of Rex Lawson and with the permission of Premier Records.
Explaining further, Bankole noted that the musical which comes up on October 18, promises to be an unforgettable show that will ingite musical passion in the young ones.
Explaining the line-up of events, Chairperson of the MUSON Festival Planning Committee, Mrs. Sade Doherty said the two-week-long event would feature diverse programmes.
She said the 2025 festival brochure includes a special musical sheet of the Nigerian National Anthem, symbolising unity and patriotism as the nation celebrates its 65th Independence anniversary.
“We deliberately included the anthem to celebrate Nigeria at 65 and to highlight music as a unifying force,” she said.
According to her, the brochure also features a message from the National Orientation Agency (NOA), which expressed its support for the festival.
Doherty highlighted the festival’s rich programme, that include a Musical Brunch to hold on October 12; MUSON Day Concert on October 14; Jazz Party on October 17 and Chevron Musical Drama to hold on October 18, that will resonate the spirit of the highlufe legend, Cardinal Rex Lawson.
Others are Operatic Performances coming up on October 19 and 25, a Symposium on Music and Technology titled “Collabo” to be held on October 21, and a Young Talents Concert billed for October 23, while the Gala Concert signalling the grand finale comes on October 26.
Doherty also mentioned that the Tuesday, October 14 event, noted for its classical performances and observed as MUSON DAY, will feature calypso music to honour the late Maria Akpata, Director of Music.
“She was a Jamaican married to a Nigerian. So, the tone of the music will be calypso against the regular classical. Maria was motherly and very affectionate, and was one of those who made the MUSON Diploma school of music what it is today. There is a song dedicated to her by Kehinde Oretinmehin called “Akpata,” she said.
In addition, Jazz saxophonist Imoleayo Balogun described the MUSON Jazz Night as one of the longest-standing traditions of the festival, featuring celebrated jazz musicians, Isaac Olatunde and OB Nelson.
He said MUSON is one of the households of jazz in Nigeria. “For over 20 years, we’ve never missed a night of jazz. This year will be remarkable. We are bringing together fusion, swing, and traditional jazz in one exciting evening,” remarked Imoleayo.
The closing Gala Concert will feature the MUSON Choir under the direction of Emeka Nwokedi and the MUSON Symphony Orchestra conducted by visiting German maestro Walter-Michael Vollhardt, performing Carl Orff’s classic masterpiece “Carmina Burana.”
However, the widely fancied programme, “My Kind Of Music” will yet be absent for the second time. Sir. Mbanefo explained that the show will be missed for now to give space for other new programmes.
“My kind of music is basically a social thing. I am aware the programme was well appreciated and it has enjoyed a long running, but we deemed it wise to try our hand in other things for complements,” he said.
Doherty also added to the conversation over My Kind Of Music, saying “MUSON decided to delve into innovation with a musical drama, called “Sawa lele” which according to her, will mesmerise the audience in place of the set aside programmes,” she said.
