Tourism
NIGERIA’s delegation to the 2023 Surajkund International Arts Festival in India, left Akure for Abuja on Monday en route to India for the event.
The festival is billed for Feb. 3 to 19.
The team is led by the immediate past Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism of Ekiti State, Prof. Rasaki Ojo Bakare.
Ekiti State Troupe was picked by the Federal Government to represent Nigeria at the cultural exchange, including two Bronze casters from Niger State and two cultural officers from the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture.
Bakare, Africa’s first Professor of Dance and Choreography and Performance Aesthetics, was recommended by the Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, and accepted by the Federal Government, for his outstanding record in global cultural festivals.
The News Agency of Nigeria NAN reports that Prof Bakare had represented Nigeria in several cultural festivals across the globe, including Dance Championship (Bulgaria 1987)); Friendship Festival Poeyong (North Korea 97); Afrika- in- Tyrol Festival (Austria 1999) and Cervantino Theatre Festival (Mexico 2001).
Bakare also won laurels for Nigeria in Arts for Peace Tour (Mozambique 2002); Jamaica National Festival (Jamaica 2003); Soweto Carnival (South Africa 2010); Trinidad and Tobago Carnival (2013); Brazilian Carnival (Brazil 2020) to mention a few.
Addressing newsmen before the team departed Nigeria on Monday, the former Artistic Director of Nigeria’s National Carnival, thanked Gov Oyebanji and the Federal Government for trusting him with the assignment.
Prof Bakare was the Choreographer in charge of Gambia National Troupe from 1992 to 1994. He also led the performance content of the rested Heart of Africa campaign round the world between 2007 and 2008. (NAN)
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Tags: India INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL Prof. Rasaki Ojo Bakare.
