Victor Ademofe, Olabisi Julius, Etuk Ubong others speak at Lagos Trumpet conference

 

Scores of musicians, trumpet players, and performers stormed the venue of the maiden Lagos Trumpet Conference, the Saxophone Hub, at the Akerele area of Surulere, formerly known as the heart of the entertainment center of Nollywood.

Popular trumpeters, dignitaries, and members from the Nigeria Trumpet Guild came for a revolutionary session to get educated, inspired, and spurred for the journey ahead.

The convener and accomplished musician, Victor Ademofe noted that the Lagos Trumpet Conference was a rallying point to bring artistes and trumpet players under one roof to learn and inspire one another unto greatness as the morning session did and the evening sessions empowered them in practical demonstration.

Ademofe, who spoke about his encounter with late star trumpet player cum artiste, Hugh Masekela said that transformed his career. “After playing and doing my thing in a forum years ago, the legendary Hugh Masekela called me to himself and told me he appreciated my performance and saw the gold in me but educated me on being original. ‘The world doesn’t just need jazz players,  Masekela said, they need real men who are true to themselves. Go back to your roots and find out who you are’ he told me”.

Addressing the participants who are largely trumpeters, he added, ‘You have to find your voice. We have something others are looking for our cult for heritage is a gold mine. Go and discover your roots and align with your roots in music and what the trumpet does and can do to enhance it.”

“Our Cultural heritage, if it is the church (playing church music as a trumpeter), do church (music) well and be one of the best or most sought after. A man can not go beyond his thinking. You and I are the reason trumpet players haven’t been respected.

Trumpet players are supposed to be prophets. There is a distinct and penetrating sound in the trumpet. We are leaders. Before we lead, you must know where you are going,” says Ademofe, the convener of the conference.

Afrobeats trumpeter, Olabisi Julius urged the participants on the need to really “understand the music, be aware of your environment and communicate with other folks, colleagues of like mind listen, your silence is your presence”.

Speaking more about his trajectory, Julius who adorned his hair as today’s Afropop musicians do, spoke a bit about his sojourn as the band trumpeter of popular artiste, Fireboy DML, noted that he was asked to come and add his brass-flavored sound- the trumpet to the artiste’s song, and he listened and listened and dug deep to his creative potential and brought something fresh and the accompaniment that made them call him again and sign him up. The humble and unassuming artiste, Olabisi admonished the participants to self-evaluate themselves.

“I am a product of Grace having studied music at the Polytechnic of Ibadan. Don’t forget to hold onto God in good times and moments of crisis. Choose good things to do right and imbibe the spirit of excellence. Let’s stay focused on value,” he enthused.

Etuk Ubong, a celebrated trumpeter and artiste also spoke about the essence of finding one’s identity as a musician and as a trumpet player.

He gave allusion to the Arabian trumpeter, Ibrahim Maloof who has carved a niche for himself and gone on to become an award-winning artiste and one that is reckoned with in the world of trumpeters.

“As it is presently, it seems Nigerian trumpeters are the worst as of now but we can change the narrative and invest in self-development and discovering our own identity.

The Araria trumpeters from Igbo extraction are different just as Fela who started as a trumpeter with Kola Lobitos evolved and was different in highlife performance adding his Egba extraction essence to it.

“The trumpet community has not grown. It used to be that trumpet players were at the forefront- with the likes of Victor Olaiya, Zeal Onyia, E.C. Arinze, and others. To even play highlife, it must be the trumpet,” says the earth music musician, Etuk Ubong.

Dr Victor Emmanuel, a medical doctor and player spoke about the implications of health and wellness on trumpet players and spoke on different myths that discourage parents from allowing their children, and family to take to playing the trumpet. Anchored by Segun El Prestige, an accomplished player and educator, the two-day LTC (Lagos Trumpet Conference) lived up to its occasion and will bring lasting memories into the lives of participants.

Speaking on the history of the erudite instrument, Ademofe, the Ayun Ile crooner, said, “God himself is a musician.

He whistled in the story of the creation according to Genesis Chapter 1, and when you whistle, you must have blown air akin to that of the trumpet. In the last days and when rapture comes, it will be heralded by the archangel blowing the trumpet.