Senator Igwe Nwagu (Ebonyi Central) has thrown his weight behind the All Igbo Music Awards known as EKWE as he offered to underwrite the costs of two plaques -for the best act in Egwu Ekpili and Nkwanwite categories. By this, Senator Nwagu’s name will be engraved on the award insignia of the two genres of Igbo music. Senator Nwagu pledged this at his country home in Abakiliki, Ebonyi State, where he expressed appreciation at the efforts being made by the organisers to salvage the deteriorating state of Igbo music culture, and promised to support the organising committee of the awards, led by Ugo Stevenson.
‘Ekwe Awards,’ Stevenson explained, derives its name from the wooden percussion instrument used in all Igbo music styles. His words: “The event will celebrate those who have preserved Igbo language and culture through music.” Stevenson, a highlife musician, won AMEN best highlife artiste award in 2007 and NMA’s best highlife artiste award in 2008. The Ekwe Awards will recognise and encourage the brand of music peculiar to each Igbo speaking state. “Anambra State is home of Ekpili music, while Enugu boasts of the Ogene sound. Bongo and Abigbo are peculiar to Imo State, Odumodu for Abia State, and Ebonyi State has Nkwawite. Ikwerre people in Rivers State have Uri Obo, and the Igbo of Delta State are masters of Oyorima,” he explained. These unique music styles, he said, find strong expression in Highlife, which he describes as “Igbo contemporary music.
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