NCAC holds 2020 Christmas Cultural Carol to celebrate surviving COVID-19

The Director, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Lagos Zone Directorate, Mr Victor Omoniyi, said the 2020 Cultural Christmas Carol Show, which held on Wednesday in Lagos, was to celebrate the survival of COVID-19 pandemic and EndSARS protests.

Omoniyi, who was the chair at the occasion, said the show was to thank God following the challenges that came up within the year.

“We are aware that this year 2020 came with lots of challenges from COVID-19 pandemic to months-long lockdown and EndSARS protests which claimed lives.

“H aving survived these challenges, we deemed it necessary to come together under this platform of Culture Christmas Carol Show to thank God for life and for seeing us through.

“Nigeria is blessed and rich in culture even in its different ethnic groups and this is what we are trying to promote in unity through presentations of Christmas Carol in different Nigerian languages,” he said.

Mr Perekele Oton, Head, NCAC Performing Arts, said that the idea was to encourage members who had flair and talent for singing, acting and dancing to further develop their skills.

Oton said that the event was used to test run activities packaged by the NCAC performing Arts group, adding that the members were impressive in their displays.

A music artist, Zulu Zoo, who performed at the event, told Newsmen that he was happy to be associated with NCAC, adding, it was an opportunity to do what he loved doing after a long while.

Zoo, who sang ‘Kererewa’ said that the COVID-19 and EndSARS slowed down activities that were usually staged to mark the Yelutide but applauded NACA for the Cultural Christmas Carol Show.

“I chose to identify with this event because this is my field, and it is a combination of Christmas Carol and cultural activity whereby people are happy and dancing, showing pride in their ethnic groups,” he said.

Supreme reports that members of Performing Arts Department of NCAC appeared in various ethnic costumes, displayed and sang Christmas Carol songs in Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba and Efik languages to mark the day held at the NCAC Red Bricks House, National Theatre, Lagos.