Ogunbayo Harps On Preservation Of African Culture, Tradition

As western culture tremendously impacts African traditional society in both positive and negative dimensions, a Nigerian songwriter and African culture ambassador, Michael Ogunbayo, popularly called DJ Mykejay, has stressed the need to preserve African culture and tradition from being eroded by migration from the continent.

Ogunbayo who has embarked on an advocacy drive to ensure Africans abroad continuously identify with their culture and tradition added that the advocacy would ensure that the parents not only embrace it but also inculcate the same in their children to continue and sustain the drive towards making African culture globally accepted.

The United Kingdom (UK)-based Nigerian in a chat with journalists to promote events towards celebrating Nigeria’s 65th independence anniversary, explained that the decision to embark on the aggressive advocacy drive was informed by the discovery that in the UK and many other European nations, Nigerian culture and that of other African nations were being taught in schools, while the owners of the culture do not promote and teach their children about African culture and traditions.

‘’That is one of the major works I have been doing in the UK, bringing many Africans together to ensure that they continue to have a link with their culture at home,” he said.

DJ Mykejay stressed that many Africans abroad do not value their culture the way foreigners, particularly those who have visited the country, cherish it.

“For instance, in the UK, some schools are teaching African culture and tradition. And they do this more than the way we have been celebrating our culture over the years. Most Nigerians in the UK do not allow their children to speak their native languages. And that is what I have been doing since arriving in the UK to ensure that Nigerians living here have a link to their home through culture.

“The culture that we are distancing ourselves from is what our hosts here are aiming to learn from us. Many of them know more about the Nigerian culture than those who share the blood but are based in the UK.

We all need to ensure that the public knows where we are from, and this is our culture”.
On how he aims to ensure an attitudinal change, the African culture advocate disclosed that the advocacy would be done through his music and events that would strictly be put together to promote the African continent’s culture and tradition.

Listing events which he had participated in to promote African culture and tradition, to include the Amala festival, New Yam festival, and others, the ambassador revealed that his music would not deviate from celebrating the continent’s culture and tradition.

While adding that through the music, the children have better access to their culture, Ogunbayo explained that the uniqueness of his songs was that they are inspired by his way of life and from activities happening around him.

“I blend my song with reality using both the Western and African languages. I can sing in Yoruba and English simultaneously, and that has always assisted the songs I write for artists. I also ensure that the song promotes culture and traditions.’’