Macron’s Shrine visit in Lagos goes to TV

The French president was hosted by Trace Events and Ecobank last month for 'A Celebration of African Cultures', an event described by an official statement from Trace as “the first time in the Shrine’s history that a serving president has graced the stage”.

Present at the event were hundreds of guests, the Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, and several journalists. Musicians Yemi Alade, Charlotte Dipanda and Banky W were also present, the first two performing while the latter two compered the event. Femi Kuti, who runs the venue as an updated version of Fela's Shrine, performed and invited Macron up for a brief dance and clap.

Other notable personalities included talking drum performer Ara (Thunder), singers Asa, Youssou N’Dour and Angelique Kidjo, as well as Nollywood personalities Kunle Afolayan, Joke Silva, Rita Dominic, Omotola and Ramsey Nouah. Asa, Kidjo and N'Dour later joined Macron as he clapped along to Kuti's music.

An 11-year old artist, Kareem Waris Olamilekan, showcased a drawing of Macron, which he produced in about two hours. Thereafter Olamilekan’s work was celebrated by Nigerians on social media.

Macron spoke about a coming project involving African artists putting on a show in an event tagged 2020 Season of African Cultures, which will take place in France in two years. He also told the teeming crowd at the Shrine about his memory as an intern visiting the Shrine in 2002. Prodded to say what happened at the time, Macron declined the invitation. “What happens at the Shrine stays at the Shrine,” he said to warm applause and laughter. He did, however, take a tour around the venue.

“[Fela Kuti] was not just a musician, he was a politician as well,” he said, adding that, “he was a politician because he wanted to change society. So if I have just one message for young people here at the Shrine tonight: yes, politics are important. Yes, be involved.”

The visit was carried by news organisations the world over, and will now be broadcast on the Trace Naija channel.

"It was truly an honour for Trace to host this very special event and to do it on home soil for my team at Trace Nigeria was another level,” said Sam Onyemelukwe, managing director of Trace Anglophone Africa. “The Trace Events team delivered on Trace’s mission to promote Afro-urban cultures to the world."

TRACE Naija (DSTV channel 325) will broadcast A Celebration of African Culture at The New Afrikan Shrine on 5 August at 8.30 PM WAT.