The Professor Ojo Bakare led Ekiti State Performing Arts Company, Jetted out of the country yesterday to represent Nigeria at the Surajkund International Arts Festival in India.
Ekiti State Troupe was picked by the Federal Government to represent Nigeria at the Cultural exchange Festival. Added to Ekiti Troupe are two craftsmen from Niger State and two cultural officers from the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture to complete Nigerian delegation led by the immediate past Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism in Ekiti State, Professor Rasaki Ojo Bakare.
The choice of Prof Ojo Bakare was made possible by the Governor of Ekiti State, His Excellency Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji and accepted by the Federal authorities. In making this choice, Governor Oyebanji took into consideration the cultural feats and accomplishments of Professor Rasaki Ojo Bakare, a veteran of global cultural festivals.
Apart from being Africa’s first Professor of Dance Choreography and Performance Aesthetics, Prof Bakare has represented Nigeria in many cultural festivals across the globe, some of which are: Dance Championship( Bulgaria 1987)), Friendship Festival Poeyong ( North Korea 97) Afrika- in – Tyrol Festival ( Austria 1999), Cervantino Theatre Festival ( Mexico 2001), Arts for Peace Tour ( Mozambique 2002) Jamaica National Festival (Jamaica 2003), Soweto Carnival ( South Africa 2010), Trinidad and Tobago Carnival ( 2013) Brazilian Carnival ( Brazil 2020) , choreographer in charge of Gambia National Troupe, 1992 to 94. Prof Bakare also led the performance content of the rested Heart of Africa Campaign round the world between 2007 and 2008.
At a sidelines chat before the team departure to India,the former Artistic Director of Nigeria’s National Carnival thanked Governor Oyebanji and the Federal government for trusting him with this assignment.
The team is expected back in Nigeria after the three weeks duration of the festival.
